NAS Pensacola Takes Part In Security Exercise
February 3, 2021
Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field are taking part in annual force protection exercises through February 12.
As part of Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2021 on Tuesday, Navy Security Forces on NAS Pensacola engaged with a barricaded suspect with a hostage, an active shooter and discovered a suspicious package.
Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain is an annual two-week exercise conducted on all Navy installations in the continental U.S. The exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security personnel and better prepare Department of the Navy personnel for potential force protection situations. It is a regularly scheduled exercise and is not a response to any specific threat.
Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Area residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise. Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders
ECSO: Cantonment Woman Punched And Spit On ‘Frail’ Elderly Woman After Parking Lot Wreck
February 3, 2021
A Cantonment woman is facing charges after allegedly punching a “frail” elderly woman in the face and spitting on her after a minor vehicle collision in a local Dollar General Parking lot.
Allisha Dawn Jarvis, 25, was charged with battery on a person 65 years old or older.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Dollar General at Highway 29 and North Tate School Road to find a 72-year old woman in the parking lot bleeding from her nose. She told deputies she was turning around in the parking lot when she accidently hit a Ford Expedition that was leaving the parking lot.
The victim stated she was still in her vehicle when Jarvis approached and “violently punched” her in the face through a rolled-down window before spitting on her, according to an arrest report.
Jarvis told deputies that she walked up to the victim’s vehicle window and cussed at the elderly woman, but she stated she never punched her in the face, the report states.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote in his report that the victim was “extremely frail” at 5-foot, three-inches tall and weighing only about 90 pounds. Jarvis, the report states, is about the same height and weighs 147 pounds.
The deputy stated the elderly woman had a slight cut on her nose that was bleeding and “you could clearly see dried spit on her collar.”
A witness confirmed the victim’s statements.
Jarvis was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.
Search Continues For Cantonment Man Missing For Months
February 3, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to search for a Cantonment man that has been missing since September 2019.
Lemuel Hall, 77, was last seen in the 1400 block of Chippendale Road.
He was reported missing on September 18, 2019.
ECSO Cold Case investigators say they have exhausted leads on this case and are asking the for the public’s help with any information that may bring Lemuel home.
If you have any information about Lemuel’s whereabouts, call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Six More Weeks Of Winter? North Escambia Weather Ducks See Shadow
February 2, 2021
On this Groundhog Day, Puxatony Phil, the world famous groundhog, and the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks have both predicted six more weeks of winter.
Folklore says that if the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, it means six more weeks of winter. We did not have a groundhog handy for a photo, but we did have the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks. And just like their more famous Pennsylvania weather buddy, our weather ducks also saw their shadow this morning at our office.
This was one of the few times our weather ducks have predicted more winter. For those that might be a little unsure as to the weather ducks’ ability of prognostication, we offer the two photographs below showing the weather ducks predicting six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day 2010 and 10 days later with their snowman.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Arrest Reports Detail Cantonment Shooting That Left One Dead, Two Jailed
February 2, 2021
Arrest reports provide more details about a fatal shooting in Cantonment Monday afternoon and the arrest of two suspects.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim as 35-year-old Danny Blackmon, Jr.
Investigators said Blackmon was shot by Jonathon Taylor Hobbs of Cantonment. Hobbs was charged with first degree premeditated murder. Dawn Sluder of Pensacola was charged with principal to first degree homicide.
The shooting happened about 2:10 p.m. in the 2900 block of Lawson Lane off Jacks Branch Road.
Sluder was taken into custody at a convenience store on Muscogee Road near Jacks Branch Road (pictured). Hobbs later surrendered to deputies on Country Hills Road, just east of Schifko Road. Both remain in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
According to arrest reports obtained Tuesday by NorthEscambia.com:
There were “ongoing issues” involving Sluder and Blackmon. Sluder is the mother of Blackmon’s 19-year old girlfriend.
Blackmon and his girlfriend locked themselves in their home and call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived, Sluder and Hobbs were gone.
After deputies left the residence on Lawson Lane, Blackmon and his girlfriend left the residence and began driving toward Jacks Branch Road in a Ford F-150 pickup truck. After becoming concerned that Sluder and Hobbs may do something to their house, they turned around to return home.
While driving, they saw Sluder’s black GMC SUV come around the corner. The woman stopped her Ford F-150 and Blackmon got out and stood on the side of Lawson Lane, telling his girlfriend that they had to “do things by the books” and call police. Blackmon told Sluder and Hobbs they were trespassing and needed to leave. As Sluder started to drive away, Sluder passed her and stopped her SUV near Blackmon. Sluder ran up to Blackmon, shaking her arms and appearing to yell while Blackmon did nothing.
In her rearview mirror, the girlfriend watched as Hobbs got out of the SUV and walked toward Blackmon with a gun his hand. She stated he fired several shots while standing just a few feet away from Blackmon. After Blackmon fell to the ground, Hobbs leaned over his body and fired at least two more rounds before running away.
Sluder then jumped into her SUV, put it in reverse and slammed into the girlfriend’s Ford F-150. Blackmon’s girlfriend attempted to perform CPR, but Sluder began to beat her before being pulled away by her hair.
A male arrived on scene and pulled Sluder off Blackmon’s girlfriend. He checked Blackmon for a pulse and did not find one.
Sluder drove away.
Deputies arrived to find the Ford F150 with extensive front end damage. There were numerous shell casings in the roadway.
Investigators found Blackmon deceased with numerous gunshot wounds, including two on his upper torso, one in his neck and at least two in his head.
Sluder was apprehended at a convenience store on Muscogee Road near Jacks Branch Road. There was extensive damage to her SUV (pictured below) consistent with having collided with the Ford F-150 as stated by the witness.
Hobbs walked up to a resident on Country Hills Road and asked to use the phone. The resident called 911, and deputies responded to take Hobbs into custody without further incident.
Hobbs and Sluder requested attorneys and refused to make any statement.
Pictured; A female suspect was taken into custody on Muscogee Road following a shooting Monday afternoon in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Approves New 300 Foot Cell Tower For AT&T, Possibly Other Carriers
February 2, 2021
Cell service can be nonexistent in many parts of Century, regardless of carrier. But it may get better in the coming year or so, at least for customers of AT&T.
Monday night, the Century Town Council approved leasing a small portion of a town park for a new 300-foot tall cell tower.
At a January meeting, the council not reach a consensus on a location to allow construction of the new tower, but the mayor found a location that worked out to be agreeable to all involved.
Motions to approve a variance and lease property by the library or the town’s maintenance shop to a tower company both failed to even receive a second during the January 19 council meeting. Mayor Ben Boutwell then went to work with Diamond Towers to find another location that would alleviate council concerns, provide ongoing income for the town and provide much needed improved cellular coverage.
“If our town is going to progress, we need the coverage. I was not going to let that die,” he said.
Monday night, the council approved a five-year lease with options out to 40 years with Diamond Towers for an AT&T tower on a small parcel of land in the town’s Anthony Pleasant Park off West Highway 4. It’s small area tucked away essentially at the back of the park.
“It will be a great spot,” Boutwell said. “It will be out of the way on a big area back there that’s never been used. It’s away from residents, surrounded by a wooded area so you would not see the base. It’s not too far from Highway 29 and is still in the area where AT&T needed it.”
Diamond Towers will lease the parcel at $1,000 total for one year with an optional extension for one more year at $1,000. Once a tower is constructed, Diamond’s lease will increase to $1,500 per month for at least five years, with another $500 per month due for additional cellular providers collocated on the tower. There are annual options for slight increases.
Tower Plan Fails In January
Two parcels owned by the town were previously under consideration for the tower site:
- A 0.698 acre lot directly south of the Century Branch Library. The tower would be located less than 50 feet from the library property, which is owned by Escambia County.
- A 0.68 acre area located on the northeast corner of the town’s maintenance building property on Alger Road, just across the railroad tracks from the playground at Showalter Park.
“I would not want a tower in my neighborhood,” council member Sandra McMurray Jackson said of the Alger Road location at the council’s last meeting. “They don’t want it on Alger Road…I’m going to respect those residents.” She said Alger Road residents were concerned about possible ill effects to their health, and she said there would be no changing their minds.
Council President Luis Gomez said January 19 that he did not think the tower belonged along Highway 29, between the library and a commercial building he owns. He said that while he personally does not want it located on Highway 29, it is important to consider that someone might want to locate a business on the property in the future.
“We need cellphone service in Century,” Gomez said. “No one wants to put a business in Century with the stagnant service we have.”
A motion by council member James Smith to locate the tower at the town’s shop on Alger Road and a motion by Jackson to locate it on Highway 29 both failed at the last council meeting to reach a vote due to a lack of seconds.
Pictured: Century Town Council member Sandra McMurray Jackson uses her cellphone during a Monday night meeting at the Century Community Center on West Highway 4. Inside the building, it is usually necessary to connect to the town’s Wi-Fi due to a lack of a cellular signal. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sheriff: Alcohol Heavily Involved In Flomaton Double Shooting; Former Correctional Officer’s Bond Set At $1 Million
February 2, 2021
Bond has been set for a now former Century correctional officer accused of shooting two people at an Alabama birthday party Saturday night.
James Scott Lassiter, age 51 of Flomaton, is charged with two counts of attempted murder. Monday, an Escambia County (AL) judge set his bond at $1 million dollars, and he remained behind bars early Tuesday morning.
“The shooting happened at a birthday party that was being held for one of the victims,” Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson said. “One of the victims had words with Lassiter and it escalated into a fight that later ended up with both victims shot. Alcohol was involved in the disturbance and is believed to have played a large role in the incident.”
The double shooting occurred about 8 p.m. Saturday in the 400 block of McMurphy Lane just north of Old Atmore Road. One victim was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, and the second was transported to D.W. McMillan Hospital in Brewton and then transferred to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.
Lassiter fled into a wooded area and was tracked for a little over a mile by a K-9 team from the Alabama Department of Corrections.
At the time of the shooting, Lassister was employed as a corrections officer at the state prison in Century.
Lassiter was hired as a correctional officer by the Florida Department of Correction (FDC) on October 4, 2019, and assigned to Century Correctional Institution. He resigned from his position effective Sunday, January 31, according to Paul Walker, press secretary for FDC.
“FDC has zero tolerance for staff who act contrary to our values: respect, integrity, courage, selfless service and compassion. Any willful breach of our values or participation in illegal activity by FDC staff will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal,” Walker told NorthEscambia.com on Monday.
Alabama Inks Leases For Two New Prisons, Including One Near Atmore
February 2, 2021
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday signed 30-year leases for new prisons to be constructed near Atmore and in Elmore County.
The two new men’s correctional facilities wilk be constructed by CoreCivic’s Developer Team. The state signed a lease agreement with Government Real Estate Solutions of South Alabama, LLC, a CoreCivic entity, for the Escambia County facility on Bell Fork near Atmore.
The agreements are not subject to annual renegotiation; however, options to negotiate occupancy extensions beyond the 30-year lease term are available to the state.
The Alabama Department of Corrections will staff and maintain full operational control of the facilities — these are not private prisons. CoreCivic will construct, own, and maintain the facilities
Construction of the Atmore facility will be staggered with the Wetempka facility to ensure sufficient labor and supply chain availability to support both projects, but construction in Atmore is anticipated to begin later this year or early 2022.
Construction of the two facilities is anticipated to be completed in fiscal year 2025
The two facilities will provide approximately 7,000 beds.
Once ready for occupancy, the ADOC will begin to transition its inmate population into these facilities. Development of this transition plan will soon be underway and informed by many factors, including the recommendations of the Alabama Prison Repurposing Commission.
The total cost of all lease payments (encompassing rent, annual preventive maintenance, and life cycle maintenance) for the Alabama Prison Program are subject to an overall affordability limit of $88.6 million as indexed to fiscal year 2022. The base cost of rent for the facilities will remain flat (fixed price) for the 30-year term.
The exact least amounts are still in negotiations.
“I am pleased that we have reached this important milestone in the Alabama Prison Program, the cornerstone of a multifaceted strategy to address the ADOC’s longstanding challenges and failing prison infrastructure,” Ivey said. “ADOC’s existing dilapidated infrastructure is failing at a rate of one facility every two years, exorbitant deferred maintenance costs are rising by the day, and the Courts may act imminently if real progress is not made soon — given all these risks, there is not one minute to spare.”
“Leasing and operating new, modern correctional facilities without raising taxes or incurring debt is without question the most fiscally responsible decision for our State, and the driving force behind our Alabama Solution to an Alabama Problem. We are improving public safety, providing better living and working conditions, and accommodating inmate rehabilitation all while protecting the immediate and long-term interests of the taxpayers. This is simply the best path forward,” Ivey added.
“It is no secret that, due to decades of inaction and a lack of resources, our correctional system is at a crossroads. Thanks to Governor Ivey’s vision, tenacity, and leadership, we have reached an important step in our continued work to chart a transformative new course for the Department,” said ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn. “Leasing, staffing, and operating modernized prison infrastructure that is owned and strictly maintained by the private sector minimizes our short- and long-term risk for an initiative of this necessary magnitude. These facilities will provide a safer, more secure environment in which our heroic staff can better deliver effective, evidence-based rehabilitative programming to our inmate population.”
Pictured: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey inks to prison lease contracts Monday at the Alabama State Capitol. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
High Winds, Low Humidity Prompt Tighter Burn Restrictions
February 2, 2021
Officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are limiting authorized burns in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties because of high winds and low humidity. Potential burns will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis Tuesday and only those who are certified burn practitioners may be authorized if approved.
Authorizations from the Florida Forest Service are required for prescribed burning – acreage burns – and piles greater than eight feet in diameter. Authorizations are not required for residential yard debris burning in piles less than eight feet in diameter, but Forest Service officials are strongly encouraging residents to refrain from any outdoor burning until conditions improve.
Florida has a year-round wildfire season that typically peaks in March and April. As the area approaches that transition from winter to spring, residents might consider taking steps to better protect themselves and their neighbors from the threat of a wildfire, according to the Forest Service.
Cleaning pine straw and leaves from roofs and gutters as well as maintaining a debris free zone around the home are good first steps. Creating defensible space – a clean and green landscape within the immediate vicinity of the home and thinned vegetation out 30 to 100 feet from the home – also is advisable in areas prone to wildfire, officials advised.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Southwest Adding Flights From Pensacola To Atlanta, Chicago And St. Louis
February 2, 2021
In March, Southwest Airlines will add nonstop flights from the Pensacola International Airport to Atlanta, Chicago Midway, and St. Louis.
Starting March 11 and continuing through April 11, Southwest Airlines will begin one daily flight to Atlanta (ATL), one flight to St. Louis (STL) on Saturdays, and two flights to Chicago Midway (MDW) on Saturdays.
“Pensacola continues to be a place where airlines see potential and growth as we navigate through the health crisis,” Pensacola International Airport Director Matt Coughlin said. “Our airport staff and our many airline partners are dedicated to providing an easy, safe and healthy flight experience.”
“This is yet another testament to the resilience of Pensacola International Airport and the desire for airlines to continue to expand their services here,” Mayor Grover Robinson said. “I am excited to see new destinations at our airport to not only provide more travel opportunities for residents, but also connect new visitors to our beautiful city.”
Pictured: The Pensacola International Airport. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.