Legendary Football Coach Carl Madison Honored On His 90th Birthday
January 17, 2021
Legendary high school football coach Carl Madison celebrated his 90th birthday Saturday surrounded by former players and colleagues, friends and guests at Hillcrest Baptist Church.
Madison led the Tate Aggies to a 1980 state championship and took the Pine Forest Eagles to two state championships in 1987 and 1988. He is one of the all-time winningest high school coaches in the nation.
“I’m just proud of it. I appreciate all of them coming and doing the things that they’ve done,” Madison said Saturday. “Hell, I never dreamed of this.”
Madison sits at number two on Florida’s all-time football coaching victories list with a 326-129-7 record.
“I can recall Coach Madison saying, ‘wanting to win is not good enough. You’ve got to hate to lose. It has to burn in your gut.’ That has stuck with me since,” remarked Steve Campbell, former head football coach at the University of South Alabama.
He led the Tate Aggies to a 1980 state championship, and took the Pine Forest Eagles to two state championships in 1987 and 1988. The 1988 Eagle team was named as national champions by USA Today, and Madison earned the title of the National High School Football Coach of the Year. All in all, he coached at five different Florida High Schools including Ernest Ward, plus three out of state schools.
“He was not only my high school football coach, or the head coach I ended up starting my educational career under, he is my friend,” said Keith Leonard, current assistant superintendent of Human Resource Services for the Escambia County School District. “He’s my mentor, someone I care very, very deeply about. I love him.”
His football days began early at Escambia County High School in Atmore where he played tailback under Coach Herbert Barnes from 1945 to 1947, making him one of Atmore’s semi-famous “Barnes Boys” with 30 straight wins. After a stint in the Army, from 1950 to 1952, Madison played college ball for Texas Tech and Troy State Teachers College in the mid-1950s.
Fresh out of college, Madison coached for four years beginning in 1957 at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill. He moved to Milton High in 1961, coaching them to a state championship and 34 straight victories. He then took a coaching job at a Georgia High School, losing a state championship game in 1968.
Madison joined the coaching staff at Tate in 1971 on his way to winning that 1980 state championship. He left Tate in 1983, heading to Pensacola High for a couple of years. Then it was off to Pine Forest and those back-to-back state championships. He coached at an Albany, Georgia, school, another 10 years at Milton High and another short period at PHS during the period from 1989 until 2002.
“Coach Madison was like a father figure to many of us even though he may not have known it at the time,” said Mike Bennett, head football coach at Escambia High School. “As players, he treated us all the same; no favorites. He taught me about being punctual and accountable. We still talk from time to time. I treasure those conversations. He’s an amazing man.”
In 2002, he took the head coach job at the small Jackson Academy in Alabama. The then 71-year old took over a team that had gone 0-10 prior to his arrival. He lost his first two games at Jackson, but he went on to win the state championship. The following year, Jackson was undefeated and won another state championship.
In 2009, Madison briefly came out of retirement to once again take to the field at Tate, this time as an offensive consultant.
“Trust me, being his nephew and his quarterback was not very fun for me quite often,” said Scotti Madison, Vanderbilt University Hall of Fame inductee and All-American. “It wasn’t practice; it was perfect practice. Every day, over and over again. Other than my father however, he was the most important man in my life.”
The Escambia County School Board will consider a resolution at their January 19, 2021, meeting to name the Tate High football field as “Carl Madison Field.” The stadium will continue to be known as the Pete Gindl Stadium.
Photos by WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Investigators Seek Help With 31-Year Old Cantonment Murder
January 17, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help to solve a 31-year old Cantonment murder mystery.
During the early morning hours of January 14, 1990, the body of Jesse Lee Davis, Jr., a 25-year old black male, was found apparently murdered in the area of Highway 95A and Highway 29 in Cantonment. Davis was last seen alive earlier that morning walking northward toward his home from the area of Muscogee Road and Highway 29.
The case remains unsolved. Anyone with information about what might have happened to Davis can contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured: Photos of 1990 murder victim Jessie Davis, Jr. at about age 20 (left) and from grade school. Submitted photos from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
New Mexican Restaurant Coming To Century
January 17, 2021
A new restaurant is coming to Century.
Vallarta Mexican Restaurant, which also has a location on Pensacola Boulevard at Nine Mile Road, is remodeling the former Becky’s Mini Mart at 9010 North Century Boulevard.
No opening date has been announced.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Highway 29 Briefly Closed Following Wreck At Paper Mill
January 16, 2021
At least one person was injured in a Saturday morning wreck that completely closed Highway 29 in Cantonment for a brief time period.
A driver rear-ended another vehicle before veering across the roadway and striking a utility pole in front of International Paper. A power service line was downed across Highway 29, closing the roadway until Gulf Power could remove it.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed Friday Night
January 16, 2021
A pedestrian was struck and killed Friday night in Escambia County.
It happened about 8:30 p.m. on Texar Driver east of North Tarragona Street. The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of a pickup truck did not see the 48-year old female pedestrian in the roadway. The pedestrian was transported to Baptist Hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The driver of the pickup truck was not injured.
The FHP did not release identifies.
Escambia Health Department Closes Online COVID-19 Vaccine Form
January 16, 2021
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County has temporarily closed their online COVID-19 vaccination request form.
The form allowed individuals 65 and older to request a vaccination. The health department will continue to work through the list of individuals that previously completed the form and schedule appointments and vaccines became available.
FDOH-Escambia said the department is working to identify and implement a more efficient appointment process.
For more information, call FDOH-Escambia COVID-19 line at (850) 595-6500, option 6. Appointments cannot be made on the phone.
Surveillance Images Released From Century CVS Robbery
January 16, 2021
Surveillance images have been released from the Thursday night robber of the CVS Pharmacy in Century.
The images are poor quality, but the Escambia County Sheriff’s is hoping someone will recognize something about this suspect.
He demanded that OxyContin be placed in a bag before he ran from the store on North Century Boulevard. A K-9 was used to search for the suspect, but he was not located.
The suspect was described only as a white male about 18-20 years old. The ECSO said he did not display a weapon.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Images ECSO for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Registered Sex Offender Gets Life In Prison For New Child Sex Crimes
January 16, 2021
A registered sex offender in Escambia County has been sentenced to life in prison for new child sex crimes.
Travis M. Butler, of Pensacola, was sentenced Friday to life imprisonment on federal charges of enticing a minor for sexual activity and producing child pornography. Butler pled guilty to the charges during a pretrial conference just two days before his federal jury trial was due to begin, according to, Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“Butler is a sexual predator who has repeatedly victimized underage girls for his own purposes,” said Keefe. “He has inflicted harm on far too many girls, but his trail of devastated young lives will come to an end behind bars.”
In September 2019, law enforcement officers with the Pensacola Police Department received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Butler, 47, and a minor female from the local area were engaged in illicit communications and activity via Facebook Messenger.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pensacola Police Department were able to geo-locate Butler’s criminal activity to Pensacola. This led law enforcement to obtain search warrants for Butler’s social media accounts, which produced troves of evidence displaying his sexual acts with the minor and his request for her to produce child pornography for his pleasure. Butler spent the summer of 2019 meeting and engaging in sexual acts with the minor victim, unbeknownst to her family. Social media account communications revealed that Butler hoped to continue their sexual relationship and even bring in a third party for group sex involving the minor. Butler was arrested by Homeland Security, with the assistance of the FBI, in November 2019.
“The horrible crimes against this child cannot be undone, but we hope this sentencing is another step in the healing process for his victim,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “We are proud to be one of the law enforcement partners making our local communities safer through the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.”
Butler is a registered sex offender based on prior state of Florida convictions, in 2006, for lewd and lascivious battery and contributing to the delinquency of a child by impregnating (under 16). At the
sentencing hearing in that case, it was revealed that the victim was actually the third minor female with whom Butler had engaged in sexual acts. In each of his two prior instances of sexual activity, Butler impregnated the minors.
The case was investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, the Pensacola Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Town Of Century Offering No-Fee Yard Waste Collection
January 16, 2021
Town of Century sanitation customers can take advantage of scheduled vegetative debris pick up at no additional charge.
The route is scheduled for the first and third Tuesday of each month. The debris cannot exceed a length or width of six feet or a height of three feet. All leaves, grass clippings and pine straw much be bagged without exception.
Items such as televisions, microwaves, tires, paint, batteries and electronics will not be picked up under any circumstances.
Individual collections on different days or in larger bulk can be arranged by calling town hall at (850) 256-3208 for a fee of $150.
Fourth Suspect In Fatal Century Triple Shooting Is Now Behind Bars In Florida
January 15, 2021
The fourth suspect in a fatal triple shooting November 30 in Century is now behind bars in Florida.
E’monee Long, age 18 of Atmore, was taken into custody and booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton in mid-December. He has now been extradited to Escambia County, Florida, to face charges of premeditated first degree homicide, conspiracy to commit home invasion robbery, aggravated battery and home invasion robbery. He is being held in the Escambia County (FL) Jail without bond.
Three other people were charged in the days immediately following the shooting:
— Kiaunna Shane Grice, age 30 of Century, was booked into the Escambia County Jail December 3 for first degree homicide, home invasion robbery, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
— Tacorius Cordale Stallworth, 22, was arrested December 2 for first degree homicide, home invasion robbery, and aggravated battery.
— Jaran Britt Myles, 26, was taken into custody December 1 at the Liquor Cabinet on Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road. He was jailed without bond on charges including first degree homicide, home invasion robbery, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, three counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia.
RELATED STORY: Myles Was Recently Released From Prison For 2015 Manslaughter
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the shooting about 11:35 p.m. Monday, November 30 in the 8200 block of Alger Road, just off North Century Boulevard.
Arrest reports obtained by NorthEscambia.com offer insight into the fatal triple shooting:
The victim, Joseph Christopher Smith, was found shot to death outside a shed near the mobile home. Multiple shell casings were found near the body, in the shed and leading away from the body. The inside of the shed had a couch, several chairs, tables and lamp. The items were in a state of disarray with the lamp glass shattered.
Two other adult males, Xavier Demarquese Walker and Lavor Chante Johnson were sitting near the mobile home when deputies arrived; both had been shot. They were transported by Escambia County EMS and Flomaton Medstar ambulance to a Pensacola hospital for treatment.
Walker stated he was seated in his vehicle when three people approached him, pointed guns at him and told him to get out of the vehicle. He said they “slapped him down” and put in a gun in face, saying “Don’t say nuthin, don’t make a noise”, according to the arrest report. Walker told investigators that he told them that he did not have “nuthin”. He told investigators that he recognized “Run-Run”, the street name used by Myles, and Stallworth, but did not recognize the third person.
Walker said the gunmen walked him over to the shed and told him to knock on the door and say “It’s Xa”. Walker stated that when the door opened, the three suspects pushed past him and went inside. Walker said he “freaked out”, the report states, and jumped on the ground where he was shot in the leg by Stallworth.
The suspects took Smith outside the shed before shooting him multiple time because of money, Walker stated.
Johnson told investigators that he was walking back from the store when he was picked up in a vehicle driven by Smith. He said he went inside the shed with Smith when someone knocked on the door and said “it’s Xa”. Smith opened the door, and the three male suspects entered the shed.
The report states Johnson said one of the men pointed a gun directly at his head and then shot him in the leg. They then started shooting in all directions inside the shed, striking Walker in the leg.
One of the suspect said “Where’s the money” to Smith, who replied “Ain’t no money. Johnson stated that the suspects took Smith outside, and he heard numerous gunshots.
Johnson told deputies that after the suspects shot Smith, they began celebrating by firing their guns and yelling, “Yeah, we caught that [expletives] slackin” before fleeing the scene.
After receiving a tip Tuesday night, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office caught up with Myles as he walked out of the Liquor Cabinet on Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road in Gonzalez. Deputies gave him loud verbal commands, but he turned and walked back inside the store. The deputies drew their service weapons, entered the store and continued to give loud verbal commands. Myles entered one of the aisles and made movements near products on the shelf before placing his hands and surrendering, an arrest report states.
After and ECSO K-9 alerted on the vehicle, a search produced 24 MDMA pills, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, Alprazolam pills and suspected fentanyl.
A firearm was located inside the Liquor Cabinet.
Pictured: Deputies look for evidence at the scene of a of a triple shooting in Century as seen early Tuesday morning on Alger Road. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
