Firefighters Respond To Report Of Smoke Inside Cantonment Tom Thumb
June 26, 2020
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the Tom Thumb in Cantonment about 9:00 Friday morning for a report of smoke in the building. The source of the smoke was traced to a HVAC unit on the roof of the building on Highway 29 at Woodbury Circle. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century Man Charged With Breaking Both Of A Four Month Old Baby Girl’s Legs
June 26, 2020
A Century man was arrested on a first degree felony charge for allegedly breaking both of a four-month old girl’s legs.
Dustin Raymond McMurdy, 27 was charged with aggravated child abuse. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $100,000 bond.
X-rays showed baby girl had femur fractures on each side of her body. A Florida Department of Children and Families investigator told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that the hospital determined the injuries were consistent with child abuse and had possible been caused by the pulling on the child’s legs.
“The type of fractures this child has sustained is the most specific fracture seen in child abuse, and is the result of violent shearing (pulling),” an arrest report states.
DCF described McCurdy and a female not charged as illicit drug users, according to the arrest report.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office alleged the fractures occurred during an altercation between McCurdy and the female.
After COVID-19 Cases Increase At Record Level, Escambia County Urges Residents To Take Action
June 26, 2020
As the number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County increased Thursday by 92, a record for a single day, the county released a statement encouraging residents to take preventative action against the virus.
“We want to remind the public that it is extremely important to continue to social distance, avoid close contact with people and it is recommended to wear a mask when social distancing is not possible as there has been a rise in cases in Escambia County as well as younger people testing positive,” said Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore.
“Through conversations with the Florida Department of Health, we have learned that COVID-19 is likely to spread from an infected individual when in close contact with someone, like riding in vehicles together. While our hospital systems are in good shape right now in terms of available beds and ventilators, we need to ensure we are all social distancing to keep it this way.”
“Please continue to wash your hands often with soap for at least 20 seconds, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, social distance, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as well as it is recommended to wear a mask when social distancing is not possible,” Gilmore said.
The total number of COVID-19 cases diagnosed in Escambia County as of Thursday was 1,404, an increase of 315 in just one week.
Eligible Families Receiving Pandemic School Meal Benefits This Summer; EBT Cards Arriving Now
June 26, 2020
Benefit cards are arriving in North Escambia area mailboxes for families with children that were receiving free and reduced price meals at during the last school year.
Florida’s Pandemic EBT Program (P-EBT) was approved the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Families eligible to receive free or reduced-priced school meals will automatically receive the benefit during the month of June with no further action needed. The benefit is $5.70 per day for 55 days, for a total of $313.50 per child that qualified for free or reduced meals prior to April 1.
At many Escambia County Schools, all students received free meals without an application being necessary to qualify for the benefits. The list of schools is at the bottom of this article. Students from other schools not listed will also receive the cards if they were receiving free or reduced lunch.
Households can use P-EBT benefits to buy breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, dairy, and plants and seeds to grow foodt. Households cannot use P-EBT benefits to buy nonfood items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, household supplies, grooming items, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, food to eat in the store, or hot foods.
P-EBT benefits can be used to purchase food items at retailers displaying a Quest or SNAP logo. Benefits expire in one year.
For existing SNAP customers with a child receiving free and reduced-price school meals, the P-EBT benefit will be added to their current EBT card automatically. For Medicaid and/or TANF recipients with a child receiving free and reduced-price school meals, the P-EBT benefit will be automatically mailed to the address on their Medicaid and/or TANF file.
For all other P-EBT customers, a new P-EBT card will be mailed to the address on file with the child’s school district.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF), in partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), developed a P-EBT program to automatically issue benefits during the month of June to more than 2.1 million children who have temporarily lost access to free and reduced-price school meals during COVID-19-related school closures.
Eligible families that do not receive their benefit by June 30 can call (833) 311-0321.
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Bellview Elementary
Bratt Elementary
Brentwood Elementary
Byrneville Elementary
C.A Weis Elementary
Ensley Elementary
Ferry Pass Elementary
Global Learning Academy
Holm Elementary
Jim Allen Elementary
Lincoln Park Elementary
Lipscomb Elementary
Longleaf Elementary
McArthur Elementary
Molino Park Elementary
Montclair Elementary
Myrtle Grove Elementary
Navy Point Elementary
Oakcrest Elementary
Pine Meadow Elementary
Pleasant Grove Elementary
Scenic Heights Elementary
O.J. Semmes Elementary
Sherwood Elementary
Warrington Elementary
West Pensacola Elementary
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Bellview Middle
Beulah Middle
Ernest Ward Middle
Ferry Pass Middle
Jim Bailey Middle
Warrington Middle
Workman Middle
HIGH SCHOOLS
Escambia High
Northview High
Pensacola High
Pine Forest High
Washington High
OTHER SCHOOLS AND CENTERS
Camelot
Capstone
Escambia Westgate Center
Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
Success Academy
Lakeview Center
Tate High Graduate Matthew Johnson Signs With US Merchant Marine Academy
June 26, 2020
Tate High School Football’s Matthew Johnson has signed to continue his academic and athletic career at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Johnson graduated from Tate Tuesday night. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Software Engineer Gets Federal Prison For Stealing Fishing Spot Info From Escambia County Company
June 26, 2020
A software engineer from Alabama has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing trade secrets from an Escambia County company and then trying to extort more information from the company’s owners.
Timothy J. Smith, 43, of Mobile, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in United States District Court in Pensacola on charges of theft of trade secrets and interstate extortionate communications.
Strikeline, the victim in the case, is a Pensacola based company that uses commercial side scan sonar equipment to locate fishing reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and sells the coordinates using an interactive map on their website. StrikeLines also provides public coordinates for free to those interested in finding valuable spots to fish in the Gulf.
The evidence showed that between April and November 2018, Smith obtained private information valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars from the local company by using sophisticated cyber techniques in order to gain the trade secrets and decrypt information of the company from its website.
After hearing how Smith stole private sonar coordinates of reefs, the jury received testimony and exhibits showing how Smith then tried to extort the two owners of StrikeLines for more valuable information. During this entire time, the victims did not know Smith’s identity or why he was trying to harm them.
Federal and state law enforcement were able to trace all the criminal acts back to Smith in Mobile where he committed the cyber theft against the Pensacola company.
At sentencing, United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers announced that she thought Smith’s acts were based upon “spite” and “arrogance.” In addition to his term of imprisonment, Judge Rodgers sentenced Smith to a one-year term of supervision once released from custody. Smith was also ordered to forfeit all the electronic devices he utilized to commit his crimes.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office takes very seriously cyber crimes of all kinds, ranging from protecting our national security to the secrets of private companies,” said U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe. “In our increasingly online society, cyber security is vital to all of us as we conduct Internet transactions and conversations so that we can be confident our identities and personal information are protected. Our office is pleased that the jury held the defendant to account for victimizing a small local business.”
“This is the first time we’ve investigated a case like this and it most likely won’t be the last,” said FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey. “I applaud our FDLE agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for always working to stay at the forefront of technology and one step ahead of the bad guys.”
This case resulted from an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FBI, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg prosecuted the case.
UPDATE: Gunfire Hits House In Molino; Not Believed To Be Deliberate
June 25, 2020
A house in Molino was hit by gunfire Thursday night, but the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office does not believe it was a deliberate act.
Deputies responded to a shots fired call on Weeping Willow Court shortly before 7 p.m.
“No one was ever located after interviewing surrounding residents,” Sgt. Melanie Peterson, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, said as deputies were leaving the area. ”ECSO has no reason to believe the shots were deliberate.”
Peterson confirmed that the house was hit “by a couple of rounds”. She said it was possibly someone target practicing or shooting in a nearby wooded area. She said deputies could heard the shots after their arrival.
No one was hit by the gunfire, and there were no injuries reported.
Weeping Willow Court runs north off Highway 196 and parallel to Highway 29. As a result, numerous deputies were also along Highway 29, shutting down the outside southbound lane.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia, Santa Rosa COVID-19 Cases Surge By 132
June 25, 2020
The number of Escambia County and Santa Rosa County COVID-19 cases surged by 132 in the Thursday report from the Florida Department of Health.
Escambia County cases increased by 92 to 1,404. The numbers were up by 64 in Pensacola, eight in Cantonment, one in Century and one in Walnut Hill. Santa Rosa cases were up by 40 to 411. Data on the number of test results returned was not immediately available to determine if increased testing may have led to the positive spike in Thursday’s report.
Of the 42 deaths in Escambia County, 33 have been long-term care facility residents or staff. There have been nine deaths in Santa Rosa County, seven of those at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility and none in long-term care facilities.
Statewide, there were 114,018 cases including 111,724 Florida residents. There have been 13,775 hospitalizations* and 3,327 deaths. The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals.
Escambia County cases:
- Total cases — 1,404 (+92 since Wednesday)
- Pensacola — 992
- Cantonment — 81
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid — 2
- Walnut Hill — 2
- Molino – 16
- Century — 10
- Perdido Key – 1
- Hospitalizations: 82*
- Deaths — 43
- Male — 442
- Female — 610
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 105
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 411 (+40 since Wednesday)
- Milton — 211
- Navarre — 66
- Gulf Breeze — 61
- Pace — 34
- Jay — 5
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 27*
- Deaths — 9
- Male — 228
- Female — 137
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 98
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 114,018
- Florida residents — 111,724
- Deaths — 3,327
- Hospitalizations — 13,775
*“Hospitalizations” is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized.
Kitchen Fire Damages Cantonment Home
June 25, 2020
A kitchen fire damaged a home in Cantonment Thursday morning.
Smoke could be seen coming from the attack and roofline of the home in the 100 block of Mintz Lane across from the former Champion Golf Course.
There were no reported injuries in the fire just before 9 a.m.. The kitchen area and the attic above were damaged.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Molino Tax Collector Office Closed Due To COVID-19 Exposure
June 25, 2020
The Escambia County Tax Collector Office is Molino was temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford told NorthEscambia.com that the employees were last exposed Friday, June 19 to a person who has tested positive for the virus.
“All employees were referred for testing, and we closed as a precaution. None of the employees sent for testing are showing symptoms at six days out,” Lunsford said.
The office was deep cleaned. He said employees will be returning to work as they can, but that is being complicated by the fact that some of those employees cannot put their kids back in daycare until they receive a negative test result.
Lunsford said he is working with the health department and their contact tracing staff to determine if any member of the public that visited the building last Friday should be contacted.
“We are taking all precautions,” he said.
Lunsford the drive-thru window in Molino reopened on Friday, June 26.
While the office is closed to the public, tax collector staff will use the building as a call center to test the agency’s ability to operate away from their normal downtown location.
Pictured: The Escambia County Tax Collector Molino office. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
