Prison Escapee On The Run Since July Caught In Louisiana; He Carjacked Minivan In North Escambia
May 21, 2020
An Alabama prison escapee accused of a July 2019 armed carjacking in North Escambia was captured Wednesday by U.S. Marshals in St John Parish, Louisiana.
Travis Wyatt Dawson, 41, escaped from Loxley Work Release at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2019. He remained in the St John Parish Jail Thursday morning. According to St John Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Angel Thompson, Dawson does not face any charges in Louisiana and is awaiting extradition back to Alabama. (Dawson is pictured in his Alabama Department of Corrections mugshot, and his mugshot from Wednesday in Louisiana.)
He was allegedly armed with a machete when he took a minivan from a relative on Miller Road just off Rockaway Creek Road on July 14, 2019. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Mobile. No one was injured in the incident.
Days before, he eluded authorities in a manhunt led by U.S. Marshals in North Escambia and Atmore.
Authorities believe he was in the area of a relative’s home last Friday morning on Miller Road near the Florida community of Nokomis. A manhunt in the area later shifted focus north along Rockaway Creek Road into Atmore, Alabama. By late afternoon, authorities closed Highway 31 west of Atmore after a reported sighting.
Dawson was sentenced to 20 years in 2013 on a possession of a controlled substance conviction in Escambia County, Alabama.
Officials said he has previous local ties to the North Escambia and Atmore areas. He reportedly attended Ernest Ward High School. In 2003, he was sentenced in Escambia County, Florida, to one year in state prison for possession on drug paraphernalia and trespassing. Once released, he told the Florida Department of Corrections he was living on Washington Avenue in Atmore, according to state records. Information on his Alabama criminal history was not available.
Pictured top: Officers from the Alabama Department of Corrections speak to an Escambia County (FL) deputy and a citizen a roadblock on Miller Road in Florida in July 2019. Dawson allegedly carjacked a minivan just a few yards from this location. Pictured below: An Escambia County (FL) Road Prison K-9 team searches near a Rockaway Creek Road bridge that spans the Alabama-Florida state line. Pictured bottom: An Escambia County (FL) deputy helps maintain a perimeter around a neighborhood along Rockaway Creek Road at Grubbs Street in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
COVID-19 Cases Increase At Blackwater Prison; Still Just One Case Reported At Century Correctional
May 21, 2020
The number of COVID-19 cases at the Blackwater Correctonal Facility in Milton has increased, according to the Florida Department of Corrections, while there continues to have been just one case at the prison in Century.
At Blackwater, 66 inmates and 14 staff members have tested positive for coronavirus. As of Wednesday, there are 470 inmates at Blackwater in security quarantine, 419 awaiting test results. and 203 that have tested negative.
One staff member at Century Correctional Institution tested positive for COVID-19 in March. Three Century inmates have tested negative.
Teacher Guilty Of Having Sex With A Student Asks For Castration. The Judge Gave Him 12 Years In Prison.
May 21, 2020
A former Escambia County high school teacher asked for physical or chemical castration instead of prison time, but that was rejected by the judge when he was sentenced Wednesday.
Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Dannheisser sentenced 32-year old Mark Ryan Lua to 12 years in state prison to be followed by 15 years of sexual offender probation. He was also designated as a sexual offender and will have to comply with all reporting requirements for the remainder of his life.
On October 16, 2019, Lua entered a plea of no contest to one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child and three counts of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors. Lua was previously employed as a teacher at Washington High School.
The charges stem from an investigation beginning in January 2019 when it was discovered that Lua used a fake social media account in which he posed as an adult female and encouraged a female student to send Lua a sexual video. Lua was interviewed by detectives and eventually admitted to using the fake account to obtain the video from the student.
After Lua was initially arrested, additional female students came forward and testified that Lua had sex with them at his home while his wife was away. Lua was not interviewed regarding the additional allegations, but text messages provided by one of the students corroborated her account.
UWF To Offer Virtual Summer Camps
May 21, 2020
University of West Florida Continuing Education is bringing Explore Summer Camps straight to students this year with virtual editions of the most popular programs.
Camps are available for students entering first through ninth grade, with a variety of themes for specific age groups including Jr. Mad Scientists, Broadway Bound, Ozobots, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and more.
Each camp will host 10-12 students for an hour and 15 minutes via Zoom, with icebreakers and daily activities planned. The camps start at $35.
To learn more or register, visit uwf.edu/explorecamps.
Three People Injured In Highway 4 Byrneville Wreck
May 20, 2020
Three people were injured in a two vehicle collision Wednesday morning in Byrneville.
The crash happened about 11:20 a.m. at the intersection of West Highway 4 and Byrneville Road. A pickup truck and a passenger car collided, and the pickup truck hit a concrete traffic signal pole.
None of the injuries were considered life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Escambia County EMS, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECUA Loses Appeal To Keep 2018 Grand Jury Report On Allegations A Secret
May 20, 2020
The Florida First District Court of Appeals has denied an Emerald Coast Utility Authority’s appeal to block the the release of a 2018 grand jury report.
The appeals court found that the report should be issued, along with five portions that were previously removed.
An Escambia County grand jury completed its review into complaints and allegations involving ECUA in July 2018. But that report was never released due to appeals filed by ECUA seeking to block it from becoming public.
A grand jury was convened and tasked with review of the operations, policies, and procedures of ECUA, specifically the grand jury investigation related to eminent domain proceedings, Florida public records and sunshine law, ECUA Board supervision, and delegation of authority.
Following its investigation and witness testimony, the grand jury concluded that criminal charges were not appropriate and returned a no true bill. However, because the grand jury was “deeply concerned” by the testimony it received, it issued the report. Under Florida law, individuals named in the report were given the opportunity to move to repress or expunge improper unlawful portions of the report.
ECUA Attorney Bradley S. Odom and other parties filed motions to repress. The state consented to remove several portions of the report prior to release, and a lower court entered a ruling on the remaining portions.
Odom raised three points on appeal, all of which were rejected by the appeals court:
- He asserted that the state attorney does not possess the authority to respond to motions, repress or expunge grand jury reports; its role or duty in grand jury proceedings ends once the jury drafts its report.
- He argued that the lower court erred in not considering alleged breaches in confidentiality when determining whether to repress or expunge portions of the report.
- He also argued that numerous additional portions of the grand jury report should be repressed or expunged because they either contain factual inaccuracies or are improper.
The State Attorney’s Office filed a cross-appeal and contended that the lower court erred in repressing five portions of the grand jury report:
- The absence of term limits on ECUA board bembers has created a sense of complacency and has fostered an overreliance on the executive director and attorneys. An amendment to the special act of the legislature that created ECUA should be considered that would place term limits on board members.
- Indemnity and hold harmless agreements should be in all easements unless specifically prohibited by law.
- The State Attorney’s Office stated that they found Odom to be both unprofessional and unprepared, and made the findings because they are important and should be considered by the board in future decisions.
- Recommended that the employment contract for the executive director be renegotiated every two years with no automatic renewal provision. The current contract has been in place since 2004
- Directed that the State Attorney provide a copy of this report together with the opinion issued by the First District Court of Appeal to the Office of the Governor and the Florida Bar as well as the local legislative delegation.
First District Court of Appeal found in their ruling released Thursday that:
There was error in excluding the portions of the grand jury report as the statements are both lawful and proper. They emphasized the broad powers conveyed to grand juries. In making these statements, the grand jury did not exceed its lawful and proper function to “consider the actions of public bodies and officials in the use of public funds and report or present findings and recommendations as to practices, procedures, incompetency, inefficiency, mistakes and misconduct involving public offices and public monies.” There is a factual foundation in the grand jury report to support each of the above conclusions.
Accepted the state’s argument that any factual foundation, whether singular or otherwise, may be sufficient to support a comment in a grand jury report.
Statements made regarding Odom specifically were not improper given Odom was a witness and a subject of the investigation, and his legal services were paid using public funds. The fact that Odom is a private citizen is immaterial. Also, included in the grand jury’s broad powers is the power to conclude that a public official is not fit to continue in their position and recommend that actions be taken for their removal.
Former Escambia County Judge Billy G. Ward Of Walnut Hill Passes Away
May 20, 2020
Former Escambia County Judge Billy G. Ward of Walnut Hill has passed away at the age of 95.
Ward was known for being a community servant, a dedicated Christian and a family man.
He served his country in the U.S. Army on foreign soil during World War II before returning home to farm.
He was a justice of the peace in Escambia County from January 1957 through December 1971 when the Justice of the Peace Court was abolished by a Florida Constitutional revision, replaced by the Circuit Court and County Court. Ward was grandfathered as a county judge, and went on to win election to the bench. He served until his retirement on December 31, 1988.
On August 21, 1997, the Century Courthouse was renamed the “Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse” in his honor.
Ward involved in his community. He became a charter member of the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club in 1947 and served with many community organizations. He was a a deacon and long-time member of Walnut Hill Baptist Church.
In October 2009, Ward was one of just over 100 WWII veterans that traveled to Washington on the Fifth Annual Emerald Coast Honor Flight so that the veterans could see the World War II Memorial — their memorial. Ward took along a camera and shared his day with NorthEscambia.com readers.
Ward is survived by his wife of 74 years Lois and numerous other family members and close friends. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 11 at Walnut Hill Baptist Church with burial to follow in the Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. until service time. For the complete obituary, click here.
Pictured top: Billy G. Ward at the dedication of the Ernest Ward Middle School in 2015. Pictured below: Billy Ward and his wife Louis, Ward tossing a first little league pitch in Walnut Hill, Ward at during a WWII honor flight in Washington, D.C. (including with Sen. Bob Dole, and the Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse. NorthEscambia.com photos. Pictured inset: Escambia County Judge Billy G. Ward in an undated photo.
Northview High Students To Return Textbooks And Other Items, Pick Up Yearbooks On Thursday
May 20, 2020
Northview High School students will return items that belong to the school and pick up their yearbooks on Thursday.
Here is the information from the school:
All 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students are invited to drive through our bus loop on Thursday, May 21, to have the opportunity to return regular textbooks, dual enrollment textbooks, library books, ROTC Uniforms, and Sports uniforms. You will also be able to pick up your Yearbook if you have already purchased one, or you may buy one for a $65 cash payment while supplies last. Not all students in grades 9-11 need to turn in their Chromebooks. You will need to keep your Chromebook over the summer, and bring it back with you when you return to Northview in August.
All 12th grade students will also come to return their Chromebooks and any textbooks they may still have.
Students should arrive at the following specified times:
9th Graders should arrive between 9:00-10:00 AM
10th Graders should arrive between 10:00-11:00 AM, and
11th Graders should arrive between 11:00-Noon.
12th Graders should arrive between 12:00-1:00
Students with last names, A through M, should arrive the first 30 minutes of your assigned time, and students with last names, N through Z, should arrive the last 30 minutes of their assigned hour of time. Also, please stay in your vehicle; this is for your safety as well as the safety of faculty and staff members working in the bus loop.
Students will also be able to retrieve items from PE or sports lockers. These students should drive to the student parking lot and a staff member will give them direction on how to retrieve these items.
Finally, students should continue to complete their assignments, as teachers will be assigning grades next week.
Nine Mile Road Traffic Shift Delayed Until Next Week
May 20, 2020
UPDATE- This traffic shift has been postponed until next week due to inclement weather.
A traffic shift is planned for Nine Mile Road on Thursday.
The travel lanes between Allegheny Avenue and the Leisure Lakes RV Park will be shifted to the new eastbound roadway to allow crews to construct the new westbound lanes. Motorists will encounter alternating and intermittent lane closures between the Leisure Lakes RV Park and Eleven Mile Creek.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather
Flomaton High Class Of 2020 Graduates In Outdoor Socially Distanced Ceremony
May 20, 2020
A socially distanced Flomaton High School Class of 2020 graduation was held outdoors Tuesday evening in the Flomaton High School stadium.
Graduates were properly spaced, as were family members in the stands. Students were allowed to invite four family members to attend.
“2020 has definitively been unexpected,” Valedictorian Meagan Chaudron said. She said the class has learned the hard way how to cherish every single moment.
“Nobody prepared us for coronavirus but we have pushed through, and we will come out victorious. Senior year may not have been what we envisioned, but it was ours…so please today learn from us and what we’ve had to go through. I hope all of your wake up every morning and choose the make the very best of each day and live it to the fullest,” she said.
“To you, my fellow classmates, I hope each and every one of you are able to accomplish your goals and dreams in the future,” Chaudron said. “I hope you all come out better and stronger because of the trials we have had to face together.”
The Top Ten members of the Flomaton High School Class of 2020 are:
- Meagan Chaudron – Valedictorian
- Brooke Welch – Salutatorian
- Grace Morgan
- Nealy Wiggins
- Alex Glidewell
- Raylin Wesley
- Mattie White
- Malin White
- Michael Dunn
- Alexis Lee
Pictured above and below: A socially distanced graduation for the Flomaton High School Class of 2020. Pictured bottom: Valedictorian Meagan Chaudron (left) and Salutatorian Brooke Welch. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
