FDLE: Tallahassee Man Used Escambia County Business’ Tax Info To Lease Vehicles, Equipment
May 8, 2020
A Tallahassee man was arrested Thursday on charges for allegedly using the tax information of an Escambia County business to lease vehicles and equipment valued at $225,000.
Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 45-year old Robert Brinker, 45, of Tallahassee, on charges of scheme to defraud and criminal use of personal identification information.
Brinker is the owner of Deep South Crane and Equipment Rentals, Inc., in Tallahassee.
FDLE began its investigation in March after receiving a citizen complaint. Agents say Brinker used the tax identification number of a similarly named business in Pensacola to lease three new vehicles and heavy equipment from a Tallahassee dealership.
In September and October of last year, Brinker leased a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee valued at nearly $95,000, a 2019 Dodge Ram 3500 truck valued around $62,000 and a 2019 Dodge Ram 4500 valued at more than $68,000. He was able to obtain the credit to lease the vehicles using the tax ID number from the Escambia County company.
“While Brinker does not work for the Pensacola business and is not affiliated with them, he has victimized the business in the past and has additional charges pending against him for using their tax ID number to purchase vehicles,” FDLE said in a statement.
Troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol assisted with the arrest.
Escambia County Promotes Two To Deputy County Administrators, One To Department Director
May 8, 2020
The Escambia County Commission approved three senior level staff promotions at their Thursday night meeting.
Chips Kirschenfeld and Wes Moreno were promoted to deputy county administrators, and Clara Long was promoted to director of the Neighborhood and Human Services.
Chips Kirschenfeld, Deputy County Administrator
Chips Kirschenfeld was appointed deputy county administrator and will maintain his position as director of Natural Resources Management while also serving in senior leadership to assist with the management of operations, the oversight of major projects, and supervision of departments under the direction of the assistant county administrator for the Community and Administrative branch.
Kirschenfeld began his career with Escambia County in 2001 as a senior scientist in charge of writing a new wetlands protection ordinance and establishing a new wetlands management program. In 2008, he became division manager of the Water Quality and Land Management division and established a new water quality laboratory to monitor area surface waters. Kirschenfeld was named director of Natural Resources Management in 2016 and was assigned additional duties as interim assistant county administrator in 2019 until the permanent positions were filled.
Wes Moreno, Deputy County Administrator
Wes Moreno was appointed deputy county administrator and will maintain the position of director of Public Works while also serving in senior leadership to assist with the management of operations, the oversight of major projects, and supervision of departments under the direction of the assistant county administrator for the Infrastructure and Public Safety branch.
Moreno began his career with Escambia County in 1987 as a maintenance worker with the Public Works department. Moreno has held several positions including equipment operator, road correction officer, engineering tech, chief of construction management, deputy bureau chief of public works and deputy director of Public Works. Beyond the numerous road, drainage and bridge improvement projects for the county, he also assisted with recovery efforts from major disasters including hurricanes George, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Dennis, and both an ice storm and flooding in 2014.
Clara Long, Director of the Neighborhood & Human Services Department
Clara Long was approved and promoted on Thursday, May 7 as the new director of Neighborhood & Human Services. Clara Long most recently served as Escambia County’s interim director of Neighborhood & Human Services, a position she held since August 2019.
Prior to serving as interim director, Long served as the Community Redevelopment Agency division manager from 2013 to 2019. Long began her career with Escambia County in April 2001 and began working in the CRA Division in 2003. She has held many positions in the agency including office administrative assistant, CRA urban planner II, development program manager, enterprise zone coordinator/redevelopment specialist, and CRA division manager.
Long graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with an associate’s degree in business administration. She has 28 years of experience in the field of administration and is a member of Take Stock in Children Mentoring Program, the Florida Chapter American Planning Association, and the American Planning Council.
The Neighborhood and Human Services Department oversees the Community Redevelopment Agency, Neighborhood Enterprise Division and the Safe Neighborhood Program. In addition, Neighborhood & Human Services administers the Youth Employment Program, Human Assistance Program, the Indigent Burial Program and various Community and Resource Centers.
ADOC: Staff Member At Holman Prison Tests Positive For COVID-19; Escambia County (AL) Cases Up To 33
May 8, 2020
A staff member at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore has self-reported to the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) that they are positive for COVID-19.
ADOC said the individual promptly self-quarantined under the direction of his or her healthcare provider.
“The ADOC’s Office of Health Services (OHS) immediately initiated an investigation to determine which, if any, ADOC inmates or employees may have had direct, prolonged exposure to this staff member. Upon completing the appropriate follow-up interviews and due diligence, OHS will advise any exposed staff members to contact their healthcare providers and self-quarantine for the recommended 14-day period, or as advised by their healthcare provider,” said Samantha Rose, public information specialist for the prison system.
The ADC said the positive test represents the 17th self-reported case of COVID-19 among corrections employees and contracted staff, twelve (12) of which remain active. Five (5) staff members who previously self-reported a positive test have been cleared by a medical provider to return to work.
According to Alabama Department of Health data Thursday night, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County increased to 33. It was not known if the Holman staff member is part of that number.
There have three deaths form the virus in Escambia County, Alabama.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Firefighter Injured As Mobile Home And Travel Trailer Destroyed By Fire In Cantonment
May 8, 2020
An Escambia County firefighter was injured in a structure fire Thursday night in Cantonment.
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a reported mobile home fire in the 1000 block of Perdido Road in Cantonment shortly after 9 p.m. The fire destroyed both a mobile home and a travel trailer.
The injured firefighter was transported to a local hospital for treatment of a minor injury. There were no other injuries reported.
There were no smoke alarms present, according to Escambia County. An accidental cooking fire was determined to be the cause.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com by Kristi Barbour and others, click to enlarge.
Gonzalez Baptist Church To Hold Food Box Distribution On Saturday
May 8, 2020
Gonzalez Baptist Church will hold a food box distribution on Saturday.
“Last week the church distributed 150 boxes in about 45 minutes to families in need. This week, we plan on having over 300 boxes on hand, due to the high demand from central and north Escambia County. We will do this each Saturday in May as long as supplies last,” Senior Pastor Mike Mashburn said.
The food distribution will begin at 10 a.m. and continue while supplies last at 1590 Pauline Street (one block off Highway 29 and Old Chemstrand Road, behind Winn Dixie). The event is drive-thru only and limited to one food box for each member of the household.
Pictured: Last Saturday, Gonzalez Baptist Church distribute food boxes, and they will do it again this Saturday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
Highway 29 Northbound Wreck Backs Up Traffic
May 7, 2020
A traffic crash on Highway 29 just north of Muscogee Road backed up northbound traffic for at least of a couple of miles Thursday afternoon.
There were no serious injuries reported in the 3:35 p.m. crash, but both northbound lanes were blocked. The roadway was reported to be open by 5 p.m.
Readers reported traffic was backed up to at least Winn Dixie at Old Chemstrand Road.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Beulah Fire Grows To 1,000 Acres, But Is Expected To Burn Itself Out
May 7, 2020
[Updated 7:40 p.m.] Four Florida Forest Service bulldozers and two helicopters are actively working the Hurst Hammock Fire in Beulah. The fire has become more active, but remains in the marsh and is not currently a threat, according to Escambia County. Escambia County Fire Rescue has several additional units on scene standing by along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The fire size is still 1,000 acres and 40% contained.
Previous story:
[Updated 4:10 p.m.] A large wildfire is Beulah grew to about 1,000 acres Thursday afternoon, but officials say it is not threatening any structures.
The fire is now 40% contained, according to Laura Coale, Escambia County spokesperson.
“It’s just burning out the marsh,” she said, “still no threat to any structures.”
There have been no evacuations and Hurst Hammock road is open to residents.
Coale cautioned that the air quality in the area is reduced and residents may continue to see some smoke.
The Florida Forest Services continues to work to contain the fire, and Escambia Fire Rescue is on standby to assist if needed.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Reader photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Correction: Photo Used In Santa Rosa Wildfire Story Erroneously Represented By Fire Department
May 7, 2020
NorthEscambia.com has removed a photo from our story about the Santa Rosa wildfire, and we are correcting the origin and context of the photo.
The photo (above) was erroneously released Wednesday night on Facebook by the Baker Fire District in a collection of photos that included graphics related to the Santa Rosa County fire such as Santa Rosa County evacuation maps, fire maps and a Florida Forest Service helicopter. It was clearly represented by the Baker Fire District as being their firefighters at the Santa Rosa fire. Escambia Fire Rescue was misled and posted the photo Wednesday nigh labeled as the Baker Fire District working the Five Mile Swamp Fire in Santa Rosa County.
In turn, NorthEscambia.com and other media outlets published what we believed to be a public domain photo released by a government agency. We later learned Thursday, thanks to an alert reader, the photo was taken in June 2007 by the Reno Gazette Journal at the Angora Fire in South Lake Tahoe, California.
We apologize for the erroneous information released by the Baker Fire District.
Third COVID-19 Death Reported In Escambia County, Alabama
May 7, 2020
A third person has died from COVID-19 in Escambia County, according to the Alabama Department of Health.
The state does not release additional information such as cities or age.
ADH is also reporting 31 total cases in the county out of 647 total tests that have been administered.
There have been 8,691 confirmed cases in Alabama out of 112,068 total tests with 343 deaths. Alabama reports 1,163 total hospitalizations since March.
Century Councilman Smith Rants NorthEscambia.com Is ‘Racist’, ‘Biased, Lackluster’ And Should Stop Covering Century
May 7, 2020
In an apparent response to a NorthEscambia.com story about the public’s right to attend council meetings as guaranteed by Florida’s Sunshine Law, Century council member James Smith lashed out his week at NorthEscambia.com ’s publisher as being “racist” and “biased” while suggesting that a “lackluster” NorthEscambia.com stop covering the town council if the newspaper can’t “uplift Century”.
At a public town council meeting held this week by teleconference, Smith launched a six minute uninterrupted rant.
“What Will is doing when he is trying to degrade someone’s character, I’ve got a very big problem with that,” Smith said, wrongly using the nickname “Will” for NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds.
“For you, Will, to go and print that councilmen are trying to keep secrets that’s the most ignorant thing that you could do,” Smith said.
During an April council meeting, Smith and council member Luis Gomez complained that NorthEscambia.com attended a virtual teleconference regular council meeting without audibly announcing the newspaper’s presence. In an editor’s note on the story, we stated, “…we fail to understand why a council member would care if the media was listening to a meeting. Unless there’s something they want to keep secret.” [Read the story here.]
“You’re extreme biased, and, and, and, and to a big huge extent, it plays a big part of you being a racist,” Smith said, adding that “we’ are trying to get Century going in the right direction without secrets”.
“You are now trying to stir up trouble with saying someone has secrets. Councilman Smith have no reason and no agenda to have any secrets whatsoever. My main concern is for the well being of Century,” he said, “which I guarantee you won’t print.”
NorthEscambia.com is the only daily media that covers Century government on a regular basis. Coverage of Century has ranged from many positive stories to an over abundance of negative stories that simply could not be responsibly ignored in order to “uplift Century”.
Negative stories during Smith’s term on the council have included a grand jury report that found gross mismanagement in the town, over a million dollars lost in utility operations, missing natural gas, about $3 million improperly borrowed from accounts with a 750-year payback plan, and a state of financial emergency. Other stories have included the revelation that residents were receiving inaccurate natural gas bills including free gas for some, a lawsuit by a creditor over a $19K unpaid bill, an audit finding multi-million dollar deficits with signs of financial emergency, a failing wastewater treatment plant, a property tax increase vote that violated state law, a lack of funds to make payroll, state and federal taxes that were paid months late, and admitted Sunshine Law violations at a council meeting.
But Smith apparently does not agree those stories should have been covered. This week, he said, “If you are not going to do the right thing and to try report and help us uplift Century and at least let the people know that they have councilmen, councilwomen that are actually in the seat to try to improve Century, then I suggest that you don’t be a part of it at all.”
Smith then began to discuss his 2018 campaign, complaining that NorthEscambia.com didn’t interview him. The newspaper did not interview Smith or his opponent; we did contact each candidate via text message and email using the contact information they provided to the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections. Smith’s opponent responded, but he did not. Smith won the election 277 votes to 230. He attended his swearing in ceremony in January 2019, but was a no-show at several subsequent council meetings.
“I will reiterate, I feel that you are an extreme racist, and you are extremely biased,” he said to “Will”.
He then addressed the reporter for a small weekly printed newspaper in Flomaton. “Mrs. Gretchen if you are there, headline it that I believe Will is a racist and he’s extremely biased. A lot of people in our community know and understand this, but you trying to get people to, to look at our council in, in a bad light and that’s not what you suppose to be doing. You are suppose to be. Go ahead and report the truth. Make sure you let all of our citizens and residents know that we’re trying to work hard to try to make it better.”
Listen to Smith’s entire six minute rant by clicking here.
Pictured top: James Smith at a December 16, 2019, council meeting during which he voted against hiring Interim City Manager Vernon Prather, proclaiming that, “All the sudden he’s now wanting to be our savior. No thanks, I don’t need you.”. Pictured below: Smith’s swearing in during January 2019. He was a no-show at several subsequent council meetings. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
