Woman Charged With Stealing Thousands From Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club
February 8, 2020
The former treasurer and president of the Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the organization.
Leslie Marie Davis, 36, is charged with organized scheme to defraud, a second degree felony.
An internal Escambia County School District investigation found $16,519.20 in “regular” purchase believed to be irregular and missing deposits.
The Ransom Middle Chorus planned a trip to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall in late April 2019. Money was collected from students and families to pay for the trip, but it was canceled in early April due to a financial shortfall. Refunds were issued to families using booster club funds supplemented by school district funds.
Davis was treasurer of the booster club from February 2018 to October 2018 when she was named president. The booster club was dissolved at the request of the Escambia County School District in June 2019. As of late January 2020, Davis has not provided any club financial records in her possession as requested by the district, according to court documents.
Debit cards were issued to Davis, and she signed all checks beginning February 9, 2018, the report states.
The school district investigator found $16,519.20 in irregular purchases that were described as more personal in nature, affidavit states. Those transactions included ATM withdrawals, cash withdrawals and purchases made with cash back; Walmart, Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Amazon, Lowes, salon and spa, and Navy Federal Credit Union cafe purchases; gaming app purchases; purchases at Tom Thumb, Shell, Raceway and Murphy Gas; grocery store, restaurant, and other food related purchases; Facebook donations; and pet-related purchases.
The investigator said she purchased food, cosmetics, cigarettes, clothing, pet food, pet items, vehicle oil changes, tires, gift cards and Christmas presents usings Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club funds. The personal purchases by Davis resulted in the club bank account being overdrawn. There were 28 overdraft charges totalling $1,008, of which $108 was refunded by the bank.
The investigation also found booster club deposits were short of the correct amount. Specifically, a State Attorney’s Office affidavit states:
- In a fall 2018 coupon book fundraiser, the vendor said sales amounted to $10,185, but the amount deposited was $8,378, a difference of $1,807. After a spring 2019 coupon book fundraiser, the vendor documented $3,000 in sales, while the amount deposited was $2,605, a $395 difference.
- An audit of the planned New York City trip found $21,960.65 was reported as collected for the trip but only $17,221.61 was deposited, a discrepancy of $4,739.04. Of that difference, $2,689 was recorded as deposits and posted to student accounts in accounting software used by the club, and $1,936 was reflected as “not posted” in student accounts and not actually deposited in the bank.
- The school district investigator also reported two $500 check payments were recorded for Davis’ son, but the investigator was unable to verify the funds were actually deposited. The accounting software recorded an attempt by Davis to delete the $500 payments. In May 2019, Davis signed a refund request and later deposited a $736.89 check from the school district.
- Court documents indicate a total of $4,000 in refunds using booster club funds were issued to parents , but the district could not identify any checks were issued from the club.
Davis was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Common Core “Officially Eradicated” From Florida, State BOE Says; New Standards Unveiled
February 8, 2020
On Friday, the Florida Department of Education released the proposed Florida B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) Standards for Florida schools, and announced that Common Core has been officially eradicated from Florida classrooms.
Last month, FGov. Ron DeSantis announced the new set of education standards to replace common core, including a requirement that students meet literacy standards based upon their grade level, learn cursive and study the Constitution.
The plan outline includes several major points:
- Eliminate Common Core (Florida Standards) and ensure we return to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
- Provide a roadmap to make Florida’s standards number one in the nation.
- Reflect the Commissioner’s consultation with relevant stakeholders to include parents and teachers.
- Deem how to increase the quality of instructional curriculum.
- Suggest innovative ways to streamline testing.
- Equip high school graduates with a sufficient knowledge of America’s civics, particularly as reflected in the Constitution.
- Outline a pathway for Florida to be the most literate state in the nation.
“Florida has officially eliminated Common Core. I truly think this is a great next step for students, teachers, and parents,” DeSantis said Friday. “We’ve developed clear and concise expectations for students at every grade level and allow teachers the opportunity to do what they love most – inspire young Floridians to achieve their greatest potential. These standards create pathways for students that lead to great college and professional outcomes and parents will now be able to reinforce what their children are learn in the classroom every day. Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards were made by Florida teachers for Florida students, and I know they will be a model for the rest of the nation.”
B.E.S.T. will remove “confusing/crazy math”, provide targeted instruction for students who struggle with reading, reinforce the the basics of arithmetic before students enter middle school and develop a plan with the goal of reducing the total amount of time students spend testing as well as reducing the total questions on assessments.
The U.S. Constitution will be introduced in the fifth grade under the B.E.S.T. Standards. All high school students will be required to take the Florida Civics Literacy Test. Financial literacy will taught in high school, unlike Common Core that did not teach the basics like balancing a checkbook.
B.E.S.T. Standards will replace state tests with the SAT or ACT, better aligning testing for college readiness.
“Governor DeSantis made it very clear that we had to reimagine the pathway to young Floridians becoming great citizens, and we’ve done exactly that with the B.E.S.T. Standards,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “Florida will be the first state in the nation with an ELA booklist that spans grades K-12, the first state in the nation with a civics booklist embedded in its ELA standards, and a state that has dropped the crazy math. Florida has completely removed ourselves from the confines of Common Core.”
Corcoran is recommending that the State Board of Education formally adopt these standards February 12.
The Florida B.E.S.T. Standards are posted at fldoe.org/standardsreview.
Man Charged With Vehicular Homicide, DUI Manslaughter March 2019 Fatal Crash
February 8, 2020
After a 11-month investigation, a Santa Rosa County man has been charged with in a fatal crash last year.
Dustin Riley Broxson, 28, lost control on I-1o in Santa Rosa County on March 1, 2019.. His passenger, 21-year old Nykolis Darrin Parodi was ejected and died from his injuries.
Broxson has now been charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. He was located in Okaloosa County by the FHP’s Contraband Unit and taken into custody.
Tate Soccer Defeats Navarre 1-0 In Semis, Will Face Niceville Tonight For District Title
February 8, 2020
The Tate Aggies defeated the Navarre Raiders 1-0 Friday night in the semifinals of the District 6A playoffs.
The only score of the match was by senior Matt Johnson.
The Tate Aggies will play again Saturday night at 6:00 Ashton Brosnaham Stadium against Niceville High for the District 6A championship.
Okaloosa Prosecutor Running For State Attorney, Seeks To Replace Bill Eddins
February 8, 2020
Ginger Bowden Madden has entered the race for the First Judicial Circuit State Attorney. Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille is also running, and has been endorsed by retiring State Attorney Bill Eddins.
Madden has served as an assistant state attorney for over 25 years prosecuting cases in every division of criminal court–circuit, county, and juvenile court. She currently supervises assistant prosecutors serving in county and juvenile courts.
“I’m so excited to begin this new phase of public service, by putting my name before the voters and earning their trust to lead this critically important office,” said Madden. “Our police, sheriffs’ offices, and other first responders do a magnificent job as our first line of defense. It is the State Attorney’s responsibility to see that work through to its proper conclusion, to put dangerous criminals behind bars and keep our neighborhoods safe.”
She is the daughter of retired Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden.
Marcille has served as the chief assistant state attorney for Eddins since he took office 15 years ago. Eddins will remain in office through the completion of his term at the end of the year.
Florida’s First Judicial Circuit includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.
Hartung Sentenced To Life in Prison For Triple Murder
February 7, 2020
Donald Hartung will spend the rest of this life in prison. He was sentenced Friday afternoon to three consecutive life sentences.
Hartung, 63, was convicted last week on three counts of first degree premeditated murder of his mother, 77-year old Voncile Smith and two half-brothers, 47-year old John Smith,and 49-year old Richard Smith.
Prosecutors said Hartung was intentionally left out of his mother’s will with everything set to go to John and Richard Smith. The state said the inheritance was Hartung’s motivation, and the only way he would collect any cash would be to kill all three.
The state had sought the death penalty in the case, but the jury did not unanimously agree.
Cantonment Man Charged With Arson For Burning Salvage Yard Wrecker
February 7, 2020
A Cantonment man is facing an arson charge for setting a fire that destroyed an auto salvage business’s wrecker in 2016.
Rex Burton Hassell, 59. was charged with one felony count of second degree arson. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
On September 2, 2016, Hassell allegedly set fire to a wrecker at Neese’s Auto Salvage on Highway 29 south of Molino. The Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson and Explosives determined the fire was intentionally set and eliminated all possible accidental ignition sources.
Hassell is the suspect in the theft of numerous vehicle and pieces of equipment in Escambia County over the last three years, and his wife has been a witness in the crimes. While she was being interviewed in October 2019, she told stated she was with Hassell in September 2016 when he burned the wrecker.
She told investigators that he burned the vehicle because the business had previously towed one of Hassell’s vehicles.
As they drove north on Highway 29, Hassell said “tonight is the night”, according to arrest report. They immediately went to the Tom Thumb in Molino where he purchased a small amount of gas. They returned to Neese Auto Salvage where Hassell instructed his wife to drop him off, drive for a short distance and return to pick him up. When the wife returned, she saw Hassell walking away from the area of the burning tow truck, the report states.
Damage to the wrecker was estimated at $5,000. Firefighters were able to contain the fire and prevent damage to a nearby building.
Picture above: A firefighter extinguishes a wrecker fire. on September 2, 2016 at Neese Auto Salvage. Pictured below: Firefighters cut the hood open on the vehicle. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Commission Votes For Renaming Part Of I-10 For Deputy Killed 30 Years Ago
February 7, 2020
The Escambia County Commission voted 3-0 Thursday night to approved a resolution in support of renaming a section of I-10 as “Deputy Don Cook Memorial Highway”.
As NorthEscambia.com was first to report on Monday, the resolution will be forwarded to the Sen. Doug Broxson and the Florida Legislature for final approval.
On December, 3, 1988, Deputy Donald Ray Cook was on his way to an off duty job in his patrol car. While monitoring his police radio, Cook learned of a high speed pursuit of armed robbers on I-10 headed into Escambia County from Santa Rosa County.
Cook responded to I-10 where he set up a roadblock in the west bound lane between the off ramp to Highway 29 and the I -10 spur near the railroad trestle. Cook exited his vehicle and the pursuit continued toward the roadblock where he was struck and killed. The suspect were taken into custody several miles away after their vehicle was disabled.
Cook was a five-year veteran of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“His name is engraved on the Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C., and he is recognized at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, but we have reached a point in time where our citizens need to be reminded daily of the sacrifice our officers make, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. One way we could do this is to name an appropriate section of Interstate 10 in memory of Deputy Donald Ray Cook,” retired FDLE Agent Ed Hudson of McDavid wrote in an email to Senator Doug Broxson’s Office.
Six Charged With Trespassing After Allegedly Climbing Onto Byrneville Elementary Roof
February 7, 2020
Six young adults from Century and Flomaton have been charged with trespassing after allegedly climbing onto the roof of Byrneville Elementary School outside school hours.
Ashley Marie Walther, 19, Try Morris, 19, Levi Dalton Wagner, 19, Grayson Stafford, 20, Alexandria Brook Lambeth, 20, and Brandon Kyle Jones, 20, were each charged with second degree misdemeanor trespassing on school grounds. Jones was also charged with criminal mischief with property damage. All have been released from the Escambia County Jail.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Byrneville Elementary School where the principal said an awning was damaged over a January weekend.
Surveillance video shows a golf cart with four males and a white vehicle with two females pull into the school’s parking lot before all of the individuals climbed onto the roof of the school. The video then shows a male jump onto an awning, followed by a second male that fell through the awning. Damage was estimated at $2,500. All of the individuals then left the area.
Deputies questioned Morris, Walther and Lambeth before arrest warrants were issued. Under Florida law, their statements were redacted from the arrest reports, but a deputy noted that all three were “very truthful”.
Escambia County Now A Second Amendment Sanctuary
February 7, 2020
Escambia County is now a Second Amendment sanctuary after a vote of the county commission.
On a 3-0 vote with no commissioner comment Thursday night, Escambia became at least the 27th such sanctuary county in Florida.
“The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners hereby declares Escambia County as a Second Amendment Sanctuary in order to preserve for the People of and in Escambia County, their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America,” the resolution sponsored by Commissioner Doug Underhill states.
“Second Amendment sanctuary refers to a resolution to not expend resources to enforce gun control measures perceived as violations of the Second Amendment,” according to the county.
“….the Federal government cannot compel law enforcement officers of the States to enact or administer Federal regulations as it would disrupt the principal of ‘dual sovereignty’ by increasing the power of the Federal government beyond that which is permissible,” according to the resolution.
A copy of the resolution will be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s largely symbolic and does not change any firearms laws or enforcement.
Neighboring Santa Rosa County also declared itself to be a Second Amendment sanctuary three days after the terrorist attack on NAS Pensacola.
Commissioners Lumon May and Robert Bender were not at the meeting.