Hollingsworth Named Escambia County Employee Of The Month. And He Has A Big Little Fan.
February 2, 2020
Escambia County Public Works employee Ron Hollingsworth was recently named an employee of the month and recognized by the Escambia County Commission.
Hollingsworth has a big little fan. Molino Park Elementary student Brooks Thompson loves to watch Hollingsworth hard at work. According to Escambia County, the two met when Hollingsworth was doing routine maintenance in his neighborhood. Now, every time Mr. Ron in is the neighborhood, Brooks asks to go outside, sit on the curb and watch him operate the excavator.
When Community Helpers Day rolls around at school, Brooks knows without hesitation that he wants to dress as Mr. Ron.
That, according to an Escambia County proclamation, “just shows Mr. Ron is, and it also shows the importance of the work he does for the community that may not get the recognition it deserves”.
Hollingsworth is an Equipment Operator III in the Roads Division of the Escambia County Public Works Department. He has worked with Escambia County since November 2001 and currently serves as a pit operator mixing and loading materials for crews make road repairs throughout the county.
Volunteers Needed For Escambia-Pensacola Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
February 2, 2020
The Escambia County Commission is soliciting applications for representatives to the Escambia-Pensacola Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. The committee was established for the purpose of reviewing affordable housing incentives available within the county and to make recommendations concerning those incentives to the Escambia Commission and Pensacola City Council. The committee will also help in the development of the Local Housing Assistance Plan for the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program.
The board is seeking to fill three slots from the following specializations, as outlined per Florida Statute:
- One citizen who is a representative of those areas of labor actively engaged in home building in connection with affordable housing;
- One citizen who is actively engaged as an advocate for low-income persons in connection with affordable housing;
- One citizen who represents essential services personnel, as defined in the local housing assistance plan
The committee will meet monthly during review and development of the affordable housing incentives and the new LHAP and at least quarterly thereafter. Members will serve a three-year term. Positions will be recommended to the board for approval in March.
Citizens interested in serving should request a form via email at NED@myescambia.com. Completed applications should be forwarded to Neighborhood Enterprise Division/AHAC, 221 Palafox Place, Suite 200, Pensacola, FL,32502 or via email to NED@myescambia.com. All applications must be received no later than Feb. 28 for consideration.
Medals Of Valor, Purple Hearts Awarded To Officers Involved In NAS Pensacola Attack
February 1, 2020
“These men went above and beyond the call of duty.”
That’s how Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan described eight law enforcement officers honored Friday for their response to the December 6 terrorist attack on NAS Pensacola.
Honored were Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Hoyland, Deputy Matthew Keebler, Deputy Matthew Housam, Senior Deputy Grant Lopez, Deputy Jonathan Glass, and Deputy Matthew Tinch; and Department of Defense security officers Captain Robert Johnson and Captain Charles Hogue. They were awarded the Medal of Valor for going above and beyond during the attack that left three people dead.
Glass, Tinch and Hogue were presented with Purple Hearts during the ceremony at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gaetz Announces Service Academy Nominations, Including North Escambia Students
February 1, 2020
Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) announced his 2020 service academy nominations for Florida’s First Congressional District Friday.
Those nominations included three North Escambia students — Keaton Brown of Northview High School to both the United States Military Academy at West Point at the United States Naval Academy; Dillon Conti, Tate High School graduate and current University of Florida student, to the United States Naval Academy; and Matthew Johnson of Tate High School to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
“These young people are the very best that our community has to offer,” Gaetz said, “excellent grades, excellent moral character, leadership in their extracurricular activities.”
A nomination is not a guarantee of admittance to a service academy. The students move on to the next part of the selection process.
Service academy nominations announced Friday by Gaetz were:
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY
- Victoria Sherwin, Niceville High School
- Mia Goodwin, Pace High School
- Lynsey Geray, Biloxi High School
- Gabriel Hagon, Pace High School
- Brandon Anderson, Pensacola High School
- Russell Cassem, Humphreys High School
- Camron Osborn, University of West Florida
- Corey Church, Northwest Florida State College
- Matthew Hoffman, University of Alabama and Marion Military Institute
- Victoria Salvador, Northwest Florida State College
UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY (WEST POINT)
- Mia Goodwin, Pace High School
- Keaton Brown, Northview High School
- Hunter Pruitt, Niceville High School
- Brian Son, Niceville High School
- Jacob Dunne, Niceville High School
- Sion Yu, Choctawhatchee High School
- Jacob D’Aleo, South Walton High School
- Manas Pandey, Booker T. Washington High School
- Matthew Juntunen, Home School
- Preston Randolph, Milton High School
- Steven Petracca, Humphreys High School
- William Hoffman, Niceville High School
- Asher Spain, James I. O’Neil High School
- Matthew Hoffman, University of Alabama and Marion Military Institute
- Victoria Salvador, Northwest Florida State College
- Sofie Discepolo, Pace High School
- Makayla Hooks, Walton High School
UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY
- Keaton Brown, Northview High School
- Lynsey Geray, Biloxi High School
- Preston Randolph, Milton High School
- Victoria Sherwin, Niceville High School
- Andrew Sowinski, Naval Academy Preparatory School
- Joseph Sears, Loyola University Maryland
- Dillon Conti, Pensacola State College and University of Florida Online
- Sofie Discepolo, Pace High School
- Matthew Sowinski, Naval Academy Preparatory School
- Merete Conley, Navarre High School
UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY
- Gabriel Hagon, Pace High School
- Brian Son, Marion Military Institute
- Alex Goodwin, Milton High School
- Travis Delrie, Niceville High School
- Hunter Ruddell, Northwest Florida State College
- Broc McPherson, Niceville High School
- Joel Dunham, Trinitas Christian School
- Manas Pandey, Booker T. Washington High School
- Thomas Frosch, Pensacola Catholic High School
- Matthew Johnson, Tate High School
Pictured top: Dillon Conti (left) and Keaton Brown with Congressman Matt Gaetz following their service academy nominations Friday. Pictured below: Brown and Gaetz with members of the Northview High School NJROTC. Pictured bottom: Conti and Gaetz. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Second Person Dies From Injuries Sustained In Atmore Four Vehicle Crash
February 1, 2020
A second person involved in a four vehicle crash north of Atmore last week has died.
Bessie Lee Murphy, 65, of Beatrice, Ala., passed away from injuries sustained in the January 23 crash, Alabama State Troopers said Friday afternoon. She was a passenger in a Chevrolet Impala driven by Sherry Ann Dale, 60 of Frisco City.
Warren Demetrick Stallworth, 39, of Monroeville, died in the crash about 5:45 p.m. Highway 21 near Ross Road. Minutes before, an Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office began to pursue Stallworth, but Sheriff Heath Jackson said Stallworth may have never known because the deputy never caught up.
Jackson said one of his investigators was traveling south on Highway 21 in an unmarked vehicle when he was passed by a 2019 Acura TLX being driven in excess of 100 mph. The investigator and other drivers were forced off the roadway. The investigator activated his lights and sirens but was unable to catch up with Stallworth. The investigator found the crash a short time later.+
Stallworth’s Acura collided head-on with a 2019 Ford F-150 driven by Spencer Rogers, 36, of Atmore. Also involved in the crash was the Impala driven by Dale and a 2008 Dodge Ram driven by Sharon Banks, 53, of Monroeville.
Stallworth, who was not using a seat belt, was ejected from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
Alabama State Troopers are continuing their investigation.
Cheyenna Novotny Named Escambia County Teacher Of The Year
February 1, 2020
West Florida High School chemistry and science teacher Cheyenna Novotny was named Escambia County’s Teacher of the Year during the annual Golden Apple Awards Friday night.
- Kadee Barnett – first grade teacher, Beulah Elementary
- Jacqueline Chabot – third grade teacher, Montclair Elementary
- Maureen Harden – sixth grade math teacher, Bailey Middle School
- Cheyenna Novotny – chemistry and other science topics teacher, West Florida High School
- Jodi Woods – six grade mathematics teacher and math department chair, Ransom Middle School
Other finalists were Kadee Barnett – first grade teacher, Beulah Elementary, Jacqueline Chabot – third grade teacher, Montclair Elementary, Maureen Harden – sixth grade math teacher, Bailey Middle School, and Jodi Woods – six grade mathematics teacher and math department chair, Ransom Middle School.
Sentencing Delayed For Triple Murderer Hartung
February 1, 2020
Sentencing has been delayed by a few days in the case of Donald Hartung.
Sentencing hearings were set to begin Monday but have been delayed to a Thursday start due to witness availability. An Escambia County jury will decide he will spend the rest of his life in prison or be put to death for the triple murder of three relatives.
Hartung, 63, was convicted on three counts of first degree premeditated murder of his mother, 77-year old V Voncile Smith and two half-brothers, 47-year old John Smith,and 49-year old Richard Smith.
The jury vote must be unanimous to sentence to Hartung to death; otherwise, he will be sentenced to life in prison.
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 interhertience was Hartung’s motivation, and the only way he would collect any cash would be to kill all three.
Three Northview High Weightlifters Place At Regionals
February 1, 2020
The Northview High School weightlifters placed in the Girls Weightlifting Regionals Friday.
Naudia Carach placed third, and De’Janique Lowery and Taylor McMinn both placed fifth in their individual classes.
Pictured above: (L-R) De’Janique Lowery, Taylor McMinn and Naudia Carach. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
State Seeks To Reimpose Patrick Gonzalez Death For Deaths Of Byrd And Melanie Billings
January 31, 2020
Friday, the State Attorney’s Office filed a motion to reinstate the death penalty for Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. for the 2009 deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
Gonzalez was sentenced to death back in 2011, but the Supreme Court later struck down Florida’s death penalty process in 2016. That ruling found that a jury must be unanimous in finding that aggravated factors existed and be unanimous in their decision for impose the death penalty.
The Gonzalez jury was unanimous in finding that there were aggravating factors in the Beulah couple’s death, but they split 10-2 on the vote for the death penalty. He petitioned the court and was granted a resentencing hearing late this year where jurors will revote on the death penalty.
But with a new Supreme Court ruling that allows the judge reinstate the death penalty, Eddins believes a judge could sentence Gonzalez to death without a jury.
“The new decision…makes it clear that the constitutional requirements were fulfilled in the Gonzalez case,” the motion filed Friday states. “A jury made the instant, unanimous findings of the existence of aggravated circumstances.” The court, “carefully considering the evidence, made a constitutionally proper section decision in imposing a death sentence.”
Gonzalez and four other men entered the home to steal a safe that they thought contained $13 million, according to court records. Byrd and Melanie Billings died after each being shot multiple times. The couple was known for adopting special needs children.
Cantonment Man Sentenced To Prison For Two Cottage Hill Shots Fired Incidents
January 31, 2020
Thursday, a Cantonment man was sentenced to state prison for two shots fired incidents in Cantonment last year.
James Peter Tipton, 39, was found guilty of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. He was sentenced to four years in state prison with credit for 34 days served. He must pay $1,000 in restitution to the victim along with court costs and fines. Once released, he will be on probation for three years.
On July 13, 2019, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1800 block of Williams Ditch Road about 4 a.m. The victim reported that as he exited his vehicle someone driving a dark colored SUV fired two shots at him. About 7 a.m. deputies responded to another shots fired disturbance a short distance away in the 1400 block of Highway 95A. Tipton’s uncle reported that Tipton drove into his yard and entered his garage. The uncle observed Tipton removing guns from his SUV and placing them into the bed of the uncle’s truck. The victim also stated that Tipton fired two shots from a rifle into the woods.
A photo obtained NorthEscambia.com shows a bullet hole in the driver’s door of the reported victim’s pickup.
Tipton was taken into custody without incident. There were no injuries reported.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
