Firefighters Respond to Reported House Fire In Bratt
March 7, 2020
First responders were dispatched to a reported structure fire in Bratt Saturday morning.
When they arrived in the 5000 block of West Highway 4, just west of Highway 4, they found a small smoldering fire in a heating unit.
There were no injuries and no major damage reported.
The Walnut Hill and Century stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responded. Additional fire stations were dispatched and canceled prior to arrival.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Train Carrying Military Equipment Derails At Alabama-Florida State Line
March 7, 2020
About five cars of a CSX train hauling military equipment derailed Saturday morning at the Alabama-Florida state line.
The cars left the track coming out of the railyard in Flomaton, just a few feet north of a street known as Alley 5 in Century. There were no injuries reported.
The entire train was carrying military vehicles and equipment on flatbed railcars. The derailment blocked the railroad crossings at Old Flomaton Road and East Cottage Street in Century.
This was the second train derailment in Flomaton in less than two weeks. On February 26, two empty cars of northbound CSX train derailed at the College Street crossing, not far from Flomaton Elementary School. [Read more...]
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa County Coronavirus Patient Being Treated In Escambia Has Died
March 7, 2020
A previously announced coronavirus patient from Santa Rosa County has died, according to the Florida Department of Health.
The patient was being treated at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. He was 71, had underlying medical conditions and had traveled to the Dominican Republic
The health department will not release the man’s name, nor have they released any information about where he was from in Santa Rosa County, where he has traveled or who he may have come in contact with, because of privacy laws.
Baptist Hospital officials have said that due to their isolation procedures, there is no risk to other hospital patients, staff or visitors.
A new individual in their 70s that tested presumptive positive for COVID-19 in Lee County has also died, following an international trip, the Florida Department of Health said Friday. Three other new presumptive cases — two in Broward County and one in Lee County — have been reported in Florida.
Molino Park Elementary Holds Annual Arts Day (Photo Gallery)
March 7, 2020
Molino Park Elementary School recently held their annual Arts Day with multiple performers.
Musical performers included individuals from the Pensacola Children’s Choir, Kaye’ Music, Schmidt’s Musi, West Florida High School Colorguard, Pensacola Symphony, and The Heavenly Brass Trio. Artists included Sara Bouldin, Dale Cooey, Larry Manning, Ruth Gordon, Robert McBrooms, Henritta Adams and Molino Park’s very own Matt Brabham.
The day concluded with dancers from the Heather Leonard’s Danceworks “Raising the Barre” Performance Team.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Home Off Nine Mile Road Destroyed By Fire
March 7, 2020
Fire destroyed a home Friday afternoon south of Nine Mile Road in Escambia County.
Firefighters arrived at the home in the 1400 block of Camrose Place to find a fire in the attic and breaking through the roof in the rear of the home.
Escambia Fire Rescue personnel attempted an offensive attic, but ultimately personnel were pulled out of the structure for a defensive attack, according to Escambia County. The home was a total loss, but ECFR was able to minimize damage to the adjacent residential structures that were severely threatened.
Smoke alarms did alert the occupants, who were not injured. The American Red Cross is assisting the property owner.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sentenced To Death Twice Before, Escambia Man Will Now Serve Life In Prison For 1998 Nine Mile Popeyes Murder
March 7, 2020
An Escambia County man that has been sentenced to death twice won’t be going back to death row but was instead sentenced to life without parole on Friday.
Timothy Hurst, was sent to death death row for a 1998 murder in Pensacola, has been at the center of major Supreme Court rulings that found Florida’s death-penalty sentencing system unconstitutional.
Hurst was sentenced to death for the 1998 killing of fast-food worker Cynthia Harrison in Pensacola. Harrison, an assistant manager at a Nine Mile Road Popeye’s Fried Chicken restaurant where Hurst worked, was bound, gagged and stabbed more than 60 times. Her body was found in a freezer.
The jury that first convicted him voted 7-5 in favor of death but was later tossed out after the courts ruled a death sentence must be unanimous.
A jury was impaneled for a two-week resentencing hearing, but failed Friday reach a unanimous decision for the death penalty. Hurst was immediately sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Families Of Teens Killed In Cantonment Wreck Filing Suit After Their Bodies Were Allegedly Switched
March 6, 2020
The families of two teens killed in car crash last year in Cantonment are filing suit, claiming their bodies were switched and misidentified from the crash scene to their funeral homes.
The Florida Highway Patrol said following the July 2019 crash that Dalchunique S. Lavender, age 20 of Cantonment, was northbound on Highway 95A at Coweta Road, just south of McKenzie Road, when her 2007 Ford Focus left the roadway and struck a utility pole about 1:20 a.m. The vehicle wrapped around the pole and came to rest between Highway 95A and adjacent railroad tracks.
Two of her passengers, 15-year old Samara Cooks and 18-year old Deleigha T. Gibson, both of Cantonment, were pronounced deceased on the scene. Lavender and passenger Alexandria R. Banks, 18, were critically injured.
The families of Cooks and Gibson are filing suit against the “Florida Highway Patrol, the Pensacola District Commander, Escambia County Coroner, Escambia County Medical Examiner’s Office and the funeral homes who handled the teens’ funeral arrangements after it was revealed that they were misidentified at the crash scene,” according to Ryan Julison of The Cochran Firm.
Julison said in an emailed statement Thursday night:
“According to the complaints, even though Gibson and Cooks were different ages, heights and weights, FHP troopers misidentified their bodies at the scene of the crash which led to Gibson being labeled as Cooks and vice-versa. This switch led to a series of other incidents involving the Coroner, Medical Examiner and funeral homes.
“The complaints allege that when the Medical Examiner received the bodies, it did not properly verify the identity of the bodies and as a result, the bodies remained incorrectly labeled. Despite their attempts, neither family was allowed to view their respective daughters’ bodies at the Medical Examiner’s office with the ME citing it was ‘not their policy’ to allow for the viewing.
“The Medical Examiner then released the wrong bodies to the wrong funeral homes who then embalmed the wrong bodies without authorization and in a way that was unsatisfactory to both families.
“Upon arriving at Faith Chapel, the funeral home hired by the Cooks family to prepare Samara Cooks’ body, they discovered that the body being prepared was actually that of Deleigha Gibson. One of the Cooks’ family members arrived at Tracy Morton Funeral Home, where the Gibson family was waiting, and stated that the funeral home had the wrong body. When the Gibson family overheard this conversation, they demanded to see Deleigha’s body and it was only then that the funeral home confirmed that they actually had the body of Samara Cooks, who was still tagged as Deleigha Gibson.
“To add an unprecedented layer to this horrific tragedy, Deleigha Gibson was an organ donor and because her body was misidentified, Gibson’s body was not properly handled and her organs were not preserved. Conversely, upon information and belief, Samara Cooks, who was not an organ donor, had her organs harvested without parental consent.
“The families of Gibson and Cooks are demanding that Florida Highway Patrol, Pensacola District Commander, Escambia Coroner, and Escambia Medical Examiner change their respective policies and procedures to ensure that this doesn’t happen to another family.”
Attorney Jessica Givens of The Cochran Firm is representing the family of Gibson, and Attorney Artie Shimek of Shimek Law is representing the Cooks family.
Pictured: A tragic wreck claimed two lives and injured two others in Cottage Hill early Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Early Voting Begins Saturday In Escambia County. Here’s Where To Cast Your Ballot.
March 6, 2020
Early voting for the Presidential Preference Primary Election in Escambia County begins Saturday, March 7, and continues through Saturday, March 14 at nine locations throughout the county:
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- Molino Community Center, 6450-A Highway 95A, Molino (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- University of West Florida, Building 90, Campus Lane (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 B, 9th Avenue (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Main Library, 239 Spring Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street (9 a.m. – 6 p.m.)
Early voters cast paper ballots through digital scanners and may choose any one of the nine sites. Each location is also equipped with an ExpressVote ballot marking device for use.
Another option for voters is to cast a vote-by-mail ballot, which can be requested through the online form at EscambiaVotes.com, or by e-mail (votebymail@escambiavotes.com), phone (850) 595-3900, mail, or fax (850) 595-3914. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and address, and must be received no later than Saturday, March 7. Voted ballots must be received in the elections office no later than 7 p.m. on election day and may not be returned to a polling location on election eay. Voters may now drop-off a vote-by-mail ballot during early voting hours at any of the nine area locations. The U.S. Postal Service recommends voters mail ballots at least one week before the due date. Vote-by-mail participants may track the status of their ballot at EscambiaVotes.com.
The third option for voters is to cast a ballot at their precinct on Election Day, Tuesday, March 17. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Florida holds closed primary elections. The Presidential Preference Primary is open only to registered Democrats and Republicans. Voters registered without party affiliation (NPA) or in a minor political party are ineligible and will not receive a ballot. Voters are reminded to bring their photo and signature ID to vote, and are encouraged to visit EscambiaVotes.com for complete voting information.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle School Names Students Of The Month
March 6, 2020
Ransom Middle School has named Students of the Month for February. They are Lawson Killingsworth (pictured left) and Ashley Truong. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Introduces Secure U.S. Bases Act Follow NAS Pensacola Attack
March 6, 2020
Thursday, Senator Rick Scott and Senator Joni Ernst introduced the Secure U.S. Bases Act to “reform and improve foreign military student training programs” following the terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola on December 6th, 2019.
After the attack, Scott called for a hard reset of the program and for all Saudi nationals training in the U.S. to be sent home until the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) completed a thorough review of the program.
The Secure U.S. Bases Act requires a thorough vetting process before a foreign student enters the U.S.; creates a special, limited visa for foreign students; and establishes a review process so that DOD is not operating training programs in the U.S. that would be better operated abroad.
“The safety and security of American men and women in uniform is always a priority for me, and it should be a priority of our entire government,” Scott said. “The tragic terrorist attack in Pensacola last year revealed an unnecessary risk. This terrorist should never have been allowed in our country, let alone on an American military base with easy access to American military men and women. The Secure U.S. Bases Act will make sure foreign military students training at U.S. bases are thoroughly vetted and monitored, and that our troops are protected and never have to experience a tragedy like this again.”
The Secure U.S. Bases Act:
- Creates a new visa category for foreign military students training on U.S. bases with restrictions on their travel and actions while in the country. Individuals who receive the new visa will be prohibited from possessing, acquiring, or using firearms, except for uses specifically required by their training program and be under the continual oversight of their commander regarding his or her whereabouts and activities.
- Alters the application process, vetting and monitoring requirements for foreign military students. The application to train on U.S. bases will require an official endorsement letter from the Chief of Intelligence of their country, personal information including a physical address, fingerprints, and other data, an in-person interview and an extensive background check that will include a review of social media activity. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence will be responsible for the final decision on whether to admit an applicant into the program.
- Differentiates military training programs based on risk. The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to develop a method for classifying relative risks, by country, and to consider the overall risk profile of each country when making determinations of applicants’ eligibility. The DOD must also to consider implementing appropriate training programs in other countries when appropriate.
Pictured above: Gov. Ron DeSantis meets with NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Tim Kinsella two days after the deadly terrorist attack on the base. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.