Baker Claims District Title Over Jay (With Photo Gallery)
October 18, 2019
The Jay Royals came oh so close to claiming the District 1-1A championship Thursday night in what has been their best season in three decades.
But the top-seed Baker Gators claimed the title over Jay in five sets – 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-23, 15-12.
Both teams continue next week in the state series.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wanted Career Criminal From Molino Busted In Central America
October 17, 2019
A career criminal from Molino has learned the long arm of the law will catch up, even if you flee to Central America.
Steven Ray Stokes, 54, was arrested in Panama under the lead of U.S. Marshals. He is on federal supervised release from a conviction of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a weapon.
“Marshals here in Pensacola sent a lead to our liaison in Panama who then arrested him,” Dominic Guadagnoli of the U.S. Marshals told NorthEscambia.com.
Stokes also has an active Escambia County Sheriff’s Office warrant for grand theft for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from Cantonment in 2018. His arrest comes two weeks after a story about the active warrant on NorthEscambia.com.
He was sentenced in 2003 to 174 months in federal prison followed by five years probation for for unlawful transport of firearms and conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, His sentenced was later reduced.
He also served state prison time for multiple convictions. In 2002, he was convicted of running a chop shop on his property in Molino, along with racketeering. Over five dozen stolen vehicles were reportedly found on the property, along with over 50 pounds of marijuana. He would purchase wrecked vehicles at auction and swap the vehicle registration numbers onto stolen vehicles to be resold.
State records show he has also served prison time for convictions dating back to 1996 for trafficking in marijuana, selling cocaine, cocaine possession, fleeing from law enforcement and resisting an officer with violence.
Help The Hungry: Annual Peanut Butter Challenge Underway
October 17, 2019
The annual Peanut Butter Challenge is underway, coordinated by Escambia County Extension, to collect jars of peanut butter to be given to area food pantries this December.
“The Peanut Butter Challenge not only raises awareness about the important contribution of North Florida’s peanut growers to the state peanut industry, but also helps provide a healthy, locally produced product to food-insecure families in northwest Florida,” said Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the challenge
Through November 27, you can donate unopened jars of peanut butter at several locations throughout Escambia County. Drop off boxes can be found at:
UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County, 3740 Stefani Road in Cantonment
Escambia County Farm Bureau, 153 Highway 97 in Molino
Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. W St. in Pensacola
Gilmore Services, 31 E. Fairfield Drive in Pensacola
Escambia County Administration, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor in Pensacola
Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit, 10650 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
Last year, Extension county offices received 1,233 jars of peanut butter. The local peanut industry support also contributes an additional 3,000 jars.
Century Woman Facing Drug Charges After Cottage Hill Stop
October 17, 2019
A Century woman is facing drug charges after a traffic stop in Cottage Hill.
Jennifer Zisa was a passenger in a vehicle a deputy found partially blocking a roadway. The deputy and reported the smell of burning methamphetamine coming from the car, white powder on her pants legs and a glass pipe in a sock in her possession. There was also a straw commonly used to snort narcotics on the ground just outside the passenger door of the vehicle.
A field test was positive for the presence of methamphetamine, according to an arrest report.
Zisa was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Misenar, Moye Named Northview Students Of The Month
October 17, 2019
The Northview High School English Department selected Students of the Month for September. They are 10th grader Logan Misenar and 11th grader Madyson Moye. They are pictured above with Principal Mike Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Semi Bottoms Out, Blocks Jacks Branch Road For Hours
October 17, 2019
A bottomed out semi blocked Jacks Branch Road in Cantonment for about four hours Wednesday afternoon.
The driver of the truck became stuck pulling from River Annex Road into Jacks Branch Road. Traffic was diverted around the truck through a muddy ditch.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets Two Life Sentences For Shooting Girlfriend, Attacking Her Sister
October 17, 2019
An Escambia County man is headed to prison for life for shooting his girlfriend and attacking her sister with a hatchet.
Jeremy Alexander Bedgood was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for attempted first degree premeditated murder with a firearm and attempted first degree murder with a weapon, aggravated stalking, false imprisonment, two counts of violating a domestic violence restraining order, battery and resisting an officer without violence.
On February 24, 2019, Bedgood shot his girlfriend with a .380 pistol and attacked both his girlfriend and her sister with a small hatchet, causing serious bodily injury to both women. Bedgood had followed them home from a downtown night club and confronted the women while they were still seated in their vehicle in front of their grandmother’s residence.
This incident followed a series of incidents for which Bedgood was in violation of an injunction for protection against domestic violence, issued for the victim following a separate domestic incident on February 18, 2019. On that date, Bedgood attacked the victim, pulling her by her hair off the sidewalk and into a car in an apparent abduction witnessed by several bystanders.
On February 19, 2019 Bedgood was arrested for that incident and subsequently served with the injunction. Following his release from the Escambia County Jail two days later, he immediately began contacting, calling, and following the victim to various places around Pensacola and ultimately to her grandmother’s house where the shooting occurred.
After the shooting, the Bedgood fled the state and was arrested in Dallas, Texas, in late February.
Former Teacher Facing Up To 20 Years On Child Sex Charges
October 16, 2019
A former Washington High School teacher is facing up to 20 years in prison on child sex charges.
Wednesday, Mark Ryan Lua, 31, 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.
The charges stem from an investigation that began 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 him a sexual video. Lua was interviewed by Pensacola Police Department 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.
Lua will be sentenced by Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Burns in December. He faces a maximum of 20 years in state prison. He will also be designated a sexual offender and will have to comply with all reporting requirements for the remainder of his life.
Man Shot Two Weeks Ago Fatally Shot Wednesday Morning In Escambia County
October 16, 2019
A man shot just two weeks ago in Escambia County was shot again, this time fatally, early Wednesday morning.
About 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fired call at Massachusetts Avenue and Stara Circle. They found 29-year old Rashud J. Dexter deceased on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. The incident has been described as a “gunfight” with multiple shots exchanged between Dexter and the suspect or suspects.
“There were witnesses to this shooting, but they are not being forthcoming with information at this time,” the ECSO said in a statement..
Dexter was also the victim of a shooting on September 26 in the 900 block of Lucerne Avenue. The ECSO said he was there to buy narcotics when he was robbed and shot.
Last month when deputies asked Dexter to provide a name or description of the person that shot him, he refused.
Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Jay Man Charged With Shining Laser Into Deputy’s Cruiser, Temporarily Blinding Him
October 16, 2019
A Jay man has been charged with shining a laser light into a deputy’s vehicle as he traveled along Highway 4 in the heart of the town.
Glenn Austin Bingham, 43, was charged with felony pointing a laser light at driver and resisting an officer.
The deputy was westbound on Highway 4 near Booker Lane when he observed a green beam on the rear of his patrol vehicle. He turned around at the town hall and headed west on Highway 4 toward the light. As he approached Highway 4 and Commerce Street, the beam was pointed at his vehicle again.
“The green beam them pointed toward the cab of my patrol vehicle which concentrated on the cab of my vehicle causing me to be unable to see the roadway,” the deputy wrote in his report. “I swerved to avoid the green beam.”
The laser light, according to an arrest report, was emanating from the residence of Bingham. Deputies had received complaints from citizens over a two month span of Bingham pointing the laser into passing traffic.
When the deputy pulled up at the residence, he could hear someone running toward a pickup truck. Bingham was found under the pickup and the laser device was found in his front pocket, the report states.
“I was just being dumb,” Bingham told the deputy, according to the arrest report. H stated he had consumed approximately six alcoholic beverages.