Two Sentenced For Murder During Fake Cash Marijuana Deal
September 12, 2019
Two Escambia County women have been sentenced for a murder during a marijuana deal gone wrong over counterfeit cash.
Shauntareeya Jones and Shalen Yeldon were sentenced for the June 20, 2018, shooting death of Jaquan Berry.
Jones was sentenced to 15 years in tate prison for manslaughter with a weapon. Yeldon was sentenced to 48 months in prison for accessory after the fact to second degree murder.
The investigation showed that Yeldon contacted Berry via social media in an effort to buy marijuana. The defendants tried to pay Berry with a counterfeit $100. Berry attempted to get his marijuana back after realizing the money was counterfeit. There was a struggle and Jones shot Berry four times in the upper chest. Berry was pronounced deceased at the scene.
After the shooting, Yeldon and a third co-defendant, Deon Nettles, helped to clean the car of broken glass and shell casings. Nettles has was previously sentenced to 96 months in pison for his role in the crime.
McArthur Elementary And PTA Honored As National School Of Excellence
September 12, 2019
McArthur Elementary School and their PTA have been recognized by the National PTA as a School of Excellence.
National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.
Schools and their PTA’s must decide to team up and enroll in this eight step, year-long, program. They then deploy a baseline survey, set objectives, follow a “Roadmap to Excellence,” and conduct a second survey as parts of their action plan for school improvement. Their plan must also incorporate the PTA National’s Standards for Family-School Partnerships. Their improvement is tracked and when successful, a school and PTA team can earn the designation of a School of Excellence.
“I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for your support that makes this award possible. It is an honor to work for a school district that supports our students, families and staff. This award is possible because of everyone’s dedication for excellence and I am glad to be a part of this organization,” McArthur Principal Dr. Tama Vaughn said when she shared the news with Escambia County School District leaders.
No other school in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties received the designation.
Tate High Boys Golf Off To Strong Start
September 12, 2019
The Tate High School boys golf team is off to a great strong start to the 2019 season. The team has wins in its first three matches posting team scores of 180, 168 and 179. This week, the team finished fifth in a 17 team match. Ethan Beaver posted the lowest score shooting a 76 during the 18 hole event.
Other team members are Jackson Penton, JT Semple, Trent Callahan, Jace Anthony and Peyton Caslow.
IMPACT 100 Names 15 Finalists for $1.1 Million In Grants
September 12, 2019
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, a women’s philanthropic organization, announced the 15 grant finalists selected for 2019 on Wednesday.
Eleven of the 15 finalists will each receive a grant of $106,000 at the IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area Annual Meeting on October 13.
The 15 finalists are:
ARTS & CULTURE
- EHS Band Boosters Association, Inc.
- Project: EHS Band Equipment Upgrades for Young Gifted Students
- First City Arts Alliance, Inc. dba First City Art Center
- Project: Creating Space for Educating and Inspiring Youth
- Pensacola Little Theatre, Inc.
- Project: On the Fly at Pensacola Little Theatre
EDUCATION
- Santa Rosa County 4-H Association, Inc.
- Project: 4-H Field Education Facility
- The Global Corner, Inc.
- Project: The Global Corner 2.0 – Expanding Horizons in Our Community
- The Secret Place Home, Inc.
- Project: The Therapeutic Impact Classroom
ENVIRONMENT, RECREATION & PRESERVATION
- Children’s Home Society of Florida, Inc.
- Project: Keeping Families on the Right Track
- Splash Cats, Inc.
- Project: Just Keep Swimming
- Tennis-4-Everyone, Inc.
- Project: Oakcrest Elementary/Ebonwood 10 & Under Tennis Courts
FAMILY
- Baptist Health Care Foundation, Inc.
- Project: Life-Saving Skills for Families: Hitting the Streets to Keep the Beat Alive
- Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
- Project: Building Homes, Communities, and Hope, One Family at a Time: Tools for Construction Site
- Young Men’s Christian Association of Northwest Florida, Inc. dba YMCA of Northwest Florida
- Project: The Wheels on the Bus
HEALTH & WELLNESS
- Healing Paws for Warriors, Inc.
- Project: Save a Veteran/Rescue a Dog
- Health and Hope Clinic, Inc.
- Project: IMPACT100: How to Save a Life
- Manna Food Bank, Inc., dba Manna Food Pantries
- Project: Generating Hope to End Hunger
Finalists will present their projects to the IMPACT 100 membership at the organization’s annual meeting October 13.
With 1,166 members this year, IMPACT 100 is able to award $106,000 each to eleven nonprofit organizations in our community for a total impact of $1,166,000. In the 16 years since its inception, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 98 grants totaling $10,498,000 to 72 nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. After the 2019 grants are awarded in October, IMPACT 100 will have awarded 109 grants totaling $11,664,000.
Online Threat Leads To Lockdown At Pine Forest, George Stone, Longleaf
September 11, 2019
Pine Forest High School, George Stone Technical College and Longleaf Elementary were placed on lockdown Wednesday after a student made an online threat, but it was later determined that the alleged threat had nothing to do with any of the schools.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office about a social media threat that matched the name of a George Stone student.
The student was questioned but not charged with any crime. Deputies say the student was not the person that made the threat.
File photo.
Vehicle Stopped By Guardrail Protecting House
September 11, 2019
A car slammed into a guardrail at a Century intersection Wednesday morning, stopping short of hitting a nearby house.
The juvenile driver of a Volkswagen sedan apparently rounded a curve and failed to stop at a stop sign on Jefferson Avenue at Pond Street. The vehicle went through the intersection and hit the guardrail designed to protect a house about 10 feet away.
The driver and two other juveniles in the vehicle were not seriously injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released any additional information.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Never Forget: First Responders Gather For 9-11 Memorial Breakfast
September 11, 2019
The sunrise Wednesday was like any other September 11 morning over the Little Escambia Baptist Church in Flomaton. A bit hazy, but a bright fiery orange with the promise of another day. Much like September 11, 2001, in New York City. And Washington. And a field in Pennsylvania.
Flomaton is a world away from the horrors that became our focus 18 years ago. But there’s a kindred spirit, a brotherhood between first responders. Police, fire, EMS – they are one, and they are there to answer the next call.
First responders from the Escambia counties in Alabama and Florida gathered Wednesday morning for the annual 9-11 Memorial Breakfast. It was a chance to remember where they were on September 11, 2001. It’s been long enough that some were not old enough to know what was unfolding. But they will never forget.
Speakers, free flags and a little sausage made for a better morning. But it was more about the hugs, the pats on the back and the fellowship of the first responder family.
As the event wound to a close, the tones went off for the Flomaton Fire Department, alerting them to an emergency call. And they left the breakfast to answer the call. That’s what first responders do. That’s what nearly 3,000 of their brothers did on September 11, 2011.
They will never forget.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Wants To Eliminate Position, Replace With Work Release Inmates
September 11, 2019
The Town of Century wants another inmate work squad from the local prison, and the town is willing to eliminate a position to pay for it.
Street Superintendent Kevin Merchant wants to eliminate a vacant budgeted position, benefits for that position and other associated costs like overtime to save about $50,000 to offset the cost of additional work release squad from Century Correctional Institution.
The work release squad would include five inmates and supervising correctional officer working in the street department. The town has budgeted an additional $10,000 to cover the shortfall from the $60,000 per year estimated cost.
The next step in the process is the creation of a contract by the Florida Department of Corrections for town approval.
Pictured. Century Correctional Institution inmates on a work detail at Nadine McCaw Park in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment McDonald’s Shooting Victim Sentenced To Probation
September 11, 2019
A man shot last March the McDonald’s on Highway 29 in Cantonment has been sentenced to probation.
Judge Jeffrey Burns withheld adjudication in sentencing Roger David Madden to 12 months supervised probation on a reduced count of misdemeanor first degree battery. He was also ordered to stay away from the victims and their home and to complete anger management counseling.
Madden was originally charged with first degree felony burglary with assault or battery, which was punishable by up to life in prison.
On March 28, a dispute erupted between Madden and another man in the restaurant parking lot on Highway 29 near Old Chemstrand Road. Madden walked away from the vehicle, returned and jumped through an open driver’s side window into the vehicle, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The man inside the vehicle fired one shot in self defence, striking Madden in the arm. Madden was arrested after being released from the hospital.
There were no children present in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, but children were present on the scene.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Century Approves About $3,000 In Emergency Repairs To Collapsed Elm Street
September 11, 2019
A collapsed culvert on Elm Street is costing about $3,000 to for the Town of Century to repair.
The repair required the purchase of 40 feet of 4-foot wide corrugated pipe and asphalt. The collapse led to the closure of Elm Street from Highway 29 to Jeter Lane.
The town council approved the emergency purchase of the people and asphalt from their sales tax infrastructure fund.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
