Alabama 10 Cent Gas Tax Increase Signed Into Law
March 13, 2019
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a 10-cent gas tax increase into law Tuesday, about two hours after it received final legislative approval.
A six cent increase will go into effect on September 1. There will be another two cent increase in 2020, and another two cents in 2021.
New revenue generated by the increase will be dispersed between state, county, and municipal governments in Alabama. These funds are to be used for transportation infrastructure improvement, preservation and maintenance projects. A separate portion of the revenues will go to pay a bond to be issued to finance improvements to the ship channel providing access to the facilities of the Alabama State Docks.
Pictured: Regular unleaded gas was $2.25 a gallon Tuesday in Atmore as Gov. Kay Ivey signed an Alabama gas tax increase into law (pictured below). NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Jay; Navarre Tops Tate
March 13, 2019
Northview 3, Jay 1
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Jay Royals 3-1 Tuesday in Jay.
For at Northview at Jay photo gallery, click here.
Tori Herrington earned the win for Northview, allowing two hits, walking one and striking out eight in seven innings.
Valen Shelley led the Chiefs at the plate, going 3-3 with 2 RBIs. Also for Northview: Herrington 2-4; Aubree Love 1-4, R; Ashley Ragsdale 1-4.
The Northview Chiefs will be at Freeport on Thursday.
Navarre 4, Tate 1
The Tate High School Lady Aggies fell behind early and could not recover in a 4-1 loss to Navarre on Tuesday.
Navarre took a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run homer.
Avery Beauchaine homered in the second inning. Hannah Halfacre and Ryleigh Cawby also had hits for Tate. Beauchaine took the loss for Lady Aggies. She surrendered four runs on six hits over five innings, striking out three and walking zero.
The Aggies will be at Escambia on Thursday afternoon. The junior varsity plays at 4:30, and the varsity takes the field at 6:30.
Pictured: Northvew defeats Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pine Forest Wins 16-3 over defending MS 3A State Champs St Andrews
March 13, 2019
Pine Forest 16, St. Andrews Episcopal (MS)
The Pine Forest Eagles beat defending Mississippi 3A state champion St Andrews Episcopal 16-3 on Tuesday.
Tekoah Roby drive in four on three hits to lead the Eagles. Pine Forest pulled away for good in the second inning with six runs.
Nolan Rigby got the win for Pine Forest Eagles. He lasted three innings, allowing three hits and two runs while striking out one. Jared Riddell and Timmy Williams entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.
Pine Forest had two home runs in the second. Jason Roberts had a solo homer in the second, and Roby drove in a home run.
Roby, Roberts, Pinette, Rhett Hardy, and Christian Munoz each had multiple hits for Pine Forest Eagles
Work Release Inmate Steals Law Enforcement Vehicle And Escapes; Truck Found Near Jay
March 12, 2019
UPDATE: THE INMATE WAS RECAPTURED WEDNESDAY. CLICK FOR UPDATE.
A manhunt is underway for an escaped work release inmate that stole a sheriff’s office vehicle today near Flomaton.
Herbert Randal Adams, 28, took an Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office pickup truck from a work site on Highway 113 north of Flomaton, according to Sheriff Heath Jackson. He was last seen headed south on Highway 113 toward Flomaton.
The pickup was described as a blue Ford F150 with a sheriff’s star logo on both doors. Officers gave chase in a second vehicle that was on the work release site, but they were unable to catch up with Adams. The truck was later located on Morristown Road in Jay, but Adams was not around the vehicle.
Adams was jailed on a drug charges. Law enforcement agencies from Alabama and Florida were involved in the manhunt.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office at (251) 809-0741 or 911.
No Serious Injuries In East Kingsfield Wreck
March 12, 2019
There were no serious injuries in a crash about 3:20 Tuesday afternoon on East Kingsfield Road at Pompano Street in Cantonment, just west of Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury Indicts Two For Murder Of Beulah Convenience Store Clerk
March 12, 2019
A grand jury has indicted two people for the murder of a convenience store in Beulah.
The grand returned indictments of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery against Efidarius Gemeateus Bryant and Keandra Martez Smith.
The indictments stem from the death of Govardhan “Reddy” Kotha, a clerk at the Quick Fill gas station located at 7144 Mobile Highway on February 19. Bryant and Smith are being held on no bond with an arraignment set for Thursday.
A third person, Crystal Clausell, is being charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Her arraignment is also set for Thursday.
A customer that entered the store the night of February 19 called authorities because he did not see a clerk in the store and the register drawer was open. Deputies arrived to find that Kotha, 50, was shot in the head and chest.
On the surveillance video, deputies watched as Smith entered the store in a gray hoodie. He purchased sunflower seeds and left the store. Then Bryant entered the store wearing mask, brandishing a 9mm semi-automatic automatic handgun at Kotha. A short time later, he lifted the cash register draw and fired two shots at Kotha, hitting him in the upper chest and head, according to a report.
Smith, according to the report, left the store without taking any cash.
By early morning, surveillance images were posted on social media and news media, including NorthEscambia.com. A tipster came forward an identified one of the suspects as Smith to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, wearing the same hoodie as in the surveillance video. A police report notes he was distraught and crying hysterically.
At no point did Smith attempt to render first aid to Kotha, contact emergency medical services or reach out to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the report revealed.
Smith provided his DNA to autorities, according to the report.
Clausell and Bryant were dating, the investigation revealed.
Identity Released Of Worker Killed In Bulldozer Accident During ECUA Controlled Burn
March 12, 2019
Authorities have identified a man killed Saturday when he was struck a bulldozer during a controlled burn in Cantonment.
Daryl Bradley Holland, 38, was pronounced deceased on the scene deep in a wooded area south of Becks Lake Road. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Holland was the bulldozer operator.
“He got off in an attempt to remove a tree or large limb lodged in the tracks,” Maj. Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon. “The bulldozer wasn’t all the way out of gear. When it was un-jammed, the bulldozer lurched forward.”
Holland was working for HHH Construction of NWF, which was a subcontractor of Munroe Forest & Wildlife Management on the burn, according to Nathalie Bowers, public information officer for the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
Approximately 900 acres near the ECUA’s Central Water Reclamation Facility were set to be burned in a three day period that ended Saturday as part of ECUA’s management plan for the ecological restoration of forest lands on the property.
Pictured: LifeFlight on standby at a bulldozer accident Saturday in Cantonment. The accident occurred deep in the woods, south of the the pictured location. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggie Freshmen Beat Navarre
March 12, 2019
The Tate Aggies and Navarre played to a 5-5 tie Monday night in Navarre.
Warren Henke, Saxon Hill and Dagan Guy each had two hits for the Aggies. Paul Whitson, Kirk Mosley, Wiley Griffin and Tucker Griffin had one hit. Tucker Griffin, Saxon Hill, Kirk Mosley, Wiley Griffin each had a double.
A Mild Day Without Rain
March 12, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms. Low around 58. South wind around 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. North wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Atmore Moves Toward City School System; Supporters Want To End Racial Divide, Failing Schools
March 12, 2019
The Atmore City Council took the first official step Monday toward the possible formation of a city school system as supporters push for an end to a racial divide and failing schools.
The council voted unanimously to begin the process to find a consultant to study the feasibility of operating a city system, with a particular look at if it would be affordable.
“We have smart kids right here in Atmore,” Loumeek White, president of Atmore Citizens for Change, said. The group has spearheaded the drive to split Atmore’s schools away from the Escambia County (AL) Board of Education.
White said many of the “smart kids” no longer attend school in Atmore. Instead, they travel to Northview High School in Escambia County, FL, or to Escambia Academy, or schools in Flomaton (also part of the Escambia, AL, system), he said, adding it has created an obvious racial divide.
“The white kids are going to Flomaton and Northview,” he told the Atmore council and a crowd of about 75 that attended Monday’s meeting. “You’ve got to see the separation.”
According to the Alabama Department of Education, 322 of the 368 students at Escambia County High School in Atmore are black or African American.
“Our high school is on the failing list with Alabama schools, not for the first time. And our problem is we continue to fail. Why? Because we send $6 million to Brewton…Only when our leaders are faced with the possibility of losing that ($6) million are they ready to talk to us and give us crumbs,” council member Susan Smith (pictured left) said.
“The superintendent said I’m not giving Atmore anything because the schools here and the equipment belongs to the county. And yet you pay taxes,” Smith told the audience.
Atmore’s city attorney, Larry Wettermark, will bring a proposal for a feasibility consulting company back to the council, most likely at their next meeting on March 25.
As the council adjourned, city officials, council members and audience members held hands and prayed for the future of Atmore’s children.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured above: Atmore Citizens for Change President Loumeek White (left) and Atmore Mayor Jim Staff discuss a city school system during an Atmore City Council meeting Monday afternoon. Pictured below: Council member Susan Smith explains her support for a city school system. Pictured bottom: City officials, council members and audience members held hands and prayed after the meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
