Molino Man Found Incompetent To Stand Trial For Arson, Burglary
November 19, 2018
A Molino man has been found incompetent to stand trial for arson, burglary and several other charges.
Judge John Miller ordered Ivy Dwayne Little committed to the Florida State Hospital.
On April 10, a resident of Fairgrounds Road near the Molino Boat Ramp and her family had a recreational fire in a fire pit by the river. Later that night, she told deputies that she saw Little, 55, by the fire pit and called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies arrived, but were unable to locate Little.
The following morning, the resident smelled smoke in her home and found a small fire smoldering on a concrete floor inside her enclosed porch. The fire was still smoldering when deputies arrived on scene.
The fire caused burn marks on the floor and possible smoke damage. The resident reported a a pair of shoes, a tent and two umbrellas missing.
Deputies located Little walking on Highway 29 near their Molino Precinct and placed him under arrest on a first degree felony charge of arson of an occupied dwelling, along with burglary of an occupied dwelling, criminal mischief and petit theft.
The incident was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Pedestrian Struck And Killed On Pine Forest Road
November 19, 2018
UPDATE: Second vehicle located.
A pedestrian was struck by two vehicles and killed Sunday night on Pine Forest Road. One of the vehicles fled the scene.
The pedestrian was walking southbound in the outside lane of Pine Forest Road just south of Five Flags Speedway when he or she was struck by a 2009 Toyota Versa driven by 31-year old Jazma Jarremus Garrett of Pensacola, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A second vehicle then collided with the pedestrian before fleeing the area. The driver was later identified as 24-year old Kenneth Richardson of Pensacola.
The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS. The victim’s name has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call the Florida Highway Patrol at (850) 484-5000 and reference case number 718-09-054.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Nelson Concedes Senate Race, Scott Heads To Washington
November 19, 2018
With a victory margin of a little more than a tenth of a percentage point out of 8.2 million votes cast, Gov. Rick Scott has won election to the U.S. Senate, ending the four-decade political career of Bill Nelson.
In the final vote tallies sent to the state Division of Elections on Sunday, Scott, a two-term Republican governor, held a 10,033-vote edge — or 0.12 percent — over Nelson, a Democrat who was seeking re-election to his fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
The election went to an automatic machine recount when Scott failed to secure a lead of more than 0.5 percent in the initial count after the Nov. 6 election. The machine recount left the Republican with a 12,603-vote lead, or 0.15 percent, triggering the statewide manual recount that concluded at noon Sunday.
Scott’s lead was narrowed by 2,570 votes between the end of the machine recount on Thursday and the conclusion of the manual recount, but he has consistently held a lead since Election Day. The final results are expected to be certified when the state Elections Canvassing Commission meets Tuesday morning in Tallahassee.
Scott, who said Nelson “graciously conceded” in a phone call on Sunday, thanked Nelson “for his years of public service.”
While the voting recount process drew harsh accusations of fraud and political chicanery, numerous lawsuits and counter-lawsuits, Scott’s victory statement called for unity.
“My focus will not be on looking backward, but on doing exactly what I ran on: making Washington work,” Scott said. “I know change is never popular in Washington and that I’m just one person — but we have to start somewhere.”
Nelson’s defeat marked the end of the 76-year-old Democrat’s lengthy political career, which includes 18 years in the U.S. Senate, a dozen years in the U.S. House, six years on the state Cabinet and six years in the Florida Legislature.
“Well, things worked out a little differently than Grace and I had hoped. But let me say, I by no measure feel defeated,” Nelson said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “And that’s because I have had the privilege of serving the people of Florida and our country for most of my life.”
Nelson used his statement to urge support for issues including health-care policies that cover pre-existing conditions, Florida’s environment, Social Security and Medicare. He called for an end to “all forms of voter suppression.”
But he also said he would urge opposing political factions “to seek common ground with their colleagues on the other side of the aisle.”
“Inevitably, at times, that effort will fall short. But we have to try,” Nelson said. “We have to move beyond a politics that aims not just to defeat but to destroy; where truth is treated as disposable, where falsehoods abound, and the free press is assaulted as the ‘enemy of the people.’ ”
Scott’s Senate victory carried the hallmarks of his two previous statewide elections. All three campaigns were costly, hard fought and decided by extremely narrow margins.
A wealthy former health-care executive from Naples, Scott, 65, entered the 2010 governor’s race as a political novice and beat Democrat Alex Sink by a 1.2 percent margin, after spending more than $70 million of his personal fortune.
In his re-election bid in 2014, Scott edged former Gov. Charlie Crist by a 1 percent margin.
Scott’s 0.12 percent, or 10,033 votes, victory over Nelson was his costliest and tightest race. He spent more than $64 million of his own money on the contest, according to Federal Elections Commission reports. Total spending by Scott, Nelson and outside groups was well over $100 million.
Scott’s victory means that Florida will be represented by two Republican senators in the U.S. Senate for the first time since the Reconstruction era. Scott will join U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who won re-election to his second term in 2016.
In a statement, Rubio praised the working relationship he had with Nelson, despite their differing politics.
“Even though we often voted differently, not once did that interfere with our ability to work together,” Rubio said. “I will miss working with him very much.”
Nelson’s defeat underscores the fact that incumbent senators rarely lose re-election bids. The last time that happened in Florida was in 1986, when U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, a Republican, lost her re-election bid to Gov. Bob Graham, a Democrat.
Over the last half century, the majority of U.S. senators representing Florida have left office by deciding not to seek re-election.
Scott is expected to join the U.S. Senate when it convenes for a new session on Jan. 3. It will mean he will have to resign as governor before his term ends on Jan. 8, when Republican Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis takes office.
If Scott resigns early, Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a former state lawmaker from Miami, will become Florida’s 46th governor for a short period, before DeSantis’ term begins.
A similar scenario occurred in January 1987, when Graham resigned as governor to join the U.S. Senate. Lt. Gov. Wayne Mixson served three days as Graham’s successor in the governor’s office before former Gov. Bob Martinez took office.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
Annual Peanut Butter Challenge Continues Through Wednesday
November 19, 2018
If you want to help feed the hungry in Florida’s Panhandle this year, you can donate peanut butter during the annual Peanut Butter Challenge, coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension. Thanks to a partnership of UF/IFAS Extension and the Florida Peanut Producers Association, food pantries from Pensacola to Monticello will receive thousands of jars of donated peanut butter this December.
The annual Peanut Butter Challenger coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension is underway.
Donate unopened jars of peanut butter at the UF/IFAS Extension office and other locations in Escambia County by this Wednesday.This year, drop-off boxes can be found at:
- UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Century Branch Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd., Century
- Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 N. W St., Pensacola
- Escambia County Farm Bureau, 153 Highway 97, Molino
- Gilmore Services, 31 E. Fairfield Drive, Pensacola
- Escambia County Administration, 221 Palafox Place, 4th Floor, Pensacola
- Catholic Church of the Holy Spirit,10650 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
Since 2012, the volunteers and UF/IFAS Extension faculty have collected jars of peanut butter from residents, volunteer groups and businesses in 16 Northwest Florida counties. Last year, UF/IFAS Extension county offices received 6,388 jars of peanut butter from across the district.
In addition to these donations, the Florida Peanut Producers Association also contributes, supplying more than 3,000 jars each challenge, said Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the challenge.
They hope to surpass that total this year, and citizens of Escambia County are asked to help.
“Every year, the Peanut Butter Challenge continues to grow and helps support the needs of our community with a healthy, locally-grown crop,” Johnson said. “Extension is proud to coordinate the effort to reduce food insecurity for Escambia County residents.”
Tate Cheerleaders Host Charity Cheer Challenge
November 19, 2018
The Tate High School cheer program partnered with Cheer Up to host a Charity Cheer Challenge Saturday.
Tate’s JV and varsity squads both won first place in their divisions, and the varsity squad was named grand champions.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts – Where To Expect Delays
November 19, 2018
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Lane closures associated with normal construction activities along Interstate 10 and major state roads will be suspended from 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21 to 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Debris removal and disposal services across Northwest Florida will continue except on Thursday, Nov. 22. During debris removal operations traffic flaggers will be onsite to assist with traffic control. Motorists and pedestrian traffic are reminded to watch for workers and heavy equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90 (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur Sunday, Nov. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 20. Work requiring lane restrictions will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Wednesday morning.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Wednesday morning.
- Sunday, Nov. 18 and Monday, Nov. 19: Nine Mile Road will be closed at the U.S. 29 overpass as crews place beams for the northbound bridge deck. Eastbound Nine Mile Road traffic will be reduced to one lane, detoured to U.S. 29 South, U-turn at West Hood Drive, and return to Nine Mile Road. Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road. Traffic control officers will be on-site to help direct traffic.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 20.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Paving operations continue from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 through Tuesday, Nov. 20.
- · Crary Road Bridge Replacement- Crary Road will be temporarily closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via County Road (C.R.) 4 and Byrneville Road.
- · S.R. 727 (Fairfield Drive) from South of Usher Circle to North of Hestia Place- The north entrance of Usher Circle from Fairfield Drive will reopen Saturday, Nov. 17.
- · U.S. 98 (East Chase Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to Bayfront Parkway- There will be paving operations from I-110 to Bayfront Parkway Sunday, Nov. 18 through Tuesday, Nov. 20. Lane closures will be in effect 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Santa Rosa County:
- · U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Construction activities continue. Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures between 14th Avenue in Pensacola and Bay Bridge Drive in Gulf Breeze from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Nov.18 through Tuesday, Nov. 20.
- S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to C.R. 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) – North and southbound traffic will shift to the new Yellow River Bridge the week of Monday, Nov. 19. The shift will allow crews to reconstruct the roadway approaches to the existing structure. It is expected to remain in place until early 2019. Traffic between Hickory Hammock Road and the Eglin AFB boundary will continue to be restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is completed.
- U.S. 98 Safety Improvements at Constitution Drive and Navarre School Road- Temporary barrier wall construction is complete from Sunrise Drive to east of Cotton Bay Lane. Drivers are reminded to use caution as crews perform construction activities in this area.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Fire Destroys Cotton Picker
November 19, 2018
Fire destroyed a cotton picker in field on Highway 178 south of Jay Saturday. There were no injuries reported. Photos by April McCullough for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Caldwell Concedes Ag Commissioner Race To Fried
November 19, 2018
Republican Matt Caldwell pointed to a need for political “sanity” and a “peaceful transfer of power” Monday as he conceded the race for Florida agriculture commissioner to Fort Lauderdale lawyer Nikki Fried, the only Democrat to winstatewide this year.
Caldwell, a real-estate appraiser from North Fort Myers who has served the past eight years in the Florida House, said in a statement that he still had questions about how ballots were handled in Palm Beach and Broward counties, where he had filed a lawsuit. But he didn’t want to use “legal loopholes to win an election.”
“All I have ever expected since Election Day is a full and fair accounting of all legal votes cast, and then respecting the will of the voters,” Caldwell said. “Unfortunately, as a result of the abject failures in Broward and Palm Beach, it has become clear that we may never gain an understanding of what transpired in the hours and days after polls closed, despite the exhaustive efforts of my legal team to get to the truth. To continue this legal challenge would likely require millions of dollars and months to complete without providing any more clarity.”
A short time after Caldwell’s announcement, Fried tweeted that she received a phone call from Caldwell and “he could not have been more gracious.”
“I want to congratulate him on a close race and thank him for his willingness to step into the arena. And to everyone who supported him, I will be your voice in Tallahassee too,” Fried tweeted.
The state Elections Canvassing Commission will meet Tuesday to certify the results of the Nov. 6 elections.
A manual recount completed Sunday raised Fried’s lead over Caldwell to 6,753 votes out of more than 8 million cast in the race for a seat on the state Cabinet. The manual recount added 1,446 votes to Fried’s total from an earlier machine recount, according to results posted on the state Division of Elections website.
Caldwell’s campaign Sunday continued to explore how heavily Democratic Broward and Palm Beach counties handled the recount. The Republican’s attorneys contended in the earlier lawsuit that about 17,000 vote-by-mail ballots were collected and counted in Broward County after polls closed at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6.
Caldwell also attacked Broward Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes for “staggering incompetence” after her office was unable to provide the results of a machine recount to the state by a Thursday deadline.
Snipes, appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in 2003 and re-elected four times, submitted her resignation — effective Jan. 4 — to Gov. Rick Scott on Sunday.
Caldwell’s concession Monday came a short time after the Republican Party of Palm Beach County called for volunteers to help with a recount expected to be conducted locally Tuesday and Wednesday.
Caldwell, who noted the need for a “peaceful transfer of power” by alluding to how Richard Nixon accepted the results of a “fraud” filled 1960 election won by President John F. Kennedy, said he was no longer challenging the results.
In a separate letter thanking supporters, Caldwell said the current “unhealthy” state of politics weighed in his decision.
“That hit home this last week when the FBI informed me that I was among the group of individuals that the recently captured pipe bomber had researched prior to his arrest,” Caldwell wrote. “Even our own governor-elect was a near target of the baseball field shootings. There is no place for political violence in a democratically elected republic. Our remedy is the ballot box and it should remain there. Embracing this fact can only make us stronger. The sooner we return to peaceful sanity, the better.”
In addition to his letter to supporters, Caldwell submitted a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner that calls for reform of the election process and outlined “mistakes, errors and failures” in Palm Beach and Broward counties.
Among his proposals: changes to how votes are delivered, sorted and counted; basic training for supervisors of elections and their staffs; extended time periods for machine and manual recounts; and a process for canvassing boards to request extensions to complete counting.
Caldwell declared victory on election night, as ballots counted several hours after the polls closed had him up by more than 40,000 votes. But over the next several days, as more ballots were tabulated, particularly in South Florida, Fried pulled ahead.
Fried, who has also worked as a medical marijuana lobbyist, first claimed victory after unofficial returns were posted on Nov. 10. But state law required machine and manual recounts because of the slim margins between the candidates.
Fried has set up a transition team headed by Congressman Darren Soto of Orlando and former Congressman Patrick Murphy.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
One Injured In Crash Near Ransom Middle School
November 18, 2018
One person was injured in a single vehicle wreck Sunday morning near Ransom Middle School.
The driver of a Toyota Tundra lost control, ran off West Kingsfield Road, struck a utility pole and ran into a wooded area. He was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Ensley and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
From Shelter To Service: Escambia County Working Dogs
November 18, 2018
Each Saturday morning, Escambia County Animal Control Supervisor Kevin Monfreda and his 3-year-old bloodhound, Bo, visit campuses and parks along the Gulf Coast. The two aren’t stopping in for a game of fetch or a jog — they’re rigorously perfecting Bo’s skills as a scent trailing dog.
The pair has been working together since July 2015, when Monfreda adopted Bo from the Escambia County Animal Shelter after Animal Control officers removed the 7-month-old puppy from an animal cruelty situation.
“He was so cute, and we just really bonded,” Monfreda said.
After two years of training and miles of scent tracking across various terrain, Monfreda and Bo are now certified by the North American Police Working Dog Association as a scent trailing team.
“When we first started training, we’d do short runaway sessions, where the handler gets the dog excited, then drops an article of clothing and runs away out of sight, creating a scent trail,” Monfreda said. “The trails are marked with scent flags at first, and then as the dog gets older and more experienced, you take away the flags and continue adding more turns while lengthening the trail, so they have to look hard for the scent.”
The pair are now part of KLAASKids, a nationally recognized volunteer search and rescue organization that provides search managers, planners, field searchers and K-9s to search for missing and trafficked children. Monfreda and Bo have participated in three active searches for missing children.
In addition to the weekly Saturday training sessions with other teams in the area, Monfreda and Bo attend regional seminars and training events. The two will attend their next seminar on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Sarasota, Florida, which will focus specifically on urban scent trailing.
“He really likes the urban seminars– it makes him think,” Monfreda said. “He enjoys the challenge. He’s a laid-back dog, but he really likes to work.”
Another county working dog who got her start at the Escambia County Animal Shelter is 5-year-old German Shepherd mix, Britt.
Britt was picked up as stray by Animal Control officers in 2015 and was taken to the Escambia County Animal Shelter and made available for adoption. She was adopted shortly after she was placed at the shelter, but was quickly returned.
Officer Robert Oliver and Sgt. Boswell of the Escambia County Road Prison were visiting the animal shelter to check on an inmate performing work duties when they noticed Britt in her kennel.
“She seemed attentive and trainable, so we took her out of the kennel and went over to an exercise pen and believe it or not, she already knew verbal commands and had a very high toy drive,” Oliver said. “She just loved to play ball, and that’s actually what we use to start training our narcotics dogs.”
Oliver noted that dogs with an extremely high toy drive make great narcotics tracking dogs because of their relentless desire to find an object or toy.
After seeing Britt’s toy drive and trainability, Oliver decided to pull her from the shelter to work as a narcotics dog for the Escambia County Road Prison. Oliver enrolled Britt in a training course with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and she successfully completed 240 training hours and received her certification from the United States Police Canine Association.
Britt now works directly alongside Oliver and searches areas where inmates live and work, including lockers, vehicles and various jail buildings.
“She comes to work with me every day and while the inmates are working on the roads, she’ll do a housing area search,” Oliver said.
The Road Prison also has four call beagles and one call bloodhound that make up the rest of the tracking team.
In 2016, Britt competed in the Southern States Manhunt Field Trial and placed fourth in the narcotics search. She returned in 2017 to compete in the same search and came in second place against 17 other dogs.
“She was the only dog who placed in the competition that came from a shelter,” Oliver said. “She’s a sweetheart and a hard worker.”
Britt currently has 20 documented narcotics finds for Escambia County, and has found marijuana, methamphetamine, spice and prescription pills.
“She’s a great working dog a and real asset to our team,” Oliver added.
The two are preparing for Britt’s next Southern States Manhunt Trail competition in 2019.
John Robinson, Animal Services manager, said his staff is always looking for dogs that come into the shelter that might make great tracking or search and rescue dogs.
“Escambia County Animal Services is really proud to see dogs that come from our shelter helping people and also representing shelter dogs in a positive light,” Robinson said. “Great dogs and cats can come from any animal shelter and be great additions to families, and sometimes they can even become productive members of a team.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.