Thousands Vote Before Election Day
August 28, 2018
More Floridians have voted before Tuesday’s elections than in past primaries.
In Escambia County, 29,880 votes were cast before the polls opened on a Tuesday, a 14.28 percent turnout already. Of those, 17,779 votes were cast by mail and 12,100 were cast early. There aer 209,031 registered voters in Escambia County.
Nearly 1.86 million votes had been cast statewide as of Monday, with almost 1.2 million vote-by-mail ballots returned and another 658,800 ballots cast at early-voting sites, according to the Florida Department of State. Florida has 13 million registered voters.
Volunteer Firefighters Practice Water Shuttles – Something That Saves You Money
August 28, 2018
Volunteer firefighters from four North Escambia fire stations practiced moving a lot of water quickly Monday night at the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Rescue.
The firefighters from Century, McDavid, Molino and Walnut Hill learned about tanker truck and drop tank set up procedures…a process that is part of keeping fire insurance ratings and insurance costs lower for local residents.
Tanker trucks and a “drop tank” holding thousands of gallons are used to shuttle and supply water to firefighters when there is no or an inadequate water supply from a nearby fire hydrant.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
$646K Grant To Stabilize Gully Threatening Local Neighborhood
August 28, 2018
Escambia County will use a grant to stabilize a gully that is threatening homes and property in local neighborhood.
The $646,930 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program Grant will be used to stabilize the Motley Court Clear Creek Gully, which begins at the end of Motley Court north of East 10 Mile Road.
The drainage way is located within a 30-foot right of way starting at the north end of Motley Court and extending about 1,700 feet to Clear Creek. An open ditch has eroded into a meandering gully, ranging from 10 to 40 feet wide, 3-20 feet deep and extending to University of West Florida property.
At one location along the gullet an almost vertical slope has been identified adjacent to a property owner’s privacy fence on Crooked Oak Drive. Should this gully be left unattended, Escambia County officials said damage to private properties, homes and and continued degradation of eroded sediment in Clear Creek is eminent.
Escambia County has awarded a $75,265 contract to HDR Engineering, Inc. for design services for the project.
Weapons Stolen From Escambia Sheriff’s SWAT Vehicle
August 28, 2018
Three teens are accused of stealing weapons from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, and those weapons are still missing.
About 11 p.m. Saturday night, several items including a fully automatic .223 caliber M4 and several magazines of ammunition and a Taser were stolen from an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT sergeant’s vehicle. Three juveniles – Tahier Harper, 16, Torrance Sumler, 17, and Erick Smith, 17 – were charged in connection with the vehicle burglary.
A silver Ford Escape were seen fleeing the area following the burglary.
The ECSO High Intensity Patrol Unit located the vehicle, and after a brief pursuit Smith and Harper were apprehended. Several items belonging to the Sheriff’s Office were found in the vehicle, according to investigators.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for the weapons and other items.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 433-STOP or Crime Stoppers at (850) 436-9620.
The investigation is in connection with several other vehicle burglaries in the same area, the ECSO said.
New Hours For Splash Pad In Atmore
August 28, 2018
New hours have been announced for the City of Atmore splash pad. It will now be open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. The splash pad is located at South Trammel Street and West Craig Street, just behind Heritage Park on South Main Street. It will close for the season on September 30. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Teen Charged After Threatening Students On School Bus With BB Gun
August 27, 2018
A middle school student was charged Monday after he threatened another student with a BB gun.
Christopher Neal, 13, pulled a firearm on a school bus and threatened other students if they told, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Neal was immediately detained.
During a search of Neal’s belongings a BB gun was discovered, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Neal was charged with possession of a weapon on school property and aggravated assault.
Tate High School Band Director Placed On Administrative Leave
August 27, 2018
Tate High School Showband of the South director Roy King has been been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation, according to the local authorities.
Escambia County School District Deputy Superintendent Norm Ross confirmed Monday that King is on administrative leave, but he would not elaborate further.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon that an investigation has been opened involving King after unspecified allegations were made to the ECSO, but he did not provide further details.
“We have a received a complaint, and we are actively investigating,” Hobbs told NorthEscambia.com. “We cannot disclose more because it is an active investigation.”
King has not been charged with any crime.
King was named director of the Showband of the South in July 2017. King served for 18-years at Louisiana State University, most recently as director of LSU’s Tiger Marching Band. King also worked as a high school band director in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.
The Advcoate, a newspaper in Baton Rouge, LA, reported that King was terminated in 2016 from LSU over allegations of “circumventing management directives by awarding scholarships to members of the Golden Girls dance team and flag girls of the color guard without proper approval”.
“LSU also alleged King couldn’t account for more than $5,000 in missing school funds, according an internal audit report released several days after he filed his suit,” the newspaper reported.
In a lawsuit against LSU, King alleged he was fired for not redirecting contributions from the band program to the school’s School of Music.
The lawsuit was later settled.
This story was updated to clarify that the school district’s statement was made by Norm Ross.
Four People Injured, Four Family Pets Killed In Ferry Pass House Fire
August 27, 2018
Four people were injured and four family pets were killed when a house was destroyed by fire Sunday.
Three residents of the home on Banberry Road in Ferry Pass were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS, and the fourth drove himself to the the hospital.
Escambia Fire Rescue arrived within minutes of the 8:26 a.m. call to find heavy fire in the kitchen, living room, attic and garage. They were able to bring the fire under control,but the home was a total loss.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Century Gas Department Can’t Account For 58% Of Their System’s Natural Gas
August 27, 2018
The Town of Century can’t account of 58 percent of the natural gas it purchases for resale and is facing a $188,000 projected loss next fiscal year, council members learned Friday.
The town has allocated an immediate $100,000 to purchase new gas meters for residential and commercial customers and about $4,000 for a new “gate station” meter to measure the quantity of gas purchased to verify the amount billed by their supplier.
“We are billing right now half of what we have purchased,” accountant Robert Hudson said. “If we are making a bold move and do the meters, our gas revenue has go to go up.”
The council decided to keep the gas department’s projected income for the next fiscal year at $400,000 to make it easier to look at financials and see increased income from the new meters.
“We will get the meters in and just watch it trickle to the bottom line,” Hudson said
The gas is not leaking; officials have said it’s either a problem with customer meters, meter reading or a discrepancy between the amount billed by the town’s supplier and the quantity actually delivered. Century will purchase the new meters with $100,000 from a Special Revenue Economic Development Account that has a $122,000 balance.
The Century Gas Department serves about 500 customers.
Wanted Century Counterfeiting Suspect Arrested
August 27, 2018
A wanted Century felon accused of passing counterfeit money was arrested Sunday night after being on the run for the past several weeks.
Antonio Demetrius Ewing, 28, attempted to pass counterfeit money on July 16 at Odom’s Bar on North Century Boulevard and other local businesses in the area, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Ewing is charged with passing counterfeit money, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, driving while license is suspended, resisting arrest and vehicle theft. He was being held without bond.
Montaio Dearies Mitchell, age 25 of Century, was arrested earlier this month for allegedly passing a fake $100 bill at the drive-thru window at Odom’s Bar. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.