Portion Of Cove Avenue To Be Closed About A Week
July 25, 2018
Cove Avenue South between Nine Mile Road and Fretz Street will be closed to through traffic beginning Thursday. Signs will be posted directing traffic to detour along Fowler Avenue and Bowman Avenue. The closure is part of a project upgrading the existing sewer system to improve the sanitary system.
The roadway closure is expected to remain in effect for approximately seven days and every effort will be made to expedite construction efforts to reopen the road before Friday, Aug.3.
If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time periods, another notice will be issued.
Woman Doesn’t Get Far After Escaping From Escambia (AL) Jail
July 25, 2018
A woman only made it less than 100 yards away in an escape Monday night from the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton .
Meagan Brooke Dantzler, age 26 of Atmore, escaped about 7 p.m. from the women’s minimum security barracks.
Escambia County Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said Dantzler ran past a corrections officer as the officer entered the facility. He said she was wearing thermal underwear with food stuffed her her bra.
“It appeared she had been planning this,” Lambert said.
Her escape came at the jail’s shift change time, meaning that a larger than normal number of corrections officer were at the jail at the time of the escape. The Brewton Police Department and Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s deputies formed a perimeter around the facility, and a K-9 team from the Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore tracked Dantzler. She was found in a wooded area near the jail.
Dantzler was being held on burglary and theft charges. She will face an additional escape charge.
“She was captured due to the great cooperative effort of the Brewton Police Department and other law enforcement,” Lambert said.
Northview Cross Country Meeting Is Monday
July 25, 2018
There will be a Northview High School cross country meeting Monday, July 30 at 8 a.m. in the Northview library to discuss the upcoming season. Students interested in running cross country and parents are encouraged to attend. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Sparks Lifts Wahoos Past Lookouts, 10-8, In Extras
July 25, 2018
With two outs and a runner at second base in the 10th inning, Taylor Sparks blasted his 10th home run of the season to give the Blue Wahoos a 10-8 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts Tuesday night at AT&T Field.
The Lookouts ambushed Wahoos starter Vladimir Gutierrez with four first inning runs. Brent Rooker started the scoring for the second straight night with a home run, Tuesday’s was a two-run shot. The Lookouts would score two more while sending all nine batters to the plate in the inning.
Trailing 4-0 in the third inning, the Blue Wahoos rallied for six runs to take the lead. Aristides Aquino delivered the big hit with a three-run homer to put the Wahoos in front 6-4. The Blue Wahoos added two more in the fourth. Jose Siri tripled and scored on a TJ Friedl single. Friedl scored later in the inning on a two-out single from Shed Long.
Gutierrez settled down and didn’t allow a run over his final four innings. He was done after five innings with four runs allowed on nine hits with three walks and five strikeouts. It was the most runs he had allowed in a start since June 1.
The Lookouts rallied for four runs to tie the game in the seventh inning against Juan Martinez. With the Wahoos still leading 8-6, Rooker laced a two-run double to tie the game at 8-8. It stayed that way until Sparks belted his home run in the 10th to put the Blue Wahoos up 10-8. Alex Powers (S, 11) worked a scoreless bottom of the 10th to finish off the win. Rafael De Paula (W, 2-3) earned the win out of the bullpen with two scoreless innings in relief. Williams Ramirez (L, 2-6) allowed the two 10th inning runs to take the loss for the Lookouts.
Everybody in the Wahoos starting lineup got at least one hit with five players getting two hits. Sparks led the charge with a double and his home run. Chris Okey also had a pair of extra base hits, both doubles, as part of a 2-for-5 game. Aquino’s homer was his only hit, but it extended his hit streak to eight games.
The Blue Wahoos will continue the series Wednesday morning. RHP Tony Santillan (2-0, 1.50) will start for Pensacola against Lookouts RHP Sean Poppen (3-5, 4.32)
Double Fatal Hit And Run Suspect Markquise Wallace Captured In Philadelphia
July 24, 2018
Double hit and run suspect Markquise Deshawn Wallace of Pensacola has been arrested. He was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon without incident in Philadelphia, PA, by U.S. Marshals.
Wallace, 26, had been staying with a relative for about a month as of the time of his capture. Officials will begin extradition proceedings as soon as possible to have Wallace returned to Pensacola.
Three people were crossing Cervantes Street near M Street when they were hit by a Dodge Charger driven at a high rate of speed by Wallace, according to Pensacola Police. Neariaah Ikerria Williams, age 8 months, and a family friend, 28-year-old Nephateria Monique Williams, died. The child’s mother, 27-year-old Quineka Tyon Baldwin, was injured.
Pictured: Markquise Deshawn Wallace moments after his capture Tuesday afternoon in Philadelphia, PA. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Another Inmate Escapes From Alabama Work Release Center
July 24, 2018
For the second time in two days, there has been an inmate escape from the Loxley Work Release Center in Baldwin County, AL.
Cory Allen Kingery, 37, was last seen wearing state prison whites but may have changed into a blue shirt. Kingery (pictured left) is 5-foot 8-inches tall and 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He is serving a two year sentence for theft of property.
Two other inmates, Damon Rashad Dinsmore and Cantorius Alan White, escaped Monday morning from the same Alabama Department of Corrections facility. White was recaptured in Loxley a short time later by local police.
Dinsmore crashed a vehicle into a pole at the Atmore I-65 exit Chevron station about 8 a.m. He fled on foot and and was tracked by K-9 units. He was spotted by a logging crew on Bell Fork Road just after 11 a.m.
Anyone that sees Kingery should call their local law enforcement agency or 911.
Pictured top: The capture of escaped inmate Damon Rashad Dinsmore near Atmore Monday morning. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDOT Completes Review After Molino Bridge Collapse; Construction Resumes
July 24, 2018
Construction activities have resumed at a Molino Bridge project weeks after a collapse, but some portions of the bridge will be removed and reconstructed, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
On June 30 at the Barrineau Park Road (Hwy. 196) bridge over Jacks Branch, concrete for a bridge deck span was being poured into temporary forms when a rod and temporary truss failed. That caused two deck spans of concrete that had not hardened to fall into water below.
“There are some portions of the bridge that are structurally sound and will remain in place while other sections will be removed and reconstructed,” said Tanya Branton, public relations specialist for the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT conducted a engineering reassessment following the collapse.
The contractor has also started work on the roadway approaches to the bridge and an embankment as the demolition of the damaged portions continues.
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Branton said the collapse was caused by the failure of a threaded support rod in the form system. The contractor is modifying its form system to prevent future problems.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) and other regulatory agencies were notified of the collapse and visited the site. They are not expected to issue any fines, according to FDOT.
The estimated completion date is now September 21, 2018. Prior to the form failure, the estimated completion was August 10, 2018.
On June 30, workers in the area noticed a “dip” as they were pouring the concrete and attempted a repair, but the form system collapsed,” FDOT District 3 Public Information Director Ian Satter told NorthEscambia.com in the hours following the collapse.
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It was the second incident in the bridge in June. Earlier in the month, crews were attempting to place concrete in another deck form that failed, causing the deck and truss under the form to sag, he said. That section of bridge deck was removed by the contractor (photos at page bottom).
GDB-US Constructors, Inc. of Parish, FL, is the contractor on the project, the lowest of four bidders. Satter said to his knowledge, this is their first bridge project in FDOT District 3, which includes the area from Pensacola to Tallahassee.
Barrineau Park Road at Jacks Branch has been closed since January with traffic detoured via Highway 29, Molino Road (Hwy. 182), and Highway 95A.
Photos obtained by NorthEscambia.com and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pictured below: Sections of concrete bridge deck removed from the bridge after it began to sag three weeks ago can be seen to the right of the bridge.
Atmore Fire Chief Peebles Honored As ‘Hometown Hero’
July 24, 2018
Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles was named a Modern Woodman “Hometown Hero” during a dinner Monday.
The Hometown Hero program honors individuals or groups for their outstanding service to the community.
Peebles is a North Escambia resident.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Jail Job Information Fair Set For Friday
July 24, 2018
The Escambia County Corrections – Jail Division is hosting a job information fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 27 at the Escambia County Jail located at 2935 N. L St. in Pensacola. The correctional facility is currently accepting applications for corrections officer trainees, certified corrections officers and medical professionals including:
- Corrections Officer Trainee – High school diploma or equivalent, minimum age of 20. No certification is necessary, but applicants must be willing to complete Corrections Basic Recruit School, which will be provided at no cost as outlined in the employment contract. Accepted applicants will receive $13.75 per hour training pay and $15.12 per hour after graduation/state certification. The next course is tentatively set to begin the first week of October. Apply by Sunday, Aug. 19 online here.
- Corrections Officer - High school diploma or equivalent, minimum age of 20, and one year of experience performing work as a certified corrections officer/detention deputy; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience If you are certified in corrections in another state, a federal agency, or military, or if you have more than four years’ break in Florida Corrections certification, you may be exempted from attending the full basic recruit academy and may qualify for an Equivalency of Training. To determine if you meet the requirements please contact the Gulf Coast Criminal Justice Selection Center for an assessment. To be eligible for this position, you must first complete the Equivalency of Training process. Starting pay is $15.12 per hour without experience and $16.63 per hour with a minimum of one year experience; however, it is subject to collective bargaining. Apply online here.
- Clinical Nurse - This position provides nursing care to patients in a correctional facility under the direction of physicians and nurse practitioners. Valid State of Florida Registered Nurse with two years of current critical care or emergency department experience required. Starting pay is $29.00 per hour. Open until filled. Apply online here.
- Medical Assistant – This position provides direct patient care and related support to nursing staff. Completion of Certified Medical Assistant and current CPR for Health Care Providers Certification program required. Starting pay is $10.49 per hour. Open until filled. Apply online here.
- LPN – LPNs in our facility provide general patient care and basic patient education. Valid State of Florida Licensed Practical Nurse and current CPR for Health Care Providers Certification required. Starting pay is $16.63. Open continuous. Apply online here.
- RN – Our nurses provide a holistic nursing care to patients housed in the correctional facility. Valid State of Florida Registered Nurse License and Current CPR for Health Care Providers Certification required. Starting pay is $24.11 per hour. Open continuous. Apply online here.
In addition to a stable position in the corrections industry, a job with Escambia County Corrections offers a comprehensive benefit plan for employees who work 30 or more hours a week. Benefits include health, dental, life, vision, employee assistance program, flexible spending accounts for medical and childcare, long-term disability, vacations, retirement and other voluntary insurance products.
For more information about the Job Information Fair, please contact Lt. Shawn Hankins at 850-436-9136 or sphankins@myescambia.com.
Battle Continues Over Florida ‘High Quality’ Schools Requirement
July 24, 2018
When Florida voters went to the polls in 1998, more than 70 percent approved a constitutional amendment that required the state to provide an “uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality” system of public schools.
But two decades later, the Florida Supreme Court is preparing to wade into a long-running battle about whether the state has adequately carried out the requirement — and whether judges should even decide questions that attorneys for the state describe as a “political thicket.”
The state last week filed a 72-page brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold a decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal that rejected the lawsuit, which has been led by a group called Citizens for Strong Schools.
In the brief, the state’s attorneys argued that the issues raised by the plaintiffs are “non-justiciable political questions” that courts should not resolve. But even if the Supreme Court disagrees with that argument, the state’s attorneys contend that Florida has made “dramatic improvements” in student performance, dispelling the notion that it has not provided an adequate education system.
“Florida’s school reforms and education policies — most of which were implemented after the 1998 constitutional amendment … — have led to steady and impressive gains in student performance,” the brief said.
But in a brief filed last month, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued that the Supreme Court should overturn the 1st District Court of Appeal ruling and send the case back to a circuit judge under an “appropriate standard of review” to determine if the state has met the constitutional requirements.
In questioning the quality of education provided in the state, the plaintiffs’ brief pointed to issues such as disparities in student test performances in different counties and by different racial and ethnic groups.
“The (1998 constitutional) revision mandates that the state give all children in Florida a chance to obtain a high quality education,” the plaintiffs’ brief said. “Parents allege this is not occurring. But the First DCA (District Court of Appeal) ruled that, regardless, courts have no power to ensure it does. That decision was an abdication of the courts’ core responsibility to act when other branches of government’s acts violate the Constitution.”
The 1998 amendment was placed on the ballot by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, a panel that meets every 20 years to consider revisions to the Constitution. Voters approved the measure at the same time they elected Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, who ushered in major — and often-controversial — changes to the education system that continue to reverberate in 2018.
Among other things, Bush and his supporters backed expansion of school choice, high-stakes testing and grading the performances of public schools.
The constitutional amendment, in part, said it is a “paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for the education of all children residing within its borders.” The amendment fleshed that out, in part, by saying adequate provision will be made for a “uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system” of public schools.
Citizens for Strong Schools and the other plaintiffs initially filed the lawsuit in 2009. A Leon County circuit judge ruled in favor of the state in 2016, and the 1st District Court of Appeal followed suit in December.
After the plaintiffs took the issue to the Supreme Court in January, the state argued justices should not take it up. But the Supreme Court decided in April to hear the case. It has not scheduled oral arguments.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida