Escambia School District Transportation Holding Job Fair Saturday
June 15, 2018
The Escambia County School District will hold a Transportation Job Fair Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon at McArthur Elementary School, 330 East Ten Mile Road. The school district is looking for school bus operators, diesel technicians, dispatchers and more.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Missing Endangered Man Found Safe By ESAR K-9 Team
June 15, 2018
A man reported missing and endangered Thursday night is now safe.
Ronald Amerson, 60, was located by an Escambia Search and Rescue K-9 team and transported by Escambia County EMS to a local hospital.
He was reported missing about 5 p.m. from Sandpiper and Wyatt streets — an area just north of Nine Mile Road between Copter Road and Davis Highway. Amerson was located by about 10 p.m.
State Irma Losses Top $9.7 Billion; 732 Claims In Escambia, Santa Rosa
June 15, 2018
Insurance loss estimates from Hurricane Irma have hit $9.7 billion, up by more than $1 billion since April, according to the latest numbers posted by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
Insurers also advised the state agency that the number of claims had reached 987,767 from the massive and deadly September storm. The was up more than 54,000 from when numbers were previously updated in April.
In Escambia County, there were 265 Irma claims filed, with 157 claims paid and closed, 97 claims not paid and 11 claims still open. There were 467 claims filed in Santa Rosa County, with 305 paid, 151 denied and 11 unresolved.
Irma made landfall twice in Florida on Sept. 10. It first hit Cudjoe Key, less than 30 miles northeast of Key West, and later hit Collier County before running up the peninsula.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
International Paper Grant Deadline Is July 1
June 15, 2018
International Paper Pensacola Mill will award $85,000 in grants in 2018. The deadline for all 2018 grant applications is Sunday, July 1, 2018.
International Paper Pensacola Mill awards grants through the IP Foundation, which makes sustainable investments to address critical needs in the communities where International Paper employees live and work. Grants support projects or programs focused on signature causes.
Signature causes are:
- Education – Priority given to literacy programs from birth through third grade.
- Hunger – Community programs that provide access to food for those in need or provide solutions to alleviate hunger.
- Health and Wellness – Programs that promote basic health and human needs.
- Disaster Relief – Programs that reduce suffering or saves lives as a result of a natural disaster.
For more information about the IP Foundation and/or to apply online, interested applicants should visit www.ipgiving.com.
Pictured: IP 2017 grant recipients. File photo.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
June 15, 2018
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending May 31 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling the Escambia River when he saw a vessel returning to the dock with several people on onboard. While conducting a safety inspection, he saw indicators of impairment from the operator. Lieutenant Hahr conducted field sobriety tasks on the operator to determine if the operator was impaired. After completion of the field sobriety tasks, Lieutenant Hahr arrested the operator for BUI of drugs or alcohol. The operator refused to submit to a breath test and was booked into the Escambia County Jail.
Officer Allgood saw a subject driving a vehicle erratically on Interstate 10 in Pensacola. Officer Allgood activated his lights and siren and attempted to stop the vehicle. The subject initially did not stop and slowly exited the interstate. After about a mile, the subject eventually stopped at a residence that was not his. Officer Allgood had the subject exit his vehicle. He initially did not comply with the officer’s orders. Officer Allgood ordered the subject on the ground and he eventually complied. The subject was taking into custody and was cited for DUI of drugs or alcohol and felony fleeing and eluding.
Officers Clark and Long contacted a subject who had no life jacket in a kayak on the Intercoastal Waterway under the Theo Baars Bridge. Officer Clark instructed the kayaker to come ashore to speak with him on the proper safety equipment needed to safely operate on the waters of the state. The subject refused, turned and started to paddle away. Officer Clark entered the water and grabbed the kayak to prevent the subject from escaping. While addressing the violations, Officer Clark could smell a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. He also noticed his eyes were very bloodshot and glassy. He asked the operator if he had been drinking and he advised he had. He also stated that he was not intoxicated and that he had mostly smoked marijuana. Officer Clark conducted field sobriety tasks on the subject to determine if he was impaired. The subject was subsequently arrested for BUI and transported to the Escambia County Jail where he provided a breath sample of .079 and .084. Officer Long conducted an inventory on the kayak and discovered 6.6 grams of cannabis along with paraphernalia. A criminal background check conducted by FWC dispatch revealed the subject had at least four previous convictions for DUI of drugs or alcohol, making this BUI arrest a felony charge. The subject was also cited for possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, and interference with an FWC officer.
While conducting saltwater fisheries inspections on the Pensacola Bay Bridge, Officer Pettey found a subject to be in possession of over the daily bag limit of mangrove snapper. The subject had nine mangrove snapper, four over his daily bag limit. Four of the nine mangrove snapper were under the legal-size limit of ten inches. The subject was issued a citation for over the bag limit and a written warning for undersized mangrove snapper.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
(No report submitted for Santa Rosa County.)
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Manhunt In Bratt — Alabama Escapee Captured
June 14, 2018
An Alabama escapee was captured Thursday afternoon following manhunt in Bratt.
Christopher Hosford has warrants for his arrest from Escambia County, AL, that include escape first degree from a community corrections program, according to Chief Deputy Mike Lambert of the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office.
The Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on West Highway 4 near Still Road Wednesday afternoon when a man identified has Hosford ran from the vehicle, according to the Public Information Office Amber Southard. He was located hiding in a corn field on Dortch Road by deputies, a K-9 team from the Escambia County (FL) Road Prison and an aircraft from Escambia County, AL.
Hosford was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a valid license and resisting an officer. He faces extradition back to Alabama.
A female in the car, 29-year old Stephanie Elaine Lowery, was charged with resisting an officer and remained in jail early Friday morning with bond set at $1,000.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Markquise DeShawn Wallace Wanted For Deadly Hit And Run
June 14, 2018
An arrest warrant has been issued Markquise DeShawn Wallace for the deadly hit and run that killed an 8-month old and a woman in a hit and run last week.
Wallace, 25, rented the Dodge Challenger involved in the crash from Hertz Rental and he was traveling at least 90 miles per hour before he struck them, Pensacola Police said Thursday morning. The vehicle was recovered Wednesday on “T’ Street near Bobe Street in Escambia County.
“Marquis, we have every available resource looking for you,” Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter said. “You are the number one public enemy of the Pensacola Police Department…every available resource is out looking for you. We know you are scared, do the right thing.”
Lyter and State Attorney Bill Eddins said Wallace has a criminal history including arrests for battery, burglary, larceny and domestic violence. He was wearing an ankle monitor, but he cut the monitor off Wednesday. Eddins said he cut off the ankle monitor sometime yesterday and has been on the run.
He was last seen driving a gray Lexus 350 Sport 4-door with burgundy interior. His last known address was in the 7200 block of Fairfield Drive.
Three people were crossing Cervantes Street near M Street when they were hit by a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. 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.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call 911, the Pensacola Police Department, or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Rabid Racoon Found In Escambia County
June 14, 2018
A rabid racoon has been found in Escambia County.
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County said a raccoon recently captured in Escambia County tested positive for the virus. The exact location in which in the racoon was found has not been released.
Rabies is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system. Without proper treatment, rabies can cause brain infection and death. Rabies is transmitted by a rabid animal by a bite, a scratch, or by contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. A series of “rabies shots” can protect a bite victim from developing the rabies infection, if given soon after the bite occurs.
“Rabies is a fatal infection but is preventable,” notes FDOH-Escambia’s director, Dr. John J. Lanza. “It is important to not feed or pet wild and stray animals, to avoid animals that appear to be acting strangely, and to keep pets vaccinated against rabies. Persons who are bitten by a wild animal or an animal who has not been vaccinated against rabies should seek immediate medical care. Proper medical treatment of an animal bite can be life-saving.”
In Florida, raccoons, foxes, bats, and cats are the animals most frequently diagnosed with rabies. Other animals that are at high risk for rabies include dogs, bobcats, skunks, and otters. Because of their proximity to people, stray and unvaccinated cats and dogs pose a special risk.
Individuals cannot always tell if an animal has rabies by looking at it. To guard against rabies, the health department recommends residents follow these steps:
- Teach your children not to go near wild and stray animals, and never keep them as pets.
- Vaccinate your dog, cat, ferret, or horse to protect against rabies. Keep vaccinations up-to-date.
- Do not feed your pets outside. The food may attract wild animals.
- Make sure your garbage is securely covered. Open garbage attracts wild and stray animals.
- Spay or neuter your pet to reduce its tendency to roam or fight.
- Do not let your pets roam freely or allow them to interact with wild or stray animals. Keep them in a fenced yard or on a leash at all times.
- Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas, where they might come into contact with people and pets.
- Call Escambia County Animal Control, at 850-595-0097, to remove stray dogs and cats from your neighborhood.
- If your pet is bitten by another animal, immediately seek veterinary assistance for your pet and contact Escambia County Animal Control.
- If you are bitten by a wild animal, or by any animal that is acting strangely, seek medical care as soon as possible so that a physician can evaluate your risk of rabies infection and administer the rabies vaccine, if appropriate.
Woman Indirectly Struck By Lightning In Cantonment
June 14, 2018
A Cantonment woman was possibly injured by lightning Wednesday afternoon.
The woman told first responders that she was injured by an indirect lightning strike coming through the plumbing at her sink. She was transported non-emergency to West Florida Hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the 4:46 p.m. on Forrest Street.
File photo.
Man Sentenced For Setting Girlfriend On Fire With Gasoline
June 14, 2018
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to four decades in prison for setting his girlfriend on fire with gasoline.
Tavares Antwan Lewis, 41, was sentenced Wednesday by Circuit Judge W. Joel Boles to 40 years in state prison with a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years as a prison releasee reoffender and habitual felony offender. He was convicted of second degree murder with a weapon.
In the early morning hours of September 20, 2016, Lewis threw gasoline on the victim and set her on fire. The victim was in the hospital for seven months with severe burn injuries. However, she was able to tell law enforcement that Lewis was her attacker.
Further investigation linked his cell phone to the time and area of the crime. Lewis also made incriminating telephone calls to the victim during while in jail.