Lexus Involved In Intersection Shootout Found In Georgia; Shooters Still On The Run
January 27, 2018
The silver Lexus involved in an intersection shootout in Escambia County has been located.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Friday night that the vehicle was located in Georgia. But the search is continuing for suspect 27-year old Jonathan James Harris and a second unknown shooter who were both inside the Lexus.
Dash cam video from a nearby vehicle shows the silver Lexus pulling up to the intersection of W Street and Fairfield Drive about noon Monday. A man, later identified as Harris leaned out the open driver’s window of the Lexus. He fired across a traffic lane at a gold Toyota driven by 31-year old Jeremy Olds.
The man identified as Olds jumped out of the Toyota and returned fire. Olds has been located and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Authorities have estimated that 10-12 rounds were fired, including rounds that struck the Toyota with two children inside.
Deputies said the shooting was likely drug related.
Anyone with information on Harris or the shooting is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Two More Arrested In Escambia Homicide And Home Invasion
January 27, 2018
Two more suspects have been arrested in connection with a deadly home invasion in Escambia County.
Tatiana Monique Shanell Williams, 26, and Cleveland Jermaine Golden, 37, were arrested Friday by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Williams is charged with homicide and principle to home invasion and is being held on a $200,000 bond. Golden was charged with homicide and home invasion robbery. He is being held without bond.
Deputies said another suspect, 22-year-old Lyntonio De’Shawn Quinn, was taken into custody and arrested earlier on Friday. He is charged with homicide, home invasion robbery, and probation violation.
Deputies responded to a call of a shooting victim around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday on 48th Avenue near Elsa Avenue.
When deputies arrived they found 27-year-old David Washington dead on the side of the road. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Washington and the three suspects arrested Friday were involved in a drug-related home invasion at the time of the shooting.
Students Won’t Be Required To Make Up Day Missed Due To Icy Conditions
January 27, 2018
Schools officials say Escambia and Santa Rosa county students will not be required to make up a day they missed due to ice. Students in both counties were out on January 17 due to the frozen conditions across the area. Pictured: Ice in the school zone on Highway 4 in front of Northview High School in Bratt the morning of January 17. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Extension Holds ‘Starting Your Plants From Seeds’ Program
January 27, 2018
Escambia Extension held a “Starting Your Plants from Seed” program Friday morning. Attendees learned about seed starting techniques to get a jump on a successful gardening season. The program was held at the Escambia County Extension Office in Cantonment. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Collects Thousands Of Pop Tabs For The Ronald McDonald House
January 27, 2018
Molino Park Elementary School students collected tens of thousands pop tabs — those little pull tabs off the tops of aluminum drink cans — to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida.
The pop tabs were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola Friday night…there were too many to weigh right away, so we’ll update you on the total later.
The money from recycling the tabs is used by the facility to help pay their utility bills for the house on Bayou Boulevard.
And it’s not too late to donate pop tabs to Molino Park Elementary for the Ronald McDonald House…the school is still accepting donations.
Pictured: Molino Park Elementary dropped off a lot of pop tabs Friday night at the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Weight Lifters Place At Regionals, Watson Going To State
January 27, 2018
Two Jay High School senior weightlifters placed at regionals on Friday. Haylee Watson won regionals in her division, and she advances to state for the third year. Sarah Barnhill placed sixth in her division. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Driver Arrested For DUI Following Highway 97 Crash (Updated)
January 26, 2018
[Updated with details 10 a.m.] A Century man with a blood alcohol level almost two and a half times the legal limit was arrested for driving under the influence following an injury crash on Highway 97 Thursday evening.
The accident happened about 5:30 p.m. on Highway 97 near Gibson Road near Molino.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 46-year old Linda Faye Till of Molino was traveling south on Highway 97 when her 2017 Toyota was rear-ended by a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by 53-year old Benjamin Frank Ard. After the initial collision, the vehicles were being moved off the roadway when Ard rear-ended the car a second time, according to troopers.
Linda Till and her passenger, Brian Aubrey Till, were transported by Escambia County EMS to Atmore Community Hospital for their injuries.
Ard and his passenger, Lorenzo Knight of Walnut Hill, were not injured.
Ard had a blood alcohol level of .197, according to a FHP report, above the legal limit of .08. He was charged with driving under the influence and cited for careless driving and possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1,000.
Further details have not been released as the FHP continues their investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Forecasters: Drought Conditions Worsen Across The Area
January 26, 2018
A drought continues to slowly worsen with moderate to severe drought across the Florida Panhandle, according to the National Weather Service. NWS graphic, click to enlarge.
New Krispy Kreme Planned For Nine Mile Road
January 26, 2018
A new Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is in the planning stages for East Nine Mile Road, possibly with a new Burger King next door.
Krispy Kreme presented plants for the new store at 1730 East Nine Mile Road — just east of Dodge’s Fried Chicken (pictured above). Company representatives went before the Escambia County Development Review Committee this week with their plants.
The developers are purchasing four parcels located on East Nine Mile Road between Plainfield Avenue and Barranger Drive, two of which would house a Krispy Kreme and two of which would house a Burger King.
Currents plans show the Krispy Kreme at 3,500 square feet with 40 seats.
In order for the development to move forward, they would have to apply for a rezoning to rezone the property from commercial to heavy commercial and light industrial. This rezoning is required to accommodate a further request for a conditional Use, based on the drive-thru nature of the proposed business, according to Escambia County spokesperson Kaycee Lagarde.
“It is up to the developers to take the next step and apply for the rezoning, then they would go through the conditional use process,” she said in an email. “Both of those processes combined (rezoning and conditional use) can take up to several months, but again, it is up to the developers to decide whether to proceed/how soon they decide to apply.”
Pictures above: A Krispy Kreme is planned for this location on East Nine Mile Road next to Dodge’s Fried Chicken. Pictured below: Preliminary drawings showing the restaurant. Pictured inset: The only other Krispy Kreme in Escambia County, located on North 8th Avenue. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atmore’s Escambia County High Named A ‘Failing School’ Again
January 26, 2018
The Alabama Department of Education released their latest list of “failing schools” on Thursday. There are 75 schools on the list, including Escambia County High School in Atmore for the second year.
Under the Alabama Accountability Act, “Failing Schools” are the bottom 6 perent of public Alabama schools for the 2016-2017 school year based on the state’s standardized assessment (ACT Aspire and Alabama Alternate Assessment) in reading and math.
Students are tested in reading and math in grades 3-8 and 10 with the Aspire Assessment and the Alabama Alternate Assessment.
Students in an Alabama public school designated as a failing school or scheduled to enroll in a failing school will be given school choice options:
- The student may remain or enroll in the assigned school.
- The student may transfer to a comparable school that is not included on the annual list of “failing schools” within the same local school system that has available space and is willing to accept the student.
- If the local system has not made Option 2 available, the student may transfer to a comparable school that is not included on the annual list of “failing schools” within another Alabama local school system that has available space and is willing to accept the student.
- The student may transfer to a qualifying non-public Alabama school that is willing to accept the student.
Parents have until May 1 to give notice of their intent to transfer.