Santa To Visit The Century And Molino Branch Libraries
December 6, 2017
Mark your calendar…Santa Claus is coming to the Century and Molino branches of the West Florida Library.
Santa will be at the Century Branch Library this Thursday, December 7 at 6 p.m. Children can visit with Santa, enjoy a Christmas story, treats and snowflake crafts.. Parents are encouraged to bring a camera for photos with Santa.
Santa will visit the Molino Branch Library on Tuesday, December 12 at 6 p.m. for a special Pajama Story Time with Santa. Children invited to wear their comfy, cozy pajamas, brink a blanket and join the library staff for a stories, milk and cookies along with a very special visit from Santa Claus. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras.
Ernest Ward Football Players, Cheerleaders Recognized At Banquet
December 6, 2017
Ernest Ward Middle School recently held their annual Football and Cheerleading banquet.
The following awards were presented:
EWMS FOOTBALL
Offensive Player of the Year- De’Marion Finley
Defensive Player of the Year- Noah Harigel
Most Improved- Luke Bridges
EWMS CHEERLEADING
Best Attitude-Carsyn Dortch
Most Improved-Elianna Morales
Most Determined-Megan McGhee
Best All-Around-Anna Adams
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Seeks Grant For Water, Wastewater Improvements
December 6, 2017
The Town of Century is applying for a USDA SEARCH (Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households) grant.
The grant allows financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and wastewater disposal projects.
Grant funds must be used to pay predevelopment planning costs including, feasibility studies to support applications for funding water or wastewater disposal projects; preliminary design and engineering analysis; and technical assistance for the development of an application for financial assistance.
The town will develop and submit an application to USDA Rural Development for financial assistance to fund proposed water and wastewater disposal improvements for the town.
UWF’s Pete Shinnick Named AFCA Region Coach Of The Year
December 6, 2017
UWF head coach Pete Shinnick has been named the Region 2 Coach of the Year as announced by the American Football Coaches Association on Tuesday.
Shinnick has led UWF to a 10-3 record and a berth in the NCAA Division II Semifinals in just the second year of the program’s history. The Argonauts have gone 6-1 away from Pensacola this season, marking the second-most road wins in the country.
Shinnick was hired at UWF on February 6, 2014. After 18 months of building the program from scratch, UWF opened play in 2016 and went 5-6, marking the most wins by a first-year Division II program in a decade. The Argonauts also collected the school’s first win over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 16 Florida Tech at home before a sellout crowd on national television. UWF played before capacity crowds at Blue Wahoos Stadium three times and ranked 18th in the NCAA with a 6,328 average.
2017 has been even more impressive. UWF went 7-3 in the regular season and tied for second in the Gulf South Conference at 5-3. The team earned votes in the top 25 on two occasions for the first time ever and became the fastest Division II start-up program to qualify for the postseason when the Argonauts grabbed the No. 6 seed in the Super Regional 2 bracket. Since that announcement, UWF has won three-consecutive road games over ranked opponents to win the Super Regional 2 Championship.
UWF will play at No. 1 Indiana University of Pennsylvania this Saturday in the national semifinals at 11 a.m. Central Time.
This marks the first time he has won the award. Shinnick has a career record of 118-55 and is 15-9 at UWF. He spent eight years – seven playing seasons – starting the program at UNC Pembroke prior to arriving in Pensacola and seven years as the head coach at Azusa Pacific.
The AFCA will announce the 2017 National Coaches of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA at the American Football Coaches Awards, presented by Amway, broadcast live on the USA TODAY Sports Facebook page on Tuesday, January 9, at 8 p.m. EST. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for the National Coach of the Year.
The AFCA began recognizing district coaches of the year following the 1960 season. The awards were established the same year Eastman Kodak agreed to sponsor the AFCA Coach of the Year award. Prior to 1960, the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain had sponsored the program, which recognized one national Coach of the Year.
Small Plane Goes Down Near Brewton Airport
December 5, 2017
A single engine plane went down in a field near the Brewton Airport Tuesday afternoon.
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee contacted air traffic control at the Pensacola International Airport and advised that they lost their engine, according Mike Lambert, chief deputy of the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office. The pilot then sat the plane down in a field about 4.5 miles southeast of the Brewton Airport, near the intersection off Travis and Woodchuck roads, just a few thousand feet from the Alabama-Florida state line.
Both the pilot and a passenger walked away from the crash with no injuries, Lambert said.
The Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office secured the scene with the FAA responding to conduct an official investigation.
Pictured: A Piper P-28 like this one went down Tuesday afternoon near the Brewton Airport. File photo.
Seventh Death Of The Year Under Investigation At Century Correctional
December 5, 2017
The Florida Department of Corrections on Monday released the name of an inmate that died last week at Century Correctional Institution, the seventh inmate death at the prison this year.
Inmate Jack Meyer was identified as the deceased by Michelle Glady, director of communications for FDOC. As first reported last week by NorthEscambia.com, Meyer’s death is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FDOC Office of the Inspector General. Due to the ongoing investigation, Glady declined to release further information.
There have been six other inmate deaths reported this year at Century CI, according to the FDOC. One death was been determined to be from natural causes, while six remain under investigation. One of the six was a murder; the FDLE has arrested Century inmate Robert L. Hunt for the stabbing death of Jorge Slaughter in June. He was stabbed multiple times in the abdomen with a metal weapon inside the G dorm.
Deaths reported this year at Century Correctional are:
- George James, February 7, ruled natural causes
- Monday Demarsh, March 16, pending – FDLE investigation
- Rafael Urguiaga, March 22, pending – FDLE investigation
- Jerry Abbott, June 9, pending, Office of the Inspector General investigation
- Jorge Slaughter, June 19, pending – FDLE investigation
- John Hollis, November 4, pending – FDLE investigation
- Jack Meyer, November 29, pending – FDLE investigation
During the period 2012-2016, there were seven total inmate deaths reported at Century Correctional, according to Florida Department of Corrections data. Two of the deaths were suicides and four were found to be from natural causes. The cause of one inmate death in 2015 was listed as “undetermined”, but an FDLE investigation found there were no criminal violations associated with the death.
Pictured above and below: An inmate involved in a serious altercation is transported by ambulance out of Century Correctional Institution in May 2017, to a nearby medical helicopter before being airlifted to a Pensacola hospital. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia District Schools Name Top 10 Teachers Of The Year
December 5, 2017
The Escambia County School District has name their Top 10 Teachers of the Year.
Teacher of the Year were named in October for each school in the Escambia County School District (see list), and now that list has been narrowed to 10 as the district moves toward naming an overall Teacher of the Year in January.
The Top 10 Teachers of The Year are, in alphabetical order:
- Amy Blamires — Hellen Caro Elementary School
- William Broome — Woodham Middle School
- Shana Brown — Molino Park Elementary School
- Megan Carroll — Northview High School
- Suzanne Hollingsworth — Beulah Elementary School
- Donna McKay — Blue Angels Elementary School
- Lori Martin — Oakcrest Elementary School
- David Mellor — Brown Barge Middle School
- Tereasa Newton — West Pensacola Elementary School
- Carla Ross – Washington High School
The Golden Apple Awards will be held January 26.
Business Burglary Suspect Arrested
December 5, 2017
A man wanted for a Pine Forest Road local business burglary is now behind bars.
Justin Chaise Evers, 27, was booked into the Escambia County Jail early Monday evening after being featured on NorthEscambia.com and other local media last weekend.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said he is responsible for for the November 23 burglary of APS Waste on Pine Forest Road.
Evers was charged with multiple counts including burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief and grand theft auto. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $159,500.
Supreme Court Refuses To Hear Escambia County $23 Billion Tobacco Case
December 5, 2017
In a victory for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the Florida Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an Escambia case that initially involved a more than $23 billion verdict against the cigarette maker.
The estate of Michael Johnson Sr., a longtime smoker who died at age 36, asked the Supreme Court to take up the case after the 1st District Court of Appeal in February ordered a new trial. A three-judge panel of the appeals court blasted an attorney for the estate, pointing to the “depth and pervasiveness” of improper closing arguments in the Escambia County case.
The Supreme Court, as is common, did not explain its reasons for declining to take up the case, though two justices, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince, disagreed with the decision, according to an order posted on the Supreme Court website.
A jury initially awarded nearly $16.9 million in compensatory damages and $23.6 billion in punitive damages to the estate. But the trial judge later tossed out the punitive-damages award as excessive and ordered a new trial for R.J. Reynolds on punitive damages.
The February ruling by the appeals court required a new trial on the overall issues in the case, not just punitive damages. A brief filed in the Supreme Court said Johnson started smoking at age 13 and was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 35.
The case is one of thousands in Florida that are known as “Engle progeny” cases. Such cases are linked to a 2006 Supreme Court ruling that established critical findings about the health dangers of smoking and misrepresentation by cigarette makers.
by The News Service of Florida
FWC Law Enforcement Report
December 5, 2017
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the two week period ending November 30 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Allgood and Manning worked on the Escambia River checking hunters. They observed a vessel that was tied up along a wooded area where the occupants appeared to be hunting in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The officers marked the spot and came back later when the individuals were not hunting, to check the area for bait. Shortly after they returned, they heard a vessel traveling to their location. When the subjects saw another boat in the area, they commented, “They better not be hunting my ground blind.” The two hunters were interviewed and confessed to placing bait at two nearby stand sites. Both hunters were carrying small plastic bags containing corn. Both baited stands were located and the hunters were issued notice to appear violations for placing bait in a management area.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer J. Rockwell was in Blackwater WMA when he noticed a small boat on the side of the road. Officer Rockwell ran the registration to identify the owner and later that afternoon, determined the vessel was stolen out of Okaloosa County. Officer Rockwell contacted the owner and returned the vessel.
While conducting surveillance on a local fishing pier, Officer Ramos observed a man and woman emerge from under the pier carrying fishing poles and equipment. They went to a vehicle and loaded all the gear into the car. Then, the man returned under the bridge and brought up a cooler. Officer Ramos approached the pair and asked if they had caught any fish. They replied, “No.” After checking fishing licenses and receiving consent to search the cooler, Officer Ramos discovered an undersized spotted seatrout, measuring 11 inches, hidden under ice. The man admitted he caught the fish and didn’t check its size. A database search revealed the man had two previous citations for similar offenses. The fish was seized and a notice to appear citation was issued.
While off duty, Officer Lugg received a report of a potential redfish violation occurring at the East River boat launch in Navarre. Once at work, Officer Lugg traveled to the boat launch to follow up with the information that he had received. The tip stated that a couple fishing at the boat launch were keeping undersized red drum and placing them in a white cooler. The individuals were located and a fisheries inspection was conducted. The couple stated that they were not keeping any fish and had not caught any fish to keep. There were no coolers around where the individuals were fishing and the individuals were adamant that they had not kept any fish. After a brief interview, their vehicle was located and their cooler was inspected. Officer Lugg discovered an undersized red drum, measuring 9½ inches. A notice to appear citation was issued for the violation.
While on land patrol in the Yellow River WMA, Officer Lugg observed a suspicious vehicle turn its headlights off while traveling through an intersection. The vehicle also failed to stop at a stop sign as it left the area in a hurry. During a stop of the vehicle, blood was observed in the back of the truck. After a brief interview, the operator admitted to shooting an undersized deer the day before and disposing of the carcass in the woods. Officer Lugg located the carcass of a spotted fawn. The subject was issued a notice to appear citation for the violation.
From a considerable distance, Officer Ramos observed a vehicle operating oddly in a remote neighborhood after midnight. When the vehicle stopped moving for a while, Officer Ramos drove closer and discovered that its hazard lights were now flashing due to a crash that had just occurred. Dispatch was informed that the truck had jumped a deep ditch and then ran head on into a large tree. The vehicle’s airbags had deployed and the driver had been knocked into the rear cab of his pickup with life threatening injuries. Fire Rescue and EMS personnel were notified and arrived to remove the driver. The driver was transported to a local hospital. The crash investigation was turned over to Florida Highway Patrol to determine the cause.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past two weeks; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.