Racially Offensive Snapchat Video Shot At Tate High School Under Investigation
November 9, 2017
The Escambia County School District is investigating a racially insensitive Snapchat post made last week at Tate High School.
In the video, a white student reportedly place a laptop charging cord around the neck of a black student and scream out “white power”. The video was posted on the social media app Snapchat. After the video was reported to school administration, it was then reported to the school resource officer.
The student was not injured in the incident, with deputies noting that the victim was not restrained or chocked by the cord. The victim told deputies that he was not worried the incident and did not wish to file a report. The victim’s parents declined to press any charges as long as the student was disciplined by the school.
The student who placed the cord around the other student’s neck said it was simply a joke.
Ellison Bennett of the National Movement for Civil and Human Rights said he was angry over the video and that he will be requesting a dialogue with the school board and superintendent.
The Escambia County School District has declined to comment because it involves students and remains under investigation.
Tate High Baseball’s Trent Jeffcoat Signs With Ole Miss
November 9, 2017
Tate High School baseball player Trent Jeffcoat signed his letter of intent Wednesday Ole Miss in Division I. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Another Arthur Brown Road Bridge Closed
November 8, 2017
The Florida Department of Transportation has closed the bridge on Arthur Brown Road (CR99A) at Freeman Springs Branch immediately until further notice due to a failed inspection. Escambia County received notice from FDOT late Monday, Nov. 8. As the notice was just received, no opening date has yet been projected.
The bridge is located between Pine Forest Road and Pineville Road.
The detour from the west is South Pineville Road to Occie Philips Road to CR97A/Pine Forest Road to CR99A. The detour from the east is CR97A/Pine Forest Road to Occie Philips Road to South Pineville Road to CR99A.
In late September, the Florida Department of Transportation ordered an emergency closure of the Arthur Brown Road bridge over Boggy Creek. The bridge near the Walnut Hill Baptist Church failed two inspections. In July, work began at the location to construct a temporary road and bridge in order to construct a new permanent bridge. Work is continuing on that temporary bridge.
Crabtree Church Road Bridge Reopens To Traffic
November 8, 2017
A bridge on Crabtree Church Road in Molino has been repaired and is now open.
The Florida Department of Transportation ordered the emergency closure of the bridge over Alligator Creek, west of Sunshine Hill Road, in late August after structural deficiencies were found during a routine inspection.
Pictured: The Alligator Creek bridge on Crabtree Church in Molino has reopened. Photo by Phillip White for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Woman Indicted For Murder Of Private Investigator
November 8, 2017
An Escambia County grand jury has indicted Ashley McArthur for the first degree murder of Taylor Wright.
McArthur, 40, was arrested last month for the death of 33-year old Wright, a private investigator and former police officer. Wright’s body was found off Britt Road, just west of County Road 97 near Muscogee Road in Cantonment. Wright was reported missing to police on September 7.
On September 14, Wright’s girlfriend reported that she was missing. The girlfriend gave a sworn statement to Pensacola Police that Wright had not been seen or heard from since September 8. Prior to her disappearance, Wright had told her girlfriend that she had placed a large amount of money in a safe deposit box that belonged to McArthur, her friend. Wright said she had tried to get her money back from McArthur several times with no success. Wright was trying to get the money back from McArthur for court proceedings related to Wright’s pending divorce.
On September 8, Wright and McArthur met so Wright could get her money. Wright and the girlfriend communicated back and forth via text until about 11:20 a.m. When the girlfriend did not hear back from Wright after numerous texts, she called McArthur. McArthur answered and said Wright could not come to the phone because she was riding a horse.
The girlfriend continued to try to communicate with Wright with no success until 7:58 p.m. when she received a text from Wright’s phone stating that she needed time to think and get her life on track.
On September 18, McArthur met with a Pensacola Police detective. She told the detective that she had picked Wright up on the morning of September 8 and they drove to various locations during the day before going to McArthur’s family property in East Milton to ride horses. She said they were there for about an hour before heading back to McArthur’s residence in the Pensacola city limits about 4:45 p.m. McArthur claimed that she went inside her house, and when came back out shortly, Wright was gone.
During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records and cell phone records were obtained. Bank records show that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account. The money has since been spent.
On September 14, Wright’s girlfriend reported that she was missing. The girlfriend gave a sworn statement to Pensacola Police that Wright had not been seen or heard from since September 8. Prior to her disappearance, Wright had told her girlfriend that she had placed a large amount of money in a safe deposit box that belonged to McArthur, her friend. Wright said she had tried to get her money back from McArthur several times with no success. Wright was trying to get the money back from McArthur for court proceedings related to Wright’s pending divorce.
On September 8, Wright and McArthur met so Wright could get her money. Wright and the girlfriend communicated back and forth via text until about 11:20 a.m. When the girlfriend did not hear back from Wright after numerous texts, she called McArthur. McArthur answered and said Wright could not come to the phone because she was riding a horse.
The girlfriend continued to try to communicate with Wright with no success until 7:58 p.m. when she received a text from Wright’s phone stating that she needed time to think and get her life on track.
On September 18, McArthur met with a Pensacola Police detective. She told the detective that she had picked Wright up on the morning of September 8 and they drove to various locations during the day before going to McArthur’s family property in East Milton to ride horses. She said they were there for about an hour before heading back to McArthur’s residence in the Pensacola city limits about 4:45 p.m. McArthur claimed that she went inside her house, and when came back out shortly, Wright was gone.
During the investigation, McArthur’s bank records and cell phone records were obtained. Bank records show that on August 16, McArthur deposited a cashier’s check in Wright’s name for the amount of $34,000 into McArthur’s personal checking account. They money has since been spent.
McArthur’s phone records never showed her in the area of the family property in East Milton, instead her phone showed her in the area of Beulah on September 8 from 11:52 a.m. until 1:44 p.m. and again from 2:40 p.m. until 3:33 p.m. Police discovered that McArthur’s family has property at 2201 Britt Road, in the same area as her phone indicated.
Pictured top and bottom: Taylor Wright. Pictured mugshot, inset: Ashley McArthur.
Ernest Ward Middle Honors Veterans (With Photo Gallery)
November 8, 2017
Ernest Ward Middle School paused to honor veterans from the across the area Thursday morning.
The school’s chorus performed patriotic music and a special dramatic presentation centered around the men of Iwo Jima was performed by the drama class. Guest speaker was Master at Arms First Class Wartley-Banks from Pensacola.
The annual Veterans Day program at Ernest Ward is a longstanding community tradition, held annually for about the last 25 years.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pictured top: An Ernest Ward Middle School drama presentation centered around the men of Iwo Jima. Pictured inset: EWMS Assistant Principal Virkeisha Palmer performs “God Bless the USA”. Pictured below: Numerous local veterans were recognized, including World War II veteran Raymond Norris. Pictured bottom: Another scene from the Iwo Jima presentation. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida House Plan Would Make It Harder To Raise Taxes
November 8, 2017
After a brief pep talk from Gov. Rick Scott, House members got moving Tuesday on an election-year proposal that would make it harder for future lawmakers to raise taxes.
The Republican-dominated House Ways & Means Committee, voting along party lines, backed the proposal (PCB WMC 18-01), which would ask voters in November 2018 to pass a constitutional amendment that would require approval from two-thirds “supermajorities” of the House and Senate to raise taxes and fees in the future. Currently, tax and fee hikes can be approved by simple majorities of 50 percent plus one.
Scott, who is widely expected to run for U.S. Senate in November 2018, made a rare appearance before the House committee to lobby for the measure, along with a nearly $180 million package of tax and fee cuts he introduced Monday.
“I think it (the proposed constitutional amendment) will pass, and I think it will make sure our state continues to be the state that all over our kids and grandkids can get a great education and also get great jobs,” Scott told the committee, which didn’t ask any questions.
If lawmakers go along with the proposal, it would need support from 60 percent of voters during the November 2018 election to pass.
Scott later told reporters that he appeared before the committee because it’s important “we don’t raise taxes,” a stance he credits for helping the state’s economic and employment growth.
Asked if there was a concern the proposal could tie lawmakers’ hands in generating revenue during a future downturn, Scott replied that “you shouldn’t raise them anytime, but it’s even worse for a family when they’re struggling.”
The Ways & Means Committee is typically where the House crafts an annual tax-cut package.
Rep. Tom Leek, an Ormond Beach Republican who is sponsoring the measure, said lawmakers will find a way if they want to raise taxes.
“If the position is that we won’t have the political will to do what is necessary in an emergency, I think history proves you wrong,” Leek said.
Kurt Wenner, vice president for research at Florida TaxWatch, preferred a three-fifths threshold.
“It doesn’t get to where, basically, a third of the members could defeat something,” he said.
Rich Templin, a lobbyist for the Florida AFL-CIO, argued against the proposal, saying it will limit future lawmakers from enacting “sound fiscal policy” when the economy sours.
“Contrary to what many in this building will say, Florida is not doing well right now, and this locks us into not just mediocrity, but at the bottom,” Templin said. “This is a bumper-sticker issue, easy to oversimplify, easy to pass. But that doesn’t make it right.”
Brian Pitts, who is with the group Justice-2-Jesus and is known in the Capitol for providing commentary on a wide range of issues, questioned why the issue is being advanced through the Legislature instead of the Florida Constitution Revision Commission.
“If we’ve got them installed to do this, and this body, its leadership appointed members to it, let them do it,” Pitts said.
The 37-member commission, whose members were mostly appointed by Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron, is reviewing potential constitutional amendments to put on the ballot in November 2018. The commission meets every 20 years.
by The News Service of Florida
FWC Law Enforcement Report
November 8, 2017
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the two-week period ending November 2 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
No report was received for Escambia County.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was patrolling in Blackwater WMA when he observed a man parked near an area where a small food plot had been illegally planted. He located the hunter overlooking the small plot. The hunter admitted to planting the food plot and baiting that site as well as another site in Blackwater WMA. Officer Hutchinson issued the man a notice to appear for hunting over bait in a WMA.
Officer Hutchinson received information that a subject had caught an oversized redfish and kept it. He located the carcass and interviewed the suspect who admitted taking the 33” redfish. Officer Hutchinson issued the man a notice to appear for harvesting an oversized redfish.
Over the past week, Officer Jones answered a total of six nuisance bear complaints in residential neighborhoods. These complaints ranged from Midway in the Navarre/Gulf Breeze area to East Milton. All were directly related to human attractants being left unsecured creating a hazard to people, pets and bears. Officer Jones assisted the residents in the area on living in bear country through educational literature and documentation of noncompliance letters.
Officer Ramos was notified in the early morning that three men were stranded on Yellow River WMA. The men were cold and thirsty after spending the night stuck in the woods with very limited cell phone service. Officer Ramos located the men, and with the assistance of Officers Rockwell and Tolbert, got their vehicle running so that the men could return home.
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.
First Degree Murder Indictment For 325-Pound Woman That Sat On Child
November 8, 2017
An Escambia County Grand Jury has indicted Veronica Green Posey, 64, for first degree murder in the death of a nine-year old child. The child died after Posey, who weighs 325 pounds, sat on her while administering punishment.
Posey is facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison if she is convicted.
Posey was released on bond after her arrest; however, following the indictment Judge Jan Shackelford issued a warrant to take Posey into custody and hold her without bond.
Authorities say Posey told deputies and paramedics responding to a 911 call from the family’s home in Pensacola that she sat on her cousin, Dericka Lindsay, because the girl had been out of control. Deputies said the girl told Posey and her adoptive parents during the punishment that she couldn’t breathe.
The parents have been charged with child neglect.
Escambia County To Consider Agreement For Escambia Community Clinics Funding
November 8, 2017
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners will consider a letter of agreement with the Agency for Health Care Administration on behalf of Escambia Community Clinics during the Thursday Committee of the Whole meeting. The letter of agreement will allocate $351,365 in previously-approved funding to AHCA on behalf of ECC.
This is not a new funding request from ECC, but was already approved in the board’s 2017-18 budget for outside agency funding. The item is coming back before the board to consider routing the $351,365 through AHCA, allowing ECC to leverage the money for matching funds from the state.
The funding will be used to increase the provision of health services for ECC through Low Income Pool Medicaid programs.
The board’s vote at the November 9 Committee of the Whole meeting will be ratified at the Thursday, November 30 regular BCC Meeting.
The Committee of the Whole meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the board chambers of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, located on the first floor of 221 Palafox Place.
Pictured: The June 2017 grand opening of ECC Cantonment Pediatrics and Dental Clinic in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.