Escambia County Corrections Recognizes GED Graduates
October 19, 2017
The Escambia County Corrections Department and Jail Division proudly recognized two Jail GED Program graduates with a ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 18 at the Escambia County Jail, celebrating their dedication to achieving educational goals. This marked the first formal graduation ceremony hosted by Escambia County to recognize individuals housed at the jail who receive their GED diplomas.
Laxavier Lowery, 18, and April Wheelus, 30, earned their GED diplomas through the program while incarcerated, and both said they plan to continue on to higher education when they are released later this year.
At the ceremony, Escambia County Corrections Director Tammy Jarvis commended the graduates for their accomplishment and encouraged them to continue to work toward their goals.
“Use this opportunity as a launching pad,” Jarvis said. “Getting your GED – I don’t know that you know how many doors this has opened for you…this has opened so many more opportunities for you than what you had before you achieved this. Just the fact that you were willing to step out tells me that you’re looking for some sort of change. You’re looking to better yourself. You know that there are other things out there.”
Other ceremony attendees included Jail Commander Selina Barnes, Jail Maj. Greg Nash, Officer in Charge of Security Lt. Jason Walker, Program Coordinators Sean Parker and Donna Wilson, Instructors Rayshell Fairley and Charles Hall, along with graduates’ family members.
The Escambia County Corrections Department has offered a GED program for many years, becoming a certified testing center through the Florida Department of Education in 2014. In the 2016-17 fiscal year, two juveniles received high school diplomas and eight adults earned GED diplomas, with 324 students enrolled in the GED program and 179 tests administered.
After receiving his diploma Wednesday, Lowery expressed his plans to go to Pensacola State College for an associate degree before moving on to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University to study communications. Lowery completed the GED program for his grandma, who he said was “rejoicing” when she heard the news.
“I never want to fail, so I continue to strive to do better,” Lowery said.
Lt. Jason Walker, who supervises the jail’s programs division including the GED program, said one of the objectives of the Escambia County Corrections Jail Division is to provide programs to incarcerated individuals to teach life skills in an effort to reduce recidivism.
“We want them to succeed so that society as a whole succeeds, and then hopefully next time we see them is in a better light,” Walker said. ”It’s a wonderful thing if we can help someone reach their goals.”
Wheelus said graduating from the GED program was especially significant for her since her mother encouraged her to complete it. Wheelus’ mother passed away Saturday, but learned of her daughter’s accomplishment before she died. Wheelus said she plans to attend Pensacola State College to study business and continue to better herself for her 9-year-old and 2-year-old sons.
“It means a lot,” Wheelus said of earning her diploma. “This is the best possible thing that could happen. It means a lot for me, my children, my family.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida’s Hurricanes Could Push Up Insurance Rates
October 19, 2017
Florida’s insurance commissioner said homeowners’ policies could face some “upward pressure,” as he was asked Tuesday about the impact on rates from this year’s series of natural disasters.
Commissioner David Altmaier said the state Office of Insurance Regulation hasn’t seen any indications that insurers are unable to meet claims from Hurricane Irma, which hit the state Sept. 10 and Sept. 11. But he said with Irma, Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and devastating wildfires in California, there may be a trickle-down effect from companies that provide backup insurance to insurers.
“We would expect some upward pressure on reinsurance rates that might impact the direct rates that Floridians pay, but at this point in time the precise number is a little early to predict,” Altmaier told Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet. Altmaier’s comments came after his office decided against extending a temporary freeze on insurance policy cancellations and non-renewals. The freeze ended Sunday.
Altmaier said Tuesday — after his Cabinet appearance — that there was little sign that an extension was warranted.
“We haven’t seen anything that would indicate that people haven’t had the chance to get back to their homes as this point and make a claim,” Altmaier said. In the order issued last month, insurers were barred from canceling or non-renewing policies unless policyholders made written requests. A separate part of the order, which remains in place, imposed for 90 days a similar freeze but only for property that had been damaged by Irma.
As of Friday, 747,534 claims have been filed from Irma, worth an estimated $4.94 billion in losses, according to the Office of Insurance Regulation.
by The News Service of Florida
Fall Carnivals Friday At Molino Park, Byrneville Elementary Schools
October 19, 2017
Fall carnivals and festivals will be held Friday afternoon at Byrneville and Molino Park elementary schools.
Molino Park PTA Fall Carnival
The Molino Park PTA Fall Carnival will be held Friday from 4:30 until 7:30 p.m. at the school on Highway 97.
The annual event will feature a variety of carnival games, carnival food including popcorn and bake-off goodies, food vendors and a live auction.
Byrneville Elementary Fall Festival
Byrneville Elementary School is hosting a Family Fall Festival on Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Byrneville Elementary School. Parking for the event will be at the Byrneville Community Center will trolley transportation to the school.
There will be food, games, a silent auction, a sweet shop, a cake decorating contest, a scare crow making/decorating contest, a corn hole tournament, cupcake walk, lots of candy and prizes, and horse drawn buggy ride, and two spooky/haunted houses. The menu includes BBQ sandwiches and combos (chips and drinks), hotdogs and combos (chips and drinks), nachos with cheese, pickles, cotton candy, popcorn, sweet shop treats (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc.).
There will also be a silent auction.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
October 19, 2017
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending October 12 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
No report was submitted from Escambia County this week.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the Blackwater State Forest when he observed a couple of vehicles pulled over on the side of a forest road. He stopped to check on the subjects inside of the vehicles. While speaking with them, he could smell the strong odor of cannabis coming from the vehicles. After questioning the two drivers, he discovered cannabis inside both vehicles. Both men were issued notices to appear for possession of not more than 20 grams of cannabis.
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.
Tate, Ransom Place In FFA Forestry Contest
October 19, 2017
Several local schools recently competed in the 2017 FFA Forestry Contest.
Teams competed in six areas — general knowledge; timber cruising to measure timber and determine merchantability; equipment identification to name tools and heavy equipment used in the forestry industry; tree identification naming different species of common trees in Florida; and forest disorders to identify diseases and bugs that infect trees in Florida.
High School Overall Winners:
1st – Tate High Team A
2nd – Milton High Team B
3rd – Tate High Team B
Middle School Overall Winners
1st – Poplar Springs Middle (Graceville)
2nd – Ramsom Middle
3rd – Poplar Springs Middle (Graceville)
Photos by Jared Sigler for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wrong-Way Driver Collides With Florida State Trooper On Highway 29
October 18, 2017
A wrong-way driver collided with a Florida State trooper Tuesday night on Highway 29 in Ensley.
According to the FHP, 37-year old Judy Ruhland of Pensacola was in a Chrysler 300 traveling south in the northbound lanes of Highway 29 near Devane Street entering a lighted work zone area. Trooper Knowles was traveling south on Highway 29 attempted to signal Ruhland by using her lights and siren.
The trooper accelerated ahead of Ruhlandand stopped in the paved median attempting to warn approaching traffic of the impending danger. Ruhland struck the left side of the trooper vehicle.
Ruhland was transported by Escambia County EMS to West Florida Hospital in serious condition. Trooper Knowles received minor injuries, and she was transported to Baptist Hospital.
The FHP said charges again Ruhland are pending analysis of a blood sample.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Great Sunny Weather Continues
October 18, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 77. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 52. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 59. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Century Council Approves New Town Logo
October 18, 2017
Monday night, the Century Town Council approved a new town logo that was designed in-house by clerk Christina Covan. The logo was approved on a unanimous 5-0 vote.
Dale Gilmore Named Tate High Teacher Of The Year
October 18, 2017
Dale Gilmore has been named Tate High School’s Teacher of the Year. Gilmore has been in education for 44 years with over 30 of those years at Tate High School. Gilmore is currently the Tate High School athletic director and American government teacher. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘Bonnie and Clyde’ Woman Gets 20 Year Sentence
October 18, 2017
The female defendant in dubbed a modern day Bonnie and Clyde for their multi-state crime spree last year has been sentence to two decades in state prison.
Brittany Nicole Harper pleaded no contest to charges stemming from crimes committed in Escambia Countyat the tail end of a crime spree encompassing Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida from January 26 through February 5, 2016.
Harper accompanied Blake Fitzgerald on a robbery crime spree during this time period.
Circuit Court Judge Scott Duncan accepted Harper’s plea and sentenced her to 20 years in state prison.
The local charges included principal to robbery with a firearm, home invasion robbery, three counts of false imprisonment and grand theft auto.
On February 4, 2016, both Blake Fitzgerald and Brittany Harper committed an armed robbery of the Famous Footwear on Davis Highway. Subsequently, in the early morning hours on February 5th, 2016, the pair forced their way inside the residence of a local family, holding them against their will for several hours before stealing their vehicle.
Due to local law enforcement’s efforts to locate them, they were discovered in the stolen vehicle. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office pursued Fitzgerald and Harper into Santa Rosa County. Fitzgerald was killed during an armed stand-off with law enforcement and Harper was taken into custody.
Harper also faces further prosecution for crimes similar to these that were committed in other states. She will now be released to be transferred to the other states to face the charges there.
Pictured top and bottom: The scene in February 2016 on Garcon Point Road at Saragon Lane, a short distance from where gunfire erupted, killing one member of a couple dubbed a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde by federal authorities. Pictured bottom inset: The home were a chase involving the Missouri couple came to an end on Saragon Lane off Garcon Point Road in Santa Rosa County. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
