Firefighter Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Teen
August 11, 2017
A Poarch Creek firefighter has been indicted on charges that he had sexual contact with a teen.
Michael Leon Wood Jr., age 36 of Atmore, was indicted by an Escambia County (AL) grand jury on charges of second degree rape, second degree sodomy and enticing a child under the age of 16 but older than 12 for immoral purposes. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $250,000 shortly after turning himself in on the felony charges.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation that included the Atmore Police Department.
Mobile Beats Pensacola
August 11, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos third baseman Nick Senzel continued his dog-and-pony show for the Cincinnati Reds.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft drilled two homers in a game for the first time in his professional career and recorded his fifth four-RBI game in Thursday’s 10-9 series opening loss to the Mobile BayBears in front of 4,102 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said the bad thing about Senzel is he comes up every nine batters.
“I wish I could hit him every inning,” Kelly said. “They only let him bat once every nine times. I wish he could get to the plate more.”
For his part, Senzel said he approaches the plate wanting to make good contact, not hit dingers.
“I’m not worried about hitting it over the fence,” Senzel said. “I’m just being aggressive and trying to hit the ball hard.”
Senzel, the Reds top prospect and the 11th ranked prospect in the minor leagues, crushed the ball to right center into the Hill-Kelly Dodge hill in the first inning with shortstop Blake Trahan on base to put the Blue Wahoos ahead, 2-0.
In the second inning, Senzel earned his third RBI of the game when he lined a single to center that drove in Trahan and put Pensacola ahead, 5-3.
Senzel lead off the fifth inning with a solo shot just right of the 400-foot mark in dead center and the Blue Wahoos trailed, 8-6. He went 3-4 with a walk and stolen base Thursday and now is 14-40 or .350 in his last 11 games with two homers and 10 RBIs.
The last time the University of Tennessee product produced four RBIs happened in a June 10 game for the High-A Daytona Tortugas against the Palm Beach Cardinals in the Florida State League.
The 22-year-old, who is batting .341 in Double-A, upped his home run total to seven with Pensacola and 11 on the year including his first half with Daytona.
Both Kelly and Senzel admired his home run to center field.
“He hit a fastball neck-high over the center field fence,” Kelly said. “That’s pretty impressive.”
Senzel added: “I took a good swing at it. It finally got out. I was happy to see it go.”
However, Pensacola blew the 4-0 lead it built in the bottom of the first inning.
Mobile came right back in its next at bat in the top of the second inning when BayBears catcher Jose Briceno clubbed a three-run blast to left center with second baseman Jose Rojas and left fielder Zach Gibbons on base. Briceno seventh homer pulled Mobile within, 4-3. The catcher, who had a 6-RBI game, had his second four-RBI game this season. Briceno went 2-3 with a homer, double and walk.
Mobile overtook its rival Pensacola with a four-run inning of its own in the third inning to go ahead, 7-5. The teams are 8-8 in head-to-head games this year.
BayBears center fielder Brennon Lund scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and second baseman Jose Rojas at the plate to trail Pensacola, 5-4. Rojas then tied the game, 5-5, with a sacrifice fly to right center that scored first baseman Matt Thaiss. BayBears left fielder Zach Gibbons smashed a grounder down the third base line into left field to drive in third baseman Zach Houchins, who had singled, for the go-ahead run, 6-5.
Pensacola reliever Domingo Tapia replaced starter Keury Mella and Briceno ripped a double to left field to drive in Gibbons for his fourth RBI and a 7-5 Mobile lead.
Back-to-back doubles by Mobile’s Rojas and Gibbons in the fifth inning put the BayBears ahead, 8-5.
Mella got knocked out of the game by Mobile after 2.2 innings after the BayBears scored seven runs on six hits a walk and one strikeout. It was his shortest outing since he lasted 1.2 innings in his second start of the year April 14 when he gave up five runs on six hits to the Biloxi Shuckers.
The 23-year-old Mella earned the loss and is 2-10 this season and remains winless at Blue Wahoos Stadium and in his last 10 starts.
Trailing 10-6 entering the ninth inning, Pensacola’s Trahan, left fielder Gabriel Guerrero and Senzel all scored but the game ended, 10-9.
The Blue Wahoos are now 3-8 in its last 11 games and have fallen to fourth place in the South Division with a 21-25 record. The first half champs are 61-55 overall.
Pensacola trails Mobile, which is 24-22 in the second half, by three games. The BayBears are 54-61 overall.
“We have to get better earlier in the game,” Senzel said. “We haven’t played well the last two and a half weeks. It’s been a rough stretch.”
Update: McKenzie Road Boil Water Notice Rescinded
August 11, 2017
Update 8/14: This boil water notice has been rescinded.
Cottage Hill Water Works has issued a precautionary boil water notice for the portion of McKenzie Road between Eastman Lane and Chavers Road..
Precautionary Boil Water Notices are issued as a part of the standard protocol following any loss of water pressure, whether as a result of planned maintenance activities or unscheduled repairs.
As a precaution, it is advised that all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes be boiled. A rolling boil of one minute is sufficient. A s an alternative, bottled water may be used. Residents are also advised to take precautions when bathing, especially immunocompromised individuals, infants, or the elderly.
This precautionary boil water notice will remain in effect until the problem has been corrected and a bacteriological survey shows that the water is safe to drink.
For more information, call (850) 968-5485.
Cantonment Woman Arrested In Pensacola Burglaries
August 10, 2017
A Cantonment woman has been charged with multiple counts
Maxine Lakesha Davis-Eakins, age 23 of Quintette Road, was arrested in connection with the burglary of a home on North 19th Avenue, a shed on East Lloyd Street, a BMW stolen in Perdido Key and recovered at Bayview Park, the burglary of a condo on Perdido Key and the attempted burglary of a vehicle on East Lee Street.
She was charged with multiple counts of burglary, two counts of resisting an officer, grand theft of a motor vehicle and petit theft. She remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $38,500.
Her boyfriend, 24-year old Rodney Dwayne Anderson of Pensacola allegedly took part in the burglaries with Davis-Eakins. He was previously arrested on related charges and was jailed with bond set at $53,000.
Northview Chiefs Name Smith As New Athletic Director
August 10, 2017
Coach Obreonne Smith has been named the new athletic director at Northview High School.
“Coach Smith brings an element of ‘people skills’ to the position, as she exhibits great enthusiasm for the success of all sports at Northview and the goal of assisting all student athletes and other students involved in extracurricular activities,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said. “Northview is truly excited about the future of our athletic program under the guidance of Coach Smith.”
Smith is currently the head volleyball coach. She has taught and coached at Northview for 15 years, during which time she has coached multiple sports, including cheerleading.
Century Holds First Budget Meeting
August 10, 2017
The Century Town Council held the first of two workshops Wednesday afternoon to work on setting the town’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Another meeting is scheduled for August 24 at 4 p.m. in the council chambers at the Century Town Hall at 7995 North Century Boulevard.
In previous years, the town council has held budget workshop meetings much earlier. During the past couple of years, the town has held two budget workshops in June, followed by one or two meetings to complete the process in July.
The fiscal year 2016-2017 budget in Century was $4.26 million.
Molino Park PTA Holds ‘Welcome Back’ Lunch For School Staffers
August 10, 2017
The Molino Park Elementary School PTA showed their appreciation to the school’s teacher’s faculty and staff with a catered back to school luncheon on Wednesday. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Higher Pay Sought For FHP Troopers
August 10, 2017
Short about 200 troopers and seeking higher salaries to be more competitive with other law-enforcement agencies, the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is backing Gov. Rick Scott’s call to boost pay as part of an election-year budget plan.
The department, which includes the Florida Highway Patrol, is proposing a more-than 10 percent increase in starting pay for troopers as part of a legislative budget request.
Susan Carey, the department’s chief financial officer, told state Cabinet aides on Wednesday that recruitment and retention has been an issue for years. State law-enforcement officers received a 5 percent pay raise in the budget that took effect July 1, and the new proposal would provide an additional increase in the fiscal year that starts in July 2018.
“With the Legislature, Cabinet and governor’s support we were fortunate to have a salary increase for our law enforcement officers in the current fiscal year,” Carey said. “We would like to go further with the new fiscal year.”
Under the proposal, which doesn’t have an overall total amount attached, the annual starting pay would go from about $38,000 to $42,000.
Under the plan, a trooper would earn $60,000, based on an “experienced-based incremental pay plan,” after 20 years.
The department is budgeted for 1,974 full time troopers, but lost 203 troopers in 2016.
Part of the failure to retain officers has been linked to other law-enforcement agencies offering higher pay.
“The FHP continues to have difficulty hiring and retaining qualified candidates due to the inability to pay a comparable rate with local and federal law-enforcement agencies,” said the department’s budget request, which goes before Scott and the Cabinet next Wednesday. “Consequently, all trained and experienced staff will look for competitive salaries elsewhere. Funds invested in training, uniforms, physicals, and other costs associated with these positions is lost.”
Scott, who is expected to run for U.S. Senate next year, said last month he will ask for $30 million to cover pay raises for state law-enforcement officers for the fiscal year that begins July 2018. Law-enforcement officers are spread across different state agencies.
The raise that took effect last month came as Florida’s rookie trooper pay had been deemed the lowest among the 49 states with patrols.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average police officer pay in Florida is $55,050 a year, with the low end of starting salaries at $36,000.
Entry level pay with the Miami-Dade police is $45,074. Jupiter police offer a $49,268 starting salary to officers who are state certified. In Tallahassee, pay starts at $45,192. For Jacksonville Beach, pay starts at $39,395.
The proposal by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which has a $472.2 million budget for the current fiscal year, was included with $35.5 million in additional requests the agency intends to put before lawmakers during the 2018 legislative session. The session starts in January.
Among the other requests:
— FHP Academy dorm renovation: $3.4 million.
— FHP active shooter training building: $2.9 million.
— DUI centralized database: $1.75 million.
— FHP dispatch relocation in Orlando: $1.32 million.
— Hand-held narcotic analyzers: $885,272.
— Security in driver’s license offices: $740,000.
— Increased operating costs for driver’s license offices: $675,910.
— FHP safety equipment, electric flares: $450,000.
National FFA Board Announces Five Local Students To Receive American FFA Degrees
August 10, 2017
The National FFA Board of Directors announced Wednesday that five local students will receive the coveted American FFA Degree.
They are: Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Bethany Reynolds, Haylee Weaver and Courtney Weekley, Northview High School graduates; and Miranda Vidak, West Florida High graduate. The degree is presented after the FFA member graduates from high school.
The American FFA Degree is the highest honor bestowed upon any regular member of the National FFA Organization. The degree is presented to FFA members who have demonstrated the highest level of commitment to FFA and made significant accomplishments in their supervised agricultural experiences.
The American FFA Degree is awarded at the National FFA Convention & Expo each year to less than one percent of FFA members. Requirements to earn the honor are lengthy. In addition to their degree certificate, each recipient receives a gold American FFA Degree key.
The American FFA degrees will be presented to the students in October at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, IN.
Pictured above: American FFA Degree recipients Haylee Weaver, Courtney Weekley, Bethany Reynolds and Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Northview High School graduates; Miranda Vidak, West Florida High School graduate. NorthEscambia.com and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Greg Evers A Finalist For Public Service Commission
August 10, 2017
Former State Sen. Greg Evers is on the short list of 14 candidates — including a state representative and three other former lawmakers — who will be interviewed next week for openings on Florida’s utility-regulatory board.
The Public Service Commission Nominating Council on Wednesday trimmed the number of candidates from 26. Among those cut without comment was former state Comptroller Bob Milligan, who failed to receive a single vote of support.
The Public Service Commission Nominating Council on Wednesday trimmed the number of candidates from 26. Among those cut without comment was former state Comptroller Bob Milligan, who failed to receive a single vote of support.
The council is required to nominate at least six candidates for the seats held by Brise and Graham. The council must submit a minimum of three names to Scott to replace Patronis.
Along with State Rep. Tom Goodson, R-Rockledge, other candidates besides Evers seeking the Patronis seat include former Rep. Rich Glorioso of Plant City; former Rep. Ken Littlefield of Wesley Chapel; and former Rep. Ritch Workman of Melbourne. All are Republicans.
Not every former lawmaker who applied made the scaled-back list. Former Rep. Dave Murzin, R-Pensacola, received only a single vote of support from the council.
Others who will be interviewed include:
— Gary Clark, the Department of Environmental Protection’s deputy secretary of land and recreation who oversees the state’s 174 parks.
— William Conrad, a former mayor of Newberry who owns Conrad Construction Company and serves as chairman of the Florida Municipal Power Agency’s board of directors.
— Clayton Lindstrom, director of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority.
— Anibal Taboas an appointee to the Governors State University Board of Trustees from Woodridge, Ill.
— Ted Schrader, president of the Winter Haven Citrus Growers Association.
— Jody Newman, a former assistant director with the Orange County School District.
— Erik Sayler, a former senior attorney with the Public Service Commission who now works for the state Office of Public Counsel.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida with contribution from NorthEscambia.com