Arrest Made In Murder Of Century Correctional Institution Inmate
August 5, 2017
An inmate has been arrested for the stabbing death of another inmate over an alleged bad debt inside Century Correctional Institution.
Robert L. Hunt was charged with murder for the June 19 incident.
According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrest affidavit, Hunt stabbed inmate Jorge Slaughter multiple times in the abdomen with a metal weapon inside the G Dorm. Slaughter died from his injuries a short time later at Century Correctional.
Preliminary findings from Slaughter’s autopsy indicated that the weapon used by Hunt caused Slaughter to bleed out internally.
The entire incident was captured on video by security cameras inside the dorm. Inmates who witnessed the incident identified Hunt as Slaughter’s attacker. Witnesses also told the FDLE that Hunt attacked slaughter over an unspecified debt that Slaughter owned Hunt.
Slaughter, 30, was serving a 30 year sentence out of Miami-Dade for armed burglary, grand theft and robbery. Hunt was serving a 15 year sentence out of Polk County for attempted robbery with a gun or deadly weapon. He had previously served a year and a half for aggravated assault with a weapon and methamphetamine possession.
Firefighters Save House From Nearby Vehicle Fire
August 5, 2017
Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a vehicle fire Friday afternoon in Cantonment, preventing it from spreading to a home just few feet away. The fire was reported about 3:45 p.m. in the 700 block of El Camino Drive, near Old Novak Road. The Chrysler Sebring parked in a driveway was heavily damaged. There were no injures reported. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Continues
August 5, 2017
Florida’s Back To School Sales Tax Holiday continues today.
The three-day tax holiday allows Florida shoppers to buy tax-free clothes that cost $60 or less and shoes up to $60 per pair.
The tax holiday, which ends at 11:59 Sunday Sunday, also covers school supplies costing $15 or less and computers that cost $750 or less.
Click here for complete details on what is tax free (pdf).
Back To School Shopping? Print A Supply List
August 5, 2017
School starts Thursday, August 10 in Escambia County, FL. This year, there is a single countywide list for all elementary schools and a single list for all middle schools.
For the Escambia County Elementary School Supply List, click here.
– Note: There is an error in the list above from the county on Kindergarten glue sticks — it should ready 15 glue sticks, not 115.
For the Escambia County Middle School Supply List, click here.
(High schools typically do not have a general supply list. Students are advised of their supply needs in each class.)
Note: At Ernest Ward Middle School there will be no backpacks this year. Every student will be given at no cost a draw string bag which may be personalized and five folders with pockets.
Wahoos Lose Series Opener 5-4 To Tennessee
August 5, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos two-out, ninth inning rally Friday against the Tennessee Smokies fell one run short at Smokies Stadium in the opening game of a five-game series.
Tennessee edged Pensacola, 5-4, thanks to both the bat and arm of Smokies right hander Duane Underwood Jr., who went 2-3 and knocked in two runs.
Not only that, Underwood also earned his 11th win to tie for the Southern League lead by giving up two runs on four hits, no walks and striking out seven over seven innings.
Trailing, 5-2, entering the ninth Pensacola center fielder Gabriel Guerrero walked and third baseman Nick Senzel singled to right to put base runners on first and second with two outs. That’s when second baseman Josh VanMeter stepped to the plate and lined a single to center that scored Guerrero. VanMeter is 18-47, or batting .382 with two outs and runners in scoring position and has 24 RBIs.
The Blue Wahoos pulled within, 5-4, when Aristides Aquino smashed a sizzling ground ball to center for his third hit of the game and drove in Senzel.
Aquino, the Cincinnati Reds No. 6 prospect according to MLB.Pipeline.com, crushed a solo homer to left field in the second inning, ripped a double and smacked the single to go 3-4 in Thursday’s game with two runs scored and two RBIs. He broke a 1-24 slump and now leads Pensacola with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs.
Pensacola fell to 19-19 in one-run games and dropped to 20-21 in the second half in the Southern League South Division. Pensacola is 60-51 overall and won the first half title. Tennessee improved to 21-20 in the North Division and 57-53 overall.
Pensacola scored first to take a 1-0 lead when right fielder Aquino clubbed his solo shot in the second inning.
However, Tennessee wasted little time in taking the lead when they scored three runs in the bottom of the second to go up, 3-1. Smokies catcher Erick Castillo singled to left field to score both first baseman Yasiel Balaguert and center fielder Trey Martin to go ahead, 2-1. Tennessee right fielder Daniel Spingola then scored making it a, 3-1, game when second baseman Andrew Ely grounded out into a double play.
Tennessee tacked on another run when Underwood, the pitcher, grounded up the middle to centerfield to drive in Spingola for a, 4-1, Smokies lead.
Blue Wahoos catcher Chad Tromp doubled in Aquino, who had smacked his 15th double of the year, in the fifth inning to pull Pensacola within, 4-2.
The Smokies’ Underwood blasted a line drive to center field to drive in his second run of the game when Castillo crossed the plate to take a, 5-2, lead in the sixth inning. The 23-year-old Underwood, who has four hits and is batting .190 this year, went 2-3 with two RBIs — his first runs driven in during his six-year professional career.
Man Busted For DUI After Driving Through Pine Forest Building
August 5, 2017
An Escambia County man was charged with DUI after driving through a building on Pine Forest Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 49-year old Evaristo Medina of Pensacola was traveling north on Pine Forest Road and Sandy Lane when he left the roadway in his 2004 Dodge 1500 at 6650 Pine Forest Road. His vehicle struck and entered the front portion of the building, traveled through the building and came to rest on the north side of the property.
Medina was not injured. His passenger, 36-year old Christa Lynn Wiggins of Pensacola, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
Medina was charged with DUI, careless driving, resisting an officer and failure to obey police or fire department. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $2,000.
State Colleges Enrollment Sees Uptick
August 5, 2017
Florida state colleges this year are expected to have their first modest rise in enrollment since 2010.
A new state forecast projects a 1 percent growth rate in enrollment in the 28 colleges during the 2017-18 academic year, representing the equivalent of 324,109 full-time students. Each “full-time equivalent” actually represents about 2.5 students, reflecting the fact that 65 percent of the students in the system attend part-time.
The projected increase of 3,209 students, which will be adjusted through the year as actual headcounts occur, would represent the first positive year-to-year growth since the fall of 2010, when the system peaked with 375,292 “full-time equivalents,” representing nearly 900,000 actual students. The current headcount is around 750,000 students.
But this year’s projected growth is significant in that it is a variation of a pattern of college enrollment increasing when unemployment rises and falling when jobs are plentiful.
When the job market tightened as it did during the recession, Floridians had more incentive and time to return to school to improve their skills or develop new ones. But when jobs are plentiful, people have less time and incentive to attend college.
This year may be different, as there are signs of rising enrollment in the system even with a strong economy and low unemployment rate.
One example is Palm Beach State College, the fourth-largest college in the system. It was projected to have a 3.1 percent enrollment increase this year, although state forecasters have backed off any projections for individual schools as they refine their estimates.
But that number is in line with what has been occurring at the school, where enrollment rose 2.8 percent in the 2016-17 academic year, up from 2015-16.
Ava Parker, president of the school, which serves about 35,000 full- and part-time students, said one of the reasons for the growth is a strategic plan to increase enrollment, knowing the added students will bring in tuition to offset flat or decreased state funding and tuition rates that have been frozen to keep costs affordable.
“We need to go out and be aggressive about getting students into the door and/or keeping them,” Parker said.
She also said local factors influence the enrollment for many schools.
In Palm Beach County, Parker said the passage of a local sales tax to build more schools, roads and other public infrastructure has spurred a need for workers to return to school to develop specific skills for construction projects and related trades.
State college enrollment is also rising because more students are seeking baccalaureate degrees, which are offered at 26 of the 28 colleges.
Enrollment in those programs rose 5.6 percent last academic year, compared to the prior year. But the students enrolled in four-year degree programs only represent 5 percent of the overall enrollment.
At Palm Beach State, baccalaureate enrollment rose by nearly 11 percent last year, with Parker saying the availability of better-paying jobs is providing an incentive for workers to return to school, even if it’s part-time.
“The baccalaureate students that we serve are ones who are sitting at their desks, at their jobs, looking through the HR notices and seeing there are opportunities for growth but you need a BS (bachelor of science) degree to get there,” Parker said.
Enrollment in two-year or associate degree programs, which represents 67 percent of the overall enrollment, declined by 1.8 percent in 2016-17, compared to the prior year.
There was also a 14 percent decline in enrollment for students identified as needing remedial help, constituting 4.3 percent of last year’s enrollment.
The decline in the “developmental education” students became a point of contention during this year’s legislative session, as the Senate pushed for budget cuts based on the decreased enrollment, while colleges argued many students still needed tutoring and other help to handle college-level courses even if they were not identified as “remedial.”
“The biggest misnomer to me is that folks think you must need less resources,” Parker said. “No. You need the same resources and/or more.”
by The News Service of Florida
Atmore Police Investigating Homicide, Victim Found In Street
August 4, 2017
The Atmore Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred Thursday night.
About 10:38 p.m., Atmore Police received a 911 call in reference to a person that was shot on Ann Street.
Police responded and found 31-year old Shawn O’Neil Quarles of Camden, AL, suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The first Atmore Police Officer on scene immediately began aid to Quarles. Atmore Ambulance was called to the scene and transported Quarles to Atmore Community Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
According to witnesses, Quarles was found lying on Ann Street after they heard several gunshots in the area.
Atmore Police investigators were told by witnesses that Quarles was riding a bicycle to a store to purchase cigarettes when the offense occurred.
The Atmore Police Department is now working the case as a homicide and encourages anyone with information to call the at (251) 368- 9141.
The Mystery Of North Escambia’s Only Highway Rest Area
August 4, 2017
When readers reach out to NorthEscambia.com with questions involving public facilities, our roads, our bridges, and mysteriously appearing toilets…we sometimes respond.
Today we’re exploring the mystery of North Escambia’s only roadside “rest area”. The rest area is located along Pine Barren Road, about 1.5 miles north of Bogia Road. It’s located comfortably just off the highway, and has “Made in America” facilities for him and her.
Update: Since our photo was taken Thursday afternoon, we’re told that the facilities have been expanded to include three toilets (a family toilet, perhaps?).
Area residents say this is version three of the rest area…the third time someone has placed toilets at the remote location. The first two versions also included three toilets before they were removed.
If you are looking for these facilities, here are the GPS coordinates: 30.85900, -87.36897. The area is expected to be filled to capacity for the August 21 eclipse.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive (like anyone else would run this…) photos, click to enlarge.
Century Chamber Looks To Reinvent Itself Facing A 97 Percent Funding Cut
August 4, 2017
The Century Chamber of Commerce is looking for ways to reinvent itself after a major change in how economic development dollars are allocated to Century.
The Escambia County Commission is considering a budget that would remove $55,000 per year in direct funding to the chamber, instead opting to make the funds available to the chamber, the town and perhaps other non-profits for economic development on a project by project basis to be approved by the commission upon presentation by District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry.
But commissioners made it clear at a recent budget meeting that requests can include no more than a 10 percent administrative overhead and funding cannot be used for salaries or daily operations — meaning the chamber won’t be able to use the money to continue funding their $40,o00 per year economic development coordinator position.
“We are fixing to go into some hard times economically,” chamber President Freddie McCall said during a board meeting Thursday afternoon.
McCall said the chamber needs about $4,000 per year to pay basic bills such as utilities and has no funds for any employees.
The $55,000 provided by the county this fiscal year amounted to 97 percent of the chamber’s total funding for the year, according to budget documents submitted to the Escambia County Commission. The chamber reported expected income through September of $56,585.02 and expenses of $60,239.45 for a net anticipated loss of $3,654.43.
The chamber recently held a two day workshop to identify how it might better serve Century businesses and the community while continuing to move forward:
During the workshop, the chamber set goals to:
- Increase membership, developing member’s benefits and a benefits brochure
- Conduct a monthly business after-hours
- Create a newsletter for members and community leaders
- Highlight a business of the month
- Develop a business visitation schedule with board members visiting at least two members and two prospective members per month
- Develop a unified website
- Collaborate with town council
- Analyze business needs
- Increase awareness through social media
- Create a schedule for flexible meetings (holding meetings at different times of day)
- Develop a beautification program
- Partner with Florida West and the town council to enhance the recruitment and expansion of industry and businesses
- Grow local businesses
- Develop leadership development programs
- Complete a 2018 budget by November 1, 2017
- Increase sponsorship dollars
- Increase membership revenue
McCall said the chamber will continue to work progressively toward achieving the identified goals.
During the past year, the chamber accomplished the following this year, according to their submissions to Escambia County:
- 6-7 new chamber memberships
- Annual employment increased from 39 to 45 percent
- 4-10 business inquired about startups
- Graduation levels were increased 9 percent
- A 10 percent increase in the previous year’s 35 Century Welcome Center visitors.
- There were five job openings last year, until the announcement of 20 part-time jobs at a new bingo hall.
- There were four housing starts, until the EF-3 tornado destroyed a large number of homes, leading to over 50 new housing starts