Suspect Arrested In Escambia Shooting Death
April 18, 2017
UPDATE: The suspect has been arrested per ECSO.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has named a suspect in an early Monday morning shooting.
Antuan Marques Harris, 24, is wanted for the murder of a Curtis Hodge Jr.
Just after midnight on April 17th, Harris shot and killed Hodge in the 700 block of Old Corry Field Road.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area to find Hodge with a gunshot wound to the face. He did not survive.
Anyone with information on the shooting death or the whereabouts of Harris is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pitured: Antuan Marques Harris.
Atmore Man Busted For Selling Drugs Near Elementary School
April 18, 2017
An Atmore man has been arrested with selling drugs near an elementary school after police executed a search warrant.
Dante Maurice Haynes, 38, was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, unlawful possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, narcotics sale near school campus, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton without indent.
Atmore Police Department narcotics officers executed a search warrant in the 500 block of 4th Avenue — across the streets from the A.C. Moore Elementary School campus. During the search of the residence, officers reported finding a quantity of narcotics, including powered and rock cocaine.
“Narcotics sales near and around school grounds will not be tolerated,” Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks said.
The Atmore Drug Task Force will accept confidential tips by leaving a message at (251) 368-8988.
Pensacola’s Wahoos Cook The Jumbo Shrimp 3-2
April 18, 2017
The most dingers that Pensacola Blue Wahoos center fielder Brian O’Grady had in his past three seasons of minor league baseball is nine, which he hit last year for High-A Daytona Tortugas.
Already in his first 25 at bats in Double-A, O’Grady has ripped two homers, including a solo shot he lifted high into right field in the seventh inning that capped the scoring to give the Blue Wahoos a 3-1 victory in the series opener against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp in front of 3,646 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
O’Grady, who has two homer and four RBIs in his first season with Pensacola, said his home run hitting has developed in his professional career. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth round out of Rutgers in 2014, he ranked among school leaders in almost every offensive category, except home runs.
“In my defense, it is a big park,” O’Grady said, smiling. “I didn’t hit a ton there. I’ve developed more as a power hitter in pro ball. As soon as I hit it (tonight), I knew I got it.”
O’Grady attributed his success, so far, to playing in the prestigious Arizona Fall League and his workouts in the offseason. He’s second on the team in hitting at .280 and has at least one hit in seven of the nine games he has played this year.
“I felt good coming into spring training,” O’Grady said. “I was confident in the work I put in in the offseason. The (AFL) was a really good and fun experience for me.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly has been impressed with O’Grady at the plate and in the field. He pointed out the 24-year-old can play first base, third base and all three outfield positions.
“We’ve been kind of hiding him in that eight spot (in the batting order),” Kelly said. “He smoked that ball today. That was impressive.”
Meanwhile, Pensacola continues to win with its pitching and defense. Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan and second baseman Josh VanMeter bailed out starter Tyler Mahle with an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
In the second inning, Devin Mesoraco, who is doing at least 20 days of rehabilitation in Pensacola, popped up quickly from behind the plate and fielded a dribbler by Jacksonville third baseman Brian Anderson down the third base line and tagged out Anderson in the batter’s box where he stood still.
Then in the eighth inning, Jacksonville left fielder Alex Glenn clobbered what looked like a homer over the right field wall but Pensacola’s Aristides Aquino reached up and grabbed it out of the air.
Mahle threw 4.1 perfect innings in the season opener and then 5.0 perfect innings in his second start and entered Monday’s game with a 0.71 ERA.
But Monday against Jacksonville, he had a shaky first inning. Mahle walked two and allowed two singles to the Jumbo Shrimp to allow Jacksonville to take a 1-0 lead when Glenn scored on second baseman David Vidal’s single that he laced to left field.
After that inning Mahle settled down and only allowed one more hit – a double to Vidal – against the last 14 Jacksonville batters he faced. On the night, Mahle threw five innings, gave up three hits and one run, walked two and struck out seven.
“That first inning he obviously struggled,” Kelly said. “He was a little out of whack mechanically.”
Pensacola, though, came right back to score two runs in the bottom of the first and go up, 2-1. Blue Wahoos catcher Mesoraco was hit by a pitch and scored when right fielder Aristides Aquino smashed a grounder down the third base line for an infield single. Gabriel Guerrero then singled on a sharp single off Jacksonville lefty Dillon Peters’ leg and was driven in by Angelo Gumbs ground ball that deflected off the glove of Jumbo Shrimp shortstop Alex Yarbrough.
Again Monday, the Pensacola bullpen then took over and did its normal thing. Four pitchers –
Jake Ehret, Brennan Bernardino, Ariel Hernandez and Geoff Broussard – combined to throw four scoreless and hitless innings, while striking out five. Broussard, who was called up from Daytona, earned the save.
Pensacola’s bullpen now is 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA and seven-for-seven in save opportunities.
“I’m very pleased,” Kelly said about the bullpen’s development. “Mez (Mesoraco) has led the way. He’s done a lot of work with them in the pen.”
Rubio Talks Opioid Abuse With Local Officials
April 18, 2017
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio met Monday with Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and other local officials to discuss combating the opioid crisis in Florida. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Marshal Investigating Fire On Ransom Middle Campus
April 17, 2017
Fire damaged a portable building on the Ransom Middle School campus this afternoon.
The fire was contained to one portion of a detached portable building used as restrooms on the rear of the campus. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
There were no injuries reported and no damage to any other structures.
Pictured above and below: Fire burns through a wall on a portable building on the Ransom Middle School campus. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Pipeline To Be Constructed From Century To Nine Mile Road
April 17, 2017
An underground natural gas pipeline through North Escambia from Century to Nine Mile Road is the works.
If all goes as planned, the Florida Public Utilities gas pipeline could be under construction as early as June 1 with an estimated completion date of early 2018, according to Barry Kennedy of FPU.
The pipeline will interconnect to an existing pipeline and begin on Fannie Road just northeast of Century on the Alabama/Florida state line. The pipeline will follow Fannie Road to Old Flomaton Road to State Road 4 to North Century Boulevard.
The 12-inch gas pipeline will continue south along the right-of-way of Highway 29 from Century to Old Chemstrand Road. From there, an eight-inch line will follow Old Chemstrand road to Ascend, while another eight-inch line will continue south on Highway 29 to Highway 95A in Cantonment to West Roberts Road to Pine Forest Road to West Nine Mile Road where the project will connect to an existing gas system.
The pipeline will be constructed on existing right of way, mostly in ditches, along Highway 29 and other roadways.
A public hearing to discuss the pipeline will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Century Town Hall. No other public meetings are planned.
Supreme Court Sides With State In Satellite TV Fight
April 17, 2017
The Florida Supreme Court upheld a law that set different tax rates for cable and satellite television services — overturning a lower-court ruling that could have had major financial ramifications for the state.
The 16-page unanimous decision rejected arguments by satellite companies DirecTV and Dish Network that the differing tax rates are discriminatory and violate the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. That reversed a 2015 ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal that raised the prospect of the state having to pay refunds to the satellite companies.
A key part of the case focused on arguments by the satellite companies that the different tax rates benefited cable companies that are “in-state interests” at the expense of “out-of-state” satellite operators. The satellite industry contended that violated what is known as the “dormant” Commerce Clause of the Constitution.
But the Supreme Court decision, written by Justice Peggy Quince, rejected such a distinction between the two types of television providers. Quince pointed, in part, to the fact that Florida’s largest cable providers are headquartered out of state, as are the satellite companies.
“The cable and satellite companies have employees and property both inside and outside of Florida to facilitate their operations and earn income,” Quince wrote. “They both employ Florida residents to sell, maintain, or repair their service to Florida customers. They also own and lease a significant amount of property in Florida.”
The opinion added, “Cable is not a local, in-state interest any more than satellite. While it may be true that cable employs more Florida residents and uses more local infrastructure to provide its services, the Supreme Court has never found a company to be an in-state interest because it had a greater presence in a state.”
Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis, Peggy Quince and Charles Canady joined the opinion. Justice Ricky Polston concurred with the opinion but did not fully sign onto it. Justice Alan Lawson, who joined the court at the end of December, did not take part in the case.
The ruling was in favor of the Florida Department of Revenue and the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association. (Disclosure: The News Service of Florida and the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association have a partnership for the Capital Dateline Online news show.)
The case deals with the state’s communications services tax, which was enacted in 2001. Under state law, cable services are taxed at 4.92 percent, while satellite services are taxed at 9.07 percent, according to the Supreme Court ruling.
In a brief filed at the Supreme Court, the satellite companies described the difference in tax rates as “a 21st Century version of classic economic protectionism.”‘
But the majority opinion said justices did not find that the law was “enacted with a discriminatory purpose.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Tornado Housing Recovery Funds Available In Century
April 17, 2017
The Town of Century is now accepting applications for housing rehabilitation assistance for houses that were damaged as a result of the February 15, 2016, tornado.
Only residents whose housing units were damaged by the tornado are eligible to apply. To qualify for assistance, the home that was damaged must be located inside the city limits of the Town of Century and must have a total household income at or below the following criteria:
Applicants whose total gross household income exceeds the income limits for their size household will not be considered for rehabilitation grant assistance.
Persons interested in being considered for inclusion in this program must call Samella Myles at the Century Town Hall at (850) 256-3208 between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:30 pm and ask that their name be placed on the housing assistance waiting list. Only those who call in to Century Town Hall will be placed on the waiting list. The deadline to be placed on the interested applicant list is Monday, May 1, 2017.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia Government Meetings This Week
April 17, 2017
The following Escambia County government meetings are scheduled for this week:
Wednesday, April 19
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District, 151 Highway 97, 8 a.m.
Board of Adjustment, 3363 West Park Place, 8:30 a.m. (Agenda)
Sick Leave Pool Committee, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 11 a.m.
Development Review Committee, 3363 West Park Place, 1 p.m.
Escambia County Disability Awareness Committee, Room 104, 3363 West Park Place, 3 p.m.
Thursday, April 20
Community Redevelopment Agency, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 9 a.m.
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Review, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 9 a.m.
Board of County Commissioners Public Forum, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 4:30 p.m.
Board of County Commissioners Public Hearings & Reports, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place, 5:30 p.m.
Board of Electrical Examiners Meeting, 3363 West Park Place, 3 p.m.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
April 17, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic variations on the following state roads in Escambia County and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
· Interstate 10 (I-10)/ U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I – Alternating lane closures on I-10 near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, April 16 through Thursday, April 20 as crews perform barrier wall work. In addition, intermittent lane closures on the I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 north ramp (Exit 10B) during this time. Traffic will be detoured to Exit 10A for access U.S. 29.
· Nine Mile Road (from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road) Widening – Traffic will be reduced to one lane on the West Woods Apartments driveway Monday, April 17 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. as crews relocate utilities in preparation for roadway widening. Traffic flaggers will be on site to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
· Fairfield Drive (State Road 295) between Davis Highway and 12th Avenue Routine Maintenance- Eastbound outside lane closure from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21 as crews clean and video ECUA sewer line.
· Nine Mile Road Turn Lane Construction south of Scenic Hills Drive – East and westbound lane closures from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, April 17 through Thursday, April 20 as crews construct two eastbound, right turn lanes on the south side of Nine Mile Road, just east of Westside Drive and add a westbound, left turn lane across from Scenic Hills Drive.
· Perdido Key Drive (State Road (S.R.) 292) Resurfacing from the Alabama State line to the ICWW (Theo Baars Bridge) – Drivers can expect intermittent, isolated daytime lane restrictions Monday, April 17 as crews complete miscellaneous construction activities on the project. Drivers can expect minor delays.
· I-10 Widening from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge – Alternating lane closures on I-10 westbound, between Davis Highway (State Road (S.R.) 291/Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (U.S. 90/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of Monday, April 17 as crews perform paving work.
· U.S. 29 (S.R. 95) Widening from I-10 to Nine Mile Road- Alternating lane closures continue from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road and on Nine Mile Road near the U.S. 29/ Nine Mile Road overpass as crews perform drainage and bridge operations.
· Nine Mile Road (S.R. 10/U.S. 90A) Widening from Pine Forest Road to U.S. 29- Alternating lane closures continue on Untreiner Avenue as crews perform jack and bore operations.
Santa Rosa County:
· S.R. 87 Widening from Eglin Air Force Base Boundary to 2 miles South of Yellow River Bridge – Intermittent lane closures near Choctaw Field Road from 6 p.m. Monday, April 17 to 6 a.m. Tuesday, April 18 as crew perform paving operations.
Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through the construction zone, and to pay attention for workers and equipment entering and exiting the work area. All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.