Justice Department Opens Probe Into Alabama Prisons
October 7, 2016
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a statewide investigation into the Alabama Department of Corrections and into the conditions of correctional facilities housing male inmates.
The DOJ’s investigation will look into whether there are systematic constitutional violations in the male prisons. The investigation will focus on whether prisoners are adequately protected from physical harm and sexual abuse at the hands of other prisoners; whether prisoners are adequately protected from use of excessive force and staff sexual abuse by correctional officers; and whether the prisons provide sanitary, secure and safe living conditions.
“The Constitution requires that prisons provide humane conditions of confinement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We hope to work cooperatively with the state of Alabama in conducting our inquiry and ensuring that the state’s facilities keep prisoners safe from harm.”
“Our obligation is to protect the civil rights of all citizens, including those who are incarcerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama. “This investigation provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively with the state of Alabama to assess current conditions and ensure constitutionally sufficient conditions exist for all prisoners.”
“The vulnerability of a prisoner makes it even more important that basic hygiene and safe accommodations are afforded the inmates,” said U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. of the Middle District of Alabama.
“We understand the seriousness of the DOJ investigation and will cooperate fully. We will dedicate the necessary time and resources to enable the investigators to complete their work,” said Corrections Commissioner Dunn.
Dunn has identified longstanding problems in Alabama prisons caused by overcrowding, understaffing, and outdated facilities.
“We have been working to provide solutions to the problems faced by the department and will work with the DOJ on recommendations to improve conditions in the Alabama Department of Corrections,” Dunn said.
The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama will be handling the investigation according to the DOJ announcement.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
FHSAA Hands Down Punishment To Northview Chiefs For Forfeiting Game
October 7, 2016
The Florida High School Athletic Association has handed down punishment to Northview High School for forfeiting a game in the third quarter last Friday night against Maplesville High School in Alabama.
The FHSSA action states that Northview High School’s varsity football team is not permitted to travel outside the state of Florida to compete in a contest until after the 2018-2019 school year. Northview, however, remains eligible to compete in the state championship series in Florida.
A FHSAA rules states that a team that forfeits a contracted game for any reason other than weather shall become ineligible to participate in the state playoffs; however, the FHSAA chose not to implement that penalty according to a Thursday email.
According to Principal Gayle Weaver, Northview Head Coach Dereck Marshman has also been suspended for one game, which will be Friday night’s contest at Liberty County in Bristol. She said assistant coach Glenn Weber will lead the team.
In making their ruling the FHSAA reviewed statements and game film provide by Northview, the contest official’s game report, spoke to the game official and spoke to the athletic director at Maplesville High Schoool.
After the game at Maplesville, Weaver told NorthEscambia.com that after Marshman was ejected for two consecutive unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, she made the call to end the contest with 1:40 to go in the third because “it was no longer a safe environment”.
“The officiating got out of hand,” she said Friday night. “They were trash talking, and they were not officiating. They were not providing a safe environment and it was a danger to our team, everyone on the sidelines and our fans. Someone could have been hurt badly.”
Weaver said Marshman was attempting to get an explanation for a penalty flag when he was ejected. Weaver said the head referee would not provide any explanation or talk to anyone from Northview.
The Maplesville Red Devils are the defending Alabama 1A state champions and were 4-0 headed into Friday night’s game, outscoring opponents 211-14 this season. Friday night, the Red Devils were only up 6-0 headed into halftime against the Northview Chiefs. They had increased their lead to 21-0 by the third quarter, when the game came to halt in the third.
“At that point, it was no longer a game,” Weaver said.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Escambia Urban Search And Rescue Team Heads To Help After Matthew
October 7, 2016
Crews from Escambia Fire Rescue’s Urban Search and Rescue team have traveled south in assist with the recovery effort following Hurricane Matthew. They staged Thursday night at the Lake City Gateway Airport. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Beats TR Miller (With Photo Gallery)
October 7, 2016
Ernest Ward Middle School beat T.R. Miller 28-22 Thursday night. Ernest Ward will wrap up their season next week as they host Atmore in Walnut Hill.
For a photo gallery click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Leak Reported At Jay Oil Well, Schools Shelter In Place
October 7, 2016
Jay schools sheltered in place Thursday as an oil well operator reported a leak.
Breitburn Operating LP, which operates the Jay Field, reported that approximately three barrels of hot water and steam were released from a water injection pipeline about 9:20 a.m.
“The water was promptly vacuumed up, and at no time was there any risk to public health, safety or welfare. The water was contained at the location and did not have any impact outside the boundaries of the area where the incident occurred,” according to a statement the company provided to NorthEscambia.com.
“The produced water escaped through a small pinhole in a four-inch water injection line and pooled in an empty, harvested peanut field,” the company said.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection, local government agencies and the property owner were notified of the leak.
School officials said students were sheltered in place after the schools were notified of a salt water line leak by the Santa Rosa County Emergency Operation Center which did not cause a threat to the schools.
Northview Volleyball Celebrates Senior Night Win
October 7, 2016
The Northview Lady Chiefs volleyball team celebrated senior night with a win over the Escambia Gators Thursday.
The varsity Chiefs defeated Escambia 24-26, 25-18, 22-25, 25-17, 15-7. In junior varsity action, Escambia defeated the Chiefs 25-13, 15-25, 15-17.
Northview seniors honored Thursday night were Courtney Grim, Gabrielle Hawkins, Jamia Newton, Victoria Amerson and Brittanie McLemore.
The Chiefs will travel to West Florida next Tuesday before wrapping up their regular season Thursday night at 4:00 with a special Dig Pink event for breast cancer awareness along with Flomaton, Escambia County (Atmore) and W.S. Neal.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Chiefs JV volleyball action from Thursday night. Pictured below: Northview senior volleyball players are honored. NorthEcambia.com and Kayleen Amerson photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lawyer’s Fees Top $3,000 In Defense Of Century Sunshine Law Violation Case
October 6, 2016
Legal bills have exceeded $3,000 for four Century volunteer task force members charged with noncriminal violations of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law. The four faced possible maximum fines of $2,000 total.
The Century Town Council voted to hire attorney Kim Skievaski, a former circuit judge, at $300 per hour to represent Alfonzie Cottrell, Helen Mincy, Sylvia Godwin, and Robert Mitchell , who were charged by the State Attorney’s Office with having a public meeting that was not properly advertised. On July 26, a meeting was advertised to begin at 4:00 p.m. The meeting was actually held at 2:00 p.m. preventing the public from attending.
Kievaski’s firm, Sellers, Skievaski and Kuder, billed the Town of Century $3,070 for their work on the case. A town official said additional fees are expected but not yet billed by town attorney Matt Dannheiser for his work on the issue.
Kievaski billed the town for 60 minutes to review the case, 90 minutes to meet with Mayor Freddie McCall and Matt Dannheiser, 240 minutes to travel to Century to meet with the four defendants and 44 minutes to appear at the arraignment, confer with the State Attorney’s Office and review a deferred prosecution agreement, and 180 minutes to return to Century to meet with the defendants. That totaled 614 minutes, or 10.23 hours.
The former members of a Citizens Advisory Task Force — Alfonzie Cottrell, Helen Mincy, Sylvia Godwin, and Robert Mitchell — pleaded not guilty to a noncriminal violation of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law. Each accepted a deferred prosecution agreement under which charges and a possible maximum fine of $500 will be dropped if the defendant has no violation of the law and resigns their position on the Citizens Advisory Task Force or completes an online training course regarding the Sunshine Law. If the individuals meet the conditions, the charge will be dropped in six months. The State Attorney’s Office said any fees or costs in connection with the case will also be waived. In letters from defense attorney Kim Skievaski to Century Mayor Freddie McCall and the Century Town Council, each of the four task force members resigned their positions effective September 12.
The council voted to hire Skievaski on August 30. In an interview conducted that night and published the following morning, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed that the four would be offered deferred prosecution.
The State Attorney’s Office has continued to contend that “there was a clear violation of the Sunshine Law by hold a public meeting at a time other than what was advertised in a public notice”. The SAO said deferred prosecution was offered due to mitigating circumstances included the age of the defendants, their willingness to resign from office and the “considerable responsibility of the Town of Century in allowing the violation to occur”.
For an earlier story with more information, click here.
Pictured top: CATF members Helen Mincy, Robert Mitchell and Sylvia Godwin during a CATF meeting on Thursday, July 28. Alfonzie Cottrell was not present at the July 28 meeting. Pictured inset: Attorney bill for $3,070. Pictured below: The Century Town Hall was locked and the parking lot empty just after 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, the time of a publicly noticed town task force meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Health Officials Investigate Escambia County Scabies Case
October 6, 2016
At least one case of scabies has been recently-diagnosed in a resident of Escambia County. The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County advises residents to contact their physician if they suspect themselves to have scabies.
Scabies is an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite. Scabies is found worldwide and affects people of all races and social classes. Scabies can spread rapidly under crowded conditions where close body and skin contact is frequent. Institutions such as nursing homes, extended-care facilities, and prisons are often sites of scabies outbreaks. Child care facilities also are a common site of scabies infestations. Scabies mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye and are usually spread by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies.
The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. Symptoms of scabies infestation may take up to six weeks to appear, however, an infested person can spread scabies even before they experience any itching or rash. The itching and rash may affect a person’s entire body or may be limited to one or more areas or body parts. The rash also can include tiny blisters and scales. Scratching the rash can cause skin sores; sometimes these sores become infected by bacteria. A less-common symptom may be tiny raised and crooked grayish-white or skin-colored lines on the skin surface, made when the mites tunnel just beneath the skin.
A more severe form of the infestation, that can occur in persons with poor immune function, is Norwegian (also called crusted) scabies. This more-contagious version of scabies causes thick crusts of skin to appear on the infested individual. These thick crusts of skin contain large numbers of mites and eggs which are very easily spread by both by direct skin-to-skin contact and by contamination of items such as their clothing, bedding, and furniture. Persons with crusted scabies should receive quick and aggressive medical treatment for their infestation both to minimize their personal risk for bacterial infections and to prevent outbreaks of scabies.
A person who thinks they might have scabies should contact a doctor. The doctor can examine the person, confirm the diagnosis of scabies, and prescribe an appropriate treatment. Products used to treat scabies in humans are available only with a doctor’s prescription. Anyone who is diagnosed with scabies, as well as his or her sexual partners and other contacts who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the infested person, should be treated. Treatment is recommended for members of the same household as the person with scabies, particularly those persons who have had prolonged skin-to-skin contact with the infested person. All persons should be treated at the same time to prevent reinfestation.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League (And How Tate Students Can Help)
October 6, 2016
Every game ends in a tie. Every player hits; every player scores. There are no strikeouts, no errors. Everybody wins.
Welcome to the Miracle League.
Every child, no matter their disability or ability, is just a regular kid…playing the field and getting a good hit.
It’s a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons of all ages. Some of the players are in wheelchairs and walkers. Some handicaps are mental, some are physical. It’s a place for miracles.
In the end, Saturday’s game between the Cardinals and the Phillies was tied, just as every game has ended in a tie for the past 14 seasons. The stats for each of the 100 plus players will be the same at the end of the season — perfect.
Players and volunteers come from not just Pensacola, but Mobile, Crestview, Brewton and points in between. Everybody is a volunteer that participates with the Miracle League. The are paid only in smiles.
Each of the two Pensacola Miracle League fields is made up of 180,000 pounds of recycled tires formed into tiles painted to match a regular field. It provides a softer landing spot for a hard fall, while still providing a good bounce for the hollow core ball that is also designed to lesson injury potential.
The Miracle League needs more volunteers to serve as buddies, work the concession booth, pickup trash and many more tasks around their area of the Nine Mile Road ballpark.
The public is always welcome and encouraged to cheer on the players.
For more information on Miracle League, or to volunteer, visit www.miracleleaguepensacola.org.
Tate High School students are collecting a donation this week for the Miracle League in honor of senior and varsity football honoree Markus Baxley. Collection bins are located throughout the school, and donations will be accepted during the Pace at Tate football game Friday night.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top and below: Game action Saturday at Miracle League. Pictured below: Northview High School SGA members volunteer as Miracle League buddies Saturday were (front, L-R) Morgan Myrick, Kayla McKillion, Alyssa Borelli, Brianna Smith, Delaney Reynolds, (back, L-R) sponsors Laura Johnson and Anna Barry.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
October 6, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending September 29 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers on board the vessel FinCat conducted 33 hours of offshore patrol over a four‑day period. A total of 12 violations were documented with federal charges. The violations included undersized mingo/vermillion snapper, undersized scamp, possession of red snapper and greater amberjack during closed season, and failure to allow inspection.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the Blackwater State Forest when he made contact with two subjects in possession of alcoholic beverages where they are prohibited. He asked the subjects for their identification and followed them to their vehicle to get the IDs. While standing next to the passenger side door of their vehicle, Officer Hutchinson could smell a strong odor of cannabis emitting from the vehicle. After further investigation, he found a glass pipe with cannabis residue in it and a plastic bag containing cannabis inside of the vehicle. Both subjects were charged with possession of cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were issued warnings for the alcohol violations.