Fire Departments Train At Future Beulah Middle School Site
September 23, 2016
Thanks to an agreement with the school board, Escambia County firefighters have some extra training this month.
The Escambia County School District purchased the former Coastal Airport on Nine Mile Road in Beulah to construct a new Beulah Middle School. The school board has allowed the Beulah Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, along with firefighters from across the county, to use the buildings on the property for training purposes.
A groundbreaking is planned at the site at 9 a.m. on October 28 for the new Beulah Middle School.
Pictured: Firefighters train on abandoned building at the Coastal Airport Property on Nine Mile Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Winning $66K Fantasy Five Ticket Sold In North Escambia
September 23, 2016
Someone is over $66,000 richer this morning after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket in Davisville.
The ticket sold at the State Line Gift Shop, 11208 Highway 97, was one of three winning tickets sold for Thursday night’s drawing worth $66,188.82. Other winning tickets matching all five numbers was sold in Crystal River and Poinciana.
The 298 tickets matching four numbers won $107 each. Another 8,958 tickets matching three numbers are worth $10 each, and 87,885 tickets holders won a Quick Pick ticket for picking two numbers.
Thursday’s winning numbers were 05-11-18-28-36.
Volleyball Photo Gallery: Central Tops Northview
September 23, 2016
The Northview Chiefs fell to Central Thursday in high school volleyball action.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Chiefs travel to Laurel Hill on Tuesday before hosting Jay next Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lawsuit Settled Over Florida Inmate Health Care
September 23, 2016
The Florida Department of Corrections and former prison health-care provider Corizon have agreed to pay about $2.1 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that the state agency and the company denied hernia operations to inmates to save money.
Under the settlement, Corizon agreed to pay $1.7 million to current and former inmates. The Department of Corrections agreed to pay $150,000 for legal fees and costs. Corizon would have to pay the rest of the legal fees and costs, which are capped at $385,000.
Florida Justice Institute Executive Director Randall Berg filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of about 2,000 inmates, months before Corizon walked away from a five-year, $1.2 billion contract with the state three years early.
According to a consent order given preliminary approval Thursday by U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, the state and Corizon “continue to vigorously deny all allegations contained in the complaint,” but agreed to the settlement “to avoid costly and protracted litigation.”
The three inmates who filed the lawsuit — Tracy Copeland, Archie Green and Amado Parra — will each receive payments of $5,000, plus attorneys’ fees and costs. An estimated 311 current or former inmates who sought treatment for hernias at prisons where Corizon handled health care will receive $2,733.12, and another 1,637 will receive $519.24.
The lawsuit detailed numerous inmates’ years-long struggles to get hernia operations.
The lawsuit alleged that inmates were repeatedly denied consultations with surgeons or were not allowed to have surgery once doctors decided it was necessary.
The consent order approved by Hinkle also will require the corrections agency to change its health-care policy regarding hernias to ensure that prisoners are referred to surgeons for consultations and that the surgeons’ recommendations are carried out.
“This settlement is one step toward the overall improvement of medical care for all incarcerated people in Florida,” Berg said in a prepared statement.
by The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
No Serious Injuries In Four-Vehicle, One Pedestrian Crash Near Walnut Hill
September 22, 2016
There were no serious injuries in a four-vehicle crash involving a pedestrian early Thursday morning near Walnut Hill.
The accident happened about 5:30 a.m. on Pine Forest Road near Deer Lake Road. Witnesses said hunters in three pickup trucks were parked on the shoulder of the road when the driver of a Ford Expedition left the roadway and rear-ended one truck, pushing the other trucks together. A man standing between the front of one truck and the open tailgate of another truck was struck between the two vehicles, leaving a rounded indention in the tailgate. He refused medical treatment.
The driver of the Expedition was transported to Atmore Community Hospital with minor injuries.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
Bratt Superhero Boy On A Mission To Thank Law Enforcement
September 22, 2016
Tyler Carach is a Bratt Elementary School student by day, and an after school superhero that’s on a mission to thank law enforcement officers.
Tyler and his mother Sheena, who is a former police officer, created the “I DONUT need a reason to THANK a cop” program after an encounter with Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies at Gilley’s Store in Bratt during the summer. He asked if he could use some of his own money to buy doughnuts for the officers. He purchased four packs of chocolate doughnuts to share with the deputies.
He learned that there are just over 400 sworn officers in the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and he composed a letter to the Krispy Kreme on 9th Avenue asking for a discounted bulk price. The store manager instead donated 420 doughnuts to the project. Tyler, dressed in a superhero doughnut cape, delivered the doughnuts to Sheriff David Morgan and his department.
“It was really cool and fun I love getting to meet one of the dogs and one of the horses and I also found a lizard outside the Sheriff’s Office,” Tyler said. “The sheriff gave me a really cool coin and said it was very special. It was called a challenge coin. I got to go on the command center and also sit in the SWAT mobile — that’s like the Batmobile but way cooler.”
Thursday, Tyler continued on his mission to thank every cop in America with a visit to the Flomaton Police Department. He provided each officer with doughnuts and a goodie bag. He was able to test out the siren, public address system and computer in a brand new Dodge Charger patrol car, and he even raced a couple of officers on foot. His request to play with an officer’s pepper spray and Taser was cheerfully denied for safety reasons.
“I like cops because they are the best and they are my friends and they like one of my favorite dessert — doughnuts, he said. “They wear blue and green and those are two of my favorite colors. I like drinking coffee and they like coffee too it helps them stay awake when they have to work all night long to keep us safe.”
Tyler hopes to be a law enforcement professional one day.
“I want to be a cop to keep people and my family safe like the cops keep me and my family safe,” he said. “I also want to stop bad guys like bank robbers and stuff. I want to be a SWAT because they have riot shields and I want to be a canine because they have dogs and I love them and they are really cute.”
Mom Sheena said Tyler is remarkably quiet and reserved at a school and home. But put him in a room of police officers, like Thursday’s visit to Flomaton, and he’s extremely into his zone — even trading tips on dealing with bad guys and making arrests.
Through his Facebook page (click here), Tyler is working on finalizing an Adopt-A-Cop program with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to connect residents with deputies. He will be collecting goodie bags with items like gum, candy, hand sanitizer, pens, notepads and other item. And he is working on plans to visit more departments, spreading his message one doughnut at a time.
“You DONUT need a reason to thank a cop because everything they do is a reason to thank them, so if you see a cop today, take a second to say thank you,” Tyler said.
Pictured top: Bratt resident Tyler Carach servers a doughnut Thursday afternoon at Flomaton Police Chief Bryan Davis. Pictured bottom inset: Tyler with members of the Flomaton Police Department. Pictured first below: Tyler checks out the interior of a 2016 Dodge Charger police vehicle. Pictured second below: Tyler’s doughnut mission started with four Escambia County deputies at Gilley’s Store in Bratt. Pictured bottom: Tyler with Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan. NorthEcambia.com photo and courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Deferred Prosecution For Task Force Members; State Still Contends Century Violated Sunshine Law
September 22, 2016
The four individuals accused of violating Florida’s Sunshine Law won’t be prosecuted, but the State Attorney’s Office remains steadfast that a violation occurred and has the put the Town of Century on notice.
The former members of a Citizens Advisory Task Force — Alfonzie Cottrell, Helen Mincy, Sylvia Godwin, and Robert Mitchell — previously pleaded not guilty to a noncriminal violation of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law. They 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 in a legal notice to begin at 4:00 p.m. The meeting was actually held at 2:00 p.m., preventing the public from attending.
If convicted, each defendant faced a maximum fine of $500.
Each defendant has signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the State Attorney’s Office under which charges 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. Skievaski was hired by by the town at $300 per hour to represent the four defendants.
At last Monday night’s meeting of the Century Town Council, McCall, reading from an email from town attorney Matt Dannheisser, said “the state will completely dismiss the charges….nor is there any suggestion much less an admission of guilt”. In a paragraph of the email McCall did not read to his council, Dannheisser said he would hold off until the agreement was formally entered into court records before the “issuance of any statement demonstrating that there was no violation in the first instance”. He said he would meet with the prosecutor to understand his reasoning, and “unless he can convince me that he had a good basis for his action, I will issue a letter supporting the town and explaining that there was no violation and that was likely the reason the persecutor essentially dropped the charges.”
After being provided a copy of Dannheisser’s email, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille wrote a letter to Dannheisser calling his conclusions “incorrect”.
“There was a clear violation of the Sunshine Law by holding a public meeting at a time other than what was advertised in a public notice. The decision to dispose of this case by Deferred Prosecution was not based on the strength of the case but rather on mitigation circumstance. These circumstances, including the age of the individuals, their agreement to resign from the Citizen Advisory Task Force, and the considerable responsibility of the Town of Century in allowing the violation to occur, convinced this office that Deferred Prosecution was appropriate,” Marcille wrote.
“The Office of the State Attorney has always taken a strong position regarding the enforcement of Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law and Florida’s Public Records Law. We will continue to take this position in the future,” the assistant state attorney concluded.
A public notice published on NorthEscambia.com and in the weekly Tri-City Ledger newspaper in Flomaton, AL, stated that the Town of Century’s Community Development Block Grant Citizen’s Advisory Task Force (CATF) would meet at Century Town Hall at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26.
“The public notice for the CATF meeting provided by our firm had a typographical error that listed the time for the meeting as 4:00 p.m. instead of the correct time of 2:00 p.m.,” town consultant Robin Phillips of Jones-Phillips and Associates said, adding that letter sent to the CATF member specified a 2:00 meeting time.
“There was never any intent on the Town’s or on our part to mislead or misinform anyone. It was an unintentional typographical error, ” Phillips said in a letter to NorthEscambia.com.
Marcille said his office will continue to stand behind a letter from State Attorney Bill Eddins to McCall. The letter reads:
“This office has completed its review of allegations that members of the Citizens Advisory Task Force violated the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law by holding a public meeting at a time other than what was advertised in the public notice. Based upon our review, we have determined that a Sunshine Law violation has occurred. As a result of that decision, we have filed noncriminal infraction charges against the members of that task force. We have also determined that the Town of Century bears considerable responsibility in this matter.
“In this case, public notices were advertised on NorthEscambia.com and in the Tri-City Ledger that the Citizens Advisory Task Force would hold a public meeting on July 26, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. The time listed on the notice was incorrect and should have stated 2:00 p.m. The meeting was held at 2:00 p.m. and concluded before 4:00 p.m. As a result, this meeting was held outside the Sunshine and without proper notice to the public. It is unclear if the problem with the erroneous time was ever discussed at the meeting. To avoid this issue occurring in the future, we recommend that at the beginning of all public meetings, the advertised notice be clearly reviewed on the record to determine that the meeting has been properly advertised.
“It is also apparent that the members of the Citizens Advisory Task Force were not sufficiently educated as to their responsibilities under the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law. We recommend that the Town of Century immediately establish training programs for all individuals serving on Sunshine boards or committees. We recommend that an outside agency such as the First Amendment Foundation be used for the training.
“Finally, concerns have been raised that the Town of Century has not adequately advertised the dates and times of public meetings. We recommend that the Town follow the suggestions of the Attorney General’s Office regarding public notices. These recommendations indicated that all meetings, with the exception of emergency or special meetings, should be advertised at least seven days prior to the meeting. Special meetings should be given notice of no less than 24 hours but preferably at least 72 hours notice should be given to the public. Emergency meetings should be afforded the most appropriate and effective notice under the circumstances. This notice should contain the date, time, and place of the meeting, as well as a copy of the agenda or statement of the general subject matter to be considered.”
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 and below: The Century Town Hall was locked and the parking lot empty just 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, the time of a publicly noticed town task force meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Tom Thumb Robbery
September 22, 2016
A Cantonment man has been arrested for the September 10 armed robbery of a local convenience store.
Jonathan Mark Vito, 44, was charged with robbery with a firearm, a first degree felony. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
Vito allegedly entered the Tom Thumb on Highway 29 and Woodbury Court about 12:20 a.m. on September 10 and brought a pack of beer to the counter, where he told the clerk that he forgot his wallet and that he would be back. Vito returned to the store about 12:40 a.m. and asked for a pack of cigarettes in addition to the beer. Vito then allegedly demanded the clerk open the register, showing a gun in his waistband. He then grabbed the cigarettes and beer and fled the store in an unknown direction.
Vito was later identified from surveillance images and by his clothing, according to an arrest report. The report states he lives with a his mother a short distance from the store, and she told deputies that he was not at a home at the time of the robbery.
In early August, Sheriff’s investigators said they believe two previous robberies at the store were committed by the same suspect. The store was robbed on July 4 and again on July 29. In both robberies, the suspect walked behind the counter and took cash from the register without producing a weapon. Vito has not been named a suspect in the July robberies.
Pictured above and below: The Tom Thumb at Highway 29 and Woodbury Circle was robbed during the early morning hours on September 10. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate Cheerleaders To Hold Lil’ Aggies Fall Cheer Clinic
September 22, 2016
The Tate High School cheerleaders will be holding a Cheer Clinic for kids age 5-2.
The clinic on October 1 will be held in the new gym from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. Participants will be taught proper stretch techniques, sideline cheers and chants, dances and more. Each athlete will receive a t-shirt and take part in a pre-game cheer and the run-through for the game on October 7.
Click here to print a registration form.
Lipscomb Elementary Art Teacher Named Best in State
September 22, 2016
Sally Miller of R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School has been named the 2016 Florida Art Education Association’s “Elementary Teacher of the Year”.
She has a degree in art for the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s in education from the University of West Florida. She has taught at the elementary level for 19 years, and f0r 10 years she taught the art education classes at UWF. Miller has received the Best in Show award for art educators at the Pensacola Museum of Art several times, and she has been awarded first, second and third place awards at the Artel Gallery in Pensacola.
Miller was recognized Tuesday night by the Escambia County School Board and Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.