Two Airlifted After ATV Crash Near Century
March 1, 2016
Two people were injured in an off-road ATV accident late Tuesday morning outside Century.
The two males were both airlifted in two different medical helicopters to area hospitals. One of them, a 27-year old male, was a “trauma alert”, according to EMS. The two were reported thrown from their 4-wheeler in or near field in the area of the 3200 block of Highway 4A.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details, including the names of the victims, have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Mom Enters Plea, Faces Up To 15 Years For Husband’s Murder
March 1, 2016
A Molino mom that once claimed a “stand your ground” defense in the murder of her husband is now facing up to 15 years in state prison.
Rebecca A. Rogers, 45, has pleaded no contest to manslaughter for shooting her husband, 42-year old Jason Lee Rogers in August 2013. According to the State Attorney’s office, sentencing guidelines call for her to receive a sentence of just over nine years when she is sentenced in late April.
Her attorneys previously made a motion to dismiss the case, saying Rogers acted within the parameters of Florida’s self-defense “stand your ground” law. That motion was denied at the local level and by the Florida First District Court of Appeals.
The ruling from the appeals court last June did nott allow her to claim she acted under the “stand you ground” law, but it specifically did not prohibit Rogers from claiming self-defense at trial.
Rebecca Rogers shot her husband twice in the back and once in the head inside the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Highway 29 in Molino. She told a 911 dispatcher that her husband choked her and then she shot him.
Deputies arrived to find Rebecca Rogers standing outside the home. They found Jason Rogers lying unconscious in the back bedroom of the home on his stomach with what appeared to be a gunshot to his head. According to official reports, he also suffered two other gunshot wounds to the back. He died at a local hospital about two days later.
The couple had four daughters, one of which testified at a preliminary hearing that her father had several guns in the home. “As far as I know, he was going to get them and he was…my mom believed he was going to kill her. So, she was protecting herself,” she said.
Rogers remains free on a $300,000 bond as she awaits sentencing.
Free Baby Food, Cereal, Diapers And Wipes At Century Health Start
March 1, 2016
The Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition is grateful for the generous outpouring from community partners who have answered the need for mothers and babies in Century following the devastating February 15 tornado.
Manna Food pantries donated baby food and cereal, and Goodwill and Abundant Life Outreach donated diapers and wipes. Families in need may stop by the Healthy Start office at 511 Church Street, Monday -Thursday between 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on a first come first serve basis while supplies last to receive the items.
WIC service will be at the Century Healthy Start Office on Tuesday, March 8. For more information, call (850) 619-1469.
Pictured: Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition Executive Director Theresa Chmiel (left) and Century Office Manager Laura Nelson. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Tax Collector Office Reopens After Communications Failure
March 1, 2016
The Escambia County Tax Collector Office in Molino was shut down Monday afternoon after the building lost communications services. It reopened early Tuesday afternoon.
A drop box remained available for payments, but the office was unable to process any transactions Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
All other tax collector offices remained open with business as usual.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Appeals Court Rules In Cantonment Insurance Agent’s Racketeering, Money Laundering Case
March 1, 2016
A Cantonment insurance sentenced to eight years in prison for racketeering and money laundering may be set free from jail as he appeals, following a ruling released Monday by the Florida First District Court of Appeal.
Circuit Judge Ross Goodman found Randall Petersen guilty of conducting a fraudulent insurance scheme that involved the theft of several hundred thousand dollars of commissions and bonuses from American National Insurance Company and Liberty National Insurance Company.
Petersen filed an appeal and a motion for post-trial release, which would have allowed him to stay out of jail awaiting the outcome of the appeal. Judge Goodman denied the motion for post-trial release. The appellate court reversed and remanded the post-trial release motion back to Goodman for reconsideration. He can grant the post-trial release, or again deny with specific reasoning. The decision by the appeals court has no impact on Petersen’s conviction appeal.
In the scheme in which Petersen was convicted. he advertised job opportunities on the internet for College Consultants of the Gulf Coast, and induced hundreds of applicants to provide information for life insurance that he and his associates described as free job benefits.
The prosecutor, Assistant State Attorney Russ Edgar, showed that College Consultants was not a real company and Petersen merely used the information from the job applicants to complete life insurance applications that he submitted to the insurance companies. The companies paid Petersen advance commissions, which were as much as 130% of the first year premiums, and bonuses.
Before the companies realized the insureds were not employees, Petersen had obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of commissions and bonuses and let the policies lapse for nonpayment.
Petersen was sentenced to eight years in prison followed by seven years probation.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
March 1, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending February 25 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Manning checked an individual fishing with a cast net at the 12th Avenue Bridge which is over Bayou Texar. Officer Manning spoke to the subject and asked how he was doing and how many mullet he had caught. The subject replied that he knew he had over 50 and was just trying to make some money. The subject did not have a commercial fishing license. The subject was in possession of 315 mullet, while the daily bag limit is 50. Officer Manning issued a notice to appear citation to the subject for over the bag limit of mullet. The fish were seized as evidence.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Hutchinson was working after sunset targeting illegal hunting activity. Approximately 30 minutes after legal shooting hours had ended, he heard a shot from a rifle directly south of his location. Officer Hutchinson walked towards the location where the shot came from and discovered that the gate at the edge of the field was open. Using his binoculars, he observed a subject at the south end of the field shining a flashlight near a deer feeder. He made contact with the subject who later admitted to shooting at deer after legal shooting hours in the moonlight. The subject claimed that he hit the deer when he shot at it but was unable to locate it. When asked why he shot after legal shooting hours, the subject said that he was trying to kill, before anyone else, a big buck that he saw on a game camera. The subject was issued a notice to appear for attempting to take game after legal shooting hours. The deer was not recovered.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Gov. Scott Asks Obama For Federal Disaster Declaration
March 1, 2016
Gov Rick Scott has requested that President Obama issue an emergency declaration, after touring damage in the Panhandle last week caused by severe storms. The declaration would provide federal aid to help Escambia and Santa Rosa counties recover.
The request could provide up to $5 million in emergency assistance.
Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott speaks with a resident of Front Street last week. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Juvenile Detention Cost Split Moves Forward
March 1, 2016
A Senate committee Monday continued moving forward with a plan aimed at ending years of legal fights with counties — including Escambia and Santa Rosa — about sharing juvenile-detention costs.
But Senate sponsor Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said a key will be getting all counties subject to the costs to agree to drop litigation and create a “clean slate.” Latvala told the Senate Rules Committee that all but two counties have agreed to such a condition, though he did not identify the counties.
Monday’s approval by the Rules Committee prepares the bill (SB 1322) to go to the full Senate. The bill would restructure the cost-sharing system for juvenile detention costs, leading to a 50-50 split between counties and the state. The legal fights in recent years have centered on arguments that the state has shifted too much of the tab for juvenile detention to the counties. The effect of the bill is that counties would pay a total of $42.5 million during the upcoming 2016-17 fiscal year, down from $54.3 million this year, according to a Senate staff analysis.
The dispute affects 38 counties. The remaining 29 counties are considered “fiscally constrained” and aren’t required to contribute to juvenile-detention costs.
by the News Service of Florida
Human Remains Indentified As Missing Santa Rosa Man
March 1, 2016
Human remains found last Wednesday at clay pits in Milton are those of a Milton man that had been listed as missing for about a month.
The remains were identified to be those of Brad Christopher Mathews, 37, from Milton. Mathews was listed as missing-endangered in early January and there has been an active investigation since that time, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
The cause of death remains under investigation by the State Medical Examiner’s Office. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Seahawks Top NHS
March 1, 2016
The Northview Lady Chiefs lost a hard fought game to the South Walton Seahawks Monday night at South Walton 5-4.
Tori Herrington pitched seven innings, striking out nine while allow three hits, five runs, two walks and zero errors.
Northview hitters: Aubree Love 1-3 with 2 RBI’s, Laurie Purdy 1-4 with an RBI, Kendall Enfinger 1-4 with a run, Jamia Newton 1-4 with a run, Lydia Smith 1-3 with a run. Daphne Young also scored a run.
Northview will travel to Freeport next to play the Bulldogs Tuesday March 1 at 5:30.