Parker Named West Florida Volleyball MVP, Wall Of Fame Member
December 3, 2015
Brianna Parker of Walnut Hill has been named as West Florida High School’s Most Valuable varsity volleyball player, and she has been named to the school’s Volleyball Wall of Fame. Parker was ace leader for the Jaguars with 46, kill leader with 121 (35.2%), and block leader with 92. She was also named to the 9th Annual Subway High School All-Star Volleyball team. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Looks To Divert Mentally Ill From Criminal Justice System
December 3, 2015
.A House panel on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill aimed at keeping Floridians with mental illnesses out of the criminal-justice system.
The House Children, Families & Seniors Subcommittee supported the measure (HB 439), filed by Rep. Charles McBurney, R-Jacksonville, that would create a statewide framework for counties to offer treatment-based mental health courts.
Many counties have mental-health courts, but they have varying eligibility and program requirements.
The bill would also establish a pilot program in Duval, Broward and Miami-Dade counties to serve offenders who have mental illnesses and are at risk of being sent to state forensic hospitals or placed behind bars.
And it would widen the pool of veterans and service members who are eligible for veterans’ courts by including those with general discharges.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance told the committee.
McBurney proposed a similar measure in the 2015 session. It passed the House 113-1, but died in the Senate Appropriations Committee after the House adjourned the session early.
“People with serious mental-health problems are causing great problems with our criminal justice system,” McBurney said Wednesday. “And it’s severely breaking down our criminal justice system.”
A legislative bill analysis said as many as 125,000 adults with mental illnesses or substance-use disorders “that require immediate treatment” are arrested and booked into Florida jails each year. Between 2002 and 2010, the number of Florida inmates with mental illnesses or substance-use disorders increased from 8,000 to 17,000. By 2020, the number is expected to reach 35,000.
And of the 150,000 juveniles referred to the state Department of Juvenile Justice each year, more than 70 percent have at least one mental health disorder.
“It’s not appropriate that our jails or prisons be our number-one mental health facility,” McBurney said after the vote.
Mark Fontaine, executive director of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association, said the use of specialized courts such as those in McBurney’s bill has already proved successful.
“For years, the drug courts have been a very successful option,” he said. “And advancing the mental-health courts and the veterans courts is only a win for the state, it’s a win for the communities and it’s a win for the people that are struggling with their mental-health condition.”
The bill faces two more committees, as does its Senate companion (SB 604), filed by Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami. McBurney and Diaz de la Portilla chair their chambers’ judiciary committees.
House Children, Families & Seniors Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, pointed to the bill’s estimated cost — $4.5 million — and suggested that diverting people from jails would save the counties some money.
“Is there any of thought of having, perhaps, the counties, since they’re going to be saving some money, participating in the cost of the treatment?” she asked.
The bill “probably will have some impact on county jails,” McBurney agreed. “However, when running this by the (Florida) Supreme Court (mental health) task force … they felt that it (asking counties to share the costs) would greatly hamper in trying to build these programs. And so I’m deferring to their expertise, at least for the time being. But I’m certainly open to it.”
Chief Judge Mark Mahon of the 4th Judicial Circuit, a former lawmaker, said the measure would be “fiscally responsible” for both the state and the counties in the long run.
“But it’s also the humane and right thing to do, to get these people who have serious mental health issues out of the worst place in the world for treatment,” Mahon said.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Molino’s Gilmore Girls Featured On Magazine Cover
December 3, 2015
The cover of this month’s FloridAgriculture magazine from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation features two local children know as the Gilmore Girls. They are the daughters of Carla Gilmore and Jacob Gilmore, granddaughters of Ronnie and Debbie Debra Gilmore. The picture was taken by Abbie Seales Rolph at Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Authorities Searching For Wanted Sexual Predator
December 3, 2015
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a sexual predator on the run.
Roy Allen Stokes, 38, is wanted for two counts of sexual assault on a minor less than 18. He is described as a white male, 170 pounds, 5-feet 11-inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes.
Stokes is a designated sexual predator due to a 1998 conviction for the sexual battery of a victim under 12.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact Santa Rosa Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP or call their local law enforcement agency.
Highway 29 Traffic Stop Leads To Recovery Of Gun, Marijuana
December 3, 2015
A traffic stop on Highway 29 led to the arrest of a man with drugs and a firearm, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies stopped 27-year old Treneipher Demetrius Kirkland for speeding. During the traffic stop, the deputy found a .45 caliber handgun and about 67 grams of marijuana in the vehicle. Kirkland was charged with felony possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.
He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
Schools Evacuated Due To Reported Gas Leaks
December 2, 2015
Reported gas leaks led to the evacuation of two Escambia County Schools this morning.
A gas leak at West Florida High School just after 9 a.m. led to an evacuation. The leak was traced to a heating system boiler in the Cosmetology Building.
About 10:45 a.m., Brown Barge Middle School in Pensacola was evacuated due to reported gas smell outside near a portable building close to the school cafeteria. The leak was traced to a service line on a roof.
Bomb Threats Received Against Two Greyhound Buses
December 2, 2015
Bomb threats were received against two Greyhound buses that departed Mobile this morning, but no explosive devices were found when the buses were searched.
One bus was searched at the Greyhound Bus Station on Burgess Road at Highway 29 in Pensacola. A bomb sniffing dog checked out the bus after passengers were evacuated and cleared.
The second bus was stopped in Conecuh County, AL, and moved to the Evergreen, AL, airport to await the arrival of a bomb team from Montgomery. No explosives were found.
The incidents remain under investigation by numerous agencies.
Getting Healthier: New Paved Walking Path Planned For Walnut Hill
December 2, 2015
Residents of the Walnut Hill area will soon have a new paved walking path to help them stay healthy.
The Escambia County Commission and the Escambia County School Board have reached a 25-year agreement to allow the construction of the path near the Walnut Hill Community Center (also known as the Ruritan Building) on Highway 97, just north of Ernest Ward Middle School.
The asphalt walking path will be exactly one-quarter mile in length and will be a eight feet wide. The path will be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Benches and picnic tables will also be installed along walking path.
The property belongs to the Escambia County School Board, while the community walking path will be constructed by Escambia County Parks and Recreation under the agreement. At last report, the path could be completed by spring.
NorthEscambia.com photo/graphic.
Trial Postponed For Century Double Shooting Suspect
December 2, 2015
An Escambia County Judge on Tuesday approved a continuance in the trial of a Century shooting suspect.
Brian Keith Sanders is charged with two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, firing a weapon into a vehicle and criminal mischief. Tuesday, Judge Terry Terrell granted a motion for a continuance in the case, with Sanders now due back in court in early February.
Sanders allegedly fired into a vehicle at Jefferson Avenue and Mayes Street in Century on March 26. The vehicle was found with the driver’s side window apparently shot out.
Two victims were transported by private vehicle to Jay Hospital with gunshot wounds to their shoulder or upper-arm areas. They were treated and released.
Sanders was taken into custody about a month later in the parking lot of the Wind Creek Casino in Atmore and extradited back to Florida to face trial. Sanders, who is also facing numerous drug charges from an unrelated case, remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $141,000.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Boil Water Notice: Bristol Park, Devine Farms Subdivision
December 2, 2015
UPDATE 12/4/15 — The Precautionary Boil Water Notice (PBWN) issued by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) on Tuesday for the Bristol Park and Devine Farms Subdivisions has been lifted.
A Precautionary Boil Water Notice (PBWN) has been issued by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) for the Bristol Park and Devine Farms subdivisions following utility construction work in the area.
Residents located in the specified PBWN area are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use 8 drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water, for water to be used for drinking of cooking purposes.
Two independent bacteriological samples have been initiated and the advisory will be lifted as soon as possible. This process routinely takes 48 hours. Precautionary Boil Water Notices are issued as a part of the standard protocol following any loss of water pressure, whether as a result of planned maintenance activities or unscheduled repairs. Precautionary boil water notice guidelines are available on the ECUA website at www.ecua.fl.gov.