Tate High Graduate Halee (Boyd) Bush Passes Away From Cancer
October 28, 2015
Tate High School graduate Halee (Boyd) Bush lost her battle with cancer Tuesday. She recently turned 21.
Over the past few years, we ran numerous stories about Halee’s battle with cancer, her never ending will and the community’s love and support for her.
Halee fought Alevola Rhabdomyosarcoma , ARMS for short, a rare cancer of the muscles that are attached to the bones. There are only a few hundred new cases per year in the U.S. The prognosis is usually every poor.
In April 2012 Halee Boyd on top of the world as a junior at Tate High School. She was recently named next year’s Beta Club president, involved with the Interact Club and looking forward to graduation just a year away. She started having severe headaches, followed by blurry and double vision. Within 10 days her right eye was swollen, and the Boyds headed to a hospital emergency room. On April 29, 2012, they learned she had a tumor.
At that point, the hardest part for Halee was not being in her daily routine of school at Tate.
“I miss being in my classes and my teachers and being surrounded by my Tate family, being social and going to events,” Halee said from Shands Children’s Hospital a month after the diagnosis. “I love my school and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I miss my friends, being able to see them every day and talking to them. I miss going out with them, but most of all I miss them being normal because now that I have cancer everything feels different.”
For her 18th birthday, Halee ’s wish to see and meet country star Miranda Lambert in concert in Orange Beach came true, even if she did have to make the trip in an ambulance.
“She’s got a little cancer, y’all, but she’s the strongest girl I’ve ever met. She’s beautiful. She came here, she’s in her hospital bed rockin’ her ass off…there she is,” country star Miranda Lambert said during her concert. She then led thousands in singing to Halee.
“Happy birthday dear Halee; happy birthday to you,” Lambert, the CMA’s female vocalist of the year, sang. “You’re awesome and beautiful…she’s so cool,” she said.
Halee responded with her all so familiar smile.
Tate High School rallied behind Halee, as did the North Escambia community. There were numerous fund raisers and numerous events held for her and her family. She led the Survivor’s Lap at the 2013 Greater Escambia Relay for Life.
She was hospitalized and unable to graduate with her beloved Tate High School Class of 2013. Her classmates all wore gold ribbons in her honor.
In November 2013, the Make-A-Wish Foundation provided Halee and her family with a dream trip to Paris. And in June 2014, she realized her goal of graduating from Tate. In April 2015, she married Sid Bush of Jay.
“It’s about the fight; it’s about never giving up.” — Haylee (Boyd) Bush, Relay For Life at Tate High School, May 3, 2013.
Pictured top left: Halee (Boyd) Bush reacts after learning that she had been presented with a Make-A-Wish Foundation trip to Paris. Pictured top right, top inset and below: Halee celebrating her 18th birthday with country star Miranda Lambert. Pictured bottom inset: Haylee talks about living with cancer during a Relay for Life event at Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Northview High Teacher Barry Receives Governor’s Shine Award
October 28, 2015
During a meeting of Florida’s Cabinet on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott presented his Governor’s Shine Awards to four outstanding educators, including Northview High School teacher Anna Barry.
Barry was named the Escambia County Teacher of the Year. She teaches world history and honors world history at Northview. Barry is a product of the Escambia County School systems, from kindergarten at Bratt Elementary School, to Ernest Ward Middle School through gradation from Northview in 2000.
Barry received a bachelor of science degree in health education and went on to become professionally certified in several areas. She has taught for 10 years — two years at Ernest Ward and eight years at Northview. She also works together with other teachers to improve the educational experience of students.
Pictured top: Northview teacher Anna Barry (third from right) and three other teachers were honored Tuesday by the Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Cabinet. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
“We are thankful for the commitment of our teachers to help students receive the best education possible in Florida. It is an honor to present four outstanding educators with the Governor’s Shine Award today and I look forward to seeing their continued success in the classroom,” Scott said.
Anti-Gambling Group Wants Florida Voters To Decide About Casinos
October 28, 2015
An anti-gambling group wants to give voters the ability to decide whether Florida should have non-tribal casinos, but the preliminary fate of the proposed constitutional amendment rests in a Supreme Court decision about slot machines at a Gadsden County horse track.
A newly-formed political committee called “Voters in Charge” announced Tuesday it has started a petition-gathering process, with an eye on getting a proposal on the 2018 ballot. If approved, the “Voter Control of Gambling” constitutional amendment would require future statewide votes to authorize casino-style games including blackjack, craps and roulette.
The amendment would take away the Legislature’s ability to approve casinos in Florida but would not affect tribal operations, which are regulated by federal law.
The committee is aiming to collect the requisite 68,314 signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review by the end of the year. But whether or not Voters in Charge intends to pursue a ballot initiative ultimately rests with the court’s decision in another case, according to committee chairman John Sowinski.
“We view this as an insurance policy, frankly,” Sowinski said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
The Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether a horse track in the Gadsden County community of Gretna, which originally received its pari-mutuel license for rodeo-style barrel racing, can have slot machines.
The case centers on a 2009 law establishing eligibility for slot machines at pari-mutuels, an expansion of a 2004 voter-approved constitutional amendment that authorized slots at seven existing horse and dog tracks and jai-alai frontons in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The 2009 change allowed a Hialeah track, which wasn’t operating at the time the amendment was approved, to also operate the lucrative one-armed bandits.
The 2009 law also expanded eligibility for slots to include facilities in “any other county … pursuant to a statutory or constitutional authorization after the effective date of this section in the respective county.” The law went into effect July 1, 2010.
The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled earlier this month that Gretna Racing, operated by the Poarch Creek Indians of Atmore, cannot have slots without legislative approval.
The case has implications for several other counties — Brevard, Lee, Hamilton, Palm Beach, and Washington — where voters have approved referendums authorizing slots at local pari-mutuels. A nearly identical case is pending in the 4th District Court of Appeal, where the Palm Beach Kennel Club is also challenging the Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s denial of its application for slot machines.
In the Gadsden County case, the Supreme Court could allow Gretna to operate slots without legislative approval or decide that the Legislature must approve the slots. Or the court could rule that the expansion of slots at pari-mutuels outside of Broward and Miami-Dade counties requires another constitutional change.
Sowinski said his group wants “to have a ready weapon” with the ballot proposal in case the Supreme Court decides that no constitutional action is necessary for pari-mutuels outside of the two South Florida counties to add slots.
“We want to be positioned and ready so if there is a court decision that does not affirm that the people have the final say on this, that they’ve got an amendment that makes it abundantly clear on the ballot,” Sowinski said.
The ballot initiative comes after lawmakers have repeatedly failed to sign off on “destination resorts” pushed by out-of-state casinos. Gambling giant Las Vegas Sands recently abandoned its efforts in Florida.
Voters In Charge is backed by No Casinos, a group supported by Disney World, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and a variety of tourism-related groups. Sowinski is also the president of No Casinos.
The ballot initiative could also be viewed as a shot across the bow as negotiations over a deal with the Seminole Tribe heat up.
Gov. Rick Scott’s chief lawyer, Tim Cerio, is working with Republican House and Senate leaders to craft a new agreement with the Seminoles. A deal expired earlier this summer that gave the tribe exclusive rights to operate banked card games like blackjack at most of its casinos.
According to sources close to the talks, the new pact would allow the tribe to have craps and roulette and also would permit the Palm Beach County greyhound track to add slots. That would be banned without statewide approval under the proposal floated by Voters in Charge.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Three Jail Locations Discussed At Escambia Town Hall Meeting
October 28, 2015
Escambia County held a special town hall meeting Tuesday to present three proposed sites for a new jail to the public and answer questions.
The county is considered three sites for the new Escambia County Jail: the Palafox and Airport Boulevard site, the Brent Lane site, and the Mid-town Commerce site.
The Board of County Commissioners is expected to vote on the jail site on Thursday, November 12, at 5 p.m., during a specially-called Board meeting.
Pictured: A town hall meeting was held Tuesday night in Pensacola to discuss three potential sites for a new Escambia County Jail. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gas Prices Drop Below $2 In North Escambia
October 28, 2015
Gas prices have finally fallen below $2 a gallon in North Escambia, with several Cantonment stations at $1.99 or even $1.98 on Tuesday. Across the Escambia County area, gas prices in the area are dipping again and should fall further by the end of the year, according to AAA.
Gas prices had inched up in recent weeks, partly because routine maintenance at refineries shrunk supplies. Normal production resumed last week at many refineries.
On Monday, the price of regular unleaded in Escambia County averaged $2.08 per gallon, down 11 cents from a week earlier. It was 86 cents cheaper than a year ago.
The national average currently sits at $2.20 per gallon, the lowest price since February.
Picturd: A gallon of regular unleaded was down to $1.99 Tuesday on Highway 29 in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Road Closures
October 28, 2015
Road closures are planned this week as follows:
Pine Forest Road in Walnut Hill is set to be closed through Thursday, November 4 at 4:30 p.m. for railroad crossing repairs. Drivers may detour on Rockaway Creek and Pelt Roads.
Highway 168 will experience single lane closures on the Hobbs Branch Bridge (between Pine Barren Road and Wiggins Road) through Wednesday, November 25. Lane closures will be from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
North Pineville Road work has been canceled.
Work may be rescheduled or prolonged due to inclement weather. Any updates will be posted on NorthEscambia.com.
Molino Park Elementary Heads Back To The 50’s (Photo Gallery)
October 28, 2015
Students at Molino Park Elementary School went back to the 50’s Tuesday to celebrate the 50th day of the school year.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa Deputies Pay Special Visit To Jay Elementary
October 28, 2015
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office paid a special visit to Jay Elementary School Tuesday to teach students about bullying and stranger danger. Major Bob Johnson also took the time to read to students. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Arrest Made In July Triple Murder
October 27, 2015
An arrest has been made in a triple murder that was said at the time to be related to witchcraft.
Donald Wayne Hartung, 58, was arrested Tuesday on three counts of first degree premeditated murder. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
He is charged will the brutal murder of his mother Voncile Smith, 77, and two half brothers John William Smith, 47, and Richard Thomas Smith, 49. They were found dead in their Deerfield Drive home on July 31. All three were beaten with a claw hammer and their throats slit, and Richard Smith was also shot in the head.
The arrest was announced Tuesday afternoon by Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan at a press conference.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said his office will seek the death penalty in the case.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division, in partnership with the Florida Department Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Attorney were able to use forensic and other evidence leading to Hartung’s arrest.
Morgan said FDLE processed a very large amount of evidence for the Sheriff’s Office, with it taking some five days to process the crime scene.
Eddins said the crime scene was “one of the most complicated that I have seen in my career”.
At a press conference shortly after the murders, Morgan said witchcraft may have been involved in the killings. Tuesday, he said that witchcraft was still “in play”, but it would be up to prosecutors to determine the motive.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan and State Attorney Bill Eddins at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
School Bus Involved In Ensley Crash
October 27, 2015
[Update 3 pm] At least one person was injured in a crash between a school bus and a vehicle Tuesday morning on Highway 29 at Detroit Boulevard.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 81-year old Robert W Kilpatrick of Pace was westbound on Detroit Boulevard in a 2009 Pontiac Vibe when he turned into the path of a northbound 2007 school bus driven by 67-year old Harold R. Haile of Cantonment. There were no students on the bus at the time of the crash.
Kilpartrick was transported by Escambia County EMS to to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Haile and an another adult on the bus, 20-year old Telsha Gable, received minor injuries.
Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation, according to the FHP.
NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photos by various readers, including Whitney Harris and Melody Johnson, click to enlarge.
