Escambia Man Gets Life For Shooting Jogger In The Face
October 2, 2015
Roosevelt Bonner, Jr. was sentenced Thursday by Circuit Judge Ross Goodman to life in state prison for attempted first degree premeditated murder. He was sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender and under Florida’s 10-20-Life statute. His life sentence will be served day for day without the possibility of parole.
On August 22, 2014 the victim was jogging on Avery Street when he was approached by Bonner, He asked the victim a question but the victim did not understand what Bonner was asking so he kept jogging. The victim is Vietnamese and does not speak English. A few blocks down the road, Bonner approached the victim once again, pointing a gun to his face and firing one shot in the victim’s cheek.
Bonner was located by law enforcement the next day at the Kangaroo Express on Mobile Highway. Located in the bathroom trash can was a .32 caliber handgun. DNA testing revealed Bonner’s DNA on the pistol. Ballistic testing matched that firearm to the casing recovered at the scene of the crime. Three days after the shooting, the victim identified Bonner in a photo lineup.
Ernest Ward Beats Atmore
October 2, 2015
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles defeated the Eagles of Escambia County Middle School (Atmore) Thursday, 44-20.
Ernest Ward improved to a perfect 6-0 on the year with the win.
Ernest Ward will host W.S. Neal next Thursday, October 8 at 6 p.m. in Walnut Hill.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Faces Up To Life For Kidnapping, Firearm Charges
October 2, 2015
Aki Rashaad Henderson was convicted by an Escambia county jury on September 30 of armed Burglary with a firearm, armed kidnapping with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm, and shooting into a building.
On November 3, 2014, the victim was sitting in his vehicle at his residence when Henderson pulled open his car door and hit him in the face with a firearm. Henderson told the victim to take him inside the house or he would “blow his brains out.” When Henderson forced the victim into his house at gunpoint, the victim slammed Henderson’s arm in the door. At that time, Henderson fired one shot toward the victim and fled the scene. The victim was later able to identify HJenderson in a photo lineup as the suspect.
Circuit Judge Michael Jones scheduled Henderson to be sentenced on October 14. Henderson is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of 23 years with the possibility of life in state prison. Henderson will be required to serve at least 23 years of his prison sentence, day for day, without the possibility of gain time or parole.
Today Is Deadline To Enter Northview Homecoming Parade
October 2, 2015
Today is the deadline to enter the annual Northview High School Homecoming Parade. The parade has been set for Friday, October 9.
The parade will line up at noon and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here. Entries are due by October 2.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 for more information.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 9 against Liberty County.
Pictured: A float in the 2014 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Northview, Laurel Hill Split Volleyball Games
October 2, 2015
In high school volleyball Thursday at Laurel Hill, the Laurel Hill varsity defeated Northview 3-0, while the Northview junior varsity beat Laurel Hill 2-0.
Varsity 23-25, 12-25, 11-25 Laurel Hill wins
JV 26-24, 25-22 Northview wins
File photo.
Ransom Middle Placed On Lockdown
October 1, 2015
Ransom Middle School in Cantonment was placed on a precautionary lockdown for a short time period Thursday due to a suspicious person.
A school district official said the school’s resource officer spotted the “out of place” person on the campus and the lockdown was initiated. The person was checked out, and the lockdown was lifted.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the person had entered the campus to deliver something to a survey crew member that was legitimately working on campus.
One Injured In Highway 29, Old Chemstrand Crash
October 1, 2015
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash about 6 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Highway 29 and Old Chemstrand Road. The victim was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life threatening. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded to the wreck. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Century Health And Hope Clinic Shuts Down Due To Lack Of Funding
October 1, 2015
The Health and Hope Clinic in Century closed Wednesday due to a lack of funding, leaving the medically needy in the Century area with little, or perhaps no, access to health care.
“It’s a sad, sad day for the area,” Bob Greene, Health and Hope board of directors member, said. “We hope and pray that this is temporary, but we just don’t have the funding to keep it open at this time and help those inneed in the area. That was our mission. We have high hopes that we can return.”
The Health and Hope Clinic opened in October 2011 in the old Escambia County Health Department building at 501 Church Street in Century. It was the second location for the clinic, which was first established in Pensacola back in 2003 by the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association to meet the needs of uninsured and medically underserved in Escambia County. The clinic was entirely volunteer and donor supported.
Sara Davey, also a member of the Health and Hope board, said the group needs about $30,000 in donations to operate the Century clinic for one year.
“We also had problems getting medical professionals willing to volunteer their time in Century,” she said, “mostly because of the time and distance. At times, we had to pay a provider for Century.” The Pensacola Health and Hope Clinic still relies on volunteer doctors, nurse practitioners and other licensed professionals.
Billy Ward of Bogia volunteered several years at the Century Health and Hope Clinic where part of his volunteer job was tracking services provided. The Century Clinic saw 317 patient/provider visits in 2013, 501 in 2014 and had recorded 354 patient visits for 2015 through Wednesday, he said.
“We were able to see a lot of people with a real need,” Ward added.
Century Health and Hope patients will be able to receive services from the Pensacola clinic by appointment. For more information, patients should call (850) 479-4456.
“But I am really worried about some of them. They could barely find transportation to get here (to Century),” Ward said. “I don’t know how they are going to get to Pensacola.”
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
New Florida Laws Begin
October 1, 2015
It is now illegal to post sexually explicit material without the knowledge of people identified in the images, and criminal penalties increased to try to help curb sex trafficking, as 27 new Florida laws hit the books Thursday.
The bulk of the 232 bills signed by Gov. Rick Scott out of the 2015 legislative session went into effect July 1.
But the new laws taking effect will, in part, let municipalities expand where golf carts can be driven, further spell out the requirements when judges issue “no contact” orders and make it illegal to place tracking devices on other people’s property without their consent.
Here are some of the laws that will take effect Thursday:
“REVENGE PORN”
— SB 538 makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to “sexually cyberharass” by posting sexually explicit images of other people without their consent.
The measure, addressing an issue that has become known as “revenge porn,” is not as strong as sponsors initially sought, with it requiring the uploaded information to include “personal identification information,” such as the name or other information, of the person depicted.
Senate sponsor David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, said during the session that the final product creates a “foothold” into the issue. “We’re doing the best we can, but we’re not doing all we can,” Simmons said.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
—- SB 342 makes clear that when a judge imposes a “no contact” condition as part of a person’s pretrial release, the order is effective immediately and enforceable for the duration of pretrial release.
The measure, which could help protect domestic-violence victims, also spells out that other than through an attorney, the “no contact” prohibition means contact cannot take place in person, through a telephone, electronically or through a third person.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
— HB 465 increases criminal penalties for people who solicit others to commit prostitution. The penalty will go from a second-degree misdemeanor to a first degree misdemeanor on a first offense. A second offense will increase from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.
People convicted of solicitation will also have to perform 100 hours of community service and complete an educational program about the negative effects of prostitution and human trafficking. A judge can also impound a person’s vehicle if the solicitation sentence includes at least 60 days in jail.
The state during the past few years has tried to crack down on human trafficking, which often involves victims being forced to work as prostitutes.
— HB 467 and HB 469 create public-records exemptions that protect the identity of human-trafficking victims and shield the location of safe houses for victims of sexual exploitation.
HIGHWAY SAFETY
— HB 7055 includes a number f transportation-related changes — known as a legislative “train.”
In part, the measure will allow golf carts to be driven on two-lane county roads if approved by municipalities; require an 18-inch square, red flag on all loads that jut out more than four feet form the back of vehicles; increase the fine from $100 to $500 for a violation of unlawfully displaying vehicles for sale, hire, or rental; and let certified emergency-medical technicians with proper training administer emergency allergy treatment.
Among other things, the law also will allow the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to pay up to $5,000 of the costs of funerals and burials for law-enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
— HB 197 makes it a second-degree misdemeanor for a person to install a tracking device or tracking application on another person’s property without the other person’s consent. The measure doesn’t apply to law-enforcement officers during investigations, the parents or guardians of minors or caregivers of certain elderly or disabled adults.
— HB 201 requires the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to establish an online training program for law officers about diabetic emergencies.
— SB 1010 makes it illegal to impersonate a firefighter or a fire or arson investigator.
HEALTH CARE
—HB 889 changes the health-care surrogate law so people can designate health-care surrogates to act on their behalf while the people are still competent and able to make decisions. However, if still deemed competent, the individuals’ decisions top any contrary decisions of the surrogates.
The bill also will allow parents or legal guardians of minors to name surrogates to act for the minors if the parents or legal guardians cannot be timely contacted to make medical decisions, which includes dental examination and treatment.
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLITY
— HB 115 requires judge to order public officials to make restitution and perform 250 hours of community service when found misusing their positions.
Senate Could Drop Confederate Flag From Seal
October 1, 2015
State senators are scheduled next week to begin considering whether to keep the Confederate flag on the Senate’s official seal, another sign of a growing national tide against icons of the South’s rebellion in the 1860s.
The Senate Rules Committee will meet Oct. 8 to begin re-examining the current emblem of the chamber. Under Senate rules, the seal includes “a fan of the five flags which have flown over Florida” — those of the United States, Confederate States of America, France, Great Britain and Spain.
But there has been a growing backlash against Confederate symbols since June, when a man with white supremacist views opened fire at an African-American church in Charleston, S.C., killing nine people. Since then, Southern states including Florida have wrestled with how to reconcile past commemorations of “the lost cause” with shifting feelings about race and the meaning of the Civil War.
While many Southerners view displays of the Confederate banner as recognition of their ancestors’ military service and sacrifice, African-Americans and others see flying the flag as an endorsement of the brutal, slave-driven economy that was a central issue in the war.
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, requested in June that the committee consider whether the seal should be changed. In a memo, Gardiner did not specifically point to the Confederate flag, but wrote about how views on symbols can transform over time.
“The current Senate seal and coat of arms were first adopted in rule in 1973,” Gardiner wrote. “Florida has certainly changed a great deal since the early seventies. Just as our state seal has been revised over time, I believe a periodic review of our legislative insignia would be beneficial.”
In a separate letter to Rules Chairman David Simmons, Joyner called explicitly for “the removal of the Confederate flag from the official Senate seal.”
Gardiner asked Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, to have a recommendation ready when the next regular legislative session begins in January. Any change to the Senate seal would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
Other legislative efforts dealing with the flag are also underway. A pair of bills (SB 154 and HB 243) — sponsored by Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, and Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg — would seek to ban government buildings or properties from displaying any flag used by the Confederacy during its 1860 to 1865 rebellion.
Legislative leaders have not yet scheduled either bill for a committee hearing.
Lawmakers could also consider legislation to replace a statue of Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, whose likeness is one of two sculptures that represent the state in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
And the argument about how to commemorate Confederate military service has continued elsewhere. The Sons of Confederate Veterans has pushed unsuccessfully to get soldiers who fought against the Union admitted to the Florida Veterans’ Hall of Fame.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida