Cantonment Man Convicted Of Sexual Assault, Carjacking; Faces Up To Life In Prison
August 8, 2015
A Cantonment carjacking and sexual assault suspect has been found guilty in Escambia County Circuit Court. He now faces up to life in prison when sentenced next month.
Eddie Lee Atkins, age 27 of 622 Muscogee Road, was convicted Friday by an Escambia County Jury of sexual battery with force likely to cause serious bodily injury, attempted sexual battery with force likely to cause serious bodily injury, burglary of a conveyance with assault and battery and carjacking without a weapon for two separate attacks on September 18, 2014. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said DNS evidence linked Atkins to both crimes.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., a carjacking was reported at the Raceway gas station at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road. The 55-year old victim went inside the store to make a purchase and pay for gasoline. After she pumped her gas, she found that Atkins had allegedly entered her unlocked vehicle and concealed himself in the backseat. The victim did not see Atkins and drove away from the store with him in the vehicle.
Atkins ordered the victim to drive to a particular location and when she disobeyed his orders, he jumped in the front seat and began beating her multiple times in the face. Finally, the victim was able to stop the car, at which time Atkins pushed her out and stole the car.
Within 20 minutes, the stolen vehicle was located at the intersection of Pine Street and Booth Avenue. The second female victim was jogging past the area when Atkins attacked her and dragged her into the woods where he sexually battered and beat her.
A little more than 15 minutes later, the attempted sexual battery of a female jogger was reported on Rocky Avenue. The victim reported that as she was jogging when an unknown black male suspect grabbed her from behind and dragged her into awooded area. Once there he struck her in the face and attempted to remove her clothing but the victim fought back and was able to escape.
DNA evidence found inside the vehicle linked Eddie Lee Atkins to the crime. He was subsequently identified by the second victim in a photographic lineup.
Circuit Judge Jennie Kinsey scheduled Eddie Lee Atkins to be sentenced on September 1 at 1:30 p.m. at which time he is facing up to life in prison.
Atkins was released from prison in August 2013 and has a prior criminal history that includes robbery, two aggravated assaults, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Prosecutors will seek to have Atkins sentenced as a prison releasee reoffender.
Local Law Enforcement Supervisors Graduate From Florida Leadership Academy
August 8, 2015
The Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute announces the graduation today of 31 first-line supervisors from the Florida Leadership Academy. The graduates represent criminal justice agencies from across the state and serve in leadership roles within their agencies, including several local agencies.
Graduates learned skills necessary to support the needs of their agencies and the community as they prepared for future challenges during four weeks of training. Among the graduates were Correctional Officer Sergeant Steven Bailey of the Century Correctional Institution and Correctional Officer Sergeant Christie Martin of the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
Their accomplishments were highlighted by the Florida Department of Corrections. DOC Secretary Julie Jones said, “The Department is proud to recognize the achievements of Correctional Officer Sergeant Steven Bailey and Correctional Officer Sergeant Christie Martin. These officers have displayed exceptional leadership and the commitment to enhancing their skills and abilities to better lead the staff under their supervision.”
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan likewise recognized his deputies that graduated Friday. “The purpose of these professional development courses is to train and mentor our future leaders in law enforcement. We congratulate our graduates,” Morgan said. Graduates of the 33rd Class of the Florida Leadership Academy were:
- Steven Bailey — Century Correctional Institution
- Charles Dickin, II — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Phillip Folmar — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Robert Pollock — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Jeffrey Swanson — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Delarian Wiggins — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Christie Martin — Santa Rosa Correctional Institution
- William Dunsford, Jr. — Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Scott Jones — Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Jamey Kahalley — Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office
- James Reese — Pensacola Police Department
- Gary Biggs — Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
- Scott Lee — Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Sandra Fernland — Ocala Police Department
- Leroy V. Huyghue, III — Okaloosa County Corrections
- Lisa Roper — Okaloosa County Corrections
- Matthew Abbott — Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Donald “DJ” Folley — Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Jeremy Gilbert — Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
- John Merchant — Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
- Jared Hanna — Seminole County Sheriff’s Office
- Scott Brockew — Tarpon Springs Police Department
- William Curtis — Walton County Sheriff’s Office
- Joshua Martin — Walton County Sheriff’s Office
- Mark Wendel — Walton County Sheriff’s Office
- Sandra D. Fitzsimons — Florida Department of Financial Services
- David O’Dell — Florida Department of Financial Services
- Jeremiah Bortle — Florida Department of Law Enforcement
- Rachel Bryant — Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation
- Kent Harvey — Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
- Eddie Elmore — Florida Highway Patrol
Tate Showband Presents Preview Show (With Video)
August 8, 2015
The Tate High School Showband of the South presented a preview show of the 2015 halftime show Friday evening.
Video is below, courtesy of the Tate High School Showband of the South.
(If you do not see the video, it is because your work, school or home firewall is block YouTube videos.)
Incumbent Steven Barry Pre-files For District 5 Commissioner
August 8, 2015
Incumbent Steven Barry has pre-filed for Escambia County Commission District 5 as a Republican for the 2016 election. Barry has served one term on the commission.
“I have the utmost respect for the important trust that the citizens of Escambia County, District 5 in particular, have placed in me. I believe I have conducted myself and performed my public service in a manner the citizens can be proud of, and I humbly ask the voters of District 5 to support my re-election. I aspire to continue to work to help make Escambia County a vibrant community where anyone would love to live, work and play,” Barry said.
Barry is an independent certified financial planner and has operated his small business in District 5 for 15 years. He and his wife, Ellen, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in late October.
NHS Tribal Beat Band Presents Preview Show (With Gallery)
August 8, 2015
The Northview High School Tribal Beat Band presented a special preview of the 2015 halftime show Friday evening at Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Amerson, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: August To Do List
August 8, 2015
Here are gardening tips for the month of August from the UF/IFAS Extension program:
What to Plant
- Bedding Plants: The hottest days of summer limit planting now to heat tolerant vinca, gaillardia, bulbine, and coleus.
- Bulbs:Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, and spider lily can be planted any time of the year, even late summer.
- Herbs: Herbs that can be planted from plants (not seeds) include bay laurel, ginger,Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.
- Vegetables: This month starts the fall planting season. Many cool season crops can be planted now, including a final crop of warm-season vegetables such as pepper. Tomato can be planted for the fall garden.
- Lawn problems: Damaged areas can be the result of insects, disease, or irrigation problems. Be sure to determine the cause so the proper remedy is used. Use a sharp mower blade and only remove 1/3 of grass blade to reduce stress on the lawn.
- Palms: If older fronds are yellowing, you may have a magnesium or potassium deficiency. Apply an appropriate palm fertilizer.
- Poinsettias: Pinch back poinsettias and mums before the end of the month to allow time for buds to form for winter bloom.
- Ornamental Plants: Rapid growth and leaching rains may result in nutrient deficiencies in some plants. Fertilize those plants that show signs of deficiencies.
- Bedding Plants: Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the bloom season into the fall months.
- Adjust irrigation based on rainfall.
- Deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms.
- Monitor the garden for insects and disease.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials and water until established.
Wahoos Beat The B’ham Barons
August 8, 2015
You know things are going right for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos when your eighth and ninth hitters each jack solo homers over the left field wall and score three of the team’s five runs.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos designated hitter Sean Buckley scored twice on a solo home run and double and center fielder Beau Amaral scored once, smashing a solo shot and hitting a sharp grounder to third that scored Buckley.
The Blue Wahoos opened the five-game series Friday with the Birmingham Barons with a 5-3 victory in front of 4,422 at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
Buckley joked that he received a new shipment Friday of 34-inch, 32-ounce bats that helped him hit his second homer of the season.
“I got some new bats and think they were the key,” the 6-foot-3 Buckley said. “The pitcher (Tyler Danish) throws a lot of sinkers. I was looking for a sinker and put a good swing on it.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Buckley, the eighth hitter, and Amaral, the ninth hitter, came through for the Blue Wahoos Friday.
Buckley went 3-4 with two runs, a homer, a double and one RBI. Meanwhile, Amaral was 1-4 with the homer for an RBI and drove in Buckley in the eighth on a hard-hit grounder to Birmingham third baseman Nicky Delmonico that he could not corral.
“Buckley’s not your typical eight hitter,” Kelly said. “He hit three balls on the nose.”
The Blue Wahoos, who hit five extra base hits Friday, have a Southern League leading 112 extra base hits since July 1.
Pensacola had taken the lead, 4-3, in the seventh inning when left fielder Jesse Winker and first baseman Marquez Smith smacked back-to-back, two-out doubles. It put the Blue Wahoos ahead for the first time in the game.
Winker, who went 2-2 with a run scored and two walks, bounced his double off the left center wall. Smith then hit a chopper down the third base line that rolled into the left field corner.
Birmingham had gone back on top, 3-2, in the fifth inning when left fielder Marcus Lemon hit a bloop double to shallow left field just inside the foul line and scored on third baseman Nicky Delmonico’s ground out.
The Blue Wahoos also enjoyed seven strong innings from Daniel Wright who gave up three runs on five hits and struck out seven in seven innings. He improved to 8-8 with a 4.62 ERA.
Pensacola relievers Patrick Schuster and Zack Weiss ended the game with each striking out the side in their one innings of relief. Weiss now has a team-leading 16 saves and 45 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.
Kelly praised his starter for giving up just three runs in seven innings, including two in the first, and working out of a jam when he walked the first two batters who made it to second and third before Pensacola ended the threat.
“The whole key was him going seven innings and giving up three runs,” Kelly said.
Pensacola moved into just a half-game back of Southern League South Division second half leader the Mobile BayBears at 24-17 (49-60). Mobile is 24-16 in the second half.
10 Day Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Underway
August 7, 2015
Today is the first day of Florida’s 2015 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.
Due to the success of recent sales tax holidays, the tax-free holiday has been extended from its original three day period to ten full days of tax free shopping. During this period, no Florida sales tax will be collected on sales of clothing, footwear, and certain accessories with a selling price of $100 or less per item, on certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item, and on the first $750 of the sales price for computers and certain computer-related accessories when purchased for noncommercial home or personal use.
To view a complete list of exempted items for this year’s Tax-Free Holiday, click here.
Register Now For Escambia School District After-School Care
August 7, 2015
The first day of school is August 17. As parents get ready to return to their children to school, it’s time to make arrangements for after-school child car. Some Escambia schools offer their own program on-site while many others work with local program.. Registration for all on-site child care begins Monday, August 10, 2015.
“Our mission is to assist families by providing affordable, high quality child care on-site,” explained Aisha Adkison the ECSD School-Age child care coordinator. “Our schools’ points of contact, as well as the other agencies who work with us on our campuses, will be available to help families with the registration process starting next week. We all urge parents to make contact as early as possible, to help everyone plan for a smooth transition on the first day of school.”
Escambia County School District School-Age Child Care Registration Information
Registration Begins August 10, 2015
Locations and contacts (including both district programs and on-site community programs):
- Bellview Elementary School: School Phone: 941-6060, School-Age Child Care: 941-6064
- Bratt Elementary School: School Phone: 327-6137, School-Age Child Care: 327-4879
- Ensley Elementary School: School Phone: 494-5600, School-Age Child Care: 474-5336
- Global Learning Academy, School Phone: 430-7560, School-Age Child Care: 430-7561 ext. 7583
- McArthur Elementary School: School Phone: 494-5625, School-Age Child Care: 494-5628
CAMPFIRE BOYS AND GIRLS 476-1760 Longleaf Elementary School
CHILDHOOD DREAMS 572-1131 Navy Point Elementary School, Pleasant Grove Elementary School, and Myrtle Grove Elementary School.
CREATIVE LEARNING SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE 479-7814 Jim Allen Elementary School, Molino Park Elementary School, Cordova Park Elementary School. Beulah Elementary School, Lipscomb Elementary School, Blue Angels Elementary School, Pine Meadow Elementary School, Hellen Caro Elementary School, A.K. Suter Elementary School, and Scenic Heights Elementary School.
YOUNG MEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION (YMCA) 478-1222 Holm Elementary School, Sherwood Elementary School, West Pensacola, Ferry Pass Elementary School, N.B. Cook Elementary School, Brentwood Elementary School, Brown Barge Middle School, Bellview Middle School, Ferry Pass Middle School, Woodham Middle School, and Workman Middle School.
Community Heroes Spruce Up Atmore YMCA
August 7, 2015
Volunteers from the Ensley Lowes and the local community came together Thursday to spruce up the Atmore Area YMCA.
The Ensley Lowes selected the Atmore Area YMCA as their Community Hero Project for the year. Lowe’s Heroes is a company-wide volunteer initiative that offers Lowe’s employees the opportunity to work on a project in their own neighborhood, helping to make their communities better places to live, work and play.
The volunteers painted, added ceiling fans and updated restrooms at the Y.
Back in 2014, it was announced that the Atmore YMCA would close its doors due to a poor financial outlook. But within just a few weeks the Y announced the community had stepped forward with funding to keep the doors open. The Atmore YMCA has served Atmore and surrounding areas since June 1995. The Atmore YMCA currently has over 500 memberships representing about 1,250 members.
