Sheriff’s Office ‘Clean Sweeps’ Milestone Area
July 18, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office held a Clean Sweep operation this week in the Milestone area around 9½ Mile Road.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” was to work with local neighborhood watch members, residents, churches and business owners to control and prevent the damaging effects of criminal activity, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Volunteers also worked throughout the day to clean trash and debris from alongside neighborhood streets.
During the event, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office issued 11 traffic citations, once search warrant was executed and a seven sex offender addresses were verified. There were 30 code violations cited, and three tons of debris was removed. There were two arrests.
Fomer IRS Employee, Three Others Sentenced In Mail Fraud Scheme
July 18, 2015
Four Escambia County residents, including a former IRS tax examiner, have been sentenced to prison for conspiring to file false claims for payment in connection with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Recently, Rosa M. Bonner, 52, and Ariyanna S. Lampley, 33, were sentenced to 27 months and 48 months in prison respectively. This week, Jimmie A. McCorvey, 41, and Marcia D. McCorvey, 42, were sentenced to 72 months and 12 months and one day in prison respectively.
All defendants entered guilty pleas, admitting their participation in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The conspiracy involved the filing of false claims with the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (“GCCF”) alleging lost income as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill.
Between 2010 and 2012, the defendants agreed to have Jimmie McCorvey file false GCCF claims in their names and other names provided by Lampley, seeking more than $327,000 in payments for alleged lost earnings and profits as a result of the spill. Jimmie McCorvey fraudulently used Pensacola addresses to indicate that all claimants lived and worked in Pensacola. As a result of these false claims, GCCF paid $95,200 to the defendants.
Jimmie McCorvey, who was an IRS employee at the time, also admitted to conspiring with Lampley and others to prepare and file approximately 25 fraudulent federal income tax returns between 2009 and 2011, resulting in the issuance of more than $62,000 in tax refund checks.
The fraudulently obtained tax refund checks were deposited in bank accounts controlled by Lampley, who paid Jimmie McCorvey a portion of each check. Jimmie McCorvey also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft for fraudulently using other people’s identities in both schemes.
Scott: Escambia Area Added More Than 4,000 Jobs Over Year In June
July 18, 2015
Governor Rick Scott announced Friday that the Escambia County area again experienced positive annual job growth over the year in June 2015 with 4,100 new jobs. The metro area’s unemployment rate declined by 0.9 percentage point over the year, from 6.3 percent in June 2014 to 5.4 percent in June 2015. Florida businesses have added more than 896,000 private-sector jobs since December 2010.
Governor Scott said, “With 4,100 new jobs added over the year in June, more Floridians in the Pensacola area have the opportunity to provide for their families and fulfill their dreams. We will keep working to cut taxes, create jobs, and make Florida the best state for businesses and families to succeed.”
The industries with the largest job gains in the Pensacola metro area over the year were trade, transportation, and utilities with 1,100 new jobs and education and health services with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola metro area had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all metro areas in financial activities at 4.6 percent in June 2015. The Pensacola metro area had 5,982 online job openings in June 2015 and 1,153 openings for high wage, high skill science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations.
Florida created 12,200 private-sector jobs in June 2015, and a total of 896,900 private-sector jobs since December 2010. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate for June 2015 was 5.5 percent. In June, more than 33,200 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Escarosa and the state’s other 23 regional workforce boards.
Escambia, Santa Rosa Agencies Prep For Emergencies
July 18, 2015
A two-county activation meeting was held Friday at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. The meeting allowed public information, marketing and public relations representatives from various Escambia and Santa Rosa county agencies to review their emergency procedures in supporting local EOC’s and local media.
Pictured above: Dialogue on the importance of communication during an potential emergency and disaster. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Caregiver Arrested For Medicare Fraud
July 18, 2015
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with the assistance of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Friday arrested Gloria Michal’le Hardaway, 25, for allegedly defrauding the Florida Medicaid program out of more than $5,500.
According to the investigation, Hardaway, a caregiver working in Escambia County, failed to report to her employer that she had previously been arrested for Medicaid fraud, making her ineligible to work in the health care field or submit reports for Medicaid billings.
On March 31, 2014, Hardaway was arrested and charged with Medicaid fraud and grand theft. She entered a plea of nolo contendere and was sentenced to probation with a special condition that prohibited her from working in the health care field.
Hardaway is charged with one count of Medicaid fraud and faces up to five years in prison and up to $32,000 in fines, and restitution. William “Bill” Eddins, Office of the State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit, will prosecute the case.
Gulf Power Crews Return After Restoring Power In Birmingham
July 18, 2015
A storm team of nearly 80 crew and support staff from Gulf Power along with 15 distribution line contractors returned home Friday after helping sister company Alabama Power restore power in the Birmingham. Alabama Power reported that 35,500 customers were without power in the state, including 23,700 in the Birmingham metro area, after severe storms Tuesday night.
The Gulf Power crews deployed from various company locations including Pensacola, Crestview and Chipley this afternoon.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Silver Alert Canceled
July 18, 2015
A previously issued Escambia County Silver Alert has been canceled. The missing woman has been located safely.
A Florida Silver Alert has been issued for 75-year old Frankie Merkman who is missing from Escambia County.
She was last seeen in the 2400 block of West DeSoto Street in Pensacola. She was last seen wearing a beige shirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a black purse. She may be traveling in a black four-door, Nissan Sentra with Florida tag number K820CQ.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Frankie Merman should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911.
A “Silver Alert” is an alert for missing seniors similar to an “Amber Alert” issued for missing children.
Wahoos Beat Birmingham
July 18, 2015
Juan Duran singled in Ray Chang to help the Pensacola Blue Wahoos snap its two game losing streak and defeat the Birmingham Barons, 6-5, Friday at Regions Field.
In the sixth inning, Pensacola sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs to take the lead, 6-5, and snap its two-game losing streak to the Barons.
The Blue Wahoos sixth inning rally began when Pensacola loaded the bases with none out when catcher Yovan Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly that scored third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean to cut Birmingham’s lead to, 5-2.
Chang, a second baseman leading Pensacola with a .323 average, then hit a single to drive in Sean Buckley to pull the Blue Wahoos within, 5-3, of the Barons.
Pensacola left fielder Jesse Winker then hit a sacrifice fly to score shortstop Juan Perez and the Blue Wahoos pulled to within, 5-4. Pensacola first baseman Marquez Smith then singled with two out to tie the game, 5-5, when center fielder Beau Amaral crossed the plate.
The Blue Wahoos finally took its second lead of the game, 6-5, when Duran, a Pensacola right fielder, singled to left field to score Chang. Duran was 1-4 with two RBIs and is hitting .260. Smith was thrown out at home plate trying to score, too, which ended the inning.
Pensacola went ahead 1-0 to start the game in the first inning when Duran hit a sacrifice fly that scored Winker.
However, Birmingham would score the next five runs with two in the second and third and one in the fifth. Barons second baseman Joey DeMichele hit his fourth triple of the season to score two runs in the second inning. In the third, third baseman Nick Delmonico doubled in shortstop Tim Anderson, while Delmonico scored on a double play to put the Barons ahead, 4-1.
Birmingham left fielder Christian Marrero hit his 11th home run of the season to right center to put the Barons up, 5-1.
Then, Pensacola reliever Miguel Celestino finished off the Barons by striking out Anderson after allowing two consecutive singles and preserved the Pensacola victory for his third save of the year.
Mejias-Brean has hit in 12 of his last 14 games, including four multi-hit games. He’s batting 15-51 or .294 and scored nine times, hit a homer and driven in four runs since July 2.
Pensacola is now 12-9 in the second half of the Southern League season and is tied for first place in the South Division with the Mississippi Braves. The last time the Blue Wahoos were in first place this late in the season was July 22, 2012.
The Barons dropped to 16-4 in the second half and lead the North Division by five games over the Montgomery Biscuits.
Council On Aging Needs Fans, Air Conditioners For Seniors
July 17, 2015
The Council on Aging of West Florida is in need of donations to help senior clients stay cool during the hot summer months.
Many clients are in need of fans and air conditioners. Donations, which must be new in the box with a standard 120 volt plug, can be dropped off at the Council on Aging Office at 875 Royce Street in Pensacola.
Online donations towards fans and air conditioners can also be made by calling (850) 432-1475.
Escambia Set To Hire 24 New Firefighters, Increase Fire Tax
July 17, 2015
Escambia County homeowners will likely be paying an extra $15 per year for fire services, with the money going toward 24 paid firefighters bolstering the ranks at at least two fire stations.
Public Safety Chief Mike Weaver told Escambia County Commissioners Thursday that full-time staffing is needed at five fire stations in the county — Ferry Pass, Bellview, Innerarity Point, Myrtle Grove and West Pensacola — where volunteers have missed a large number of calls for service, between 10 and 60 percent of fire calls.
The most expensive scenario Weaver presented commissioners was $5.25 million per year for 73 positions — 60 firefighters for full staffing the five fire stations, plus filling 13 positions at stations around the county where paid crews have been cut from four to three firefighters. That top option would cost property owners an additional $42.03 fire MSBU.
Full staffing the five fire stations with 60 total firefighters would cost $4.41 million, or $35.30 per dwelling unit per year.
Weaver also presented commissioners with a bare bones $883,199 need, or $7.06 per residential property, to continue funding 12 paid firefighters at the Ferry Pass Station. The firefighters were placed at the station a few months ago after volunteer response problems, and they are currently being paid by dipping into reserve funding.
The commission gave preliminary approval to a compromise plan presented by Commissioner Wilson Robertson to increase the fire MSBU by $15 per residential property, from $85 to $100 per year, to fund approximately 24 firefighters — the 12 already at Ferry Pass and an additional dozen to be place elsewhere.
Weaver said the additional 12 firefighters will likely be used to man the West Pensacola Fire Station.
The commission is expected to give final approval to the $15 residential MSBU increase at an upcoming regular meeting. The commercial rate will increase from about four cents per square foot to about 4.5 cents, while the unimproved property assessment will increase from $11 to about $12 per parcel plus about six cents per acre.
Meanwhile, Escambia County is still working to bolster the number of volunteer firefighters, mostly through word of mouth recruiting by existing volunteers.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.