Train Hits Vehicle In Bogia
October 29, 2014
A train hit an unoccupied vehicle on the railroad tracks at East Bogia Road, just east of Highway 29, Tuesday night.
The northbound CSX train with about 60 cars hit the vehicle shortly before 11:00. It was not immediately clear if the 56-year old driver was stuck or simply stopped on the tracks. He told authorities that he thought he was on Jordan Street in Pensacola.
The train engineer saw the vehicle on the tracks and began an emergency stop before reaching the crossing, but the train struck the car and pushed it down the tracks over 100 feet. There were no injuries.
The accident was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver’s name has not been released. The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the accident.
Pictured: This car was pushed over 100 feet down the tracks after being hit by a train Tuesday night in Bogia. The train was backed away from the vehicle prior to the photos in order to open the railroad crossing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Three Local Residents Sentenced, Two Indicted For Federal Tax Fraud
October 29, 2014
Three local residents, including a Cantonment man, have been sentenced to federal prison and two more have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in related tax refund fraud and identity theft schemes.
Tuesday, 29-year old Rex E. Robinson, Jr.of Cantonment was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson to 75 months in prison after having pled guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges stemming from his participation in a scheme to defraud the IRS by filing over 100 false tax returns using other people’s identities, the majority of whom were deceased.
Robinson was found in possession of approximately 566 individuals’ identities, 179 of which were actually used to file the fraudulent returns attributed to the scheme. As a result of his scheme, the IRS mailed out $87,324 in fraudulently obtained tax refund checks to Robinson’s various addresses, which Robinson was ordered to pay back in restitution as part of his sentence.
Ariyanna S. Lampley (previously Schuyler J. Nickerson), 32, of Pensacola, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers to 75 months in prison after having pled guilty to theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. Lampley forged a deceased person’s signature and deposited into her account one of the fraudulent tax refund checks obtained by Robinson, knowing that Robinson had obtained it by filing false returns.
Lampley was ordered to pay back $212,792.96 in restitution to the IRS not only for the check she deposited for Robinson, but for the over 70 additional fraudulently obtained federal tax refund checks she had cashed for others since 2010.
This past July, Brian Richardson, 28, of Cantonment, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson to 12 months and one day in prison after having pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. Richardson stole the personal identifying information of over 40 elderly hospital patients from his employer and provided it to Robinson for use in the tax fraud scheme.
In addition, on October 21, a federal grand jury indicted Richard J. Beverly II, 25, and Andrey C. Cook, 33, both of Pensacola, on mail fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in a related but separate case. The indictment alleges Beverly filed approximately 40 false tax returns to get over $85,000 in tax refunds using the identities of deceased persons and disabled patients living at a group home in Pensacola, which were stolen and provided by Cook. Both defendants have pled not guilty, and trial is currently scheduled for December 1, 2014, before Senior U.S. District Judge Lacey Collier.
These cases resulted from investigations by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Kim.
CareerSource Escarosa Offering Skills Assessment Testing In Century
October 29, 2014
An employment skills assessment test will be offered Thursday in Century. All Escambia County residents who are seeking employment, looking to further their career, or enhance their skills and education, are urged to participate in this free program.
Through partnership with local government and a consortium of community organizations, CareerSource Escarosa will offer Skill Assessment Tests to Escambia County residents as part of the Escarosa Community Occupational Talent Search, a targeted workforce development initiative.
E-COTS participants will have access to a variety of no-cost programs and services offered through CareerSource Escarosa which include; educational workshops, career training and guidance, tuition assistance, skill enhancement sessions, and more.
Testing sessions will be available at 9:30 a.m. at 1:30 p.m. at the Carver Community Center, 7040 Jefferson Avenue in Century.
A basic skill assessment is required for program participation. To register, call (850) 607-8750 or visit careersourceescarosa.com/ECOTS.
Kids House Receives $50K Donation Thanks To Local Felons
October 29, 2014
Thanks to local felons, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office made a $50,000 contribution Tuesday afternoon toward the expansion of the Gulf Coast Kids House.
The donation was funded from the State Law Enforcement Trust Fund. The law allows law enforcement to use funds from contraband seized during the commission of felonies to be used in the community.
The expansion will help the nonprofit organization better serve victims of child abuse in Escambia County and will be completed in 2015. The donated funds will be used for a new medical examination room in the Advocacy and Education wing of Gulf Coast Kids House.
Pictured: Sheriff David Morgan (center) presents a $50,000 donation to representatives of the Gulf Coast Kids House, Pam Schwartz, board chair; Debbie Ritchie and Stan Connally, co-chairs of Captial Expansion; and Stacey Kostevicki, executive director. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Boater Found Safe After Escambia River Search
October 29, 2014
A search and rescue effort on the Escambia River near Molino had a happy outcome Tuesday night.
Someone called 911 and reported an overturned boat and a missing boater a few bends of the Escambia River south of the Fairground Road Boat Ramp. First responders from the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue found that the older model 14-foot boat had hit a stump and was still upright. But the boater was no where to be found.
After a check of the boat’s registration and a few phone calls, authorities found the boat’s 19-year old owner safe and sound several miles away at his residence on Jack’s Branch Road.
And The Survey Says: All About Escambia Parks, Community Centers
October 29, 2014
Escambia County recently asked residents to complete an online survey to gauge residents’ thoughts and ideas about parks and community centers.
Results were as follows:
Envision Escambia 2028: Parks & Community Centers
Question #1: In which area of Escambia County do you currently live?
Nearly 25 percent of respondents to our Parks & Community Centers survey live north of Nine Mile Road. Another 21 percent came from the extreme southern portion of the County on Pensacola Beach. More than 3 percent of respondents were from Perdido Key, 15 percent represented the neighborhoods in the area East of Palafox, South of Brent Lane/Bayou Boulevard to the Escambia Bay on the East and Pensacola Bay on the South and another 12 percent lives West of Palafox, East of New Warrington Road, South of Fairfield Drive, North of Pensacola Bay. No area of Escambia County was unrepresented in this survey.
Question #2: By the end of 2017, Escambia County will have spent $41 million to support the development and enhancement of more than 100 neighborhood, athletic and marine parks, as well as 16 community centers, throughout the County. Please tell us how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements. Well maintained parks, community centers and open spaces:
- Provide economic benefits (e.g.: enhanced property values) to residents: 42 percent strongly agree; 36 percent agree; 8 percent neither disagree nor agree; 3 disagree; 5.5 percent strongly disagree
- Improve a community’s quality of life: 60 percent strongly agree; 0 percent disagree or strongly disagree
- Improve air and water quality: 40 percent strongly agree; 22.86 percent agree
- Brings a community together: 43 percent strongly agree; 34 agree
Question #3: How often do you or members of your family visit a County park?
The majority of survey participants visit County parks (28.5 percent) weekly; 14 pecent visit biweekly and 11.5 percent of those polled visit a County park once per month.
Question #4: Why do you visit Escambia County parks?
- Relaxation: 15 percent
- Exercise: 10 percent
- Athletics/sports: 5 percent
- Spend time with family/friends: 20 percent
- Enjoy nature/wildlife/outdoors: 15 percent
- All of the above: 10 percent
- Other: 25 percent
Question #5: Please choose any/all reasons you may have for not using County parks and/or facilities:
- The facilities or equipment we are looking for is not available: 4 percent
- Security is inefficient: 8 percent
- Hours of operation are not convenient: 8 percent
- Location of facilities is not close to my home: 28 percent
- Facilities are not well maintained: 16 percent
- Members of my household use facilities from other organizations: 8 percent
- We are too busy or not interested: 16 percent
- All (or) most of the above: 4 percent
Question #6: Please rate the availability of facilities at Escambia County parks:
- Shelter/pavilions: 33 percent feel there are enough and 48.5 percent believe more are needed
- Benches and bleachers: 26 percent said there are enough, while 52 percent think more should be added
- Play equipment: 32 percent said there are enough and 45 percent think more are needed
- Lighting: 23 percent said there is enough lighting, while 63 percent said more lighting is needed
- Drinking fountains: 18 percent believe there are enough and 58 percent said more are needed
Question #7: If $100 were available for parks and community center facilities, how would you allocate the funds among the categories listed below? (Please make sure your total adds up to $100.)
The highest number of “funds” voters would allocate for if given $100 would go toward:
- Improving maintenance to existing parks/community centers
- Addition of walking trails
- More playgrounds for children
- Development of special facilities (dog parks, water playgrounds, boat ramps, etc.)
- Improved ADA access
- Land acquisition for new facilities
- Construction of new athletic facilities (baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis)
Question #8: What type of programming would you like to see in a County park or community center?
- After school programs: 59 percent
- Summer recreation programs: 74 percent
- Adult education programs (GED, job training): 44.5 percent
- Youth sports leagues: 63 percent
- Adult sports leagues: 52 percent
- Special events (festivals, concerts): 74 percent
Comments included:
“Exercise programs, like yoga.”
“Just a nice, safe green park with plenty of benches, lots of trees, perhaps a water feature, for ADA and aging to enjoy in safety.”
Question #9: What is your overall opinion of the quality and condition of Escambia County parks and community centers?
- Excellent: 6.25 percent
- Very good: 12.5 percent
- Good: 44 percent
- Fair: 29 percent
- Poor: 0 percent
- No opinion: 19 percent
Question #10: Do you have comments related to a specific park or community center? A full list of our parks and community centers is available on MyEscambia.com.
Comments include:
“Some of the parks aren’t well lit. As a single woman, I don’t feel safe using them for exercise after work.”
“Regional parks are great. Why are there so many pocket parks?”
”I wish more parks could be like Perdido Kids park. I think we need to invest more in the current parks we have. We need more swings, walking paths, kids playground equipment, basketball goals, also at some of the parks I have been to the ants were insane and I was afraid for my children to stand still. Example Avondale park around the track, the ants were insane.”
Question #11: Do you have any additional questions, comments or concerns?
Comments include:
“No. We are happy the park was built in Beulah. It is nice to be able to take our child to the park and not have to drive across town.”
“Spend more resources on maintaining what we have.”
“Consider new or improvements to recreational/activity facilities (walking trails, playground equipment) that can help address high obesity rates related to areas with little/no access to facilities for physical activity (and/or improve safety, lighting etc. to encourage more utilization). Map areas of ‘recreation deserts’ related to population as first targets. Pursue interlocal agreements with school district for use of school facilities (even if only playground) during non-school hours.”
Pictured: The playground at the Molino Community Complex. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Fall Comedy ‘Saturday The 14th’ On Stage Through Saturday
October 29, 2014
Get ready for “Saturday the 14th” — a parody of the “Friday the 13th movies” nightly through Saturday at Tate High School.
It made all the headlines 30 years ago. Only one camp counselor was found alive the next morning, and she hasn’t spoken a word since. They closed Camp Slippery Floors. Everybody wanted to forget what happened that night… except Mason. Mason never forgets! Now Camp Slippery Floors in going to open again and Mason is waiting in “Saturday the 14th”.
The comedy will be presented through Saturday at 7:00 each evening in the Tate High Cafeteria. Tickets are $7 at the door.
Pictured: The Tate High School production of “Saturday the 14th”. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UF: Floridian’s Consumer Confidence Falls Slightly
October 29, 2014
Consumer confidence among Floridians dropped a point in October to 82, the first decline in the index since May, according to a monthly University of Florida survey.
“This decline is not likely indicative of a trend,” said Chris McCarty, director of UF’s Survey Research Center in the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, which conducts the survey. “Given that the stock market has improved late in the month and the decline was only a point, we don’t view the drop as significant.”
Of the five components used in the survey — three declined, one increased, and one stayed the same. Survey-takers’ overall perception whether their personal finances are better now than a year ago fell four points to 71, while their expectations of being better off financially one year from now fell one point to 82.
The survey shows that confidence in the national economy over the coming year fell one point to 78, but it rose a point to 82 when respondents were asked to consider U.S. economic conditions over the next five years.
Finally, respondents’ perception as to whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket item, such as a washing machine, stayed the same at 96.
Afternoon Fire Damages Nine Mile Road Business
October 28, 2014
Fire damaged a Nine Mile Road business this afternoon. The fire was reported about 3:30 p.m. at “A Quality Tree Service” in the 2000 block of West Nine Mile Road, near New Market Street. Firefighters believe the fire may have been sparked by a water heater. There were no injuries reported. Reader submitted photos by Jon White, click to enlarge.
Overturned Camper Closes Quintette Road
October 28, 2014
An overturned camper closed Quintette Road for a while this morning. The driver of a pickup apparently lost control and slammed into a tree, with their camper overturning across the highway. A short time after the 10:45 a.m. accident, traffic was allowed to pass the wreckage on the shoulder. There were no injuries reported. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
