Tate, Northview Baseball Both Remain Undefeated
March 7, 2015
Northview 7, Holmes County 2
Northview 7, Holmes County 6 (JV)
The Northview Chiefs added another one to the win column Friday night with a 7-2 win over Holmes County in a district game. The undefeated Northview Chiefs (8-0) travel to undefeated Central (3-0) on Monday. The JV Chiefs beat Holmes County 7-6. Northview’s JV will play at 11 a.m. double header on Saturday at T.R. Miller.
Quentin Sampson 1-2, 3 R; Freeman 2-4, 2 RBI, 3B, R; Thomas Moore 1-4, R, RBI; Aaron McDonald 1-3; Brett Weeks 2-3, RBI, R; Brodie Amos 1-3, R; Dakota Lowery 1-3, RBI. WP — Chasen Freeman (2-0) 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, ER, 4 BB, 5 K.
Tate 5, Niceville 4
The Tate High School Aggies beat Niceville 5-4 Friday night. Undefeated Tate (6-0, 2-0) will be at West Florida on Wednesday.
Pictured: Holmes County at Northview. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Cantonment Home
March 6, 2015
Two adults were left without a home following a house fire in Cantonment Friday morning.
The fire was reported about 10:10 a.m. in the 800 block of Robinson Street. The fire quickly spread through the 1450 square foot wood frame structure. The home was a total loss.
There were no injuries reported. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Body Found Inside Burned Out Vehicle
March 6, 2015
A body was discovered inside a burned-out vehicle this morning in Escambia County.
Firefighters responded to a vehicle fire about 3:58 a.m. on St. Catherine Avenue and North Mary Street – just blocks from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the jail. Once the fire was extinguished at 4:10 a.m., those on scene noticed a body inside the vehicle.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are now investigating. The identity of the victim has not yet been released.
Driver Arrested In Fatal Hit And Run
March 6, 2015
The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested a man in connection with a fatal hit and run Thursday night in Escambia County.
About 8:20 p.m. the driver of a Isuzu Rodeo struck a pedestrian that was attempting to cross Mobile Highway at Krasnosky Avenue. The pedestrian was wearing dark-colored clothing and attempted to cross a dark area of the highway, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS. The vehicle fled the scene.
The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Friday, the FHP arrested 46-year old Billy Joe Pitts for driving while license suspended and leaving the scene of a crash involving death. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Cpl. Shawn Kelly at (850) 484-5000 or email shawnkelly@flhsmv.gov.
Northview High Opens New Weight Training Facility
March 6, 2015
Work is complete on a new weight training facility at Northview High School.
The new 3,500 square foot building includes a weight room, locker room, coaches’ offices, storage and accompanying restrooms. The $625,000 construction budget was funded with local option sales tax monies.
The facility will be used for males, while the old girls and boys weight rooms inside the school gym will be combined and remodeled for female use.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Orleans Double Murder Suspect Busted After Santa Rosa Burglary
March 6, 2015
A New Orleans double murder suspect was arrested Thursday afternoon after breaking into a Santa Rosa Count home.
Authorities said Dwayne Martin enter an occupied home off Munson Highway with a hammer. A short time later, a homeowner took the hammer and the family dog chased Martin off the property. Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies quickly arrived on scene and a K-9 unit began to track the suspect.
Martin was taken into custody and charged with burglary and resisting without violence. He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
He will face extradition to Louisiana to face charges in the March 3 double murder of his girlfriend and her 8-year old daughter. A third woman was also shot but survived the incident.
Pictured: Dewayne Martin (right) is accused of the March 3 shooting deaths of his 25-year-old girlfriend, Walesha Williams (left), and her 8-year-old daughter, Paris Williams (center). Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Getting Tougher On Delinquent Water, Gas Accounts
March 6, 2015
The Town of Century is getting tough with people that don’t pay their utility bills — and now they’ll be spending at least one night without gas or water.
Mayor Freddie McCall says it’s taking too much time and money to provide same-day restore services to those who have been disconnected for non-payment, and pulling town gas and water employees off other jobs throughout the day. So now, all service reconnects will be done once per day each morning , the day after payment is made.
Century water and gas customers currently receive a bill that is mailed the first of the month, followed by a late notice and fee on the 15th and disconnect on the 25th. There is a $20 reconnect fee for gas, and a $10 reconnect fee for water.
McCall said about 40-50 customers are regularly disconnected for non-payment each month.
Century’s gas territory currently extends to portions of Byrneville and McDavid.
Elementary Students Honored As Shining Stars
March 6, 2015
The Escambia County School District’s Elementary Principals Association, in partnership with WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, hosted the 19th Annual Shining Star Awards Thursday night, honoring 35 elementary school students in Escambia County for their leadership and service to the community.
In an awards ceremony at WSRE’s Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, each winner was presented with a certificate of achievement along with a new bicycle and helmet.
Area principals and teachers selected the Shining Stars based on good citizenship, leadership and adherence to the core values of the Escambia County School District: equality, responsibility, integrity, respect, honor and patriotism.
2015 Shining Star Award Winners were:
- A.K. Suter Elementary — Justis Werth Sphar
- Bellview Elementary — Hensley Faith Watley
- Beulah Elementary — Madison Rush
- Blue Angels Elementary — Maile Apongan
- Bratt Elementary — Anna Faith Adams
- Brentwood Elementary — Alex Crumpler
- Byrneville Charter School – Leah Kalyn Anderson
- C.A.Weis Elementary — Lionel Mejias–Perez
- Cordova Park Elementary — Reid Majewski
- Ensley Elementary — Melissa Nguyen
- Escambia Christian School – Norma Brown-Duncan
- Ferry Pass Elementary — Veronica Zaldana
- Global Learning Academy — Jasmine Allison
- Hellen Caro Elementary — Savannah Braswell
- Holm Elementary – Mary Collins
- Jim Allen Elementary — Alyssa Daniels
- Little Flower Catholic School — Jessica Corpuz
- Longleaf Elementary — Dashaun Hartsfield
- McArthur Elementary — Isabella Vose
- Molino Park Elementary – Hannah Hassebrock
- Montclair Elementary — Jamyra Knight
- Myrtle Grove Elementary — Summer Esguerra
- N.B. Cook Elementary — Skylar Bell
- Navy Point Elementary — Mayerli Mateo
- O.J. Semmes Elementary — Briana Fountain
- Oakcrest Elementary — Jahazara Anderson
- Pensacola Beach Elementary — Natalia Dadisman
- Pine Meadow Elementary — Elias (Eli) Ray
- Pleasant Grove Elementary — Terriny Krepps
- R.C. Lipscomb Elementary — Evangeline Karanick
- Redeemer Lutheran — Devin Mills
- Scenic Heights Elementary — Ethan Jones
- Sherwood Elementary — Joseph Turner
- Warrington Elementary — Eddie Johnson
- West Pensacola Elementary — Lani Dee Adams
Pictured: Shining Star Award winners Thursday night at WSRE in Pensacola. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Seven Tate Wrestling Team Members Advance To Regionals
March 6, 2015
Several members of the Tate High School wrestling team came up winners at the recent district tournament. Seven of them advanced to the regional tournament today at Chiles High School.
Tate wrestling team members placing in the district tournament were:
- Matthew Blalock, fourth place
- Caleb Campbell, fourth place
- Heath Hernden, fourth place
- Gaven McAnally, first place
- Daniel Pigg, fourth place
- Alex Porter, third place
- Tanner Wood, second place
Pictured top: Tate wrestling team members (L-R) Daniel Pigg (4th place), Alex Porter (3rd place), Matthew Blalock (4th place), Gaven McAnally (1st place), Tanner Wood (2nd place), Heath Hernden (4th place) and Caleb Campbell (4th place). Pictured below: The Tate High School wrestling team at districts. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida AG Urges Parents To Take Step To Protect Children From Identity Theft
March 6, 2015
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office urges all Anthem customers affected by the recent data breach who are parents or caregivers to be alert for child identity theft. According to Anthem, more than 1.4 million individuals in Florida had Social Security numbers or personal identification stolen in wake of the recent breach. As a result of parents’ insurance information being compromised, children’s Social Security numbers and personal identification are also believed to be at risk for identity theft.
“Parents and caregivers who are Anthem customers should take extra precautions in protecting their children’s identity,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “If you believe your child’s identity is compromised, please report it immediately to the credit reporting bureaus and local law enforcement.”
Identity thieves can easily create fraudulent identities using children’s information because there is no other credit history associated with the children’s Social Security numbers. Children’s identities are also stolen because they can remain undiscovered until the child turns 18 or applies for student loans or credit cards.
Warning signs of child identity theft include:
- Phone calls or letters attempting to collect debt in a child’s name;
- Pre-approval or other credit card offers for minors;
- Notices from government entities about a traffic violation, jury duty summons, overdue taxes or other such document in a child’s name;
- A bill or insurance claim for medical treatments that a child never received;
- Denial of state or federal benefits because Social Security number is listed as already receiving benefits; and
- Notice from the IRS stating that a dependent cannot be claimed on tax return because the Social Security number already appears on another tax form.
The following should be considered if a dependent’s identity is believed to be compromised:
- Check with major credit reporting bureaus, such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, to see if the dependent has a credit report;
- Place a fraud alert on dependent’s information by contacting just one of the three bureaus. The bureaus are required to alert the other bureaus when an alert is in place;
- Put a freeze on any fraudulent credit files with each of the three credit reporting bureaus;
- File a police report at local police department about the identity theft;
- Call each of the companies where an account was fraudulently opened under the dependent’s name and ask them to flag and close the account; and
- Check the dependent’s credit report each year to ensure that no fraudulent activity is occurring.
To report child identity theft to the credit reporting bureaus, contact Equifax at 1-800-525-6285, Experian at 1-888-397-3742 and TransUnion at 800-680-7289 or ChildIdTheft@transunion.com.
For more information on what you can do in the wake of identity theft, visit MyFloridaLegal.com/identitytheft.