Appeals Court Upholds Conviction Of Molino Robber That Wore Underwear On His Head
July 24, 2014
The Florida First District Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Molino man that robbed a local pharmacy in 2010 while wearing underwear on his head.
Joseph Daniel Flowers, now 60, was sentenced in November 2012 by Judge Gary Bergosh to a mandatory minimum 25 years in state prison. Flowers was convicted in October 2012 by an Escambia County Jury of robbery with a firearm, three counts of trafficking in illegal drugs, and three counts of possession of controlled substances for the September 20, 2010, holdup of Scott’s Pharmacy on Highway 29.
Flowers’ attorneys sought to have the conviction tossed because the Escambia County Court only issued an oral finding that he was competent to stand trial but no written order was every issued.
The District Court of Appeals found that the trial court should have issued a written competency order and ordered the lower court to do so; however, the conviction and sentence were upheld. Further, the appeals court found that the court was not required to conduct a second competency proceeding, and nothing was presented to the trial court which could raise any doubt as to his competency at the time of his trial or sentencing.
Flowers robbed the pharmacy at gunpoint while wearing a blue bathrobe, slippers, yellow kitchen gloves and boxer shorts on his head.
During the course of the robbery, Flowers took more than 80 prescription bottles containing thousands of dollars worth of narcotics. After he exited the pharmacy, he ran behind the building where he was picked up by co-defendant Krystal Lynn Collins.
Witnesses inside the store were able to identify Flowers based on the fact that he was a frequent customer of the pharmacy.
Collins, the getaway car driver in the robbery, was previously found guilty in July 2011 of armed robbery with a firearm and a half dozen felony drug charges. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison. She unsuccessfully appealed her conviction in 2013.
Pictured top: Joseph Daniel Flowers is detained by an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office shortly after the robbery of Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino. Pictured below: Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino was robbed September 20, 2010. NorthEscambia.com exclusive file photos, click to enlarge.
Free Beans And Rice Giveaway Saturday In Cantonment
July 24, 2014
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church will be distributing free dried pinto beans and uncooked rice beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday at the church for those in need. There are no guidelines, and there is no paperwork required. Distribution will continue until 11 a.m. or until supplies run out.
Free sausage biscuits will be available to attendees while supplies last.
The church is located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Local Agricultural Innovators Receive National Attention
July 24, 2014
Several North Escambia area agricultural locations were featured to extension educators from across the country Wednesday.
Over 2,000 agriculture and natural resource extension educators and guests attending the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference.
Wednesday, attendees fanned out across South Alabama and Northwest Florida for educational bus tours.
A “Where’s the Beef” tour visited with people from 19 states enjoyed lunch and toured the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino.
“It was very interesting meeting folks from all over the country and giving them the opportunity to see our cattle and the differences in management due to geographical location,” said Debbie Gilmore of Gizmo Angus.
The group also visited Cunningham Farm, founded about 1950, which emphasizes marking replace females regionally versus locally. The tour also stopped at Perdido River Farms which serves as a tribal entity leading the Poarch Tribe’s stewardship of agricultural land. PRF produces feeder calves. In addition to the cattle production, PRF manages 2,200 acres including a pecan orchard and 200 acres of row cropland utilized for farming peanuts, soybean, cotton and wheat.
A “Down on the Farm” tour visited the Yoder Family Dairy in Bratt, a micro-dairy that produces whole, pasteurized but not homogenized milk from less than 25 milk cows for direct sale. They also stopped by Gabbert Farm, home to one of the largest individual farm equipment collections in the South. For 24 years, thousands have attended the annual Jay Peanut Festival, and other events on the Gabbert Farm.
After lunch at the UF/IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center-Jay Research Farm, the group visited Sweet Seasons Farms near Milton, founded by Trent and Sharon Mathews. Four years ago, they partnered with a Utah company to create a 5-acre corn maze and an agricultural experience. Visitors learn how their food is produced and why agriculture is important to their lives while enjoying the maze and fun farm activities. And the farm tour visited Holland Farms a diversified family farm that sells peanuts, melons, and other produce directly to the public.
Other conference attendees took part in tours not directly agriculturally related in the North Escambia area…including visits to the Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum, Naval Air Station Pensacola and the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation.
Pictured : Extension educators from across the nation toured locations Wednesday that included Holland Farms in Jay (top photo), Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino (insets and below), and the Poarch Creek Indian Museum (bottom). Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Cheerleaders Attend Summer Camp
July 24, 2014
The 2014-2015 Ernest Ward Middle School Cheerleaders attended a three-day Universal Cheerleaders Association camp at the school this week. The camp wrapped up Wednesday afternoon with a performance for family members and an awards ceremony. Gabrielle Kline, Madison Sherouse, Nikoal Creamer and Jayda Crabtree were named UCA All-American Cheerleaders and will have the opportunity to participate in the Disney World Thanksgiving Day Parade later this year. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Farm Services Agency Moving To Jay To Better Serve Escambia, Santa Rosa Producers
July 24, 2014
The USDA Farm Services Agency in Milton will soon make the move to Jay to better serve agricultural producers in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The new Jay FSA Office will be located in the former Bank of America Building at 3927 Highway 4. There’s no target date yet for the move, but renovations to the new office are expected to take about 90 days.
In November 2012, the USDA Farm Service Agency in Molino was closed, meaning a 50 to 55 mile trip for some Escambia County producers to the next nearest FSA office in Milton.
“With the majority of the farming in both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties located in the northern portion of the counties, moving the FSA Office to Jay will reduce the travel time for the producers in both counties by approximately 25 miles as Jay is centrally located between the Escambia and the Santa Rosa farming community,” Florida FSA State Executive Director Tim Manning said during a producer meeting in 2013.
The group met at the time with Congressman Jeff Miller to express their desire to move the FSA Office to Jay as the search was underway for a location.
Pictured: Renovations are now underway at the former Bank of America building in Jay which is set to be the new home of the USDA Farm Services Agency, Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Plane Crash Victims Identified
July 24, 2014
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victims in a Wednesday plane crash as 67-year old Dean Legidakes and 15-year old Marli Shea McManus. Their small plane took off Wednesday morning from an Escambia County airport and was found mid-afternoon in a swampy area near Lillian, AL.
The small plane departed the Ferguson Airport off Highway 98 about 10 a.m., according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The plane’s emergency transponder and the pilot’s cell phone were pinpointed in Baldwin County.
According to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the wreckage from the plane was spotted by a helicopter in a swampy area.
The two were aboard a Great Lakes 2T1 bi-plane. The exact cause of the crash will be determined by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Redistricting Clash Heats Up As Hearing Approaches
July 24, 2014
Voting-rights advocates and the Legislature squabbled Wednesday about when the state’s congressional elections should be held as both sides prepared for a hearing in front of a Leon County judge.
The scuffle started when a coalition of voting-rights groups filed a brief calling for Circuit Judge Terry Lewis, who earlier this month ruled that the current congressional districts violated the state Constitution, to draw the boundaries himself and schedule an election that could be delayed until December.
Lewis is set to consider what to do about the map during a hearing Thursday.
The coalition, which includes organizations like the League of Women Voters of Florida, asked Lewis to either go ahead with the November elections after drawing a new map or delay the elections until December. If the November elections are held under the existing map, the state should hold a separate, special election as soon as March to choose members of Congress under new lines, the groups said.
They also asked Lewis to draw a new map instead of allowing the Legislature to do it.
“The citizens of Florida have already endured elections under gerrymandered districts after the Legislature blatantly disregarded their will,” the groups’ lawyers said in a filing. “Legislative defendants have expended considerable taxpayer money to resist public scrutiny and defend their unconstitutional conduct. Florida’s voters should not have to wait for two more years for constitutional elections, and they certainly should not have to sit by as legislative defendants risk additional elections under an invalid congressional plan.”
Lewis’ ruling earlier this month found fault with districts represented by Jacksonville Democrat Corrine Brown and Winter Garden Republican Daniel Webster.
The coalition floated an alternative map that would dramatically redraw Brown’s district, which winds from Jacksonville to Orlando. Under the proposal filed Wednesday, the district would run from Jacksonville in the east to Gadsden County in the west. That would require several districts across the state to be redrawn to make sure all districts have roughly equal population.
Three of the five proposed alternative schedules for voting would force the state to apply for a waiver to a federal law requiring that state send military absentee ballots to military service members at least 45 days before the election. House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, seized on that when responding to the filing.
“We are very concerned about the timetables the plaintiffs have outlined, particularly the fact that they would violate federal laws protecting the voting rights of men and women who risk their lives to serve our country abroad,” Weatherford and Gaetz said in a joint statement. “We were surprised that the League of Women Voters would approve of their attorneys presenting an elections timetable that could abridge the voting rights of men and women serving in our military.”
David King, a lawyer for the voting-rights groups, responded with a statement of his own, pointing out that waivers are allowed under federal law and that lawmakers were simply trying to avoid dealing with the fallout from Lewis’ ruling.
“If the Legislature has its way, all Floridians will be denied the right to vote on constitutional maps,” he said. “Legislative leaders clearly made their accusations without fully reading our proposals. In doing so, they continue to show they will grasp at any excuse to keep the citizens of Florida from having legitimate representation.”
Lawmakers also fought back in court. Attorneys for the state filed a motion late Wednesday ripping the voting-rights organizations’ proposals and saying that the coalition’s filing was too late and should be ignored.
“The immediate, lawless actions that plaintiffs urge are directly opposed to the sensible principles that courts in redistricting cases have followed for more than 50 years,” attorneys wrote. ” … Under the Federal Due Process Clause, defendants are entitled to an opportunity to be heard on adequate notice, and object to plaintiff’s political gamesmanship and improper ambush tactics.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Win Second Straight
July 24, 2014
How can you out do the excitement of having two of the greatest football players in college history at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos baseball game?
You hit a two-out blast over the left field wall that wins the game for the home team, 3-2.
That’s exactly what Travis Mattair, who has the most home runs in Wahoos history with 22 over the past two seasons, did. He jacked a deep homer in the seventh inning that broke a 2-2 tie and ended up the game-winner against the Mobile BayBears at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. It was the Wahoos second straight win over Southern League South Division leader Mobile.
Wednesday’s game began with former Heisman Trophy winners and national champions Charlie Ward, a Florida State Seminoles quarterback, and Danny Wuerffel, a Florida Gators quarterback. Ward won his Heisman in 1993 and Weruerffel in 1996. Although the fans cheered loudly for them, most of the Wahoos were too young to remember the college superstars.
But Mattair out shone the legendary guests, especially since he has struggled with a season-long slump at .225. He went 3-4 Wednesday, though, adding two singles. He now has nine home runs and 44 RBI on the year.
Mattair said he’s following advice given to him by Cincinnati Reds great Ken Griffey Sr. who told him to play the game like he did when he was a boy during a slump in High-A Bakersfield.
“I’ll never forget that,” Mattair said. “I’m just trying to have fun and contribute to the team. It has been kind of a tough year but I can still make this a good year.”
Pensacola manager Delino DeShields said Mattair’s attitude remains positive on the field and off.
“Moose still has a pulse there,” DeShields said. “He’s still battling. His attitude hasn’t changed even through his struggles.”
DeShields also liked having a new middle reliever in Ben Klimesh who got called up from High-A Bakersfield on Wednesday. In his debut, Klimesh got the win by throwing a scoreless seventh inning.
“That was the biggest inning of the night,” DeShields said. “Putting up a zero gives us a chance to win. I thought (Klimesh) was very good out there.”
The BayBears got on the scoreboard first when Nate Samson started the game with a home run. However, the Wahoos came right back in the bottom of the first inning with two runs when Ross Perez singled in Brodie Greene and Kyle Waldrop hit a deep fly ball to left field to score Perez.
After the first inning, starting pitcher Jon Moscot retired 11 in a row after getting a double play to end the first inning. He allowed six hits and one walk and struck out two in six innings of work.
Mobile’s Jake Lamb, hitting .353 with runners in scoring position, hit a deep sacrifice fly to right field to score Samson from third to tie the game at 2 in the sixth inning, setting up Mattair’s heroics.
The fourth game of the five-game series with Arizona Diamondbacks Double-A affiliate Mobile BayBears gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. RHP Robert Stephenson (5-6, 3.84) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the BayBears RHP Bradin Hagens (8-4, 3.95).
Emergency Program Flood Repairs Begin At UWF
July 24, 2014
The University of West Florida did not escape the April 30th flood unscathed, and workers will began to make repairs Thursday in hopes of completion before school starts next month.
Just 15 feet west of the heavily-traveled four-lane Campus Drive that loops through the college campus and across from the intramural fields, the storm gouged out a gully 300-feet long and 20-feet deep. The unstable gully slopes are toppling trees on two sides and threatening to collapse the roadway, the adjacent student parking lot and take out a stormwater outlet that drains runoff from the campus grounds into a 50-acre area. A natural gas main has been exposed and sediment accumulating at the bottom of the gully is discharging into Thompson Bayou and subsequently into Escambia Bay.
The University of West Florida contacted USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for financial assistance through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program to repair the damages and prevent the road from failing. NRCS will provide 75 percent of the estimated $700,000 to install a structure to convey the stormwater runoff to a safe outlet and stabilize the gully embankments to protect the road and stop the erosion. Officials expect to complete the work by August 26.
The Emergency Watershed Protection Program alleviates hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural occurrences. Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance, but must be represented by a project sponsor, such as a city, county, conservation district or any Native American tribe or tribal organization.
“The University of West Florida has worked with NRCS in the past. The financial assistance from the Emergency Watershed Program and the expertise of the NRCS engineering staff has allowed us to do quality rehabilitation at these sites that will last for many years,” said Ron Northrup, UWF facility engineer.
Pictured top: Sediment at a bottom of a flood-created gulley on the UWF campus is making its way into Thompson Bayou and eventually Escambia Bay. Pictured below: The side slope of the gully continues to erode. Photos courtesy USDA for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Manna To Resume Feeding Hungry
July 23, 2014
After losing all its food to recent flooding, Manna Food Pantries’ main facility is partially restocked and the grassroots organization will be providing emergency food on a limited basis beginning July 28.
Because of Manna’s limited capacity to store and distribute food, the organization has temporarily set up an appointment-only schedule at the main pantry.
“We’re excited that we’ve gotten to a point where we can resume service to the hungry, although we’re still very limited right now,” said DeDe Flounlacker, executive director. “We continue to be amazed by the generosity of this community and how they’ve come together to help Manna get back on its feet. But the need is still great — we ask that the community continue to give — right now we’ve got a very limited supply of food.”
Manna staff will be helping people with appointments in temporary trailers set up in Manna’s parking lot. However, the staff and board of directors are actively looking for a new permanent home away from the flood-prone area.
“We’re committed to finding a more suitable location to serve the hungry in the community and are evaluating our options with a piece of land under contract with the Escambia School Board,” said Flounlacker. “Together, with the community’s help, we can rebuild Manna to make sure no one is left unfed.”
Limited service to the community
- The Main Pantry will re-open Monday, July 28. Because of Manna’s limited capacity to store good, distribute food and see clients, the organization is now scheduling appointments. To schedule an appointment, call (8500 432-2053 Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- The Cantonment, Milton and Jay pantries have resumed limited service on a first come, first serve basis. Appointment not necessary.
- All clients must present a picture I.D. and social security card for adults in the family, and social security card, birth certificates or shot records for children under 18.
- Manna is no longer providing USDA food, which is what the organization distributed if people did not have a picture I.D. and Social Security card.
Last year, Manna Food Pantries distributed 800,000 pounds of food to the hungry, serving more than 42,000 people. The non-profit has been serving the community since 1983.
Go to mannafoodpantries.org to find out how you can make a donation or volunteer to help.