Students Pitch Plans, Score Cash To Start Local Businesses
March 14, 2014
It was a friendly competition, when 15 area students pitched their business plans to some of the most prominent members of the region’s business community during Greater Pensacola’s inaugural Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) investor panel showdown.
The students, who have been refining their business plans for nearly six months, were featured on stage in a shark-tank-like format and judged based on the appeal and merit of each proposal. More than $6,000 in grants were awarded to the nine businesses that presented, with Gulf Breeze Middle School siblings – Eve Knight, 12, and Liam Knight, 13 – selected to compete in the YEA! Saunders Scholars Regional Competition with their winning business, The Spice Kidz.
“Entrepreneurs are crucial to the success of economic development within our region,” said Greater Pensacola Chamber President Jerry Maygarden. “Programs like YEA! help foster the entrepreneurial mindset in young people and give them the opportunity to pursue their dreams, which may otherwise go unrealized, by harnessing their youthful energy, optimism and creativity.”
The business pitches were judged by a panel of local investors made up of Pen Air’s President & CEO Stu Ramsey, Sandy Sansing Automotive Group’s David Sansing, Studer Community Development Group’s Andrew Rothfeder, Gulf Power Company’s John Hutchinson, Warren Averett’s Cyndi Warren, Central Credit Union’s Maggie Conaghan, Nowak Enterprises’ Peter Nowak, Chick-fil-A’s Robert Barnes, Florida SBDC’s Mike Myhre, THG Investments’ Chad Henderson and Beck Property’s Justin Beck.
“With small businesses playing an instrumental role in our nation’s economy, this program is a true testament to Greater Pensacola’s continued dedication to producing future leaders who could make significant contributions to our community,” said Global Business Solutions Inc. CEO Randy Ramos, who emceed the evening’s events.
YEA! is a national educational program that guides 6th- to 12th-grade students through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year. Students work in close cooperation with local business leaders, educators and community members to develop ideas and objectives that help to create their own fully-formed companies.
“One of the most interesting components of the program is the actual behind-the-scenes knowledge the students are given from local business leaders, who were at one time standing in their shoes,” said Dr. Ed Ranelli, Dean Emeritus for the University of West Florida College of Business. “Participating students are receiving a dynamic introduction to the business world, which in turn, helps to create tomorrow’s leaders.”
Pictured: Eve Knight, 12, and Liam Knight, 13 – selected to compete in the YEA! Saunders Scholars Regional Competition with their winning business, The Spice Kidz. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Killed In Collision With Concrete Truck
March 13, 2014
A Cantonment man was killed this morning in a collision involving a pickup truck and a concrete truck in Cantonment.
The accident happened just before 8 a.m. on Jacks Branch Road at Green Tree Circle, just north of Muscogee Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 47-year old Johnson Watson Whitehurst of Cantonment was southbound in a sharp curve on Jacks Branch Road when his 2001 Dodge pickup crossed the center line into the path of a concrete truck driven by 46-year old Jimmy Dwight Weaver, Jr.
After the collision, the concrete truck overturned onto its side, while the pickup came to rest on the shoulder. Whitehurst was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Weaver was transported by ambulance to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries. No charges were filed in the accident.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith (top) and reader submitted photo by Jamie Thurman, click to enlarge.
Century Man Convicted Of Felony Horse Abuse
March 13, 2014
A Century man has been convicted of felony animal cruelty for abusing and starving two horses in 2012.
Kendrick Jamar Washington, now age 25, was found guilty by Judge Linda Nobles and sentenced to 180 days in jail with no eligibility for work release. He was also ordered to pay $668 in costs and fees, and the court reserved the right to impose restitution to Escambia County Animal control or any others that cared for the horses after they were seized.
Washington placed two horses into a lot on Ramar Street in Century surrounded by a makeshift barbed wire fence. Barbed wire was hanging inside the pen, causing a serious injury to the front leg of one horse.
On January 24, 2012, animal control officers found that one horse was tied to a post away from any water source; the second was found on its side in mud and dirt, unable to get up. Neither horse had access to food or shelter, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report. Both of the animals were obviously underweight.
Both horses were transported to the Northwest Florida Animal Clinic in Pace for treatment.
PER Seeks Donations To Purchase Lift For Rescue Horses
March 13, 2014
A week ago, we first reported on Ebony, a horse seized by Escambia County an now housed at Panhandle Equine Rescue in Cantonment. Ebony is continuing her recovery, now sometimes able to get up to her feet on her own.
Numerous times, PER has been forced to turn to a host of volunteers from the community, Escambia County Animal Control, the Escambia County Sheriff’’s Office and several assistance calls to the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue.
Last week, the crew of Cantonment’s Fire Rescue Engine 419 put their training and brainpower to work. The firemen designed a sling and used a ladder, chains, straps and a come-along to lift Ebony to her feet. Once she was upright, a veterinarian was able to administer IV fluids.
Now, Panhandle Equine Rescue is turning to the community to raise money for a proper sling lift to be able to lift Ebony and future rescued horses without undue danger to the horse and volunteers. The lift is priced at $2,145, and as of Wednesday night, PER had raised $1,165 in donations.
They have set up a GoFundMe website to allow the community to securely donate toward the $980 still needed. Once those funds are raised, additional money will be needed to purchase a secure structure to which the lift will be attached.
Ebony was seized about two weeks ago from the 400 block of Crowndale Court. Ebony was severely malnourished when seized, according to PER President Diane Lowery. A second horse seized from the property was put down by a veterinarian due to its state of malnourishment. Criminal charges are expected in the case, Lowery said.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Gov. Askew Dies At 85
March 13, 2014
Former Gov. Reubin Askew, a major figure in modern Florida political history, died early Thursday at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. Askew was 85.
The former governor was admitted to the hospital Saturday with aspiration pneumonia, and his condition worsened when he suffered a stroke, family spokesman Ron Sachs said.
Askew, a Democrat, served as governor from 1971 to 1979, after a dozen years representing the Pensacola area in the Legislature. Askew defeated incumbent Republican Claude Kirk in 1970 and was re-elected in 1974, becoming the first governor in Florida history to be elected to successive terms.
When he first ran for governor, Askew was a relative unknown. But once in office, Askew led efforts to institute a corporate income tax, while reducing consumer taxes. He also spearheaded approval of what became known as the “Sunshine Amendment,” which opened government records and required public officials to disclose information about their financial affairs.
In a 1998 interview with Florida State University’s “Research in Review,” Askew said he wanted to restore “some sense of responsibility and competence” in the governor’s office.
“It sounds awfully corny for me to say this but my goal wasn’t (simply) to get elected governor,” Askew said during the interview. “My goal was to get elected in such a way as I could govern. There’s a big difference. … So many people who run for office negotiate away all their options in the pursuit of the office and they literally tie their hands on dealing with the problems, by commitments.”
Askew, an attorney, said the Sunshine Amendment stopped “a lot of circuitous business transactions in state and local government.”
“Having to report your income is sort of an invasion of privacy and yet, I felt, while it was extraordinary, I felt that it was needed to give some sense of reassurance to the people (about their elected officials),” he said during the 1998 interview. “Who are they working for? Are they working for themselves or for the people?”
After leaving office, Askew served as the U.S. trade representative from 1979 to 1981. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 1984. He later taught at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1951.
The former governor is survived by his wife of 57 years, Donna Lou; a son, Kevin Askew; a daughter, Angela White; and several grandchildren. Details of memorial services will be forthcoming.
Elementary Students Honored As Shining Stars
March 13, 2014
The Escambia County School District’s Elementary Principals Association, in partnership with WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, hosted the 18th Awards on March 6, honoring 33 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.
Escambia County Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas, former Pensacola Mayor Mike Wiggins and DeeDee Davis, former Florida Teacher of the Year, were the masters of
ceremonies for the event.
2014 Shining Star Award Winners were:
- A.K. Suter Elementary School – Aiden Tylavsky
- Bellview Elementary School – Amaya Owen
- Beulah Elementary School – Savannah Marshall
- Blue Angels Elementary School – Margo Mason
- Bratt Elementary School – Shelby Godwin
- Brentwood Elementary School – Staci Garland
- Byrneville Elementary School – Cody Ryan Adams
- C.A. Weis Elementary School – Dantesia McIntosh
- Cordova Park Elementary School – Nathan Godwin
- Ensley Elementary School – David Geiger
- Escambia Christian School – Reed Allison Wilson
- Ferry Pass Elementary School – Dante Milligan
- Global Learning Academy – Joshua Davis
- Hellen Caro Elementary School – Landon Collins
- Holm Elementary School – Jaylen Thomas
- Jim Allen Elementary School – Christian Jacobs
- Lipscomb Elementary School – Kendall Blackmon
- Longleaf Elementary School – Kevin Davis
- McArthur Elementary School – Carly Johnecheck
- Molino Park Elementary School – Ashley Ragsdale
- Montclair Elementary School – Kamari Williams
- Myrtle Grove Elementary School – Natalie Moulder
- Navy Point Elementary School – Pedro H. Mendiola
- N.B. Cook Elementary School – Chloe Cate
- Oakcrest Elementary School – Grace Dunaway
- O. J. Semmes Elementary School – Phillip Straughn
- Pine Meadow Elementary School – Emily Stabler
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School – Ian Larrieu
- Redeemer Lutheran Elementary School – Alex Maddox
- Scenic Heights Elementary School – Nathaniel Agustin
- Sherwood Elementary School – Madison Duffy
- Warrington Elementary School – Taylor Davidson
- West Pensacola Elementary School – Destiny Rutherford
Pictured: Shining Star Awards were recently presented to 33 Escambia County elementary school students. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Notifying Residents In Hurricane Evacuation Zones
March 13, 2014
The Escambia County Emergency Management Division is distributing Hurricane Evacuation Zone postcards this week to residents living in a hurricane evacuation zone.
The cards feature helpful and easy to understand instructions about where residents can go to learn what hurricane zone they live in and information about the evacuation process.
Hurricane season begins on June 1, but according to the Escambia County Emergency Management Division it’s never too early to begin the preparation process.
Crackdown On Sexual Predators Sails Through Florida House
March 13, 2014
Pointing to examples of children being raped and murdered, the Florida House on Wednesday unanimously passed four bills to crack down on sexually violent predators, preparing the measures for Gov. Rick Scott’s signature.
Scott has already said he looks forward to signing the bills, which were approved last week by the Senate.
“I think people could argue about recidivism data ’til they were blue in the face, but we know one certain fact: No one has ever raped a child while sitting in a state prison,” said House Criminal Justice Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach. “And so if we can keep folks in prison longer, we can keep our streets safer.”
Gaetz sponsored the House version of one of the bills (SB 526), which would increase the penalties for sexual battery and lewd or lascivious offenses against children. That and the other bills are designed to close the loopholes in a 1999 law aimed at putting sexually violent predators in civil confinement after they serve their prison terms.
The march toward the bills’ passage began in August, when the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that the commitment of sexually violent predators under the state’s Jimmy Ryce Act had slowed to a crawl. Since 1999, nearly 600 sexual predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
The push for change was heightened when legislative committees held hearings last fall and learned that Donald Smith, who was charged with kidnapping, raping and murdering 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville in June, was a recently-released sex offender.
“Had this been on the books, that would never have happened,” said Rep. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton. “We can’t bring her back, but we can make sure (Cherish) did not die in vain.”
By the terms of the Jimmy Ryce Act — named for a 9-year-old Miami-Dade County boy who was raped and murdered in 1995 — the Department of Children and Families evaluates sex offenders before their releases from prison. Those considered most likely to attack again aren’t necessarily released after completing their prison sentences, but may be screened, evaluated and confined at the Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia until they aren’t considered dangers to the community.
However, lawmakers found loopholes in the law.
“Our (Sexually Violent Predator) Program was one of the most failed in the nation, but today we begin a fresh start in the state of Florida,” said Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton. “These changes are only the first step in Florida’s fresh start, but they will pave the way for comprehensive reform.”
Three of the bills are ready to go to Scott, while one must return to the Senate for a final vote because of a technical change made in the House.
The House passed the following bills:
— SB 526, which would increase to 50 years the minimum mandatory sentence for dangerous sexual felony offenders. It would require courts to impose split sentences in which offenders convicted of specified sexual offenses are sentenced to two years of community supervision after serving their terms of imprisonment.
— SB 522, which would create a process for the potential civil commitment of sexual predators sentenced to jail time. Currently, offenders can only be referred for civil commitment after prison terms. Smith, for instance, was released from the Duval County Jail three weeks before Perrywinkle’s murder.
The bill also requires that when an offender is released from DCF custody, the department must notify victims, the Department of Corrections, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the sheriff in the county where the person intends to reside.
— SB 524, which would create enhanced standards and training for the multidisciplinary team that assesses whether a convicted sexual offender meets the clinical definition of a sexually violent predator. It also would require private and public colleges and universities to inform students and employees about a Florida Department of Law Enforcement sexual-predator and offender registry website and a toll-free telephone number that gives access to information about sexual predators and offenders.
— SB 528, which would require sexual predators and offenders to provide a wide range of identifying information when they register, including details on the vehicles to which they have access. It also would require the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to notify the clerk of court if a person petitioning for a name change has registered as a sexual predator or offender. This is the bill that will return to the Senate for a final vote.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Crestview Murder Suspects Arrested in Escambia County, AL
March 13, 2014
Two Crestview murder suspects have been arrested in Escambia County, AL.
Jeffrey Brandenburg, 26, and his wife, Amy Brandenburg, also 26, are being held in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center awaiting extradition back to Okaloosa County. They are suspected of stabbing 35-year old Samuel Raheem Cornish to death early Saturday morning. He was found along a Crestview roadway and transported to a hospital where he died.
Jeffrey Brandenburg has been charged with an open count of murder, while Amy Brandenburg has been charged with accessory to murder.
The Brandenburgs were arrested after authorities determined they were staying at the Colonial Manor Motel.
Man Charged With Attacking Troopers At Son’s Fatal Wreck Is Arrested Again
March 12, 2014
After being arrested again for allegedly resisting law enforcement, bond has been revoked for a Molino father that was arrested last November on felony charges for attacking first responders and troopers at the scene of a traffic accident that claimed the life of his son.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 34-year old Joiel Wilson Edmonson of Molino lost control of his pickup truck just after 11 p.m. on November 2, 2013, on Molino Road and died as the result of his injuries.
His father, John David Edmonson, Jr. arrived on the scene a short time after the accident. He was arrested and charged with battery on an officer, firefighter or EMT, felony aggravated assault on officer, firefighter or EMT, felony resisting an officer with violence and a misdemeanor count of failure to obey police or fire department. Edmonson, 56, was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $15,500 bond.
In an unrelated incident on January 25, Edmonson was charged with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest with violence at a Molino bar. He was released from jail hours later on a $2,000 bond.
The State Attorney’s Office then filed a motion to revoke bond. Edmonson has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him. His attorney, Christopher Rabby, filed a motion Tuesday to set a bond amount.
According to a November 2013 Florida Highway Patrol report:
Two troopers were dispatched to the crash and were responding. They were advised by their dispatcher than EMS had reported an “angry mob” was forming and not allowing them to perform their duties. The troopers then sped up their response with lights and sirens, arriving to see the victim’s pickup in the woods, surrounded by first responders.
A fire chief on the scene told troopers there was a man by the truck assaulting EMS and firefighters and interfering with their duties. One trooper reported that he personally observed Edmonson pushing back at firefighters and not obeying their orders to leave the scene. The second trooper made contact with Edmonson and advised him to leave the area so emergency responders could do their job. He refused to leave.
The first trooper then went over to Edmonson and placed his left hand on his shoulder and advised him that he had to leave the scene. He pushed away, and was advised that he would be arrested if he did not leave the scene immediately.
Edmonson became angry and pushed the trooper away. The second trooper then placed the man in a choke hold and attempted to calm him down. He pushed the trooper off, and threw a punch at the second trooper, hitting him in the upper part of his chest.
Both troopers continued their attempt to subdue Edmonson, but he continued resisting. Edmonson then ended up on top of one trooper, trying to punch him. He was pulled off by another trooper by his shirt. Edmonson continued to resist, trying to go back against the trooper. One trooper then pulled out his taser and removed the cartridge due to being in close proximity to other responders.
The trooper advised Edmonson that he would be tased if he continued resisting. Edmonson pushed the trooper with the taser, and the trooper tased Edmonson one time around his stomach, causing him to fall back into bushes.
Edmonson resisted as both troopers attempted to take him into custody; the troopers were eventually able to overpower and handcuff him.
A McDavid firefighter told troopers that Edmonson had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him away from victim as he tried to render aid.
Edmonson was not seriously injured. He did request that he be checked by a doctor for his diabetes. Escambia County EMS responded to the scene where Edmonson appeared to be having a diabetic issue. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was “cleared” and transported to the Escambia County Jail.
The FHP report also indicates that Edmonson was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
January 2014 Arrest
Early in the morning of January 25, deputies responded to a disorderly conduct call at Louie’s Bar at 271 Molino Road. As deputies were questioning two underage individuals inside the bar, Edmonson approach, yelling obscenities, according to an arrest report.
When he refused to leave, Edmonson was placed under arrest. As the deputy attempted to handcuff him, Edmonson pushed the deputy, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report states. Two deputies were then able to place Edmonson into custody without further violence.
Pictured top inset: Edmonson was arrested on multiple charges last November by the Florida Highway Patrol. Pictured bottom inset: A large law enforcement response to the November 2, 2013 incident. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.