Century’s Gonzalez Begins Second Term As City Clerk Association Director
July 10, 2014
Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez recently began her second term as district director for the Northwest District of the Florida Association of City Clerks.
“I have enjoyed getting to know the clerks in the Northwest District. They are consistently the cream of the crop – community minded civil servants who put their heart into their job to make their municipalities shine,” Gonzalez said. “It has been an honor to represent the Town of Century at the state level, and I am delighted to be serving a second term on the board of directors of FACC.”
Gonzalez recently traveled to Panama City to present a resolution from FACC to Terri Lillard, who retired after serving at the City of Panama City for over 23 years.
The Northwest District of the Florida Association of City Clerks covers all municipalities from Escambia County to Jefferson County, just east of Tallahassee.
Escambia County Brothers Arrested For Santa Rosa Burglary Spree
July 10, 2014
Two brothers, both former North Escambia residents, have been charged in connection with a residential burglary spree in Santa Rosa County.
Shawn Demontre Cooler, age 19 of Pensacola, and Jeremiah Cooler, age 20 of Barth Road in Molino, are facing multiple burglary charges. Investigators in Santa Rosa County said the brothers kicked in doors and stole thousands of dollars in property, including guns, during broad daylight burglaries between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during a three month period.
The burglaries, deputies said, targeted jewelry, high end electronics and money, while other items such as TV’s and game systems were left behind. Authorities said the Coolers would sometime ransack multiple homes in the same day, fleeing with their stolen bounty in pillowcases.
The Cooler brothers, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, are both documented gang members.
Shawn Cooler is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail with bond set at $310,001. Jeremiah Cooler was being held Wednesday in the Escambia County Jail without bond awaiting transfer to Santa Rosa County.
Jeremiah Cooler was arrested in January in Escambia County when an Escambia County deputy in the area of Plantation Road recognized him as a suspect wanted for burglaries and attempted home invasions in Santa Rosa County. Cooler, according to an arrest report, had been involved in a police pursuit with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office the previous day, and the vehicle with a matching tag number from the pursuit was outside the motel where Cooler was spotted.
As the deputy detained another individual with an outstanding warrant, witnesses said Jeremiah Cooler ran from the motel, threw a backpack into a dumpster and entered a nearby Waffle House. Surveillance video confirmed Cooler was involved in the sequence of events.
Deputies transported Cooler from the Waffle House back to the motel. Inside the backpack from the dumpster, they found five guns — four of which were reported stolen from Santa Rosa County, numerous rounds of ammunition, an iPad and a Toshiba tablet.
Shawn Cooler has an extensive criminal history involving burglary, theft and narcotic use and is currently on state probation for previous burglary/theft conviction, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Santa Rosa Man Gets Life For Child Sex Offense
July 9, 2014
A Santa Rosa County man was sentenced to life in state prison Tuesday for child sex abuse.
Claude Russell Ratliff was found guilty of lewd or lascivious molestation by a Santa Rosa County jury earlier this year.
Ratliff, 56, had molested a nine-year old girl while she was visiting at his Milton home during August 2012. In March 2013 the child told her parents about the abuse and they took her to a Pensacola hospital, which contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview at the Gulf Coast Kids House, the girl told investigators that Ratliff had come into the room where she was sleeping and molested her from behind. A warrant was issued for Ratliff and he was arrested on May 6, 2013.
Escambia Budget Talks Begin: Sheriff Wants Extra $5 Million
July 9, 2014
Escambia County opened budget talks for the upcoming fiscal year, and the requests made today include an extra $5 million plus for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff David Morgan wants the extra money to put more deputies on the streets, increase salaries and benefits, and meet rising fuel costs.
New Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown’s proposed budget as presented to Escambia County Commissioners Tuesday includes an extra $1.07 million for the ECSO so Morgan’s employees can receive a 3 percent cost of living adjustment like other county employees.
Morgan wants a total budget increase of $5.24 million — which includes the $1.07 cost of living adjustment, $300,000 for fuel budget increases and about $4.9 million for 15 new deputies and for the Sheriff’s Office to begin providing holiday and overtime pay to employees like other county departments. Currently, Sheriff’s Office employees are required to bank overtime worked.
“For example, the ice storm,” ESCO Chief Deputy Eric Haines told commissioners, “all the people that worked that received overtime that worked at the county, fire, EMS. Our deputies had to work and man all those bridges all night, and they got nothing.”
“We’ll sit down, and we’ll do due diligence on both sides, and we’ll compare benefit packages and stuff,” Brown said. “I think the Board, and I know I am certainly committed to equity. And making sure make sure you are talking about oranges versus oranges not apples and tangerines.”
As for the 15 extra deputies, Haines said it would take about 60-70 new deputies to bring Escambia County up to the state per capita level. He said the ECSO will continue to ask for 15 new funded deputies per year until that level is reached.
“I think there is an appetite for making sure that we provide additional resources in some form or fashion,” Commissioner Lumon May said.
May stressed it was important to him to make sure Morgan had the resources needed to protect citizens on the streets.
“It’’s important to me to have deputies on the ground. It’s important to me to have narcotic units. Most of these crimes are quite frankly gang related or drug related,” May said. “We have to get aggressive and put our resources where you do get aggressive.”
Covenant Hospice Offers New Volunteer Training In Century And Pensacola
July 9, 2014
Covenant Hospice is seeking individuals who are interested in making a difference in the lives of patients and families facing end-of-life issues and in supporting the organization. Training sessions for volunteers are upcoming in both Century and Pensacola.
A volunteer workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, July 26th, at the Century Chamber of Commerce at 7811 North Century Blvd. Workshops will also be held in the Pensacola area Monday, July 14 and Thursday, July 17 from noon to 4 p.m. on both days at the Pensacola branch office located at 2001 North Palafox Street. The workshops are free and open to the public. Food and drinks will be provided.
Patient and Family Support Volunteer Training will provide an overview of hospice care, including Covenant’s programs and services and the special roles that volunteers fill. This training prepares individuals to volunteer in a variety of ways. Volunteer choices include visiting and companionship for patients, supporting family members by offering emotional support and practical help, assisting with fundraising events, providing administrative support in a Covenant office, serving as an outreach ambassador and much more.
No special background or experience is required to volunteer for Covenant, just a desire to make a difference. Time commitment is flexible and based on volunteer availability. Retired and working professionals are also needed to share their expertise and experience with patients and families. To register or to learn more: call Barbara Fike for the Pensacola training at (850) 202-0924 and Sharon Oakes for the Century training at (850) 202-5948.
Convicted Century Sex Offender Back Behind Bars
July 9, 2014
A convicted sex offender from Century has been arrested for failing to register his address after being released from prison.
Michael Alexander Dubose, 20, was released from the Lake City Correctional Facility after serving out a sentence for the lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12. Dubose is now back behind bars in the Escambia County Jail for failing to register his address as required as a convicted sex offender. He is being held with bond set at $10,000.
When arrested July 4, Dubose told officials at the county jail that he is currently homeless.
Dubose was 17-years old when he was arrested in 2012 after a male victim told investigators at the Gulf Coast Kids House that Dubose had sexual relations with him over a one year period at two different units at Century Woods Apartments. He was later transferred from the Department of Juvenile Justice to adult court.
Dubose was sentenced as a youthful offender to two years in state youthful offender/sexual offender facility, with credit for 301 days served, to be followed by four years probation.
He was also ordered to complete sexual offender counseling while in custody and follow up with a sex offender evaluation and recommended treatment upon release.
Northview Quarterback Club To Host Softball Tournament
July 9, 2014
The Northview High School Quarterback Club will host a double elimination coed softball tournament August 2 at Showalter Park in Century from 8 a.m. until. The cost is $150 per team. Proceeds will go to support the Northview Chiefs football program.
Employees Sue Florida Corrections Department Claiming Retaliation
July 9, 2014
Four investigators for the Florida Department of Corrections have filed a lawsuit against the agency, saying they’ve been punished for calling attention to an inaccurate report about an inmate’s death.
The suit, filed this week, also names Gov. Rick Scott’s Office of the Inspector General, Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel and an assistant, and two high-ranking officials at the Department of Corrections as defendants.
It alleges that the four employees bringing the claim — Aubrey Land, David Clark, Doug Glisson and John Ulm — have faced retaliation for raising questions about the investigation into the death of an inmate. The punishment includes two of the four facing their own internal-affairs investigation.
“The plaintiffs have alleged that as a result of the exercise of their rights under the First Amendment, they have been subject to ongoing retaliation in the form of false and unwarranted internal affairs complaints which, in all likelihood, will continue unless injunctive relief is granted by this court,” the suit says.
The four employees aren’t seeking payment from the state, which enjoys sovereign immunity, but are asking that the Department of Corrections and Miguel’s office be barred from retaliating against them. They’re also asking for the court to rule that the group should get whistleblower protection. But the suit does ask for financial compensation from the individuals who are named as defendants.
According to the lawsuit, Land, Ulm and Glisson started an investigation into “a series of complaints concerning garden variety prison guard misconduct at Franklin Correctional Institute” in 2013. As part of that investigation, they concluded that an earlier, 2010 probe into the death of an inmate “was false and misleading.”
Along with Clark, the three met with Corrections Secretary Mike Crews, who referred them to Miguel’s office. But the inspector general’s office denied them whistleblower status, and not long after, Land and Clark faced allegations that they had violated a health-care privacy law and Department of Corrections policy by sharing records in another investigation with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The employees’ lawyer, Steven Andrews, is a frequent foe of Scott. Andrews is engaged in a long-running dispute with Scott and the state Cabinet about the right to buy property next to a historic site in Tallahassee, known as The Grove. He also contributed to Bill McCollum, the governor’s opponent in the 2010 GOP primary, and tried to force Scott’s campaign to release a deposition in a lawsuit involving a health-care chain that Scott helped found.
The case also comes as the Department of Corrections is under fire in media reports over the suspicious deaths of inmates. Crews issued a statement Tuesday promising accountability for anyone guilty of wrongdoing.
“If laws were broken by DOC officers or staff, those persons will be swiftly prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Crews said. “Safe and ethically run prisons are central to keeping our crime rate at a historic low.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Fall In Series Finale With BayBears 7-4
July 9, 2014
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (7-13, 38-52) fell in the series finale, 7-4, to the Mobile BayBears (13-7, 55-34) at Hank Aaron Stadium. The BayBears were led by third baseman Jake Lamb, who finished the contest 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and three RBI.
The Wahoos jumped out to an early lead when Kyle Waldrop hit a two-RBI double to the right-centerfield gap to score Brodie Greene and Yorman Rodriguez. Seth Mejias-Brean scored Waldrop from second on an RBI single, but the Wahoos bats would go cold until the top of the seventh.
The BayBears responded in the bottom of the first when Lamb hit a laser two-run home run to right field. The BayBears scored two in the fifth to take the lead over the Wahoos, chasing RHP Ben Lively from the contest after 4.1 innings of work. Lively took the loss, allowing four runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out seven batters to bring his total on the season to 122, which is the most in the entirety of the minor leagues.
After the BayBears tacked on another run in the sixth, Pensacola got a run back in the top of the seventh when Josh Fellhauer hit an RBI pinch-hit single in his first appearance since returning from the disabled list.
Mobile put the game away in the bottom of the eighth, adding two runs on an RBI double from Nate Samson and an RBI single from Ryan Court.
Starter Mike Lee earned the win for BayBears; he went 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Kaleb Fleck closed the door on the Wahoos, earning his 10th save of the season.
The Wahoos have an off day on Wednesday before returning to Pensacola Bayfront Stadium for a five-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits. RHP Daniel Corcino (7-7, 4.63) will start game one of the series for the Wahoos. The Biscuits will send RHP Dylan Floro (8-6, 2.81) to the bump.
by Tommy Thrall
Stolen Vehicle Torched: Ballpark Damage To Be Covered By Town’s Insurance Policy
July 9, 2014
The Town of Century’s insurance will cover damage caused at a town ballpark when someone torched a stolen car last week.
The fire was reported about 7:15 a.m. on July 1 behind an concession stand at the Lloyd Barrow Field on Church Street. The 1993 Buick Century was in an area not normally accessible to vehicle traffic. A witness said the vehicle had no tag attached.
A 55-year old Century woman said the car was stolen the previous day, leaving her with no way to work.
The ballpark’s concession stand suffered minor damage, with vinyl siding melted off the back of the building. The vehicle’s owner did not have insurance to cover the town’s losses, but the repairs will be covered by the Town of Century’s insurance policy, Mayor Freddie McCall said.
The fire is being invested as an arson by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office while the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the vehicle theft and fire.
Pictured top and inset: A vehicle burns inside a Century ballpark on Church Street Tuesday morning as seen before the fire department arrived on scene. Pictured below: A concession stand was also damaged by the fire. Reader submitted photos by Chris Bachman for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
