Photos, Video: Century Land To Lake Parade, Christmas Event
December 13, 2013
With a “Land to Lake” theme, the first lighted Christmas parade in several years rolled through Century Thursday night. The parade ended at Lake Stone, with Santa Claus, hot cocoa, cookies and an sack lunch.
For a parade video, click here.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Busted In Sexual Predator Investigation
December 13, 2013
An Escambia County man was arrested Wednesday morning after allegedly showing up to meet a teen boy for sex — but that teen turned out to be an investigator.
Donald Gough Jr, 37, was charged with traveling to meet a juvenile for sex and using a two way device (email) to facilitate a felony, ending a month long investigation.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Gough begin communicating on November 15 with a person he thought to be a 14-year old boy. The boy was actually a computer crimes investigator. During their conversations, Gough engaged in sexually explicit conversation and agreed to meet the boy Wednesday with the intention of having sex, deputies said.
Gough was arrested when he traveled to Nine Mile Road and Hummingbird Boulevard to meet the boy.
Gough remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
Scott Proposes Rolling Back Motor Vehicle Taxes And Fees
December 13, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott Thursday announced that around $400 million in tax and fee cuts will go directly to Florida families by rolling back motor vehicle taxes and fees to pre-2009 levels. In 2009, Floridians experienced significant increases in various taxes related to the annual registration of motor vehicles, increasing the cost of registering a typical motor vehicle by an average of 54 percent.
“I have one message today for every Florida family: We are going to undo the 54% tax increase you saw in 2009 to register your motor vehicles. This means around $400 million annually will be given back to Florida families. This has never been government’s money – it’s your money – and I look forward to working with the Florida legislature to return it back to you,” Scott said. “We want to create an opportunity economy in Florida, and letting people keep more of the money they make means families have more money to invest in their future. We want to create an economy that supports job creation for generations to come.”
As a result of the 2009 tax increases, the cost of registering a typical automobile for Floridians increased from an estimated $46.80 to $71.85 every year. Combined with increases in driver license fees and various service charges, the increases translated to state revenues of over $1 billion, which were directed primarily to the state’s general revenue fund.
Scott’s proposed tax/fee automobile roll back would offer relief to the millions of taxpayers who pay these taxes/fees on over 13 million annual registrations each year, returning automobile taxes/fees to pre-2009 levels effective September 2014. On average, families will see registration costs drop from about $71 today to $46 next September, an average decrease in costs of about $25 for Florida families.
Snowball Express Transports Families Of Fallen Military
December 13, 2013
The Blue Angels were on hand Thursday to welcome 16 local families of fallen military heroes to the Pensacola International Airport before their Snowball Express flight to Fort Worth.
The Snowball Express is a charity organization for children of America’s fallen military heroes.
Blue Angels team members signed autographs, posed for photos and spent time with the children in the Pensacola airport’s USO center before their flight to Fort Worth to join more than 1,700 other children and surviving spouses.
“Snowball Express is a great organization because it helps the children of fallen service members by surrounding them with other kids and families who are all dealing with the loss of a loved one, while showing them a fun time,” said Lt. Cmdr. Declan Hartney of the Blue Angels.
American Airlines provides transportation annually for families across the world to attend the Snowball Express event, where children and surviving spouses meet for a weekend of enjoyment.
Pictured: Blue Angels Flight Surgeon Lt. Cmdr. Mark DeBuse signs an autograph for a child during the annual Snowball Express send-off event at the Pensacola Regional Airport USO Thursday. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Boys Beat Jay; Lady Royals Down Northview
December 13, 2013
BOYS — Northview 61, Jay 58
The Northview Chiefs beat the Jay Royals 61-58 Thursday night in varsity high school basketball at Jay.
Scoring for the Chiefs were Neino Robinson 18, Tony McAroy 17, Cameron Newsome 14, Trent Howard 6, Jeffery Taylor 3, Dalton Tullis, and Nick Lambert 1.
Scoring for Jay were: Thomas Fisher 17, Marshall Thomas 13, Victor Minchew 8, Justice Garcia 7, Taylor Kelly 7, Eric Travino 3, Tate Upton 2, and Brandon Boutwell 1.
The Northview Chiefs will host Freeport Friday. The JV Girls play at 4:00; the Varsity Girls at 5:15 and the Varsity Boys at 6:30. Jay will travel to Baker this afternoon.
GIRLS — Jay 50, Northview 31
The Jay Lady Royals defeated the Northview Chiefs Thursday night in varsity girls high school basketball at Jay.
Scoring for the Jay Royals were: Carissa Mulford 14, Hillary Hendricks 11, Destiny Herring 7, annah Prescott 4 ,Emily Dobson 4, Paige Smith 4, Jorga Agrait 2, Bayleigh Upton 1.
Scoring for the Chiefs were: Elayzha Bates 11, Lana Clayton 7, Angle Lathan 4, Danielle Steadham 4, Zacarra Davis2 , and Deasia Fountain 2.
Jay will travel to Catholic at 4:30 Friday. The Northview Chiefs will host Freeport Friday. The JV Girls play at 4:00; the Varsity Girls at 5:15 and the Varsity Boys at 6:30. Jay will travel to Baker this afternoon.
Senate Prez Backs Statewide Vote On Casinos
December 13, 2013
Senate President Don Gaetz said Thursday voters should probably weigh in on whether the state opens the door to Las Vegas-style casinos, posing another hurdle for out-of-state operators eager to start doing business in South Florida.
“I think you can make an argument that that’s a systemic change that the people of Florida ought to have a say about,” Gaetz, R-Niceville, said during a free-wheeling breakfast meeting with reporters.
Gaetz’s comments make it more likely that voters will play a role in any gaming expansion next year.
House Speaker Will Weatherford last week told The News Service of Florida he is “warming up to” a constitutional amendment that would require statewide voter approval for any future gambling expansion. But Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was unclear about whether any changes approved by the Legislature next year would also have to get the voters’ blessing.
“Those details have to be worked out in the future,” Weatherford said this week.
But what is clear is that both the House and the Senate are considering a constitutional amendment — or possibly more — as part of the solution to the thorny issue of reshaping the state’s gambling landscape.
Gaetz indicated that destination resorts, one of the myriad components being considered by lawmakers as they explore gambling ideas, would be a sweeping enough change in state policy to require a statewide referendum. That could mean a second question for voters to decide in November.
Gaetz said “localized issues” might not necessarily require a statewide referendum. A destination resort in Miami-Dade County could be considered a local matter, Gaetz said.
But when pressed, he conceded that even a single hotel casino in a lone county could represent a marked shift in the state’s gambling policy.
“I think it could be. We don’t have destination casinos other than on Native American land right now. So if we opened up to two or three or …I don’t know. It’s hard then to say we’re going to do it in Miami but nobody else need apply. So in effect you’ve made a decision to get in the destination casino business. I think you can make an argument that that’s a systemic change that the people of Florida ought to have a say about,” he said. “I tend to sit on the side of asking people what they think.”
Lawmakers drew fire for placing 11 proposed constitutional amendments, many of them politically charged, on the 2012 ballot.
Gaetz said he and Weatherford last year pledged not to “litter up the constitution or the ballot with a bunch of crap, a bunch of issues de jour, a bunch of political stuff.”
But the gambling proposals now under discussion are different, he said.
“This is not like a political issue where you’ve got one side using a constitutional issue to try to posture and get people to the polls or something like that. If we did a major expansion of gambling, that’s a significant change,” Gaetz said.
Some destination resort proponents are hoping that voters have warmed up to the idea of Las Vegas-style casinos in an already gambling-rich state home to eight Indian casinos offering slots, blackjack and other tabled card games; 27 pari-mutuels, including two dozen that also have poker rooms and seven facilities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties that also have slot machines; a state Lottery; and “cruises to nowhere” with unregulated and untaxed casino gambling three miles offshore.
A sweeping gambling bill that included up to three destination resorts went nowhere during the 2012 legislative session, prompting Malaysian-based casino giant Genting Group to back a ballot initiative. Genting later abandoned that route after it became clear lawmakers would again tackle the issue during the 2014 session.
Resorts World Miami, linked with Genting, owns property in downtown Miami it hopes to transform into one of the stand-alone casinos.
Including destination resorts in the gambling framework is a plus, said Resorts World Miami lobbyist Brian Ballard.
“Obviously, the Senate president is going to have a huge amount of sway on the final outcome. At first blush, I’m just glad he’s talking about destination resorts being part of the mix. As far as a referendum goes, we’re open to any and all solutions,” Ballard said. “It’s certainly appealing that the concept of destination resorts seems to be gaining either support or a recognition that it is going to be an important part of this package at the end of the day.”
by The News Service Florida
Your Christmas Photos: Bratt House Decked Out
December 13, 2013
This house in Bratt, located on North Highway 99 just south of Breastworks Road, is decked out for the Christmas Season.
Share your Christmas lights or other Christmas photos. Email the photos to news@northescambia.com.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Burglary Suspects Appear In Court
December 12, 2013
The two adult suspects in the burglary and vandalism of Molino Park Elementary School were in court Wednesday. During the August 9 burglary, over $60,000 in property was stolen, and the school sustained another $7,000 in damages. Most of the stolen items — including computers and iPads– were burned by the suspects.
Tatanya Zahna Blackmon, a 19-year old female from the 2400 block of North Highway 29 in Cantonment, and Rodriques Ricardo Young, a 19-year old male from the 1300 block of Barth Road in Molino appeared before Judge Gary Bergosh Wednesday morning for what was due to be a docket hearing prior to jury trials later this month.
Both had their trials delayed until mid-February – Blackmon at the request of the defense and Young at the request of prosecutors. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Blackmon and Young are charged with grand theft, larceny, criminal mischief with property damage, destroying evidence and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both remain in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $90,000.
Three juveniles are also awaiting trial for the incident. Tracy Deshawn Lett, 14, Jacob Lett, 11, and Vashawn Lamond Brown, 13, were charged with grand theft, larceny and criminal mischief. The suspects were identified by Sheriff’s investigators with the assistance and cooperation of the Escambia County School District.
Thousands of dollars worth of electronics were stolen from throughout the school, including Apple computers, iPads, Wii gaming systems, cameras used by the school’s student-operated closed circuit TV station, along with other items. Portions of the school were also vandalized during the break-in. Ceiling tiles were damaged or destroyed throughout the campus, and holes were punched in walls. A vending machine was also toppled and burglarized.
Pictured below: Three Apple computers were stolen from this desk in a computer lab. Pictured below: Surveillance video shows two people running through the school at 9:17 p.m. on August 9. Pictured inset: An overturned and burglarized vending machine in the school. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia High Teacher Arrested On Child Porn Charges
December 12, 2013
An Escambia High School teacher was arrested Wednesday on federal child pornography charges.
Jeffrey Bruce Richards, 63, was charged with the distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. He made is initial appearance in federal court Wednesday.
According to a criminal complaint sworn to a FBI special agent, Richards used peer-to-peer software between December 2012 and December 2013 to share hundreds of images of child pornography online.
The complaint was a result of a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Pensacola Police Department and other members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg.
Information released Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office does not indicate if Richards allegedly used any school district computers to trade pornography.
Beer Can ‘Festivus’ Pole Now Stands In Florida’s Capitol
December 12, 2013
Festivus, the sitcom-created holiday,” went on display Wednesday in the first floor of the Florida Capitol through a state-approved pole comprised of beer cans. South Florida political blogger Chaz Stevens delivered his 6-foot-tall “Festivus” pole — made of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans.
The pole is a not-so-subtle protest to a Christian nativity scene that was put up December 3 by the Florida Prayer Network. Stevens, an atheist and member of the American Civil Liberties Union, wants to make a political statement on the need for the separation of church and state.
“When I asked to put this up, I hoped that I could make a circus out of this whole thing, to make it ridiculous,” Stevens said. “It’s six feet of beer cans … the government doesn’t belong here.”
Festivus, celebrated Dec. 23, is a “holiday” created for the TV sitcom “Seinfeld” as a non-commercial festival “for the rest of us” in the Christmas and year-end holiday season. A symbol of the holiday is an unadorned aluminum pole.
Pam Olsen, president of the Florida Prayer Network, attended the non-ceremonial standing of the pole Wednesday morning. “I’m not shaking and my God’s not afraid either,” said Olsen, who had a brief exchange with Stevens. “We’re all in the Capitol exercising our freedom of religion.”
The pole stands next to a banner from the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation. The state Department of Management Services, which oversees displays in the Capitol, continued Wednesday to review additional requests for seasonal banner space in the Capitol’s entry rotunda. Those requests were by the American Atheists Florida Regional Directors, the Tallahassee Atheists and the Satanic Temple of Tallahassee.
The Festivus pole is approved for display until January 3.