Two Arrested For Cashing Fake Checks
November 1, 2013
Two women from the Kissimmee area were arrested Thursday for cashing fake checks at a couple of Escambia County businesses.
The checks were cashed at Circle K locations on Nine Mile Road and Barrancas Avenue. Deputies stopped their vehicle and determined they were staying at a Highway 29 motel. Inside their room, deputies found computers, counterfeit checks and check stock paper.
New Campaign Finance Laws Take Effect Today In Florida
November 1, 2013
With little more than a year remaining before voters head to the polls in November 2014, candidates face something of a new world: Beginning Friday, they can rake in even more money from contributors to their campaigns.
Some of the biggest changes in a sweeping campaign-finance bill, approved last spring by the Legislature, take effect on Friday.
That includes a boost in contribution limits to candidates. Statewide candidates and retention campaigns for Supreme Court justices will be able to accept $3,000 from each contributor for each election, while legislative candidates and other campaigns can take up to $1,000. The previous limit for both was $500.
And candidates will be able to roll over up to $20,000 in unspent campaign funds to their re-election bids.
The ability to take larger contributions might have already affected the timeline of the 2014 campaign. Former Gov. Charlie Crist is set to announce his political intentions on Monday — just three days after the changes take effect — and is widely expected to launch a bid to regain his old office.
The moves were part of a bill that also banned shadowy fund-raising vehicles known as “committees of continuous existence,” though many of the functions of CCEs have simply been transferred to “political committees.” That ban on CCEs has already taken effect.
Supporters of the measure say it will give candidates an ability to more effectively control their messages in an era when U.S. Supreme Court decisions increasingly allow outside groups to raise and spend massive amounts of money in federal, state and even local elections.
Essentially, backers of the law say that money will always find its way into the political system. The new changes will, hopefully, send more of that money to candidates who have to stand behind their messages.
“What this law does is begin to allow candidates themselves to accept more of those existing funds through their own accounts to be more accountable for how that money is raised and spent,” said Dan Krassner, executive director of Integrity Florida, a nonpartisan group.
Krassner also highlighted the fact that the bill increases the number of financial reports that campaigns and committees are required to file with state elections officials.
Opponents are not convinced. Instead, they see an increasing crush of money from special interests that already have a disproportionate voice in the political system. Deirdre Macnab, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said research shows that states with higher contribution limits see fewer people giving to candidates and fewer people voting.
“It reduces the public’s confidence in the political system,” she said.
Opponents also say the rollover provision will scare away potential challengers in races where $20,000 can be a significant edge.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Thousands Attend Fall Festivals, Halloween Events
November 1, 2013
Thousands of people attended fall festivals and Halloween events across the North Escambia area Thursday night.
One of the largest was the annual community-wide fall festival at Victory Assembly of God. The festival was a combined effort of three area churches – Victory, Highland Baptist and Cross Faith Church. The interdenominational event was designed to provide a safe activity for attendees from across the community. The event featured a variety of games, bounce house, a hayride and lots of free food.
A similar event was held at Heritage Baptist Church in Cantonment.A
At the Century Care Center, ghosts and goblins joined residents to trick or treat in the hallways.
For more photos from Molino, Cantonment and Century, click here.
Hundreds attended other events across the area.
NorthEscambia.com photos from Victory Assembly in Molino (top), Heritage Baptist in Cantonment (inset) and the Century Care Center (below), click to enlarge.
Battle Of The Robots Saturday
November 1, 2013
Student-constructed robots will face off to be best of the BEST as young scientists compete against each other Saturday at the University of West Florida Field House.
The sixth annual Emerald Coast BEST Robotics middle and high school competition is sponsored by Gulf Power Company. The event will pit teams from 13 Northwest Florida schools — including Tate and West Florida high schools – in head-to-head competition to teach teamwork, problem-solving, project management and pride in task completion.
BEST Robotics Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition.
“Gulf Power supports the annual competition because it provides local students the opportunity to learn practical engineering, science and math skills, which are critical for their future,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson.
Gulf Power has recently ramped up efforts to help increase the availability of skilled technicians in Northwest Florida by helping to form the Northwest Florida Manufacturers Council earlier this year. The council will help local manufacturing companies work together to compete in a global marketplace with a special emphasis on having a skilled workforce.
“Events like the BEST Robotics competition also help promote interest in high-quality manufacturing careers down the line for these students,” said Rogers.
Each student team has six weeks to design and build a remote-controlled robot to solve a problem or perform a specific function. The year’s theme, Gatekeeper 2013, refers to a conceived challenge of constructing a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to upgrade BEST robot, Squeaky, to Squeaky 2.0. The goal for the students is to design a prototype robot to construct a CPU over the course of three fabrication stages.
Each team is judged on its robot performance, marketing presentation, team exhibit, technical notebook and spirit and sportsmanship. The 13 schools from across Northwest Florida will participate in the University of West Florida Emerald Coast BEST hub with the top schools advancing to regional competition at Auburn University.
Area schools have been competing in BEST since 2004, when Gulf Power sponsored eight local teams to compete in the BEST hub in Mobile, Ala. The funding of hub operations depends entirely on corporate and individual sponsorships. Materials kits to build the robots are provided to the teams by the hub. No fees are paid by students or schools participating in BEST robotics.
2013 Teams:
- Arnold High School
- Avalon Middle School
- Bethlehem School
- Jinks Middle School
- Milton High School
- Newpoint Pensacola High
- Pine Forest High School
- Seaside Neighborhood
- Sims Middle School
- Tate High School
- West Florida High School
- Woodham Middle School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
Pictured: Previous robotics competitions at the University of West Florida. File photos, click to enlarge.
Man, 51, Killed In Thursday Highway 95A Crash
October 31, 2013
One person was killed in a single vehicle traffic crash about 9:50 Thursday morning on Highway 95A.
The accident happened in a curve at C&C Hauling, just north of McKenzie Road in the Cottage Hill area. The Florida Highway Patrol said Lonnie L. Davis of Pensacola was northbound on Highway 95A in a Mercedes-Benz convertible when he failed to negotiate a curve and collided with a power pole on the shoulder.
Davis, who was unrestrained, was ejected from the vehicle as it continued on to collide with a second utility pole and a fence. He was pronounced deceased on the scene.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office had received a call about a domestic dispute involving Davis at a home on Welcome Circle, a short distance from the crash site. Before deputies arrived on Welcome Circle, Davis was already gone.
Pictured top: The driver of this convertible was killed in a single vehicle crash Thursday morning. Pictured below: One of the power poles, snapped in half, struck by a driver in a fatal crash this morning in on Highway 95A. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Fire Crew Won’t Move From Century To McDavid; Century Presents Erroneous Data To Make Case
October 31, 2013
A paid Escambia Fire Rescue crew currently assigned to Century won’t be shifted to the McDavid Fire Station in an effort to improve the level of service across the North Escambia area. The decision was made after the Town of Century made their case to county leaders using erroneous data from an Internet site.
Escambia County Fire Rescue Patrick Grace said Wednesday afternoon that Escambia County Interim Administrator George Touart had decided earlier in the day that the paid crew would remain in Century. Earlier in the day, Touart, Grace, Public Safety Director Mike Weaver, Century Mayor Freddie McCall and Escambia Fire Rescue Century District Chief Regi Burkett met to discuss the idea.
“Moving the paid crew to Molino would have had a bigger impact for the taxpayer’s dollar,” Grace said. “It would have greatly improved service levels.”
A daytime paid fire crew in Century has answered 108 calls during the past year, many of which were in Flomaton. If the crew had been stationed in McDavid, they would have been dispatched on over 160 calls across parts of North Escambia, Grace said.
During Wednesday’s meeting, McCall presented a memo to Touart, Weaver and Grace asking that fire crew remain in Century. The memo listed mileages between the Century and McDavid fire stations and destinations including local schools. The data presented by the Town of Century showed moving the fire crew from Century to McDavid would result in increased mileage, and travel time, to the schools.
However, NorthEscambia.com discovered some of the listed data presented by McCall was erroneous. Century’s data shows the distance from the McDavid Fire Station to Ernest Ward Middle School at 17.72 miles; however, the actual distance is only 12 miles. Century’s data also overstated the mileage from McDavid to Northview High School by 3.81 miles, and from McDavid to Bratt Elementary School by an extra 4.8 miles. (See charts at bottom of article.)
In their data, Century did not include Molino Park Elementary School, which is seven miles closer to the McDavid Fire Station than Century and would benefit from a much faster response time.
Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez said she obtained the mileages for the mayor’s memo presentation from the Mapquest website. NorthEscambia.com confirmed that, with a ordinary search, Mapquest does return the incorrect mileages due to mapping a partially incorrect route. (Editor’s note: In our computations, NorthEscambia.com used mileages as provided by Google Maps using the most direct route over paved roads via verified correct routes.)
In his effort to convince Touart to keep the fire crew in Century, McCall also presented data showing there are 70 tax paying businesses in the Town of Century. He did not present any information about the number of businesses outside Century that would be served by a paid fire crew if it were moved to McDavid.
According to the University of West Florida’s Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development, there are 259 licensed businesses operating in the Century zip code; 250 in the Mcdavid/Walnut Hill zip code, and 425 in Molino. It should be noted that the business numbers from both the Town of Century and the Haas Center include numerous small, home-based businesses.
An attempt to reach Touart for comment Wednesday afternoon was unsuccessful..
Paid Firefighter Crew
The paid firefighter crew currently staffs the Century Fire Station from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. The crew provides coverage during the daytime hours when many volunteers are unavailable due to employment outside the area. Volunteer firefighters answer calls at other times and on the weekends.
Until a few weeks ago, a paid crew was stationed at the Molino Fire Station during the same hours. But Molino’s paid crew was among those transferred to the Cantonment Station in order to provide 24/7 paid coverage after Cantonment experienced an overall lack of volunteer response. Since the switch, volunteers have worked to answer calls in Molino around the clock.
From the more centrally located McDavid Fire Station on Highway 29, a paid firefighter crew would have been dispatched and been able to answer calls a few miles — and just a few minutes — away in Century, Molino and Walnut Hill during the daytime hours when the availability of volunteers is the lowest. Volunteer firefighters in those areas would still have been dispatched and respond to call in their districts.
“Moving the fire crew to McDavid would have greatly benefited the tax paying citizens north of Cantonment,” Weaver said. Fire taxes and fees collected from Molino north fall just short of funding the expense of the paid crew currently assigned to Century.
“Molino would have benefited from the move. Walnut Hill would have benefited from the move,” he said. “Those citizens are paying for that service.”
Weaver noted that the volunteers at the Walnut Hill and McDavid fire stations have historically good response rates and times to calls in their district. The Walnut Hill fire district is 225 square miles — comprising over one-third of Escambia County’s total 660 square mile area. A paid crew in McDavid would have been poised to provide coverage in the immediate Walnut Hill area when Walnut Hill volunteers were answering calls in outlying areas of their relatively massive fire district.
DATA PRESENTED BY THE TOWN OF CENTURY/MAPQUEST:
CORRECT DATA FROM GOOGLE MAPS:
Three Subway Restaurants Burglarized
October 31, 2013
Burglaries are under investigation at three Escambia County Subway restaurants.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to burglaries at the Subway on Highway 29 in Gonzalez, West Nine Mile Road near Highway 29 and Pine Forest Road. The restaurants were burglarized sometime between closing time Tuesday night and opening Wednesday morning.
There’s no word yet on what was stolen from the restaurants.
Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Escambia Public Schools Foundation Announces 62 Grants for Excellence
October 31, 2013
The Escambia County Public Schools Foundation’s Grants for Excellence Committee will award over $53,000 in grants to fund classroom projects this year.
The Grants for Excellence Classroom Grant Program is a competitive grant program to fund classroom projects to enhance curriculum and drive student achievement in Escambia County classrooms that is not available through current school or district budgets
This year, the Committee selected 62 projects to fund for a total of $53,862.34. Each recepient will receive up to $1,000 for their innovative classroom projects in the areas of literacy, STEM education, low-performing students, increasing graduation rates, career and technical education, and teaching quality.
Grant recipients are:
• Mitzi Allen, Tate High School, “Literally Great Photos”
• Kimberly Andreoli, Bratt Elementary School, “Learning Through Literacy”
• Angela Avery, Ransom Middle School, “Hide and Seek-Geocaching Project”
• Dr. Alana Battaglia, Escambia High School, “Skeleton in Search of a Closet”
• Edward Bauer, Washington High School, “Bringing Back the Bayous”
• Saundra P. Bell, Hellen Caro Elementary School, “Sailboat Breeze Meets Captain I. Seegood”
• Janice Bello, Navy Point Elementary School, “Math Madness”
• Russell L. Bertles, Workman Middle School, “Who Said All Great Music Composers are Dead?”
• Adam Bretschneider, Roy Hyatt Environmental Center, “Touch of the Gulf”
• Rose M. Briggs, George Stone Career Center, “Shining a ‘Light’ on Mathematics”
• Donna Burch, West Florida High School, “Photo Me This”
• Rebecca Burt, Global Learning Academy, Beulah Elementary and Cook Elementary Schools, “The ART of Writing”
• Anita Carnley, Ensley Elementary School, “Wingspan of Monarch Butterflies”
• Nichole Childress, Jim Allen Elementary School, “Visual Vocabulary Cards”
• Leslie R. Cuyuch, Workman Middle School, “Kickstarting Student Discourse with Kagan”
• Elizabeth Dunaway, Oakcrest Elementary School, “Paying it Forward”
• Jennifer Etheredge, Scenic Heights Elementary, “Creating a Therapeutic Play Therapy”
• Stephanie Furey, Washington High School, “Helping Students One Question at a Time”
• Stephanie Gaffney, Navy Point Elementary School, “Looking, Hearing, and Feeling Through Literacy”
• Kathy Gilliland, Pine Forest High School, “Connected, Unique, and Powerful!”
• ReNae Grant, Semmes Elementary School, “Android-Powered Learning”
• Janice Hall, Bellview Middle School, “Cooking with the Write Stuff”
• Anna K. Harageones, Ferry Pass Elementary School, “What’s the Weather Today?”
• Ila Harvey, Sherwood Elementary School, “Bridging the Learning Gap”
• Pam Hicks, Washington High School, “Volumetric Measurement”
• Maurine Kramerich, PATS Center, “Let’s Make a Puppet!”
• Justin Luciano, West Florida High School, “E-magine That!”
• Matthew MacGregor, Escambia High School, “Protecting Our Estuaries”
• Jason Majors, Escambia High School, “Original From Step One”
• Jeffrey R. Mason, PATS Center, “Physical Computing and Digital Electronics”
• Sarah Mason, Blue Angels Elementary School, “The Engineering Wall: Rube Goldberg Style”
• Janneke McElroy, Oakcrest Elementary School, “Kicking It Up A Notch”
• Angela McFarland, West Florida High School, “iPhotograph, iOptimize, iCode”
• Jill Mealy, Ensley Elementary, “Ensley’s Project Green”
• Cathy S. Melton, Weis Elementary School, “Boots and Bits and a Little ‘Bit’ More”
• Nancy Melton-Buffington, Workman Middle School, “Thinking Differently to Change the World We Live In”
• Catheryn Morrison, Bellview Middle School, “Discover and Explore Pensacola”
• Jean Odom, N. B. Cook Elementary School, “Reader’s Theatre”
• Dawn Parnell, Pensacola High School, “Increasing STEM Skills”
• Paula Petsel, West Florida High School, “Aquaponics System”
• Hytza Piatt, Tate High School, “My iSpanish Experiences”
• Karen Potter, Ransom Middle School, “Getting Middle School Readers ‘Interactive’ with Reading”
• Sharon Powers, Longleaf Elementary School, “Literacy for All”
• Jeff Pribble, Escambia High School, “Career Preparation in High Definition”
• Sylvia Ramos, West Florida High School, “Virtual Hispanic Center”
• Julie Reda, West Florida High School, “Color My World”
• Dottie Ritchie-Riddle, Global Learning Academy, “Small Group Learning Stations”
• Anita M. Schmitt, Lipscomb Elementary School, “Young Mentors-Kindergarten Reading Buddies”
• Jennifer Shiver, Holm Elementary School, “Learning Through Music”
• Cindy Speed, Weis Elementary School, “E-Books for Every Student”
• Paula Stillman, A.K. Suter Elementary School, “Pocket Full of Sunshine”
• Alicia Stone, Lipscomb Elementary School, “Reading Fluency with Technology”
• Zenda G. Swearengin, Workman Middle School, “Music and Tech Geeks Meet”
• Angela Taylor, Myrtle Grove Elementary School, “Check Out Math!”
• Nancy Thomas, Ferry Pass Elementary School, “Bop and Skip Into Reading”
• Chet Truett, Ransom Middle School, “Music Video Translation”
• Kevin Turner, Washington High School, “Observing Benthic Diversity and Water Density”
• Kristi Waldrop, Ransom Middle School, “Let’s Get Those Boards Out!”
• Shawn Walker, West Florida High School, “Go Out on a STEM!”
• Pamela Weiseman, Capstone Academy, “Increasing Engagement and Success”
• Ronald J. Williams, Extended Program, Hall Center, “Flying ‘B’ Enterprises”
• Dorice Zeier, Holm Elementary School, “Ready Bodies”
The 62 projects funded this fall will directly impact a total of 20,018 students and 74 teachers this school year alone. Many of the classroom materials, software, technology, and other items purchased with Grants for Excellence grant funds will continue to be used for years to come.
The Foundation will present grant recipients with their checks at the 2013 Grants for Excellence Reception on Thursday, November 7.
Trial Set To Begin For Lottery Store Murder Suspect
October 31, 2013
A docket hearing was held Wednesday for one of the two men accused in the robbery and shooting death of a Davisville lottery store owner last November.
Malcolm McGhee. Jr., 25, has entered a not guilty plea. Jury selection is set to begin in less than two weeks in his trial on charges of premeditated first degree murder and robbery with a firearm for the shooting death of 74-year old Thomas “Tommy” Kroll during a robbery on November 6, 2012, at the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97.
His co-defendant, Brent Dewayne Lambeth, 21, has pleaded no contest to second degree murder. Under his plea deal, he will receive no more than 30 years in prison, provided he testifies against McGhee.
Investigators said McGhee and Lambeth targeted Kroll’s business because they had previous purchased “Spice” there and the duo intended on robbing the store of more of the synthetic marijuana.
Pictured top and bottom: The scene outside the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 following the murder of store owner Thomas Kroll on November 6, 2012. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Southeastern Religious Leaders Fight SNAP Food Aid Cuts
October 31, 2013
As a congressional conference committee began talks on cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — known in the past as food stamps — religious leaders from across the Southeast said Wednesday they’re worried about potential effects on the poor and working poor in a region with the country’s highest rates of poverty.
The debate is part of negotiations over a federal farm bill that includes the SNAP program. The Republican-led U.S. House wants to cut SNAP funding by $39.5 billion over 10 years, while the Democratic-controlled Senate holds the line at a $4 billion reduction. President Obama has said he would veto the larger amount.
The talks come as $11 billion in cuts resulting from the expiration of a 2009 federal-stimulus act kick in Friday — $36 per month for a family of four on full SNAP benefits.
Leaders of Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Jewish and Lutheran congregations from eight Southeastern states held a conference call to underline the start of negotiations, saying that too many Americans are going hungry already.
“As SNAP benefits are decreasing, we’re seeing an increase in individual needs in our area,” said Bishop Paul Leeland of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, representing 650 congregations. “(Our pastors) tell us that they are seeing an increase in the number of people at their food closets and clothing closets, and that the majority of these people are children and older adults.”
“Even before the recession, there were alarming rates of poverty in North Carolina,” said the Rev. Betty L. Meadows of the Presbyterian Church USA. “And now there’s just an increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots. Hunger is real. One in four children lives in poverty and is hungry.”
According to the Food Action and Research Center, the SNAP caseload in Florida has increased 130.5 percent over the past five years. More than one in four of the state’s children — 25.4 percent — live in poverty; the national child poverty rate is 22.6 percent.
Florida Congressman Steve Southerland, one of the House conferees, is spearheading a proposal that would require work for SNAP benefits, though the proposal exempts children, seniors and people with disabilities.
“For those vulnerable people, we want to make sure they’re protected and they’re cared for,” he said.
The Southerland amendment is currently part of the House bill and requires able-bodied adults to earn their benefits by working 20 hours a week or participating in a job training program.
Southerland is passionate about the importance of work and said he and his wife require their four daughters to get part-time jobs when they turn 15 years old.
“I’ve been deeply burdened that there’s so many people — and a segment of people in our population — that have never been introduced to the blessing of work,” Southerland said.
Responding to the religious leaders’ posture on SNAP cuts, he said his amendment is also based on scriptural concerns.
“All through scripture there is a requirement of individuals who are able-bodied — individuals who are able, not children, not disabled, not seniors — but individuals who are physically, mentally, psychologically able to work to participate in their own well-being,” Southerland said.
But Debra Susie, the executive director of Florida Impact, an advocacy group, said many SNAP recipients live in areas where there are no jobs or job-training slots.
“You can’t force people to go to work where there are no jobs,” she said. “And you cannot punish their children by removing food stamps if those jobs don’t exist.”
Virtually all the religious leaders on the call described their states’ efforts to help hungry children. Many routinely send backpacks home on weekends with students they suspect aren’t eating on days they’re not in school.
“If the children coming (to school) are hungry, they’re never going to learn,” said the Rev. Canon Geoff Taylor of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina. “If they’re never going to learn, they’re never going to work and we just have a cascading problem. I think we need to address these things at their roots, and at the very root of that hierarchy of needs is food.”
Southerland on Tuesday said he was “optimistic” about the fate of the amendment he has championed.
But Jim Weill, president of the Food Action and Research Center, said Democrats in both chambers and in the White House oppose the measure strongly.
“So it may well be stripped out at some point,” Weill said. “On the other hand, the Republican leadership put Southerland on the conference committee, so he’s going to be in the room when the deals are cut. And they obviously put him there for a reason.”
By Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida