No Injuries In Highway 97 Wreck
October 16, 2013
There were no injuries in a two vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon on Highway 97 south of Pilgrim Trail in Molino.
The accident happened about 4 p.m. as the driver of a truck with a gooseneck trailer hauling a tractor attempted to turn into a private drive. It appeared the the driver of a pickup was attempting to pass the truck and other traffic and lost control, running off the roadway and hitting a utility pole.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury: No Charges Against Deputies In Two Shootings
October 16, 2013
An Escambia County Grand Jury has completed its review of the shooting death of James W. McGlothlin and the wounding of Roy Middleton. Both of the shootings involved Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
The grand jury met over a three-day period and heard evidence from numerous witnesses including special agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, deputies from Escambia County Sheriffs Office and civilian witnesses. Based the testimony and other evidence, the grand jury found insufficient evidence to establish that any criminal violations were committed.
Grand Jury Recommendations
The grand jury did return a report making five recommendations to the Sheriffs Office regarding training and procedures.
Those recommendations, reprinted verbatim, included:
1. That the Escambia County Sheriff’ s Office establish more focused and intensive training for the first four years of a law enforcement officer’s career.
2. That greater mentoring be encouraged between junior and senior officers.
3. That the situations presented in both these cases be recreated for training purposes for use in the force on force room. These scenarios should be prepared with various outcomes.
4. In the case involving the death of McGlothlin, we realize that the ofñcers acted in a manner necessary under the circumstances. We do find, however, that these circumstances led to poor decisions. While we understand that the SWAT team was not available under these particular circumstances, we believe that other technological abilities should be available to deal with similar circumstances.
5. In cases where medical care becomes necessary, we believe that both blood or urine samples should be available for additional testing by law enforcement. Procedures should be established that provide that appropriate subpoenas or court orders are available to either obtain or retain such samples for additional testing.
Sheriff Morgan’s Response
“We are constantly striving to improve the quality of service we provide, and to enhance the safety and security of those who live and Work in Escambia County,” Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan responded in a letter to State Attorney Bill Eddins. “To that end, we will carefully consider the recommendations of the Grand Jury. We will incorporate the Grand Jury recommendations into our policies, procedures, and training plans as appropriate within the constraints of the law and funding.”
Roy Middleton Shooting
In July, an unarmed Roy Middleton was searching for a cigarette in his mother’s car when he was shot by deputies that had responded to a theft in progress call. Escambia County Sheriff’s David Morgan was Middleton was not compliant with his officers’ orders to get out of the car and put his hands up. Instead, the sheriff said, Middleton exited the car quickly with a lunging motion with one hand raised with something in it. Deputies then fired 15 rounds at Middleton. Morgan attributed the number of shots to “officer anxiety”.
Middleton and his family told a different story. Middleton said he at first thought the flashlights were those of his neighbors playing a trick on him. He said he followed the orders given by deputies and raised his hands, holding his car keys with metal flashlight. When he turned to face the deputies, they opened fire.
The incident has received national media attention.
James Wyman McGlothin Shooting Death
James Wyman McGlothin was shot and killed by an Escambia County Deputy in early July at the Lago Vista Apartments in the 400 block of South 72nd Avenue.
McGlothlin was reportedly driving a small red Honda vehicle when he ran off the road and became stuck in a flooded ditch off 72nd Avenue. He then ran into the apartment complex where a K-9 tracked him to a shed. Area residents reported hearing dozens of gunshots as deputies entered the shed.
According to a list released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, McGlothlin was responsible for a long list of crimes in the area between June 21 and his death on July 5 including grand theft, vehicle theft, aggravated battery and the robbery of at least two businesses.
Special Meeting: A Little Boy In Need And An Unselfish Young Lady
October 16, 2013
Before Tuesday, Shelby Godwin of Bratt had never met Wyatt Johnson, an 18-month old from Century who is suffering from a chronic liver disease that will require a transplant. Hugs, smiles and happy tears filled the Bratt Elementary School Library Tuesday afternoon as Shelby saw Wyatt in person for the first time.
But there was already a special bond between the two, a little boy in need of all the help the world will give him and a young lady with an unselfish heart.
As we reported last month, Shelby saw a fundraising flyer with Wyatt’s picture at CVS in Century. She was so emotionally touched by the young man that she wanted to do something to help him.
Her idea was a fresh orange juice stand along East Highway 4 in Bratt, under the shade trees in front of her house. The 10-year old used her own money to purchase the oranges and supplies for her little business venture and borrowed an old fashioned juicer from a friend of her mom.
“Hey,” Shelby said to Wyatt, taking his hand in hers. “It’s good to meet you.” Tears poured from the face of Nicole Johnson, Wyatt’s mom, as she embraced Shelby in a hug. Afterwards, Shelby pushed her glasses up and wiped her eyes.
“Thank you, thank you so much,” mom Nicole said.
“You are an amazing young lady,” Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas told Shelby. “This world needs more people like you.”
“We do need more people like you,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall added, presenting Shelby with an official proclamation in her honor. “You are very special. There’s a special place in heaven for you.”
Wyatt’s dad, Justin Johnson, presented Shelby with a single white rose, a card, and a “Team Wyatt” shirt. Shelby and her mother, Kim Godwin, gave Wyatt a gift, a teddy bear and a matching outfit. Wyatt looked at the teddy bear cautiously, smiled and began to play. His smile grew larger as he twirled the bear’s fur around his finger and poked at his nose.
The Godwins then presented Nicole with the proceeds from Shelby’s orange juice sales.
“Hey there,” Shelby said and she kneeled next to Wyatt for photos. As the camera clicked off the photos, their smiles became bigger and bigger as did those of everyone in a room. For a moment, all was well in the world of the new best friends, a little boy in need of all the help the world will give him and a young lady with an unselfish heart.
Shelby’s orange juice stand is open some Friday and Saturday afternoons in the 5100 block of West Highway 4, almost directly across from the Bratt Assembly of God. A small fresh squeezed orange juice is $1 and a medium is $2. Donations are welcome and very much encouraged. All proceeds benefit Wyatt Johnson. A fund has also been established in Wyatt Johnson’s name at Pen Air Federal Credit Union.
Pictured above: (front, L-R) Shelby Godwin, Nicole Johnson, Wyatt Johnson, Daisy Johnson, (back) Bratt Elementary Principal Karen Hall, Kim Godwin, Justin Johnson, Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, and Century Mayor Freddie McCall.
Pictured above: Shelby Godwin makes fresh orange juice to raise money for Wyatt Johnson.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Envision Cantonment Workshops Scheduled
October 16, 2013
The Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency will hold a series of meetings to discuss eight focus areas of the Cantonment CRA.
The meeting will be held at the Jim Allen Elementary School cafeteria at 1051 Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Meetings will be held the next two Tuesdays at 6 p.m.:
–Tuesday, October 22, 2013: Draft of Cantonment Redevelopment Plan
Draft of Cantonment Redevelopment Plan presented
–Tuesday, October 29, 2013: Review Final Draft of Plan
Final Review & Comment of Cantonment Redevelopment Plan
For more information, contact Zee Osuigwe, Development Program manager, (850) 595-3216.
School Grading ‘Safety Net’ Extended; Thomas Applauds State BOE Decision
October 16, 2013
The State Board of Education voted Tuesday to extend a policy preventing schools from dropping by more than a letter grade on their state-issued report cards through the 2014-15 school year, a move welcomed by Escambia County’s top educator.
The board voted 4-2 to continue the policy, which was first used in the school report cards issued following the 2011-12 school year and continued this year as superintendents said a slew of changes to Florida’s accountability system made it hard to tell what was causing unusual drops in school grades.
“It was the right move now with schools and teachers subject to so many changes and testing that was poorly defined,” Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said. “There is a lot of instability in the system and will be until you have new tests in Florida.”
State Board of Education members approved the change as an amendment to a package of rule revisions that state Department of Education officials described as technical. But the move drew concern even from some of the members who ended up voting for the plan, and particularly from those who opposed it.
Kathleen Shanahan, who is set to leave the board at the end of the year, called the move to amend the plan onto the rule changes “too cute by half.” She also pointed out that by the time the plan expired, a proposal that was originally intended to be temporary will have lasted for four years.
“A four-year safety net becomes a bureaucracy, in my opinion,” Shanahan said.
By extending the policy until the grades issued after the 2014-15 school year, the policy would buffer schools through the transition to a new testing regime under the “Common Core State Standards.” The new tests are expected to kick in during the 2014-15 year.
“I do think that it is more important on that final year [of the transition],” said Board Chairman Gary Chartrand.
The state is still trying to determine which tests to use under Common Core, after Gov. Rick Scott ordered the education agency to begin disentangling itself from a multistate consortium that has developed tests under the new educational benchmarks.
But Patricia Levesque, executive director of former Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Florida’s Future, knocked the school-grading move in a statement issued later Tuesday.
“Florida is in a period of transition to higher standards, and stability and transparency during these times is key,” she said. “That transparency provides valuable information on the state of student learning — what matters most — even when it’s not what we want to hear.”
The debate over Common Core has lingered over the board’s actions in recent weeks, after Scott issued an executive order regarding how the state would implement the new standards and measure student learning under them. Some conservative activists fear that the initiative, which was created in a state-led process and has been adopted by about four dozen states, could lead to too much federal interference in local education.
Following Scott’s order, the board also voted not to adopt a series of “appendices” to Common Core, including items like reading lists or suggested tasks for students. Shanahan also questioned that move, saying the appendices could help teachers.
“I don’t know why we’re disarming the teachers,” she said.
Last school year, six Escambia County schools benefit from the one letter grade drop protection: Ernest Ward, C.A. Weis, McArthur, Montclair, Navy Point and O. J. Semmes.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Escambia Man Claims Half Million Dollar Scratch-Off Prize
October 16, 2013
An Escambia County man claimed a half million dollar scratch-off game prize from the Florida Lottery Tuesday in Tallahassee. Robin Canady, 57, purchased his winning $500,000 Gold Rush Tripler ticket from Happy Nick’s at 2499 North Palafox Street. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Executes Convicted Killer
October 16, 2013
Convicted murderer William Frederick Happ was put to death Tuesday evening at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Happ, 51, was convicted in the May 24, 1986, murder of Angela Crowley in Crystal River. Crowley, 21, was abducted while making a call from a pay phone in a parking lot and was taken by Happ to the Cross Florida Barge Canal, where she was beaten, sexually battered and strangled to death with her own clothes. By the time he was arrested for the murder, Happ had begun serving a prison sentence in California for an unrelated armed robbery and kidnapping.
The execution marked the first in which the Department of Corrections used midazolam hydrochloride instead of pentobarbital sodium as part of the triple-drug cocktail used in executions. The drug, the first of three injections, renders the inmate unconscious.
States, including Florida, have struggled to maintain stockpiles of pentobarbital sodium because Denmark-based manufacturer Lundbeck refuses to sell it directly to corrections agencies for use in executions and has ordered its distributors to also stop supplying the drug for lethal-injection purposes.
Supporters, Opponents Of Common Core Clash At Hearing
October 16, 2013
Supporters and opponents of the controversial “Common Core” education standards clashed Tuesday in Tampa during the opening stop in a three-day round of public hearings across the state.
Those speaking at the hearing were closely divided among supporters and opponents of the standards, despite conservative and tea-party activists’ concerns that Common Core represents a vast federal overreach into local education. About four dozen states have adopted the standards, which were created in a state-led initiative but have been promoted by federal officials and education reform advocates.
The hearings were part of Gov. Rick Scott’s plan for dealing with the politically volatile issue. Scott has already begun distancing the state from a consortium developing tests for Common Core, and has suggested the hearing could come up with ways to amend the academic benchmarks.
The meeting featured an at-time raucous audience, with those on both sides of the issue loudly applauding those who agreed with them.
Several teachers showed up at the meeting to defend Common Core from criticism that the standards are academically less rigorous than the state’s current expectations of students or are politically motivated.
“Common Core is providing a more rigorous and engaging classroom environment. … Common Core is pushing the students to think beyond a textbook,” said Melissa Castro, an 18-year educator with Hillsborough County.
The teachers and coaches said students were better able to grasp the material under Common Core, and were performing better.
But opponents assailed Common Core as potentially wasteful and harmful. Some labeled the changes “education without representation.” They said the new standards were almost incoherent and difficult for some students.
Lori Baxley, who has two children, spoke emotionally about how her son, a fourth-grader who previously made straight As, was struggling with his math homework. That made her speak up, Baxley said, not any political considerations.
“The notion this issue is political baffles and frustrates me,” she said during the hearing, which was webcast across the state by The Florida Channel..
But electoral politics did occasionally intrude. Mike Weston, a parent, teacher and candidate for the school board in Hillsborough County, said money should be sent to the classroom instead of spent implementing the standards and any related tests.
“Let’s give teachers a real raise, not Governor Scott’s mysterious vanishing raise,” Weston said.
Scott’s much-touted pay raise for educators, approved by the Legislature this spring, has been bogged down in negotiations between local school districts and teachers’ unions.
Two more hearings are scheduled on the issue, with one slated Wednesday in Davie and the third set for Thursday in Tallahassee.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Burger Franchise Wins Century Chamber’s Community Pride Award
October 16, 2013
The Century Chamber of Commerce has named Whataburger as the winner of the 
October Community Pride Award. The fast food restaurant currently employes 29 people. Pictured top: Whataburger in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo. Pictured inset: Whataburger General Manager accepted the award at a recent Century Chamber board meeting. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Visit The Pumpkin Patch
October 16, 2013
Looking for a pumpkin? The Allen Memorial United Methodist Church Men’s Pumpkin Patch is open once again this year at the corner of Highway 29 and Neal Road. Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are available, with some priced as low as $1. The pumpkin patch is open daily from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Organizers said hundreds of pumpkins have been sold far this year; another delivery is expected by the weekend.
The church’s Third Annual Fall Festival will be held at the pumpkin patch on Saturday, October 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be free activities for the children, local musical entertainment, food, baked goods and more. Admission is free.
Pictured: The Allen Memorial Pumpkin Patch in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
