State Lands, Including Cottage Hill Forest, Future 4-H Location, For Sale?
August 28, 2013
The Cottage Hill State Forest in Gonzalez — a recommended location for the future of Escambia County 4-H — is among several parcels of public land that may be sold by the state to raise money.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection will hold workshops in Pensacola and other cities across the state as the state looks to sell some parcels of publicly held land to raise up to $50 million for future land-conservation efforts.
More than 5,300 acres from 168 different parcels at 67 state parks and other publicly owned sites are being considered for the sale.
In Escambia County, the state may look to sell the Cottage Hill State Forest and 3.4 acres of the Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park. In Santa Rosa County, and 4.8 acres of the Blackwater Heritage State Trail and the 20 acre Gillis Road Track could be put on the market.
The Cottage Hill State Forest is located in the Cottage Hill Community. The forest has no public road frontage, but is in the area bounded by McKenzie Road, Chavers Road, Williams Ditch Road and Highway 95A. About 24 acres of the site is uplands, while 4.7 acres is flood plain and wetlands.
University of Florida/IFAS Extension Dean Nick Place made a three-part final recommendation in July for Escambia County 4-H. Following the sale of the Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union, Place was tasked with deciding a future location or locations for the 4-H program. His proposal included the Cottage Hill State Forest for environmental and horticultural sciences, outdoor education, forestry and other 4-H activities. [Read more...] According to a task force report, the state was willing to deed the property to Escambia County at no cost, while the state would continue to maintain fire breaks on the property.
The Tarkiln Bayou Preserve (pictured left), is home to four species of endangered pitcher plants, as well as other rare and endangered plant species. The rare, carnivorous white-top pitcher plant is unique to the Gulf Coast and found only between the Apalachicola and Mississippi rivers. Almost 100 other rare plants and animals depend on the wet prairie habitat, including the alligator snapping turtle, sweet pitcher plant, and Chapman’s butterwort. A boardwalk offers visitors a view of the Tarkiln Bayou.
The proposal to sell state lands has already drawn concerns from the Florida Wildlife Federation, 1000 Friends of Florida, and Audubon Florida. Money raised from sales would be combined with $20 million that lawmakers included in the budget for the purchase of land to protect springs, water quality, water quantity or to serve as a buffer for military bases.
The state Acquisition and Restoration Council, a group that makes recommendations about land issues, will update the process to score the land on September 13. Under the scoring process, each parcel of land much meet certain criteria in order to be considered for sale. Those criteria include springs protection value, proximity to development, sinkhole features, recreation value, floodplain protection and species protection.
The date and location of the Pensacola workshop on the proposed land sales has not yet been announced.
Barricaded Fugitive Arrested By US Marshals Task Force; Four Other Felons Captured
August 28, 2013
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force was able to convince a wanted fugitive out of an attic late Tuesday in Escambia County after a brief standoff.
The Task Force was conducting surveillance in search of Charles Randall Butler, Jr. when they spotted him walking around an apartment complex on the 1900 block of Langley Avenue. Butler then bolted from them and into an apartment. After about an hour, a deputy marshal persuaded the 25 year-old Butler to come out peacefully without any further resistance.
Butler is wanted by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for felon in possession of a gun, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, two counts of probation violation and failure to appear on a resisting charge.
The Task Force also encountered another man, Jamie Joyce, 22, while trying to arrest Butler who also tried to flee. After Joyce saw the officers he reportedly threw a .40 caliber handgun to the ground and a pill bottle filled with a substance that tested positive for crack-cocaine before fleeing. Joyce is being charged with felon in possession of a gun, possession of crack-cocaine and marijuana.
The Task Force and members from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Ft. Walton Beach Police Department, FDLE and the FBI arrested three other violent fugitives Tuesday.
Around 9 a.m they arrested Brad Tucker without incident at a house near the corner of I and Government Streets after he was spotted getting into a car. Tucker, 29, is wanted by Escambia County for kidnapping and cruelty toward a child. Tucker was also charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana at the time of his arrest. Tucker had been arrested in 2011 as well by the US Marshals Task Force in Atlanta on gun charges out of Escambia County.
Just before noon the Task Force caught up with TW Shiver inside a home on the 20 Block of Horn Street. Shiver was taken into custody after a brief stand-off at the door at the home. The 26 year-old Shiver is wanted by Escambia on two counts of aggravated assault and property damage-criminal mischief. He reportedly made threats that he was going to “…paint the town red” if the cops come for him.
Just before the capturing Butler, the Task Force nabbed 21 year-old Treyon Marquil Thames wanted on a warrant for aggravated assault with a gun; when he reportedly pulled a handgun on female, pointed it to her head and pulled the trigger. It is unknown why the gun did not fire and she got away. Thames was arrested around 5 p.m. without incident, at a relative’s home on the 600 Block of E. Baars Street.
School Grade Policy Might Be Extended Again
August 28, 2013
The State Board of Education will debate in October whether to extend for another year a plan to keep public schools from dropping by more than a letter grade on their state-issued report cards, interim Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said Tuesday.
This 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 state board has approved the “safety net” on the report cards for two years now, most recently in July, as public schools implement the nationwide “common core” standards on what students are expected to know.
Over the last two years, the board was asked late in the process of calculating grades to approve the policy.
“I think when the board voted in the summer, I think it was always the intention that they take it up again when it wasn’t such a quick turnaround, but they had time to be thoughtful about it and think about it and do it early. … I think it’s important that our schools and school districts know what the rules are that they’re playing with as early as possible in the year,” Stewart said.
The board voted for the policy by a narrow, 4-3 margin this summer, with some members criticizing it as a move to water down the state system. Stewart said another change could involve whether to consider how long students have been at a school before they are counted toward the grades.
Stewart’s comments to reporters came at an education summit called by Gov. Rick Scott to address school grades and other parts of the state’s accountability system.
Cantonment Man Gets Life Without Parole For Killing Toddler
August 28, 2013
A Cantonment man previously featured on America’s Most has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering a toddler.
Dwayne “Money” Pinestraw received the sentence Tuesday from Circuit Judge Keith Brace. He was previously convicted by an Escambia County jury of first degree murder for firing a gun through the window of a Pensacola Village apartment, striking and killing 19-month old Ty’Quarius Moultrie on July 15, 2011.
He was arrested in Texas in December 2011, hours after being featured on the television program American’s Most Wanted.
Montclair Elementary Burglary: Four Arrested, Two On The Run
August 28, 2013
Escambia Sheriff’s property crimes investigators are still seeking two juveniles wanted in connection with the July burglary of Montclair Elementary School.
Six people were seen on surveillance video as they entered the school and took multiple items. Four of the suspects were identified and arrested – 15-year-old Ladarrius Puryear, 11-year-old Axtavian Harris, 13-year-old Ceasar Harris and 13-year-old Jamal Mosley.
On Monday, Puryear, A. Harris and C. Harris pleaded guilty to charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure while wearing a mask, grand theft and felony criminal mischief. Mosley has entered a not guilty plea and is scheduled for trial on September 9.
Investigators are still seeking two individuals known only by the street names of “Boo Man” and “A.J.” Anyone with any information about the identity of these two individuals or their whereabouts is asked to call Gulf Coast Crimestoppers at (850) 433-7867.
Pictured top: Montclair burglary suspect “Boo Man” with an iPad is seen in the foreground of the photo. Pictured inset: Suspect “A.J” is seen with a stick. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Scholarship Fund Committee Cooking Ribs, Butts For Labor Day
August 28, 2013
A local scholarship fund committee will be cooking up ribs and Boston butts for the Labor Day weekend.
The Solon Lee Gandy Scholarship Committee is accepting orders for racks of ribs for a $20 donation and Boston butts for a $30 donation.
The Solon Lee Gandy Scholarship has awarded over $8,000 in college scholarship monies to deserving seniors in a three county area. Call Bill Gandy at (850) 982-6847 to place an order for pick up this weekend.
Century United Methodist Receives Statewide Community Involvement Award
August 28, 2013
The Century United Methodist Church was recently honored with the Florida Health Care Activity Coordinators Association’s Community Involvement Award. The statewide award is presented to a group or organization that provides ongoing, outstanding support to the activity department of a long term care facility in Florida. The members of Century UMC provide countless volunteer hours at the Century Care Center. Accepting the award on behalf of the church was Rev. Janet Lee. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Five Arrests Made In Molino Park Burglary; Many Stolen Items Burned
August 28, 2013
[Updated] Two adults and three juveniles have been arrested in connection with the burglary and vandalism of Molino Park Elementary school on August 9. Over $60,000 in property was stolen, and the school sustained another $7,000 in damages. Most the stolen items — including computers and iPads– were burned by the suspects.
Tatanya Zahna Blackmon, an 18-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 were both booked into the Escambia County Jail on Monday afternoon. Both were charged with grand theft, larceny, criminal mischief with property damage, destroying evidence and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $90,000.
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.
On Wednesday, August 21, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene investigators responded to the 1200 block of Barth Road in reference to recovered property relating to the burglary.
Many of the stolen items were found burned. “So much of the stuff is destroyed,” Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said. “So much of it is just malicious mischief by teenagers.”
To see the surveillance video, click here.
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. As teachers returned to work Monday, items were still being discovered missing and inventoried.
“They stole computers that are needed for education; they stole from our kids,” Molino Park Principal Alice Woodward said shortly after the crime. “These were items directly used by our students.”
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 inset left: Numerous ceiling tiles were damaged during the burglary and vandalism. 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.
Zimmerman’s Attorney To Seek Legal Costs From The State
August 28, 2013
The state is expected to receive a bill for between $200,000 and $300,000 to cover the legal costs of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted last month in the February 2012 shooting death of teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
Zimmerman defense attorney Mark O’Mara is preparing a motion to ask Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson to authorize the payment that would cover the costs of expert witnesses, travel, depositions, photocopies, and an animated 3-D video that defense attorneys showed jurors during closing arguments depicting Martin punching Zimmerman, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Part of Florida law requires the state to refund legal costs associated with a case, except for attorney fees, when a defendant in a criminal prosecution is acquitted.
A judge would have to approve the refund, which is also submitted to the Justice Administrative Commission for payment. The legal costs would be in addition to the more than $900,000 spent by public agencies on the five week murder trial, according to the Sentinel.
Florida Drug Database Changes Under Fire
August 28, 2013
Proposed changes to a state-run prescription drug database won’t do anything to protect patient privacy, civil rights lawyers argued on Tuesday.
Florida Department of Health officials say they want to tighten security on the state’s prescription-drug monitoring program, after the names and detailed prescription-drug histories of more than 3,000 people were released to defense attorneys after a drug sting in May.
The draft rule changes, discussed at a DOH workshop Tuesday, are “minor, inconsequential and fail to address the practical issues” that led to the release of private data of thousands of people who weren’t under investigation, American Civil Liberties Union of Florida lobbyist Pamela Burch Fort said during the meeting.
But law enforcement officials complained that at least one of the proposals would hamstring investigators. The proposed rule would limit distribution of records obtained from database searches to a single authorized user at any given agency.
Quincy Police Chief Walter McNeil, representing the Florida Police Chiefs Association, said that’s too restrictive.
Allowing more law-enforcement personnel to have access to the records won’t make patient privacy more vulnerable, McNeil said later.
“For the most part, you’ll find that most agencies guard confidential information confidentially. What most agencies will do is treat this information sacrosanctly and make sure that it’s kept in-house,” said McNeil, a former secretary of both the state Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Corrections.
Becky Poston, the administrator of the database, told McNeil the agency would consider incorporating his suggestions, also backed up by the Florida Sheriffs Association.
Representatives of the two law-enforcement organizations and the ACLU were the only ones who spoke at Tuesday’s 30-minute workshop.
Lucy Gee, director of the Department of Health’s Medical Quality Assurance Division, said the agency’s goal is to safeguard patient privacy.
“That’s our number one mission here is the safety, the protection of private patient information,” she said. “We expected to get some input from some others. We’re trying all different kinds of ideas and we want to be sure that it meets law enforcement’s needs but it also protects public information.”
But ACLU lawyer Maria Kayanan said broadening distribution of the records would be going backwards.
“It seems like the original purpose of this PDMP (prescription drug monitoring program) has been lost in the fray and now it’s a law-enforcement tool rather than a helping tool for physicians to identify patients that may be doctor-shopping. That’s certainly not what it was sold as,” Kayanan.
The ACLU opposed the database from its inception and now is demanding that database searches require a warrant, something that is not required for law-enforcement officials to review pharmacies’ paper records as part of active drug investigations.
The ACLU filed a complaint about the security breach with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and recently filed an amicus brief in the criminal case in Volusia County. In May, State Attorney R.J. Larizza released the records of more than 3,300 individuals to five of six attorneys for defendants accused of prescription drug fraud.
Larizza’s office is asking a judge to clarify whether prosecutors are required to release the data again to defense lawyers.
Michael H. Lambert, a Daytona Beach lawyer whose name and prescription history was on the list but who was not being investigated, sued Larizza and is challenging the constitutionality of the law. Larizza and Attorney General Pam Bondi are asking a Jacksonville judge to dismiss the case, scheduled for a hearing next week.
The ACLU is also fighting the state health department over records related to the search in the Volusia case.
Kayanan contends that the program allows law enforcement to cast too broad a net by using wildcard search parameters that result in the return of records unrelated to people actually under investigation.
The proposed rule changes do nothing to narrow the scope of the searches, she said.
And the proposed rule also does not include any remedy for patients like Lambert whose prescription drug data was released to third parties. Current laws and rules do not require individuals to be notified if their histories have been wrongfully released.
The agency will publish the proposed rule and take public comments before formally adopting it, Gee said.
“I’m hoping that when we publish our proposed rule text that we’ll get more written comments,” she said.
The release of the names in May heightened concerns over the database, which became operational two years ago. Gov. Rick Scott, at one time a staunch opponent of the program, reversed his opposition to it as Bondi lobbied heavily to take steps to curb prescription-drug abuse. Lawmakers this spring agreed to fund the program.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida