Second Flesh Eating Bacteria Case Confirmed In Escambia County
October 30, 2013
A second case of the flesh-eating bacteria Vibrio vulnificus has been confirmed in Escambia County, bringing the total number of cases reported in Florida to 37.
Vibrio vulnificus is a bacterium that normally lives in warm, brackish seawater. Since it is naturally found in warm marine waters, people with open wounds can be exposed through direct contact with seawater and can cause disease in those who eat raw shellfish, according to the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County.
Symptoms of vibrio vulnificus can include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Wound infection can lead to skin breakdown and blistering. In persons who have weakened immune systems, particularly those with chronic liver disease, vibrio vulnificus can invade the bloodstream, causing a severe and life-threatening illness with symptoms like fever, chills, decreased blood pressure (septic shock) and blistering skin lesions. Individuals experiencing these symptoms should contact a physician immediately for diagnosis and treatment. Individuals with wound infections should also seek care promptly.
Tips to stay healthy and safe
Thoroughly cook oysters, either by frying, stewing, or roasting to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses in the meat. Consuming raw oysters that have undergone a post-harvest treatment process to eliminate the bacteria can also reduce the risk of illness. Avoiding exposure of open wounds to seawater and estuarine water reduces the risk of wound infections.
For more information, please contact the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County at (850) 595-6683 or visit www.EscambiaHealth.com.
Missing Man Located
October 30, 2013
Update: The missing man has been in contact with police and is no longer considered missing or endangered. Pensacola Police detectives made contact with Cory Ray Young today and were told by Young that he is safe at a friend’s house.
Authorities are searching for a missing man that was last seen walking away from Sacred Heart Hospital over a week ago.
Cory Ray Young, age 26 of Pace, is considered endangered, according to information released Tuesday by the Pensacola Police Department. He was last seen about 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 19 on foot as he left the hospital.
Young is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900 or Sgt. Kristin Brown at (850) 435-1911.
Century Care Goes Pink For Breast Cancer Awareness
October 30, 2013
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the staff and Century Care Center wore pink. One of many CCC survivors, Angela Jackson, gave a short speech to residents and staff about the importance of early detection. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Police Warn About Computer Virus
October 30, 2013
Authorities are warning local citizens to be aware of a new computer virus that was first detected last month in Europe and has now been confirmed in Escambia County.
The first local case of the “CryptoLocker Ransomware” computer virus was reported to authorities on Tuesday. A local business was hit by the virus after an employee opened what
she thought was a legitimate file.
The attachment containing the virus is an attached .ZIP file. The file itself may have many different names; some of the commonly used names used are, “voice message”, “UPS tracking information”, and “Resume”. In each case, opening this .ZIP file will activate the virus and lock users our of their own files.
The virus, normally spread by email, will seek out a contact list and email it self to others.
According to a press release from the Pensacola Police Department, this virus is extremely destructive because it securely encrypts all of the computer user’s personal files. Once these files are encrypted they can only be opened with the use of a ” private key”. The virus program gives the computer user information on how to purchase the private key over the internet by wiring money to an account. The amount of money required varies between$100 and $300.
This virus is easily detected by commercially available virus protection software. The best way to protect data from this virus is to not open attachments from suspicious email addresses. Keep important data backed up to a DVD or external hard drive. Once this virus infects a computer the files that get encrypted cannot be recovered without the private key. Computers users are advised to keep their virus definitions updated.
Infections should be reported to www.ic3.gov .
Bus Driver Saves 3-Year Old Wandering In Road; Two Arrested After Child Found Living In Squalor
October 29, 2013
[Updated 1 p.m.] An Escambia County School District bus driver is being credited with saving a young boy wandering along in the middle of Kingsfield Road Monday morning. And two people were arrested in connection with the incident after it was discovered the child had been living in squalor.
Bus driver Daisy Robinson, her bus 1-12 loaded with Ransom Middle School students, found the child in Kingsfield Road in the area of Pauline Street and the railroad tracks, just off Highway 95A. She managed to safely coach the 3-year old onto her bus and radio bus dispatch for help, according to Rob Doss, the Escambia County School District’s director of transportation.
After waiting for a short time period, she moved her bus to the parking lot of a nearby gas station to wait for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to arrive. The young boy was not injured.
Two people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Cynthia Faye Godwin, 36, and Michael Roy Godwin, 27, were both taken into custody and charged with child neglect. When booked into the county jail, Cynthia Godwin provided a home address on Pauline Street, a few hundred feet from where the young boy was found.
At the child’s home, deputies found the Godwins outside searching for him, stating that he had walking about about 30 minutes before. Once inside the trailer, a responding deputy reported, “the smell was horrible and the conditions appeared even worse”, according to arrest report.
The deputy reported there were roaches crawling on the floor and counters. There were no drinks or food in the refrigerator or freezer. The refrigerator contained dead roaches, according to the arrest report. The house was in a mess with clothing covering the floors. The three mattresses in the house for the child were very dirty and stained; one of these had dog feces on it.
Deputies: Molino Woman Wrote Checks On Dead Mother’s Account, Used Credit Card 64 Times
October 29, 2013
A Molino woman charged in August with fraudulently using her deceased mother’s credit card over five dozen times has been arrested again — this time for allegedly writing checks on her mother’s account.
On October 11, Rhonda Renee Fillingim, 42, allegedly wrote a $20 check on the account of her deceased mother Linda Albritton to Molino Park Elementary School during a fall carnival. During the busy carnival, the principal did not notice the check belonged to Albritton, not Fillingim. The check was later returned by the bank because it was written on a closed account.
For the Molino Park check, Fillingim was charged with felony passing a forged instrument.
Fillingim was also arrested on outstanding warrants for two counts of felony fraud-impersonation of a deceased person, two counts of felony fraud for uttering a false instrument and larceny. She was charged for allegedly signing her deceased mother’s name and issuing two checks totally $47.34 to Hendrix Lawn and Cycle in Molino.
Fillingim is awaiting trial on 64 felony counts of fraudulent use of a credit card and one count of felony grand theft.
Her brother, Orbin Albritton, reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in August that Fillingim had used their deceased mother Linda Albritton’s Sears Mastercard to make no less than $6,500 worth of unauthorized purchases over a two week period that begin one day after their mother died on December 31, 2012. Credit card statements showed 64 transactions during the period totaling $8,960.32, according to an arrest report.
Investigators said Fillingim admitted to using the credit card, on which she was not an authorized user. She told deputies she had spoken with Sears and would begin to repay the credit card bill, but Sears later told deputies that no payments or arrangements had been made..
Fire Rips Through Abandoned Walnut Hill Home Remnants
October 29, 2013
Fire ripped through the remnants of a previously burned and now abandoned home Monday night on Juniper Street in Walnut Hill. Firefighters from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue worked to protect a nearby mobile home from the flames as they extinguished the fire.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. There were no injuries.
NorthEscambia.comp photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Professional Firefighters To Host ‘Fire And Ice Gala’
October 29, 2013
The Escambia County Professional Firefighters will host the Fire and Ice Gala this Saturday in Pensacola.
Dinner will be served, and there will be a silent auction and door prizes. Guest speaker will be Jim Tolley, president of the Florida Professional Firefighters.
Proceeds from the event benefit the firefighter’s charity that provides money to families that have been burned out of their homes. The charity also provides for family members to visit other family members that have been burned at burn centers.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $50 per person. The event will be held at New World Landing, 600 South Palafox Street, from 5:30 until 10 p.m. Dress for men is a tuxedo, suit or dress uniform. Dress for women is an evening gown.
For tickets, call (850) 698-3105.
Man Gets 25 Years For Sexual Battery Of Teen
October 29, 2013
A Santa Rosa County man was sentenced Monday to prison for sexually abusing a teen.
Russell Maloney was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of sex offender probation. Maloney was convicted by a Santa Rosa County jury on September 11, 2013, of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority. The 34-year old Milton man was arrested on April 30, 2012, after the 14-year old victim disclosed to her youth pastor that Maloney had engaged in sexual intercourse with her at his home in Milton.
The case was investigated by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Children and Families. During a videotaped interview, Maloney admitted to Detective Scott Jones that he had sex with the child.
Three NWE Teams Advance To Escambia River Conference Finals
October 29, 2013
Three of four Northwest Escambia teams will play in the Escambia River Conference football championships this Saturday at Jay High School.
In action last Saturday:
The NWE Sophomores beat Baker 40-6.
Arquavian Smith had two long touchdown runs, TJ Wright had one touchdown and Kaden Odom had two touchdowns and two extra points. Nolin Godwin and Damius Wesley each had an extra point.
Kaden Odom made several key tackles on an interception he ran in for a touchdown. Cooper Martinez had one sack and several tackles, and Damius Wesley chased down a Baker running back on a long run and tackled him on 1-yard line to stop a Baker touchdown.
The Eagles Sophomores defense recovered two fumbles, made several stops in the backfield and shut down Baker’s offense on several key plays. The NWE Sophomores will take on Poarch Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Jay.
The NWE Juniors shut out Neal 49-0.
Jayden Jackson, Jaheem Durant and Dariontae Richardson all had multiple touchdowns for the Eagles. Michael Merchant and Jaden Cunningham both scored one touch down each and multiple extra points.
The NWE defense played a hard game forcing three fumbles — two recovered by Durant and one by Ki-Jauna Carter.
Da’Marion Findley, Merchant, Richardson all made stops in the back field. Jackson stripped the ball from a Neal player late in the game and ran it in from 40 yards out for a touchdown. Jackson and Durant both ran for over 100 yards.
The NWE Juniors will take on Jay at 4:00 Saturday.
The NWE Seniors shut out Jay 33-0.
Aunterio Minor scored two rushing touchdowns for NWE. Trent Kite scored one touchdown, Cameron Cloud threw a pass to Seth Killam for a touchdown, and Killam added a 25 -yard field goal.
The defense played hard to shut out Jay. The NWE seniors have played tough all season, leaving opponents scoreless in six games.
The NWE Seniors will take on Flomaton Saturday at 6:00 in Jay.
