Tangled Trash Truck Pulls Power Lines Down
June 20, 2013
About two dozen Gulf Power company customers lost power early this morning after a garbage truck became tangled in power lines.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 64-year old Kenneth Sunday of Pensacola was backing the garbage truck out of a driveway in the 1700 block of Johnson Avenue about 2:35 a.m. when the top of the truck caught a low hanging power line. The line became tangled up on the truck, pulling a utility pole out of the ground and snapping it in half as the truck continued to move.
Sunday was not injured, and he was not charged by the FHP.
Reader-submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO Employee Placed On Leave; Controlled Substances Missing
June 19, 2013
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has placed an employee on leave after discovering errors in the handling of evidence and missing controlled substances.
“The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has discovered some irregularities in the processing of evidence by an employee assigned to its evidence facility,” the ECSO said in a prepared statement Wednesday morning. “(An) investigation has revealed that the employee mislabeled evidence and made clerical errors processing evidence. In one specific case, an item containing controlled substances processed by this employee cannot be located.”
The State Attorney’s Office has identified the employee as Ramon Simoneaux, and they say 280 oxycodone pills disappeared while he was he was on duty.
He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The State Attorney’s Office has been notified of the issue and is reviewing the case. The ECSO is in the process of reviewing all evidence procedures and is auditing cases involving Simoneaux.
Further details have not been released as the Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation.
Man Dies Two Days After Accident
June 19, 2013
An Escambia County man has died from injuries received early Monday morning when he drove through a cemetery, two fences and into a building.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 28-year old Carlos Romero was westbound on Lillian Highway in a 2011 Honda Civic when he ran off the roadway onto the westbound shoulder about 3:31 a.m. He over-corrected, crossed both lanes of Lillian Highway, hit a chain link fence at the Myrtle Grove Cemetery, traveled through the cemetery, across both lanes of 58th Avenue, through a parking lot, through another fence and into the front of George Kitcher Paint and Body Shop.
Romero was pronounced deceased Wednesday at Baptist Hospital, according to the FHP.
Train Derailment Blocks Cantonment Crossing
June 19, 2013
A low speed train derailment blocked a Cantonment crossing Wednesday morning.
The Louis Street crossing, just off Muscogee Road, was blocked by the derailment for a couple of hours. An unknown number of rail cars ran off the tracks; none of the cars overturned. None of the of the rail cars were carrying any sort of hazardous cargo.
Pictured top: A low speed train derailment Wednesday morning at Louis Street in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Free Blood Pressure Screening In Molino
June 19, 2013
Free blood pressure screenings are offered each Tuesday at the Molino Community Center from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., sponsored by the Molino Mid-County Historical Society.
Organizers said the free blood pressure checks have been a great service to the community, with one individual discovering a dangerously high blood pressure, and another realizing that they needed to resume their blood pressure medication.
The Molino Community Center is located at 6450 Highway 95A.
Deputies: Century Man Chases Another Around With Box Cutter
June 19, 2013
A Century man was jailed after allegedly chasing a man around a Pensacola apartment complex with a box cutter.
George Calvin Carter, age 21 of East Pond Street, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and battery.
Carter allegedly got into a fight with another man outside an apartment building on Lillian Highway. Carter then, according to an arrest report, pulled out a box cutter and chased the other man around the building before running into an apartment before the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene.
Carter remained in the Escambia County jail early Wednesday morning with bond set at $15,000.
Carjacker That Couldn’t Drive Stick Shift Arrested
June 19, 2013
An alleged carjacker that ran away from his intended victim last month because he could not drive a stick shift is now behind bars.
Antoren “Chief Keef” Bell, 19, was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $400,000.
The incident happened near the intersection of North 50th Avenue and Carey Street. The victim said she was driving through the area when she was flagged down by three young white females who were looking for a ride.
The victim stated that as she got out of her vehicle to offer help, a black male later identified as Bell approached her from the side and pointed what appeared to be a gun at her. Bell then told her that this was his vehicle now and jumped into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. The victim ran away and contacted the Sheriff’s Office.
Another individual on a bicycle told the victim that her car was still sitting on Carey Street. The victim later stated that she believes Bell did not take her vehicle because he could not drive a stick shift.
Arriving deputies soon located two of the females on foot in the area of 49th Avenue and Jackson Street. One of the juveniles told deputies they had jumped into the car with Bell, but that he didn’t know how to drive a stick so he ordered everybody out of the vehicle at which time they fled on foot.
Bell was later identified in a photo lineup. He was arrested on charges of vehicle theft, robbery and criminal mischief.
Three Area Residents Among 22 Seeking Seats On State PSC
June 19, 2013
Three areal residents are among 22 applicants challenging two members of the Florida Public Service Commission for their seats at the state’s top regulatory agency.
Commission Chairman Ronald Brise and Commissioner Art Graham have both applied to keep their governor-appointed positions, with competition for the $130,036-a-year positions coming from a wide-ranging list of people with business and government experience.
North Escambia area applications include:
- Jennifer Reeves, of Pensacola, manager of Ferguson Airport.
- Martha Hicks, of Milton, a U.S. Navy retiree who is employed by the Escambia County Health Department and is a special-needs shelter consultant.
- John Bruce, of Gulf Breeze, an independent insurance and financial services contractor.
The most notable name among the challengers is former state House member and short-time PSC commissioner Ken Littlefield.
Littlefield, who spent eight years in the House, was appointed to the PSC by former Gov. Jeb Bush in September 2006 but was replaced shortly after being sworn-in in January 2007 by former Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist contended Littlefield was not consumer-friendly enough.
Several tea party groups unsuccessfully urged Gov. Rick Scott to return Littlefield to the commission last year, imploring the governor to replace Commissioner Lisa Edgar, who faced criticism that she did not adequately represent ratepayers. Scott reappointed Edgar.
Brise and Graham were both appointed to the commission by Crist in July 2010 and reappointed by Scott. Their terms will expire in January.
The deadline to apply for the seats was Tuesday. A nominating council will meet July 24 in Tampa to whittle the applicant list to those deemed “most qualified.”
People on the short list will appear before the council for interviews on August 28 in Orlando. The council will then submit at least six names from which Scott will make the final appointments.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Brook, Gardener Attend National Leadership Forum In Arkansas
June 19, 2013
Two North Escambia students attended Harding University’s 57th annual National Leadership Forum in Searcy, AR, recently. Attendees were Taylor Brook from Northview High and Graham Gardener from Tate High.
Brook was sponsored by the Pensacola Civitan Club as a delegate to the forum, which is presented by the University’s American Studies Institute.
More than 200 young people from five states attended this year’s National Leadership Forum. Harding University, with an enrollment of over 6,000, is the largest private university in Arkansas.
Century Losing WIC Services
June 19, 2013
Century will lose WIC services at the end of this month, according to the Escambia County health department.
WIC — the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — provides vouchers for free nutritional food to use at local grocery stores as well as nutrition and breastfeeding counseling for women, infants and children under 5 years old.
The Century WIC site at 511 Church Street will close after Tuesday appointments on June 25. Beginning July 1, the Molino site will be the nearest Escambia County location where former Century clients can receive WIC services. The Molino site is open all day on Mondays and Thursdays, and on Friday mornings. Persons needing WIC services should call (850) 595-6670.
WIC services will be available to Century area clients at any WIC location in Escambia County (FL) or Santa Rosa County, including Jay.
For more information, including all WIC locations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, click here for a letter that was provided to Century WIC clients.