Mentally Ill Gun Loophole Bill Advances
April 16, 2013
A bill seeking to strengthen the ban on firearm sales to the mentally ill was approved in a Senate committee Monday with the backing of the NRA. The bill attempts to close a loophole in the ban on sales of guns to the mentally ill, by preventing sales to people who have voluntarily committed themselves for treatment, but then left on their own.
Those people who voluntarily seek mental health help don’t currently face any restrictions on gun purchases once they leave treatment.
The measure passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and now goes to Senate Rules. A House version of the bill is on the House calendar for a floor vote.
By The News Service of Florida
Century Man Gets Prison For Drug Possession, Battery On Deputy
April 15, 2013
A Century man will spend the next few years in prison on drug charges and for fighting deputies to the point he was tased during a June 2012 incident in Century.
John Calvin Carter, 43, was found guilty of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. He was sentenced by Judge Gary Bergosh to 31.8 months in state prison.
Escambia County deputies reported that they were on patrol near Pond Street and Jefferson Avenue last June when they observed several black males sitting around a table at the edge of the road. When deputies made contact with the men, they noticed a small baggie of marijuana on the ground. They obtained consent from the men for a pat-down search.
As deputies were searching 42-year old John Calvin Carter, they located narcotics in Carter’s sock. He was ordered to turn around and place his hands behind his back, but Carter instead shoved a deputy in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Carter then ran east on Pond Street, according to an arrest report.
Deputies gave chase and observed Carter remove the item from sock and drop it as he ran. When deputies caught up with Carter, he “reached into his pocket with his left hand as though he was attempting to remove something else that I believed to be a weapon”, the deputy wrote in the arrest report. Another deputy gave Carter numerous orders to remove his hands from his pocket before firing his taser at Carter.
After Carter hit the ground, deputies attempted to take him into custody but he continued to try to get to his pocket, the report states. Deputies tased him a second time and took him into custody.
The item Carter allegedly dropped was determined to be crack cocaine, according to the arrest report.
Area Student Wins 2013 Congressional Art Competition
April 15, 2013
U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller has announced the winners of the annual Congressional Art Competition, “An Artistic Discover”. The Best of Show was “Self Portrait of “Innocence”” by Abby Harrison of Jay High School.
Harrison will be flown to Washington, D. C. to attend the National Congressional Art Competition to be held in June. She is also eligible for a scholarship to the Savannah College of Art and Design.
The First Runner Up was “Granny” by Isabella Jenkins of Niceville High School. The Second Runner Up was “Lion’s Teeth” by Audrey Stevens of Rocky Bayou Christian School. The Third Runner Up was “Alter-Ego by Robin Elizabeth Berntsen of Niceville High School. “Rage” by Jessica Taylor of West Florida High School and “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” by Amanda Hart of Rocky Bayou Christian School received Honorable Mention.
The event, which was initiated by House members in 1982, is a nationwide annual art competition that allows high school students, from all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and US territories to showcase their artistic ability. The winning work from each Congressional district is displayed in an eleven month exhibit in the Cannon tunnel that leads into the US. Capitol.
Pictured below: Pictured top: Abby Harrison of Jay High School with her Best of Show winner “Self Portrait of ‘Innocense’”. Some of the other submissions in this year’s contest. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Ice Flyers Win President’s Cup
April 15, 2013
The Pensacola Ice Flyers won their first ever President’s Cup Sunday night, defeating the Huntsville Havoc 2-0 for the Southern Professional Hockey League championship. Pat Knowlton scored for the Ice Flyers and made it 1-0 early the game. And Bradley Cooper sealed the win, making it 2-0 Ice Flyers with just over seven minutes left in the second in front of 4,600 fans. Pictured: The Pensacola Ice Flyers won the President’s Cup Sunday night for the Southern Professional Hockey League championship. Photos courtesy Pensacola Bay Center for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Junior Ice Flyers Bring Home Tourney Wins Too
April 15, 2013
The Pensacola Ice Flyers may have brought home the President’s Cup and the Southern Professional Hockey League championship Sunday night, but they were not the only Ice Flyers to bring hockey championships back to their home ice at The Hangar and the Pensacola Bay Center.
The Pensacola Junior Ice Flyers Mite team also brought home several big tournament wins on the ice around the Southeast.
The Junior Ice Flyers win the Bob Gorman Freedom Memorial Tournament in Huntsville back in January, and they came in second in the Country and Western Showdown in Nashville back in March.
And at the recent Gulf Coast Meltdown Developmental Invitational in Biloxi, the younger Ice Flyers went 4-0 for the tournament on the strength of multiple players, including Liam Bryan of Cantonment (pictured inset) who scored 13 goals.
“There are multiple players who have scored or played great defense,” said Byran’s mom Jessica Bryan. “This is a great group of kids.”
Pictured: The Pensacola Junior Flyers Mite team in action. Photos courtesy Shaun Beal for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Learn About The Treasures Of The Panhandle From Professor, Author
April 15, 2013
The Barrineau Park Historical Society will present a talk and slide show by Pensacola State College professor Dr. Brian Rucker entitled “Treasures of the Panhandle: A Journey through West Florida”.
In his book by the same name, Rucker takes readers on a unique tour of his home region, highlighting the historic treasures and natural wonders.
The event will take place at 6 p.m Thursday at the Barrineau Park Historical Society in Barrineau Park Community Center on Barrineau Park School Road.
Cantonment Teams Take Top Prizes In Log-A-Load Bass Tournament
April 15, 2013
A couple of Cantonment teams took the top prizes in the 17th Log-A-Load for Kids benefit bass tournament held Saturday at Life Oak Landing near Stockton, Ala.
Eddie Milstead and Toney Clements, both of Cantonment, took the $3,000 first place prize with a five-fish weight of 15.70 pounds and a 5.01 lunker prize. The cousins won the tourney back i n 2011 when it was held on the Escambia River.
Brothers Sammy and Shane Garrett of Cantonment took second with a 14.3 pound total weight and a 4.71 lunker.
Log-A-Load Top Ten (5 fish total weight, lunker weight):
- Eddie Milstead and Toney Clements (15.70, 5.01)
- Sammy Garrett and Shane Garrett (14.3, 4.71)
- Adam Ross and Matt Thornton (13.87, 4.68)
- Johney Weaver and David Fisher (13.12, 3.96)
- Keith Marston and Logan Marston (12.83, 3.65).
- Shane Manley and Kevin Zellers (12.72, 4.29)
- Mark Dortch and Bradley Dortch (12.33, 3.42)
- Greg Sessions and Ken Sessions (12.27, 3.66)
- Mark Rose and Terry Davis (11.75, 4.16)
- Sterling Johnson and Tim Taylor (11.38, 2.98)
All proceeds from the event benefit Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Pensacola. Log-A-Load is sponsored by the Florida Forestry Association and the Florida Loggers Council.
Mobile Battles Back To Win 5-2 Over Blue Wahoos
April 15, 2013
For the second straight day, the Mobile BayBears offense woke up late and rallied for a 5-2 win over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. With the victory, Mobile took four of five in the first series of the 2013 Bay to Bay Series.
Pensacola got on the board first for the fourth straight contest, as Donald Lutz singled home Bryson Smith as part of a two-out first-inning rally to put the Wahoos up 1-0. David Vidal extended Pensacola’s lead to 2-0 in the top half of the fifth with a two-out solo homer, his first of the season.
But the lead didn’t last long as Mobile finally got to Pensacola starter Ryan Dennick in the last of the fifth. After one-hitting the BayBears through four, Dennick loaded the bases on two singles and an error before yielding a two-run single to the opposing pitcher Bradin Hagens that knotted the game at two. Dennick was able to rebound and earned a no-decision, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings.
Mobile took the lead for good in the seventh against reliever Kyle Lotzkar. Garrett Weber was plunked by Lotzkar (0-1) with the bases loaded and one out to force home a run and give the BayBears their first lead at 3-2. Lotzkar went just one-third of an inning, yielding a run on three hits and hitting two batters. Lee Hyde came on to induce a 1-2-3 double play to get out of the jam.
The BayBears added extra insurance in the eighth when Rossmel Perez brought home two with a two-out single to increase the lead to 5-2.
Pensacola got the tying run to the dish in the ninth inning but Bo Schultz forced a groundout and a flyout to end the ballgame.
Hagens (2-0) picked up the victory for Mobile, tossing seven innings, allowing just the two runs on six hits while striking out five. Schultz picked up his first save of the season by pitching the ninth.
Pensacola now returns home for the first of five with the Jacksonville Suns on Monday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. Daniel Renken is set to start for the Wahoos with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Story by Kevin Burke
Molino Shooting Suspect Pleads, Set For Sentencing
April 14, 2013
A man accused of shooting at an occupied mobile home in Molino in August 2012 has pleaded no contest to the charges against him and will be sentenced next month.
Sharrieff Amin Shabazz, age 20 of Molino, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault by threat with firearm, shooting into an occupied dwelling, drug possession, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He has remained in the Escambia County Jail since the August 22 incident with bond set at $71,000.
He is set to be sentenced in early May before Judge J. Scott Duncan.
The victim, 21-year old Kristi Gulsby, told deputies she was arguing with Shabazz over $6 he had loaned her for cigarettes about three months prior to the August 22 incident. Gulsby said she had paid him back twice.
Gulsby told deputies that Shabazz began cussing her out and screaming that he wanted his money. She said he then reached into his pants pocket and pulled a gun. As he began walking toward the road, Shabazz opened fire on the mobile home with Gulsby and her two juvenile children, one and four years old, nearby, an arrest report states.
No one was struck by the gunfire.
Shabazz was taken into custody a few hours after the shooting during a traffic stop at the intersection of Fairground Road and Jahaza Street in Molino. As the vehicle pulled over for Escambia County deputies, an ATF special agent working the case witnessed a silver handgun and two pill bottles being thrown out of the backseat, which was occupied by Shabazz. Deputies recovered a .380 caliber handgun outside the vehicle along with pill bottles containing 18 Lortab and cocaine. Inside the vehicle’s trunk, authorities reported finding marijuana in a Mason jar and plastic bags.
Pictured above and below: Gunfire rang out at this mobile home on Ayers Street in Molino on August 22, 2012. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Middle School FCAT Begins This Week (With Schedule, Rules)
April 14, 2013
FCAT daily testing begins Monday in Escambia County. For a daily schedule and FCAT rules, click here (pdf).
(The schedule applies to all middle schools in the county. The make up days are specific to Ernest Ward Middle School and may vary at other schools. For more information, call your child’s middle school.)