Line In The Sand Leads Deputies Directly To Burglary Suspect
March 6, 2013
For Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies, solving a burglary case near Century was as easy as following a line in the sand directly to their suspect.
A resident in the 3200 block of Highway 4A called deputies to report that his workshop had been burglarized. The victim discovered that the shop door was open, items were removed and the entire shop smelled strongly of cigar smoke. He found drag marks in the dirt leading away from the shop, leading to nearby wooded area where several items removed from the shop had been hidden.
Deputies continued to follow the drag marks in the dirt from the wooded area, across a private drive and to the front porch of a nearby residence where they found Maurice Lovell James, 47. James told deputies he had noticed the items in the woods and pulled a jack over to his property, pointing out the the jack next to his porch. As James related his story to deputies, he was smoking a cigar, according to an arrest report.
Deputies also discovered dolly tire marks leading from the shop, and a dolly with fresh dirt on the tires in a covered area on James’ property.
James was charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, felony grand theft and criminal mischief with property damage. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Morgan Grounds Helicopters
March 6, 2013
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan is grounding his department’s helicopters, saying that they are not a cost effective investment.
“Data developed indicated that the unit, currently operating on grant funds, was not providing a level of service relative to cost of operation that could be reasonably substantiated. Therefore all air operations will cease immediately,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The two helicopters owned by the department will be returned to state inventory for salvage or refurbishment for other agencies to use.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter circles over the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 at the Florida/Alabama state line November 6, 2012, following the shooting death of the store’s owner. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Jacket Jamboree To Feature Variety Of Vendors, Foods And Entertainment
March 6, 2013
Saturday’s Blue Jacket Jamboree at Northview High School will feature a variety of vendors, and plenty of great food and entertainment.
Vendors currently scheduled to attend the event include:
- Batter Queens baked goods
- Caum Country Candles
- Archie’s Handcrafted Woodworking
- Too Many Pies; Wreaths and Embroidery
- Eye Candy Photography
- Handmade Glass Jewelry By Michele
- 31 Gift Ministries
- Scentsy
- Angie’s Teaching Tools To Go
- Origami Owl Jewelry
- Funnel Cakes
- Boiled/Roasted Peanuts
- Ernest Ward FFA (Beef Jerky)
- Hope 4 Halee Merchandise
- West Florida High School FFA Wreaths and more
- Pampered Chef
- Advocare Weight Loss
- Velata Consultant
- Grace Adele Consultant
- Magda Fox Perfumes
- First Choice Home Builders
- Hometown Contractors
- Tupperware
- Bobby Langham, Children’s Clothes and Baskets
- Cindy Herrington, Jewelry
Available concession items will include BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, fries, nachos and more.
The event will also include a motorcycle ride, a Cruiser’s Unlimited Car Show, live entertainment, kids activities and games, and much more.
The Blue Jacket Jamboree, sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com, will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Saturday, March 9 on the campus of Northview High School, 4100 West Highway 4 in Bratt. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 10 and under.
Gaetz Backs Merit Pay For Teacher Salary Increases, Not Scott’s $2,500
March 6, 2013
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said teachers deserve a pay raise, but prefers any increase to be based upon merit rather than Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $2,500 across the board hike.
“We need to find a middle ground with the governor,” Gaetz said after the Senate session on Tuesday.
“I think that the governor understands that many of us who are acolytes of (former governor) Jeb Bush believe that there has to be some distinction drawn between she who does the best and he who does the worst. In our schools we don’t give all students Cs.”
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, has previously expressed a similar preference instead of Scott’s proposal — one of Scott’s priorities for the session — that would cost $480 million.
In his State of the State address, Scott reiterated that teacher should be rewarded for the progress made in the state education system.
“Some say they are afraid that giving raises to all teachers may mean that a teacher doing a bad job gets rewarded,” Scott said. “But, thanks to our work, we are now in a better position than ever before to reward good teachers and move bad teachers out of the classroom.”
By The News Service of Florida
Northview Honors Winning Football Team, Cheerleaders, Dance Team
March 6, 2013
The state champion Northview Chiefs honored their football players, cheerleaders and dance team members during their annual banquet.
“Collectively, you are the best group of football players that has come through Northview High School,” Principal Gayle Weaver told the team, the first ever to earn a state championship for the Chiefs.
To watch the 2012 Northview Chiefs Banquet Video and Season Highlights, click here.
“This is a great time to be a Northview Chief,” Head Coach Sid Wheatley said, adding that community support is growing stronger and stronger with each passing year.
“To see 2,000 plus fans from the community in the stands at the Citrus Bowl was an awesome thing and means a lot to the kids,” he said. “It’s great to see parents the community support the kids like they do.”
This year’s graduating Northview Chiefs football players are the first to have spent four years under Wheatley as head coach.
“Over the last four years I have watched these guys turn into great football players who are disciplined, have a tremendous work ethic and great character. Northview is blessed with good athletes,” he said.
For a photo gallery from the banquet, click here.
In addition to honoring senior, the following football, cheerleading and dance teams were presented:
FOOTBALL
- Outstanding Offensive Back – LaMikal Kyles
- Outstanding Offensive Lineman - Blake McCall, LaDerious Franklin
- Outstanding Receiver – Brannon Freeman
- Outstanding Defensive Back – Neiko Robinson
- Outstanding Defensive Lineman – Stetson Nash
- Outstanding Linebacker - Corry Baggett, Roderick Woods
- Team Leader Award – Chad Smith
- Iron Man Award - Logan Weber, Tyler Roley
- Game Changer Award – Neino Robinson
- Academic Award – Justin Halteman
- Most Improved – Jeffrey Taylor, Cameron Newsome
- Outstanding Passer – Kevin Vaughan
- Defensive Anchor Award – LaQuan Thomas
- Chief Award – Trey Johnson
- Mr. Tenacity Award – Dalton Daniel
- Mr. Versatile Award – Jaran Myles, Arkelle Elliott
- Newcomer Award - LaDarious Thomas
- Coaches Award – Skyler Macks
- Spirit Award – Kahlil Grice, Austin Dorriety
- Team Player Award – LaMikeal Banks
DANCE TEAM
- Most Improved – Clarrisa Ross
- Best Rhythm – Jessica Lowery
- Best Stage Presence – Lily Townson
- Best Chaine Turns – Chloe Leonard
- Best Pirouette Turns – Morgan Digmon
- Highest Leaps – Anna Fischer
JV CHEERLEADERS
- Most Improved – Katie Born
- Spirit Award – Danielle Robinson
VARSITY CHEERLEADERS
- Spirit Award - Jessica McCullough
- Squad Strength - Madison Arrington
- Best All-Around – Ashley Mooney
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Robinson’s Volunteer Service Honored
March 6, 2013
The Town of Century has issued a proclamation honoring local resident Marilyn Robinson.
She was recognized for her work with the Carver Community Center, the annual Martin Luther King Day celebration, the Century/Flomaton Improvement Association and the local Community Action Program.
During the council’s meeting Monday night, Robinson was presented The President’s Volunteer Service Award. Established in 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation encourages citizens to volunteer in their communities. Robinson joins about 2.55 million other Americans that have received the service award.
Pictured above. Century Mayor Freddie McCall presents a proclamation to Marilyn Robinson. Pictured below: The full text of the proclamation. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
IRS Now Accepting All 2012 Returns
March 6, 2013
The Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday that it has finished updating its tax-processing systems allowing all remaining individual and business taxpayers to file their 2012 federal income tax returns.
Over the weekend, the IRS completed reprogramming and testing of its systems for tax-year 2012 including all remaining updates required by the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA) enacted by Congress in January. This final step clears the way for those claiming residential energy credits on Form 5695 and various business tax credits and deductions to file their returns.
The IRS began accepting 2012 returns in phases as it worked quickly to update various forms and instructions and made critical adjustments to its processing systems to reflect the current law. As a result, the agency began accepting most returns filed by individual taxpayers on Jan. 30. Additional returns could be accepted in February. All remaining returns, affecting in relative terms the smallest group of taxpayers, can now be filed.
Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Two Cantonment Structure Fires
March 6, 2013
Firefighters made quick work of putting out back to back structure fires in the Cantonment area Tuesday afternoon.
The first blaze was a kitchen fire in a mobile home in the 400 block of Well Line Road about 4:40 p.m.
The second fire was reported about 5:30 p.m. in the 400 block of East Kingsfield Road. Firefighters found a storage building on fire. Firefighters could only gain access to the building by foot. They were forced to use a “deck gun” from a truck to reach the fire and the surrounding woods.
The Cantonment, Molino, Ensley and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were involved in fighting the fires.
Pictured top: Firefighters were able to quickly contain a kitchen fire in this mobile home on Well Line Road Tuesday afternoon. Pictured inset: Firefighter turned to a “deck gun” to fight a fire in a storage building (below) in a wooded area on East Kingsfield Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Area Softball, Baseball Results: Northview, Tate, West Florida, Pine Forest
March 6, 2013
Here’s a look at baseball and softball action from around the area Tuesday:
SOFTBALL
The Northview Lady Chiefs continued their perfect season Tuesday with a 5-1 varsity win over the Flomaton Hurricanes. Northview’s Misty Doran pitched her second no hitter of the season while striking out 17. The JV Chiefs also beat Flomaton 16-1 on a game that ended in the fourth due to the 10-run mercy rule.
- Northview 5, Flomaton 1
- Northview 16, Flomaton 1 (JV)
The Tate Lady Aggies swept Pine Forrest Lady Eagles with a 14-4 win (run rule) at Pine Forrest. The Lady Aggies are still perfect in District 6A. Tate will travel to Tallahassee this weekend to play in the Chiles High School Tournament. They will return to district play next week against Navarre, Escambia and Pensacola High.
- Tate 14, Pine Forest 4
- Jay 6, Holmes County 5
- West Florida 8, Gulf Breeze 1
BASEBALL
The West Florida High School Jaguars improved to 7-0 on the season with a 2-0 win over the Gulf Breeze Dolphins Tuesday.
- West Florida 2, Gulf Breeze 0
- West Florida 15, Gulf Breeze 2 (JV)
- Escambia Academy 5, Northview 4
- Pine Forest 3, Washington 2
- Pace 10, Escambia 2
- Tate 5, Milton 0
Scott’s State Of The State: It’s Working
March 6, 2013
Gov. Rick Scott used his third State of the State address Tuesday to issue a spirited defense of his first two years in office, even as the speech capped off a midterm pivot aimed at buoying his popularity ahead of the 2014 elections.
Underscoring an increase in jobs, a drop in state debt and other encouraging economic news, Scott portrayed a rebounding Florida and implicitly criticized his predecessor, and possible rival, former Gov. Charlie Crist.
“This is now the third time I have had the opportunity to address you to report on the state of the Great State of Florida,” Scott said. “And after two years of hard work, this update can be summed up in two words: It’s working.”
Scott returned to the “It’s Working” refrain several times in the speech, and staffers manning the governor’s Twitter account created a hashtag with the phrase, leaving little doubt about the theme of the address — also entitled “It’s Working.”
Scott didn’t use the address to unveil any new initiatives, though he did tout his proposed $2,500 across-the-board raise for teachers and a proposal to do away with the sales tax on manufacturing equipment.
In addition to laying out a case that included a three-point drop in the unemployment rate and a drop of $2 billion in debt, Scott pointed to the economy he “inherited” from Crist as the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat considers mounting a run for his old job in 2014.
“Two years ago, Florida was losing jobs and many Florida families were losing their dreams. … The shorts-sighted policies of borrowing on our future had led to disaster,” Scott said.
An awkward moment, though, came when Scott defended his decision to support an expansion of Medicaid, part of the federal health-care bill reviled by Republicans, for at least three years. His remarks came one day after the House GOP confirmed its opposition to the move.
“I concluded that for the three years the federal government is committed to paying 100 percent of the cost of new people in Medicaid, I cannot, in good conscience, deny the uninsured access to care,” Scott said.
Legislative Democrats erupted in applause and cheers as Scott made his case, while Republicans largely sat stone-faced, one of the few times that the GOP did not lead an ovation for the governor.
After the speech, House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, seized on Scott’s remarks to try to press Republicans to approve expansion.
“I think that he issued a challenge to the Legislature, whether it be the Senate or the House, that we certainly need to expand Medicaid,” Thurston said.
The party itself was less forgiving. Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant accused Scott of “desperately trying to reverse course on his toxic Tea Party agenda.
“The truth is, Scott has the wrong priorities for Florida and is hurting middle class families,” she said in a statement issued by the party.
By The News Service of Florida