Subway High School All-Star Soccer Rosters Announced
February 14, 2013
The Pensacola Sports Association has announced the rosters for the Subway High School All-Star Soccer Game on Thursday, February 21 at Athe shton Brosnaham Complex. The girls game, which features seniors from Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Counties, will begin at 5 p.m. with the boy’s game immediately following.
The coaching staff for the Boys West Team, which includes all Escambia County high schools, will be led by the head coach from East Hill Christian School, Marvin Denney. Breck Smith, the coach for Catholic High School, will coach the Girls West Team. Coaches from the other county high schools will assist Denney and Smith with their game plans. The East Girls coach, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa Counties, will be coached by Danielle Phillips from Crestview High School. The boys coach for the East team will be Rigo Hernandez from Milton High School. Both coaches will be assisted by the other head coaches from the two-county area high schools.
Tickets to the game are $7 and $5 with a canned good. The PSA is teaming with Manna Food Bank for a canned good drive and encouraging everyone to help families by bringing a canned good item. Academy Sports + Outdoors will be having a contest for two lucky fans to win up to $200 in Academy gift cards.
Final game rosters are subject to change.
(North Escambia area players are in bold.)
West Team Boys: Devin Denney, Tucker Ward, and CJ Kennamore from East Hill, Peyton Barrios, Nick Brockmon, and Daniel Garcia from Escambia, Bradley Lynn, and Brandon May from Pine Forest, Juan Pelaez, Jack Pouchert, Nathan Croney, Kegan Haag, and Derek Brown from Catholic, Ian Robinson and Allan Campbell from Washington, Kyle Brown, Jalen Benson and Sudip Bagui from Pensacola High, Caymen Barlow, Devin Blackwell and Luke Jackson from West Florida, and Austin Stacey from Tate.
West Team Girls: Kayla Cayson from East Hill, Madison Leonard, and Ashton Mayne from Tate, Jordan King, LaShelle Lett, and Rachel Moore from Washington, April Westmark, Tori Bergosh, Victoria Marsh, Ashley Krochi and Elizabeth Dennis from Pensacola High, Lauren Hughes, and Miriam Duckworth from West Florida, Alexis Johnson from Escambia, Jeania Suyat from Pine Forest, and Katie Richmond, Laura Inclan, Sarah Boles, Bethany Balette, Meghan Morand, Caitlin Sacco, and Emily Ioakim from Catholic.
East Team Boys: Jeffrey Ranson, and Austin Walker from Milton, Drew Kirkpatrick, and Dillon McArthur from Rocky Bayou, Jeremy Born, Austin Smith, Chris Rahn, and Tyler Tarpley from Crestview, Conner D’Amico from Niceville, Ryan Olson, Brendan White, and Jordan Supra from Navarre, Hayden Gilmore from Pace, Trapper Chechoek, Adam Cahill, Yunnis Harris, and Derek Castelia from Choctawhatchee, Sam Hoskins, Ben Hoskins, Thomas Fitzgerald, and Luke Niles from Gulf Breeze, and David Diaz from Fort Walton Beach.
East Team Girls: Morgan Littlewood, and Hayley Naker from Navarre, Eleana Colvin, Kristy Gash, and Alex Taylor from Pace, Allison Proctor, Korrie Abernathy, and Rachel Carter from Gulf Breeze, Sydney Morgan , and Allison Hoyland from Milton, Ashley Richbourg, Paige Goodrich, Ashily Sanchez, and Mia Olsavsky from Crestview, Melissa Early from Fort Walton Beach, Kaitlyn Brown, Savannah Boswell, Miranda O’Neil, and Elana Pete from Niceville, Ashley Quachenbush, and Courtney Peters from Choctawhatchee, and Kelly sambenedetto from Rocky Bayou.
Tate’s Lorenzo Long Signs With Wofford University
February 14, 2013
Tate High School all-star running back Lorenzo Long signed a scholarship last week to play for Wofford University in South Carolina. Long holds the Tate Aggie career record with 3,227 rushing yards. During his senior season, Long had 183 carries for 1,175 yards and 11 touchdowns. Pictured are Lorenzo Long (center) and his parents, Lara and Alandus Long; and (standing, L-R) Athletic Director David Venettozzi and Head Football Coach Ronnie Douglas. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Lawmakers Take Aim At Alimony
February 14, 2013
After hearing sharply divided opinions from people who have been through divorces, a House panel Wednesday began moving forward with a controversial bill that would place new limits on alimony.
The proposal (HB 231) would take steps such as reining in the amount of time that alimony payments could be required, trying to short-circuit alimony in marriages of 10 years or less and shielding retirees from alimony requirements.
Sponsor Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, said the state’s current alimony laws are “archaic,” and he wants to provide guidelines to better resolve such issues in divorce cases.
“I want to make this so people can get divorced and move on with their life,” said Workman, who is divorced but indicated he has not paid or received alimony.
But Rep. Cynthia Stafford, D-Miami, described the proposal as one-sided and “anti-woman.”
“I think this bill will do more harm than good, ” she said.
The House Civil Justice Subcommittee voted 10-2 to approve the bill, with Stafford and Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, the only dissenters. Workman also proposed a similar measure last year, though he said it “died a slow, painful death in the Senate.”
HB 231 is slated to go next to the House Judiciary Committee. A similar bill (SB 718) was filed last week in the Senate. Alimony payments can be required of men or women involved in divorces.
Wednesday’s vote came after testimony from people who offered far-different views about whether the alimony system needs to be overhauled.
As an example, Deerfield Beach resident Guido Albarran told the subcommittee that 50 percent of his salary goes to his ex-wife. He said it is unfair to require alimony payments decades after divorces occur, at one point likening such situations to “financial enslavement.”
On the other side were people such as Longwood resident Ann Dwyer, who said she was married for more than 20 years and did not work outside the home as her then-husband built his career. She received permanent alimony and, while she was able to later find a job, said the payments from her ex-husband have allowed her to stay in her home and meet other expenses.
The bill would eliminate the concept of permanent alimony, though Workman said judges would have the discretion to extend what is called “durational” alimony for long periods of time if necessary.
The bill says such durational alimony would be limited to 50 percent of the length of the marriage, unless one of the divorcing spouses could show by “clear and convincing evidence that exceptional circumstances justify the need for a longer award of alimony.”
Another heavily discussed part of the bill could help people seek to end or reduce alimony payments as they reach retirement age. Also, the bill would allow what is known as “retroactivity,” which could lead to reopening already-existing alimony arrangements to reduce payments.
Opponents include the Family Law Section of The Florida Bar. David Manz, a past chairman of the Family Law Section, told the subcommittee that the retroactivity, for instance, adds harshness and unfairness to the bill and could lead to a “flood” of litigation.
Workman said he is willing to work with critics, but he said the alimony system needs changes.
“Alimony is broken, and maybe I don’t have the perfect fix,” Workman said. “But there is a fix out there.”
By The News Service of Florida
Northeast Pensacola Sertoma Club Recognized Deputy’s Actions
February 14, 2013
Escambia County Sheriff’s Master Deputy Joanna Wilson was recognized by the Northeast Pensacola Sertoma Club Wednesday.
Through the Sertoma Awards Program, the Northeast Pensacola Chapter honors and celebrates the accomplishments of Pensacola area first responders, recognizing officers who go above and beyond the call of duty.
On Saturday August 4, 2012, Deputy Joanna Wilson responded to a forgery call at a bank where two women were attempting to pass a stolen check. The women left before she had arrived, but Deputy Wilson identified the suspects’ vehicle to be a rental car from Broward County, Florida. She began to patrol local motels, eventually locating the suspect’s vehicle. This action led to several arrests, two of them known gang members linked to an organization that has been responsible for committing bank fraud with a monetary loss of approximately six million dollars.
Pictured: Escambia County Sheriff’s Master Deputy Joanna Wilson was recognized Wednesday by the Northeast Pensacola Sertoma Club. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Seven Injured In Wreck Involving County Fire Chief
February 14, 2013
Escambia County’s fire chief was involved in a four vehicle crash late Wednesday afternoon that injured seven people.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Fire Chief Patrick Grace was responding to a house fire with lights sirens activated. Troopers said he stopped before entered the intersection of Fairfield Drive and W Street with a steady red light.
Oncoming traffic on eastbound inside lane of Fairfield Drive was stopped when 73-year old Randolph W. Scurry of Pensacola entered the intersection with a green light, striking the side of the fire chief’s SUV, which then struck a third vehicle that rolled into fourth.
The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured: Escambia County’s fire chief was involved in this four vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon in Pensacola. Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Dies In Baldwin County Crash
February 13, 2013
Alabama State Troopers have released the name of an Escambia County man killed in a Baldwin County crash on Monday.
Troopers said 35-year od Jason L. Marks of Pensacola was westbound on U.S. 98 near Elberta when his 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse cross the center line for unknown reasons. He collided head-on with a 2007 Mack trucks.
Marks, who was not wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene of the noon crash. A passenger in his vehicle, 38-year old Shannon Applin, and the driver of the Mack truck, Roy F. Harden, 57, of Navarre, were both transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.
Century Cracking Down On Late Paying Water, Sewer Customers
February 13, 2013
The Town of Century is cracking down on residents who don’t pay up for their water and sewer service on time.
“I have been real lenient with people,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall. But that leniency has led to 50-70 customers per month on the cutoff list, compared to just four last month for the Bratt-Davisville water system, he said.
Century water bills are currently due on receipt, with second notice and a $5 penalty on the 15th of the month and cutoffs scheduled for the 25th. Customers have been allowed to pay the cutoff penalty and earn a reprieve until the next month. The end result, McCall said, is an endless cycle of customers staying one month behind on their bills.
The extreme number of cutoffs is also taxing Century’s employees, McCall said, with four men working part of a day to cutofff unpaid water accounts and two men working for two days to restore service after payments are made.
But beginning next month, McCall said unpaid accounts as of the 24th of the month will be cutoff on the 25th, or the first business day after the 25th if it’s a holiday or weekend. Once a customer pays, a work order will be generate to reinstate service no earlier than the following day. Customers will be allowed one lifetime extension in the case of an emergency.
Finalists Named For Escambia Teacher Of The Year
February 13, 2013
The Top 5 finalists for Escambia County Teacher of the Year have been named.
They are: Randall Van Sickle, Blue Angels Elementary; Tina Grady, Hellen Caro Elementary; Susan Rigby, Pine Forest High; Debby Dorough, Pine Meadow Elementary; and Stephanie Hurst, West Florida High School.
The overall Teacher of the Year award will be announced February 28 during the 28th Annual Golden Apple Awards Banquet at New World Landing.
Convicted Felon Charged With Stealing, Pawning Gun
February 13, 2013
A convicted felon from Century is facing two felony charges after allegedly stealing a gun and later pawning it.
Joshua Duane Griffis, age 26 of North Century Boulevard, was arrested this week for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and grand theft of a firearm for an incident back in October 2012. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Griffis allegedly went to a residence on Green Village Road in Walnut Hill and told a person known to him that he needed to look for a cell phone charger he had left in the home. The victim, due to a medical condition, was unable to follow Griffis to the rear of the home. Griffis left the residence, telling the victim he was unable to find the phone charger.
The same day, the victim discovered his .22 caliber revolver was missing. The victim’s wife confronted Griffis. According to an arrest report, and he said that he had let a friend working offshore borrow the gun but it would be returned soon.
The victim’s wife later located the gun at State Line Pawn in Atmore where it had been pawned by Griffis, the report states. Pawn shop employees told her they would keep the firearm until she could come in and pay for it, deputies said.
Arrest Made In Christmas Eve Kidnapping, Murder
February 13, 2013
An Escambia County man has been arrested in the 2012 Christmas Eve kidnapping and murder of a Pensacola man.
Trevon Nelson, 28, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon. He was charged with an open count of homicide, false imprisonment, four counts of false imprisonment of a child under age 13, burglary, grand theft vehicle, and evidence tampering.
“This case has been a top priority for us since the kidnapping was reported on Christmas Eve,” said Chief Chip W. Simmons. “There was a lot of time and effort that went into this investigation, and we want to thank the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office and Gun Crime Response Team for their assistance.”
Around 2:45 a.m. December 24, Torrance Hackworth, 32, arrived at his residence at 1321 North J Street and was approached by several males who forced him into the apartment, bound him with duct tape and held him in the apartment.
One of the males awakened Hackworth’s 36-year-old girlfriend and their four children, ranging in age from four to 10, and ordered them at gunpoint into the living room. As all six residents were held hostage, the suspects ransacked the house, demanded money and stole various items, said Detective James Parsons.
When Hackworth insisted he didn’t have any money because he had bought Christmas presents for the children, the suspects said they were going to kill him. The suspects beat and struck Hackworth several times with a firearm in front of the woman and children before dragging him outside and putting him into the trunk of the woman’s vehicle which they used to flee the scene, Parsons said.
Approximately two to three hours after the abduction, the woman’s vehicle was found partially submerged at the Sanders Beach boat launch. Hackworth, who had been shot several times, was later found December 27 deceased in a vacant lot in the 1600 block of North S Street.
Nelson was identified during the investigation, and more arrests are pending, Parsons said.