Rick Scott, Republicans Blast Jesse Jackson Comments
August 1, 2013
.Gov. Rick Scott and other Republican leaders slammed the Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday after the civil-rights veteran called a sit-in protest at Scott’s office “the Selma of our time” while implicitly comparing the state to South Africa and Scott to George Wallace.
In a statement issued by his office, Scott took Jackson to task for the Selma comments made Tuesday and an earlier reported comment labeling Florida an “apartheid state.”
“Jesse Jackson owes every Floridian an apology for his reckless and divisive comments,” Scott said. “It is unfortunate that he would come to Florida to insult Floridians and divide our state at a time when we are striving for unity and healing.”
Appearing on the Rick Sanchez Radio Show a few hours later, Jackson dismissed the call for him to apologize as “absurd.”
Jackson also drew scorn from some Republicans for apparently comparing Scott to Wallace, an infamous, segregationist governor of Alabama, during remarks Tuesday.
Jackson spoke ahead of an overnight visit with the Dream Defenders, a group that has staged a sit-in at Scott’s office to demand a special legislative session to consider changes to the state’s self-defense laws, initiatives to end racial profiling and an end to zero-tolerance discipline policies in schools.
“We’ve seen Southern governors before have to change their minds,” Jackson said when asked about Scott’s insistence that he wouldn’t call a special session. Jackson mentioned Wallace as an example of someone who had to change his mind.
That drew the ire of other Republicans.
“With Jesse Jackson having a history of making offensive remarks, like calling New York City ‘Hymietown,’ it’s surprising to see that Democrats are not denouncing Jackson for what he said about Florida and Governor Rick Scott,” Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry said in a statement. “Jesse Jackson’s attacks are offensive, inappropriate, divisive and ill-informed.”
Pensacola Rep. Mike Hill, the only black Republican in the Legislature, also blasted Jackson’s comments as “a disgrace” in a sharply-worded statement.
“When Jackson uses language that describes us as an apartheid state and compares our governor to one of history’s most notorious bigots, he is either hopelessly out of touch or purposefully dishonest,” Hill said.
The multipronged attack on Jackson came as the protests wore through a 16th day at the Capitol. Protesters have called their own “People’s Session,” and held a committee meeting in Scott’s office to take testimony on zero-tolerance policies in schools.
During that meeting, officials from local chapters of the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida delivered a letter to Scott endorsing the protests. After being told Scott wasn’t at the Capitol and chief of staff Adam Hollingsworth was in a meeting, the group read the letter from Henry Crespo Sr., the organization’s president, before handing it to Scott’s receptionist.
“As governor of Florida, you have the power to calm the fears of thousands of Florida families, especially blacks and Latinos, who are questioning the ability of this state to protect their children from the gross deficiencies of the aforementioned laws,” the letter said.
Also Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, unveiled a new website — FloridaStandYourGround.org — to help push for changes to the “stand your ground” self-defense law that has spurred a large amount of the debate.
“The website is a one-stop information center for anyone who wants to know more about the law, what it does, how it’s being misused, and the proposed changes to fix its dangerous flaws,” Smith said.
by The News Service of Florida
Groundbreaking Set For New Ernest Ward, A.K. Suter
August 1, 2013
The Escambia County School Board has scheduled official groundbreaking ceremonies next week for Ernest Ward Middle School and A.K. Suter Elementary School.
The groundbreaking at Ernest Ward will be held on Thursday, August 8 at 9 a.m. at the school campus, 7650 Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. The A.K. Suter groundbreaking will be held at 1 p.m. on the same day at the school, 501 Pickens Avenue in Pensacola. The public is invited to both ceremonies.
Both schools are being rebuilt, Ernest Ward at a cost of about $16.5 million and A.K. Suter at a cost of about $21 million. Both schools will remain open during the reconstruction process.
Both construction projects are being funded by half-cent sales tax monies. It is anticipated that the new structure at A.K. Suter will be open for the 2014-2015 school year; Ernest Ward Middle School’s construction will take approximately two years for completion.
Pictured top: Demolition work has already started at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Four Injured In Flomaton Crash
August 1, 2013
Four people were injured in a two-vehicle wreck near Flomaton Wednesday evening.
The accident happened in a curve on Highway 31 near Pipeline Road, not far from Bondurant Lumber, about 6:10 p.m. Two people, a 39-year old female and an adult male, were airlifted by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola as “trauma alerts”. Two other people were transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart with non-life threatening injuries.
All four people were trapped in their vehicles, with firefighters forced to use the Jaws of Life to extricate them.
The Flomaton and Friendship fire departments, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance, Flomaton Police Department, Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office and Atmore Ambulance responded to the accident.
The accident remains under investigation by the Alabama State Troopers. Further details have not been released.
Reader submitted photos by Carleen Spears and Robbie Lynn Burkett for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Teen Charged In Warrington Murder
August 1, 2013
Nkosi Zuriel Chamberlain of Navarre is charged with second degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Ledarrious Ramone Washington. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated assault. He is currently being held in the Okaloosa County Detention Center pending his first court appearance.
Investigators are still searching for 23-year-old Blaise K. Albertie Chamberlain of Navarre for questioning only. They are also seeking a 2011 black Suzuki 4-door SX4 with Florida tag number N546PX, which they say was used in commission of the crime.
For an earlier story with more details about the shooting, click here.
Shots Fired During Berrydale Burglary
August 1, 2013
Authorities in Santa Rosa County are looking for clues in two vehicle burglaries late Monday night in Berrydale, including one in which shots were reportedly fired.
Several undisclosed items were taken during first vehicle burglary which was reported at 11:22 p.m. in the 14000 block of Highway 87, just south of the Alabama state line. While deputies were on scene, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Officer received a report of another vehicle burglary in progress on just over two miles away on Gainey Ford Road.
During the incident on Gainey Ford Road, the victim observed two males in the victim’s car, which had been left unlocked. The victim approached the two suspects and yelled at them. The suspects then ran from the scene, at which time the victim said one of the suspects fired three rounds in the direction of the victim. No one was injured.
As of Thursday afternoon, there had been no arrests in the case and no suspect descriptions were available. The investigation by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is continuing.
Deputies said the incidents appear to be isolated and not part of a larger trend.
Anyone with information on the incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP of Detective Gau at (850) 983-1253.
Milby, Erickson Win Free Wedding; Local Couple Falls Short
August 1, 2013
Evan Milby and Alanna Erickson have won this year’s Pensacola Block Party Wedding Contest — a free wedding held on the streets of Pensacola with everything donated by various vendors.
“We had a great experience and we wish them the best in life,” Jessy Killam, a top ten finalist in the contest, said Wednesday night. “The marriage truly begins after the wedding is over.”
Jessy and her fiance Jarrett Swearingen, were featured Monday in a NorthEscambia.com story due to their local ties.
Jessica grew up in Byrneville and graduated from Northview High School. Her fiance Jarrett grew up in Jay and graduated from Jay High School. He’s now an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy.
Pictured top: Pensacola Block Party Wedding winners Evan Milby and Alanna Erickson. Pictured below: Top ten finalists Jessy Killam and her fiance Jarrett Swearingen. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NHS QB Club Still Needs Teams For Weekend Softball Tournament
August 1, 2013
The Northview High School Quarterback Club still needs a few teams for a coed softball tournament to be held this Saturday.
The entry fee is $150 per team. To register a team and support the Class 1A state football champions in their upcoming season, call Bodie Tullis at (850) 390-3945.
Man Gets Life For Sexually Abusing Girl
August 1, 2013
A man that sexually abused a young girl for over 10 years will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Jeffrey Todd Morris was convicted by an Escambia County Jury of two counts sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation on a victim under 12. Wednesday, Judge Frank Bell sentenced him to life in prison along with two concurrent 30 years sentences.
The charges stemmed from ongoing sexual activity from the time the victim was six years old until she was 18 years old. The victim gave birth in February and DNA confirmed Morris to be the father.
Altercation Outside Century Bar Lands Man In Jail
August 1, 2013
A Flomaton man was jailed after allegedly having an altercation with a woman outside Odom’s Bar in Century before fleeing on foot to Alabama.
Michael Dannell Pleasant, 34, was charged with battery and petit theft. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $5,500.
During the early morning hours of Tuesday, Pleasant allegedly snatched 24-year old Jessica Ann Mathis out of a vehicle parked outside Odom’s Bar on North Century Boulevard. Mathis told deputies she had just sat down in a male friend’s Land Rover when Pleasant grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to the ground, causing injuries to her elbow, back of her head and ankle. Mathis alleged Pleasant then took her iPhone 4, scratched and kicked her car, and then took off running behind the neighboring Flomaton Wholesale into Alabama.
Mathis and her male friend followed Pleasant to his home on Martin Luther King Drive in Flomaton. The Flomaton Police Department, assisted by the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, responded.
Mathis told deputies that she and Pleasant had lived together “as family” for three years, but they were currently separated.
After returning to the bar, Pleasant told deputies that he had lived with Mathis for four years and he made contact with her when he saw her sitting in a car with another man outside the Century bar. Pleasant told deputies he grabbed Mathis by the arm and asked her to get out as she exited the vehicle. Pleasant told deputies that he took the iPhone and walked away.
Mathis was arrested on an outstanding failure to appear warrant in a traffic case. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $250 bond.
BayBears Top Wahoos 4-3
August 1, 2013
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos rallied from two separate deficits on Wednesday night, but still fell victim of a late-inning run in a 4-3 setback to the Mobile BayBears at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The game was tied at three headed to the eighth inning before the BayBears took the lead against Pensacola reliever Parker Frazier. Mobile loaded the bases with nobody out against Frazier who then gave up a sacrifice fly to Ryan Court to give the BayBears a 4-3 lead. Lee Hyde entered to limit the damage thanks to a pick off and a groundout.
Frazier took the loss for Pensacola, falling to 1-1. The right-hander allowed a run on two hits with a walk in just a third of an inning.
Pensacola had chances to tie and win the game in their last two at-bats but stranded three runners in the final two frames, including the tying run at second in the ninth when closer Jake Barrett struck out Yorman Rodriguez to end the game.
Mobile jumped out on top early in the contest against Pensacola starter Josh Smith. Ender Inciarte doubled on the first pitch of the game, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Justin Greene to make it 1-0.
Former Wahoo Mark Serrano got the start for the BayBears and dominated his former team with three shutout innings before running into a bit of trouble in the fourth. Mike Costanzo led off with a walk, moved to third on a Rodriguez double and scored on a groundout from Lutz to knot the game at one.
The two teams traded a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. In the top half, Mobile loaded the bases with two outs against Smith and scored a run on an RBI infield single from Raywilly Gomez that deflected off the glove of a diving Costanzo at first base. Drew Hayes came on to relieve Smith and uncorked a wild pitch, allowing a run to score and giving the BayBears a 3-1 lead.
Smith didn’t factor in the decision as he went 5.2 innings allowing three runs on eight hits while notching eight punchouts, one shy of a season high.
Pensacola battled right back in the bottom half to tie things up at three despite a baserunning mistake. With runners at first and second, Donald Lutz singled to left but Rodriguez was caught rounding second to far and induced a rundown between second and third before Corey Wimberly took off for home and was thrown out at the plate. Tucker Barnhart picked up the slack, though, with a two-run single to right scoring Lutz and Rodriguez.
However, Pensacola stranded runners on base in each of their last four at-bats adding up to a total of nine on the night. Six of the nine runners were left in scoring position.
Blake Cooper (3-2) picked up the win for the BayBears by getting the final out of the seventh inning and tossing a scoreless eighth.
The series wraps up on Thursday with the rubber game between the two squads at 7 p.m. Carlos Contreras (0-1, 4.66) will toe the rubber for Pensacola against Mobile’s Bradin Hagens (9-3, 3.63).
story by Kevin Burke