Cell Phone Distraction Results In Wreck
December 13, 2012
Troopers say a Cantonment woman was distracted by her cell phone, resulting in single vehicle wreck this afternoon on Pine Forest Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 31-year old Devon White of Cantonment was southbound on Pine Forest Road approaching Graham Lane when her phone began to ring, and she attempted to answer it. White lost control, traveled across the center line and into a ditch where she collided with a fire hydrant, a stop sign and a small business sign. The accident resulted in about $8,000 in damage to her 1990 Buick, troopers said.
White received minor injuries and refused transported to the hospital. She was charged with careless driving, violation of a nonresident driver’s license and violation of a nonresident tag, according to the FHP.
Deputies Seek Men For Questioning In Century Pen Air Robbery
December 13, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for persons wanted for questioning in the November robbery of Pen Air Federal Credit Union in Century.
Deputies are looking to identify two males driving a dark colored pickup seen in surveillance photographs obtained from a car wash in West Pensacola on November 27 (pictured top).
Investigators are also looking for 21-year old Faron Ray Wilson, Jr., of Century (pictured left) for questioning in the robbery. Wilson also has an active warrant for violation of probation stemming from a home invasion arrest in 2008.
Anyone who has information on the identity of the two men in the photos or the whereabouts of Wilson is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Driver Critically Injured In Morning Cantonment Wreck
December 13, 2012
One person was seriously injured in a single vehicle crash this morning in Cantonment.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 51-year old Shannon Muehe of Cantonment was eastbound on Muscogee Road about 8:10 a.m. when she traveled off the roadway and through a grassy area. Her 2007 Toyota Camry continued into a ditch and struck nearby railroad tracks. The Camry overturned and came to rest on an embankment on the opposite side of the railroad tracks. The vehicle was not struck by a train.
Muehe was trapped in the vehicle for about 15 minutes as firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free her. She was airlifted by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
The Florida Highway Patrol cited Muehe with careless driving.
The Cantonment, Molino and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: One person was seriously injured in this accident Thursday morning in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Florida DCF Names Carver Community Center As One Of State’s Top Causes
December 13, 2012
The Carver Community Center aims to be a beacon of light for the children of Century. But step inside the aging building, and you find a group working, like the old adage, to make something out of almost nothing.
Hallways with peeling paint, lit by single, bare light bulbs lead to classrooms with aging computers in a building constructed nearly 70 year ago.”Attitude is the little thing that makes a BIG difference,” a banner on a classroom wall states.
“We work with what we have,” Carver Community Center Association board member Henry Hawkins said. “Where there’s a need in the community, we try to reach out.”
From their Jefferson Street location, the Carver Community Center is known for reaching out and helping those in need. Now the Florida Department of Children and Families is reaching out and asking the public to help the Century organization.
The Carver Community Center is one of the 12 causes in need being highlighted this Christmas season by the DCF for the department’s “Operation Santa Cause” statewide campaign.
Completely funded by donations, the Carver Community Center provides a safe place for children to go after school and during the summer as the center provides meals for 150 to 200 children daily. The center also offers tutoring services for children year round.
The center’s needs include internet service (about $100 per month) and 15 computers to replace current computers that are old, slow and sometimes non-functioning. The center also needs 15 licenses for “Ultimate Speed Reader” software (about $35 each) used to assist children in developing reading skills.
For information on how to help the Carver Community Center, contact Nicole Stookey with the Florida Department of Children and Families at (850) 488-0568.
Pictured top: The sun sets recently on the Carver Community Center on Jefferson Avenue in Century. Pictured inset: One of the classrooms inside the aging building. Pictured below: Carver Community Center Association board member Henry Hawkins tries to demonstrate reading software used by the center to teach children, but the aging computer malfunctioned. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Week: Toby Weaver’s Very Special Championship Delivery
December 13, 2012
The Northview Chief’s Class 1A state football championship trophy received very special treatment as it was transported from Orlando back to Bratt.
Toby Weaver, son of Northview Principal Gayle Weaver and her late husband Tommy Weaver, kept the trophy for his boys after the win. Toby, mom Gayle said, held the trophy close practically the entire trip back from Orlando. He even kept the trophy in his room Sunday night before delivering it Monday morning to head coach Sid Wheatley at Northview.
Toby is a Friday night fixture on the Northview sidelines, cheering on his Chiefs and motivating the team. Under his No. 7 jersey during the state championship game, Toby wore a t-shirt that simply said “Tommy”. The Chief’s 2012 football season was dedicated to his dad Tommy, a beloved Northview teacher and coach who passed away in March.
It’s Chief’s Week on NorthEscambia.com — we will continue our look back at Northview’s Class 1A state championship win all week long. Coming up tomorrow, more of our hundreds of photos from the Citrus Bowl.
Pictured top: Toby Weaver holds the Northview Chiefs Class 1A state football championship trophy on the way back from Orlando, courtesy photo. Pictured below: Logan Weber (left) and Toby Weaver pose last Friday night with the trophy. Pictured bottom: Toby Weaver (bottom right, No. 7 garnet jersey) poses with his Chiefs and the state championship trophy. Pictured inset: Toby Weaver runs onto the field at Orlando’s Citrus Bowl last Friday night. Northescambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Truck Crash
December 13, 2012
There were no known injuries in a single vehicle wreck Wednesday night near Molino.
The Molino Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the area of South Highway 99 and Highway 196 about 10:15 p.m. after an area resident reporting hearing a traffic crash. Firefighters found a drilling truck that had crashed and overturned. The driver had already left the scene when firefighters arrived.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Fourth Red Bulb Lit In Wreath Fire Safety Campaign
December 13, 2012
Four red bulbs representing residential fires are now lit in the Keep The Wreath Green holiday safety campaign from Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Pensacola Fire Department.
A fourth green bulb will be replaced with a red bulb in each wreath representing a residential fire that occurred on Saturday, December 8.
On Saturday, December 8 at 11:54 p.m., a fire was reported in the 1300 block of Rule Street. Firefighters arrived at 12:01 a.m. and found smoke and fire coming from windows on the front of the home. The occupants were alerted to the fire by a working smoke alarm and they escaped through a bathroom window because their primary escape route was blocked by the fire.
The fire, declared out at 12:14 a.m., caused major damage to the living room and smoke and heat damage throughout the rest of the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. Firefighters from Ensley, Brent, Ferry Pass, and Bellview responded to the fire.
During this, the ninth year of the campaign, there are five-foot wreaths on display at 26 different fire stations and other locations throughout the county.
Florida Issuing Record Number Of Concealed Weapons Permits
December 13, 2012
The number of licensed concealed weapons holders in Florida is expected to top 1 million next week, state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam told reporters Wednesday.
Doubling since 2007, the number of concealed weapons license holders will top 5 percent of Florida’s 19.1 million residents in a state that is number one nationally in licenses issued.
“Clearly it is a popular law and has been taken advantage of by a large number of Floridians who have acted responsibly,” Putnam said.
Florida has been licensing concealed weapons since 1987, when state officials took over authority from counties that had a patchwork of requirements regarding who could carry and what was needed to qualify for a license. Since then, more than 2 million licenses have been issued.
License holders are predominantly male and most are over 31 years old, with more than 219,000 at least 65 years old. While still a relative minority, representing about 20 percent of all license holders, more than 200,000 women also have licenses to carry.
Putnam said that of the 2 million issued, only 0.3 percent have been revoked.
“Floridians who are obtaining these licenses are obtaining them for the right reason and are using them in an appropriate way,” Putnam told reporters.
Gun advocates have long argued the legal gun ownership is a deterrent to crime, a message that was repeated Wednesday by Marion Hammer, executive director of United Sportsmen of Florida and former president for the National Rifle Association.
“Criminals commit crimes, but they aren’t stupid,” Hammer said. “They don’t want to get shot.”
Overall gun sales are also up. On Tuesday, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey, said the agency processed more criminal background checks for firearms on the Black Friday shopping day than any single day in the agency’s history.
Background checks are required for all gun purchases. Persons seeking concealed weapons licenses must undergo further screening and submit fingerprints.
A concealed weapons permit now takes a little over a month to obtain, down from more than 15 weeks only a few years ago. About 10 percent of licenses issued in Florida are for out-of-state residents.
By The News Service Florida
Deputy Justified In Shooting Unarmed Suspect At Apartment Complex
December 13, 2012
An investigation has determined that an Escambia County deputy was justified in shooting Justin Coon in September at an apartment complex on Olive Road.
Escambia County Deputy Daniel Moore was attempting to serve felony warrants on 27-year old Justin Coon of Pensacola at the Hidden Village Town Homes in the 3600 block of East Olive Road, near 9th Avenue, when the shooting occurred.
According to a State Attorney’s Office report, deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office TAC Unit spotted Coon in the apartment complex. He refused orders to stop and ran back inside his dimly lit apartment. Deputies gave chase, and Moore observed Coon raised a dark object in his hand that Moore believed to be a weapon. Moore fired a single shot, striking Coon in the hand and chest.
The object in Coon’s hand was a cell phone. An investigation determined that Coon pointed the phone, which in the dim light Moore believed to be a gun, in the deputy’s direction. Coon survived his injuries.
At the time of the shooting, Coon was wanted on several outstanding felony warrants, including battery, interference with custody and probation violations. He as also charged with resisting arrest without violence.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office vehicles line Olive Road tonight near 9th Avenue on September 5 following an office involved shooting. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Employees Collect $36,000 For Communities Caring At Christmas
December 13, 2012
Gulf Power Company employees have wrapped up their annual holiday collection of hundreds of toys, clothing and other gifts, which will be donated to the 2012 Communities Caring at Christmas campaign this Friday.
In addition to the almost $16,000 worth of bikes and helmets bought and assembled by the utility’s employees, they also raised close to $12,000 to give as a cash donation and collected hundreds of toys and other gifts for Communities Caring at Christmas. The estimated grand total of all the donations equals more than $36,000 from Gulf Power employees.
The money raised for the cash donations, bikes and helmets and some of the donated gifts are raised throughout the year through fundraisers held by the employees, such as golf tournaments and bake sales.
“We know the holiday season can be a difficult time for many so Communities Caring at Christmas is a great way to directly help those in need,” said Natalie Smith, Gulf Power spokesperson. “Every year our employees reach into their own pockets to help make sure as many children as possible have a great Christmas.”
Communities Caring at Christmas provides new toys, clothing and daily living needs for low income and abused, neglected and abandoned children living in foster care in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Waltoncounties.
This is the 17th year Gulf Power and its employees have participated in Communities Caring at Christmas. Anyone wishing to make a donation can drop off their gift at WEAR-TV on Mobile Highway by Friday, December 14.
Pictured: Gulf Power employees raised enough money to purchase almost $16,000 worth of bikes for Communities Caring at Christmas this holiday season. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.