Police: Man Claims Mother Is Dead; Tries To Use Her Credit Cards For Bar Tab
January 15, 2013
A Cantonment man was arrested on five felony charges after allegedly trying to use his supposedly dead mother’s credit cards to pay a bar tab at an adult entertainment nightclub.
The Pensacola Police Department responded to the Babe’s Gentleman’s Club on North Davis Highway after 34-year old Noah Leigh Morris allegedly racked up a $347 bar tab and did not have a way to pay for it. Manager Sammy Smith told police that Morris was attempting to use his deceased mother’s credit cards to pay for the tab.
Morris told police he was going to pay with his mother’s credit cards, and that she had passed away two days prior. The officer reported Morris was highly intoxicated and showed his wallet containing seven credit cards with his mother’s name. He attempted to use his mother’s Discover Card to pay the tab. The card was denied, as was a card with Morris’ name on it.
As he was arrested, police reported finding several controlled prescription pills on Morris’ person in an unlabeled pill bottle.
Morris was charged with swindling or defrauding an innkeeper, fraudulent use of credit cards and two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $8,000.
Editor’s note: Family tells NorthEscambia.com that Morris’ mother is, in fact, alive and well.
Supervisors: Elections Were A ‘Perfect Storm’ Of Problems
January 15, 2013
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford and state’s local elections supervisors told lawmakers Monday that a “perfect storm” of elections problems created the long lines and other issues that irritated Floridians in November. Stafford is past president of the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections.
Supervisors and lawmakers agreed that several factors converged in the November voting, from the length of the ballot to the number of early-voting days and the availability of early-voting sites, leading to Florida being the last state called in the presidential election. The state was eventually carried by President Barack Obama, but that result wasn’t known until days after he was projected to have won a second term.
“It was a combination of things that have contributed to our perfect storm election,” said Lee County Supervisor Sharon Harrington.
But Senate Ethics and Elections Chairman Jack Latvala, R-St. Petersburg, pushed back on the notion that Florida was once again the problem child in presidential elections. Instead, the closeness of the state and the importance of its 29 electoral votes more often shine the national spotlight on Florida.
“These same issues, if they happened in others states, might not have the same focus that we have,” he said.
Seminole County Supervisor Mike Ertel went further.
“We had a good election statewide in Florida; we have to remember this,” Ertel said. As to late-night jokes at the expense of the state, he said: “I don’t care what Jay Leno thinks. I care what Florida voters think.”
The hearing focused on two of the issues that have taken up most of the attention in the wake of the election: Early voting and a number of proposed constitutional amendments blamed for stretching many counties’ ballots onto multiple pages.
Latvala told reporters after the meeting that he planned for the committee to begin work on an elections bill in February. In addition to the issues highlighted by the elections snafus, Latvala said the bill would address gaps in absentee ballot security pointed out by a grand jury report on absentee ballots in Miami-Dade County.
Most supervisors said the state should at least give them discretion to have more days of early voting, after a 2011 change in the law slashed the number of days before the elections that voters could cast ballots from at least 12 to no more than eight.
But lawmakers questioned whether supervisors had opened up enough early-voting sites to handle the crush of voters who tried to cast ballots on those early days. Miami-Dade County Supervisor Penelope Townsley, who conducted a thorough after-action report on the election in her county, admitted she had not.
“It we had to do that again, we would definitely increase the number of early voting sites that were used,” Townsley said.
Other supervisors said they needed more flexibility on where to place early voting sites, and said that not every eligible early voting site was a practical place to have voters to cast ballots because of concerns that range from parking to electrical capacity.
“To invite them to a facility that can accommodate them very efficiently is, I think, a better thing that to just have a lot of sites that are non-productive,” said St. Lucie County Supervisor Gertrude Walker.
Supervisors also pointed to the referendums placed on the ballot by the Legislature, and the exemption in state law that allows lawmakers to avoid the 75-word limit on amendment summaries that applies to citizen initiatives.
“If we can elect the president of the United States based solely on his or her first and last name, I believe that we can pass an amendment with 75 words,” Ertel said.
Even some lawmakers who voted for the exemption in 2000 — after the Supreme Court threw out a legislatively-proposed death-penalty amendment because of its summary — said they were ready to reverse course.
“I have to admit I was maybe part of the problem … about the language that appears on the ballot,” said Sen. John Thrasher, a St. Augustine Republican who was in the House at the time.
Latvala said he was less certain that was at the root of the problem, pointing out that the law has been effect for a decade now.
“I don’t think it’s the fault of the Legislature 100 percent that we had these lines,” he said.
By The News Service of Florida
Sunshine Hill Road Bridge Deck To Be Replaced
January 15, 2013
Escambia County is set to install a new deck on the Sunshine Hill Road Bridge in Molino.
The lowest bidder on the project was F&W Construction Co., Inc. for $73,500. Other bids were received from Murphree Bridge Corp ($86,500) and Davis Marine Construction, Inc. ($88,499).
The Sunshine Hill Road Bridge, located just south of Cedar Springs Road, was closed last November for about three weeks for emergency repairs.
Escambia County Mosquito Illness Advisory Lifted
January 15, 2013
The mosquito-borne illness advisory issued for Escambia County back in August has been lifted. The Escambia County Health Department said surveillance data indicates that the risk of human infection has decreased.
Although mosquito-borne illnesses are less common in the winter months, the health department said it is important that residents of Escambia County continue to observe the proper precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that may cause disease.
A total of 13 people were diagnosed with West Nile Virus in Escambia County during 2012. One case was fatal.
Tickets Going On Sale For Miss NHS Pageant
January 15, 2013
Tickets go on sale Wednesday for the 2013 Miss NHS pageant at Northview High School.
The “Reach for the Stars” pageant will be held Saturday, January 26 at 7 p.m. in the school theater. Tickets are $6 each in advance, $10 at the door. The pageant usually sells out in advance.
Pictured above: Miss NHS 2013 contestants (front row, L-R) Ashley Cunningham, Penny Banda, Julia Thorpe, Shaquanna Jones, Tiffani Pritchett, Jody Paramore, Julie Hester, Ashley Mooney,Mariah Albritton, (middle) Lily Townson, Audra Martin, Ariel Holland, Olivia Neal, Karmen Watson, Clarissa Ross, Kamryn Brock, Courtney Lambert, (back) Misty Doran, Rebekah Sepulveda, Ashlynn Mccall, Morgan Ward, Lauryn Walker, Kaitlyn Abbott, and Kendal Cobb. Pictured in front of the group is Miss NHS 2012 Charlie McPherson. Pictured left inset: A few of the contestants practice a dance routine.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Graham Takes First In Karting Super Show
January 15, 2013
Colby Graham of McDavid took first place in his division during the 5th Annual Alabama Karting Super Show at the Covington Center Arena in Andalusia. Racing in the Junior Blue Clone class, Graham qualified second before working his way to the front for the win.
In addition, this was Graham’s first year racing at the Pensacola Kart Raceway where he placed third in the point championship.
Graham, 11, is a sixth grader at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Pictured: Kart racer Colby Graham of McDavid. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Sentenced To 43 Years For Attacking Two UWF Students
January 15, 2013
An Escambia County man will spend the next four decades in prison for attacking two students at the University of West Florida.
William Isiah Johnson was convicted of burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery. Judge Ross Goodman sentenced Johnson to 43 years state prison.
On October 11, 2011, two UWF nursing students were attacked outside their apartment by defendant Johnson. Johnson hit one of the victims in the head, and kicked and hit the
other victim in the head and neck, according to court testimony. Johnson then forced his way into their apartment and took their television.
DNA analysis from FDLE confirmed the defendant’s presence at the scene.
Victims Named, Driver Located In Fatal Drag Racing Accident
January 14, 2013
The victims and a driver that fled a scene have been identified in an alleged drag racing accident that claimed two lives early Saturday morning.
Witnesses told the Florida Highway Patrol that 30-year old Modesto Becerril-Lopez, the driver of a 2000 Volkswagen Passat, was racing the driver of an Acura on Blue Angel Parkway approaching Cerney Road. Becerril-Lopez lost control and hit a tree. He and his passenger, 21-year old Juan Vazquez-Moreno, were both pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the Acura fled the scene. Monday afternoon, troopers said the driver, 19-year old Aden Michael Yabut, and his Acura had been located and were part of an ongoing investigation. Charges are pending the results of a traffic homicide investigation, the FHP reported.
Dog Blamed For Fatal Cantonment Crash
January 14, 2013
A dog is being blamed after a van ran over and killed a Cantonment man in a driveway Monday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 56-year old Iris Fortner was attempting to back into property near a residence on Desoto Road in Cantonment about 10:20 a.m. Passenger James. W Campbell, age 68 of Cantonment, had exited the passenger side of the 1995 Chevrolet van to open double metal gates at the residence. Fortner had also opened the driver’s door to look for Campbell and see what side of the double gate he was standing on.
While Fortner’s door was open, her large Boxer dog ran from their current address on Desoto Road and jumped into the driver’s compartment, resulting in the accelerator being depressed, the FHP report states. The van backed into the double metal gate and Campbell despite Fortner’s attempts to stop.
The van came to rest with Campbell trapped underneath. He was pronounced deceased on the scene by Escambia County paramedics. Fortner was taken to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries.
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing their investigation into the incident.
The Cantonment and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the accident.
Arbor Day Trees Given Away
January 14, 2013
Hundreds of trees were given away Monday morning in Walnut Hill in celebration of Florida’s Arbor Day.
The tree giveaway was sponsored by Escambia County, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) Extension, and the Florida Forestry Service (FFS). A total of 4,000 trees were available for giveaway Monday morning in Walnut Hill and at an event in Warrington on Friday.
Species included crabapple, mayhaw, cherrybark oak, river birch, wax myrtle and bald cypress. Participants received two tree seedlings of their choice, and experts were on hand to offer planting and placement advice.
Pictured: Residents receive free trees during an Arbor Day tree giveaway Monday morning in Walnut Hill. Pictured inset: The line for the free trees stretched into the parking lot of the Walnut Hill Community Center. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.