America’s Most Wanted Suspect Back In Court For Toddler Shooting
October 4, 2012
A Cantonment man that was named one of “America’s Most Wanted” and his co-defendent were back in court Wednesday.
Judge Linda Nobles granted a defense attorney request to delay trial for Dwayne “Money” Pinestraw, 20, of Cantonment and Shaquill Besst, 19, of Pensacola on charges of first degree murder in the shooting death of 19-month old Ty’Quarius Moultrie and first degree attempted murder for the shooting of 23-year old Vincent Dennis. Both men were also charged with shooting into a dwelling.
Pinestraw allegedly shot the child and Dennis on July 15, 2011, when he fired a .45-caliber gun through the window of a Pensacola Village apartment. He was arrested in Texas in December 2011, hours after being featured on the television program American’s Most Wanted.
Both men are due back in court in late November with their trials set to begin in December.
Pensacola Police Arrest Century Man On Drug Charge
October 4, 2012
A Century man was arrested this week on traffic and drug charges by the Pensacola Police Department.
Lorenzo John Payne, age 23 of Hudson Hill Road, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and cited for driving with a revoked license and driving with a license plate unassigned to the vehicle. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
According to an arrest report, Payne was stopped by Pensacola Police at Davis and Baars streets when officers discovered the license plate registration did not match the vehicle Payne was driving. During the traffic stop, officers reported finding Oxycodone pills in the center console of the vehicle with Payne having no valid prescription.
Payne told police that he knew the tag on the vehicle was wrong; he said his tag was seized during a previous traffic stop. His license had been suspended for failure to pay traffic fines, the arrest report states.
Century Continues Christmas Decorating Plans
October 4, 2012
The Town of Century is continuing to make plans for new Christmas decorations on utility poles along North Century Boulevard.
The town has ordered 42, 50-inch Christmas wreaths with energy saving LED bulbs and 24-inch nylon bows. The wreaths were ordered from Dixie Decorations in Montavello, Ala., for $15,047
This week, the town learned that it will cost $2,734 to have Gulf Power wire three poles that currently do not have electricity for three of the wreaths. Council President Ann Brooks said that local companies have been contacted to create bows for the wreaths that are expected to arrive by the end of the month.
Pictured above: Century Town Council President Ann Brooks displays the size of the bow that will added to 42 Christmas wreaths ordered by the town. Looking on are council members (L-R) Gary Riley, Sandra McMurray-Jackson and Jacke Johnston. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECUA, City Unveil Escambia’s First Natural Gas Filling Station
October 4, 2012
Escambia County’s first compressed natural gas fueling station was unveiled Wednesday.
The $1.8 million CNG station at 6722 Pine Forest Road was a joint project between the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Energy (formerly Energy Services of Pensac0la) and ECUA. It will serve over 80 natural gas vehicles operated by the City, ECUA and Escambia County. Pensacola Energy is also actively marketing the station to corporate fleets, with plans to open the station to the general public in the future.
“This station marks a new day for the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Energy, and ECUA,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “In this era of budget constraints, those of us in
government must continually look for opportunities to generate non-tax revenue and work together to improve our operations. These cleaner-burning natural gas vehicles will cost less to fuel and maintain, leaving more dollars for vital City services. I want to thank the city council and ECUA board for their support of this initiative.”
Officials said natural gas-powered vehicles have substantially lower fuel and maintenance costs than vehicles using gasoline or diesel fuel. While the national average for a gallon of diesel fuel has topped $4, a diesel gallon equivalent of CNG at Pensacola’s fueling station is currently priced at $2.05. CNG prices have remained relatively stable over recent years as gasoline and diesel prices have risen steadily.
ECUA Executive Director Steve Sorrell stated, “By transitioning to CNG in natural gas vehicles (NGVs), ECUA is projecting an annual maintenance cost savings in excess of $350,000, and a savings of about $900,000 in annual fuel costs. And there are environmental benefits associated with the use of NGVs in that there are less greenhouse gas emissions than the diesel-powered vehicles they are replacing.”
In 2011, ECUA finalized a ten-year CNG agreement with Pensacola Energy. As part of the agreement, ECUA will pay a monthly transportation charge as well as an indexed price-per-diesel-gallon equivalent of CNG fuel used by ECUA vehicles.
Pensacola Energy will operate and maintain the station, which features four “fast fill” hoses as well as 90 time-fill dispensers which can be used to refuel vehicles overnight.
Pictured: The grand opening of Escambia County’s first CNG filling station Wednesday on Pine Forest Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Obama, Romney Face Off in First Debate
October 4, 2012
President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, faced off Wednesday in their first debate of the election campaign. The debate focused on the top issue of the campaign – the state of the U.S. economy.
For 90 minutes, the president and the former governor of the state of Massachusetts clashed over how best to strengthen the country’s sluggish economy.
Romney aggressively attacked the Democratic president’s economic policies, and they disagreed sharply about tax cuts. “Virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate. So if the tax plan he described were a tax plan I was asked to support, I would say ‘Absolutely not.’ I am not looking for a $5 trillion tax cut,” Romney said.
Obama countered that Romney’s ideas for changing the tax system would not work. “The fact is, if you are lowering the rates the way you described, Governor, then it is not possible to come up with enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high-income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class,” he said.
They also sparred over whether the president’s health care program, sometimes called “Obamacare,” would help or hurt the U.S. economy. Romney said Obama should have concentrated instead on creating jobs.
“I just do not know how the president could have come into office, facing 23 million people out of work, rising unemployment, an economic crisis at the kitchen table, and spent his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obamacare, instead of fighting for jobs for the American people,” said Romney.
The president responded that when he took office, problems in the nation’s health care system were just as urgent as the jobless rate.
The widely-anticipated debate, in Denver, Colorado, took place 34 days before the election.
This was the first of three debates between the two contenders. Obama and Romney will square off next on October 16, on both domestic and foreign policy issues. The final debate, exclusively on foreign policy, is set for October 22.
Vice President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Congressman Paul Ryan, will debate on October 11.
[VOA]
Escaped Alabama Prisoners Caught In Escambia County
October 3, 2012
Two escaped Alabama prisoners were captured Tuesday night by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Task Force.
Jamie D. Morgan, 40, of Pensacola and Jeremy Hadden, 33, of Eight Mile, Ala., had escaped from the Elmore County Jail in Wetumpka, Ala, on September 18. Officers spotted the duo in a stolen vehicle near Mobile Highway and Fairfield Drive and conducted a traffic stop at which time Hadden was taken into custody without incident. Morgan was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and struggle with officers.
Morgan was transported to a local hospital for treatment and later booked on charges of vehicle theft, resisting an officer, and an Alabama escape warrant. Hadden was arrested on an Alabama escape warrant. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday awaiting extradition back to Alabama.
New Library Hours In Effect; Century Cut Two Days
October 3, 2012
New, reduced hours are now in effect for the libraries in Escambia County, including fewer days of operation in Century.
The Century Branch Library is now closed on Wednesdays and Fridays, in additional to the normal Monday closure. Library employees and hours will be split between Century and the Molino Branch Library when it opens later this month. Century and Molino are the only libraries in the system to be closed on days other than Sunday.
Library officials said the new library hours were a result of budget constraints.
New West Florida Library hours by location are now:
MAIN LIBRARY — 200 W. Gregory Street
- Sunday 12pm – 4pm
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
TRYON BRANCH LIBRARY -- 1200 Langley Avenue
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 12pm – 8pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
SOUTHWEST BRANCH LIBRARY – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 12pm – 8pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 2pm
WESTSIDE BRANCH LIBRARY — 1580 W. Cervantes Street
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 12pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
CENTURY BRANCH LIBRARY – 7991 N. Century Boulevard
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday CLOSED
- Tuesday 9am – 5pm
- Wednesday CLOSED
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday CLOSED
- Saturday 9am – 5pm
MOLINO BRANCH LIBRARY — 6450 Highway 95A
- (Opening Fall 2012)
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday CLOSED
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday CLOSED
- Friday 10am – 6pm
- Saturday CLOSED
WFPL BOOKMOBILE
- New Schedule: TBA
Local EMS Pioneer Louise Gandy Passes Away
October 3, 2012
A former Century resident instrumental in the history of emergency medical services in the area has died. Margaret Louise Campbell Gandy, age 73, passed away Sunday.
She was the owner of Gandy Ambulance Service back in the early 1970’s, which was later merged into the current Escambia County EMS system by 1979. Following the merger, Gandy was employed as a supervisor and coordinator for Escambia County EMS. After her retirement from Escambia County EMS, she started Gandy’s Nursery and Landscaping.
Gandy had resided in Molino for the past 10 years, after moving from Century.
Funeral services were held Wednesday at Berrydale Baptist Church with interment following in McCurdy Cemetery in Century.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Town To Give Asbestos Containing Building To Chamber Of Commerce
October 3, 2012
The Town of Century will give an dilapidated asbestos-containing building to the Century Chamber of Commerce, allowing the chamber to demolish the building.
The town council had voted to demolish the building at 7601 Mayo Street back in 2011, but asbestos concerns put those plans on hold. A study found asbestos in the older 6,400 square foot two story portion of the building, as well as in the newer single story portion of the structure, according to Century Mayor Freddie McCall.
The town found a grant from the Regional Planning Council to abate the asbestos and demolish the structure. Because the town is not eligible to receive the grant, the building will be deeded to the chamber of commerce, which is eligible for the assistance.
Once the building is demolished, the chamber will have up to 10 years to lure development to the property or it will revert back to the town. The town will approve or deny any lease or purchase of the property.
The white, mostly brick building at 7601 Mayo Street (across from the old hospital) housed doctors’ offices and even a pharmacy and soda fountain years ago. It has been abandoned for several years and is in an obvious state of disrepair with roof and structural problems.
Pictured above: This building on Mayo Street will be demolished. Pictured below: The interior of the building. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Pedestrian Killed Tuesday Night
October 3, 2012
A pedestrian died was hit and killed in Escambia County Tuesday night.
The pedestrian was walking across the northbound lanes of New Warrington Road about 6:50 p.m. as a 2005 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 49-year old Patrick M. Norcross entered the intersection of Jackson Street on a green traffic signal. Norcross was unable to see the pedestrian crossing the dark roadway, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The pedestrian was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS.
The name of the pedestrian has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
No charges have been filed in connection with the accident.