Century Woman Charged In Escambia County Carjacking
December 29, 2012
A Century woman has been charged with a Thursday night carjacking in Pensacola.
Kiauna Shanne Grice, age 22 of Alger Road, was charged with felony carjacking and battery.
Grice allegedly carjacked a black Chevrolet Suburban from the America’s Best Value hotel on Plantation Road. Deputies spotted the vehicle a short time after the carjacking report and conducted a traffic stop. They reported finding Grice in the vehicle.
The victim told deputies he was to pick Grice up at the hotel. When he pulled up, the victim said he was attacked by two females with their closed fists, telling him to get out of the vehicle. He refused treatment by Escambia County EMS.
Bond was set at $110,000 for Grice on the carjacking and battery charges. She remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond on an unrelated probation violation warrant.
Brakes Put On Santa Rosa Transit System
December 29, 2012
Friday was the last day of service for Santa Rosa Transit.
Santa Rosa Transit was a pilot public transportation program mainly along U.S. Hwy. 90, from the Santa Rosa Industrial Park to a connection to the Escambia County Area Transit system at Nine Mile Road and University Parkway. In October, a majority of the commission voted to no longer fund the county’s portion of the program due to insufficient ridership.
The public transportation service began on December 7, 2010, with approximately 14,000 one-way tickets purchased over two years. Ridership increased from 167 in December 2010 to a peak of 841 passengers in October 2012. Operating costs for the program for December 2010 to November 2012 were $269,309. The county was responsible for funding 18 percent with federal grants funding 77 percent and ticket sales accounting for only five percent of operating costs.
Santa Rosa Transit service was provided through the cooperation of the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners, Pensacola Bay Transportation LLC, the Florida – Alabama Transportation Planning Organization, and the Federal Transit Administration. Santa Rosa County was the project manager, the Florida – Alabama Transportation Planning Organization procured the buses and was the federal grant recipient, and Pensacola Bay Transportation LLC was the operator.
Time Running Out To Make Donations For 2012 Tax Deductions
December 29, 2012
The next few days are a great time to clear out the old and make room for the new as 2012 winds down — and a great opportunity to take advantage of the chance to save on your taxes. Or, simply just write a check to your favorite church or non-profit.
Area non-profit thrift stores are ready and waiting to accept donations of furniture, clothing, household items and more. With a receipt, the donations can be written off your 2012 tax return in most cases. There are plenty of choices in the North Escambia area, including the Waterfront Rescue Bargain Center in Cantonment, the Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store, the We Care Economy Shops in Atmore and Flomaton, and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Century.
Tax experts say you also have until Monday to write a check to your local church or your favorite charity in order to potentially receive a deduction for 2012. Most churches or charities will willingly provide a receipt or a year-end summary of your contributions.
Pictured: The Waterfront Rescue Mission Bargain Center in Cantonment, the sixth store opened by the organization. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Minimum Wage Workers Getting A Raise
December 29, 2012
On January 1, Florida’s minimum wage will increase 12 cents to $7.79 an hour for the estimated 210,000 minimum wage workers across the state.
Under a 2004 constitutional amendment, Florida’s minimum wage is recalculated every year and is tied to the inflation rate. Florida is among 10 states that will increase the threshold next week. The number of minimum wage jobs is a small percentage of the 7.5 million people employed in the Florida workforce.
The increase is expected to increase annual incomes of minimum wage workers by about $370 a year, according to data from the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank that focuses on low-income wage issues.
Ninety percent of the low-wage workers are over age 20; 85 percent work 20 hours per week or more; 46 percent have at least some college education, the institute indicated.
2012 In Photos: April
December 29, 2012
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2012. Today, we are featuring photos from April.
A traffic stop at the Alabama/Florida line in late April uncovered a cache of weapons and cash with two men that said they were headed to Warrington Middle School.
The children and teens on the Escambia 4-H County Council voted to sell the 240 acre Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union.
About 100 people rallied in support of the Century Library after budget cutbacks threatened to close the branch.
April was Relay for Life time in Atmore.
Mark Whitacre, the subject of the 2009 Matt Damon move “The Informant”, spoke to a group of GED graduates at Century Correctional Institution.
This Century convenience store was robbed at gunpoint in early April.
Tate High School Senior Chase Carroll (center) won the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state 2A weightlifting championship.
Relay for Life was held in Jay.
Several Century Correctional Institution inmates took part in a graduation ceremony after receiving their GED diplomas behind bars.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office held an Operation Clean Sweep in Molino.
The 19th Annual 4-H and FFA Youth Livestock Show and Agricultural Exposition was held in April at the Langley Bell 4-H Center in Beulah.
Escambia County’s annual Special Olympics was held at Tate High School.
LifeFlight lifts off following a traffic crash that injured a motorcyclist on Highway 4 in Byrneville.
NorthEscambia.com was there as the FBI raided this travel trailer in Bluff Springs, arresting a Century woman for the robbery of the Bank of Brewton.
Northview’s Lauren McCall attempts to tag out a Pine Forest runner at second base.
Northview High School honored retiring athletic director Sammy Day in April.
Opening Day was held at the Molino Ballpark.
Authorities Searching For Escaped Prisoner
December 28, 2012
Authorities are looking for a man that escaped from work release Thursday night.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said 48-year old Charles Bernard Debose was transported to the Escambia County Work Release Facility at 1211 West Fairfield Drive about 6:15 p.m. Thursday. Authorities were attempting to handcuff Debose and escort him into the back of the facility when he fled on foot.
After a lengthy manhunt, deputies were unable to locate Debose. He was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and black pants. He is described as being 5-foot 7-inches tall and 145 pounds.
Debose had been arrested for larceny and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to jail records.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Debose is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
One Month Later: No Arrests In Pen Air Robbery
December 28, 2012
The search is continuing for a suspect one month after the robbery of the Pen Air Federal Credit Union in Century.
The credit union on North Century Boulevard was robbed about 1 p.m. on November 27 by a man demanding all of the money while claiming to have a gun. As of Thursday, no arrests have been reported in connection with the robbery.
The male suspect fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. He was described as a thin white male with wearing a hooded jacket and sunglasses. There were no injuries. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office quickly surrounded the bank with multiple units as they searched for the suspect. K-9 teams were seen searching around the bank, including an area behind the U.S. Post Office next door.
After the robbery, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has released photos from a car wash in West Pensacola showing persons wanted for questioning in connection with the robbery. Photos were also released by the Sheriff’s Office of a shopper at CVS in Century, but deputies later determined the Century man in the photos was not connected with the Pen Air holdup.
Deputies also named a Century man as a person of interest in the robbery. He was later arrested in Santa Rosa County on unrelated outstanding warrants, but has not been charged with the Pen Air robbery.
Surveillance photos and video from inside Pen Air, as well as surveillance photos from a West Pensacola car wash are below.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured top: The Pen Air Federal Credit Union in Century was robbed by a man claiming to have a gun Tuesday afternoon. Pictured inset: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician processes the front door of the credit union for fingerprints. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Crews Working To Restore Power In Arkansas
December 28, 2012
A convoy of Gulf Power Company crews are in Arkansas to assist Entergy Arkansas with restoration efforts following a snowstorm that dropped 6-12 inches of snow and snapped trees and power lines on Christmas Day.
A total of 28 line crew personnel and 15 support personnel headed to the Little Rock area. As of Thursday morning, Arkansas Entergy reported 140,000 customers still without power from a high of 194,000 outages.
“Our crews are experienced in storm restoration and we’re always ready to help out other utilities in times of need,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power corporate communications manager. “And this experience and keeping skills sharp is a great value for our customers — it means faster restoration right here at home.”
This is the fifth storm restoration trip that Gulf Power crews have made in the last six months. A restoration crew spent 17 days restoring power in Philadelphia and New Jersey during November after Hurricane Sandy struck.
“Our crews will arrive in Arkansas…and begin work to restore power,” Rogers said. “They will be focused on getting customers’ power back on as quickly and safely as possible.”
Pictured: Gulf Power crews work to restore power in November following Hurricane Sandy. File photo, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Man Charged With Attempted Murder
December 28, 2012
A Pensacola man was arrested Thursday and charged with attempted premeditated murder after an investigation determined he was one of a group of males who burglarized a residence December 25, and was shot during a struggle with another male inside the residence.
Mariquse S. Williams, 22 of the 200 block of North K Street was also charged with armed burglary and using/displaying a weapon during a felony, said Pensacola Police Department Captain David Alexander.
The incident occurred just before 10 p.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of North J Street when a group of three to four males burglarized an occupied residence. During the home invasion, and 18-year-old male got into a physical confrontation with Williams, who fired a gun, striking the other male in the hand and foot.
Police were told one of the other intruders also fired a gun during the affray, and a bullet hit Williams in the stomach. Williams and the other male went to local hospitals for treatment.
A motive for the home invasion/shootings remains under investigation, Alexander said.
Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
Escambia Tax Offices Open On New Year’s Eve
December 28, 2012
All four Escambia County Tax Collector offices will be open regular business hours on New Year’s Eve, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley.
The offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 31, and will be closed on Tuesday, January 1.
Offices are located at:
- Downtown – 213 Palafox Place
- Marcus Pointe – 6451 North W Street
- Molino – 6440 Highway 95-A North, Suite A
- Warrington – 507 N. Navy Boulevard
For more information, call (850) 438-6500, ext. 3252.