Suspect Arrested In Thursday Night Pensacola Murder
December 14, 2012
One man is dead and another man was taken for questioning after a murder Thursday night in Pensacola.
Scott R. Mason, 44, of the 2200 block of West Gadsden Street, was charged with an open count of murder just before 3 a.m. Friday. The victim has been identified as Matthew A. Nestle, 18, of the same address.
Pensacola Police Department Lt. Doug Baldwin said Mason reported the shooting to police around 6:40 p.m. Thursday. He then waited at the scene for officers to arrive.
Baldwin said the two men got into an argument that escalated into an altercation, a gun was produced, and Nestle was shot multiple times. It is not yet known why the men were
arguing.
The Pensacola Police Department and the Gun Crime Response Team are continuing their investigation Mason is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Century’s Gonzalez Designated As Certified Municipal Clerk
December 14, 2012
Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez has now officially earned the designation of Certified Municipal Clerk from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
“I am honored to endorse the conferring of CMC to Leslie Gonzalez, CMC of Town of Century. We share your pride in this achievement and we applaud your support of the role Leslie plays in your city,” IIMC President Brenda Cirtin said Thursday.
Gonzalez began working toward certification in October 2010, shortly after being named Century’s town clerk, at the Florida State University’s Institute of Government. Gonzalez was president of her clerk class of 20 and was the speaker at the graduation ceremony that made her eligible for the certification awarded this week.
Pictured: Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez (left) is congratulated by Florida Association of City Clerks President Kelly Koos of Lakeland last month during her graduation ceremony. Submitted picture for NorthEscambia.com.
Meeting For All Escambia Farmers Next Week
December 14, 2012
A meeting for Escambia County farmers will be held Tuesday.
The meeting will give Escambia County producers an opportunity to meet the county executive director, farm loan officer and program technicians that will be serving the newly combined Escambia-Santa Rosa County Farm Service Agency.
The meeting will begin at noon with a sponsored meal at the Walnut Hill Ruritan Building at 7850 Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. All attendees must RSVP by Friday, December 14 by calling (850) 623-2441 ext. 2.
Chiefs Week: What Does It Take To Win State? (With Video)
December 14, 2012
For the Northview Chiefs, winning a state championship last Friday night was the culmination of months of work and conditioning that began back during the summer.
The video below,. produced by Northview Football, takes a look at the Chiefs during their off season start toward the ultimate goal of a state title.
Turn Up The Tunes? Supreme Court Strikes Down Radio Rules
December 14, 2012
Motorists are free to blast Justin Timberlake — or any other music they choose — as loud as they wish, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The court unanimously struck down a state law barring drivers from blaring their radios at a volume that was “plainly audible” to someone 25 feet away. Three of the seven justices — Chief Justice Ricky Polston and Justices Charles Canady and Peggy Quince — didn’t fully support the reasoning behind the decision, but didn’t write opinions saying where they differed.
The ruling upholds the opinion of the 2nd District Court of Appeal, though the Supreme Court said the law was not unconstitutionally vague, one of the reasons the DCA gave for striking down the law. Instead, the high court said the law infringed on the freedom of expression.
Writing for the majority, Justice Jorge Labarga highlighted a part of the law that exempts commercial and political messages from the ban, saying that amounted to a restriction on certain kinds of speech, a violation of the First Amendment.
Labarga’s ruling was skeptical of the state’s argument that the ban was justified because it makes traffic safer — but said that didn’t matter.
“The State simply argues that noncommercial vehicles are more dangerous to the public because they are ubiquitous,” he wrote. “This argument, however, fails to explain how a commercial or political vehicle amplifying commercial or political messages audible a mile away is less dangerous or more tolerable than a noncommercial vehicle amplifying a religious message audible just over twenty-five feet away from the vehicle.”
The case was brought by Richard Catalano, a lawyer who got a $73 ticket for listening to Justin Timberlake on his way to work one morning in 2007. Catalano said he was surprised by the fine and decided to fight the law’s constitutionality in court. Alexander Schermerhorn also challenged the law.
Justices also rejected an argument from the state that it could chop off the exemption for business and political speech, though that portion of the ruling could also signal a way to work around the shortcoming.
“Severing the provision from the statute would expand the statute’s reach beyond what the Legislature contemplated,” Labarga wrote. “Accordingly, in striving to show great deference to the Legislature, this Court will not legislate and sever provisions that would effectively expand the scope of the statute’s intended breadth.”
A spokeswoman for Attorney General Pam Bondi said her office was reviewing the decision.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Chiefs Week: Band, Color Guard, Dance Team Support Team
December 14, 2012
When the Northview Chiefs defeated Trenton last Friday night for the Class 1A championship, the Tribal Beat Band, dance team and color guard were there supporting their team.
For a photo gallery, click here.
It’s Chief’s Week on NorthEscambia.com — we will continue our look back at Northview’s Class 1A state championship win through the weekend. Coming up tomorrow, more of our hundreds of photos from the Citrus Bowl.
Pedestrian Hit By Car Near Tate High School
December 13, 2012
A pedestrian hit by a vehicle Thursday afternoon near Tate High School suffered only minor injuries.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 46-year old Dina Walsh of Cantonment was walking northbound on side of Tate Road near Tate School Road about 12:37 p.m. when she attempted to cross the roadway to a residence. She stepped into the path of a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier driven by 51-year old Tarrah Holton of Pensacola.
Walsh was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. She was cited by the FHP with obstructing traffic.
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.