Man Gets 30 Years For Drive-by
September 14, 2012
An Escambia County man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a drive-by shooting earlier this year.
James Brazile, Jr. received the sentence after being convicted at trial of multiple counts of aggravated assault and discharging a firearm from a vehicle during a January 2012 drive-by.
On January 8, 2012, Brazile was in the passenger seat of a silver Pontiac Grand Prix traveling on Tomlinson Road in West Pensacola. Law enforcement had been called to the area to investigate suspicious activity associated with that vehicle. When they arrived, they located the vehicle in the distance and while approaching the vehicle, they saw the passenger’s arm extend out the window and fire multiple shots at four men standing in front of a house.
At that point, law enforcement officers initiated a pursuit with their lights and sirens activated. During the course of the chase, shots were fired from the defendant’s vehicle at the pursuing officers. Eventually the vehicle crashed and the defendant fled and was ultimately apprehended. Multiple firearms were recovered along the route where the defendant and driver fled.
Ready To Ride: Panhandle Equine Rescue Receives ASPCA Grant
September 14, 2012
Panhandle Equine Rescue in Cantonment has received a $1,500 grant from ASPCA to assist their efforts in preparing rescued horses to be ridden by their new owners.
“With the current economic downturn, more horses are in need of rescue than ever before,” said Diane Lowery, president and co-founder of Panhandle Equine Rescue. “Horseback riders are looking for a good, sound, riding horse for a reasonable price. Many people don’t realize that you can find that perfect horse by adopting one. With this grant money, we hope to help potential horse owners realize that these animals are ready to ride, and waiting for their forever home.”
The grant will allow three rescued horses with riding potential to start working with a natural horsemanship trainer, which will help them be safe for humans to handle and ride. Once training is complete, the rescue horse becomes more adoptable to those looking for a ‘ready to ride’ horse. Te grant will encourage riders to adopt rescue horses and allow PER to find permanent, loving homes for more rescue horses, according to the group.
The only horse rescue in Escambia County, Panhandle Equine Rescue was founded by a small group of concerned citizens and became incorporated on February 1, 2005 as a non-profit organization. Shortly thereafter, PER became authorized by the county court system to investigate reports of equines in trouble. PER’s mission is to “rescue, rehabilitate and provide adoption services for abused, neglected and abandoned equines”.
PER currently has two investigators to take reports about violations of state laws for the purpose of protecting animals or preventing any act of cruelty to animals. PER then investigates the reports and to verify if there is a problem or violation.
Once the investigator confirms a violation, PER works to educate owners to enable them to resolve the problem so they can take full responsibility for their horses. Many owners
voluntarily surrender their horses, some horses are seized by Panhandle Equine Rescue or PER is awarded custody in a civil case.
Panhandle Equine Rescue is run entirely by volunteers with no paid staff or board members. For more information, visit www.panhandleequinerescue.org.
West Florida Downs Tate In Freshman, JV Football
September 14, 2012
The West Florida Jaguars defeated the Tate Aggies Thursday night in both junior varsity and freshman football action.
The WFHS freshmen downed Tate 33-26, and the West Florida junior varsity defeated Tate 20-14.
Next Thursday night, the JV and freshmen Aggies will take the Gators at Escambia High School. JV will take the field at 5:00, and the freshmen will play at 6:30 p.m.
Ernest Ward Middle Eagles Defeat Elberta, 44-16
September 14, 2012
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles beat the Raiders from Elberta, Ala., Thursday night, 44-16.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Eagles held an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter when Dustin Beathea was in for a 22-yard touchdown from a Luke Ward pass. A good two-pointer and it was 22-0.
On the first play of the second quarter, Contraris Mitchell scored on a 70 yard kickoff return, and Luke Ward was in for a good two point conversion, 28-0.
Ward added another touchdown on a 65-yard run, and the Raiders scored with 2:56 in the half, 36-8.
Desmone Knight returned a kickoff for the Eagles, 44-8 with 2:49 before halftime.
The Ernest Ward Eagles (2-0) will travel to Summerdale, Ala., next Thursday night.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Yet Another Legal Hurdle Emerges For Prison Health Privatization
September 14, 2012
Florida’s long-running push to privatize prison health services could face another obstacle, as a likely contractor has taken a bidding dispute to a state appeals court.
Wexford Health Sources, which is slated to receive a contract to provide inmate health care in South Florida, filed a notice last week that it will appeal a Department of Corrections decision to dismiss a bid protest. Wexford filed the protest in July, after the department indicated it would contract with a competitor, Corizon, Inc., to serve prisons in other parts of the state.
The department also is expected to face a lawsuit that could be filed this week by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, a union that wants to block privatization. AFSCME said it would file the lawsuit after a legislative panel Wednesday made budget changes that would allow the department to move forward with contracting.
Corrections spokeswoman Ann Howard said Thursday the agency is continuing with the privatization effort, despite Wexford’s challenge in the 1st District Court of Appeal.
“At this point, we’re going to continue moving forward,” Howard said.
The Wexford appeal, however, creates uncertainty. If the company succeeds in the appeal, the bid protest would be revived and would go to an administrative law judge. That judge could call for changing the contract awards or even starting the procurement process again.
Wexford’s protest stems, at least in part, from the department’s decision to award contracts in different parts of the state. M. Christopher Bryant, an attorney for Wexford, said a major issue in the protest is that the department decided to award a combined contract for three regions to Corizon, while awarding only the South Florida region to Wexford.
In a protest document filed with the department in July, Wexford questioned whether the combined contract for Corizon was the “most cost-effective option for the department to provide health care services. Wexford contends that it is not, and is thus arbitrary and contrary to competition.”
The department’s dismissal of the protest, however, did not address such issues. Instead, it focused on a somewhat-esoteric legal issue about bonds that companies have to post when they challenge state bid awards.
Wexford provided a $100,000 check to serve as its bond, but the department said that amount was “deficient” and did not comply with state law. The bond requirement is aimed at making sure litigation costs get covered when the state wins bid-protest cases.
State law calls for bonds to total 1 percent of the overall contract amounts. Wexford contends that would have forced it to provide a $25 million bond, based on the department awarding five-year contracts and four different bid-award scenarios.
Wexford argues that such an amount is unconstitutional, with Bryant describing it as a “barrier” to legally contesting bids. But in its order last month dismissing the bid protest, the department took issue with the $25 million figure and Wexford’s arguments.
“Petitioner (Wexford) has not submitted a bond in the required statutory amount for any of the competitive solicitations, let alone all four,” the order said. “Further, the bond provided by petitioner was not based on the estimated contract amount for any of the competitive solicitations.”
The appeal, which likely will take months to resolve, is the latest twist in an ongoing controversy about the state contracting with companies to provide prison health services.
Lawmakers last year included fine print in the state budget that called for privatization. But AFSCME and the Florida Nurses Association filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of using the budget fine print, known as proviso language, to make such a change.
Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll in July declined to rule on the constitutional question because the proviso language expired with the June 30 end of the state fiscal year. That led the department to announce it would go ahead with the privatization, based on other authority in state law.
The Legislative Budget Commission, a joint House and Senate panel, made budget changes Wednesday that were needed for the department to move forward. But AFSCME vowed to file another lawsuit to try to stop the privatization.
By The News Service of Florida
Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Hay Baler Fire
September 13, 2012
Fire heavily damaged a hay baler in Walnut Hill Thursday afternoon. The blaze was reported about 3:15 p.m. off Beasley Road near South Highway 99. Firefighters from the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue were able to quickly extinguish the fire in the New Holland hay baler. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Charges Dropped Against Century Man Accused Of Assaulting Pregnant Girlfriend
September 13, 2012
Charges have been dropped against a Century man charged in April with assaulting his pregnant girlfriend in Century.
Darryl Thomas Frazier, age 24 of Alger Road, was originally charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman, criminal mischief property damage and second degree petit theft. Those charges were dropped after the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
He was accused of kicking in doors at his pregnant girlfriend’s residence on Burgess Road, punching her, slapping her and throwing her into a window frame. Frazier was also accused of taking $18 in cash, a debit card and an iPod docking station from the victim.
Escambia Man Gets Life For Killing Teen
September 13, 2012
An Escambia County man was convicted Wednesday afternoon in a 2011 murder and sentenced to two life terms.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said Jeremy Cornell Rand was convicted by an Escambia County Jury of one count of first degree premeditated murder and one count of attempted premeditated murder. At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Jan Shackelford sentenced Rand to two-life sentences to run concurrent with each other.
The convictions stemmed from the September 9, 2011, killing of Deiante Graham and shooting of Neyshana Nobles. Rand and two others confronted the victims in the parking lot of the Royal Crest Apartment complex while they were sitting in their car.
Rand mistakenly thought Graham had been looking through his apartment window and after Graham continued to deny it, Rand shot him in the chest. Nobles was shot one time in the neck.
Donny McKay, Jr., is also charged in the shooting and is scheduled for trial in November.
Scott Asks Washington To Cover Local Isaac Damage
September 13, 2012
Florida counties affected by Hurricane Isaac would be eligible for federal grants under a request made this week by Gov. Rick Scott, including Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County leaders say Hurricane Issac left behind $13 million in damage to Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key. Of that, about $10 million is eligible for reimbursement from FEMA.
A preliminary damage assessment found Pensacola Beach lost 250,000 cubic yards of sand, which will cost about $8 million to fix. Perdido Key lost 180,000 cubic yards and had up to $6.3 million in damage.
Santa Rosa County estimates $704,000 in damages in the unincorporated areas — $4,000 to parks and $700,00 for Navarre Beach erosion.
The money requested by the governor reimburse local governments for debris removal costs and other costs related to damage to public facilities from the storm.
Register Now For 3rd Annual Chief Challenge 5K Run/Walk
September 13, 2012
The Third Annual Chief Challenge 5K Run/Walk is coming to Northview High School.
The event will be held Saturday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. at the school campus in Bratt. “The course is not your typical 5K race. It includes a variety of terrains and challenging hills around the campus,” according to event organizers.
Awards will be presented to the top six male and female runners in the elementary, middle and high school categories, and to the top three male and female runners in two adult categories plus master and grand master.
For a registration form and more details, click here. The registration fee and a t-shirt are discounted to only $15 though September 28.
“The event is to promote wellness through running and walking in the area. Now with Bratt Park more and more people are taking advantage of the walking track and getting into shape,” said Natalie Nall, cross country coach at Northview.
About 120 runners and walkers took part in last year’s Chief Challenge.
The Chief Challenge 5K Run/Walk is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured: The 2011 Chief Challenge. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.