Dispute Over $10 And Food Stamps Leads To Battery Of Elderly Woman
July 11, 2012
A Molino man is jailed, charged with the battery of an elderly woman over $10 and a food stamp card.
Alvin Richard Wallace, 47, was charged with one count of felony battery on a person 65 years or older and booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1,000.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a reported armed disturbance in Molino where the victim, a female in her 70’s, told deputies that she wanted Wallace to pay the $10 he owed her before she gave him his food stamp card. She said Wallace became angry and came at her in an aggressive manner. The elderly woman said she grabbed a knife to defend herself.
He left the residence after claiming the woman cut him with the knife, but deputies found no injuries on his person, according to arrest report.
The victim reported that Wallace returned to the residence, spit at her and grabbed her hand with the knife. The elderly woman, according to the Sheriff’s Office report, then grabbed a beer bottle and hit Wallace in the head three times to defend herself.
Wallace first refused medical treatment but was later evaluated. The elderly woman was not injured.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Grand Theft Auto
July 11, 2012
A Cantonment woman is free on bond after being charged with grand theft auto.
The victim told Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies that he loaned his 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee to 30-year old Tabitha Dyan Frye of Muscogee Road for one day, but she failed to return it. He said he had allowed Frye to stay at his trailer because she was having issues at her residence. The victim said he tried unsuccessfully to contact Fry for a couple of days.
She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Obama Won’t Pay Your Utility Bill: Scam Warning Issued
July 11, 2012
A new scam is sweeping the nation by claiming that President Obama will pay your utility bills through a new federal stimulus program. Customers nationwide, including in northwest Florida have reported the scam, and several energy companies across the country have issued warnings to their customers about it, according to the BBB.
Consumers have been contacted in person and through fliers, social media, phone calls and text messages with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills.
Scammers claim they need the consumers’ social security and bank routing numbers in order for them to receive the money. In return, customers are given a phony bank routing number that will supposedly pay their utility bills. In reality, there is no money, customers believe they have paid their bills when in fact they have not, and they have now put themselves at risk of identity fraud, according to the BBB.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) also issued a warning about the scam on Tuesday.
The BBB offers the following tips for avoiding utility related scams:
- Never provide your social security number, credit card number or banking information to anyone requesting it over the phone or at your home unless you initiated the contact and feel confident with whom you are speaking.
- If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company and feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call the customer service number on your utility bill.
- Never allow anyone into your home to check electrical wiring, natural gas pipes or appliances unless you have scheduled an appointment or have reported a utility problem. If you have reported a problem, ask utility employees for proper identification.
- Always think safety first. Do not give in to high pressure tactics over the phone for information or in-person to get into your home.
Two Escambia Women Facing Federal Charges For Fraudulent Oil Spill Claims
July 11, 2012
A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging two Escambia County residents with filing fraudulent claims with the trust fund established for Gulf Coast oil spill victims.
Indictments were returned against Jakima T. McCorvey, 36, and April McKinney, 31.
The indictment charging Jakima T. McCorvey alleges that, between October and December 2010, McCorvey submitted multiple fraudulent claims to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, claiming lost earnings as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. According to the indictment, McCorvey submitted a fraudulent letter from Howard Johnson Hotel claiming that she had worked as a housekeeper at Howard Johnson, when in fact McCorvey did not work for the hotel.
The indictment charges McCorvey with both mail fraud and wire fraud for her fraudulent claims.
The indictment charging April McKinney alleges that, in October 2010, McKinney submitted a fraudulent business claim to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, claiming lost earnings as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. According to the indictment, McKinney misrepresented the extent to which she earned income from her cleaning business and the effect the oil spill had on her opportunities for work. The indictment charges McKinney with mail fraud for her fraudulent claim.
If convicted each faces up to 20 in prison, five years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution on each count.
Daniel Marlow of Panama City and Dana Dias of Destin were also indicted on similar charges.
Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ Panel Hears Emotional Testimony
July 11, 2012
The task force created by Gov. Rick Scott to review Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law heard from experts on security and neighborhood-watch programs at its third meeting Tuesday – along with emotional statements from members of the public who said crime had touched their lives.
The speakers included the widow, mother and friends of Scott Standard, who was killed in front of his home in Citrus County in January 2011. James W. Conner III, a neighbor engaged in a long-running dispute with Standard, shot Standard at least twice, but pleaded self-defense under the “stand your ground” law and was not charged. The only witness, Conner’s wife, supported his claim, but Standard’s family has insisted that Conner was the aggressor.
“This law is written as a license to kill,” Barbara Standard, Scott Standard’s mother, told task force members who met in the rural community of Arcadia. “Are we bitter? You better believe it.”
Other members of the public described their own ordeals.
“This law failed my son,” said Debra Peoples of Tampa, who said her son Chyvas was attacked by gang members in Ybor City and is now serving 30 years for killing one of them. “There’s a disparity in the application and interpretation of the “stand your ground’ law.”
Peoples said her son’s case, “where he was in fear for his life, needs to be reinvestigated and a hearing held.”
But others who testified, like Ed Johnson of Arcadia, said they were crime victims and urged the panel not to weaken the statute. “We need the ’stand your ground’ law to protect us from evil people,” Johnson said.
The governor formed the task force after neighborhood-watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed an unarmed teen, Trayvon Martin, who was walking in a gated community in Sanford. When Zimmerman pleaded self-defense under the “stand your ground” law and wasn’t immediately arrested, charges of racism sparked protests across the country.
The task force, which is chaired by Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, is expected to make recommendations to lawmakers about whether the law needs changes, and is collecting testimony and data, with meetings planned through November.
Tuesday morning’s agenda was devoted to expert testimony, while the public spoke in the afternoon.
The expert consensus was that crime-watch volunteers “are not to engage in any kind of confrontation,” as Jane Meier of the Melbourne Police Department’s Volunteer in Partnership Program put it.
Expectations vary from program to program, but crime-watch volunteers agreed that trained volunteers are not vested with any law enforcement authority.
“Our objective is a visible presence,” said Len Smally, manager of the Meadows Community Association in Sarasota, which employs private security. “It certainly deters crime.”
One member of the panel, Judge Krista Marx of Palm Beach County, said the common thread of the expert testimony is that crime-watch volunteers shouldn’t act as law enforcement.
“Under the present state of the law, under ’stand-your-ground,’ if a neighborhood watch individual were to pursue or confront, they would be perceived as the provoker, and therefore, not be able to avail themselves of ’stand-your-ground’ immunity,” Marx said.
But Karl “KC” Poulin, president of the Florida Association of Security Companies, said watch volunteers can find themselves in some pretty difficult situations. He said private security officers and neighborhood watch volunteers are often on the front line against crime, when police aren’t always right there.
“I had an officer last year killed in one of these neighborhoods. He was gunned down by a gang member. And then we’re going to ask them as citizens to go out there in that same neighborhood, and get involved with us and communicate with us and tell us what’s going on? That’s a lot to ask,” Pullen said.
After the public testified, which took about 90 minutes, Carroll took a moment to address charges of racial disparity in application of the law. One speaker, Andrea Ortiz, a student of ethics at New College, had referred to an investigation of roughly 200 “stand your ground” cases by the Tampa Bay Times last month.
“Justice cannot be done if white shooters are killing black kids,” said Ortiz.
But Carroll cautioned that the Times’ sample was too small and said the University of Florida is examining all “stand your ground” cases documented by state attorney’s offices and law enforcement agencies for the panel’s review.
“That data we receive to this task force should be what we look at to see if there is disparity in the application and the use of the law, and not just a very small sample coming out of a newspaper article,” Carroll said.
By The News Service of Florida
Belle Foods: New Name Coming To Area Grocery Stores
July 11, 2012
Changes are coming to several grocery stores across the area as they are transformed into “Belle Foods” stores.
The Food World in Atmore, four Food World stores in Pensacola and the Piggly Wiggly in Brewton are among 57 stores undergoing the name change within the next 18 months.
All of the stores are owned by Southern Family Markets of Birmingham, now renamed Belle Foods, LLC.
With the slogan “Refreshing Simple”, the company plans to develop the brand, focusing on customer service, simplicity and “loyalty card” savings.
Pictured top: The Food World store in Atmore is one of a half dozen stores in the area that will be rebranded as Belle Foods stores in the coming months. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Panel Remain Cautious But Optimistic On US Growth
July 11, 2012
Facing financial insecurity in Europe, sluggishness in China and an election in November, state economists on Tuesday took a cautious, stay-the-course approach to their view of the national economic picture while reiterating that the recent slowdown likely won’t result in another recession.
Meeting to update their national economic forecast last tweaked in December, economists from the Legislature and the governor’s office said they will likely be in a much better position to read the tea leaves the next time they meet, as events in the United States and abroad become clearer over the next several months.
Despite recent dips in consumer confidence and sluggish job growth, economists estimate the national economy will grow by 2 percent during the fiscal year that began July 1, a 0.1 percentage point uptick from the forecast late last year.
But the panel expects the recovery to take longer than previously expected, prompting members to reduce the forecast for the 2013-14 fiscal year by a full percentage point, lowering GDP growth expectations to 2.1 percent.
The overall growth rate comes despite lower expectations for job growth, as national employment figures remain weak. December estimates, which called for a 1.4 percent increase in non-farm employment in the current fiscal year, have been pared back by 0.1 percent. Job creation also is expected to move at slower pace than previously predicted for the next several years.
“Despite the slowdown in the economy, I believe the economy has hit a soft spot and is not heading back toward recession,” said Clyde Diao, an economist in the governor’s office.
Some recent indicators are cause for such optimism. A dramatic decline in gasoline prices in recent months translates into a 0.5 percentage point increase in consumer disposable income. Auto sales are up and are expected to remain stronger than previously expected over the next few years.
Housing appears to be another rebounding sector as pent-up demand continues to mount while interest rates remain low and relatively stable. Housing starts for the current fiscal year are expected to climb about 23 percent. Fueling the increase is demand from renters and continued low interest rates.
Despite such encouraging domestic news, it’s become abundantly clear the U.S. economy is closely linked to the fates of other nations. Instability in the euro zone over the past several months has hurt U.S. exports. Likewise, an economic slowdown in China has also been felt halfway around the world.
“Unlike the ’60s and ’70s when most of the growth was from within, any slowdown in the world economy affects us from afar,” Diao said.
Making the forecasters more cautious are a handful of factors that could affect the national economy over the next 12 months and beyond, said Amy Baker, coordinator for the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research.
Federal lawmakers face an upcoming deadline to agree on cost saving measures or face automatic budget cuts in defense and social services spending. The presidential election will also strongly influence economic activity, especially in the area of health care programs.
By The News Service of Florida
The Sky’s The Limit At Highland Baptist VBS
July 11, 2012
Vacation Bible School is a summertime tradition for children and churches across the North Escambia area.
One of the largest is Highland Baptist Church in Molino, where over 250 children are attending Sky VBS where kids learn that “everything is possible with God” and the sky is the limit.
For a photo gallery from Monday and Tuesday nights at Sky VBS at Highland Baptist, click here.
Sky VBS at Highland continues Wednesday through Friday from 5:30 until 8:30 p.m. for ages three years through fifth grade.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tri-County, NWE Eliminated From State 12U All-Star Tournament
July 11, 2012
Northwest Escambia and Tri-County have both been eliminated from the Cal Ripken 12U All Star state tournament in Alexander City, Ala.
Monday, NWE lost to Lincoln 11-9, and lost to Talladega 13-3.
The Tri-County All Stars also fell short at the state level, losing all four of their matchups.
Pictured: The NWE 12U 2012 All Star team (front row) Dawson Brown, Jackson Bonner, Chase Gifford, Preston Milstead, Daniel Mascaro, Samuel Stott, Coach PJ Gifford, (second row) Adrian King, Beau Bryan, Jason Fischer, Trey Holder, Teddy Nelson, Jacob McCullough, (back row) Coach Jerry Fischer, Jr., Coach Gil Bonner. Photo by Ramona Fischer photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott: Concern, Enthusiasm At UK Air Show Over Airbus, Aviation Market
July 11, 2012
Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday that signs of strength in the global civil aviation market are being tempered by worries over declining U.S. defense budgets as he meets with private companies during a weeklong trade mission in the United Kingdom.
Speaking from London, Scott said that he remains optimistic that the state can benefit from global developments within the aircraft manufacturing industry that include the announcement last week of a new Airbus facility in Mobile.
Florida remains well poised to capture some of the economic activity expected to be generated by the $600 million plant, which is projected to directly employ 1,000 workers but will have a much broader economic impact, especially along the Florida Panhandle.
“People are excited,” Scott said after a day of meetings with business prospects at the Farnborough International Air Show in London.”There are a lot of suppliers to Airbus, and I think they are going to be more interested (in looking at Florida) now.”
Scott said there is concern that long-term defense cutbacks could affect portions of Florida’s aviation sector, which now is made up of nearly 2,000 companies employing more than 83,000 workers. Florida has a huge military aviation sector, with flight installations located throughout the state.
As part of a budget deal forged last year, federal lawmakers have agreed to $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts over a decade, half of which would affect the Defense Department. The cuts are expected to begin in January, but congressional leaders have been speaking about extending the deadline to March.
The budget cuts were part of a deal signed into law in August to raise the nation’s debt limit. Along with spending cuts, lawmakers are also looking at moves that could increase taxes and eliminate tax loopholes. Scott said the looming deadline is on the minds of many at the air show.
“On one side, the one dealing with U.S. defense spending, there is concern about the automatic cutbacks” that could kick in, Scott said.
The governor said concern on the military side is being offset by an apparent buying spree in the commercial flight sector. Deals have already been announced at the air show totaling billions of dollars in contracts for aircraft and related equipment.
“On the civilian side, this is one of the busiest times for sales,” Scott said. “Boeing has made some big announcements already.”
Scott said the six day trade mission has given him an opportunity to tout some recent developments in the state including the push toward science, technology and math degrees and the creation of Florida Polytechnic, the state’s 12th university that backers say will be a showcase for STEM education.
Besides making pitches to companies that Florida is a great place to do business, Scott said he’s also meeting throughout the week with tourism officials. Britain is Florida’s third largest source of tourists behind Canada and Brazil.
Scott also said he remains fiscally cautious about how to spend the state’s economic development funds, which total about $103 million. Alabama reportedly provided about $165 million to Airbus to locate its manufacturing plant in Mobile. Scott said the news won’t necessary prompt him to ask Florida lawmakers for more money.
“I want to make sure we get a return on the number of dollars we spend,” Scott said.
By The News Service of Florida