Escambia Woman Convicted Of First Degree Murder
June 22, 2012
An Escambia County woman was convicted Thursday of the 2010 fatal beating and burning of a 19-year old woman.
It took a jury only about an hour to return the first degree murder conviction of Tina Lasonya Brown, 41. Brown faces life in prison or the death penalty.
Brown is one of three women accused of brutally beating and burning 19-year old Audreanna Zimmerman in an Ensley field. Zimmerman lived for 16 days after the attack.
Man Upset Over Traffic Ticket Threatens To Blow Up Sheriff’s Office
June 22, 2012
An Escambia County man apparently upset over a traffic ticket was arrested Thursday for threatening to blow up the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Ronald Harrell, 23, received a ticket about 4 a.m. Thursday after running a red light at I-10 and Avalon Boulevard in Milton. After receiving his ticket, deputies said Harrell drove to a nearby residence and called 911 five times, using profanity in reference to the traffic ticket.
Deputies were dispatched to the home from which Harrell was making the 911 calls. According to an arrest report, he then began to rant about the ticket and that he was “not going to stand for it”. He then said he was going to get three deputies, blow up the Sheriff’s Office and then kill himself. “Somebody has to make a statement over this injustice,” he said, according to the report.
Harrell was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail for threatening to discharge a destructive device and misuse of 911. His bond was set at $20,500.
Photo: Giant, Two Ton Cow
June 22, 2012
A giant, 13-foot tall, 2-ton cow paid a visit to the Tom Thumb in Molino Thursday afternoon. The beefy Holstein’s visit was part of a Turkey Hill brand promotional tour with free ice cream and lemonade, and free prizes in a spin game.
Pictured above: Gracen Brook, Danny Baity and Kylie Brook pose with a giant Turkey Hill cow Thursday afternoon at the Molino Tom Thumb. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Tuition Hiked 14 Percent; Other State Universities Going Up Too
June 22, 2012
A 14 percent tuition increase for the University of West Florida was approved Thursday by the Florida Board of Governors of the State University System.
But UWF is not alone in higher education rate hikes in Florida, with 11 of the state’s 12 public universities following a chaotic meeting that featured changing votes and shifting coalitions.
Only four universities — Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, New College and the University of Central Florida — won approval for the full 15 percent allowed under the state’s “differential tuition” law; eight had originally requested it. The University of West Florida got 14 percent; Florida State University and the University of North Florida won approval for 13 percent; and Florida A&M University got 12 percent.
Florida Gulf Coast University, which requested 14 percent, also got 12 percent. The University of South Florida got the 11 percent increase it requested, while the University of Florida got the 9 percent boost it asked for. The new Florida Polytechnic University did not make a tuition request.
Board members spent about two hours debating the changes, and some university presidents were left wondering whether to use a so-far unused appeals process to try to get the board to change its mind.
The voting showed the extent and limit of Gov. Rick Scott’s influence on the board. Scott has long said he wants to hold tuition down. While the increases were less than what several universities asked for, Scott issued a statement afterward saying he was disappointed with the result.
“It is my priority to keep the cost of living low for Floridians and have an education system that produces the most competitive, highly skilled workforce in the world,” Scott said. “And I expect our universities and the Board of Governors to seek those same goals.”
Scott has the power to appoint or reappoint most of the members of the board.
Board Chairman Dean Colson, though, said he believed Scott’s concerns clearly resonated with some board members. No university had ever lost a differential request before Thursday.
“You’re crazy not to listen to what your governor has to say,” Colson said. “He’s the governor.”
Board members opposed to the larger increases said they were concerned about the effects of boosting tuition during a down economy, especially after three years of across-the-board 15 percent increases.
“Today is about a family that has been going through a recession, and we have continuously been beating on them and giving them a 15 percent increase,” said Vice Chairman Mori Hosseini.
Others countered that the increases were necessary to offset years of lagging state funding for higher education, including a $300 million reduction for this year that lawmakers have said will be a one-time cut.
And they said that rejecting the increases could lead to reductions in a number of courses that students need to graduate — causing those students to stay in school longer.
“The worst thing we can do is not have adjunct professors, not have professors, not have associate professors, and not have course sections, so these students can’t graduate,” said board member Tico Perez. “That’s a tuition increase — half a year out of their life, a year out of their life, a year out of the workforce.”
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
From Kazakhstan To Cantonment: International Group Tours ECUA Facility
June 22, 2012
An international delegation from Kazakhstan visited and toured the ECUA Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment Thursday afternoon.
The group was invited under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which focuses on exposing international visitors to a variety of topics in the United States such as waste management practices. The national program visit was arranged by the Institute of International Education and their local program coordinator, the Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council.
Representing the Kazakhstan delegation were Meruyert Kurmashhova, director, Karaganda Ecological Center, Taissiya Kogutyuk, director general, Kazakhstan Kagazy JSC, Aidar Makhambet, director, Kazakhstan Rubber Recycling, Ltd., and Eldar Kildibayev, deputy head, department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Almaty.
The CWRF was named a top-three finalist for the 2011 Global Water Reuse Project of the Year by Global Water Intelligence in Berlin, Germany. The facility uses advanced wastewater treatment technology, and achieves zero-discharge through partnerships for industrial reuse of the reclaimed water. The reuse partnerships also reduce demand on the Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer, the sole source of the area’s drinking water.
Pictured top: An international delegation from Kazakhstan tours the ECUA Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment Thursday afternoon. Pictured below: Eldar Kildibayev, deputy head, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Almaty; Taissiya Kogutyuk, director general, Kazakhstan Kagazy; and Larry Walker, ECUA District 5 board member. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
U.S. Marshals Capture Wanted Tennessee Fugitive
June 22, 2012
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force captured a Tennessee fugitive Thursday afternoon who is wanted on four counts of aggravated sexual battery.
Shannon Lee Russell of Forest Park Drive is wanted by law enforcement in McMinn County, TN, for allegedly sexually assaulting a young girl over a five year period. The 42-year old Russell was arrested at his home without incident.
The warrant was issued in December of 2011 and the Marshals believe that Russell has been in Pensacola since late summer or early fall of last year. The U.S. Marshals from the Smoky Mountain Fugitive Task Force in Chattanooga, TN, contacted the Task Force in Pensacola late yesterday requesting their assistance. The Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force quickly identified Russell’s whereabouts and began conducting surveillance. Russell is originally from Etowah, TN.
Russell was booked into the Escambia County Jail and although the warrant holds a $150,000 bond, he will be held there as a fugitive from justice until his return to Tennessee.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Drop Second Half Opener 3-2 To Chattanooga
June 22, 2012
The Blue Wahoos had opportunities on Thursday night, but fell short 3-2 in the second half opener against the Chattanooga Lookouts at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Lookouts got on the board first against Blue Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe (3-3) with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a two-out walk to Kyle Russell, Jake Lemmerman doubled home the first run of the game scoring Russell from first. The next batter, Matt Wallach, singled home Lemmerman to give Chattanooga a 2-0 advantage.
The Blue Wahoos were quick to answer with a run in the top of the fifth. Mark Fleury reached on an error at second base and was sacrificed over to second. With two outs, Didi Gregorius delivered the Wahoos’ only RBI of the game with a single to centerfield scoring Fleury from second, and cutting the deficit to one.
The Lookouts countered with a run in the bottom of the inning to reclaim a two-run advantage. Nick Buss opened the bottom of the fifth with a double. A batter later, he was sacrificed to third before scoring on a wild pitch to make it a 3-1 Chattanooga lead.
Pensacola got a run of their own on a wild pitch in the sixth to pull back within one, but their biggest threat came in the seventh. Red Patterson came out of the bullpen and issued back-to-back walks to Ryan LaMarre and Gregorius followed by a bunt single from Brodie Greene to load the bases. The next two batters were retired on strikeouts before Patterson got a pop up to second base to end the inning and the threat without scoring a run. Pensacola didn’t get another base runner the rest of the game.
All three Lookouts runs were charged to Crabbe who suffered his third loss of the season. He gave up seven hits, walked just two and struck out four. Allen Webster (2-7) earned his second win of the year for Chattanooga after allowing two unearned runs over six innings. The Wahoos were only able to get him for three hits, he also walked that many while striking out two. Logan Bawcom (7) worked a perfect ninth to earn his seventh save of the season.
The series continues on Friday when the Blue Wahoos send LHP Tony Cingrani (1-1, 2.55) to the mound against RHP Ethan Martin (6-3, 3.35).
By Tommy Thrall
Silver Alert Canceled
June 22, 2012
A Florida Silver Alert has been canceled for 81-year old Arlie Euretha Peterson, who was last seen in the area of Highway 90 and Log Lake Road west of Holt.
She was located unharmed.
Wait Continues For Supreme Court Health Care Ruling
June 22, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court did not issue a ruling Thursday in the Florida-led challenge to the 2010 federal health overhaul. That means the court will wait until the final week of its annual term to deliver the landmark ruling. The earliest justices can now rule would be Monday, though they also could release the decision later in the week.
Former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, joined by other states, challenged the constitutionality of the “Affordable Care Act” quickly after President Obama signed the measure into law in March 2010.
Justices heard arguments earlier this year about key parts of the law, including a requirement that most Americans buy health insurance and a planned expansion of the Medicaid program.
Cottage Hill Boil Water Notice For Cooley Road, Phalrose Lane
June 21, 2012
Effective immediately, a precautionary boil water notice (PBWN) has been issued for Cottage Hill Water Works customers in the Cottage Hill Community. The PBWN is in effect for CHWW water customers residing in the 1200 block, 1300 block and 1420 Phalrose Lane, and all of Cooley Road.
This notice is being issued following a pipe break. Residents are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use six drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water for water to be used for drinking of cooking purposes. Bacteriological sampling is underway and the advisory will be lifted as soon as possible.
Cottage Hill Water Works crew are repairing the main and will be flushing the lines. Residents are advised that there is a possibility of discolored water as a result of the break and flushing, and to flush their home’s plumbing by running their taps for a few minutes.
If problems persist, customers are asked to contact Cottage Hill Water Works, Inc.at (850) 968-5485 for assistance.