Escambia Man Receives 151 Months In Prison For Armed Robbery
May 26, 2012
Friday, Aaron Kendel Richardson was sentenced by Judge Paul Rasmussen to 151.5 months in state prison for four counts of robbery with a firearm. The first 10 years will be served as a mandatory minimum under the 10-20-Life law.
The charges stem from multiple robberies in October 2011. In one of the robberies, Richardson, who was 17 years of age at the time, pulled a handgun on three Navy sailors and demanded their money. After taking their money, Richardson fled in a vehicle and was arrested later that night after being spotted by law enforcement.
Richardson was also sentenced Friday for being the driver of the same vehicle involving another robbery that occurred the same night.
Wahoos Fall 6-5 Friday Night
May 26, 2012
Mississippi plated a ninth inning run with back-to-back doubles from first baseman Ian Gac and pinch hitter Barrett Kleinknecht after Pensacola came back from an early 5-0 deficit, as the Braves defeated the Blue Wahoos 6-5 in front of another sellout crowd of 5,038 on Friday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
It was the 16th sellout of the year in 21 home dates for the Blue Wahoos, who continue to lead the Southern League in attendance in their inaugural season. The defeat drops the Fish to a 23-25 mark in 2012, while the Braves improved their record to 21-26. Two-time NFL champion, Milton High School graduate and New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes was in attendance, and threw out a ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.
After allowing the Blue Wahoos to comeback after they were down five, Gac doubled down the left field, while Kleinknecht followed with a double of his own on the next pitch to bring home Gac on what turned out to be the game-winning hit.
The Braves jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the 1stt thanks to a two-run homer from SS Andrelton Simmons. It was the second roundtripper of the year and of the series for the Braves’ fourth-best prospect. Mississippi then increased the margin to five in the fourth thanks to RBI singles from CF Keenan Wiley and 2B Phil Gosselin, while Gac had a sacrifice fly.
The Blue Wahoos however, answered back with a five-run sixth inning to tie it at 5-5. CF Ryan LaMarre reached on a fielder’s choice and took second on an error before he was plated by SS Didi Gregorius for the club’s first tally of the contest. Gregorius moved to third on 2B Brodie Greene’s double, before both were sent home on 1B Joel Guzman’s two-run single to right. Guzman would score along with 3B David Vidal, who was hit by a pitch, on LF P.J. Phillips’ clutch two-run double to center to draw the contest even.
Guzman (2-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) was the lone Pensacola batter to record two hits in the contest, while Gosselin (2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI) and LF Alden Carrithers (2-4, 1 R, 1 BB) each collected multi-hit efforts for the Braves.
Mississippi reliever Ryan Buchter (1.0 IP, 2 SO) earned his second victory of the year after fanning two batters in his scoreless inning of relief, while closer Mark Lamm (1.0 IP, 1 H) tossed a scoreless ninth to notch his sixth save of the season. Pensacola closer Donnie Joseph (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO) suffered his first loss of 2012, yielding a run on two hits in one inning. It was just the second run Joseph has given up all year in 22 appearances.
The Blue Wahoos and Braves are scheduled to meet again Saturday evening, with first pitch set for 6:30 pm. RHP Daniel Corcino is expected to get the start for Pensacola, while Mississippi is slated to send LHP Sean Gilmartin to the hill.
Fans will want to arrive early and stay late for Saturday night’s contest, as NFL champ and Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Josh Sitton will be at the game and throw out a ceremonial first pitch. All fans are asked to wear green or gold in honor of Sitton. The Blue Wahoos will also be wearing special camouflage jerseys sponsored by Andrews Institute, with the jerseys being auctioned off throughout the game in a silent auction. Proceeds will benefit the Eagle Fund – Wounded Military.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: OF Yordanys Perez up to bat for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Halee’s Story: Tate Junior Battling Rare Cancer
May 25, 2012
About a month ago, Tate High School junior Halee Boyd was on top of the world….recently named next year’s Beta Club president, involved with the Interact Club and looking forward to graduation just a year away.
But now, she likely won’t be at graduation with her friends at Tate next year, as she battles Alevola Rhabdomyosarcoma , ARMS for short, a rare cancer of the muscles that are attached to the bones. There are only a few hundred new cases per year in the U.S.
Today, as Tate’s seniors celebrate with their annual senior breakfast and preparations for graduation, Halee is facing a blood transfusion at Shands Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
“A month ago we were in my living room watching ‘How I Met Your Mother’ on Netflix and tonight we are waiting for a blood transfusion,” Halee’s mother Mardi Boyd said Thursday night. “No matter how I try, I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around that.”
In April, Halee started having severe headaches, followed by blurry and double vision. Within 10 days her right eye was swollen, and the Boyds headed to a hospital emergency room. On April 29, they learned she had a tumor.
“It is still hard to hear myself say that she has cancer, the words catch in my throat and tears well up in my eyes and my heart stops. It’s not that it’s affected my life so much; it’s that from April 29, 2012, her life changed so drastically in a hallway in an emergency department,” Mardi said.
Besides facing and battling the cancer, the big change for Halee, 17, has been not being in school at Tate.
“I miss being in my classes and my teachers and being surrounded by my Tate family, being social and going to events,” Halee said from Shands Children’s Hospital. “I love my school and wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“I miss my friends, being able to see them every day and talking to them. I miss going out with them, but most of all I miss them being normal because now that I have cancer everything feels different.”
The rare cancer calls for extensive treatments. She will have eight solid weeks of combined radiation and chemo at Shands in Gainesville. After her initial treatments at Shands, she will head home to Pensacola for a couple of weeks for “smaller” treatments before heading back to Gainesville for more aggressive treatments.
“I think it is just surreal,” Mardi said, three and half weeks into the treatment regime. “It all seems like a bad dream, I just get up each day and get through it and lean on my faith in God. I have been through some things in life that were bad, but those all made me strong enough to face this. Halee is incredibly strong and we are able to feed off of that.”
Faith has also played a role in the family’s strength.
“The only one who saw this coming was God. While I know He has all the answers, waiting for those to be given to us is another challenge in itself,” Mardi said.
Halee is ready to be back with her Tate family.
“I miss my friends, being able to see them every day and talking to them. I miss going out with them, but most of all I miss them being normal because now that I have cancer everything feels different,” Halee said. “I look forward to going back to school and being able to do normal things that I’m not allowed to do like going to the movies and to the mall, but mostly just going back to school. I’m in my element at school, that’s my joy, I was getting straight A’s and it’s the thing I enjoy the most.”
Halee does not currently have health insurance. Donations are also being accepted for Halee through the family’s church, Heritage Baptist Church, 3065 Highway 297A, Cantonment, (850) 478-3316.
Pictured: Tate High School junior Halee Boyd. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Bear Is Euthanized
May 25, 2012
The black bear seen multiple times this week near Jim Allen Elementary School in Cantonment has been euthanized.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captured the bear after shooting it with a drugged dart late Thurday near the Wild Oak Farm Apartments. On Friday, a decision was made to euthanize the young male bear, Karen Parker, a spokesperson for the FWC, said Friday afternoon.
“It’s death warrant was signed by the people that kept feeding it,” she said. “It is too accustom to people now and would always be a nuisance if relocated. It looks like we will have to put it down.”
The biggest mistake people can make around a bear is feeding it, Flowers said. “I know they are cute and it’s tempting, but we have to leave bears alone and keep bears wild.”
For more information why FWC decided to euthanize the bear, click here.
The young male black bear was spotted in a couple of locations Thursday, including an afternoon snack from the garbage at the Wild Oak Farms Apartments. He made his first public appearance back on Sunday at the apartments, just north of the Grocery Advantage on Highway 29 and directly adjacent to Jim Allen Elementary School.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set a trap Thursday for the bear — baited with trash, honey buns, chicken bones and cat food. But the trap did not work.
Most apartment complex residents have described the bear as a friendly young fellow as he moves around — often posing for pictures as he rummages through trash looking for food.
“Problems arise when bears have access to people-related food sources such as pet foods, garbage, barbecue grills, birdseed or livestock feed,” Dave Telesco, FWC bear management program coordinator, said. “Bears learn very quickly to associate people with food, and this puts the animals at increased risk of illegal kills or crossing highways and getting hit by vehicles.”
Black bears normally are too shy to risk contact with humans, but their strong food drive can overwhelm these instincts. Residents can help these bears “move on,” so they don’t cause a conflict.
“If people remove the attractants, the bears will stay where we want them to stay – in wooded areas – and not enter urban and suburban neighborhoods,” Telesco said.
Pictured: A black bear returned to the Wild Oak Farms Apartments in Cantonment Thursday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Molino Train Derailment (With Gallery)
May 25, 2012
At least four cars on CSX freight train derailed in Molino Thursday night, posing no danger to the public but evoked back memories of previous serious derailments in the area.
The loaded freight cars hauling flour and refrigerated orange juice came off a side track near the dead end of McKinnonville Road about 11 p.m. The cars appeared to have left the tracks at low speed as they past a switch as the train headed south toward Cantonment. Multiple cross ties were broken, with the tracks separating and many of train wheels coming to rest between the two pieces of track.
None of the cars overturned or left the railbed, and nothing was spilled from any of the freight cars. There’s no word so far on the exact cause of the derailment.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
While the incident initially blocked crossings on Daffin and Fairground roads, those were re-opened within about an hour. Officials said that CSX expects to have the derailed cars back on the secondary track within 24 hours. No roadway crossings remain closed due to the derailment.
A northbound CSX train, stopped on the main track as the southbound train passed on the sidetrack, was not involved in the derailment.
Robert Harris, who lives near the railroad tracks on Daffin Road, said he first learned of the derailment from a breaking news story on NorthEscambia.com and walked to the scene to see for himself what had happened.
“It could have been a lot worse, something could have spilled out of one of the chemical cars and gas could have got around,” Harris said. “Somebody could have got hurt.”
Harris said that along the rails in Molino, he’s noticed that the tracks seems to move up and down from the railbed more than in some locations. “You can see them; they hop,” he said. “The trains, they bounce when they are going down the tracks.”
“Maybe CSX need to do some safety procedures about how they operate their transportation,” Harris added. “It seems like the tracks need to be checked out a little bit more.”
Harris said he was glad the accident wast not worse. “It wouldn’t be the first time it happened; there have been a lot of train derailments out here in the past.”
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
In 1995, a 29 car derailment in Molino involved multiple tankers with hazardous chemicals, forcing the evacuation of about 150 people.
In November 1979, officials actually used thermite grenades to ignite propane in six derailed tanker cars.All total, 22 cars derailed, 19 of which contained hazardous materials. The total cost of the derailment cleanup and damage to the environment was estimated at $5.1 million. Up to 200 people were evacuated.
In 1976, nearly 30 people received medical treatment after inhaling ammonia after a derailment just north of Molino. In all, at least a half dozen trains have reportedly derailed in the Molino area in the past 30 years.
Pictured: Four cars on from a southbound CSX freight train derailed in Molino Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NOAA Predicts Near Normal Hurricane Season
May 25, 2012
The 2012 Atlantic hurricane season looks to be near normal, according to predictions released Thursday by NOAA.
For the entire six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 70 percent chance of 9 to 15 named storms, of which four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane. NOAA predicts that 1-3 of those will strengthen into a major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
The seasonal outlook does not predict how many storms will hit land.
Based on the period 1981-2010, an average season produces 12 named storms with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.
“NOAA’s outlook predicts a less active season compared to recent years,” said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. “But regardless of the outlook, it’s vital for anyone living or vacationing in hurricane-prone locations to be prepared. We have a stark reminder this year with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.” Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane that devastated South Florida on August 24, 1992, was the first storm in a late-starting season that produced only six named storms.
Pictured: August 24, 2012 will be the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew’s devastating landfall in South Florida. Images courtesy NOAA for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview’s McCall Named MVP; East Beats West In All-Star Softball, Baseball
May 25, 2012
Northview High School senior Lauren McCall was named the West MVP Thursday night as East defeated the West 11-2 in the Pensacola Sports Association’s 2012 Subway High School All-Star Softball Game.
McCall had the West’s first hit during the game that features the top seniors from Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. After the shortstop’s infield single, McCall’s catch ended the fifth inning of play at the University of West Florida.
From Jay, Becca Callaway walked before an RBI double from Milton’s Katie Worley, and Tessa Hendricks also added an RBI double.
In the boys softball All-Star game Thursday, the East also defeated the west, 8-0
All-Star Players, All-Star Coaches
Head coaches for this year’s event included Brian Watson from Jay High School for the East softball team and Mike Haveard from Pine Forest for the west softball team. In the baseball game, Cory Hamrick from Niceville High headed up the east team while Tate High’s Greg Blackmon coached the West boys.
Announced rosters for the 2012 Subway High School All-Star baseball and softball games were as follows:
West Softball: Victoria East, Ashley Peters, Brittany Morris, and Aubrey Yeagle from Escambia, Brianna Coleman, Brittany Manning-Davis, Rebeka Touary, and Sara Grace Gunter from Pine Forest, Kristen Hughes from East Hill, Lauren McCall from Northview, Amber Wells from Catholic, Samantha Hurley from Pensacola, Kayla Rosario, Kaitlyn Kenfield, Gabby Leifur, and Kalina Kenfield from West Florida Tech, Heather Schaff, Kim Baker, Barette Barnes, Marina Cobbs, Holly Brown, and Kat Tucker from Tate, and Rachel Medley from Washington.
East Softball: Kasey Harrison from Laurel Hill, Megan McDonald and Amanda Curington from Gulf Breeze, Hannah Day from Crestview, Lauren Osburn, Sarah Beth Marquis, and Meghan Redalieu from Navarre, Hannah Jones from Pace, Stephanie Hartness, Jamie Ujvari, Jessica Ujvari, and Courtney Adams from Niceville, Brittany Tiller from Rocky Bayou, Katie Worley, Kassandra Gilley, and Desiree Velasguez from Milton, Becca Calloway and Tessa Hendricks from Jay, Tory Kilcrease from Baker, Jaime Phillips and Jennifer Phillips from Fort Walton, and Rikki Rummel from Choctaw.
West Baseball: Scott Robertson, Matt Mckibben, and Avery Van Brussel from Washington, Skyler Beckerman, Tyler Murphy, Chase Anderson, and Tucker Massey from West Florida Tech, Tyler Curtis, Hunter Black, Austin Quina, Mac Seibert, and Cody Palmer from Tate, Preston Szuch, Tyler Henry, and Chase Keifer from Catholic, Tanner Brooks and Zach Barrow from Northview, Trenton Potter and Kody Bryant from Pensacola Christian, Brandon Nagem, Jon Cagle-Lister, and Zach Hathaway from Pine Forest, Joey Scapecchi and Kaleb Lewis from Escambia, and Brandon Haragul and Jimmy Threat from Pensacola.
East Baseball: Kameron Miller, Dylan Lee, and Derek Lovelace from Crestview, Kyle Mcgee from Gulf Breeze, Tanner Black, Miguel Paulino, and Luke Clark from Choctaw, Bucky Locke from Baker, Cory Eller and Mike Haynes from Niceville, Sammy James from Jay, Patrick Maddox, Patrick Ervin, Daniel Hampton, Steven Jernigan, and Clay Benefield from Pace, Paul Young and Jordan Martin from Milton, Dylan Peacock from Central, Steven Wills from Rocky Bayou, Kyle Slingerland from Laurel Hill, Jacob Terry and Dusty Jones from Navarre, Ian Hok and Trey Marshall from Fort Walton.
Different Poll Shows Obama Leads
May 25, 2012
While the latest Quinnipiac University poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading in Florida, a separate poll by NBC News and Marist shows President Barack Obama ahead in his bid for re-election.
According to the NBC-Marist survey, Obama would get 45 percent of the vote if the vote in Florida if the election were held today, while Romney would get 40 percent.
Obama and Vice President Joe Biden would lead a ticket of Romney and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio by a 48-44 margin, while the gap would close to 47-45 if Romney chose former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
The poll also shows incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson beating Republican Congressman Connie Mack, the GOP frontrunner, by a 43-38 margin.
Democrats have complained that the Quinnipiac poll is too heavily weighted toward Republicans, but the Marist poll gives a strong edge to Democrats that might not materialize in November: 43 percent of those polled were Democrats, 35 percent were Republicans and 21 percent were independents.
The poll was taken of 1,078 registered voters May 17-20 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
By The News Service of Florida
Gulf Power Names New President
May 25, 2012
Gulf Power Company is getting a new president.
Stan Connally, a senior vice president at Georgia Power, will be the company’s 16th president, succeeding Mark Crosswhite who has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer of Southern Company, Gulf Power’s parent firm.
“Mark and Stan both have a depth of experience throughout our system that has prepared them to assume these new leadership positions,” said Tom Fanning, Southern Company president. “Their experience, along with their passion and insight, will help Gulf Power and Southern Company meet the challenges ahead.”
Connally, who has headed up Georgia Power’s fossil and hydro generation operations since 2010, began his career with Southern Company in 1989 as a co-op student at Georgia Power’s Plant Yates. He has held positions of increasing responsibility in various areas, including customer operations, sales and marketing, and power generation at Georgia Power, Alabama Power and Mississippi Power.
“Gulf Power has a reputation in the utility industry of great employees, great customer service and innovative programs,” Connally said. “I look forward to joining the team and my family and I are excited about living in Northwest Florida.”
A native of Newnan, Ga., Connally graduated in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He completed the Goizueta Executive Education Program at Emory University in 2004 and the Southern Company Senior Leadership Development Program in 2009. He has served on the boards of the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport and United Way of Jackson/George counties in Mississippi.
In his new role Crosswhite will be responsible for Southern Company’s generation and transmission operations, Southern Power, Southern Wholesale Energy, engineering and construction services, and research and environmental activities.
Under Crosswhite, Gulf Power has gone through the lengthy process of getting approval from the Florida Public Service Commission to increase base electric rates.
The leadership transition will become effective on July 1.
Blue Wahoos Top Braves 4-2
May 25, 2012
Pensacola left fielder Yordanys Perez homered as part of a two-hit effort and center fielder Ryan LaMarre threw two runners out at home plate, while the bullpen trio of Clayton Tanner, Curtis Partch and Donnie Joseph held Mississippi to just three hits in the final 3.1 frames, as the Blue Wahoos defeated the Braves 4-2 in front of a capacity crowd of 5,038 on Thursday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
It was the 15th sellout crowd the Blue Wahoos have played in front of this year, in their 21st home opening this year. The victory improves Pensacola’s record to 23-24, while the defeat drops Mississippi to 20-26 in 2012.
Perez got the scoring started for the Blue Wahoos in the second, when he lifted a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall to grab a 1-0 lead. It was the third longball of the year in Perez’s first year at professional level, as well as his second in three contests.
Pensacola would then increase the margin to three in the fourth with a pair of clutch two-out at bats. Perez drove in his second run of the game with an RBI single, while C Mark Fleury drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0.
The Braves however would narrow the deficit to one with single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings, both thanks to 3B Joe Leonard. The third baseman began the fifth frame with a homer to left, and then brought in SS Andrelton Simmons in the following frame with a single.
Mississippi was kept off the scoreboard twice thanks to Blue Wahoos CF Ryan LaMarre, who threw out baserunners attempting to score in the third and sixth innings. LaMarre now has 11 outfield assists this season, ranking him first in the Southern League by a wide margin.
Pensacola starter J.C. Sulbaran (5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) earned the win after allowing just two earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings, while Tanner, Partch and Joseph combined to shut down the Braves from there in support of Sulbaran. Tanner (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO) and Partch (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 SO) each notched holds for their efforts, while Joseph (1.2 IP, 1 H, 3 SO) converted his Southern League leading 11th save of the year in 12 opportunities. Braves starting pitcher Gary Moran (5,1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 1-2 on the year after giving up three runs on five hits in 5.1 frames.
It was Perez’s (2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) fourth multi-hit outing in his last six contests, while RF Josh Fellhauer (2-4, 1 R, 1 2B) also collected two hits for the Blue Wahoos. Leonard (2-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI), along with CF Todd Cunningham (2-5), C Christian Bethancourt (2-4) and RF Cory Harrilchak (2-3) all recorded two base knocks for the Braves in the loss.
With the series tied, Pensacola and Mississippi will meet again Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. RHP Kyle Lotzkar is slated to take the bump for the Blue Wahoos, while the Braves are expected to give the ball to LHP Luis Avilan in the third game of the series.
All fans are asked to wear blue for Friday night’s game in honor of two-time NFL champion and New York Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who will be on hand to throw out a first pitch. Fans will also want to arrive early, as the first 2,000 fans to enter the gates will receive a special patriotic Blue Wahoos cap courtesy of Virginia College.
By Andrew Green