Cab Driver Stabbed, Robbed
July 12, 2012
A Yellow Cab driver was robbed and stabbed earlier this morning by a man he had just picked up for transport. The incident occurred just before 6 a.m. south of Cervantes Street on L Street.
The victim, 62-year old Bill Whittaker, told Pensacola Police Officer Shawn Dockery he was dispatched to the 4100 block of Mobile Highway just after 5:30 a.m. to pick up the man. Once he got into the cab, the suspect initially told the driver to take him to A and Cervantes streets, but when they reached that area, he changed his destination to C and Cervantes streets.
Dockery said when they reached the second location, the suspect said he wanted to go to L and Cervantes streets. Whittaker was attacked when he stopped just south of Cervantes on L Street.
Dockery said the suspect, who was sitting in the back seat, put a knife to the driver’s neck and demanded cash. Whittaker then struggled with the suspect, who managed to stab him in the upper right thigh.
Whittaker then gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash before the suspect got out of the cab and ran west on Cervantes Street, Dockery said.
The suspect was described as a black male in his 30’s and about six feet tall. Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact the Pensacola Police
Department at (850) 435-1900.
One Arrested: Traffic Stop Nets Nearly 2 Pounds Of Pot, Cash And A Gun
July 12, 2012
A Century traffic stop turned up nearly two pounds of marijuana, over $700 in cash, a gun and other drugs — landing one woman in jail.
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies observed a suspicious vehicle pull behind a mobile home at 9520 Ivey Street in Century and later watched as two black males entered the trailer.
Inside the suspicious vehicle, deputies found Antoinette Johnae Thompson, age 23.
Also in the vehicle, deputies found a .22 caliber pistol, numerous bags containing a total of one pound, 13 ounces of marijuana, Percocet pills and $709 in currency, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
Deputies knocked on the front door of the mobile home for several minutes before the owner exited. She denied that two black males had entered the residence, despite a deputy observing them inside through an unobstructed window, the report states. The homeowner would not allow deputies to search the mobile home.
Thompson, according to the report, denied that the items in the rental car belong to her, and she denied knowing the names of the two men.
Thompson was charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $3,000 bond.
Two Injured: Small Plane Crashes In Escambia County
July 12, 2012
Two people were injured when a small airplane crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday evening in Escambia County.
The crash happened at Ferguson Airport, near the intersection of Blue Angle Parkway and Highway 98, at about 6:45 p.m.
Two Pensacola men -James Gudaitis, 50, and Aaron Young, 29 – were transported to Baptist Hospital for treatment. Gudaitis was listed in serious condition while Young was treated and released. The plane was a Piper PA-28-140.
The accident will be investigated by the National Transportation and Safety Board.
Escambia Deputy Shot At Apartment Complex
July 12, 2012
[Updated] A bulletproof vest is being credited with saving the life of an Escambia County deputy who was shot Wednesday night at the Oakwood Terrace Apartments on Truman Avenue off W Street.
Deputy Ryan Robinson, 32, was shot. He has worked for the Sheriff’s Office since 2006.
A shot was fired into Robinson’s stomach, but his bulletproof vest stopped the round. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by ambulance for evaluation. He was treated and released, and is now recovering at home on paid administrative leave pending a medical release.
The incident happened about 10:45 p.m. as three members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Anti-Crime Unit, also known as TAC unit, were conducting “proactive police work” in the apartment complex. Deputies Robinson gave chase, and one of the men fired at a him.
Deputies quickly surrounded one apartment and removed four people, once of which they believed to be the shooter. In the meantime, someone stole an unmarked TAC Unit vehicle that was found abandoned a short time later a few blocks away at the intersection of Coons and Norris avenues. A manhunt followed in the area for the suspect with numerous officers, K-9 units and the department’s helicopter.
The manhunt for the suspect and the investigation continued into the early morning hours with the assistance of the Pensacola Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol.
There have been no arrests. The suspect in the deputy shooting is considered armed and dangerous, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP
Pictured: The scene at the Oakwood Terrace Apartments on Truman Avenue off W Street after an officer was shot Wednesday night. Photo courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No FEMA Help: Escambia Stuck With Millions In Flood Costs
July 12, 2012
The entire tab for flooding in Escambia County will fall on the county and its insurance companies.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has turned down the state’s request to declare a disaster area due to the June 9-10 weekend rainfall event that flooded portions of the county. That means FEMA won’t help the county pay for damages and will not offer any assistance to individuals that were impacted by the record setting rains that exceeded 20 inches in some locations.
Overall damage in the county was estimated at well over $20 million, including $10 million to public buildings and $3 million to the Sheriff’s Office.
Damage to buildings will be covered by insurance, but the county will be left with about $4.5 million in uncovered damages to roads, bridges and drainage infrastructure.
Pictured: Flooding damage June 9 at the Escambia County Jail. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Citizens Looks To Transfer Inland Insurance Policies
July 12, 2012
Citizens Property Insurance Corp.’s new CEO said Wednesday the state-backed insurer would try to transfer up to 500,000 inland policies to the private sector as its first order of business — including policies of North Escambia area Citizens customers.
Speaking to reporters a month after taking the reins, CEO Barry Gilway said he would like Citizens to shrink its exposure to under 1 million policies, in large part by reducing the number of policyholders in non-coastal areas who represent the fastest growing sector for Citizens. The corporation now insures about 1.5 million policyholders.
To do that, Gilway said he plans to tap into the network of private insurance agencies and woo potential carriers to pick up the less risky, non-coastal residential policies known as PLAs now being handled by Citizens.
“Step number one is getting the PLA policy counts down to where they were at least two-and-a-half or three years ago,” Gilway said. “That’s where the huge increase has occurred, and that provides the greatest opportunity to provide financially viable alternatives for our insured.”
Going forward, Gilway said Citizens rates need to be higher to more accurately reflect the risk, instead of relying on assessments to make up the difference in the event of a serious storm. Many Citizens policyholders don’t realize that they will be on the hook for hefty assessments if a major storm occurs.
But he also said that policyholders should not be required to immediately foot the bill for their entire insurance coverage, saying the spike in premiums would be too severe.
“Step two? You’ll probably have to talk to me after 90 days,” Gilway said.
Since its inception 10 years ago, Citizens has been transformed from the insurer of last resort to the state’s largest property insurer, with potential losses eclipsing $500 billion.
Despite the challenges facing the insurer, Gilway said Florida has led the nation in looking at ways to transfer some of the financial responsibility to private re-insurers, including the recent transfer of more than $750 million in risk to private, non-traditional investors.
While access to private capital is a positive step, Gilway said reducing the number of policyholders under the Citizens umbrella is the only way to provide long term savings.
The Citizens Board of Governors has scheduled a workshop next week to address rates and other changes to make private insurers more willing to return to the market.
“As an insurer of last resort, our basic objective should be to provide coverage and provide a solution for individuals where there simply isn’t any other choice in the marketplace,” Gilway said.
By The News Service of Florida
DirecTV Drops Viacom Networks Over Dispute
July 12, 2012
A dispute continues between DirecTV and Viacom, leaving DirecTV customers without 17 channels including Nickelodeon, TV Land, VH1, MTV and Comedy Central.
Both companies blame each other for the blackout, which started about 11:00 North Escambia time Tuesday night over a dispute regarding how much DirecTV pays Viacom for programming.
“We have been very willing to get a deal done, but Viacom is pushing DIRECTV customers to pay more than a 30 percent increase, which equates to an extra $1 billion, despite the fact that the ratings for many of their main networks have plummeted and much of Viacom’s programming can be seen for free online,” said Derek Chang, a DirecTV vice president.
Meanwhile, Viacom tosses the blame back at DirecTV.
“We proposed a fair deal that amounted to an increase of only a couple pennies per day, per subscriber, and we remained willing to negotiate that deal right up to this evening’s deadline,” according to a Viacom statement. “However, DirecTV refused to engage in meaningful conversation. We are hopeful that DirecTV will work with us toward a resolution and stop denying its subscribers access to the networks they watch most.”
About 20 million households — one-fifth of all cable or satellite subscribers in the country — are affected by the squabble.
Pictured top: This screen replaced Viacom programming on DirecTV Tuesday night.
Escambia Man Get Prison On Drug, Weapon Charges
July 12, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to prison on drug and weapons charges.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said Miguel Rios was sentenced by Judge Jan Shackelford to 25 years state prison as a habitual felony offender. After a two-day trial, a jury convicted Rios of trafficking in cocaine and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
The charges stem from an ongoing investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. On September 22, 2011, Rios sold a firearm and trafficking amount of narcotics to an undercover deputy with the intent to have the officer transport the drugs across state lines and distribute them. During the course of the investigation, Rios made claims that he was a member of the Zeta cartel, a Mexican drug cartel known for its violence, Eddins said.
Rios has previously been convicted of murder in Texas and was a convicted felon.
House of Representatives Votes to Repeal Health Care Reform
July 12, 2012
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
The vote came two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law ruling that the key part of the law – the requirement that all Americans carry health insurance or face a fine — was constitutional under Congress’s taxing authority.
“I’m here to tell you it’s going to cost someone and that someone is the middle-class taxpayer,” said Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Chumuckla). “We should give patients the power to own and control their own health care coverage by allowing for defined contributions in employer-sponsored plans. This would also give employers more flexibility in the benefits offered. We need to create pooling mechanisms, such as association health plans and individual membership accounts. Individuals should also be allowed to shop for health insurance across state lines, increasing competition in the marketplace.”
“Obamacare is not the answer to our nation’s health care crisis. My belief is that it will increase the cost of delivery of care while expanding the size federal debt and increasing taxes on hard working families. This vote today is a step toward real reform and individual choice,” Miller continued.
The White House issued a statement this week saying repeal would amount to a “massive step backwards,” and urged lawmakers to focus their efforts on restoring the economy.
Poarch Creek Indians Plan New Wind Creek Resort, 600 Additional Jobs
July 12, 2012
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians announced plans Wednesday to turn Wetumpka’s Creek Casino into a deluxe resort that they say will attract tourists to the river town outside Montgomery.
The $246 million plans were announced at a press conference on the building site where construction has already started on Wind Creek Wetumpka. It is slated to open in May of next year.
“We have set very high standards for our Wind Creek Casino and Hotel brand,” noted Jay Dorris, president of the PCI Gaming Authority. “This is one of the most beautiful settings imaginable for this kind of first-class resort, and we want it to offer the same kind of quality experience that people have come to expect from Wind Creek in Atmore, which is one of the few hotels in our state with a Four Diamond rating.”
The new resort will include a 20-story hotel tower with 285 luxuriously-appointed rooms and suites, all of which will overlook the Coosa River. The property will feature a 90,000 square foot gaming floor with more than 2,500 electronic gaming machines, a resort pool, and entertainment rooms suitable for large parties and corporate events.
Wind Creek Wetumpka will also feature a number of dining choices including a grill, a coffee shop, a snack bar, a fine dining restaurant, and a buffet that overlooks the Coosa River.
Like its predecessor, Wind Creek Casino and Hotel in Atmore, the property is expected to be an economic engine in the surrounding area. It is estimated that 1,200 workers will be hired over the course of construction. Currently, Wetumpka’s Creek Casino employs 400 full-time employees with benefits. Once completed, the new resort will generate another 600 jobs with benefits bringing the total to 1,000 full-time employees.
“This project will provide much needed jobs to Tribal Members and our neighbors in Wetumpka,” said Poarch Tribal Chairman Buford L. Rolin. “We have seen Wind Creek in Atmore have a very positive ripple effect on the economy, and we look forward to seeing other businesses in the Wetumpka community grow and prosper because of this development.”
This Wind Creek project overlooks Alabama’s Coosa River. It is located on Highway 231 nine miles northeast of Montgomery.
Pictured: The current Wind Creek Casino in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.