No Injuries In Herbicide Semi Truck Rollover
July 23, 2012
There were no injuries when an 18-wheeler hauling dry herbicide rolled over on I-10 near Scenic Highway about 1:30 a.m. Monday.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 31-year old Robert Maurice Kline of Ponchatoula, LA, was eastbound on I-10 when be began to fall asleep and lost control of the 2012 Peterbuilt semi. He veered onto the shoulder where the vehicle overturned.
Kline was not injured. He was citied for careless driving by the FHP.
An Escambia County Fire Rescue Hazmat team was called to the scene as a precaution.
Pictured above and below: There were no injuries when an 18-wheeler hauling dry herbicide rolled over on I-10 near Scenic Highway early Monday morning. Photos by Kevin Winingar for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Shut Out BayBears 1-0 To Take Series
July 23, 2012
Five Blue Wahoos pitchers combined to bewilder BayBears batters to just two hits, while right fielder Josh Fellhauer drove home shortstop Billy Hamilton from first in the eighth for the game’s only tally of the contest as Pensacola shut out Mobile 1-0 on Sunday afternoon at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
The win improved the Fish’s second half record to 18-12 to guarantee at least a share of first place in the Southern League’s South Division with the Montgomery Biscuits. Mobile fell to 13-17 since the Southern League’s All-Star Break. The win gave the Blue Wahoos their ninth series victory in their last ten series dating back June 7-10 at Birmingham and their ninth shutout victory of the year.
Both teams were held scoreless until the eighth, when Pensacola plated the only score of the contest. Hamilton reached on an infield single, his third base knock of the contest, before coming around to score from first on Fellhauer’s double down the right field line.
After yielding just three hits last night, the Fish held BayBears batters to just two base hits in the series finale. Pensacola starter Wirfin Obispo (5.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 SO) allowed just three base runners, including only one hit while striking out six in his scoreless five frames in his second start of the year.
Blue Wahoos relievers Wilkin De La Rosa (0.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO), Drew Hayes (0.2 IP, 2 SO), Brian Pearl (1.0 IP, 1 H) and Curtis Partch followed Obispo by combining for the final scoreless innings. Pearl earned the victory to bump his record to 1-1 this year, while Partch notched his sixth save in as many opportunities by tossing the last two frames.
BayBears starter Derek Eitel (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 3 SO) also did not factor in the decision after giving up five hits in his six scoreless frames, while LHP Eury De La Rosa (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 3-2 after allowing the game’s only run.
Mobile’s biggest threats to score came in the first and sixth frames, when the BayBears stranded a runner at third. CF Evan Fry led off with a walk and moved to third on a groundout, before RF Alfredo Marte was retired to end the frame. Fry again walked in the sixth and stole both second and third, but Hayes came on and struck out the next two hitters to end the potential peril.
Hamilton (3-4, 1 R, 1 2B) recorded a game-high three hits in the victory, while CF Ryan LaMarre (2-4) and 2B Brodie Greene (2-4) also collected multi-hit efforts in the win. Hamilton has now reached base in all 11 of his contests with Pensacola, tallying hits in all but two of those games, while Greene finished the four-game series with a .500 average (8-16) versus Mobile.
Following an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos will return to action on Tuesday night to begin a five-game series with the Huntsville Stars, the Double-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the bayfront stadium, with both teams’ starters not yet announced for the series opener.
Fans attending Tuesday night’s contest are asked to wear red to the ballpark in honor of Pensacola’s affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds. Several Reds top front office members are also expected to be attendance, including General Manager Walt Jocketty, while the Blue Wahoos will be wearing authentic Reds uniforms.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: Wirfin Obispo fanned six and allowed just one hit in his five solid frames Sunday. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged In Nightclub Stabbings
July 22, 2012
A Cantonment man has been charged with stabbing multiple people at a nightclub back in May.
Samuel Ransome Pert III, 26, was arrested on an outstanding aggravated battery warrant. He was held in the Escambia County Jail early Sunday without bond.
Deputies said he allegedly cut two people during a scuffle back on May 30 at the Live Night Club on Pensacola Boulevard at Nine Mile road. Only one of the people stabbed decided to press charges.
Cantonment Man Charged With Battery On Senior Citizen
July 22, 2012
A Cantonment man is jailed for battery on a senior citizen.
Jonathan Eugene Hadden, 40, was charged with one felony count of battery on a person 65 year of age or older. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that Hadden became irate because she had turned off his cell phone. She said he became verbally abusive and eventually pushed her to the ground, injuring her face and arm.
The age of the victim and her relationship to Hadden were not released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Charges Dropped Against Century Men For Stealing, Selling Classic Cars As Scrap
July 22, 2012
Charges have been dropped against two Century men accused of stealing a 1961 Ford truck and a 1964 Ford Mustang from a home in Bratt and selling them as scrap.
In November 2011, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office charged Jessie James Tedder and Brandon Lee Lambeth, both of Century, with felony grand theft of a motor vehicle. The victim reported that he planned to restore the two classic vehicles that were in a state of disrepair when they were taken from a home in the 3600 block of West Highway 4. The victim told deputies that he found the remnants of the vehicles at Advanced Auto Recycling in Escambia County, Ala.
Featured Recipe: Easy, Zesty Chicken Nuggets The Family Will Love
July 22, 2012
The humble chicken nugget isn’t just for kids anymore. And there’s no more frozen with this zesty homemade version.
Featuring six different seasoning blends plus Italian bread crumbs, these bite-sized delights are packed with flavor. Frying them fresh means they’ll be extra crunchy – perfect for dipping in a favorite sauce like barbecue or honey mustard. But be careful – they’re addictive.
For a printable pdf of today’s featured recipe, click the image below.
Molino Resident Named Florida’s Social Worker Of The Year
July 22, 2012
A Molino resident has been named the Florida Social Worker of the Year.
Rikki Vidak received the award from the Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter after she was first named the Social Worker of the Year for the Northwest Unit. She will now be in the running for the national Social Worker of the Year award.
Vidak is a behavioral science coordinator for the Family Residency Program at the Navy Hospital in Pensacola where she has faithfully served Pensacola’s military and their families for decades.
She is also the unit chair for the Northwest Unit of the NASW-FL, and has been a strong leader building community among social workers in Northwest Florida. She was selected as Social Worker of the Year because of her leadership, her service to the community, and her outstanding professionalism, according to the group.
Escambia Recognized As Florida Healthy School District
July 22, 2012
The Escambia County School District has been designated as a Florida Healthy School District.
The Coordinated School Health Partnership and the Florida Action for Healthy Kids (FLAFHK) recently announced the winners of the 2012 Florida Healthy School Districts. The Escambia County School District was selected as a Silver Level Award Winner. Recognition is determined by submission of the Florida Healthy School District Self-Assessment.
“Both educators and parents recognize the significance of a fit and healthy lifestyle. Escambia schools are working to ensure that our students know the benefit of living and eating well,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Hardball Politics And Wawa
July 22, 2012
Tallahassee saunters through humidity and swarms of mosquitoes, campaign action is picking up in legislative races across the state, and redistricting and the exodus of longtime lawmakers have helped create a collection of marquee election battles.
The campaigns took a nasty turn this week when a mail piece attacked the personal life of former Senate President Tom Lee, who is running against Rep. Rachel Burgin for a Hillsborough County Senate seat. The mail piece also highlighted the prevalence this year of shadowy political committees that are collecting large amounts of money to try to influence legislative races — often by tearing down candidates.
Gov. Rick Scott isn’t on the ballot this year, but even he isn’t seen much in Tallahassee these days. Scott spent part of the week touting more jobs coming to Florida, though two new reports showed that the employment picture remains murky.
READY TO RUMBLE
Politics, as the old cliché goes, ain’t beanbag. But the mail piece this week attacking Lee even drew a public rebuke from state Republican Chairman Lenny Curry.
The mailer, in big letters, said “Character Matters” and lumped Lee with Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Rob Turner, who has been embroiled in controversy recently about sending pornographic emails. The intent of the mailer clearly was to cast doubt about Lee among Republican voters in the largely conservative District 24, as the Aug. 14 primary against Burgin approaches.
A group called The American People Committee, Inc., was behind the mailer, which asserted past marital infidelity by Lee. The committee is chaired by lobbyist Keyna Cory, whose lobbyist husband, Jack, backs Burgin.
Lee, who is seeking to return to the Legislature after six years on the sidelines, blasted the mailer.
“This is a full-contact sport — I get that,” he told The Tampa Tribune. “But it shouldn’t touch your family.”
Republican Senate leaders, meanwhile, continued rallying around Lee’s campaign, with Sens. John Thrasher of St. Augustine and Joe Negron of Stuart publicly backing him. Burgin said she wasn’t surprised and contended that Republican leaders have targeted her because they don’t agree with her conservative agenda.
“It is unprecedented,” the Riverview Republican said. “But I’m not overly surprised to see that the Tallahassee insiders are trying to circle the wagons.”
The Lee-Burgin contest is on a short list of the most closely watched legislative races. New campaign-finance reports offer a good guide to those fights, which in the Senate also include a Jacksonville-area race between Rep. Mike Weinstein and former Rep. Aaron Bean; a Daytona Beach-area race between Rep. Dorothy Hukill and Volusia County Chairman Frank Bruno; a St. Petersburg-area race between Reps. Jeff Brandes and Jim Frishe; and a South Florida race between Sens. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Maria Sachs.
But as in the Lee-Burgin race, the candidates’ campaign-contribution reports likely only tell a piece of the story. Obscure political committees — often with upbeat names such as Teachers United for Better Schools and Florida Freedom Council — have been busy collecting and parceling out money to try to influence races.
SCOTT GOES WAWA FOR JOBS
Scott continued his quest to attract jobs, including making an appearance Wednesday at the opening of Florida’s first Wawa convenience store in Orlando. Wawa, which operates in five other states, plans to open 100 Florida stores and employ 35 people in each.
“Today’s grand opening is evidence that more companies want to grow and expand here in Florida because of all we are doing to make our state the best place for business,” Scott said in a news release.
Scott also announced Digital Risk, a company that provides mortgage-related services, will expand in Florida, The expansion is expected to total 1,000 jobs, with 150 added in Boca Raton by early September.
But a state report came out Friday that showed only modest jobs improvement in June. That report showed the state’s jobless rate unchanged from 8.6 percent in May — though it was 2.1 percentage points lower than in June 2011.
Earlier in the week, state economists released another report crediting much of the recent drop in the state’s unemployment rate to a shrinking labor pool and not to more people finding work. Nevertheless, Scott remained positive after Friday’s report.
“As companies are choosing to grow and expand in our state, we are continuing to see Florida experience a positive economic recovery,” the governor said in a statement. “Floridians have more and more opportunities to get back to work, and last month, 9,000 Floridians were able to get a job and provide for their families.”
PRIVATIZATION PLAN GETS NEW LIFE
Barring a successful legal challenge, two firms — Corizon and Wexford Health Sources — likely will be looking to add employees in Florida during the coming months.
The only catch: The Department of Corrections will be shedding many of those same employees.
DOC this week decided to move forward with a controversial plan to privatize prison health services across the state, with Corizon and Wexford getting the contracts. The decision came after Leon County Circuit Judge Kevin Carroll declined to rule in a challenge filed by the Florida Nurses Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
The groups’ lawsuit centered on the fact that lawmakers last year used budget fine print, known as proviso language, to call for prison health privatization. The lawsuit contended that making the change in proviso language was unconstitutional, but Carroll did not rule on the question because the language expired with the June 30 end of the fiscal year.
State lawyers have long contended DOC has the legal authority to do such a privatization, regardless of the proviso language. In announcing Tuesday that the agency would move forward, Secretary Ken Tucker said the move would save money and was “best for the taxpayers.”
But the announcement could spur further legal wrangling.
“It doesn’t shock me,” said Don Slesnick, an attorney for the nurses association. “It disappoints me that the state is that devious and the DOC is being that anti-employee.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Department of Corrections decided to move forward with privatizing prison health services.
“My worst nightmare is we get close to a presidential election, and someone challenges maybe 100,000 possible non-citizens at the polls on Election Day. If that happens, we won’t get our results for weeks.” — Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall, expressing caution about trying to purge ineligible voters, even after the state received approval to use a U.S. Department of Homeland Security database.
Two Arrested In Pensacola Drive-by Shootings
July 22, 2012
Two Pensacola men were arrested Saturday in connection with drive-by shootings last week in Pensacola, and police say more arrests may be forthcoming.
William Johnson Jr., 23 of Pensacola, was charged with attempted murder and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Aaron Kaleb Allen, 18 of Pensacola, was charged with attempted murder and accessory after the fact.
Both were charged in connection with a shooting that occurred around 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at the corner of Sixth Avenue and DeSoto Street. A 15-year-old Pensacola male told police he and a 14-year-old male friend were standing at the corner of Sixth Avenue and DeSoto Street when a four door red or maroon car pulled up to them. He said the driver’s side rear passenger showed a handgun out the window and fired a single shot. The vehicle then left the area.
Police found the victim outside a house in the 900 block of North Sixth Avenue. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment after he was shot in the thigh.
“These investigations have involved officers from all divisions within our department,” said Pensacola Police Chief Chip W. Simmons. “They have spent many hours trying to identify and find the suspects, and I am proud of their efforts.
The investigation also determined Allen and Johnson were involved with an incident that occurred just before midnight Tuesday in the 600 block of East Strong Street. Police responded to the area after a woman called 911 and said a four-door maroon car had just stopped in front of her father’s house and that someone had fired several shots at the house. No one inside the residence was injured.
Also, officers also were dispatched to the same home about 12:48 a.m. Thursday after a 55-year-old woman called police and said she was sleeping when she was awakened by the sound of gunfire. The woman told police she jumped out of bed, but did not see who had fired the three shots into the residence. No one was injured.
Motives for the shootings remain under investigation.
Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.