Photo Gallery: Flomaton Opening Day
April 1, 2012
Saturday was Opening Day at Hurricane Park for Flomaton Little League.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Opening Day for Flomaton Little League. Submitted photos by Roger Riggs for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tommy Weaver Family Offers Thanks
April 1, 2012
The family of the late Tommy Weaver, Northview High School teacher and coach, submitted the following letter of thanks to the community.
To all of the hundreds who have extended their sympathy for the unexpected loss of Tommy Weaver, your kindness, generosity, and love have been beyond comprehension. We have tried to thank everyone who sent floral memorials, food and sundry items, and other tokens of love toward his memory, but there are some who sent expressions of sympathy as a group, not identifying individuals.
To the “Northview Chiefs,” the “Former and Current Students of NHS from Faith Bible Baptist Church,” and the Classes of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, thank you for your memorial floral plant/arrangements for Papa Weave.
To the hundreds who came to the visitation and the funeral service, your presence was such a comfort and affirmation of his goodness.
To the staff of Northview for the outpouring of love and support and to the staff of Ernest Ward Middle School, thank you for the many, many things done for the comfort of our family.
To the many who have organized and/or contributed to the scholarship fund, including purchases of the special bracelets, in Tommy’s memory for FFA and CECF, your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.
To those who helped with the memorial baseball shirts and the “Big Weave” wrist bands, you know he would have loved those gestures!
To those who approached the Superintendent requesting something special in his name and to those planning and organizing events to support the installation of a memorial in his honor, your fond remembrance and wish to keep his memory and spirit alive is truly heart-warming.
My family, Tommy’s brother and his family in North Carolina, and I are truly humbled by all of the expressions of love for Tommy. I am so glad that I had his services here where his “family of friends, students, and colleagues” could pay their respect.
A quote from a recently received sympathy card puts it more eloquently than I could ever say, “What a beautiful difference one single life made.
Gayle Weaver
Reader Photos: Opening Day At Century, Cantonment, NWE, Flomaton
April 1, 2012
Saturday was Opening Day at ballparks across the North Escambia area.
For a gallery of reader submitted photos from Flomaton, Northwest Escambia, Century and Cantonment, click here.
Editor’s Note: During the entire ball season, we encourage parents and fans to submit photos from area ballparks for publication.
Pictured top: The Hadji Shriners were out supporting the community and their children’s hospital on Opening Day in Cantonment. Pictured below: Opening Day action from Fidelis versus the Century Mustangs. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Food For America Introduces Hundreds Of Students To Agriculture
March 31, 2012
From Pensacola Beach, Atmore, Jay, Bratt and surrounding areas, about 600 elementary school students attended the 17th annual Food for America program Friday morning at Northview High School.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
The program, sponsored the National FFA Organization and conducted by the Northview FFA, gave the students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand as they got up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. The students even had the opportunity to make their own butter and enjoy it on crackers.
Northview’s FFA has been recognized throughout the state for the innovative agricultural education program.
The day was dedicated in memory of teacher and Northview FFA Advisor Tommy Weaver, who passed away recently.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured: Northview High School FFA’s Food for America program Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Portion Of East Kingsfield To Be Closed
March 31, 2012
East Kingsfield Road will be closed at Highway 29 beginning next week.
East Kingsfield will be closed from Highway 29 to Pompano Street. The closure is set to begin April 3 for an Escambia County road construction project. Contractor Roads, Inc. expects to re-open the roadway by April 13.
Second Homicide Suspect Arrested
March 31, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a second suspect in the murder of Fredric Ortiz in a neighborhood just off Highway 29.
Rico Cordale Roberson was booked into the Escambia County Jail Friday for his involvement in the March 20 fatal shooting. Ortiz was found gunned down on Hayworth Avenue, just off Highway 29 near I-10. Roberson is being held on a $250,000 bond on one count of homicide.
Roberson’s accomplice, Bryan Hines, was arrested last weekend at the Pensacola International Airport as he tried to use his pass card to get to work. Hines is being held at the Escambia County Jail under a $250,000 bond.
Woman Sentenced In Massive Tax Fraud Case
March 31, 2012
A federal judge Friday sentenced woman to over six years in prison for the largest tax fraud case in Alabama history, a portion of which involved an Atmore storefront business.
Alice Mobley was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge William Steele. She will also forfeit $593,949.77 in cash and property seized from her home and business locations in March 2010, and she was ordered to pay $720,067 in restitution to the federal government.
“This was a great day for the honest taxpayers of the Southern District (of Alabama),” U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown said in a written statement. “We have cut off the head of a widespread false tax preparation enterprise. Others who are considering using a tax return preparation business to defraud honest American taxpayers should be aware that they will face severe consequences.”
Mobley pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy, tax perjury, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for orchestrating what was described as a systematic schedule to file thousands of false tax returns and defraud the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Federal agents raided Mobley’s Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC on Ridgely Street in Atmore and other locations in March,2010. Federal court documents show that FBI and IRS agents seized over $300,000, boxes of tax documents, computers, vehicles and even a stuffed teddy bear when they raided the businesses and Mobley’s Monroeville home.
Mobley’s scheme filed tax returns claiming some $68 million in tax refunds, largely for Earned Income Credit and other tax credits, according to the Department of Justice. Mobley would falsely claim various dependent credits, either charged her clients an extra fee for the using the false dependents or pocketing the extra funds herself.
Mobley also “split” dependents, using the identity of some children on one return to obtain Earned Income Credit, and on other returns to obtain Child Credit and Dependent Care Credits. Mobley’s firm also prepared returns which claimed business tax deductions for business which did not exist and farm tax deductions for clients who did not have farms, the DOJ said.
Pictured above: A federal agent enters Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Atmore March 4, 2010. Pictured inset: Agents search a vehicle at the business. Pictured below: A federal agent and an Atmore Police officer talk to an employee of the business during the raid. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Wins Again
March 31, 2012
The Tate High School Aggies improved to 15-1 on the season Friday with a 6-5 win over Washington High School.
The junior varsity Aggies also beat Washington, 10-6.
The Aggies will travel to Escambia High Tuesday, April 3 with the varsity taking the field against the Gators at 7 p.m.
DUI Charges Pending After Nine Mile Road Wreck
March 31, 2012
DUI charges are pending against a Pace man following a single vehicle wreck on Nine Mile Road Friday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 54-year old Frank Amore was eastbound on Nine Mile Road when he veered off the roadway striking a curb and a traffic road sign. He managed to maneuver his 2004 Dodge Ram back onto Nine Mile Road before hitting another curb and then colliding with a the business sign of “Net Strike Arena”.
Amore was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
According to the FHP, DUI and other charges against Amore are pending the results of a blood test.
A Little Good News On The Unemployment Front
March 31, 2012
The latest job numbers released Friday showed a little bit of good news in the three-county North Escambia area — while Florida’s state unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level since early 2009.
Escambia County’s unemployment fell half a percentage point from 9.5 percent in January to 9.0 percent in February. There were 587 jobs gained during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 12,254 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 10.3 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment slipped from 9.0 percent in January to 8.6 percent in February. Santa Rosa County added 344 jobs during the period, with a total of 6,067 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 9.2 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment dropped slightly from 9.6 percent in February to 9.5 percent in February. That represented 9 people returning to work during the month. There were 1,381 people unemployed in the county during the month.
Florida’s unemployment rate dipped in February to 9.4 percent, the lowest since February 2009, the state labor agency reported Friday. The rate was 0.2 percentage points lower than in January, and nearly a point and a half lower than a year ago. The Department of Economic Opportunity said, however, there remained 869,000 people looking for work out of a state labor force of just under 9.3 million, and Florida’s rate remains well above the nation’s jobless rate of 8.3 percent.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 7.6 percent in February, was down from January’s rate of 7.8 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 9.3 percent.
The unemployment figures do not include discouraged workers who have given up on their job search or part-time employees who would rather be working full time. If those are added, the jobless rate typically climbs by several points.