Board Seeks Tax Increase To Save County Libraries
April 5, 2012
The West Florida Public Library Board voted unanimously Wednesday to request the Escambia County Commission directly levy a property tax increase to keep public libraries open in the county — including Century and the under-construction Molino Library.
The county may pull its $3.7 million contribution to the library system under a plan proposed by County Administrator Randy Oliver due to a projected $9.5 million budget shortfall.
With a vote of three of five commissioners, the commission can levy the .35 mils tax increase — about $35 on a $100,000 home. But if commissioners do not approve the tax increase, the issue could go to the voters as a referendum on the August ballot.
“The board will go after finding at least three commissioners to vote for the levy,” Bette Hooton, library board president, said following Wednesday’s meeting. “If that’s absolutely a no-go, we will go after the referendum.
“We are not going to go down without trying to save the Molino, Century and Southwest branch libraries,” she said.
The Escambia County Commission will consider the issue at its Committee of the Whole meeting at 9 a.m. on August 12. Wooton and Friends of the Library members are working to gather supporters to attend the meeting.
A yearly user fee of $50 imposed on every Escambia County resident that uses the library has also been suggested as a possible funding source to keep libraries open.
Pictured top: Construction is underway to convert the old Molino School into a library and community center. Pictured inset: The Century Branch Library. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Photos: Camp Fire Kids Easter Egg Hunt
April 5, 2012
Children from the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center made their annual visit to Century Care Center for an Easter egg hunt Wednesday. The residents prepared a bag of treats for each child and over 300 eggs.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“The children had a wonderful time and we would like to thank the Century Care Center and their staff for all of their hard work in making this annual event wonderful for the
residents and children,” said Pam Townson, Camp Fire Century director.
Pictured: The annual Camp Fire USA took part in an annual Easter egg hunt Wednesday at Century Care Center. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With DUI Manslaughter For I-10 Crash
April 5, 2012
A Pensacola woman was been charged with DUI manslaughter for a crash on I-10 in October that claimed the lives of an adult and a child.
Kimberly Renee Rodrigues is now in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Rodrigues was traveling west on I-10 in the early morning hours of October 21 when she rear-ended a 1996 Chevrolet cargo van driven by Melissa Lynn Lyublanovits, 44, of Pensacola.
A resulting chain reaction wreck claimed the life of 71-year old Lovett Junior Cummings and 11-year old Lovett Deshun Cummings II, both of West Palm Beach.
Pictured above: A pickup involved in an October accident on I-10. (Note: The tractor-trailer in the photo was not involved in the crash.)The scene on I-10 in Pensacola where at least two people were killed in a multi-vehicle accident. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Sentenced For DUI Manslaughter
April 5, 2012
A Santa Rosa County man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for DUI manslaughter.
Jeremy Joseph Hammill received the sentence from Judge David Rimmer.
On February 27, 2010, Hammill ran the red light at Hamilton Bridge Road and Dogwood Drive and crashed into a car driven by Tammy Cabaniss. Cabaniss was seriously injured, and her passenger, Dwight Davis, died as a result of the crash.
Hammill, who had a previous DUI conviction, had a blood alcohol level of 0.26, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. That was more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.
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Pickup Rear-ends School Bus
April 5, 2012
One student was injured when a school bus was rear-ended by a pickup Wednesday afternoon on Pine Forest Road.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Hildred B. Harrelson, age 70, skidded 38 feet in her 1999 Ford pickup into the back of the bus, which was stopped to allow students to exit near Mandeville Lane.
There were 22 students on the bus at the time of the crash. One suffered a minor injury and was released to their parents.
Harrelson was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by ambulance with minor injuries. A 15-year old passenger in her truck was not injured.
Harrelson was cited for careless driving by the FHP.
Marshals Nab Suspect That Ran From His Murder Trial
April 5, 2012
An Escambia County man that fled from his murder trial during jury deliberations was captured by federal agents in Baldwin County.
Ortavious Devon Wilson, 33,was busted at the Loxley Motel by U.S. Marshals Task Force members from Pensacola and Mobile, along with Task Force members from the Florida State Attorney’s office, Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, Monroeville Police Department and the Alabama Depart of Corrections.
Wilson was arrested outside of a room he rented without incident. However, a search of the room revealed a 9 mm handgun that was reportedly stolen from Escambia County (Fla.) last year, as well as substances that appeared to be crack cocaine and marijuana and drug paraphernalia indicative of dealing and selling drugs.
Wilson is not currently facing any local charges in Alabama but stands to face charges from the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
He was taken to the Baldwin County Jail in Alabama and remanded without bond.
Shortly after Wilson fled the courtroom at the Escambia County Courthouse he was found guilty in a murder trial.
He was charged in connection with the January 2011 murder of 29-year old Eddie Llyod Peterson of Pensacola near the intersection of Mobile Highway and Massachusetts Avenue. Peterson and two other men – Grimsley and 32-year-old Ortavious Devon Wilson — tried to rob the victim at gunpoint, but the victim shot back and killed Peterson.
10-Year Old Charged With Breaking Into School
April 4, 2012
A 10-year old boy has been charged with breaking into an Escambia County elementary school.
Witnesses reported seeing the boy lurking around West Pensacola Elementary just after 7 p.m. Tuesday night. A short time later, a witness heard a window break.
As Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived and surrounded the school, the boy called his mother to say he was inside the school and about to exit. The mother in turn called the Sheriff’s Office.
As the boy exited the school, he refused verbal commands to put his hands behind his back and took off running. Deputies were able to catch up and place him under arrest.
Deputies found a broken window at the school, but they were unable to locate any missing property.
The boy was charged as a juvenile with burglary, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, trespassing on school grounds and resisting arrest without violence.
Budget Woes: Century Library Could Be Closed; Molino Might Never Open
April 4, 2012
The Century Branch Library could be closed and the currently under construction Molino Library may never open due to budget problems.
The county is facing a $9.5 million budget shortfall, most of which is due to a new Medicaid law signed last week by Gov. Rick Scott. That law will force the county to pay $6.2 million to the state for disputed Medicaid bills that have been adding up for about a decade.
To make up the shortfall, Escambia County is looking to cut 100 percent of its funding for branch libraries — all $3.7 million. Escambia County funds about 75 percent of the current library system, while the City of Pensacola funds about 25 percent. Libraries in the city will not be closed.
“In a worst case scenario, the Century and Southwest branch libraries would be closed and Molino would never open,” said Bette Hooton, president of the library’s board of directors. “It shocking, absolutely shocking, to consider that Escambia might be the only county in the state without a library system.”
Escambia County is expected to consider at least three options to keep the libraries open — an August referendum in voters could approve a property tax levy; a property tax levy imposed by the county without referendum; a yearly user fee — $50 per person has been suggested — imposed on every Escambia County resident that uses the library.
The property tax levy to cover the county’s budget shortfall for the library would amount to 0.35 mils, or $35 on a home worth $100,000.
“We are hopeful that we can work together with the county to solve this problem without a referendum,” Hooton said. “But we are not going to go down like this. We’ll fight for the referendum if that is what it takes.”
Escambia County owns the building and property of the Century Branch Library and owns the under construction Molino Library property. However, all of the books and other materials are owned by the City of Pensacola, including about 11,000 items in the Century library.
Meanwhile, construction to convert the former Molino School into a community center and library is continuing. That project is already funded by Escambia County.
Hooton said the library system in Escambia County is a bargain. The cost to run Escambia’s libraries is currently about $16 per person; the state average is $32 per person.
Pictured top: The Century Branch Library. Pictured inset: Construction is underway to convert the old Molino School into a library and community center. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Receive Notice Of Escaped Prison Inmates By Phone
April 4, 2012
The Florida Department of Corrections has launched a new automated telephone system to alert residents living near a state correctional facility in the event of an emergency. The new ALERT Notification Service will keep residents informed of prison escapes, and can also be used in other emergency situations, such as when an Amber or Silver Alert is issued.
To register for the service, residents should call a toll free hotline at (866) 358-5977 and register their phone number and the facility’s zip code. Zip codes for North Escambia area prisons are: 32535 — Century CI and Century Work Camp; 32565 — Berrydale; and 32583 — Santa Rosa CI and Annex.
Registrants will receive detailed information about an escapee including a physical description and the time of the escape. The automated calls will also relay specific information on other emergencies that could impact nearby homes.
“This continues our commitment to ensure the safety of citizens living near one of our facilities,” said Department of Correction Secretary Ken Tucker. “We work very hard to keep our facilities safe for everyone. This new service makes it possible for us to alert citizens at a moment’s notice if problems arise.”
Notifications messages aren’t limited to those living near a specific institution. When needed, notifications will be sent to all registrants across the state. If the registrant moves, they can use the automated line to update their registration information.
“The ALERT Notification Service will also benefit correctional facilities,” added Tucker. “As residents receive offender descriptions, they can be the additional eyes and ears that can help us locate a missing inmate.”
Escapes from the secure perimeter of a prison are rare, with the last one occurring in 2005.
Cantonment Man Shot By Baldwin Deputy After Chase
April 4, 2012
A Cantonment man was was shot by a Baldwin County (Ala.) deputy Tuesday after a high speed chase that ended not far from the state line.
Robert Lamar Vaughn, 43, was shot by Deputy Austin Welch, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office alerted Baldwin County authorities that Vaughn was on his way to a church cemetery outside Robertsdale to commit suicide. When a Robertsdale police officer approached a man matching Vaughn’s description at the cemetery, Vaughn jumped into his Toyota Tundra pickup truck and fled east on Highway 90. Four Baldwin County deputies joined Robertsdale police in the chase.
Spike strips were use to flatten tires on the truck, but Vaughn continued almost three miles until he pulled into the parking lot of Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala. Vaughn exited the truck and ran inside with a rifle. While inside the store, he pointed the rifle at a deputy through a glass door. The deputy fired a shot striking the Vaughn in the torso, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Vaughn was shot once by one of the Baldwin County deputies with a shotgun. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by ambulance. His condition was not available early Wednesday afternoon.
There were no other injuries.
Vaughn has not yet been charged with any crime.
Pictured: The scene at Uncle Bubba’s Country Store in Seminole, Ala., Tuesday after a Cantonment man was shot by a Baldwin County deputy. Photo by Anthony Pura, WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.