First Candidate Prefiles For ECUA District 5 Seat
December 31, 2011
Friday, a Cantonment resident became the first candidate to prefile for the District 5 seat on the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
Charlou Williams of Brightview Place in Cantonment prefiled for the District 5 ECUA seat currently held by Dr. Larry Walker.
Two Charged In Drag Racing Death Of 77-Year Old Santa Rosa Woman
December 31, 2011
Two people have been charged with homicide in connection with a drag racing crash November 26 that killed an elderly Santa Rosa County woman.
Dennis George Collier (pictured), 30, was released Friday from the Santa Rosa County Jail on $220,000 bond on charges of negligent homicide, negligent homicide with a vehicle and drag racing. About 9 p.m. Friday night, 21-year old Logan Brooks Drinkard turned himself into the Santa Rosa County Jail on the same charges. He is being held without bond.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, several witnesses said Drinkard was racing another vehicle at a high rate of speed in his 1997 Ford Mustang when he hit a 2006 Toyota Camry driven by 73-year old Victor P. Bindi of Gulf Breeze. The accident sent Bindi’s passenger, 77-year old Germaine L. Bindi, to Baptist Hospital where she later died.
The FHP said Collier was also involved in the drag race in his burnt orange Pontiac GTO.
DUI Crackdown Underway
December 31, 2011
Law enforcement officers will be out in force as 2011 comes to a close, cracking down on drunk and impaired driving.
The Florida Highway Patrol has joined thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation in Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, a nationwide campaign targeting impaired driving through January 2, 2012.
Impaired driving is one of the deadliest crimes, especially during the holiday period. During the 2010 Christmas and New Year’s holiday travel period, approximately 35 percent of the traffic fatalities in Florida were alcohol related.
Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians who comply with Flroida’s traffic laws and use sound judgment can help make the holiday period safer and less stressful for everyone, according to the FHP.
“Impaired driving continues to be a priority for law enforcement in the state, and the Florida Highway Patrol will be intensifying enforcement during the holidays,” said FHP Director, Col. David Brierton. “Our goal is to create the safest possible driving environment by modifying driver behavior – and helping drivers make better decisions.”
FHP Auxiliary and Reserve troopers are also out during the heightened travel periods.
The FHP offers these tips for a safer holiday:
- Plan ahead
- Use a designated driver
- If you are impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a friend or family member to get you home safely.
- Call *FHP (*347) to report intoxicated or aggressive drivers, or if your vehicle breaks down and you need assistance. To request immediate emergency services, dial 911.
Pictured above: FHP Trooper Rafael Streeter issues a traffic citation at the corner of Highway 29 and Hecker Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
2011 In Photos: July
December 31, 2011
All this week, we are looking back at the photos that were in the news in 2011. Today, we are featuring photos from July.
Federal and state authorities raided a Jay medical practice with Dr. C. David Smith and his son Dr. J. S. Michael Smith surrendering their DEA licenses to prescribe narcotics.
Mayor Freddie McCall (right) congratulates two-time Super Bowl champ Anthony Pleasant as a Century park is dedicated in Pleasant’s name.
Youth involved in Mission Molino did yard work for widows around Molino and witnessed on Pensacola Beach during July.
Copper was stripped from two air conditioning units at the Byrneville Community Center.
The alleged work of an arsonist destroyed an unoccupied Century mobile home.
Lightning from a summer storm destroyed this storage shed in Bratt.
Summer meant Vacation Bible School for hundreds of children across the area, including the Big Apple Adventure at Highland Baptist Church.
Black ribbons were placed on the door of Century Town Hall and the flag was flown at half staff in honor of Council member Nadine McCaw following her death.
July marked the final lift off of the space shuttle, taking with it part of Florida’s economic engine.
Molino and Century were mentioned on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, thanks to a “genius” criminal.
Children enjoyed a shadow puppet show and numerous other activities during the summer reading series at the Century Branch Library.
Thousands of people attended Fourth of July fireworks shows, with hundreds choosing a show in Flomaton that was joint project of Flomaton and Century.
A brush fire off Highway 97A created a smoke fire that could be seen for miles in early July.
Poll: Romney, Gingrich Tied In Florida
December 31, 2011
As Florida voters begin to focus on the state’s pivotal GOP presidential primary at the end of January, the leading contenders are former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, according to a poll by TelOpinion Research.
Romney and Gingrich are essentially in a statistical dead heat, with Romney leading with 27 percent of the vote to Gingrich’s 26, according to the telephone survey of 780 Republican voters, conducted from Dec. 15-19.
Bill Lee, a Republican pollster who co-founded TelOpinion, said that matches the national pattern, with Romney and Gingrich drawing most of the media attention.
“Leading into Iowa, this is essentially a tie ball game between those two,” Lee said.
The trend also matches an ideological split that appears to have hampered Romney’s drive to the nomination: Doubts remain about him among the most conservative elements of the Republican Party and religious conservatives. Among self-identified members of the tea-party movement, Gingrich leads by eight points, 28-16. The two men almost evenly divide other voters, 28-26 in favor of Romney.
Gingrich also leads by 14 percentage points among very conservative voters, while Romney holds a 15-point edge among those who call themselves “somewhat conservative.” The two are essentially tied among moderates, with Gingrich holding a 20-17 advantage.
Gingrich also leads Romney among those who attend church more than once a week, with those who go to church weekly about evenly split. Voters who attend less frequently favor Romney, often strongly.
The poll was conducted just as Gingrich, who surged to the front of the pack on the strength of debate performances, saw his numbers begin to slip in Iowa and elsewhere under a barrage of attacks from his competitors and so-called Super PACs supporting them.
And 31 percent of Republican voters in Florida said they hadn’t decided who to back, meaning the race remains volatile with about a month to go before the Jan. 31 primary.
None of their other competitors hit double digits. Texas Congressman Ron Paul, whose libertarian streak has vaulted him into contention in Iowa, holds just 5 percent of the votes of those surveyed by TelOpinion. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Texas Gov. Rick Perry — who had hoped to perform strongly in Florida — were next, tied at 4 percent.
Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who had initially based his campaign in Florida before shifting his focus to New Hampshire, was tied with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum with 1 percent.
Brian Graham, a Republican consultant in Florida not aligned with any of the candidates, said he wasn’t surprised that the candidates drawing the most coverage are getting the highest numbers.
“They are the candidates with the most name ID,” Graham said. “This is a big state. … Most candidates haven’t paid much attention to Florida right now.”
As votes roll in from early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina and candidates ramp up their efforts in Florida, Graham said the situation could change, even beyond the voters who call themselves undecided.
“I would highly doubt that any of the voters are truly, truly firmly decided on their candidates,” he said.
The poll was another dose of bad news for Perry, who had taken a lead in the state shortly after announcing his candidacy but before a series of debate gaffes undermined his candidacy.
Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, one of Perry’s earliest supporters, brushed aside a question earlier this month about whether he was surprised that the governor’s campaign had failed to gain traction.
“I think if anything, I’m surprised at the overall ups and downs of all of the candidates,” Cannon said.
Graham said Perry’s gaffes had badly hurt him among Republican voters who are concerned chiefly with defeating President Barack Obama in the November elections.
“I think that a lot of Republicans were uncomfortable with Rick Perry’s inability to perform well with public speaking and the debates,” he said.
But Lee said the 31 percent undecided bloc could still make room for one more candidate with the necessary resources if it moves beyond Iowa and the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. Perry raised millions before his troubles began.
“The third player might be Governor Perry,” Lee said.
By The News Service of Florida
One Homeless After Early Morning Fire Destroys Cantonment Home (With Photo Gallery)
December 30, 2011
One person was left homeless after an early Friday morning house fire in Cantonment.
The fire was reported just before 2:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Washington Street, near Louis Street. The small wood frame home was completely involved when the first firefighters arrived on scene. The home was completely destroyed in the blaze, which was declared out at 3:14 a.m.
There were no injuries reported. The owner of the home was not at home at the time of the fire. The American Red Cross is assisting the adult male left homeless by the fire.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
The Cantonment, Ensley, Molino, Ferry Pass and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the fire, along with Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Bellview and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue were placed on standby to answer other calls in the area during the blaze.
Related Story: December Fires Down Compared To Previous Years
Pictured: This home on Washington Street in Cantonment was destroyed by fire early Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
December Escambia County Fires Down Compared To Previous Years
December 30, 2011
With just hours to go in the “Keep the Wreath Green” Fire safety campaign, December 2011 residential fires are down significantly in Escambia County when compared to last year.
As of early Friday morning, there had only been four residential fires in the county. The most recent fire destroyed a home in Cantonment early Friday morning. [Read more...]
By comparison, the 2010 Keep the Wreath Green campaign ended with 18 red bulbs representing residential fires, with 15 of those fire occurring by Christmas Eve. In 2009, there were a dozen fires during the period.
Mike Weaver, Escambia County Public Safety director, said the decrease in residential fires could possibly be attributed to a slightly warmer December and, hopefully, to public education leading to improved fire safety.
In the wreath campaign, each time firefighters respond to a residential fire in Escambia County, a green light bulb is replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by holiday decorations.
Between 2009 and 2011, only one December residential fire has been in North Escambia.
For 31 Keep the Wreath Green fire safety tips, click here.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Forrest Gibbs Files Suit Against 3 County Commissioners
December 30, 2011
The man hired then fired amid controversy as the manager of the Escambia County Equestrian Center has filed suit against three Escambia County commissioners.
Forrest Gibbs held the job for about two weeks in October until being fired by County Administrator Randy Oliver following a complaint that Commissioner Wilson Robertson influenced his hiring and landed Gibbs a salary higher than was advertised. The commission, including Robertson, called for a state investigation into the process. The State Attorney found no wrongdoing.
Now, Gibbs has filed suit in Escambia County Circuit Court against Commissioners Kevin White, Marie Young and Grover Robinson claiming that he was qualified and they improperly removed him from his new job. The suit does not name Escambia County as a defendant. Gene Valentino, who was not at a county meeting in which the board considered the matter, is also not being sued.
Gibbs is seeking unnamed damages in excess of $15,000 plus legal and court costs from White, Young and Robinson.
The job was advertised again with a selection committee slated to choose the new manager. Gibbs is one of seven finalists on the new short list for the job.
Items Worth Thousands Taken During Cantonment Burglaries
December 30, 2011
Residents in a quiet Cantonment subdivision have been rattled by a break-ins over the past couple of weeks in which thieves have made off with thousands of dollars worth of goods.
The break-ins were reported in Saverna Park subdivision, off Well Line Road near Santa Rosa Road.
Wednesday afternoon, someone used a brick to smash through a window of one of about dozen homes in the neighborhood. About $6,000 worth of items — many recently opened Christmas presents — were taken, including a big screen TV, laptops, other electronics and money. About two weeks ago, almost $10,000 worth of possessions including TV’s, cameras and firearms were stolen from another home in the subdivision. A brick was also used to smash a windows in that burglary.
Residents say the burglars are approaching the homes from the rear from nearby wooded areas then making their getaway back into the woods.
Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Time Running Out To Make Donations For 2011 Tax Deductions
December 30, 2011
The next couple of days are a great time to clear out the old and make room for the new as the 2011 winds down — and a great opportunity to take advantage of the chance to save on your taxes. Or, simply just write a check to your favorite church or non-profit.
Area non-profit thrift stores are ready and waiting to accept donations of furniture, clothing, household items and more. With a receipt, the donations can be written off your 2011 tax return. There are plenty of choices in the North Escambia area, including the Waterfront Rescue Bargain Center in Cantonment, the Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store, the We Care Economy Shops in Atmore and Flomaton, and the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Century.
Tax experts say you also have until Saturday to write a check to your local church or your favorite charity in order to receive a deduction for 2011. Most churches or charities will willingly provide a receipt or a year-end summary of your contributions.
Pictured: The Waterfront Rescue Mission Bargain Center in Cantonment, the sixth store opened by the organization. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.