Two Seriously Injured In Pickup, Semi Crash (With Photo Gallery)
September 24, 2011
(Updated 9:15 a.m.) Two people were critically injured in a crash involving a pickup truck and a semi-truck Saturday morning in Molino.
The Florida Highway Patrol says 18-year old Tyler Fox of Pensacola was eastbound on Barrineau Park Road in a 1997 Ford F150 when he attempted to cross Highway 29 and pulled into the path of 2009 semi-truck driven by Kenny Lamont Moore, 37, of Florence, Ala. The 18-wheeler broadsided the pickup before jackknifing across the southbound lanes of Highway 29
Tyler and his 17-year old passenger, Destiny Trantham of Pensacola Beach, were ejected in the 6:55 a.m. crash as their truck came to rest in the median. Both, according to the FHP, were airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola in critical condition. Moore was transported to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the crash.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured: Two people in this pickup were seriously injured after being t-boned by a semi-truck Saturday morning in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Behind Planned 500 Century Jobs Behind Bars For Financial Crimes
September 24, 2011
The man behind an industry announced for Century is now behind bars in Florida awaiting extradition to Alabama to multiple financial and fraud charges.
James Leonard Craft, age 71 of Milton, is being held without bond in the Santa Rosa County Jail as a fugitive from justice. Craft was arrested without incident late Friday morning and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail were he will remain until he is extradited to Etowah County, Alabama, to face multiple felony charges.
At last report, Craft was the manager of Century Lumber and Land, a company that held a ribbon cutting back in October 2010 for a group of new businesses that planned to locate in Century’s vacant Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property and bring up to 500 jobs to the struggling town. According to Workforce Escarosa, over 3,000 people have applied for those jobs as of earlier this year.
Sgt. Steven Hooks with the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office declined late Friday to specify exactly what securities fraud and financial charges Craft faces.
“He was indicted by a grand jury in Etowah County,” Hooks said, “and the exact charges are not public record until he is returned here and the warrant is served.” Craft’s bond is expected to be set at $30,000 once he is formally booked into the Etowah County Jail in Gasden, Alabama.
In a public order in late 2010, the Alabama Securities Commission ordered Century Lumber and Land, LLC and James Craft to cease and desist from offering or selling financial securities, within or from the state of Alabama after an alleged attempt to solicit an investment without a license for a wood products business.
Late Friday, Dan Lord, public affairs manager for the Alabama Securities Commission, referred NorthEsambia.com to the cease and desist order that names Craft and Century Lumber and Land. He declined to say if Craft’s indictment in Etowah County was related to the 2010 Alabama Securities Commission order.
Pictured top: The October 22, 2010, ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Body Found That Could Be That Of Missing Boater, Former Jay Resident
September 24, 2011
A body has been found of the Mexican coast near where the boat belonging to a missing former Jay resident was found September 2. The body was discovered floating this week by the Mexican Navy about 60 miles from where 41-year old Alonzo Lee Kent’s boat The Monkey Bar II was found.
According to an article in the Mexican newspaper Progreso Hoy, the body was that of naked white male, but facial features were unrecognizable due to decomposition in the water. The newspaper reported that the body was like that of Kent or perhaps a that of man that went missing from an oil platform on September 8.
Kent is official listed as a missing person with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, but his family believes he is dead, having published an obituary just days after his disappearance.
About 8:30 a.m. on August 28, family reported Kent, now a resident of Gulf Breeze, missing after he did not return from a fishing trip south of Pensacola Pass. The Coast Guard called off their search for Kent after searching an area larger than Maryland.
Kent’s The Monkey Bar II was located near Chuburna, a small town on the Yucatan Peninsula — about 550 miles away. There was no one aboard the Boston Whaler, according to the Progreso Hoy newspaper website.
The boat was floating with the keys in the console and out of gas. There was no one aboard, according to fisherman Yam Chan who found the boat. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed late Friday night that the Monkey Bar II was being held by Mexican authorities pending an investigation.
Back in the U.S., a warrant for Kent’s arrest was signed August 30 by an Escambia County Judge, the same day the U.S. Coast Guard ended a three-day search for him and his 32-foot Boston Whaler in the Gulf.
Pensacola Police said a 40-year old woman, whose name has not been released, reported that Kent had repeatedly stalked and harassed her for months. The woman claimed he called her over four dozen times, yelled obscenities while banging on her door and sat outside her home for four hours drinking beer.
According to Escambia County Clerk of Courts records, a temporary restraining order was issued against Kent after being filed by a Pensacola woman on August 26. He missed a scheduled court appearance.
Pictured: The Monkey Bar II, the fishing boat belonging to a former Jay resident missing since a fishing trip last week, was found in Chuburna, Mexico. Photo courtesy Progreso Hoy for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Scalp The South Walton Seahawks
September 24, 2011
The Northview Chiefs picked up a huge 47-8 win Friday night as they destroyed South Walton on the road in Santa Rosa Beach.
The Chief had nearly 600 yards total offense Friday night, with over 500 yards on the ground.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Northview opened the first quarter with a 70 yard touchdown run from Brandon Sheets. With a good kick, the Chiefs were up 7-0 with 10:56 to go in the first.
Running back La’Mikal Kyles was in with a 40-yard touchdown reception with 7:47 to go in the first, and the Chiefs were up 14-0 over the Seahawks. At the end of the first, the Chiefs were up 20-0 after a 2-yard touchdown dash from Mitchell and a blocked kick with 2:46 on the clock.
Early in the second quarter, Montaio Mitchell added another half dozen for the Chiefs with a 75-yard touchdown run, 27-0. With 3:13 remaining in the half, Kyles added a 60-yard touchdown, 34-0 Chiefs.
Northview jumped out to 41-0 with a 63-yard run from fullback Roderick Woods with 7:38 in the third. The Chiefs’ domination expanded to 47-0 with a 24-yard run from Sheets with 1:31 to go in the third.
The Seahawks, managed to put eight on the board in the fourth, as the Chiefs picked up a big 47-8 win on the road in South Walton.
Northview (2-1, 0-0) will finally play at home in Bratt next Friday night with the Chiefs’ first home game of the season seeing the Gulf Breeze Dolphins headed to the country.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs defeated South Walton Friday night in Santa Rosa Beach. NorthEscambia.com photos by Heather Leonard, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Beats Jay 47-14
September 24, 2011
The Flomaton Hurricanes beat the Jay Royals 47-14 Friday night in a rivalry that dates back to the 1940’s.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.
The Hurricanes were Category 5 strength all the way until the fourth quarter with a 41-0 lead as they put in members of their JV team against the Royals.
Flomaton’s Ryheem Dixon had five total touchdowns on the Cane’s home field – rushing for 161 yard and two touchdowns and passing for three touchdowns and 96 yards.
The Canes had a 3-yard run in the first quarter from Neiko Robinson and a 49-yarder from Dixon to take an early 14-0 lead. The next four touchdowns had Dixon written all over them — a 7-yard pass to Jacob Newton, a 1-yard run for a 27-0 lead at the half, 35 yards in the air to Robinson, and a 15-yarder to Newton.
After the Hurricanes’ first string left the field in the fourth, the Royals had a couple of touchdowns including one from Ricky Cofield after a 90-yard run. Overall, Cofield was a standout for the injury-plagued Jay Royals with 193 yards rushing.
Jay will celebrate their homecoming next Friday night as they host South Walton, while the Flomaton Hurricanes will also celebrate homecoming as they take on Cottage Hill.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: The Jay Royals fell to the Flomaton Hurricanes Friday night in Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Prep Football Finals
September 24, 2011
Here are final scores from games across the North Escambia area Friday night:
- Northview 47, South Walton 8 [Story, photos...]
- Flomaton, 47 Jay 14 [Story, photos...]
- Escambia 24, Tate 22 [Story, photos...]
- West Florida High 49 Bay 22
- Pace 13 Pine Forest 12
- PHS 17, Milton 0
- Gulf Breeze 38 Arnold 8
- Escambia County (Atmore) 27 Faith 21
- Hillcrest 19 WS Neal 6
- Andalusia 35 TR Miller 10
- Patrician Academy 34, Escambia Academy 28
Escambia Gets Past Tate
September 24, 2011
The Escambia Gators defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night, 24-22.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
After the Gators jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the first, Tate answered with a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback David Moorhead to Justin Elliot. With a two point conversion from LaVantai Samuel, the Aggies and the Gators were even at 8-8.
In the second quarter, Escambia scored again with a touchdown and field goal to go ahead 18-8.
With 5:39 to go in the third quarter of play, Aggies quarterback David Moorehead hit Alex Westergreen on 35-yard pass to bring the Aggies within three, 18-15. Tate scored again in the third with a 60-yard pass from Moorhead to Westergreen, and Mancuso made a good kick. The Aggies were up 22-18 in headed into the fourth.
But the Gators bit again in the fourth with a touchdown to make it 24-22, Escambia. The Aggies had a chance at the win with about a minute left in the game, but a 37-yard field goal went wide to the right.
The Tate Aggies will host the Pine Forest Eagles next Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: The Escambia Gators defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Prune Roses Now For Fall Flowers
September 24, 2011
Rose flowering and overall performance aren’t great during our Gulf Coast summers, but each year we have the potential to have great fall blooms due to the cooler conditions and typically drier weather.
Although we should have pruned our rose bushes back in early spring, they have been growing since then, and many may look overgrown, leggy and less attractive now. That’s particularly true with the popular hybrid teas and grandifloras.
So a second, less severe pruning is recommended in early September to get rose bushes in shape for the fall blooming season.
First, all the dead growth should be removed. Make your cuts well into the healthy part of the canes just above a leaf or dormant bud – or remove the dead cane entirely back to its point of origin.
Next, remove weak, spindly canes the diameter of a pencil or less, particularly those growing in the interior of the plant. Cut them off at their point of origin, making sure you do not leave a stub. If you see any sprouts originating from the root stock (below the large, knobby graft union), cut them off, too. Do not remove any strong new shoots growing from the graft union, however.
The major part of the pruning involves shortening the remaining vigorous canes. This will produce a fuller, more attractive bush with larger, better quality flowers in October. This pruning needs to be done even if there are flowers on the bush now.
Cut the canes back to about 24 to 30 inches from the ground. Ideally, try to make each cut just above a bud that faces outward (away from the inside of the bush). The cuts should be made about one-fourth inch above the bud at a slight angle slanting away from the bud. Don’t leave a large stub sticking up above the bud or you will encourage stem rot, and don’t cut too close to the bud or you will kill it.
Clean up and dispose of all leaves and prunings from the area. Then fertilize the roses to encourage vigorous new growth. Use your favorite rose fertilizer following label directions or use a general-purpose fertilizer appropriate for your area.
Ever-blooming old garden roses, shrub roses, landscape roses and other groups also may be pruned now, but the pruning required generally is less severe and is done mostly to shape the bush or to control the size of more vigorous cultivars. Use your best judgment when it comes to pruning these roses.
Some roses – including many climbing roses, ramblers and old roses – only bloom once in spring and early summer. They should not be pruned back now, since they will produce flowers next year on the growth they made this summer. Cutting them back now or anytime before they bloom next year will reduce the number of flowers they produce.
Pruning is a job that many gardeners approach with apprehension. There is always a fear that if it’s not done correctly dire things may happen to a plant. With some exceptions, pruning shrubs is more like getting a haircut. Even a really bad haircut eventually will grow out and look better.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Davis Highway Bank Robbed
September 23, 2011
Authorities are searching for a man armed with handgun that robbed an Escambia County bank this afternoon. The man escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.
The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. at SunTrust Bank, 6700 N. Davis Highway. Pensacola Police Department Sgt. Stephen Davis said the man walked up to a teller, handed her a note demanding cash while lifting his shirt to show a handgun in his pants.
The teller complied and the man left the bank on foot in an eastbound direction.
Davis said there were about a half-dozen employees and about the same number of customers in the bank at the time.
The suspect is a white male, possibly 35 to 45 years old, about 6 feet to 6 feet 4, about 140 to 160 pounds with short dark brown or black hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved dark blue denim shirt and a black flat cap. He may have a mole on his left cheek and had a pronounced Adam’s apple.
Anyone having information on the suspect is asked to contact Detective Chad Willhite at (850) 435-1965 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
Arrest Made In Overnight Murder
September 23, 2011
Deputies have made an arrest in the overnight shooting death of an Escambia County man.
About 10:50 p.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the Moorings Apartments on Old Spanish Trail Road. When they arrived they found the victim, 53-year old Alvin Merriwell Lewis Jr. dead from multiple gunshot woulds inside the suspect’s apartment, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Thomas Larry Bolds, 67, of 8491 Old Spanish Trail Road (pictured), was arrested and charged with homicide.
According to witnesses, Lewis had been demonstrating how he would defend himself by using a knife, but at no time threatened anyone. During Lewis’s demonstration, Bolds picked up a gun and began shooting Lewis, deputies said.
Bolds was transported to the Escambia County Jail and held without bond.