Walnut Hill Woman Allegedly Abandons Five Kids At Bratt Park, Drives Under Influence To Atmore
December 20, 2011
A Walnut Hill woman is facing charges in two states after allegedly abandoning five young children at a Bratt Park and driving under the influence to an Atmore business with another child in her vehicle.
Amber Rose Ryals, age 25 of North Pine Barren Road, is charged in Alabama with driving under the influence of narcotics, theft of property and endangering the welfare of a child in Alabama. She is also wanted on an outstanding warrant and is expected to face additional charges in Florida.
Five children were found alone at the Lcp. Travis M. Nelson Park near Northview High School about noon Monday. A concerned citizen had noticed that the children, believed to range in age from 3 to 6, were alone in the park. She called the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office and reported the situation.
Meanwhile in Atmore, employees at Burke’s Outlet on Lindberg Avenue reported to the Atmore Police Department that Ryals was in a vehicle directly in front of their store. They told police that they witnesses Ryals take a bottle of medication and numerous pills to the point where she was incoherent and confused.
Police said there was as small child about one year old in the backseat of the vehicle. Officers also discovered that she had taken several items from a nearby Fred’s store without paying for them. Ryals told Atmore Police that she could not remember how she got to Burke’s.
Ryals was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital for evaluation before being booked into jail.
Ryals told Atmore Police that she was extremely distraught over a lack of money to purchase Christmas presents for her children and her nieces and nephews. She told police that she had left the five children alone in the park “near the high school” while she drove to Burkes, apparently to get gifts for the children. Atmore Police first searched the Tom Byrne Park in Atmore, which is near Burkes and close to Escambia County School, but they were unable to locate the children.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources and the Florida Department of Children of Families are both investigating the incident.
According to Escambia County (Fla.) Circuit Court records, an active failure to appear warrant for Ryals’ arrest was issued December 9 when she failed to appear in court for violating her probation in a March 2010 driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident case. She is also expected to face charges in Florida for abandoning the children.
Four of the six children involved in the incident belonged to Ryals, police said, while two were nieces or nephews. None of the children were injured. They were released into the custody of a relative.
Pictured top: A Walnut Hill woman is transported by ambulance from Burkes Outlet in Atmore Monday afternoon after allegedly abandoning five children in a Bratt Park. Pictured bottom inset: The store manager at a nearby business comforts a child that was in the vehicle with Amber Rose Ryals. Pictured below: Ryals vehicle is searched by Atmore Police. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bi-Lo Buys Winn Dixie
December 20, 2011
The entire Winn-Dixie chain is being sold to supermarket company Bi-Lo LLC for about $560 million.
The newly combined company will have about 690 grocery stores and 63,000 employees in eight Southeastern states.
Bi-Lo currently operates 207 supermarkets in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee that employee about 17,000 people.
Winn-Dixie runs about 480 retail grocery locations in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi with about 46,000 employees.
The company says there are no store closings expected as part of the deal that is expected to close in the next 60 to 120 days. Company officials said they expect the name Winn-Dixie to remain.
Each Winn Dixie stockholder will receive $9.50 per share in cash, about 75 percent more than the stock’s closing price last Friday.
Early Morning Fire Leaves Flomaton Family Of Four Homeless
December 20, 2011
A family of four was able to escape an early Tuesday morning house fire in Flomaton without injuries.
The fire on Roosevelt Street just east of Flomaton High School was reported about 12:30 a.m. The fire, which appeared to originate in the rear of the home, was quickly knocked down by firefighters. A family dog in the home did not survive.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Flomaton, Friendship and Lambeth fire departments, along with the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded to the blaze.
Pictured above: A Flomaton firefighter works to fully extinguish a house fire on Roosevelt Street early Tuesday morning. Pictured below: The fire was reported about 12:30 a.m. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
A Country Christmas: Hay Bales Used To Create Santa, Snowman
December 20, 2011
North Escambia residents have turned to round hay bales to create a couple of interesting Christmas displays.
At the Miller home near Walnut Hill, hay bales have been used to create Frosty the Snowman — complete with a corncob pipe. The display is located in the 3000 block of Highway 97, just north of Hendricks Lane.
And at the Century Branch Library, a hay bale Santa uses plenty of locally grown cotton to create the beard for a huge Santa Claus.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
America’s Most Wanted Dewayne ‘Money’ Pinestraw Arrested For Toddler Murder
December 20, 2011
Recently named one of America’s Most Wanted, a former Cantonment resident that was the suspected triggerman in the shooting of a Pensacola toddler is now behind bars.
Dewayne “Money” Pinestraw was apprehended without incident by the Dallas U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force Monday night.
Pinestraw, using the alias “Nicholas Williams” was found hiding out at a house believed to be the home of a girl he befriended in recent months. According to U.S. Marshals on the scene, they had to force the door open to apprehend him, where they recovered a 9 mm handgun, marijuana and fake identification. The marshals were able to capture Pinestraw only 48 hours after his story aired on the TV program America’s Most Wanted Saturday night.
“Although we had leads to the Dallas area we could never pinpoint his location,” said Inspector Dominic Guadagnoli of the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in Pensacola. “It’s simple; without AMW (America’s Most Wanted) he’d still be a fugitive.”
Pinestraw was wanted on an open count of murder for the shooting death of Ty’Quarius Moultrie, 19 months old; aggravated battery for the shooting of Vincent Dennis, 23; and firing a weapon into an occupied building for the incident that occurred in July at Pensacola Village, 500 East Fairfield Drive.
Multiple shots were fired into the apartment back on July 15, according to Pensacola Police, shortly after several people were involved in a drug transaction nearby.
Pinestraw had immediately eluded law enforcement after the killing. The Marshals had been asked to help in the fugitive investigation by Pensacola Police Department after their leads in Pensacola had gone stale. The US Marshals Task Force has been working this case non-stop since following leads to Alabama, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Missouri.
Pinestraw’s last known address was on Lake Drive in Cantonment. He was booked into the Dallas County Jail without bond.
Shot Deputy Released From Hospital
December 20, 2011
The Okaloosa County deputy shot earlier this month in Santa Rosa County has been released from the hospital.
Investigator Steve Hough of Fort Walton Beach was working as part of the US Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force serving a warrant in the 5400 block of Camille Gardens Circle near Milton when he was shot December 9.
The suspect, 34-year old David Christopher Lewis, died last Thursday as a result of injuries he received during the shooting incident.
FCAT Gets Tougher
December 20, 2011
Higher scores will now be required to pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT).
The Florida Board of Education approved the tougher standards for reading and math in grade levels 3 through 10. State education officials say the higher score requirements will serve to better prepare students for college, while opponents say the higher standards will simply lead to more failures.
Monday’s vote by the state BOE was the first time scoring requirements had been raised in 10 years.
New Scrap Gold Buying Business Opens In Century
December 20, 2011
A ribbon cutting was held Monday for Century’s newest business.
The Century Chamber of Commerce cut the ribbon Monday afternoon for Florida Precious Metals. The scrap silver and gold-buying business is located at 8311 North Century Boulevard, south of Whataburger and across from Workforce Escarosa.
The 1,400 square foot building, which was constructed in 1983 and updated in 2007, formerly housed a medical office.
No Joy: Vandal Strikes Couple’s Christmas Light Display
December 19, 2011
A large sign in their yard proclaims “JOY”, surrounded by Christmas lights that have always put joy into the hearts of a Century couple. But Agnes and Glen Grant just can’t understand why a vandal would destroy part of their gift to the community.
In the scheme of thousands of Christmas lights, the 13 strands that were cut and destroyed in their yard were really not that much — probably about $40 to replace, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
“But I just can’t understand why anyone would want to destroy the lights,” Agnes Grant said.
Agnes and Glen have been married for 53 years, and they have decorated their large yard at the corner of Highway 29 and Elsie Davis Road for at least 25 years, she said. There are lighted trees, a manger scene, Disney characters and more along Highway 29 and Elsie Davis Road.
“We just love it,” she said. “Christmas decorating got into my blood as 10-12 year old child,” she said. “Dad started decorating outside with just one tree covered in blue lights. I remember walking out toward the road to make sure the lights were in perfect position. It was our family tradition.”
Now, Glen is facing health issues, his wife said, but the couple still gets great joy in looking at their lights and sharing them with the community.
“It’s Christmas,” she said, “I just can’t understand. The lights are so pretty.”
Pictured top: A sign proclaims Christmas JOY at the the home of Agnes and Glen Grant. Pictured inset: A manger scene is part of their display. Pictured below: A view from Highway 29 of the display, which also fronts Elsie Davis Road. NorthEsambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Rate Hike Hearing Ends, Decision Soon
December 19, 2011
The Florida Public Service Commission could decide February 27 whether Gulf Power Company customers will pay $93.5 million more a year for electricity — partially to fund the purchase of 4,000 acres of land for a possible nuclear power plant near McDavid.
The commission has wrapped up a nearly four-day hearing on the Pensacola-based utility’s request for an increase in base rates. The hearing centered on issues such as how much potential investor earnings should be included in the rates. Attorneys for consumer and business groups argued that the rate proposal should be dramatically scaled back, with some arguing Gulf has justified only a $16.2 million increase.
Currently, a Gulf Power residential customer who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours a month of electricity pays $127.16. That number will drop slightly to $125.80 in January because of lower fuel and environmental costs. But if the PSC approves Gulf Power’s base-rate proposal, the customer bill would jump to $133.46 in April.