Escambia County ‘Hamburglar’ Gets 15 Years In Prison
June 18, 2011
An Escambia County man is headed to prison for a string of burglaries — including the theft of hamburger patties.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said James William Cole, Jr., entered a plea of no contest before Judge Jan Shackelford to 12 counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure, theft and criminal mischief.
Judge Shackelford found Cole guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in state prison as a habitual felony offender.
The burglaries occurred in Escambia County in January and February of this year. Cole broke into numerous local businesses including daycare centers, churches, a dry cleaner, and oil/lube centers. During the burglaries, Cole stole cash, electronics and at one location — hamburger patties.
Cole has additional cases pending in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties on charges of burglary, theft and criminal mischief.
Scott Signs Education Bills
June 18, 2011
Scott signed a pair of wide-ranging education-related bills on Friday.
The first, HB 1255, establishes a gift ban on school board members, revises testing requirements and requires districts to put budget information on their websites.
The second, HB 7151, eliminates a prohibition on requiring certain students to take summer classes at universities and includes a number of other Board of Governors priorities.
The bill also requires a study on the appropriate scores for Advanced Placement credits. The Senate companion of that bill at one point would have changed the minimum AP score a student needs to gain college credit from a 3 to a 4. But that was taken out with an amendment and not included in the final version. Both bills now become law.
Burn Bans In Effect
June 18, 2011
Burn bans remain in effect in Escambia County, Florida, and in the entire state of Alabama. In Santa Rosa County, officials are asking for caution, but there is no burn ban.
Escambia County issued a burn ban Wednesday afternoon due to the extreme drought and heightened risk of wildfires. The ban issued by Escambia County Fire Chief Daniel Spillman prohibits all open outdoor burning, including trash and debris burning, campfires, bonfires and all other similar fires. Fireworks are also included in the ban.
The Town of Century and the City of Pensacola are included in the burn ban, according to Sonya Daniel, public information officer for Escambia County.
The only exemptions to the ban are state permitted burns, authorized fireworks displays, fireworks sales authorized by state law and outdoor cooking in barbeque grills, smoker and other outdoor stoves at private residences.
Depending on the circumstances, violations could be enforceable by civil citations or criminal penalties if warranted, Daniel said.
In Santa Rosa county, officials are asking residents to avoid any outdoor burning activity, including campfires, bonfires and yard debris and trash burning.
“While no burn ban is in place at this time, if conditions change, the board of county commissioners can take emergency action immediately to enact any necessary burn ban,” said Joy Tsubooka, Santa Rosa County public information officer.
The Florida Division of Forestry is currently not issuing any burn permits.
Pictured top: An unauthorized burn Friday afternoon on Rigby Road in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jay Man Arrested For Manslaughter; Woman Died From Narcotics Overdose
June 17, 2011
A Jay man has been arrested for manslaughter in connection with the December 2010 overdose death of a local woman.
Michael Sanford was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on a charge of manslaughter.
The incident occurred on December 25, 2010, at Sanford’s home on Bullard Road in Jay, according to investigators.
That’s when the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded to Sanford’s home for a possible overdose. The victim, Patsy Jean Wright, 55, was pronounced deceased a short time later at Jay Hospital.
An autopsy was conducted and showed several needle marks present on the victim’s body. The autopsy determined that the cause of death included include acute morphine intoxication and was homicide.
During the days following the incident, investigators spoke with witnesses who were present during the incident at Sanford’s house. Witnesses stated that Wright went to Sanford’s residence to be injected with Morphine pills after they were broken down into a liquid form.
Wright allegedly allowed Sanford to inject her with morphine and she immediately went to sleep, witnesses told investigators. Sanford gave Wright numerous other injections of morphine, rendering Wright was incapable of consenting to further injections, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Witnesses said they told Sanford to stop and became concerned for Wright’s wellbeing. Witnesses stated that during the early morning hours after being injected, Wright would not wake up and was having difficulty breathing and finally quit breathing and 911 was called.
Witnesses stated that Sanford took all of the evidence — including syringes, spoons, pill bottles, and related paraphernalia — and burned it in a burn barrel in his back yard.
Sanford was also interviewed by investigators and admitted to injecting Wright with morphine. Sanford admitted to deputies that he injected Wright numerous times and stated that it might have been after Wright was “passed out” because he was also “high”.
Sanford is currently being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail on a $500,000 bond.
3 Injured In Hwy 29 Crash
June 17, 2011
At least three people were injured in a two vehicle crash Friday afternoon on Highway 29 south of Century.
The accident happened just after 4 p.m. near Glover Road. The driver of a car apparently rear-ended a pickup truck hauling load of furniture. The driver of the car as well as two passengers in the pickup truck were injured. The driver of the pickup was not injured, according to preliminary reports.
The three injured parties were transported to a local hospital by ambulance.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details were not immediately available.
The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, Atmore Ambulance and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Agrees To Fire Tax Increase; Failure Would Cut North Escambia Fire Services
June 17, 2011
The Escambia County Commission agreed Thursday night to raise fire fees. Without the increase, North Escambia fire stations will lose all paid firefighters that currently staff three stations during the weekdays.
The fire fee increases won’t be finalized until after the September 13 meeting to adopt a final tax assessment roll.
The Municipal Services Benefit Unit will increase on property tax bills by $5 per year for the next two years for county residents outside Pensacola and Santa Rosa Island. That will increase the current $75 fee to $80 for 2011 tax assessments and $85 for 2012. The commercial fee will rise from $.034 per square foot to $.037 per square foot, with a minimum of $80 for 2011 and up to $.040 per square foot with a minimum of $85 for 2012.
In 2009, the county hired 12 paid firefighters under a federal SAFER –Staffing Adequate Fire and Emergency Response- grant. The grant provided funding that decreases each year to fund the firefighter positions — $441,990 the first year, $385,413 the second, $245,701 the third and $150,369 for the fourth year. In the final year, 2014, Escambia County must fully fund $631,503 for the dozen firefighters.
The fee increase — an estimated $1.34 million over two years — will be used to replace the SAFER funds and maintain the current level of fire services.
The commission voted 3-2 in favor of the increase fees, with Commissioner Kevin White and Wilson Robertson against.
“The impact on your insurance rates will be much higher than $5 per year,” Commissioner Grover Robinson said of a no increase situation. “I believe this is a necessary move…I think it will actual decrease the money our citizens have to spend rather than increasing fire insurance rates.”
According to a presentation to the commission Thursday night by Escambia Fire Chief Daniel Spillman, a failure to adopt the fire fee increase would lead to the elimination of paid weekday firefighters that staff four stations — Century, Molino, Cantonment and Myrtle Grove. If that happened, North Escambia’s fire stations would have relied solely upon volunteers with no paid firefighters.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
County Employees Get A Raise, With A Catch
June 17, 2011
The Escambia County Commission voted Thursday night to give county employees a raise effective October 1, but there’s a catch.
County employees will receive a 3.1 percent across the board raise, but that will be offset by the new state-mandated contributions they will be required to make to their retirement plans. The idea, according to County Administrator Randy Oliver, is keep the take-home pay the same for county employees. The increase will cost the county about $1.3 million.
There will also be a 5.5 percent increase in employee health insurance premiums, shared between the county ($550,000) and employees ($1.60 monthly for single on a base plan to $22 monthly for full family coverage on the complete plan). County employees will lose a paid holiday with the elimination of one of two days off at New Year’s.
Century To Hold Energy Savings Workshop
June 17, 2011
The Town of Century will hold a special council workshop Monday afternoon to discuss the town’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan.
Town council members, Century Chamber of Commerce members, and a Gulf Power representative will meet with residents to solicit input on how the town can save money through energy saving ideas and measures. Guest speaker will be Kim Lundgren, program manager from Vanasee Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
The special council workshop will take place at 5:30 p.m. Monday, prior to the council’s regular session at 7 p.m.
State Workers Drug Test Plans Delayed, Except For Dept. Of Corrections
June 17, 2011
Gov. Rick Scott has at least temporarily backed away from requiring drug tests for state workers, putting the plan on hold amid a constitutional challenge.
Scott, who issued an executive order in March requiring the tests, quietly sent a memo to agency heads last week suspending implementation. The plan will only continue moving forward at the Department of Corrections — which already tests most of its employees.
In the memo, Scott said he is “confident that the drug testing called for in the order is consistent with the constitution, with the government’s rights as an employer and with sensible practice to ensure a safe, effective, productive and fiscally accountable workforce.’’
But Scott also said that while the federal court challenge is pending, it “does not make sense for all agencies to move forward with the logistical issues involved in instituting the new policy.’’
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, however, said Scott was backtracking from the drug-testing plan. The ACLU filed the lawsuit May 31 and contends that the plan violates the U.S. Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures.
“This is nothing less than a massive and embarrassing retreat on the part of Gov. Scott,’’ ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon said in a statement posted on the group’s website. “Despite his continuing rhetoric, he must now realize that Floridians won’t simply roll over but will stand up and defend our constitutional rights.’’
Added Randall Marshall, the group’s legal director: “We are pleased that this new order has delayed subjecting thousands of state employees to demeaning, invasive and illegal tests of their bodily fluids. But it does not change our constitutional challenge.’’
After a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Scott insisted that the decision was simply a minor — and temporary — delay.
“We’re going forward with it,’’ Scott said. “We’re going forward, it’s just a process.’’
Scott said taxpayers expect state workers to be drug free, and he was committed to finding a way to implement the plan.
“The private sector does this all the time,’’ Scott said. “Our citizens of this state expect our workers to be productive.’’
Scott’s March executive order called for drug testing before workers are hired and random testing for already-hired workers. It raised the possibility of employees being tested at least quarterly.
The executive order gave agencies 60 days to amend drug-testing policies and notify employees. Agencies were supposed to begin tests for prospective employees immediately after the policy amendments and start random tests 60 days after notifying current employees.
Scott’s memo last week, however, indicates that state officials had been working on the “feasibility and logistical steps” of multi-agency contracting for testing services. With that process ongoing, agencies did not have to meet the executive order’s deadlines for starting the tests.
Two of Scott’s spokesmen downplayed the suspension of the testing plan Thursday, with press secretary Lane Wright saying the governor is “not backing off.’’
Deputy Communications Director Brian Hughes said the governor’s office had built in time for implementing the program to account for possible logistical problems.
Hughes said the Department of Corrections was told to continue with the program because it already tests many employees and was ready to move forward.
Gretl Plessinger, a spokeswoman for the prisons agency, said correctional officers and probation officers are already subject to drug testing. She said the executive order also will lead to testing of administrative staff.
Fire Damages Crowndale Road Home
June 17, 2011
Fire damaged a home in the Cantonment area Thursday night.
The cause of the fire in the 100 block of Crowndale Road is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Cantonment, Molino, Ensley, Beulah and Brent Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the blaze about 7:50 p.m.
Pictured: Fire damaged this wood frame home on Crowndale Road Thursday night. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.