Woman Found Not Guilty Of Throwing Teen Open House Party
January 28, 2011
A Century woman has been found not guilty on a charge that she threw an open house party with alcohol for minors last year.
Escambia County Judge Thomas Dannheisser found Jennifer Leigh Black, 40, not guilty this week. Black was arrested after the parents of several teens told deputies that she threw the open house parties with alcohol. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, some of the minors at one party were as young as 16.
Four deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office raided a house at 4330 North Century Boulevard in September, 2010, after receiving complaints about a house party. When they arrived, several underage juveniles were stopped as they attempted to run out the backdoor while others were seen inside the house running from room to room trying to hide, the Sheriff’s Office report states.
Other juveniles were observed by deputies that appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. Open alcoholic beverage containers were noted to be across the living room by deputies.
Deputies also raided a party at the Black’s residence back in February, 2010. At that party deputies found a “large number” of teenagers drinking and gathered around a bonfire in the backyard and inside a detached garage. Jennifer Black was not charged in connection with that incident, but her daughter, Alexis Black, now 19, was cited for a misdemeanor open house party offense for allowing minors alcohol. She was found guilty in March, 2010, and given a 30 day suspended jail term along with fines and costs of $473.
Five Injured In Highway 29 Five Vehicle Crash
January 28, 2011
Five people were sent to the hospital and traffic was snarled for hours following a five-vehicle crash on Highway 29 Thursday night just south of Ten Mile Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Kallen Phillips, 32, of Cantonment was northbound in a 2003 Ford F150 just after 5 p.m. when he changed lanes and rear-ended a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Michael Horton, 47, of Birmingham. Horton and his passenger, Eddie Cassell, 41, of Homewood, Ala., were both transported in serious condition to Sacred Heart Hospital by LifeFlight. Phillips was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries.
The force of the initial impact pushed the vehicles forward, involving three other vehicles.
Driver Kimberly McGhee, 35, of Atmore, and a passenger in her 2005 Dodge Magnum, Madison McGhee, 13, were transported by private vehicle to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injures. Two other passengers in the vehicle — Bryan McGhee, 37, and Braeden McGhee, 5 — were not injured.
Russell King, 61, of Pensacola was not injured when his 1995 Chevrolet Silverado was hit from behind.
Driver Nicole Boyd, 35, of Pensacola and her passengers Jalen Boyd, 10, and Amiya Boyd, 6, were not injured in the fifth vehicle in the crash.
Phillips, the driver of the vehicle that started the chain-reaction crash, was charged with careless driving, according to the FHP.
Pictured: A five-vehicle accident Thursday night on Highway 29 just south of Ten Mile Road. Photos by WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mayor: Still Hope For New Lumber Industry
January 28, 2011
Things have been pretty quiet around the old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property in Century since a ribbon cutting back in October for a group of new businesses including Century Lumber and Land. According to the town’s mayor, financing delays have stalled a real opening date.
But there’s still hope that Century Lumber and Land will bring new jobs to the Century area, according to Mayor Freddie McCall. He said that, as of early this week, the company is about 97-percent complete with their financing arrangements.
Century Lumber and Land unofficially announced a venture with several other companies at a September 2 meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce. Century Lumber and Land Manager Jim Craft said at that meeting that the operations would eventually employee 300 to 500 people within a 36 to 42 month period.
Pictured top: A group hoping to apply for a job gathered during the ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land last October. Pictured below: The old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company, and the planned future home of Century Lumber and Land, sits idle this week. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Deputies Honored For Valor
January 28, 2011
Several deputies and employees at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are being honored for putting their lives on the line for others and for doing a top notch job.
Three deputies — Jason Ates, Jenna Lovely and Joshua Hendershott — will be awarded the ESCO Medal of Valor.
A Purple Heart will be awarded to Deputy Ates after being shot in the leg on September 29 of least year when he and Deputy Lovely responded to the Motel 6 on Highway 29 in Pensacola to check on a missing person. Both deputies returned fire, killing the suspect.
Deputy Hendershott will be honored for pulling wounded Deputy Jeremy Cassady to safety October 29 after Cassady was shot three times during a hostage situation off Scenic Highway.
The complete list of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office honorees is as follows:
- Commendation Medals – Wendy Martin, Detention Assistant Ronnie Whiddon
- Life Saving Medals – Deputy Jason Comans, Deputy Ryan Robinson, FHP Trooper Josh Tucker, FHP Corporal Michael Tucker, Deputy Courtney Clanton,
- Civilian Service Medal – Robert Burns, Regiland Rees
- Unit Citations – Dispatchers: Julie Weaver, Wendy Martin, Amanda Joye, Lisa Scholmann, Debi Teets, Belinda Greathouse, Carl Miller, Rose Majors, Jeff Archer, Jason Coleman, Lori Rani, Matt Pike, , Carla Kunert, Kimberly Lawson, Valerie Slevin; Tactical Unit: Sgt. Hoyland, Curtis Cephas, Eric Peck, Phillip Folmar, Heather Williams, Jeff Gillespie
- Medal of Courage – Deputy 1st Class Jeremy Jarman, Deputy Justin Moore
- Medal of Valor – Deputy Jason Ates, Deputy Jenna Lovley, Deputy Joshua Hendershott
- Purple Heart – Deputy Jason Ates
- LEO of the Quarter - Deputy 1st Class Jeremy Jarman
- Detention Deputy of Quarter – Detention Deputy Gray Frazier
- Employee of the Quarter- Kelley Brown, Kim Harris
- Detention Deputy of the Year – Sgt. Jan Rich
- Employee of the Year – Kelley Brown
- LEO of the Year – Sr. Deputy Brian Munhollon
Pictured above: The scene after Deputy Jason Ates was shot and a suspect was shot and killed September 29, 2010 at the Motel 6 on Pensacola Boulevard. Photo by Liz Nagy WEAR TV for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
McGraw Named Flomaton Police Chief
January 28, 2011
A drug task force agent has been named the new police chief in Flomaton.
Geoff McGraw, who served as an investigator for the 21st Judicial Drug Task, was named the Flomaton police chief by the town council. Two others — Tracy Ownes and Bennie Stokes — applied for the job.
McGraw, 29, has also worked as a patrolman for the Brewton Police Department. He replaces Katarius Jenkins who Mayor Dewey Bondurant called to be fired. Jenkins returned to the force as a patrolman under an agreement reached between his attorney and the town last November.
Byrneville Elementary Releases Second Nine Weeks Honor Roll
January 28, 2011
The following students were named to the second weeks honor roll at Byrneville Elementary School:
Kindergarten: Mrs. Barberree
- Leah Anderson
- Daquan Ball
- Drake Allen Driskell
- Audrey Goetter
- Chase Hampton
- Destiny Hanks
- Johnnie Howell
- Emily Levins
- Sarah Long
- Zane Rolin
- Bryan Romeros
- Aleigh Thornton
Kindergarten: Mrs. Dawson
- Josh Diamond
- Aloysia Dortch
- Briana Dunsford
- Marina Franklin
- Jamarkus Jefferson
- Kayla Johnson
- Jessica Loftis
- Kaden Odom
- Aubrey Stuckey
- Cheyanne Thomas
- Savanah Watters
First Grade: Mrs. Rogers
All A’s:
- Tessa Flowers
- Alyssa Jordan
- Kayli Rodgers
A’s and B’s:
- Hunter Borelli
- Nevaeh Brown
- Dalton Hanks
- Julianna Money
First Grade: Mrs. Thornton
All A’s:
- Shelby Cotita
- Dillon Spears
A’s and B’s:
- Grace Blackmon
- Bama Coburn
- Kaitlin Gafford
- Taylor Levins
- James Loftis
- Lillie McCall
- Torka Mills
Second Grade: Mrs. Lambeth
All A’s:
- Sophia Cotita
- Maille Kilcrease
A’s and B’s:
- Logan Bryan
- Maggie Mae Cufr
- Heather Knowles
- Abigail Levins
- De’Janique Lowery
- Tyler Merchant
- Ty Rolin
- David Wiggins
- Cash Wilson
Third Grade: Mrs. Dunsford
All A’s:
- Ian Gifford
- Lea Nall
- Cloe Smith
A’s and B’s:
- Skyler Busbee
- Steven Cotita
- Alexis Lee
- Hannah Merchant
Third Grade: Mrs. Weaver
All A’s:
- Alex Glidewell
- Jake Lambeth
- Nicholas Trump
- Richard Perry
A’s and B’s:
- Madicyn Bell
- Jacob Coleman
- Valorie Padilla
- Kelli Merchant
- Savannah Steadham
- Olivia Watson
Fourth Grade: Mrs. Gilmore
All A’s:
- Seth Killam
- Tanner Levins
- Destiny Payne
- Olivia Porter
A’s and B’s:
- Austin Adams
- Patton Goetter
- Faith Watters
Fourth Grade: Ms. Levins
All A’s:
- Kris Baxter
- Rebecca Diamond
- Courtney Payne
A’s and B’s:
- Grant Matlock
- Jacob Borelli
- Matthew Caine
- Colby Graham
- Paige Killam
- Sarah Nelson
- Peyton Newsome
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Johnston
All A’s:
- Anna Belle Barberree
- Kayla Galvan
- Shellie Harrelson
- Beau Henderson
- Bailee Hinote
- Alaina Rolin
- Jayda Warner
A’s and B’s:
- Jenna Black
- Abby Hammond
- LeeAnne Lassiter
- Patience Newsome
- Tristan Qualls
- Meagan Reid
- Destiny Watson
the road to the crown: Practice Makes Perfect (With Photo Gallery)
January 28, 2011
Today, it’s part five of our multi-part series “the road to the crown” as we follow 25 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2011.
Today we’ll take you behind the scenes with photos from a recent practice.
For the complete photo gallery, click here.
Our series “the road to the crown” will continue tomorrow with more behind the scenes practice photos. The pageant is Saturday night at 7:00, and NorthEscambia.com will have the new Miss Northview High School and all the photos here Sunday morning.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Teens Cast In Miley Cyrus Movie
January 28, 2011
Two Cantonment teens may be on the big screen with Miley Cyrus — they were cast as extras in the new Cyrus film “So Undercover” being filmed in New Orleans.
Jamie Mackey and Katie Henry submitted their resumes to the casting department of “So Undercover” earlier this month, and both were cast within a couple of weeks as extras in scenes with Cyrus at a Greek festival.
Both girls said Cyrus was very professional and made them feel at ease as they spent nine hours on the set in New Orleans.
“So Undercover” is set for release late this year. In the action-comedy, a tough, street-smart private eye is hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority.
The movie is not the first for Mackey and Henry. They were cast as students in their first feature film “Sadie Clove” in Birmingham last month. The feature-length horror film is about Sadie Clove, a young girl that begins to experience “events she cannot explain, actions she has no motive for, and thoughts that are not her own”. The film is scheduled for release this year.
Mackey and Henry are both training in New Orleans during January with actor Lance Nichols, who has appeared in movies like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, “K-Pax”, “Welcome to the Rileys”, and another Cyrus film, 2010’s “The Last Song”.
Pictured top: Jamie Mackey (left) and Katie Henry of Cantonment were cast in the new Miley Cyrus Movie “So Undercover” being filmed in New Orleans. Pictured inset: Henry and Mackey in New Orleans. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deputies: “This Case Was For The Birds”
January 27, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has solved a case that they say was for the birds.
An Amazon Nape parrot (pictured) is back at home behind the bars of its cage, while two other men landed behind the bars of the Escambia County Jail.
Tuesday, investigators with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office contacted Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators about the burglary of Petland in Mary Ester. They believed the suspect in the burglary, which occurred on January 22, was in Escambia County and trying to sell the $1500 bird for $200.
Escambia Sheriff’s investigators set up a “sting operation” to arrange a meeting with the suspect. The suspect was contacted by phone and, thinking he was speaking with a prospective buyer, agreed to meet at Nine Mile Road and Music Lane.
At around 3:15 pm that afternoon, investigators met with the suspect, who arrived in a taxi, and bought the bird for $200.
Once the transaction was made investigators placed the suspect, identified as Michael Alan Lemonds, 43, of Pensacola, under arrest for dealing in stolen property.
During the course of this investigation it was discovered that the taxi driver, identified as Rodney Curtis Goldsmith, 37, of Pensacola, was an accomplice of Lemonds. Investigators also found cocaine in Goldsmith’s possession.
Goldsmith was arrested for dealing in stolen property, possession of cocaine and his vehicle was seized because it was used in the commission of a felony.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office intends to seek arrest warrants for burglary and grand theft on both Lemonds and Goldsmith.
Pictured: An Amazon Nape parrot that was recovered by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Updated: ‘Bath Salt’ Drugs Banned In Florida; Escambia Deputies Seize $13,000 Worth
January 27, 2011
(Updated 1:30 p.m.) The Florida Attorney General declared “bath salts” illegal Wednesday, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit spread across the county to begin seizing the chemical that is now as illegal as cocaine and heroin.
By Thursday afternoon, deputies had seized about 164 bags — $13,000 worth — of the substance from specialty smoke shops, convenience stores and other retail outlets in Escambia County.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a 90-day emergency ban on the substance that several Panhandle sheriffs said was being used a drug.
“One of the side effects of this drug is it makes you think you see monsters,” Bondi told reporters. “It makes you think you can fly.”
Bondi said the drug is commonly marketed with names like Vanilla Sky, Ivory Wave, Ocean Burst and Bolivian Bath. With lawmakers not set to begin the 2011 legislative session until March 8, Bondi said she had to act swiftly to stop those sales.
They have Spring Break coming up in the Panhandle,” she said. “There are a lot of balconies out there.”
Right after the order, Escambia deputies went to work to size the now-illegal substances.
“We are required to enforce this emergency order, but we aren’t interested in arresting those that cooperate during this initial seizure”, said Escambia Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Chris Welborn. “Those that do not cooperate could face felony charges for possession.”
After the initial seizure, narcotics deputies will be checking the stores in the coming days. Anyone found in violation of the law could be arrested, Welborn said. He said people using the bath salts as a narcotic have been treated for paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, agitation, hypertension, chest pain and headaches. Some users reported suicidal thoughts.
Bondi, in her first month as attorney general, said she was only recently made aware of the drug. She said she received a letter from Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen saying the situation was getting hard to control.
“Our experience in Bay County has been to the point of almost lethal,” McKeithen said Wednesday in Tallahassee. “We’ve had several incidents where officers are in contact with individuals who’ve ingested this substance. It’s creating superhuman strength that takes seven to eight officers to deal with these individuals that’s actually under the influence of it.”
McKeithen said that without Bondi’s emergency ban, there may have been too many cases of MPDV abuse to handle on the Northwest Florida beaches in the coming months.
“Our problem was it could be the perfect storm,” he said. “That was our biggest concern with our over 2,000 kids coming to Panama City (and) Bay County during spring break, being able to walk into these so-called head shop businesses and purchase this substance. We had to do something. We asked for help.”
“I frankly had a nightmare last night that somebody was going to overdose and we hadn’t done anything,” Bondi said.
Under the new ban, which Bondi said takes effect immediately, possession or distribution of the MPDV bath salts will be a schedule 1 felony, punishable by one to three years in prison.
“To put it in perspective, that’s right up there with cocaine and heroin,” Bondi said.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.