ECUA Citizens Advisory Committee Seeks Members
March 3, 2011
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) is currently seeking a qualified individual to become a member of its Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC).
To qualify, an individual must be a resident of Escambia County, able to attend monthly meetings, have no personal or business ties with the Authority that could be construed as a conflict of interest, and submit a resume outlining relevant experience, education, and qualifications.
Escambia County residents who are interested in being considered for appointment to this at-large committee position should submit a resume and an expression of interest to ECUA by Tuesday, March 15.
The 12-member Committee is comprised of five ECUA board members, five appointed citizen members, and two at-large citizen members. The meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month in Pensacola and are open to the public.
For more information, or to submit your resume, contact Linda Iversen, executive assistant to the board at liversen@ecua.org or (850) 476-5110, ext. 3302. Hard copy applications may be mailed to: ECUA, P.O Box 15311, Pensacola, FL 32514, attn: Ms. Linda Iversen.
FBI Honors Ala. Trooper For Ending Kidnapping After Note Found In Flomaton Bathroom
March 3, 2011
The FBI has recognized an Alabama State trooper for his assistance is ending a kidnapping after a note asking for help was found in a Flomaton truck stop.
Alabama State Trooper Adam Robinson was patrolling Butler County, Ala., when he was alerted to be on the lookout for a vehicle driven by a man who had abducted his ex-fiancee and two elementary school-age children. Robinson quickly spotted and stopped the car on I-65 near Garland, locating a weapon and the unharmed kidnapping victims.
Robinson was presented with a certificate of appreciation from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III for his actions.
On April 21, 2010, someone found a note in a women’s bathroom at the Yellowhammer truck stop at I-65 and Highway 113 in Flomaton. The note said that the female and her two children had been kidnapped and were being taken to Atlanta by their abductor. The note also contained a description of the vehicle and its license plate number.
During a search of the vehicle, Trooper Robinson located a .45-caliber Ruger automatic handgun in the vehicle’s door.
The driver, Therral Hatfield, 25 (pictured), of Jefferson, La., was arrested and charged with giving false information and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Yellowhammer Truck Stop clerk Connie Kinman says she noticed Hatfield outside the women’s bathroom door the entire time she was inside. “She had to know he was there,” she said. “She was very brave.”
The note said to call 911 because the woman and her children were being held hostage. She handed it to another lady in the restroom, who gave it to store clerks for help.
Escambia Sheriff: Scott Getting Bad Advice
March 3, 2011
Gov. Rick Scott is getting “less than stellar advice” on how to fix the state’s budget crisis, Republican Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has warned the governor in a letter that also pleads that governing “cannot be approached as a hostile corporate takeover.”
Morgan, who was on Scott’s law enforcement transition team, sent a long letter to Scott with several pieces of advice.
Transferring problems from state government to local is not an acceptable way to deal with a budget shortfall, Morgan said.
Morgan also said the Scott administration seems intent on arbitrary cuts, and urged the governor not to follow through on proposed changes to public employee retirement rules. “Reneging on these assurances to generations of working people is unacceptable,” the sheriff said in his February 22 letter. Scott hasn’t responded to Morgan.
by The News Service Florida
Panhandle Republicans File Bills To Streamline Permitting Process
March 3, 2011
A pair of Panhandle Republicans have filed measures they say will streamline the state’s permitting process and make it more difficult for parties to challenge development decisions.
The bills by Sen. Greg Evers, who represents the North Escambia area, and by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, make a number of changes including provisions that shift the burden of proof in some cases and prevent local governments from denying permits to projects simply because they have yet to be approved by the state.
Introduced by various members over the past few years, backers say the measures are needed to reduce barriers for development while environmental groups are wary the changes will make it difficult to stop undesirable development.
by The News Service Florida
Thousands Missing Out On IRS Refunds From 2007
March 3, 2011
There could be as many as 74,500 in Florida and 17,600 in Alabama that could be about to miss out on tax refunds from 2007. The refunds are part of $1.1 billion owed to people who did not file a federal income tax return for 2007, according to the IRS.
To collect the money, a return for 2007 must be filed with the IRS no later than Monday, April 18, 2011.
The average refund due in Florida is $665; it’s $634 in Alabama.
Some people may not have filed because they had too little income to require filing a tax return even though they had taxes withheld from their wages or made quarterly estimated payments, the IRS said. In cases where a return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund. If no return is filed to claim a refund within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury.
For 2007 returns, the window closes on April 18, 2011. The law requires that the return be properly addressed, mailed and postmarked by that date. There is no penalty for filing a late return qualifying for a refund. But if the taxpayer did not file a return for 2008 or 2009, the refund will be held until those forms are filed.
For more information and tax forms, visit irs.gov.
Jay, Northview Students Create Sawmill Pageant Posters
March 3, 2011
Students from Northview and Jay high schools were recently awarded for taking part in a poster contest to promote the 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club.
Winners from the Northview High School Business Technology Education Department were Rebecca Barnhill, first place; A.J. Lambert, second place; and Ashley Digmon, third place. Barnhill received a $25 prize.
Winners from the Jay High School Commercial Graphic Arts classes were Haley Odom, first place; Damian Rogers, runner-up. Odom received a $25 prize.
The 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club will be held Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. at the former Carver/Century School. Registration will be held Saturday, March 5 and March 12 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Southern Treasures Gift Shop at 8341 North Century Boulevard (across from Whataburger). For an entry form and more registration details, click here.
Pictured: 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant poster contest winners. Top: From Northview High — Rebecca Barnhill, first place; A.J. Lambert, second place; and Ashley Digmon, third place. Barnhill received a $25 prize. Bottom: From Jay High — Century Lions Club member Bill Gandy, Haley Odom, first place; Damian Rogers, runner-up. Pictured inset: Northview’s winner Rebecca Barnhill receives her $25 prize from Century Lions Club member Edsol Smith. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Woman Charged With DUI After Cantonment Rollover Crash
March 2, 2011
A Molino woman was charged with driving under the influence after an early Wednesday morning crash in Cantonment.
Kelly Nichole Herzberg, 29, of Highway 196 Molino, was charged with DUI third conviction within 10 years after a prior conviction and careless driving by the Florida Highway Patrol after the crash about 2:40 Wednesday morning on Highway 29 near Muscogee Road. Authorities say Herzberg was northbound on Highway 29 when she lost control and rolled her vehicle into a fence, water system and sign at T&C Feed Store and CMP Food Mart. Her 2006 Mustang rolled over and came to rest upright in the parking lot of the feed store. Herzberg was not injured.
Herzberg, who was not injured in the crash, remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday afternoon with bond set at $5,000. Further details have not yet been released by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Donald Trump, Rick Scott Give Away Trips To Escambia County
March 2, 2011
Donald Trump and all-sunshine Gov. Rick Scott were in New York to give away trips to Escambia County today.
The governor is on a two-day ““Share a Little Sunshine” tour of cold weather cities where he’s hawking Florida vacations. Florida oranges and other prizes were distributed at events today where Scott was trying to convince people in New York and Chicago to come to Florida.
At Trump Tower, Scott was joined by Donald Trump to give out vacation prizes, including trips to Pensacola. In Chicago, he’ll gave away trips to Miami. During the day, Scott also did interviews on Fox News and CNBC.
Two Teens Killed In Munson Road Crash; Ambulance Totaled While Responding
March 2, 2011
Two Holt residents were killed in a single vehicle Munson Highway wreck Tuesday night, and an ambulance responded to the crash was totaled.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Nadja M. Chandler, 38, was southbound on Munson Highway near East Gate Road in Santa Rosa County when she lost control of her 2002 Ford Ranger, ran off the road, struck and culvert and rolled over. The two passengers in the vehicle, 18-year old Zoe M. Chandler and 15-year old Brandi Bartholomew, were pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:55 p.m. crash. Nadja Chandler was transported by LifeFlight to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
No one in the vehicle was wearing a seat belt, according to the FHP. Charges are pending the results of the investigation.
An ambulance responding to the scene was totaled when the driver lost control in a curve. The Florida Highway Patrol says Clayton Miller, 34, of Milton, lost control on Munson Highway near Womack Road. The 2007 ambulance traveled over two raised driveways before striking a tree. Miller and his passenger, 40-year old Greggory Lawler, received minor injuries and were transported to Pensacola hospitals.
Man That Pleaded Guilty To Child Porn Now Appealing 15-Year Sentence
March 2, 2011
A former Atmore resident who pleaded guilty in federal court to child pornography charges is appealing his 15-year prison sentence.
Eric Sebastian Barrow, 38, pleaded guilty in May, 2010, to the production of child pornography and the possession and distribution of child pornography on a computer file sharing network. He was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. He will also be required to register as a sex offender upon release.
Now, attorneys for Barrow have filed a notice of appeal in federal court. A hearing date on that appeal has not been set.
According to federal court documents, Barrow used a web camera to record a pre-teen girl living in the western United States. The girl, according to court documents, was about 11 or 12 years old at the time. When located by federal investigators, the girl said she recognized Barrow’s online nickname “bad_red_dragon_2004″.
According to court documents, Barrow, who is unable to walk due to spina bifida, would meet other young girls in Internet chat rooms and direct them to perform for him.
In 2005, a Florida Attorney General’s Office investigator found Barrow sharing child pornography online from his home in Atmore. The Florida investigator turned the case over to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. The case was later turned over to the FBI.
In February 2006, the FBI raided Barrow’s Atmore home and seized computer equipment. Federal investigators said they found 65 videos of nude pre-teen girls, along with 3,847 images of minors. According to court documents, Barrow would use the “Limewire” file sharing software to download and share child pornography files.
Barrow was also arrested in Escambia County, Fla., on March 26, 2009, on five counts of possession of child pornography charges. He was eventually sentenced to five years in state prison on those charges.
Pictured: Eric Sebastian Barrow of Atmore is pictured (top) February 13, 2010, in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail; (middle) in September, 2009 in a Florida Department of Corrections mugshot, and (bottom) in an undated photo.