Atmore Quarterback, Two Others Facing Felony Charges
December 29, 2010
Three people — including the quarterback for the Escambia County High School Blue Devils — have been arrested and charged with two felony counts each of shooting into an occupied building and one count of reckless endangerment.
ECHS quarterback Rico Cordall Stallworth, 18; Deauntae Kaevon Woods, 19, of Defuniak Springs and an unnamed minor were all charged following the December 22 incident on Laurel Street in Atmore.
The three were allegedly involved in an incident in which a BB gun was fired into a Laurel Street shed occupied by a man. The three reportedly continued to fire at the man as he gave chase.
The suspects were located by Atmore Police on Pine Street where they were arrested. The trio had reportedly also fired the BB gun into a Pine Street residence.
According to Atmore Police, Stallworth, Woods and the juvenile are also suspects in additional incidents in which BB guns were fired into vehicles in the area. They have not yet been charged in the additional shootings.
2010’s Best Photos: July, August
December 29, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from July and August.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
Lightning strikes as thunderstorm rolls toward Molino on an August Sunday afternoon.
A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper looks at a wrecked motorcycle n Bratt as LifeFlight lifts off with the driver.
Michael Aaron Killam of McDavid is given a field sobriety test on a July Sunday morning along Highway 97 in Molino. Charges against Killam are still pending in the case.
A pickup truck crashed into a Highway 29 Tom Thumb, leaving the truck resting on the store’s case of propane tanks.
Summer band practice for the Northview Tribal Beat.
Coach Sid Wheatley looks on during the first day of practice for his Northview Chiefs in what would end as the best season in the history of the school.
An Escambia County Habitat for Humanity home was constructed in Nokomis was constructed by a host of volunteers.
Jimmy Buffet performs during a free concert in Gulf Shores to demonstrate support after the Gulf Oil Spill.
Four people died in, or as a result of their injuries from, a traffic crash at Highway 113 and Highway 31 in Flomaton.
LifeFlight lifts off from Highway 31 in Flomaton. One of the injured persons in the wreck passed away about two weeks later from her injuries.
There were no serious injuries in this crash on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
There were no
Mallory Ryan pitches for the Northwest Escambia All-Stars.
Scott Names Prisons Chief
December 29, 2010
Gov.-elect Rick Scott on Tuesday named an Indiana prisons official to head Florida’s system, potentially impacting facilitates like the Century Correctional Institution.
Scott named Indiana Corrections Commissioner Edwin Buss to head the Florida Department of Corrections, a high profile – and high pressure – pick because he’ll be expected to help figure out how to slash as much as $1 billion from the agency’s budget over the next seven years.
Scott’s choice to replace Walt McNeil as secretary of corrections, Buss, has dealt with prison overcrowding in Indiana, where the inmate population has grown but no new prisons have been built since 2002.
Buss has suggested that part of the problem there has been lawmakers toughening sentencing laws without thinking of the crowding consequences.
“The problem with our criminal justice system is it’s all anecdotal,” Buss said in an interview with the Corrections Reporter earlier this year. “You have some crime that is horrendous in a community and then, of course, the lawmakers come back and everything results in a new crime.
“Just in the last 10 years, there’s been 117 new crimes or enhancements. . . . We haven’t eliminated a crime. We haven’t looked at redundancy,” Buss continued. “This is significant. I think it’s huge.”
As head of Indiana Corrections, Buss oversees 7,500 employees and 26,000 inmates. Buss’ prior experience included stints supervising two state prisons, during which time he revamped the state’s death penalty procedure. Florida’s prison system, by comparison, holds four times as many inmates – over 102,000 in 146 facilities – with about 160,000 more monitored on probation or parole.
“Given the transformation and pro-taxpayer improvements over the last few years, it was inevitable that other states would come after top talent like Ed Buss,” Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said in a statement. “He was actively pursued by several new governors. Congratulations to Gov.-elect Scott for winning the sweepstakes.”
Industry representatives say Buss is familiar with re-entry programs and dealing with tight budgets, experience that bodes well for the state, said George Camp, executive director of the Association of State Correctional Administrators.
“He is one of the bright lights in the corrections community,” Camp said. “He’s invested a lot of his time and energy on re-entry programs and reinvesting in community corrections to improve public safety.”
Buss will immediately be under the spotlight, coming to head the prisons agency at a time when Scott has targeted it for $1 billion in cuts over seven years.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service Florida
Golf Tourney To Benefit Wounded Deputy Cassady
December 29, 2010
The Escambia Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police is hosting a benefit golf tournament to raise money to support Deputy Jeremy Cassady, who was injured in the line of duty in October. The tournament will take place Sunday, January 9th at Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola with a shotgun start at 11:00 a.m.
Golfers who are interested in participating in the tournament can download a registration form by visiting www.golf4cassady.wordpress.com. Registration fees are $75 per player or $250 for a four person team. The field is limited to the first 144 registrants.
Throughout the day there will be complimentary drinks and snacks available to participants as well as a post tournament luncheon. Individuals who are not interested in playing in the tournament can still attend the buffet luncheon for $20. There will also be a silent auction featuring items donated from local businesses.
For more information concerning the Jeremy Cassady Benefit Golf Tournament, visit www.golf4cassady.wordpress.com or contact Tournament Chairperson Robert Vose at (850) 637-7929.
Deputy Jeremy Cassady was shot in the line of duty on October 29, 2010, while responding to a home invasion that resulted in a hostage situation in Pensacola. Deputy Cassady is a four-year veteran of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: July, August
December 29, 2010
NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2010 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day this week, we will review the biggest stories of 2010. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of July and August.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
JULY
Qualifying ended for three seats on the Century Town Council, with Gary Riley reelected with no opposition. Council member Sharon Scott did not run again for her seat.
Retired Northview High School, and former Century, coach Lorenzo Jones was hired as a teacher at Escambia County Middle School in Atmore.
Former Century resident Buck Showalter was named the new manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
Jay Hospital employees and affiliated physicians recognized C. David Smith, M.D., for 30 years of dedicated service.
Community leader Jack Moran of Century passed away in late July. He was 68.
The end of July was hot — with heat indexes at or just above 110 degrees.
Florida House District 1 candidate Ricky Perritt was arrested on drug trafficking charges by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Accusations were flying between two local candidates over a video that shows one stealing his opponent’s campaign signs. Republican State Congressional District 1 candidate Greg Brown, Jr.and his wife Jennifer were videotaped as they removed campaign signs belonging to opponent Doug Broxson
Rhianna Marie Jones, 30, of California, and Jerry Hover Tinsley, 30, of North Carolina, admitted in federal court that they robbed banks in Flomaton, East Brewton and Florala during a March crime spree.
The Northwest Escambia 11-12 year old softball team ended their season in Fort Myers as the Florida Little League Section 1 Champions.
Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzled south of Pensacola, bringing just a few scattered showers to the Panhandle.
Scott Joseph Thompson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Cheryl Cain, the Cantonment woman whose body was found in a Pensacola dumpster in March, 2009.
Construction workers, teachers, bankers, business owners, high school students, ordinary people — over 100 people from all walks of life volunteered their time and skills to make Jennifer Dorriety’s dream of home ownership a reality as an Escambia County Habitat for Humanity Home was dedicated in Nokomis.
For the first time since April, BP stopped the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-July.
An officer-involved shooting in Pensacola claimed the life of Clifton Salter of Cottage Hill.
Northview High School Assistant Principal Michael Sherrill was promoted to assistant principal at Pine Forest High School. Sherri Mims, who was a reading lab teacher at Ernest Ward Middle School, was promoted to assistant principal at Ferry Pass Middle School.
Tens of thousands of people — including many from the North Escambia area — packed the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for a free Jimmy Buffett concert as thousands watched on national television.
In July, Century Town Council member Henry Hawkins has voted against spending $600 so that a $1.1 million grant drainage project could move forward — the second time he had voted against spending a few hundred dollars on the project.
Phillip Arnold, 65, was charged in the murder of Angela Brown, 44, and her unborn child on South Chipper Road.
AUGUST
A Flomaton traffic crash claimed the life of four people — two instantly and two in the following days that died from their injuries.
Royce Ward of Walnut Hill passed away at 78. Ward was a longtime member of the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club and served as the group’s president when the club organized the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1965.
Jay Mayor Kurvin Qualls won re-election by a single vote over challenger Ben Hudson. 72-71.
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, defeated fellow Republican Mike Hill in the August Republican primary for Senate District 2. There was no Democratic candidate, but Evers would face write-in and Tea Party opponent in November.
Deborah Ray (pictured) was named the new assistant principal at Northview High School.
Former Escambia County Sheriff’s Office employee Cathy Lister, 58, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing $1.3 million from the department.
Paul Edward Black, a former Century Correctional Institution sergeant, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
The Escambia County School Board approved the daily used of drug dogs in the county’s public schools.
Leslie Gonzalez was hired as the new town clerk in Century.
The first day of school was a hot one at Northview High School after the air conditioning failed.
Molino’s new Dollar General store opened in August with over 12,000 square feet of general merchandise.
Donald Freeman, 49, was found dead next to Highway 29 in McDavid. Foul play was not suspected.
T.R. Miller High School Principal Donald Rotch was killed when his vehicle was hit head-on by a man fleeing Brewton Police in a high-speed chase.
Time Running out For Farm Help
December 29, 2010
Florida Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Tim Manning reminds producers that if they want a Market Assistance Loan (MAL) before the end of the year, they should contact the county office immediately.
FSA offices need time to process the loan and prepare the loan documents. MAL’s are marketing tools available to producers to allow for a more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year.
MALs are available for the crops of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, upland cotton, extra-long staple cotton, long grain rice, medium grain rice, soybeans, other oilseeds (including sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe and sesame seed), dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, large chickpeas, graded wool, non graded wool, mohair, honey and peanuts.
Additional information about MALs and LDPs are available at the county office or on line at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Crash Data Shows Hwy 29’s Worst Intersections
December 28, 2010
Crash data from the Florida Department of Transportation provides some interesting insight into how many crashes occur on Highway 29 and which intersections are the worst.
If you guessed the Highway 97 intersection is bad; you would be right. Crash data shows the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection in Molino experienced abnormally high crash rates compared to the statewide average for similar intersections.
Data from the most recently available five year period available shows that there were 1,521 crashes, 907 of which caused injury on Highway 29. The most common crash type on Highway 29 from Pensacola to the Alabama state line was rear-end (39 percent).
The most common crash day was Friday (18 percent), and about 30 percent of wrecks happened between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Nine intersections along Highway 29 were identified as high crash locations — having more than eight crashes per year, or 40 over a five year period:
- Highway 97 — 38 crashes
- Ten Mile Road — 61 crashes
- Nine One Half Mile Road — 34 crashes
- Burgess Road — 68 crashes
- Diamond Dairy Road — 58 crashes
- Broad Street — 68 crashes
- Hannah Street — 49 crashes
- Hood Drive — 43 crashes
- Detroit Boulevard — 68 crashes
Statistics revealed more information about the three most northern high crash locations on Highway 29:
- Highway 97 — The most common crash type at the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection was rear-end at 63 percent. About two-thirds of all crashes resulted in at least one injury. About 58 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling east off Highway 97. During the five year period studied, there was one fatal crash in 2005.
- Ten Mile Road — Common crash types were split between rear-end at 36 percent and angle at 34 percent. Crashes most commonly occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and about one-third of the crashes were at night. About two-thirds of the wrecks at the intersection resulted in an injury.
- Nine One Half Mile Road — About six out of ten wrecks at this intersection were from an angle, while 21 percent were rear-end. About one-third happened after dark. Over 70 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling on Nine One Half Mile Road.
Pictured top: Six people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in September, 2008, at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Property Tax Discount Ends Friday
December 28, 2010
If you want a three percent discount when paying your Escambia County real estate and tangible personal property taxes, you must make your payment by December 31.
All four tax collector offices will be open normal business hours on Friday, December 31, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley.
In order to receive the three percent discount and have your tax payment posted with a December date, payment must be:
- received in the tax collector’s office by close of business December 31;
- made on the tax collector’s web site by midnight December 31; or
- made on the after-hours automated telephone (800) 601-1055 by midnight December 31.
In addition, payments mailed with a December 31 postmark or left in the tax collector’s 24‑hour drop boxes after hours on December 31 will receive the three discount but will be dated in January.
You may check the status of your taxes and pay online at www.escambiataxcollector.com. If you have any questions, call the tax collector’s office at 438-6500, ext. 252. (TTY users for the hearing impaired call 850-472-0031.)
Despite No Hurricanes, Floridians Facing $718 Million Insurance Hike
December 28, 2010
More than four million Florida homeowners are about to get hit with $718 million in insurance rate increases — despite five years with no hurricanes in the Sunshine State.
Insurers in Florida claimed they have been losing money. But, for many, their financial filings show profits that were paid to their own affiliated companies, according to an article published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Consumer advocates say the payments from Florida insurance companies to their own affiliates falsely adds hundreds of dollars to each individual homeowner’s property insurance bill.
More than two million homeowners in Florida have been dropped by their carriers, and the average premium in the state is up 44 percent.
Save Money While Staying Warm
December 28, 2010
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is offering some simple, low-cost ways to lower your power bill this winter:
- Lower your thermostat. Each degree you reduce your thermostat in the winter lowers your total bill by up to 4 percent. A five degree reduction could save up to 20 percent on your monthly heating cost. We recommend your thermostat be set at 68 degrees during the winter. Or, try keeping it set at a temperature where you will feel comfortable with a sweater on.
- Lower the temperature when you aren’t home and when you are sleeping. Extra covers on the bed will keep you warm. Helpful tip: Put a hook in the wall beside your thermostat and hang your keys on it. When you get your keys to leave home, you will remember to turn the temperature down.
- Close window shades and drapes at night to conserve heat and keep cold air out. Open them during the day to let the sunshine help heat your home. You can use blinds to block out the cold while still letting light in. Try tilting the slats at a 45 degree angle to the window.
- Add humidity. As we know in the South, humid air feels much warmer than dry air. (Think of those hot, summer days.) You can add a little humidity to your home by keeping plants indoors and by leaving the bathroom door open after a shower.
- Use your bathroom exhaust vent sparingly. It can draw out an entire houseful of heated air in about an hour.
- Keep the doors and vents closed in rooms you’re not using. Why heat an empty room?
- Reverse the spin of your ceiling fan and set it on the slowest speed to help send warm air down into the living area.
- Close your fireplace’s damper when not in use. Keeping it open is like having a full-sized window open all winter long, letting valuable warm air out. Also keep in mind that a fireplace is not an efficient source of heat for your home because heat escapes through the chimney with the smoke. You can minimize this by closing the doors to the room with the fireplace and lowering the thermostat.
- Keep filters clean. A dirty or clogged filter can make your heating unit work harder, costing you more money.
There are also several low-cost investments that can make your home more energy efficient.
- Caulk around windows and doors. By sealing all the gaps around doors and windows, you can keep out cold drafts. Be sure to caulk around your foundation and anywhere pipes pass through the walls.
- Close attic vents or fans during the winter and check the insulation. Much of the heat escaping your home is lost through the attic. Weather-strip and insulate your attic hatch or door.
- Install a programmable thermostat with temperature and time settings to save approximately $100 a year on energy costs.
Remember that you don’t have to spend money to save money. There are many easy, inexpensive things you can do this winter to reduce your energy consumption, and in turn, your power bill. You are the only one who can control how much energy you use.