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.
New Escambia Fire Chief Named
January 27, 2011
Daniel R. Spillman was named the new Escambia Fire Rescue Chief Thursday morning by County Administrator Randy Oliver.
“The selection panel was most impressed with qualities they felt would make Spillman successful in leading our fire services, which is comprised of both volunteer and career fire fighters. These qualities are based on his past endeavors that successfully built consensus and trust between career and volunteer fire fighters,” Public Safety Bureau Chief Mike Weaver said about the appointment.
Spillman was selected after a review of 20 candidates that applied for and met the minimum qualifications. He will be on the job within the next six weeks with a starting salary of $81,000.
Spillman was chief of the Seminole Tribe Fire Rescue in Hollywood, Florida for the last year. From 1983 to 2005, he worked as the Deputy Chief of the Tallahassee Fire Department where he retired. During his tenure, the City of Tallahassee combined forces with the county fire departments which were primarily volunteer. With a bachelors degree from Florida International University in Fire Science and Safety, Spillman has 36 years experience in the fire service and emergency medical service fields.
Walnut Hill Man Facing Federal Weapons Charge
January 27, 2011
A Walnut Hill man is behind bars facing a federal weapons charge.
A federal grand jury indicted Floyd Scott Mooney, 39, for unlawful transport of firearms. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday afternoon by U.S. Marshals where he was being held without bond pending a detention hearing Thursday.
According to the indictment issued January 19 by the federal grand jury, Mooney was in possession of a half dozen rifles and ammunition in violation of federal law due to his status as a convicted felon that was sentenced to more than one year in prison.
During a two minute arraignment hearing Wednesday, Mooney entered a plea of not guilty before U.S. Judge Miles Davis in Pensacola U.S. District Court.
In March 1999, Mooney was convicted on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, according to federal court records.
Mooney’s trial has been scheduled for early March.
Woman, 88, Victim Of Hit And Run Attack
January 27, 2011
Deputies are asking for the public’s help after an 88-year old woman was the victim of an apparently coordinated attack.
Annie Cumbie’s vehicle was hit by the driver of a Nissan Maxima in the 4000 block of Fairfield Drive Tuesday afternoon. When she got out of her vehicle, the driver of the of the gray Nissan fled the scene.
It was then that she was approached by an unknown male who offered her assistance.
Cumbie said that the male walked over from the nearby Mayfair Grocery and todl her that he could help. But instead, he pushed her into her car, grabbed her purse and fled on foot. He then handed the purse to the driver of the Nissan Maxima.
Cumbie was treated for minor injuries by an Escambia County EMS crew but was not transported to a hospital.
The suspects in this case face robbery and battery charges.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.