Northview His The Volleyball Court In Preseason Classic
August 27, 2010
The Northview High School varsity volleyball teamed hit the court Thursday afternoon for a Preseason Classic game against Escambia and Walton.
Walton High defeated the Chiefs 26-24, 25-22. The Chiefs also fell to Escambia High School, 26-24, 25-18.
The Lady Chiefs open their regular season on the road Monday at Catholic High School. The Chief’s first home games will not be until September 23 against Freeport.
Team members are as follows:
Varsity
Trestine Dean
Ashley Digmon
Misty Doran
Josie Doucette
Ashton Gibbs
Kara Hardin
Sarah Killam
Shawna Montgomery
Morgan Payne
Raylin Spence
Katie Wieborg
JV
Madison Arrington
Alison Bardin
Lana Clayton
Hannah Fiellin
Rebecca Grim
Paeton Hadley
Ali Martin
Rebecca Masaitis
Shelby Nielson
Tiffani Pritchett
Taylor Roberson
Danielle Steadham
Mallory Wiggins
Lily Townson (Manager)
Execution Style Shooting Was Escambia’s 16th
August 26, 2010
An execution-style shooting Wednesday night was the 16th homicide in Escambia County this year.
Matthew W. Suarez, 23 was shot as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car in father’s driveway, according to Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to 812 South Madison Drive about 8:36 Wednesday night. Upon arrival, deputies observed Suarez lying on the ground next to a white Chevrolet Impala, Roy said. Suarez was pronounced dead a short time later.
“According to witnesses, what is believed to be a black male walked up to the victim and knocked on the driver’s door of the Impala that the victim was sitting in. As the victim rolled the window down, the suspect pulled out an unknown type handgun and shot the victim as he sat in the driver’s seat,” Roy said. “Investigators believe that this execution type murder may be drug related.”
Anyone with information on the murder is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
South Madison Drive is located behind Walmart on Mobile Highway.
Deputies: McDavid Man Sold Gun To 16-Year Old For $40 In Marijuana
August 26, 2010
A McDavid man was charged with selling a handgun that shot out a deputy’s tire to a 16-year old that paid with a $40 bag of marijuana.
David Dewayne Simmons, 49, was arrested on felony warrants for selling a firearm to a minor and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office believes Simmons (pictured left) sold a .22 caliber handgun to Ladarrious Tamiraye Lett. 16, of Ivey Street, Century. Lett has been charged as an adult with possession of a firearm by a convicted delinquent under 24 years of age, tampering with evidence and culpable negligence after the gun eventually fired into the tire of an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office cruiser.
The incident began at 3:23 a.m. on July 13 when Deputy Scott Rivkin conducted a traffic stop on a black Eagle Talon with no headlights near North Century Boulevard and Henry Streets. The driver of the vehicle was given a warning for failing to use his headlights. Lett was reportedly the passenger in the vehicle. Both left the area.
About five minutes later, Rivkin was traveling on North Century Boulevard in the same area as the traffic stop when when he heard what he believed to be a gunshot. Upon investigation, he discovered a .22 caliber pistol in the middle of North Century Boulevard. When the right rear wheel of the deputy’s cruiser rolled over the weapon, it had fired a round, flattening the tire. Next to the revolver, the deputy discovered one empty shell casing and five live rounds of ammunition.
While Deputy Rivkin was still parked on North Century Boulevard, he noticed the driver from the previous traffic stop and Lett approaching him on foot. The two were separated and questioned as the Flomaton Police Department responded for backup.
The driver told authorities that Lett (pictured left) had dropped the gun out of the vehicle’s window just prior to the traffic stop and that the pair had returned to the area to retrieve the gun. The 16-year old told deputies that he had purchased the gun from an individual. Lett admitted to dropping the gun out of the vehicle window, according to his arrest report.
When Lett was arrested July 13, he provided deputies with a bill of sale with Simmons’ signature, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Lett told deputies he paid $40 for the gun, and he picked Simmons out of a photo lineup.
On August 4, Simmons was interviewed at the Century Sheriff’s Office substation. He admitted selling the handgun to Lett for a $40 bag of marijuana, according to the arrest report. Simmons also told deputies that he had a 16 gauge shotgun and ammunition at his residence. The home in the 400 block of Railroad Street, McDavid, was searched, and deputies seized a 16 gauge shotgun, 150 live .22 caliber shells and one 16 gauge live shotgun shell from the kitchen area of the home.
Lett was originally charged as a juvenile in connection with the July 14 incident, but he is now being tried as an adult in Escambia County Circuit Court.
Tate Band Reunion Scheduled
August 26, 2010
The J.M. Tate High School Band Reunion will be held October 22-23 for band and color guard members from 1971-1987.
Friday night’s events will begin at 5:30 at the Tate High cafeteria and football stadium. There will be a hamburger or hot dog meal provided by the Tate Band Boosters, followed by the football game. The cost for Friday night is $5 for the meal and $5 admission to the game, per person.
Saturday night’s events will be in the Tate gym. There will be a catered meal and a program to include guests from the past and entertainment. The cost for Saturday night is $40 per couple or $20 for each individual.
Reservations and checks should be mailed to: Tate High Band Reunion, P O Box 565, Cantonment, FL 32533. For more information, email amcmahan64@aol.com or visit the event’s Facebook page by clicking here.
All proceeds after expenses will be donated to the Tate High Band Boosters.
Jay Mayor Confident In One Vote Win After Election Results Change
August 26, 2010
Every vote counts. Jay Mayor Kurvin Qualls is a firm believer in that adage after winning re-election by just a single vote.
Numbers from the Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections Office Tuesday night first showed that political newcomer Ben Hudson had won the election with 71 votes to Qualls’ 70 votes. But shortly before midnight, elections officials tabulated votes from Jay’s touchscreen voting machine. The touchscreen votes were delayed in arriving at the elections office in Milton.
Two votes were cast on the touchscreen machine — both for Qualls, giving him a 72-71 victory over Hudson.
“I am very confident in the results from the Supervisor of Elections,” Qualls said Wednesday. “Everything was on the up and up.”
Under Florida Law, if the margin between the two candidates had been 0.05 percent, an automatic recount would have been triggered. But the one vote difference between Qualls and Hudson amounted to a 0.7 percent margin. According to the Supervisor of Elections Office, there will be no recount unless Hudson files suit in Circuit Court.
Confident in his victory, Qualls said he is making plans to continue to improve Jay.
“There are great things going on in Jay, and we are going to keep it going,” he said. “There are exciting things about to happen in the near future, and there are great opportunities in front of us.”
Attempts to contact Hudson for comment on this story were unsuccessful.
Woman Dies Two Weeks After Crash; Daughter Thankful Gift Of Extra Time
August 26, 2010
An elderly woman has passed away following a Flomaton traffic crash, and her daughter is thanking emergency workers and good Samaritans for giving her two weeks with her mother.
Sallie Howington, 89, died as a result of injuries she received in a traffic crash August 7 on Highway 31 at Holt Street.
“To all those that assisted with the accident, thank you for saving my momma’s life,” Howington’s daughter Cathy Green said. “I got to spend extra weeks with momma.”
“To Cassie Newton, thank you for calling 911 immediately. It was comforting to know that paramedics arrived so quickly,” Green said. Newton witnessed the accident and summoned help
Flomaton Fire Department member Jason Bondurant was the first emergency worker on scene. He found Howington not breathing and without a pulse. Nearby, Jeremy Morris, an EMT and paramedic with Defuniak Springs’ Air Heart helicopter was at a home in the Holt Subdivision and heard the crash. He rushed to the scene and cleared Howington’s airway. Morris, who is a volunteer with the Pineview (Ala.) Volunteer Fire Department,maintained the airway for about seven minutes until an ambulance arrived. Howington was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital by LifeFlight.
“So many people worked so hard, and I thank them so much,” Green said. “I appreciate the time they gave us by saving her life.”
Howington was the driver of a pickup truck that witnesses said turned in front of an SUV on Highway 31 at Holt Street just after 4 p.m. on August 7. The adult driver of the SUV, Terri Marie Parker, 49, of Jay and two children, ages four and 10, were transported by ambulance to an area hospital.
The Flomaton Fire Department, the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and Escambia County EMS also responded to the call.
Pictured above: Four people were injured in this crash August 7 in Flomaton. Sallie Howington, the driver of the pickup, passed away about two weeks later. Pictured below: Sallie Howington was airlifted to a Pensacola hospital in critical condition. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Driver Now Facing DUI Manslaughter Charges For Pedestrian’s Death
August 26, 2010
Charges have been upgraded to DUI manslaughter against a Pensacola man for the June death of a pedestrian.
Tyler Neal Wass, 25, was booked into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday night where he is being held on $100,000 bond.
The Florida Highway Patrol says William E. Carlson, 30, of Pensacola was walking west on Wilde Lake Boulevard shortly after 3 a.m. on June 20 when he was struck and killed by a 2002 Saturn driven by Wass (pictured), of Rebel Road, Pensacola.
According to the FHP., Wass saw Carlson at the last second and attempted to avoid him, but struck him with the right front of his Saturn. Wass and a passenger, 25-year old Carissa L. Snipes, 25, of Pensacola, were not injured.
Wass was taken into custody after the accident and charged with a misdemeanor count DUI. Prosecutors upgraded the charge against Wass to vehicular manslaughter on Wednesday.
Evers Wins Senate Nod; Broxson Wins 4-Way Race For House Nomination
August 25, 2010
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, defeated fellow Republican Mike Hill in Tuesday’s Republican primary for Senate District 2. There is no Democratic candidate, but Evers faces write-in and Tea Party opposition in November.
“I am humbled and honored that the voters in Northwest Florida have selected me to be their Republican candidate for Senate District 2,” said Evers. “I ran for Senate District 2 because I am a proud, conservative, fifth-generation Northwest Floridian, farmer and small-business man; and I ran because I believe together we can make Northwest Florida great, we can work to bring back sanity to our national government, to reclaim a debt-free future for our children and grandchildren, and together we can bring back all that makes America great again. I thank all of my neighbors, friends and supporters in the Panhandle for helping me achieve victory tonight, and I look forward to continuing our fight.
“My campaign during the general election will remain focused on conservative values and making certain that Northwest Florida does not take a backseat to the interests of South and Central Florida in the Legislature,” added Evers. “I believe that the true and tested conservative candidate in this race prevailed tonight, and I am certain that our campaign will prevail again in November.”
Doug Broxson won a four-way Republican primary in the race to replace Rep. Greg Evers in the Panhandle’s House District 1. Broxson defeated Greg Brown, Ricky Perritt and Ferd Saloman. Now, Broxson will face Mathias Venditto, an independent, in the November 2 general election.
Next door in District 2, Clay Ingram won the GOP nomination, and with it likely the seat. Broxson will face NPA candidate Mathias Benditto in November. In District 2, which is being vacated by Pensacola Republican Rep. Dave Murzin, who was term-limited, Ingram defeated David Karasek and will face only write-in opposition in November.
Escambia, Santa Rosa Vote Totals
August 25, 2010
Here are the complete, but unofficial, vote totals from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties:
Escambia County
(90 of 90 precincts reporting)
| UNITED STATES SENATOR (REP) | ||
| William Escoffery III | 2,158 | 7.62% |
| William Billy Kogut | 2,548 | 8.99% |
| Marco Rubio | 23,629 | 83.39% |
| GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (REP) | ||
| Mike McCalister | 3,191 | 10.97% |
| Bill McCollum | 13,092 | 45.01% |
| Rick Scott | 12,806 | 44.02% |
| ATTORNEY GENERAL (REP) | ||
| Holly Benson | 17,740 | 61.47% |
| Pam Bondi | 5,125 | 17.76% |
| Jeff Kottkamp | 5,994 | 20.77% |
| STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 2 (REP) | ||
| Greg Evers | 12,338 | 72.02% |
| Mike Hill | 4,793 | 27.98% |
| STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1 (REP) | ||
| Greg Brown | 1,062 | 28.28% |
| Doug Broxson | 1,996 | 53.16% |
| Ricky G. Perritt | 132 | 3.52% |
| Ferd Salomon | 565 | 15.05% |
| STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 2 (REP) | ||
| Clay Ingram | 8,895 | 61.30% |
| David Karasek | 5,615 | 38.70% |
| COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 2 (REP) | ||
| Dave Murzin | 1,192 | 22.77% |
| Karen Sindel | 1,650 | 31.52% |
| George Touart | 589 | 11.25% |
| Gene M. Valentino | 1,804 | 34.46% |
| COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 4 (REP) | ||
| Dennis Green | 2,067 | 24.63% |
| Grover C. Robinson | 6,324 | 75.37% |
| ECUA DISTRICT 2 (REP) | ||
| Lois Benson | 3,298 | 65.97% |
| Stephen Burand | 544 | 10.88% |
| James Kirkland | 1,157 | 23.14% |
| ECUA DISTRICT 4 (REP) | ||
| Stuart H. Brown | 693 | 9.14% |
| Ryan M. Fendt | 479 | 6.32% |
| Dale Perkins | 5,584 | 73.69% |
| Ronald Ward | 822 | 10.85% |
| UNITED STATES SENATOR (DEM) | ||
| Glenn A. Burkett | 1,113 | 6.64% |
| Maurice A. Ferre | 450 | 2.68% |
| Jeff Greene | 6,823 | 40.70% |
| Kendrick B. Meek | 8,378 | 49.98% |
| GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (DEM) | ||
| Brian P. Moore | 4,649 | 31.03% |
| Alex Sink | 10,333 | 68.97% |
| ATTORNEY GENERAL (DEM) | ||
| Dave Aronberg | 6,737 | 46.22% |
| Dan Gelber | 7,840 | 53.78% |
| CIRCUIT JUDGE, 1ST CIRCUIT | ||
| Kenneth L. Brooks Jr. | 4,915 | 11.32% |
| Clint Davis | 6,516 | 15.00% |
| Michael A. Flowers | 12,002 | 27.63% |
| Mike Lawson | 5,281 | 12.16% |
| Alishia W. McDonald | 10,653 | 24.53% |
| Robert E. McGill III | 4,066 | 9.36% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 1 | ||
| Jeff Bergosh | 6,143 | 66.30% |
| Luke Keller | 2,199 | 23.73% |
| D. Hosea Pittman | 608 | 10.55% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 2 | ||
| Gerald W. Boone | 4,081 | 54.92% |
| Virginia R. White | 3,350 | 45.08% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 3 | ||
| Linda F. Moultrie | 3,427 | 52.91% |
| Charlie Nichols | 3,050 | 47.09% |
| MAYOR PENSACOLA | ||
| Charles Bare | 1,755 | 13.65% |
| Ashton Hayward | 4,306 | 33.48% |
| Diane Mack | 2,041 | 15.87% |
| Mike Wiggins | 4,759 | 37.00% |
Santa Rosa County
(41 of 41 precincts reporting; totals include early votes and initial absentee votes.)
| UNITED STATES SENATOR (REP) | ||
| William Escoffery III | 1,535 | 8.42% |
| William Billy Kogut | 1,975 | 10.83% |
| Marco Rubio | 14,730 | 80.76% |
| GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (REP) | ||
| Mike McCalister | 2,326 | 12.37% |
| Bill McCollum | 7,137 | 37.95% |
| Rick Scott | 9,341 | 49.68% |
| ATTORNEY GENERAL (REP) | ||
| Holly Benson | 10,535 | 57.53% |
| Pam Bondi | 3,541 | 19.41% |
| Jeff Kottkamp | 4,237 | 23.14% |
| STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 2 (REP) | ||
| Greg Evers | 8,230 | 73.73% |
| Mike Hill | 2,933 | 26.27% |
| STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1 (REP) | ||
| Greg Brown | 4,005 | 28.80% |
| Doug Broxson | 5,712 | 41.08% |
| Ricky G. Perritt | 595 | 4.28% |
| Ferd Salomon | 3,594 | 25.84% |
| COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 2 | ||
| Bob Cole | 6,760 | 38.69% |
| Claude Duvall | 5,073 | 29.03% |
| Ron Scott | 3,855 | 22.06% |
| Clifton Wheeler | 1,785 | 10.22% |
| COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 4 | ||
| Ruth Dupont Esser | 4,274 | 18.28% |
| Mark A. Goode | 2,747 | 11.75% |
| Gordon Goodin | 7,473 | 31.96% |
| Jim Melvin | 8,891 | 38.02% |
| UNITED STATES SENATOR (DEM) | ||
| Glenn A. Burkett | 529 | 10.84% |
| Maurice A. Ferre | 189 | 3.87% |
| Jeff Greene | 2,657 | 55.45% |
| Kendrick B. Meek | 1,505 | 30.84% |
| GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR (DEM) | ||
| Brian P. Moore | 1,663 | 36.09% |
| Alex Sink | 2,945 | 63.91% |
| ATTORNEY GENERAL (DEM) | ||
| Dave Aronberg | 1,951 | 44.86% |
| Dan Gelber | 2,398 | 55.14% |
| CIRCUIT JUDGE CIRCUIT 1 GROUP 3 | ||
| Kenneth L. Brooks Jr. | 4,885 | 21.55% |
| Clint Davis | 4,290 | 18.92% |
| Michael A. Flowers | 5,230 | 23.07% |
| Mike Lawson | 3,073 | 13.55% |
| Alishia W. McDonald | 3,094 | 13.65% |
| Robert E. McGill III | 2,099 | 9.26% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 1 | ||
| Dale Anderson | 9,194 | 39.66% |
| Shepherd Iverson | 2,149 | 9.27% |
| Diane Scott | 11,837 | 51.07% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 3 | ||
| Carol Boston | 10,362 | 45.65% |
| Diane Coleman | 12,337 | 54.35% |
| SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER DISTRICT 5 | ||
| Tom Naile | 10,573 | 47.11% |
| Scott Thomas Peden | 11.872 | 52.89% |
| MILTON CITY COUNCIL WARD 3 | ||
| Grady Hester | 608 | 50.50% |
| Alan Lowery | 596 | 49.50% |
| TOWN OF JAY MAYOR | ||
| Ben Jerry Hudson | 71 | 50.35% |
| Kurvin K. Qualls | 72 | 49.55% |
| JAY TOWN COUNCIL | ||
| Jackie Stewart-Ard | 67 | 29.26% |
| Charles “Chubby” Haveard | 77 | 33.62% |
| Shon O. Owens | 85 | 37.12% |
Pictured above: The precinct located at Century City Hall. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
‘Granny, Give Me All Your Money’ — More Details Released On Cantonment Home Invasion
August 25, 2010
More details have been released about a home invasion robbery reported early Sunday morning in Cantonment, and authorities are continuing to look for a suspect.
The incident happened about 5:15 a.m. in the 900 block of River Annex Road, but was not reported for nearly half an hour.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, no one had been arrested for the crime, according to Sena Maddison, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The 59-year old victim told deputies that she awoke from a sound sleep about 5:15 a.m. to a man holding her at gunpoint. She described the suspect as a while male, about 6-feet tall, heavy built, wearing a red hoodie that was pulled over his face. She said the suspect appeared to be disguising his voice and was pointing a .22 caliber revolver at her.
“Granny, give me all your money,” is what the victim told deputies the man said. The victim told the man that she did not have any money, and she argued back and forth with him, according to the Sheriff’s Office report on the incident. The suspect left the bedroom and fled through a side door. The victim told investigators that she watched the man, still with the hoodie over face, walk calmly and not in any hurry toward River Annex Road.
The victim told deputies that she believed that the suspect knew her because the suspect tried to disguise his voice and because she is called “granny” by some of her grandson’s friends.
After the incident, the victim said she woke up her husband, who is hard of hearing and sleeps in a different room. They then drove around the neighborhood in an attempt to locate the suspect, according to the Sheriff’s Office report. When they could not locate the bandit, they returned home and called deputies — nearly a half hour after the incident.
The victim told authorities that she believed the handgun belonged to her and her husband, and that it was taken from a truck outside. She reported that the gun was missing from the truck, which did not appear to be ransacked.
The victim said both the home and truck are normally unlocked, and deputies reported that it appeared the suspect had entered through the front door of the home. In addition to the gun, the victim reported that a purple Sony Ericsson cell phone was missing from her bedside.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit followed a possible suspect track to another home on River Annex Road, but deputies were unable to make contact with anyone at the house. According to the Sheriff’s Office report, one resident at the home matches the physical description given by the victim and is familiar with her residence.
If you have any information on this home invasion, contact Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.