Deputies Crack Down On Hwy 97, Hwy 29 Speeders During Traffic Blitz
June 18, 2010
One after another, Escambia deputies stopped speeders on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill and Highway 29 in Century Thursday.
About a half dozen deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department Traffic Unit conducted the operation, stopping car after car for violating the speed limit. In the 45 mph stretch of Highway 97 at Arthur Brown Road, near Ernest Ward Middle, deputies stopped several vehicles traveling over 60 mph Thursday morning. Thursday afternoon, it was a similar story on North Century Boulevard (Highway 29).
Many of the North Escambia traffic complaints have centered on Highway 97, known locally for its speeders and the number of traffic crashes. Thursday morning, marked cruisers were lined up in a driveway just south of Ernest Ward, partially hidden from northbound traffic by an old building. Meanwhile, motorcycle officers waited under a large oak tree nearby. One after another, the deputies pulled out after speeders.
The Traffic Unit often spends days in Pensacola working traffic in between escorting funerals. But Sheriff David Morgan has directed the unit to crack down on traffic in North Escambia when time allows, make traffic control a priority.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit motorcycle deputies use a radar gun to check the speed of passing motorists Thursday morning on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Pictured inset and below: A deputy writes a ticket on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New State Website Lists 3,800 Available Oil Spill Jobs
June 18, 2010
If you area Florida resident looking for an oil spill recover job, a new website launched Thursday might provide the opportunity you are seeking.
Gov. Charlie Crist unveiled the new website www.floridagulfrecoveryjobs.com that currently lists over 3,500 oil spill response and recovery effort jobs. The site is a dedicated portal through Florida’s official online job bank, the Employ Florida Marketplace.
“Immediate access to recovery-related job openings provides Floridians the opportunity to help our state while supporting their families and communities,” said Governor Crist. “Our beautiful Sunshine State remains open for business, and Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs is the latest example of our coordinated efforts to ensure preparedness and strengthen our economy.”
Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs is a joint venture of the Agency for Workforce Innovation and Workforce Florida Inc., in partnership with the state’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards — including the local Workforce Escarosa. Designed as an online “one-stop shop” for job seekers and employers, the website allows job seekers to access available positions, which are verified by the local Regional Workforce Boards, as employers post them. Floridians can also call 1-877-362-5034 to learn more about available jobs related to response and recovery efforts.
“Our top priority is getting Floridians back to work and ensuring Florida’s business climate continues to flourish,” said Chris Hart IV, president/CEO of Workforce Florida Inc. and interim director of the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development. “Florida Gulf Recovery Jobs is a key component of the state’s response to the oil spill, providing Florida’s job seekers access to a wide array of employment opportunities and its businesses with a ready and willing talent pool.”
Some response and recovery jobs will require special training, for which job seekers may receive a stipend. More than 2,400 workers have already been trained and are eligible to begin filling these positions, including 302 who are already participating in Florida’s recovery efforts. Information about required training is also available at www.floridagulfrecoveryjobs.com. Additionally, job seekers are encouraged to visit one of the 93 local One-Stop Career Centers for information about these and other employment opportunities in their communities.
In the North Escambia area, Escarosa Career Centers are located at 8120 North Century Boulevard in Century, 3670-A North L Street in Pensacola and 5723 Highway 90 in Milton.
Jury Convicts Robin And Lynn Floyd On 7 Animal Abuse Charges
June 18, 2010
A North Escambia couple has been found guilty on multiple animal cruelty charges by an Escambia County jury.
(Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect changes resulting from an error in the Escambia County Court of the Clerk’s records concerning sentencing for the Floyds.)
Robin Brownie Floyd, 53, and Lynn Livingston Floyd, 43, both of Gilmore Road, Century, were both found guilty on seven of eight charges of confinement of animals without sufficient food or water.
Both Floyds were sentenced to six months probation and ordered to pay over $500 in costs each. They were also ordered to take a horse training or treatment course, and they are not allowed to have custody of a horse for the length of their probation, according to Escambia County Clerk of the Courts records. They were given 10 days to find a home any horses they may have. But, according to court records, they are allowed to work around horses.
Panhandle Equine Rescue received a tip that several thin horses were being moved by the Floyds to Santa Rosa County, according to PER President Diane Lowery. She said the horses were being transferred to a Santa Rosa County residence and then moved out of state to a horse rescue in Georgia. Lowery said that when PER investigated in September, they found three emaciated horses still on the Gilmore Road property.
Warrants were issued on three counts each, and the Floyds turned themselves in at the Escambia County Jail on October 15. Additional charges were filed by the State Attorney’s Office in December.
PER, Lowery said, took photos of the other horses to the State Attorney’s office and requested that there be more charges, “since every horse that suffered neglect mattered”.
For photos of the horses submitted by PER, click here. (Some readers may find the photos disturbing. Submitted photos by Panhandle Equine Rescue from 2009 and 2006.)
Northview FFA’s Food For America Program Named Best In Florida
June 18, 2010
The Northview High School FFA’s Food For America program was named the best in Florida Thursday during the 82nd Florida FFA State Convention in Orlando.
The North Escambia Food for America Program, sponsored the National FFA Organization and conducted by the Northview FFA in March, gave hundreds of elementary school students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. About 600 elementary school students and about 200 volunteers took part in the program.
The program is designed to encourage FFA members to participate in Agricultural Literacy and Awareness projects on the local level. The awards were announced Thursday during the General Session of the 82nd Florida FFA State Convention in Orlando.
The Northview FFA has participated in the program for 15 years, placing second in the state in 2007 and 2009. Northview has placed in the top five in the state for the last ten years.
Pictured top: Students pets a horse at Northview High School FFA’s Food for America Program last March. Pictured inset: Northview FFA students. Pictured bottom: Students taste homemade butter during the NHS Food for America program. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
ECUA Golf Tourney Raises $28,000 For Children’s Hospital
June 18, 2010
Emerald Coast Utility Authority employees raised $28,000 for Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.
ECUA Employee’s Golf Tournament organizers and Diamond Sponsor Gilbert Pump & Mechanical, presented a check for $28,000 recently to Dr. Henry E. Roberts, president of the Sacred Heart Foundation. The donation was the result of the 2010 tournament held at the Marcus Pointe Golf Course in April.
“Over the past 12 years, the ECUA Employees Golf Tournament has contributed over $108,000 in the hospital’s ministry with children,” said Dr. Roberts.
According to the ECUA Employees’ Golf Tournament event organizers Bill Ellis, Doug Gibson, Ron Doolittle, Tammy Clemmons, and Timothy Colley, “Over the past 12 years we’ve made the employees’ event a top priority. The money generated will contribute to the building and construction of the Children’s Garden and Playroom Renovation project to be located within the Purple Heart Kids’ Gang unit at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. In 2010, we pledged to exceed $100,000 in total contributions, and we surpassed that goal.”
“The tournament is successful because of the financial support we receive from sponsors such as Gilbert Pump & Mechanical, our 2010 Diamond Sponsor, and the other 132 participants. We’re dedicated to continuing this tradition and look forward to many more successful events,” said Ellis.
The ECUA Employees’ Golf Tournament contributions to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital have helped to make it a state of the art facility. It is Northwest Florida’s only Level III intensive care nursery, serving 14 counties throughout the region.
(Golf tournament winners are listed below their pictures at the bottom of this story.)
Pictured top: $28,000 in proceeds from the ECUA Employee’s Golf Tournament is presented to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Pictured are: (front, L-R) Brian Widman, Danny Gilbert, Doug Gibson, Cathy Laird, Dr. Henry Roberts, (back, L-R) Timothy Colley, Bill Ellis, Ron Doolittle. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
First place: Camp Dresser McKee — (L-R) Wes Malone, William Blocker, Casey Smith, Robert Hyman.
Second place: South Baldwin Plumbing — (L-R) Lain B. Cheney, Shain Cheney, Robert Barnes, Brian Alberson.
Third place: Baskerville Donovan, Inc. — (L-R) Jim Waite, Claude Duvall,Larry Goodwin.
What Happens In Your Neighborhood? New Online Map Shows Escambia Crime
June 18, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is now using a new crime mapping service to show where crimes are occurring in the county.
The CrimeReports.com web site provides a map updated daily that depicts crimes across the county or down to street-level in a neighborhood. The map will soon be added to the Sheriff’s Office web site.
“We are excited about making Crime Reports available to the citizens of Escambia County. This program will empower the citizens to become more aware of what is happening in their neighborhood,” said Melissa Aiken Rawson, public affairs coordinator for the Sheriff’s Office. ”
Citizens can also sign up to receive free crime alerts that will be emailed directly to them whenever a crime occurs near their home. It is our hope that as members of the community begin to use this program, we will see more vigilant neighbors who are monitoring what is going on in their neighborhood,” she said.
“At the Sheriff’s Office, we will be using this powerful tool to monitor where specific types of crimes are occurring,” Rawson said. “By using Crime Reports, officers can visually map crime trends in various areas across the county.”
The Escambia Sheriff’s Office has evaluated the service in-house for the past couple of weeks before going public. The service will cost the department just $199 a month. About 800 law enforcement agencies across North America currently use the Crime Reports service.
To view the CrimeReports.com map for your neighborhood in Escambia County, visit www.CrimeReports.com and enter your zip code, or click the image above. The map will also soon be available at www.escambiaso.com.
No Injuries In Highway 97 Single Vehicle Crash
June 17, 2010
There were no injuries in a single vehicle accident Thursday morning on Highway 97 near Walnut Hill.
The driver of a southbound Chrysler 300 apparently lost control south of Howell Road and ran off the road into a ditch about 7:15 a.m.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department was responding a report of a vehicle with a similar description driving recklessly in the area at the time of the accident. Deputies had not yet caught up with the vehicle at the time of the crash.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, along with the Florida Highway Patrol. The accident is still under investigation by the FHP.
Pictured above: There were no injuries in this single vehicle accident Thursday morning on Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Back To Jail On His Birthday: Judge Revokes Javis Grimes’ Bond
June 17, 2010
Javis Cain Grimes was arrested Wednesday — on his birthday — after an Escambia County judge revoked his bond in an outstanding drug case.
According to Escambia County Circuit Court records, Grimes’ bond was revoked Tuesday by Judge Paul Rasmussen in a March case in which Grimes, 26, was charged with unlawful possession of a listed chemical used to manufacture a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and cited for driving with a suspended license.
He was arrested without incident after a traffic stop near the intersection of East Highway 4 and North Century Boulevard just before 3 p.m.
According to court records, Grimes, of Gilmore Road, Century, also has outstanding unrelated cases that include four counts of possession of drug equipment, possession of a listed chemical, tag and seat belt violations, driving with a suspend license, no proof of insurance, and expired registration.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Steve Kay was patrolling Highway 168 on March 8 near Byrneville looking for an older model silver Chevrolet S10 pickup truck that was reported in the area traveling at a high rate of speed shortly after a bank robbery in Flomaton. Kay met a similar Chevrolet S10 pickup. When he turned around on the truck, he reported that it sped up as it turned off Highway 168 and into a yard at 7710 Jack Smith Road.
Deputy observed Grimes, the driver, go behind a mobile home. Grimes told Kay that he ran because his license was suspended, but he had paid the fines. The deputy asked to search the pickup truck, but Grimes said he would need to call his mother because the pickup belonged to her.
At that point, Escambia County Deputy Todd Day requested the assistance of a K-9 from the Flomaton Police Department. Flomaton K-9 officer Jason Bondurant’s dog indicated on the passenger side of the truck, according to the sheriff’s office incident report.
A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a long list of items commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, the report states. The search also revealed other items inside the vehicle. In the back of the truck, deputies found Coleman fuel, and Grimes had a metal torch on his person, the report states.
Pictured top: Hydrogen peroxide, salt, pseudoephedrine pills, rubber tubing and a digital scale — some of the potential meth-making materials deputies said discovered during a Byrneville traffic stop in a truck driven by Javis Grimes in April. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Wanted Since June 4 Manhunt Arrested Wednesday Night
June 17, 2010
A Molino burglary suspect that was the focus of a manhunt on June 4 is now behind bars.
Brandon Davis Edmondson, 30, of Sunshine Hill Road, was booked into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday night on felony burglary and larceny charges and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer. Edmondson is being held on $25,000 bond.
About a dozen deputies and two canine units searched for Edmondson for several hours the morning on June 4, unable to locate him.
Deputies believe he was involved in a burglary in the 100 block of Molino Road were about $1,300 worth of power tools were missing. When deputies were questioning Edmondson about the burglary, he fled his residence on foot in the 6000 block of Sunshine Hill Road.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, deputies suspect Edmondson burglarized a shed on Molino Road, taking tools.
Escambia School District Approves Byrneville Elementary Charter Addendum, Financials
June 17, 2010
The Escambia County School Board has approved some minor changes to their charter agreement with Byrneville Elementary School, and the school has submitted its latest financial information to the board.
The school will be funded for 180 students during the next school year. That includes an estimated 95 students K-3, 58 in grades 4-5, and 27 ESE students. The total, bottom line revenue from the Escambia County School District to fund the school and school related operations such as transportation is $1,121,098 for the 2010-2011 school year.
The current Byrneville Elementary School charter was approved July 19, 2005, and continues until June 30, 2015.
A recent financial analysis submitted to school district by Byrneville Elementary shows the school had $1,273,171 in assets in April, and liabilities of $560,207. The total school year to date revenue reported by the school at the end of April was $770,588, with expenses of $704,231.
All charter schools in the county are required to submit regular financial reports to the school district, and the board approves contract addendums to address funding at the schools.