16-Year Old Jailed After Deputy’s Tire Shot Out
July 16, 2010
A 16-year old was jailed after allegedly dumping a firearm into the middle of a North Escambia street, eventually leading to a shot being fired into a deputy’s tire.
The juvenile was charged with culpable negligence exposure to harm, carrying a concealed weapon, improper exhibition of a firearm or dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm unlawfully by a minor, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and tampering with or destroying evidence.
The incident began at 3:23 Wednesday morning 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. The 16-year was 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 the 16-year approaching him on foot. The two were separated and questioned as the Flomaton Police Department responded for backup.
The driver told authorities that the juvenile 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, and he provided a bill of sale. He admitted to dropping the gun out of the vehicle window.
The 16-year old, a resident of Ivey Street in Century, was arrested and released into the custody of the Department of Youth Services. He was being held with bond set at $21,000.
Angel Food Donates 80,000 Pounds Of Food
July 16, 2010
Two tractor trailers loaded with food rolled up to the Gateway Church of Christ in Pensacola on Thursday morning for distribution to volunteers from 55 local organizations — including several in North Escambia — to help put it into the hands of those in need for free.
About 80 thousand pounds was delivered Thursday to a distribution site in Pensacola to assist families and workers impacted by the loss of work and business due to the Gulf oil disaster.
The food was from Angel Food Ministries, an organization dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality food to those in need.
“We have many oil workers who have come here to take care of the oil that washes up here; meanwhile no one is allowed in the water to fish or otherwise, and we have lost so much due to lack of tourism and commerce,” said Pat Senkow, Angel Food Outreach minister for the region. “In Escambia county we have 1,200 homeless children, and Santa Rosa County has 4,700 known homeless before the oil spoiled what we did have.”
North Escambia area organizations that participate in Angel Food Ministries include: Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, Pine Forest Assembly of God, New Life Baptist Church of Century, and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. For more information about participating in the Angel Food program, call 1-888-819-3745 or visit www.angelfoodministries.com to find the nearest host site.
One School To Win $10,000 From Pensacola Pelicans
July 16, 2010
At the end of the Pelicans season, one local school will win $10,000 from the Pensacola Pelicans. As part of the Pelicans reading program “Scoop’s Reading Challenge”, the school with the most reading challenge ticket voucher redemptions will win the grand prize.
Students participating in the “Scoop’s Reading Challenge” earned up to two Pelicans tickets for reaching “home” by achieving their assigned reading goals. In total, more than 15,000 tickets were awarded to the students in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties.
Currently, Pea Ridge Elementary is leading the race to win the $10,000.
Reading Challenge participants are encouraged to attend the Pelicans game and use their vouchers to further their school’s chances of winning the $10,000 prize.
The Pelicans have 19 regular season home games remaining. Ticket vouchers are youth vouchers only and are not valid for play-off games. Monday through Saturday games begin at 6:45 p.m. while Sunday games begin at 6:05 p.m. Gates open an hour before game time.
NWE All-Stars On The Road In Sectional Tourney
July 16, 2010
The Northwest Escambia All-Stars will be in action Saturday in the 11-12 year old Little League softball sectionals in Tallahassee.
NWE, the District 1 champions, will take on the District 20 champions, Chaires Little League, at Chaires-Capitola Park. Games in the double elimination tournament will be at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday. If a Sunday game is needed, the time will be determined following the final Saturday game.
Members of the NWE 11-12 year old All-Stars are: Savanna Roux, Peighton Dortch, Courtney Peebles, Kyndall Hall, Penny Banda, Addy Lee, Kendal Cobb, Mallory Ryan, Kristin Byrd and Natalie Goetter. The team is managed by Jerry Mason, and coached by Ronald Peebles and Eddie Ryan.
Pictured top: The Northwest Escambia All-Starts 11-12 softball team after their July 2 district championship win. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Over 150 New Laws Now In Effect In Florida
July 16, 2010
High school students will have to take some tougher classes. Exotic pythons can no longer be sold in Florida. And it will be harder to sue businesses for “slip and fall” incidents. Those are just some of the more than 150 laws that went into effect this month in the Sunshine State.
- SB 4 heightens graduation standards and phases out part of the high school FCAT, the standardized exam given to Florida students. The new law will eventually require students to take geometry, two years of algebra, biology, chemistry or physics and an additional “rigorous” science course in order to graduate. DOE officials would also create and eventually implement end-of-course exams. Some school officials have questioned how it will affect graduation rates.
- SB 2126 expands the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, a program that that sends low-income Florida students to private school. The new law would allow the program, currently capped at $118 million in aggregate, to keep expanding as more donations flow in. The program is funded by private companies that get a corporate tax credit in return for a donation. Currently, more than 27,000 students receive a $3,950 scholarship. Under the new law, the $118 million cap expands to $140 million this year, and then allows it to expand by 25 percent whenever the donations reach 90 percent of the cap. The measure also provides additional tax credits for the program, adding oil and gas severance taxes, beverage taxes on alcohol and other types of business taxes. The goal is to increase the amount of students who receive the scholarship and boost the individual award amount, so that it eventually reaches 80 percent of the state allocation for per pupil spending, which is currently at about $6,866 per student.
- Another bill (HB 525) becoming law Thursday eliminates the statute of limitations on sex crimes related to minors. The measure was pushed by lawyer Michael Dolce and Lauren book, the daughter of Miami lobbyist Ron Book, who were both victimized as children.
- SB 1708 makes it a felony to kill, maim or mutiliate a horse and then sell the meat that is not acquired from a “licensed slaughterhouse.” The measure was sponsored by Sen. Victor Crist,R-Tampa, and Rep. Luis Garcia, D-Miami, who proposed it in response to incidents of horses being stolen and butchered for human consumption in the state over the last few years.
- Lawmakers upped the requirements for Florida students to qualify for the popular Bright Futures Scholarship, which pays for the education for about half of the students at Florida’s public universities. The changes include raising the SAT requirements from 1270 to 1290 for the top award and 970 to 1050 for the secondary award. (HB 5201)
- Another new law makes it more difficult for an individual to sue a business for “slip and fall” incidents. The new law places the burden of proof on a person who is injured in a slip and fall case. They now will have to prove the business had knowledge of a dangerous condition and didn’t fix it. The law was a major priority of the Florida Chamber and other members of the business community.
- Don’t try to put a snake on a plane. SB 318, which goes went into effect Thursday, bans the importation of dangerous giant reptiles into Florida and enhances the state’s ability to prevent internet sales of banned wildlife. It also increases penalties for those who break wildlife laws.
By Kathleen Hughney
The News Service Florida
Local Brothers Find Themselves Deployed To Same Base In Afghanistan
July 16, 2010
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Two brothers from Atmore have been been deployed to the same base in Afghanistan.
Many armed services personnel are separated from their families for a long period of time on a regular basis due to deployments. Although some military members have a spouse or other family member that is also in the military and deploys frequently, rarely are they deployed at the same time or to the same location.
In Afghanistan, two brothers have found themselves deployed, not only at the same time, but to the same location as well. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Dempsey Walker, supply support activity platoon sergeant, Company A, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon, from Atmore, Ala., has spent 24 years in the Army and is currently on his fourth deployment. His brother, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker, a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, also from Atmore, has spent 17 years in the Air Force and is currently on his third deployment. Both are deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
“This is the first time we have been deployed to the same base,” said Dempsey. “We were stationed in Korea at the same time and deployed to Iraq at the same time, but to different bases.”
“When I got here, my brother had already been here for six months,” said Nicholas. “It makes life here a lot easier, having a family member so close who can relate to what you are doing.”
Dempsey said he was anxious to join the military and chose the Army because it was able to let him join three months earlier than the other services. Nicholas, however, was not as anxious and made his decision based on the experiences of his brothers.
“We have an older brother that used to be in the Air Force,” said Nicholas. “After I talked to both my brothers, I decided the Air Force was right for me.”
According to Dempsey, the brothers get together at least once a week. They spend their time talking, going to church or just hanging out together. They usually eat at least one meal together whenever their schedules allow.
“It is nice to have a family member here to talk to,” said Dempsey. “Someone who is in the same location and situation and who can understand and relate to the types of problems that can pop up from time to time. In times like these, it is good to have your brother by your side.”
Pictured: U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker (right), a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, sites and talks with his brother U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker (left), a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan recently at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Photo by U.S. Army Sft. Robert Healy, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
BP Stops Oil Leak In The Gulf
July 15, 2010
BP says that the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico has been stopped for the first time since the spill began in April.
The announcement came after all of the valves were shut Thursday afternoon on a new cap placed on the well earlier this week. According to BP, this is a not a permanent fix. A long-term solution will come in the form of relief wells being drilled to plug the leaking well below the sea floor with concrete.
“It felt very good not to see any oil going into the Gulf of Mexico,” said BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells during a briefing. “”What I’m trying to do is maintain my emotions. This is the start of our test.”
Engineers are monitoring the pressure inside the cap to see if the fix will hold.
More details will be posted on this breaking story as they become available.
Pictured: BP works to pressure test their oil spill fix in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon.
FDLE: North Escambia Driver In FHP Shootout Suffered Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
July 15, 2010
A statement released this morning by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement provides more details about Wednesday’s officer-involved shooting on Pine Forest Road:
“The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating a July 14 shooting incident involving the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). The incident occurred during a traffic stop conducted by Trooper Michael Black near Longleaf Drive in the 7000 block of Pine Forest Road in Pensacola, Fla. Preliminary investigative findings indicate that both the subject and trooper discharged their firearms.
“The incident resulted in the death of Clifton Austin Salter, 59, of Cantonment, Fla. Salter died at the scene. FDLE was asked by the FHP to conduct an independent investigation of the shooting. The investigation is being conducted by FDLE’s Pensacola Regional Operations Center.
“The District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy. Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Salter received multiple gunshot wounds, one of which appears to be self-inflicted.
“FDLE will continue to investigate the incident to determine the sequence of events. The investigative findings will be provided to the Office of State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit.”
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Trial Delayed For Pastor Charged With Passing Fake Prescriptions
July 15, 2010
Trial has been delayed in the case of the Alabama pastor accused of passing fake prescriptions at a Century pharmacy.
Bertha Y. Wright, 44, appeared before Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Nickolas Geeker on Wednesday. Her jury trial, which was scheduled to begin next Monday, was reset for September 20.
Wright was facing 28 drug-related charges — 11 counts of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription, 12 counts of possessing a new legend drug without a prescription, three counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, one count of trafficking in hydrocodone and one count of possession of a blank prescription. Prosecutors later dropped eight of the possession of a controlled substance charges.
She remains free from jail on $34,500 bond. She was reportedly a pastor at a Mt. Vernon, Alabama, church.
When Wright attempted to fill three prescriptions at Century Pharmacy on Mayo Street in March, the pharmacist suspected that they were fraudulent. Julie Moran called the doctor that allegedly issued the prescriptions, Dr. David Smith in Jay, and determined they were indeed fraudulent, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office incident report.
The first prescription was written for Phenergan and codeine. The second was for 180 methadone tablets, and the third was for 120 Soma tablets. All three were dated March 3, 2010. Deputy David Bashore contacted Dr. Smith by phone, and he advised that he last saw Wright in February and had written no new prescriptions for Wright.
Inside Wright’s purse, Bashore located an unlabeled prescription bottle containing methadone, a bottle with generic Lorcet and generic Soma mixed together, and a third bottle with methadone.
When deputies Michael Coburn and Tod Day searched Wright’s vehicle across the street from the pharmacy, they discovered a variety of medications — the sheriff’s office incident report lists about a dozen other medications by their identification numbers. The report identified 127 hydrocodone tablets and the muscle relaxer Carisoprodol. An ice-filled cooler in the vehicle also contained three bottles of an unknown substance, according to deputies. The vehicle and the medications were seized as evidence by the sheriff’s department.
Ever Wonder What Happens When Your Power Goes Out?
July 15, 2010
Power outages were reported across the North Escambia area Wednesday night as a line of storms moved through the area. But have you ever thought about what happens when your power goes out? NorthEscambia.com thought we would take a look at the behind the scenes things that take place to get your power back on.
Our scenario below involves Escambia River Electric Cooperative and a hypothetical power outage in Walnut Hill. The events could just as well happen in any community in the North Escambia area on EREC, Gulf Power, Alabama Power, or Southern Pine Electric Cooperative.
Here’s our little story, “When the Lights Go Out”:
You were on your couch watching the TV early last night. The main storm has passed, and the rain outside has just about lulled you into a quick early evening nap.
Then it happens. Your power blinks one, two, three times and it’s off. You make your way in the dark to the kitchen where your glow-in-the-dark EREC magnet on the refrigerator is illuminated enough so that you can read the outage number. You call the number, 1-877-OUT-EREC, and follow the voice prompts to report your home’s outage. Your job is done.
What happens now? First of all, let’s set up the scenario for our hypothetical outage. Let’s say you live on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill. This address receives power from the Oak Grove substation, just across the road from the Oak Grove Park on North Highway 99. You are assuming the evening’s thunderstorm is the culprit for your home being left in the dark. You know the proper action for you to take is to call the EREC outage number which you have done. Now, here’s the sequence of events which will take place to restore your power as quickly and safely as possible.
In our power outage scenario, your call comes in to the dispatch center and your name and address appear immediately on the computer screen. The dispatcher then contacts the on-call EREC crew to make repairs. Since the two-man crew is on-call for the evening, each crewman has driven home an EREC truck loaded with equipment and supplies necessary to repair any typical outage that might occur. So when the dispatch call is received, each crewman leaves his home and heads directly to the site of the outage. He does not need to take extra time to go by the EREC facility and get the vehicle, equipment and supplies needed to repair the outage.
Upon arrival to the outage location, the crew investigates the reason for the power failure. Meanwhile they have received additional calls from the dispatch center letting them know there are other nearby houses on Arthur Brown Road, Corley Road and Juniper Street that are experiencing outages as well. After assessment of the power system, the crew determines that the cause of the outage is an RE failure (an oil reclosure breaker) in the substation due to a lightning strike.
This can be handled quickly by the two-man crew so there is no need for additional personnel to be called in for assistance. The crew repairs the damage and calls the dispatch center to let them know all power has been restored. The dispatch center then calls back each member that has reported a power outage to be sure they do have power.
For more photos from inside the Oak Grove Power substation, click here.
The purpose of this story is to create a picture of what is actually happening during a typical power restoration. This is only a possible scenario and, of course, there are many different reasons why your power can go out.
“Although we cannot imagine all the power outage scenarios that can happen, there is one thing we can be sure of. EREC will be there to restore your power as quickly as possible in the dead of night, in the middle of terrible storms or whatever the case may be – EREC crews will do what needs to be done to get the lights back on,” said Sabrina Owens, EREC’s marketing director.
She said that in the case of major outages such as those that occur with hurricanes or other severe weather, specific procedures are in place to restore power to the most people in the shortest amount of time. The following steps describe power restoration after a storm.
- Transmission towers and lines supply power to one or more transmission substations. These lines seldom fail, but they can be damaged by a hurricane or tornado. Tens of thousands of people could be served by one high-voltage transmission line, so if there is damage here it gets attention first.
- Escambia River EC has several local distribution substations, each serving thousands of members. When a major outage occurs, the local distribution substations are checked first. A problem here could be caused by failure in the transmission system supplying the substation. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.
- Main distribution supply lines are checked next if the problem cannot be isolated at the substation. These supply lines carry electricity away from the substation to a group of members, such as a town or housing development. When power is restored at this stage, all members served by this supply line could see the lights come on, as long as there is no problem farther down the line.
- The final supply lines, called tap lines, carry power to the utility poles or underground transformers outside houses or other buildings. Line crews fix the remaining outages based on restoring service to the greatest number of members.
- Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between your house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This can explain why you have no power when your neighbor does. EREC needs to know you have an outage in this type of situation so that a service crew can repair it.
Members themselves (not the cooperative) are responsible for damage to the service installation on the building. The member will need to have a licensed electrician make these repairs.
For more photos from inside the Oak Grove Power substation, click here.
Special thanks to Sabrina Owens at EREC for her assistance with this story from our files , and to the linemen that assisted with the photographs. It’s worth noting that the photographs were taken on a nice sunny morning rather than during a real power outage after a storm due to the dangers of standing in a power substation after a storm has just passed.
Pictured above: EREC prepare to fix an oil reclosure breaker (RE) failure inside the Oak Grove power substation. Pictured below: That breaker is installed on a transmission line headed to the Arthur Brown Road area of Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
