Weekend Photos: Spring Football, Building For A Cause, And SGA Trip
May 24, 2010
From Spring Football to building a Habitat for Humanity house to a student leader trip to Tallahassee, North Escambia.com had the weekend photos.
Jay Man Accused Of Killing Brewton Teen Is Released On Bond
May 24, 2010
The man accused in the February shooting death of an 18-year old Brewton man in the Berrydale community has been released on bond.
Robert Franklin Floyd, 21, was released from the Santa Rosa County Jail on $100,000 bond. Floyd had been held without bond since February on a charge of second degree murder with a firearm, three counts of attempted first degree murder with a firearm, and one count of shooting into an occupied dwelling.
Late last week, a Santa Rosa County Circuit Court judge approved a request from Floyd’s attorney to allow him to be freed on bond.
Floyd was arrested after an incident that occurred shortly after midnight February 27 at Floyd’s home on Country Mill Road. A party was being held at Floyd’s residence in which numerous subjects were in attendance, according to Sgt. Scott Haines, spokesperson for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
During the bonfire party, a vehicle occupied by four people from Brewton arrived Floyd’s home on Country Mill Road.
The four people, including 18-year old Getyron Lopez Benjamin, exited the vehicle and got into a verbal altercation with Floyd, according to a statement released by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office the day following the incident.
“Floyd stated that the subjects were there uninvited. Floyd requested that the subjects leave the premises, and words were exchanged between Floyd and the subjects from Brewton. The subjects refused to leave, at which time Floyd allegedly pushed one of the…males and told them once again to leave,” according to Sgt. Scott Haines, spokesperson for the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Floyd told Santa Rosa deputies that the male subject he pushed pulled out a handgun. Floyd he said he retrieved a rifle from his truck, and then he heard gunshots in the direction of the vehicle from Brewton. He also alleged that he saw a muzzle flash coming from their direction.
“Floyd then fired multiple shots from his rifle towards the direction of the vehicle as it was leaving. The vehicle left the scene and Floyd returned the rifle to his truck. After a short time, Floyd decided to contact the Sheriff’s Office to make them aware of the situation. When deputies arrived, they spoke with Floyd and gained the above mentioned information. Numerous rifle shell casings were located at the scene,” Haines said.
Benjamin was shot as the vehicle fled the scene. He was driven to D.W. McMillan Hospital in Brewton where he was pronounced dead.
“The other occupants of the vehicle were interviewed and stated that they did not observe any of their vehicle’s occupants produce a firearm. No firearm has been located as of the time of this release. It is also not known if Benjamin was the subject that Floyd said had alleged brandished the handgun,” Haines said the day after the shooting.
Update: Century Man’s 10 Recent Arrests Have Cost Taxpayers Estimated $24,505
May 24, 2010
The Century man that has been arrested at least 10 times since last year has cost taxpayers nearly $25,000.
This is an update to a story we first brought you on Thursday.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Ronald Berlan Newton, 49, has spent 377 days in the Escambia County Jail since since January, 2009. In all, he has been booked into the jail 10 different times during the period on charges ranging from lewd and lascivious behavior on a victim under 18 to criminal mischief to disorderly conduct to battery.
According to Melissa Aiken Rawson, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, the average cost to house an inmate in the Escambia County Jail is $65 per day. Using that information, simple match would indicate that Newton’s 377 days have cost taxpayers $24,505 in housing costs.
“And that does not count any medical costs,” Rawson said. In general, the average medical costs per inmate in the Escambia County jail are $10 per day, but she said some inmates could have medical costs of several hundred dollars per month while other may have no medical costs and take no medications.
For our previous story about Newton, click here.
Click It Or Ticket Campaign Begins Today Targeting Unbuckled Motorists
May 24, 2010
With a mandate to enforce Florida’s primary safety belt law, authorities across the state are gearing up to pull over and ticket unbuckled motorists during the annual statewide Click it or Ticket campaign that begins this Monday.
Last year, Florida lawmakers passed legislation requiring all motorists to buckle up in moving vehicles. This is the first year the new law will be in effect during the campaign’s enforcement period from May 24 through June 6, which includes the Memorial Day holiday weekend – a time when many motorists take to the roads for the long weekend.
“Seat belts save lives,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos. “During this Memorial Day Click it or Ticket campaign, all Floridians are encouraged to make safe decisions and buckle up each and every time they are on the road.”
Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. The most recent traffic crash data (2008) shows that in Florida, 1,795 people in safety-belt-equipped vehicles died in automobile collisions. Sixty percent of them were not wearing their safety belt.
Florida reached a record 85.2 percent safety belt usage rate last year following FDOT’s Click it or Ticket campaign and the passage of the state’s primary enforcement law. The national safety belt use rate for 2009 was 84 percent.
During a kickoff event at the State Capitol Building, FDOT Assistant Secretary Debbie Hunt and other FDOT leaders were joined by Capt. Mark Welch of the Florida Highway Patrol, Col. David Dees of the Motor Carrier Compliance, Capt. Gene Revell of the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Dennis Jones of the Tallahassee Police Department – who all pledged to promote safety belt use through the enforcement of the primary law.
FDOT also revealed that since the new law went into effect last July, more than 350,000 tickets have been issued to motorists statewide for not wearing their safety belts on Florida’s roadways.
“The primary point of Click it or Ticket is not to get people to pay up, but to buckle up,” said Col. John Czernis, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Ensuring the safety of Florida’s motorists and increasing the number of lives saved as a direct result of wearing a safety belt every time you get in a car is our primary concern.”
In addition to increased daytime enforcement, officers will also conduct heavy patrols and safety efforts during the evening hours to find unbuckled motorists. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nighttime drivers and passengers are far less likely to use their safety belts. Based on 2008 data, approximately 671 people in Florida who were not wearing a safety belt, died in traffic crashes between the hours of 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.
Dirt Bike Driver Injured In Collision With Jeep
May 24, 2010
One person was injured in a collision between a dirt bike and a jeep Sunday evening in Cantonment.
The driver of the dirt bike was transported by Escambia County EMS to a Pensacola hospital with non-life threatening injuries following the accident on an unnamed dirt lane off Kathleen Avenue.
The Cantonment and Ensley Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the call. Further details were not available.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Northview High Baccalaureate, Graduation Scheduled
May 24, 2010
Graduation, Baccalaureate and Senior Honors Night have been scheduled for the Northview High School Class of 2010.
The 2010 Senior Class of Northview High School will hold student-led Baccalaureate Exercises the evening of Friday, June 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the Atmore First Assembly of God on South Main Street. All family and friends are welcome.
For seniors participating in the services, Sunday dress attire is requested under cap and gown. There will be a mandatory practice on Thursday, June 3rd from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. For additional information contact senior class President Candice Greenwell at (850) 587-2489.
Graduation for the Northview High School Class of 2010 will be Saturday, June 5 at 4 p.m. in the Northview High School gym.
There will be mandatory graduation practice at 9 a.m. on Friday, June 4. The graduation group portrait will be taken at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 5.
Senior Honors Night will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 3 in the school theater.
Ernest Ward SGA Visits Tallahassee (With Gallery)
May 24, 2010
The Ernest Ward Middle School Student Government Association visited several landmarks in Tallahassee over the weekend, including the state capitol, governor’s mansion, the Florida State University campus and several museums.
For a submitted photo gallery, click here.
Pictured above at the state capitol are (front, L-R) Jason Ogle, Austin Cunningham, Shalmali Bhadkamkar, (middle) Danielle Scott, Tamara Wise, Megan Bryan, Samantha Sharpless, Kendal Cobb, Madlyn Coon, Kasie Braun, Lana Clayton, (back) Chelsea Turner, Amy Murph, Bethany Reynolds, Jordan Taylor, Katie Born, Jayln Bodiford, Jessica Lowery, Jenny Spears, Victoria Wright, and Chelsea Ward. Pictured below: Amy Murph plays the piano at the Florida Governor’s Mansion. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Injured When Vehicle Flips Into Power Pole
May 23, 2010
Two people were injured in a single vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Davisville.
The Florida Highway Patrol says T.J. Matthew Jarrell, 19, of Atmore lost control of his 1988 Chevrolet Blazer on Nokomis Road about a mile from Highway 97 at about 3:45 a.m. and hit the grassy shoulder.
Jarrell over corrected, veered onto the grassy shoulder again and into a culvert. Upon colliding with the culvert, the vehicle overturned several times and into a power pole. The pole was broken about 12 feet off the ground. The Chevy Blazer came to rest upside down about 20 feet away.
Jarrell and passenger, Steven R. Slack, 18, of Atmore, were transported by private vehicle to Atmore Community Hospital before emergency personnel arrived. They were treated and released.
According to troopers, charges are pending the result of a blood analysis.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash.
Several hundred Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers lost power for about hour later in the morning while the power company worked to replace the broken pole.
Pictured above and below: Two people were reported injured in this single vehicle accident early Sunday morning in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Miller: BP Was not Prepared For A Worst-case Scenario
May 23, 2010
A month after the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig and BP still has not stopped the oil from continuing to spill into the Gulf of Mexico. People all along the Gulf Coast are rightfully worried. No one knows when this disaster will end, or what our shorelines and economy will look like when it does.
What has become clear is that BP was not prepared for a worst-case scenario, and after weeks of oil flowing into the Gulf, they still do not have a proven way of stopping it. Despite over 20,000 personnel responding to the emergency, and thousands more volunteers helping the effort, the key to ending this problem lies in stopping the leak. Early on, BP acknowledged that it was the responsible party. However, when the company came to testify before Congress, much of their time was spent pointing fingers at other companies. Not only did it fail to solve anything, it led many to wonder whether BP fully grasped the gravity of the situation.
Livelihoods in Northwest Florida and along the Gulf Coast are being threatened. If BP does not act quicker to stop the leak and contain the spill, fishermen could lose entire seasons and an annual $65 billion tourism industry will be hit hard. While a tube recently inserted into the well riser is capturing some of the leaking oil and natural gas, its long-term viability is still unknown. It is the first time that any attempt to contain the leak has been marginally successful. BP’s lack of preparedness is unacceptable, and I strongly urge them to redouble their efforts in helping end this economic and ecological disaster.
For several weeks I have been pushing BP to establish an escrow account in the amount of $1 billion for all the Gulf Coast states. Individuals, businesses, and municipalities could draw off this account as they are impacted economically and incur capital costs to prevent and respond to the oil spill. BP stated its commitment to paying for the cost of the oil spill, and this escrow account would be an affirmation of that commitment. Although they did create a $25 million block grant to help with tourism efforts, I am disappointed that BP has not yet established the escrow account. I continue to question whether they understand the widespread economic damage that has already happened in our area and how much worse it can get if the leak is not stopped.
As of today, our famous white sand beaches are clean and our water clear, but you wouldn’t know that given some of the media reports. Hotels in the area are seeing cancellations, and other businesses that welcome tourists year after year are seeing subsequent drops in business. This in turn is hurting their ability to hire people in an already struggling economy. BP must step up to their responsibilities on the front end as we go into the Summer season. Because of Northwest Florida’s proximity to the oil spill, the economic impact is being felt here first before other areas of the state.
I continue to pushed for an expansion of some of the recreational fishing seasons in the Gulf. Seasons that were already being cut short, may not even happen next year if BP does not fix their problem quickly. As NOAA expands the moratorium on fishing in federal waters impacted by the spill, the possibility of no season for certain fish is looming. With the path of the oil still very uncertain, charter boat captains are trying to hang on.
BP must assure those on the Gulf Coast and the rest of the country that it will pay for the widespread damages caused by this tragic event. It must also assure everyone that it is doing every single thing within its power to stop the leak at its source as quickly as possible. There is too much at stake, and the price Gulf Coast residents will pay grows higher each day the oil continues to flow into the water.
In the past, I have said there will be a time to point fingers, but right now we need to work together to fix the problem. Although the causes of the explosion are still under investigation, there is no question in my mind that BP was not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude and is responsible for both the cleanup and resolution to the leakage. Enough is enough!
Please visit my website at www.house.gov/jeffmiller/deepwater for updates and contact information on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including how to volunteer or make a claim. Real-time updates and video of the cleanup, recovery, and containment efforts are also available to those following me on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Florida Educators Back Crist And Meek
May 23, 2010
The state’s largest teacher union on Saturday said that while it is backing Democratic U.S. candidate Kendrick Meek as expected, it also would be fine with no-party Charlie Crist and co-endorsed them.
Giving a dual endorsement isn’t unheard of, but recommending Crist – who was until late last month was a Republican candidate – is a bold move for the Florida Education Association, which was practically at war with the previous Republican administration of Gov. Jeb Bush, and has long fought Republican leaders of the state.
And it may be seen as a bit of a blow to Meek, long well-liked in the education community for his hard work for the class size amendment, and a favorite typically of union leaders.
But it also may be a nod to political reality. If Meek is seen as a candidate who can’t win, some Meek backers may see Crist as closer to them on issues they care about than Republican candidate Marco Rubio. Meek also has a primary challenge from Jeff Greene. During a speech to another labor group, the AFL-CIO on Saturday, Meek reminded voters that in a three-way race he needs fewer votes, so its flawed logic to think he can’t win.
FEA President Andy Ford praised both Meek and Crist in the announcement of the teacher union’s co-recommendation to its members, though he put Meek first.
“Kendrick Meek has always been a strong backer of public education and our positions for as long as he’s been (in) public service,” Ford said. “He has always supported our schools and employees. We wouldn’t have the class size provisions in the Florida Constitution without Kendrick’s tireless work to get that on the ballot and to win its approval.
“We know Kendrick would be a welcome addition to the U.S. Senate,” Ford said.
But, he added, “Gov. Charlie Crist took bold action this year in bucking the leaders of his former political party and listening to the teachers and parents of Florida when he vetoed Senate Bill 6 and set the stage for a better Florida application in the federal Race to the Top grant.
“S.B. 6 energized teachers and parents throughout the state and Crist’s actions showed so many Floridians that their voices count,” Ford continued. “We think an independent Charlie Crist working for Floridians would also be a great asset in the Senate.”
The merit pay bill that Crist vetoed was a priority for Republicans. It would have tied teacher pay in some respects to academic improvements by students, rather than having longer serving teachers paid more than newer ones. The move to defeat it by the FEA culminated with a surprising veto from Crist. Since then, the FEA has run ads thanking the governor for the veto.
The dual recommendation to FEA’s 140,000 members came as the FEA brass met in Jacksonville to discuss the Senate race. Meanwhile, Crist and Meek were both in Jacksonville to address one of the state’s largest labor groups, the AFL-CIO, which was planning on making its endorsement on Sunday. Ford said the FEA wasn’t trying to show the AFL-CIO the way with the dual endorsement.
Pictured: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek greats members of the AFL-CIO Saturday morning in Jacksonville as he campaigns for their endorsement in Jacksonville. Keith Laing photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
By David Royse, The News Service Florida