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Boil Water Notice For Town Of Jay

A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for the town of Jay until further notice.

The advisory was issued due to an unexpected cut in a water line. Customers will be notified when the boil water notice is lifted.

Residents are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use 6 drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water for water to be used for drinking or cooking purposes.

North Escambia Man Named Florida’s Most Wanted Fugitive Captured

A Cantonment man wanted on child porn charges was captured Saturday in Louisiana.

Martin Lyle Christianson, 58, was arrested without incident at a home on the 500 block of Delmar Street in Terrytown, Louisiana, according to a U.S. Marshals press release.  He is being held in the Jefferson Parish Corrections Center on $1 million bond awaiting extradiction to Escambia County.

Christianson, 58 was named the Florida Attorney General’s most wanted fugitive in the state. He was wanted on 20 felony counts of possession of child pornography, including images of child molestation. He was also wanted on four-year charges for placing his wife into a brothel.

His last known address was 452 Crowndale Court in the Cottage Hill community.  Investigators believe Christianson, aka ‘Robert Allen’, fled the Pensacola area earlier this week in a used ice cream truck that was later found abandoned in Mobile.

Investigators have determined that Christianson is also wanted in Santa Ana, CA on a four-year old warrant for commercial sex charges. Each of the 20 felony counts of possession of child pornography holds a $50,000 bond, setting his total bond at $1 million.

Escambia Official Raises Conflict Of Interest Worries In Oil Spill Tests

Taylor Kirschenfeld, an environmental official for Escambia County, does not want to play the water testing game under the rules set forth by BP and NOAA, according to an article in the New York Times.

Water, sediment and marine animal tissue samples are being collected now in Escambia County. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has instructed that the samples be sent to the lab at TD-Brooks International in College Station, Texas. The lab’s biggest client is BP. Kirschenfeld instead wants to send the samples to licensed local lab.

“Everywhere you look, if you look, you start seeing these conflicts of interest in how this disaster is getting handled,” Kirschenfeld told the New York Times. “I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but there is just too much overlap between these people.”

Click here to read the complete New York Times article.

Northview, West Florida Meet In Spring Game

The Northview Chiefs and the West Florida Jaguars walked away from their Friday night spring football game tied at 14-14.

The Chiefs took an early first quarter lead and expanded it to a 14-0 advantage in the first half. The Jaguars made it 14-7 late in half, and tied it up in the second half.

For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.

Northview is coming off a 7-3 season last year, a vast improvement from 2-8 the year before. But much of their experience is gone, with 20 seniors from the 2009 team graduating. That inexperience, according to second-year Head Coach Sid Wheatley, was costly Friday night in Bratt.

Wheatley said he was pleased with the first half  when the two teams matched starters against starters.

“We are not real deep right now, but we got after it and produced two early scores,” he said. “And our defense played hard, and we won that half.”

The Jaguars dressed out about 85 players, compared to about 40 for the Chiefs. That, Wheatley said, did give the the Jags the advantage.

“In the second half, we had some younger kids step in, and they just need some more experience, more plays,” he said. “I thought they did a decent job, our backups and even our third group, our younger kids. I thought they played hard; we didn’t just give ourselves much of a chance offensively.”

For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, the cheerleaders and the band, click here. 

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Oil Spill: Latest Escambia Info

Here is the latest Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill information specific to Escambia County:

• Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open. Water is clear and air quality is good.
• Escambia County, in conjunction with the University of West Florida, is collecting Gulf water samples from Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key on a weekly basis. These samples are being taken to indicate any changes in water quality.
• All local fishing areas remain open.
• According to the NOAA oil plume model, the spill is 65 miles southwest of Pensacola.
• No direct surface oil impacts are expected on county shores within the next 72 hours.
• Gulf coast residents may detect an odor because of the oil spill. Some are more sensitive to these odors and may experience nasal irritation and feelings of nausea. In combination with seasonal allergies or pre-existing respiratory conditions, some may experience more severe symptoms. For Air Quality Reports, see http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html
• The Escambia County Health Department released advice to residents who are experiencing symptoms from odors.

British Petroleum (BP)

• BP has reported over 2,200 claims in the state with approximately $1,297,151 paid to date.
• There are over 1,500 participants in the Vessels of Opportunity Program in Florida with 454 signed contracts and 128 contract activations.
• File claims with BP online: http://www.bp.com/claims
• BP announced a $25 million grant to Florida to promote tourism and mitigate the economic impact of the oil spill in addition to the $25 million grants to accelerate the implementation of area contingency plans. BP also provided $15 million promotion grants to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
• Boaters are requested to report sightings of broken, disconnected or adrift boom and are asked to keep their distance from boom especially at night or in conditions of restricted visibility. Please report damaged, vandalized, adrift or stolen boom to: 1-866-448-5816. See details.
• BP’s claims office is located at 3960 W. Navy Boulevard, Suite 16. The office is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. BP claims categories
• BP recommends anyone with a claim call 1-800-440-0858 to help expedite the process. By calling the claims number, adjusters at the claims office will have the information prior to your visit.
• The BP community outreach office is open for citizens at 435 East Government Street. Representatives are available to answer any questions on volunteering, vessels of opportunity program, or any other oil spill related questions. Phone: (850) 912-8640, fax: (850) 912-8755.
• To pick up or deliver completed Vessels of Opportunity packets, visit BP’s Community Outreach office at 435 East Government Street. For information, call 281-366-5511.
• BP Vessels of Opportunity – see the master vessel charter agreement and vessel requirements checklist online www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
• Approximately 175,950 feet of boom has been placed out of the Pensacola and Panama City staging areas in support of Unified Command.
• Do not sign any documents in return from money from BP or anyone else until you know the extent of your loss. BP officials carry proper identification badges or business cards.
• BP does not use contractors to contact or solicit volunteers for cleanup. All training offered by BP is free. There are no fees for classes or registration.
• The Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, contracted by BP to provide assistance to oiled wildlife. All rehabilitation efforts must be coordinated through the service and Tri-State. Specific safety and other requirements must be met before anyone will be allowed on-site for any participation. If you have wildlife training, call 1-866-557-1401.

Federal (NOAA)

• NOAA modified and expanded the boundaries of the closed fishing area to better reflect the current location of the oil spill, and extended the fishing restriction. See updates.

State of Florida (DEP, FWC)

• The Small Business Administration issued an economic injury Disaster Loan Declaration for the state of Florida. Pensacola office: 401 E. Chase St., Ste. 100.
• The fisheries, wildlife and seafood off of Florida’s coast in state waters are safe and there are no alerts at this time. See news release.
• Florida saltwater fishing regulations remain in effect as usual. More information.
• FWC press release on data collection on gulf red snapper to address oil spill impacts.
• Submit innovative technology ideas, suggestions or products by completing this form. Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to Innovative.Technolgy@dep.state.fl.us.
• Economic Injury Disaster loans can help eligible small businesses meet the necessary financial obligations they could have met, had the disaster not occurred. Interest rates for businesses and small agricultural cooperatives are as low as four percent, and non-profit rates are as low as three percent, with terms up to 30 years. Loan applications for economic injury can be filed until the close of business on February 14, 2011. For more information visit the SBA website.
• Video and audio public service announcements are available for download to educate the public on response, safety, coast watch and beach cleanup. See details.
• Report boom vandalism to the (800) 320-0519 or #DEP from your cell phone.
• An Economic Recovery Task Force was established facilitate efforts by businesses and industries in recovering from the loss of business and revenues due to the oil spill incident.
• A Legal Advisory Council was established to assess the impact the potential disaster could have on the state.
• DEP Guidelines for Protecting Shoreline from Oil Spill Impacts
•  Homeowners may be able to help prevent oil from reaching private property or damaging sensitive vegetation by utilizing sorbent booms.
•  Booming and alternative absorption measures should be coordinated through Escambia County as incorrect boom placement in navigable waterways can create a serious hazard.
•  Coordination with state and local entities is important to ensure that booming or alternative measures being used do not impede navigation and are not more harmful to the natural environment in the long-run.
•  If a boom is placed by a private citizen, that individual assumes responsibility for the boom, including the chance it could dislodge into the water or be harmful to wildlife.
•  Booms placed by private citizens that become impacted by oil are the responsibility of that individual and require special authorization for removal and proper disposal.
•  Do not place hay bales, sandbags or other unapproved devices along the shoreline, as the overall debris from disposal of such methods would increase and could cause serious long-term damage.
•  Do not attempt to clean impacted beaches or attempt to rescue oiled wildlife. Touching oil is a health risk and disposing of it improperly could cause additional environmental damage.
•  Authorized protective measures should be conducted in a manner that provides protection to, and does not disturb, native vegetation, species and their habitat. Taking or capturing any species, nests or eggs listed as an endangered species is not permitted.
•  For more information on types of protective measures, call 1-866-448-5816.
• The Florida Small Business Development Center has deployed Mobile Area Command centers in Escambia County, with certified business analysts experienced in assisting businesses impacted by disasters, including assistance with federal and state disaster loan programs. For more information, visit www.floridasbdc.org/Special Programs/bcrm.asp
• FWC temporarily suspended the restriction on use of purse seines landward of the COLRGEGS demarcation line in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
• Affected businesses should file a claim with BP via the hotline number, 800-440-0858. Additional guidance to help small businesses survive a disaster can be found at www.MyFloridaCFO.com or by calling 850-413-3089 or toll-free 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and Staff

• The local state of emergency has been extended until May 28.
• The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center has returned to normal Level 3 operations.
• County staff continue to monitor the situation and will continue to participate in daily briefings with the State of Florida and Unified Command.
• On inland waters (bays, bayous, estuaries, rivers), private property owners may install oil absorbent material, booms or fences on private property above the mean high waterline (MHWL) only. No material may be installed or sprayed below the MHWL.
• On gulf-front property, the use of silt fences, obstructions, hay bales, peat, surfactants or other material is not approved. DEP is the permitting agency for beaches and coastal systems. No obstructions to sea turtle nesting behavior is allowed.
• If citizens see anything unusual on the beaches they feel needs to be reported:
•  Contact the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce at 850-492-4660 on Perdido Key
•  Report to the lifeguards on duty on Pensacola Beach
• Deflective boom – large floating barriers that help contain floating oil – has been deployed in all locations of the Local Action Plan and Addendum One. See boom deployment progress report and map. Staff continues to evaluate areas and is monitoring all deployed boom.
• To keep waterways open as long as possible, boom is “wet staged” at some locations. When floating petroleum becomes an imminent threat, boom will be fully deployed. “Fully deployed boom” is described as boom anchored into a functional configuration.
• Escambia County is evaluating every viable proposa for coastal protection and recovery, coordinating with Unified Command and will share information as it is approved.
• A PowerPoint of oil spill response strategies is posted at www.escambiadisasterresponse.com.
• Pteropods, also known as the sea butterfly, have been reported on gulf beaches. Pteropods are small, clear and sharply pointed larval snails. Although they are fairly sharp, they do not pose a threat to people. They are naturally occurring and not due to anything oil-related.
• Residents and business owners with water access on their property should have pre-assessments prepared (photos, video, etc. documenting the current condition of the property).
• The brown foam seen on the beaches is not associated with the oil spill. This is a common natural occurrence, when fish are spawning and there are hard winds, rain, and wave action.

Local Beaches

• Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key remain open. The water is clear and air quality is good.
• SRIA lifeguards continue patrolling beaches for oil from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• In the event beaches are impacted by the oil spill, it may be necessary to issue health advisories to protect health and safety.
•  The Florida Department of Health will issue advisories as they become necessary for the area of affected water and shoreline.
•  Beaches above the high tide line should remain open for sunbathing, walking, shopping and dining. The exact area for the advisories will be determined at the time oil is reported.

City of Pensacola

• The City of Pensacola continues to coordinate with Escambia County officials.

Volunteer Opportunities

• The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has determined volunteers cannot be used in any situation where they may come in contact with oiled shorelines or oiled wildlife.
• To volunteer, call BP at 1-866-448-5816.

Safety Information

• If you see a tar ball on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. Report it to 1-866-448-5816.

Wildlife

• Do not attempt to rescue oiled or injured birds or wildlife as this may cause additional injuries.
• If oiled, injured or dead wildlife are found, call the Oiled Wildlife Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Please provide location of where the wildlife was sighted.

Boats

• Boats should keep a safe distance from the booms. Do not drive boats over booms.
• Boat owners are urged to dry-dock boats. Do not drive your boat through slicks or sheens.

Beaches and Waterways

• Citizens should take precautions around waterways to avoid contact with oil substances.
• Officials are closely monitoring potential public health and environmental concerns.

Personal Safety (if areas are affected by oil)

• Avoid areas where oil can be seen or smelled. If you see or smell oil, leave immediately.
• Avoid direct skin contact with oil, oil-contaminated water and sediments.
• Do not swim or ski in areas affected by oil, and if you travel through the area by boat, take care when hoisting the anchor. If you get oil on your skin, wash it off with soap and water.
• Do not fish in the oil spill-affected waters.
• Do not harvest and eat dead fish, fish with oily residue or fish that have a petroleum odor.
• Young children, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, and individuals with underlying respiratory conditions should avoid the area.
• Restrict pets from entering oil-contaminated areas.
• Individuals who have pre-existing medical conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory illness should contact their health care provider if feeling symptomatic.
• Report oiled shorelines to 1-866-448-5816.

Business Information

• Florida emergency management and economic development staff are gathering information from businesses impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Please complete their survey and help shape Florida’s response to this event. The survey will be updated periodicallye.
• BP has established a claim system and toll free number, 1-800-440-0858. This system will allow people to begin the process to recover lost income or recoup damage-related expenses.
• If you are not satisfied with BP’s resolution, call the Coast Guard at 1-800-280-7118.
• More information about what types of damages are eligible for compensation under the Oil Pollution Act as well as guidance to seek compensation can be found at www.uscg.mil/npfc.
• Take detailed records of cancelled reservations. When cancellations occur, ask the party if the cancellation is related the oil spill. Keep the person’s name and contact information, and the revenues lost as a result of the cancellation.
• Businesses that may be negatively impacted due to the oil spill, are asked to keep detailed profit and loss records should a claim need to be presented.
• Calculate estimated losses for a six-week period and be able to provide records, sales receipts and documentation to support your claim. Compare business to a five-year average of revenues between May and June, which can offer insight as to the damages incurred.
• Make a detailed list of assets, including non-structural, and include appropriate records to support the list. Example: if your hotel or restaurant is within walking distance to the beach and that beach has oil reach its shores, the business’s assets could be damaged even though there is no physical damage to the structure. It is important to record this depreciation.
• To register as a consultant, contractor, vendor or submit information on alternative response technology, services products or suggestions, call BP at 281-366-5511.

Citizen Information

• Florida Oil Spill Information Line is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, 1-888-337-3569.

Florida Jobless Rate Falls For First Time In Four Years; Escambia, Santa Rosa Improve

For the first time in four years, Florida’s unemployment rate has declined, falling in April to 12 percent. That’s down from 12.3 percent in March. Alabama’s unemployment rate held steady at 11 percent.

Escambia County saw a dramatic dip in unemployment — down from 11.5 percent in March to 10.6 percent in April. That represents 1,309 unemployed people headed back to work in a month.

Santa Rosa County also recorded a nearly full percentage point drop in unemployment — falling from 10.3 percent in March to 9.4 in April. Santa Rosa County gained 612 jobs during the period.

The unemployment rate in Escambia County, Ala., dropped slightly from 12.6 percent to 12.2 percent — a gain of 48 jobs.

Coinciding with the unemployment drop, consumer confidence in April improved from the previous month, according to a University of Florida report. Nationally, unemployment inched up in April to 9.9 percent, up from 9.7 in March and 1.0 percentage point higher than April 2009.

Governor Charlie Crist signed Senate Bill 1736 this week, extending eligibility dates for the Extended Benefits (EB) program. The EB program provides unemployment compensation to job seekers who have exhausted all other available benefits and meet all requirements. This program utilizes federal stimulus funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will bring an estimated $128 million in benefits to approximately 107,000 Floridians.

Accused Ax Murderer: ‘Loved Every Swing’

“I enjoyed it, I loved every friggin swing” — that’s what the suspect in an apparent ax murder Wednesday near Nine Mile Road told Escambia County deputies.

Brian P. Puckett, 34, was found dead in a home Wednesday morning on Hollowbrook Circle, a cul-de-sac near Hillcrest Baptist Church. Deputies believe he died after being hit in the head with an ax.

Nathan Greg Smith, 28, is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond on an open count of murder. His mother, Constance K. Smith, 45, has been named a “person of interest” in the murder, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She was, according to deputies, Puckett’s girlfriend. All three resided in the some house on Hollowbrook Circle.

Authorities responded to a cardiac arrest call at the home about 7:55 Wednesday morning.

When deputies arrived, Constance Smith told them that her boyfriend Puckett was dead in the garage. Deputies found Puckett’s body sitting in a chair in the garage. “They immediately noticed a large laceration to the left side of the victim’s head, and it was apparent he was deceased,”  Deputy Robert Guy, Jr. wrote in his report. The report states deputies found an ax by the back door of the garage, about 10-15 feet from the victim.

Deputies found Nathan Smith asleep inside the residence. He told them that he had been out with his friend the previous night and had gotten home about midnight. He told deputies that Puckett and Constance Smith were arguing, but he went straight to his room and went to sleep.

The friend told deputies that he and Nathan Smith arrived at the residence about 2:30 a.m. At about 5 a.m., Nathan Smith went to the nearby friend’s house and stated that he had gotten into an altercation with Puckett and ” he thought he hurt him pretty bad”, the Sheriff’s Office report states.

The friend said he later received a phone call from a hysterical Constance Smith stating that Puckett was dead and that she thought her son, Nathan Smith, was in trouble. The friend told deputies that Constance Smith said that Puckett had been hit with an ax.

Prayer Bill Praised By Free Speech Advocates

A bill aimed at encouraging school prayer is drawing praise from an unlikely pairing of free speech advocates and social conservatives – even as some warn it could make it tougher for school administrators to discipline students.

The legislation (HB 31) grew out of a longstanding dispute in the Panhandle’s Santa Rosa County, where the ACLU got the school district to sign a consent decree restricting prayer and religious activities by students at school events. The measure also bars school officials from preaching or promoting prayers during school functions and organizing school-sponsored religious services.

But several Panhandle lawmakers, angered by the consent decree restrictions, fought back this spring – successfully getting the Legislature to approve the measure prohibiting school officials from infringing on the free speech rights of students or teachers, unless they agree to the limits in writing.

“This bill says that just because you’re a student or work for a school district, it doesn’t mean you check your rights at the door,” Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, sauid Thursday.

The Santa Rosa consent decree remains under attack in court. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative advocacy organization based in Orlando, filed suit this month saying the consent decree makes a “mockery of the First Amendment.”

First Amendment advocates say the legislation — expected to be sent soon to Gov. Charlie Crist — clearly enhances free speech. But they point out that it could also include consequences supporters failed to envision.

Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Association in Washington, D.C., said the legislation may unshackle student newspapers from the usual oversight of school administrators, effectively putting Florida among seven states – none in the Southeast – which have passed laws endorsing free expression for students.

Student papers running frank discussions of sex on campus, drug-use, and other provocative topics usually face few restrictions in the states that have approved such laws, LoMonte said.

“This bill certainly leaves an open question about what the standard in Florida is going to be for student newspapers,” said LoMonte, a former Tallahassee reporter with the Florida Times-Union.

Similarly, because the legislation also safeguards teachers and other school personnel, it may blunt sanctions by school administrators against personnel for speech and dress code, experts said.

“The focus of the bill may have been about freedom of religion,” said Barbara Petersen, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, an advocacy organization funded by news organizations, including the News Service of Florida. “But it’s very broad and seems to open the door for free speech, whether it be a T-shirt that says `George Bush Sucks’, a Confederate flag, or students wearing head scarves to school.”

But Rep. Greg Evers, R-Baker, a sponsor of the legislation, disagreed, saying the measure would have “no impact on school discipline or long-standing rules.”

“What cannot happen under this law is a teacher cannot stop a student from bowing his or her head in quiet, silent prayer before the FCAT (test) begins, as long as it does not obstruct the health, safety and welfare of the other members of the class,” Evers said.

He added, “Similarly, no child can stand up and start saying the pledge loudly during the FCAT because, again, the health, safety and the welfare restrictions established by years of First Amendment case law still apply.”

by John Kennedy, The News Service Florida

Cantonment Man Accused Of Bringing Loaded Gun Into Atlanta Courthouse

A Cantonment man has been arrested for trying to bring a loaded handgun into the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta.

Douglas Fitzgerald, 43, of Cantonment was caught with a .44-caliber Magnum and six hollow point bullets inside a leather bag when he placed them on a scanner at a security checkpoint, according to a statement from Fulton County (Ga.) Sheriff Ted Jackson in a statement released Wednesday.

Fitzgerald was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a deadly weapon and carrying a pistol without a license, the sheriff said. He was released from jail on $8,000 bond.

Officials say Fitzgerald originally denied bringing the weapon into the courthouse, but later said he forgot that it was inside his bag.

Photos courtesy Fulton County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Tate Multimedia Students Appear On TV , Collect $1,000

Three students from Tate High School’s Multimedia Academy appeared on WEAR TV’s “Dayside” show Friday morning. The students were recognized for producing the winning video for the annual WEAR Lewis Bear “Don’t Drink and Drive” video contest.

Senior Denise Rivers, sophomore Breanna Harrison and freshman Amy Sapp appeared on the program to  accept a $1,000 check from Lewis Bear for the Multimedia Academy at Tate.

The “Live Responsibly” video produced by the three Tate students placed first in the competition. The winning video aired on Channel 3 during prom season.

Pictured above: Tate High Multimedia Academy students Breanna Harrison, Denise Rivers and Amy Sapp. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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