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.
Flomaton Man Joins The Hendersons Southern Gospel Group
June 17, 2010
Brad Adkinson of Flomaton has joined the popular Southern Gospel group The Hendersons as their new baritone singer. He has several years of experience in gospel music in quartets, trios and ensembles. Adkinson lives in Flomaton with his wife, Mindy, and two daugthers Sydni and Rylies. They attend the First Baptist Church of Flomaton.
Pictured: The Hendersons — Lydia Henderson, Sonny Henderson and new member Brad Adkinson (right) of Flomaton. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Don’t Wash Clothes In Toilet: Century Resident Continues Spain Hike
June 17, 2010
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We are continuing to follow the journals of Century resident Terri Sanders as she hikes 500 miles across Spain this summer.
As Terri hikes from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, she will file dispatches from her journal and send pictures when possible for NorthEscambia.com as she hikes the Camino de Santiago — the Way of St. James — to the Atlantic Ocean.
Today, we begin catching up, with details of Terri’s journeys June 3-6. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page to read all four entries.
For her previous entries, click here, click here, click here, and click here.
June 3, 2010
Start; Larrasoana
Destination: Cizur Menor
It was another hot day today but the rich scenery somewhat makes up for the heat. Lou and I got separated again. It seems we lose each other at least once a day. Today the trail passed into a court yard of a small cathedral. I just knew he was inside but I was wrong. Even in its smallness the statutes inside were magnificent. There were no more than 8 rows of wooden pews. The air was cool and the room was totally quiet. I sat for a few minutes just embracing the scenes and the smells. When I got up with Lou he said he had seen plenty of cathedrals.
We got to the hotel just behind two guys we had hiked off and on all day with. There were only two beds left and they told us to take them. We had jokingly said to them earlier in the day to save us a bed. We tried to tell them we could go to the next hostel but they said a deal was a deal. Again a hot shower felt wonderful.
There was a note in the bathroom to please do not wash clothes in the toilet which I thought was a bit strange. Who would wash their clothes in the toilet anyway? But there are some strange ways over here.
I stepped into the shower fully clothed and vowed never to get out. I washed and rewashed and washed again. Feeling guilty in case there was someone else waiting to take a shower I got out, put my sleep shirt and long pants on and went to check out the refrigerator. We were free to eat anything in there that did not have someone’s name on it. There were several partial bags of spaghetti, a couple ripe tomatoes and some tomato sauce. I had us a plate of spaghetti ready in a few minutes.
I laid on the bunk resting until later when there was going to be a medieval concert at the chapel across the parking lot. A medieval musical concert, that was intriguing to say the least. At the appointed time we walked across to the chapel and got a seat. They were 45 minutes late starting.
There were three women at the head table and each gave a long dissertation which we could not understand the first word. It would have been nice to have put it on paper for the English speaking guest in the crowd. I think one lady spoke Spanish, one spoke French and the other one I guessed to be Portuguese.
There was a Powerpoint with pictures of different musical instruments from medieval times. I sure would have enjoyed it better had I been able to understand what was being said. There were three young women who were the singers. It did not matter that they sang in Spanish. The vocals were so great and blended so well it was a pleasure just to listen to them sing. It made for a long night and short sleep though.
Miles 13
June 4 2010
Start: Cizur Menor
Destination: Puente la Reina
I could not believe that all of the hiker leaving this morning did not wake me up. Ryan, a young American guy we met a few days ago came over and shook my foot telling me it was time to get up. I couldn’t figure out why Lou didn’t come wake me up unless he was afraid I would throw something at him. As we were leaving Lou went through the hiker box and found me a hat almost exactly like the one I left at home. The trail today was hot and dusty with almost no shade. We climb a few small hills then hike along the ridge past a long line of wind turbines. As we ascend there are splendid views of Pamplona behind us. As we crest the summit the view to the west over the Arga Valley gives us glimpses of the villages below
Miles 11.8
June 5 2010
Start: Puente la Reino
Destination: Irache
Today was another peaceful walk along gently rolling hills through more vineyards and farmland. There was a steep climb first thing in the morning, but we took it slow and easy .The heat today was ferocious and it was difficult to stay hydrated. The saving grace was that in a few of these small villages there were running fountains in the park. I would wash my face then take my hat fill it with water and put it on my head. The initial shock would take my breath away, but it cooled me off for a couple hours.
The small villages with row upon row of tall shuttered houses continue to grab my attention. The roads are barely wide enough for two cars to pass and we have to be watchful as we walk. We have walked over medieval bridges today hundreds of years old and I marvel at the workmanship. We came to a small bar where we stamped our own passports and continued down the trail.
We are now seeing some familiar faces as we leapfrog each other during the days. We are also remembering names of some of them. The trail today has taken us through valleys up to cemeteries and crisscrossed the main highway here.
The heat is still relentless and even though I have been diligent to put sun screen on my lips they are still badly blistered.
The hotel was full by the time we got there but they did have an apartment with two beds for 75 Euros. It was a suite to us with a bedroom a sitting room, a full kitchen and a wonderful tub to soak in.
We went down to the supper buffet and made pigs of ourselves. We asked Fred to join us. He speaks fairly decent English and is from South Africa, so he and Lou have plenty to talk about. I just listen and eat. Back in our room I confess to Lou that I had never seen a bidet much less knew what they were for. He got a kick out of telling me they were basically useless. I went in and at least turned the faucet on to see how it worked. I agree with Lou, it seemed to be a totally useless bathroom item! There was wi-fi here so we had a chance to check our email and see what was going on in the rest of the world.
Miles 16.2 miles
June 6, 2010
Start; Irache
Destination; Torres del Rio
Lou didn’t wake up until after 7 and he woke me up just before 8:00 .The skies outside were overcast and as we went down to breakfast a thunderstorm moved in.
We took our time eating the breakfast bar .It was the closest to an American breakfast we have had so far. By the time we left the storm was over but the skies were still overcast. The temperature had dropped considerably which made for a great hiking day. I think Lou had Wheaties for breakfast because soon he was out of sight. The path today was natural and wound in and out of vineyards and well tended gardens.
At lunch I passed Frenchie who was taking a long lunch break. He told me Lou was about an hour ahead. There was no reason to try and catch up with him. I couldn’t hike that fast anyway. I took my pack off and joined Frenchie (Emile) for lunch. It felt great to take my shoes off and lean back and rest.
I met two ladies along the trail today with plastic bags and hiking sticks. They showed me the inside of the bags which were filled with huge snails. I have seen lots of snails the past few days, really big snails. Evidently the rain brings them out ripe for the picking. They would pull the brush back with the hiking sticks looking underneath the brush for these delicacies!
I am not sure I could bring myself to eat a snail, but we will see.
Because we are a few days short of being able to finish the Camino we have decided to up our daily mileage in an effort to finish on time. I caught up with Lou mid afternoon and we stopped for snacks and water.
We pressed on to the town of Torres Del Rio where we got bunks in the albueque. I could get used to a nice hot shower and a bed every night. In Spain they are very conservative of electricity and water. There are sensors in the bathroom that turns the light on when you come in, but then the light goes off before you are finished. Sometime the switch is within reach while sitting on the toilet, sometime it is not. Tonight the water in the shower is on a timer and goes off after a few minutes. The light switch is on the outside of the shower room and after a few minutes, out goes the lights. You have no choice but to finish showering then drying off and dressing in the dark!
The next few days are supposed to be cooler and overcast. We still have significant climbs but are getting stronger every day. We are staying at a hostel tonight. It is very nice with only six bunk beds in each room. The price 9 Euros includes a breakfast in the morning. It is really getting chilly and I am glad there are blankets here for us to use. Again we have wi-fi and are checking our emails.
Miles 15