Prayer Bill Praised By Free Speech Advocates
May 21, 2010
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
May 21, 2010
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
May 21, 2010
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.
Atmore Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Porn Charges
May 21, 2010
A former Atmore resident is facing at least 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to child pornography charges.
Eric Sebastian Barrow, 38, pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography and the possession and distribution of child pornography on a computer file sharing network.
According to federal court documents, Barrow used a web camera to record a pre-teen girl living in the western United States. The girl, according to court documents, was about 11 or 12 years old at the time. When located by federal investigators, the girl said she recognized Barrow’s online nickname “bad_red_dragon_2004″.
According to court documents, Barrow, who is unable to walk due to spina bifida, would meet other young girls in Internet chat rooms and direct them to perform for him.
In 2005, a Florida Attorney General’s Office investigator found Barrow sharing child pornography online from his home in Atmore. The Florida investigator turned the case over the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. The case was later turned over to the FBI.
In February 2006, the FBI raided Barrow’s Atmore home and seized computer equipment. Federal investigators said they found 65 videos of nude pre-teen girls, along with 3,847 images of minors. According to court documents, Barrow would use the “Limewire” file sharing software to download and share child pornography files.
Barrow was also arrested in Escambia County, Fla., on March 26, 2009, on five counts of possession of child pornography charges. He was eventually sentenced to five years in state prison on those charges.
Pictured: Eric Sebastian Barrow of Atmore is pictured (top) February 13, 2010, in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail; (middle) in September, 2009 in a Florida Department of Corrections mugshot, and (bottom) in an undated photo.
Tribal Beat’s Moretz Receives Band Camp Scholarship
May 21, 2010
The Northview High School Tribal Beat’s Melissa Moretz is among six area high school students to receive summer band camp scholarships from the Pensacola Civic Band.
The scholarships were funded by the Pensacola Civic Band’s yearly holiday concerts at band sponsor Pensacola Junior College. The Civic Band has distributed more than $40,000 through the years for these scholarships.
Moretz will receive a partial scholarship to the Florida State University Marching Band Leadership Camp in July.
This year’s scholarship recipients from the Pensacola Civic Band are:
- Melissa Moretz, Northview High School
- Mahagony Lee, West Florida Tech
- Garrett McCrary, Washington High School
- Brandon Spencer, Washington High School
- Megan Roberts, Ft. Walton Beach High School
- Bobby Wagner, Ft. Walton Beach High School
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Oil Smell Reported In Escambia; Health Department Cautions Residents
May 20, 2010
The Escambia County Emergency Operation Center has received reports of possible petroleum-like odors in the southern part of Escambia County.
It is possible that these odors are related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to a press release from the Escambia County Health Department. There is currently no measurement data of petroleum-like substances in the air.
As a result, the Escambia County Health Department is advising residents that exposure to petroleum-like odors may cause temporary respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, such as eye, nose, and throat irritation. People experiencing respiratory symptoms, including those with pre-existing severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic lung disease, should stay inside and consult their physician for treatment if symptoms persist. While inside, residents should close windows and run their cooling system. If symptoms persist while inside an air-conditioned home, residents may choose to leave the area until their symptoms are tolerable. The health department will continue to monitor this situation.
Health officials have been informed that the Escambia County EOC is reporting these odors to the BP Hotline and that the source of the odor is being investigated. Florida residents and visitors who need updates on the oil spill can call the Florida Oil Spill Information Line at 1-888-337-3569 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT) seven days a week.
Updated: One Arrested In Wednesday Murder; Victim Named
May 20, 2010
One man has been charged another has been named as person of interest in the Wednesday murder of Brian P. Puckett, 34, of Pensacola.
An update to this story is available by clicking here.
The cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head, according to a statement released Thursday morning by Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Nathan Gregg Smith, 28 of Hollowbrook Circle,was booked into the Escambia County Jail late Wednesday afternoon, charged with an open count of murder. He resided in the same house as the victim, Roy said.
Deputies have identified Constance K. Smith, 45, the girlfriend of the victim, as a “person of interest in the case. She also resided in the same house as Puckett.
Deputies responded to a cardiac arrest call in the 9600 block of Hollowbrook Circle, a cul-de-sac just north of Nine Mile Road., at about 7:55 a.m. When they arrived, they found a man’s body in the home’s garage, the apparent victim of foul play.
‘Fighting For Papa Bear’: Deepwater Horizon Tragedy Through The Eyes Of One Victim’s Family
May 20, 2010
He wasn’t supposed to be on the rig.
Blair Manuel, 56, was known on the rigs as “Papa Bear.” He had a huge smile and such warmth that he reminded everyone who knew him of Santa Claus. He loved his LSU Tigers and had both football and baseball season tickets. Even more than his beloved Tigers he loved his daughters.
Manuel was one of the 11 killed April 20 when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Our friend Rick Outzen over at the Pensacola Independent News traveled to Louisiana and sat down with Manuel’s family to learn more about him and the human side of the 11 men.
To read the story, click here.
McDavid Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison
May 20, 2010
A McDavid man will spend two years in prison after being busted at an area fishing spot last year with drugs, drug paraphernalia and the feet of an owl.
Chad Andrew Giddins, 33, of Christian Home Road, McDavid, has been sentenced to 24 months in state prison after being found guilty on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a listed chemical and manufacturing methamphetamine. He was also found guilty of possession of drug paraphernalia and sentenced to time served.
Charges of possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana and possession of migratory bird parts were dropped by the state.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Giddins was fishing at Bogia Landing last September with another man, John Wesley Brooks, 34, of Black Road, McDavid.
When the two men headed back to their trucks, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer at the fishing spot noticed a glass smoking pipe, according to the arrest report.
The Fish and Wildlife officer recovered the pipe after Brooks placed it on the ground, and it appeared to have a drug residue on it. The arrest report says that two large knives and a bag of methamphetamine were recovered from Brooks.
The officer then noticed two owl feet on the dash of Giddins’ truck. Giddins, according to the arrest report, said that he killed the owl after it killed his chickens. A search of Giddins’ truck uncovered bottles and tubing with meth residue, other items often used in the production of methamphetamine, and marijuana seeds, according to the arrest report.
Giddins is currently being held in the Escambia County Jail.
Brooks was sentenced earlier this year to 24 months probation after adjudication was withheld on a charge of possession of a controlled substance and a concurrent 12 months on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Century Man Arrested For 10th Time In About A Year
May 20, 2010
For at least the 10th time in about a year, Ronald Berlan Newton, 49, of Century was May 19.
He was charged with contempt of court for violating a restraining order after he reportedly approached a person at an address in Century from which he had been banned. He was released from the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Escambia County Jail online records show Newton has been booked into the facility 10 times since September, 2009. Escambia County Clerk of the Courts records show over a dozen times that he has been arrested or issued citations since April, 2007. Most of those cases were dismissed or charges were dropped by the the judge or prosecutors, according to court records.
Escambia County court and jail records show the following arrests and charges for Newton:
April 11, 2007
- trespassing, charges dropped
August 14, 2007
- simple assault — 60 days in jail
- aggravated assault with deadly weapon — charges dropped
- criminal mischief under $1,000 — charges dropped
April 28, 2008
- driving while license suspended, first offense – charges dropped
- open container in vehicle – paid $123.50 fine
- expired registration – paid $73.50 fine
May 31, 2009
- battery — charges dropped
- criminal mischief — charges dropped
July 29, 2009
- driving while license suspended, second offense — fined $500, suspended 11 months, 30 days in jail
January 8, 2009
- battery — charges dropped, defendant “mentally defective”
September 1, 2009
- indecent exposure in public — dismissed due to incompetence
- lewd lascivious behavior victim under 18 — no action by prosecutor
- lewd lascivious behavior victim under 18 — no action by prosecutor
November 23, 2009
- criminal mischief under $1,000 — dismissed
January 1, 2010
- disorderly conduct — charges dropped
February 1, 2010
- battery — dismissed
March 23, 2010
- trespassing, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
- disorderly conduct, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
April 27, 2010
- trespassing, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
- criminal mischief over $1,000 — case pending, released on $2,500 bond, pleaded not guilty
April 8, 2010
- littering under 15 pounds, fine and costs of $135 remains unpaid
May 7, 2010
- aggravated assault — case pending, released on $5,000 bond
May 19, 2010
- arrested for contempt of court