Cantonment Sex Offender Busted For Failure To Register
February 27, 2010
A convicted sex offender from Cantonment was arrested Thursday morning for failing to report his current address to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
James Daniel Boykin, 57, is being held in the Escambia County Jail on $10,000 bond. He served a 90 month sentence in the Florida prison system after being convicted of a lewd or lascivious abuse of a child under 16 in 1997. His last address, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, was 526 Greenbury Drive in Cantonment.
Sex offenders in Florida are required to notify the state of their most current address.
Pensacola NAS Commanding Officer Removed From Command
February 27, 2010
The commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pensacola, Capt. William P. Reavey, has been temporarily removed from his position by Commander Navy Region Southeast Rear Adm. Tim Alexander, pending the results of an inquiry into inappropriate conduct.
Cmdr. Greg A. Thomas, the base executive officer, will serve as acting commanding officer until completion of the inquiry.
Reavey, 51, of Manchester, Conn., entered the Navy in 1984 and took command of NAS Pensacola in June 2008.
‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ Presented To Ernest Ward Teacher
February 27, 2010
Ernest Ward Middle School Family & Consumer Science teacher Kathy Ellis received the second annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” by members of the Ernest Ward FFA. The award featured a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color.
(Cow dung, in case you did not know, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field.)
Ellis received the award from the school’s FFA members as a “thank you” for supporting FFA.
Friday wrapped up National FFA Week at Ernest Ward. “Lead Out Loud” was the theme of National FFA Week this year as more than half a million members around the nation participated in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels.
EWMS FFA sponsor Cynthia Wilson said the group wanted to thank Ellis for her continued support of the organization. She also said she wanted to thank the area farmers and other member of the agricultural community that support the FFA.
Pictured above: (L-R) Anna Donald, FFA vice-president; Jerah Parker, sentinal; Kathy Ellis, winner of the “Golden Cow Dung Award”; Courtney Solari, president; Courtney Jones, secretary; Layne Purvis, chaplain; Jeremy Stacey, reporter; Cindy Wilson, advisor. Pictured below: Ellis with her golden award. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Lady Chiefs, JV Lady Chiefs Remain Undefeated
February 26, 2010
The Northview Lady Chiefs improved to a perfect 5-0 Thursday as they shutout Freeport in Bratt.
Northview slammed Freeport 14-0.
Ashley Digmon was 3-2 with three RBI’s, and Shawna Montgomery had two RBI’s as she went 2-4. Misty Doran had four RBI’s, while Emily Vickery had one. Kolbi Cobb also had an RBI.
Doran pitched five for Northview with nine strikeouts.
The Chiefs hit their way to an easy win, leading 7-0 at the end of the first inning and kept on going with two in the second, one in the third and four in the fourth.
The Lady Chiefs will be take on Freeport again Friday night with a road trip.
Northview 2 Freeport 1 (JV)
The JV Lady Chiefs softball team defeated Freeport Tuesday afternoon by a score of 2-1.
Northview was led by Shaquanna Jones who pitched a no-hitter for five innings allowing only one run and striking out eight Freeport batters.
Lauren McCall and Taylor Byrd both scored in the bottom of the first inning for the only Northview runs. Shaquanna Jones and Morgan Payne had hits for the Lady Chiefs. With this victory the Northview Lady Chiefs are now 4-0 for the season. The next game for the JV is at Freeport Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
Escambia Consolidation Effort Officially Ruled Dead
February 26, 2010
Governmental consolidation in Escambia County has been pronounced dead.
The local legislative delegation failed Monday night to send the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission plan toward a referendum or delay action until 2012. That effectively killed consolidation, but Rep. Clay Ford, chairmen of the legislative delegation, technically had until 5 p.m. Friday to gather members for another vote and submit the bill in the Legislature.
“But now it is dead,” Rep. Clay Ford told NorthEscambia.com moments before 5 p.m. Thursday. “If we were going to meet again, we needed to give the public reasonable notice so people would have a chance to attend the meeting. I set the arbitrary deadline of 5 p.m. Thursday.”
He did not call the meeting, he said, because none of the members were willing to budge from their Monday positions for or against consolidation.
“We would have needed some movement, some momentum on the part of one member,” he said. “I can’t get anybody to tell me that they will change their position.”
On Monday, Rep. Greg Evers and and Ford voted to give the Consolidation Commission until 2011 to rework their document, but that motion failed with Sen. Don Gaetz and Rep. Dave Murzin against. A motion to send the plan forward to the legislature this year also failed, with with Gaetz and Ford for, and Evers and Murzin against. The fifth member of the delegation, Sen. Durell Peaden, was unable to attend Monday’s meeting and expressed to Ford that he was not willing to attend another meeting.
“I’m disappointed that we can’t find a position where we can agree on this,” Ford said.
Ford placed a portion of the blame for consolidation’s death on the Consolidation Commission, specifically Chairman Ken Bell. The commission dissolved shortly after drafting their final plan in January. According to their legislative mandate, the commission could have remained intact until summer.
Evers’ motion Monday night to extend the life of the Consolidation Study Commission until November 2011 –if half the meetings were held outside of Pensacola and 25 percent were held north of Nine Mile Road — drew a response from Ken Bell, who chaired the consolidation committee. He told the legislators that he felt the members of the now dissolved committee would not be willing to reconvene.
“He (Bell) drew a line in the sand,” Ford said. “They could have worked to smooth out the rough spots, but they decided not to do so.”
“It just hit the end,” Ford said Thursday as the clock approached the five o’clock mark. “It’s dead.”
Man Robbed At Gunpoint
February 26, 2010
An 18-year old Century man is recovering after being injured as he was allegedly robbed at gunpoint Thursday.
The victim told Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies that he was in the yard of home in the 100 block of Zion Street talking to the suspect in the case. That’s when the suspect asked to borrow a dollar from the victim, and the victim agreed. The suspect then reportedly walked into a trailer, returned outside and told the victim “Give it up”.
The victim said that he remembered being hit in the head with the gun and hearing gunfire, but he did not think he had been shot. The victim them walked to the nearby Dollar General store on nearby North Century Boulevard. That’s where he located his aunt. The aunt transported the victim to his home in the 200 block of East Hecker Road and called 911. The victim was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment of a head injury.
The suspect was able to steal a sum of money much greater than the $1, according to the report. The suspect and the victim were reportedly known to each other.
According to the sheriff’s office incident report, the victim was treated for a laceration to his head that was not the result of being shot.
Deputies David Preston and Scott Mashburn, according to the incident report, were unable to locate the suspect or any witnesses.
The Sheriff’s Office is in the progress of having a warrant issued for the arrest of the suspect. It is expected that he will be charged with aggravated battery using a deadly weapon and robbery with a firearm.
The incident is still under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Rep Evers: About Consolidation, Newspaper Editorial
February 26, 2010
The following opinion piece was submitted by Rep. Greg Evers in response to a recent editorial in the daily printed newspaper.
Much has been said in the print media about my position on consolidation of Escambia County government. The Pensacola News Journal, in particular, has been on the attack against me in response to my vote against moving forward with the consolidation plan. Instead of attacking me for my lack of support for a fundamentally-flawed plan – which has the impact of further diluting our northern county representation in Escambia government while at the same time expanding our tax exposure, the PNJ went so far as to characterize these criticisms and arguments of the plan as “babbling” in an attack on me that now accuses me of wanting to deprive citizens of their voting rights.
I thought some of my friends, constituents and colleagues in the North who don’t read the PNJ might be interested in my response to a recent PNJ editorial berating me for depriving citizens of their right to vote by refusing to move forward on consolidation in the absence of further study that guarantees the input and participation of members of our community outside of the City Limits of Pensacola.
As an elected representative to the Florida Legislature, it’s my duty to make decisions on issues that reflect the very best our representative form of government has to offer.
The issue of consolidation is one that requires a great deal of consideration and, far more importantly, deserves the people’s input prior to any consideration of whether to move forward on a public referendum.
We required the study commission to conduct comprehensive public hearings throughout our county, and unfortunately, more than 98 percent of the meetings were held in or near downtown Pensacola.
This effectively excluded the taxpayers of unincorporated areas, in particular in north Escambia, and the Town of Century from real, meaningful input.
The “babbling” to which the editorial in Wednesday’s Pensacola News Journal referred was my line of questions concerning the “taxation without representation” scheme that the consolidation plan was destined to establish.
While talking about taxpayer rights and the wisdom of our Founding Fathers may sound like a foreign language to the editorial board of the PNJ, from my calls, e-mails and letters, it is plain to me that the taxpayers I represent comprehend the message clearly. And they are relying on me to carry that message on their behalf.
Supporters of the plan claim that consolidated government is more efficient, but the current plan will increase taxes, not cut them. I believe with more time we can come up with a plan that creates efficiencies and reduces taxes. This plan doesn’t do either.
I offered what I had hoped was a reasonable compromise that would have postponed the vote on any plan to allow for more public comment and input. That was voted down.
While others have chosen to play politics with this issue, I have supported the citizen’s right to vote on a plan that is fully vetted in our community. This plan, rushed onto us, does more harm than good. And it is anything but vetted.
Instead of taking a plan to the public for review and input, the consolidation proponents set forth a plan with major flaws, disbanded six months early in an apparent attempt to avoid further responsiveness to public concerns and then drew a “take-it-or-leave-it” line in the sand daring the people’s representatives to step across.
No compromise. No input. No deference to peoples’ desires for participation.
That is, in my opinion, an unacceptable and flawed process with an unacceptable and flawed result. I oppose both.
More unresponsive, big government is not what we need in Northwest Florida, in Escambia County or anywhere else. The Escambia County consolidation plan in its current form is fatally flawed.
Any vote that will change our community by establishing a new, bigger government with unprecedented power and vast taxing authority must be called on high moral and legal grounds. Not on grounds that no one can or wants to explain.
We have had enough change for the sake of change.
State Rep. Greg Evers, R-Baker, represents House District 1 in the Florida Legislature.
Woman Dies In Hwy. 29 Crash
February 26, 2010
One person was killed in a two vehicle accident on Highway 29 Thursday afternoon.
The accident at the intersection of Highway 29 and 9 1/2 Mile Road claimed the life of Eloise Hall, 76, of Pensacola. Hall was a passenger in a 2006 Scion driven by Charles Gandy, 64, of Lenox, Alabama.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Gandy was northbound on Highway 29 at 12:22 p.m. Thursday when he turned into the median to cross onto 9 1/2 Mile Road. His view of southbound traffic was obstructed by a large truck. The FHP says he pulled into the path of a 1997 Saturn driven by Shawn P. O’Neal, 26 of Pensacola. At that point, neither driver was able to avoid the other, according to the FHP.
Another passenger in Gandy’s vehicle, Karen Gandy, 68, of Lenox, Alabama, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with critical injuries. Charles Gandy was also transported to Sacred Heart with minor injuries. O’Neal was not injured.
Everyone in the accident was wearing seat belts, according to the FHP.
The Florida Highway Patrol says charges are pending in the accident.
Northview Minority Culture Club Celebrates Black History Month
February 26, 2010
The Minority Culture Club at Northview High School celebrated Black History Month during a Thursday program “Striving to Help Those In Need”.
The students reflected upon the devastation from the recent earthquake in Haiti, and encouraged Northview students to donate toward the relief effort.
“One of the lessons that black history can lend to everyone is education,” said guest speaker Aylia McGee (pictured left), a federal defender from Montgomery. “Education will determine where you end up.”
The program also paid tribute to singer Michael Jackson with montages to “Beat It”, “Scream” and “I Want You Back”. The Northview Tribal Beat Jazz Ensemble also performed.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Northview High School Minority Culture Club members are: Kassandra Lett, president; Darwin Robinson, vice president; Laneicia Gomez, secretary; Andrea Jackson, treasurer; Angela Rodriguez, parliamentarian; Kassey Redmond, historian; Brandi Boggan, reporter. Seniors: Ashley Muse, Brittany Pete, Sara Kyles, Jeremy Jackson, Marquitta Marshall, La’Ashia Mixon, Sam Cooler, Shakel Holmes, and Brian Knight. Juniors: T’Kieya Amos, Dominique Nettles, Ashia Brown, Shemere Cohen, Atidze Johnson, Shaniqua Jones, Naomia Cooler, Senetria Brown. Sophomores: Jasmine Marshall and Destiny Showers. Freshman: Taiqueisha Mitchell, Nysha Dunn and Denisha Showers.
Pictured top: Minority Culture Club members perform the human video “Lean On Me” during a Black History Month program at the school Thursday morning. Pictured below: Brandi Boggan and Jordyn Dunsford were Northview High School winners in the Cox Communications “Making A Difference: A Tribute to An African American in History” essay contest. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NHS Students Celebrate “Teach Ag Day”
February 26, 2010
Students in the Agriscience at Northview High School celebrated National Teach Ag Day Thursday by treating their agriculture teacher Perry Byars as a guest speaker and asking questions of him as if they knew little of his career choice.
Th students were able to ask questions of him concerning what agriculture teachers do to prepare for a career in agriculture education, lesson preparation, and daily school duties and after school activities.
“Celebrating Teach Ag Day is important because it allows students to understand the importance of teaching agriculture education as a possible career choice that is fulfilling to the teacher and needed by youth today,” Byars said .”There are many opportunities for students who prepare themselves due to the high demand for qualified teachers in the United States today.”
Agriculture teachers prepare students for high-demand careers in cutting edge industries like biotechnology, renewable energies, engineering, food production, and more. They also teach students how to be leaders and prepare them to take on the challenges of the next generation, he said.
National Teach Ag Day is a day set aside to celebrate agricultural education, and for teachers to share with their students the possibilities of a career in the profession. There is a national shortage of agricultural educators in the United States, and National Teach Ag Day is part of a campaign to raise awareness of the career.
National Teach Ag Day is a part of the National Teach Ag Campaign, an initiative of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. For more information about teaching agriculture, visit www.naae.org/teachag. The National Teach Ag Campaign is sponsored by Campbell Soup and Landmark Nurseries as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
Pictured: Northview ag teacher Perry Byars. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambi.a.com, click to enlarge.