Surveillance Images Released In Medical Records Theft
February 19, 2010
Pensacola Police have released surveillance images of a suspect they believe is responsible for stealing a computer used to process ultrasound images for Cardiology Consultants, potentially exposing thousands of medical records — many belonging to North Escambia residents.
As we reported Thursday, the computer was stolen December 19, and the group said they become aware of the theft on December 21 and and immediately began a thorough investigation with authorities.
The computer contained the first and last names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, exam dates and in some cases, the reason for the ultrasound for about 8,000 patients.
Pensacola Police Department Detective Chad Willhite said video surveillance shows a man using a security coded keypad to enter the office area on December 19. The man, who was pushing a large gray rolling container, can be seen leaving the office in under two minutes. A short time later he is seen removing an item from the container and placing it into the trunk of a car.
The suspect is a white male in his mid to late 40’s, approximately 5 feet 10 to 6 feet, medium build, with collar length gray wavy hair. He was wearing a gray or white sweatshirt, blue jeans and blue surgical gloves.
Willhite said the car was a 2000 to 2006 four-door Nissan Altima or similar model.
Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact Detective Chad Willhite at (850) 435-1981 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
For more information about the patient records and what patients should do, click here.
Pictured above: The suspect is the theft of a computer containing medical records of about 8,000 people. Pictured below: The car believed to have been used in the theft. Courtesy Pensacola Police for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Beats Fort Walton 62-58 In Regional Quarterfinals
February 19, 2010
Tate beat the Fort Walton Beach Vikings 62-58 Thursday night for a Region 1-5A quarterfinals win, the first for the Aggies since 2002.
The Aggies (20-8) were down by a point with 13 seconds on the clock when Shermone Jones hit a three-pointer to put Tate up 60-58. Fort Walton missed and fouled, putting Dylan Anderson on the free throw line. Two good shots, and the Aggies had their big win.
At the end of the half, the Aggies were down 26-23. But they can came out shooting in the third quarter, outscoring Fort Walton 21-10 for a 44-36 headed into the fourth.
Tate — Dylan Anderson 19, Shermone Jones 14, Petey Jones 5, Chris Walden 11, Kevin Brown 11, Adam Stump 2.
Tate 12 23 44 62-62 FWB 13 26 36 58-58
Our Local Health: Escambia, FL
February 19, 2010
A study released this week by the University of Wisconsin showed Escambia County to be one of the unhealthiest counties in Florida.
In “health outcomes” which is determined by morbidity and mortality rates, Escambia (Fla.) ranked number 47 of 67 counties in the state. In the four areas that determine “health factors” Escambia County (Fla.) ranked 43 of 67.
As part of our continuing series “Our Local Health: North Escambia Area”, we take a look today at the risk factors and lifestyles that led to Escambia’s poor health report card.
Health Outcomes
- The number of premature deaths in Escambia County is higher than the state average.
- 17% of population in poor or fair health. Florida: 16%
- 3.5 days of a 30 day period was a sick day. Florida: 3.5
- 3.8 days of the last 30 was a poor mental health day. Florida: 2.8
- 10% of babies had a low birth weight. Florida: 7%
Heath Factors
- 25% of adults smoke. Florida: 18%
- 29% of adults are obese. Florida: 21%
- 15% binge drink. Florida: 8%
- 18 people for every 100,000 die in a traffic crash. Florida: 16
- Chlamydia rage is 552 per 100,000 people. Florida: 318
- Birth rate is 52 of 1,000 teen girls. Florida: 46
Clinical Care
- 19% of adults are uninsured. Florida: 24%
- 119 preventable hospital stays out of 1,000. Florida 69
- Diabetic screening rate 82%. Florida: 80%
- Hospice use is 47%. Florida: 44%
Social & Economic Factors
- 58% high school graduation rate. Florida: 64%
- 23% have college degrees. Florida: 25%
- 23% of children in poverty. Florida 17%
- 10% single parent households. Florida 9%
- 807 violent crimes per 100,000 population. Florida: 714
Physical Environment
- 7 air pollution days per year. Florida: 4
- 13 ozone pollution days per year. Florida: 2
- 40% have access to healthy foods. Florida: 50%
- 0.5 liquor stores per 10,000 people. Florida: 0.7
Each day through Sunday, NorthEscambia.com will investigate our health. We’ll take a detailed look at what is healthy about our three county area, plus we’ll look at the dirty little health secrets of our residents like smoking, binge drinking, obesity and violent crime. Join us each day through Sunday for our special series “Our Local Health: North Escambia Area”.
Police Investigate Morning Home Invasion, Sexual Assault Near State Line
February 18, 2010
Authorities are investigating a reported home invasion and sexual assault in Flomaton, just north of the Alabama-Florida state line.
The incident was reported about 8:45 Thursday morning on Old Atmore Road just west of Tulip Street. A 40-year old female told Flomaton Police that a “husky” or “stocky” male, about 6-foot tall entered her trailer and sexually assaulted her. The victim told police that the suspect did not speak during the attack. She was transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital for evaluation.
The victim did not know the race of her attacker. She described him as being dressed in all black and wearing a mask, according to Flomaton Police Chief Terri Tolbert. The victim did not know if the suspect fled on foot or in a vehicle.
Tracking dogs from Century Correctional Institution and Fountain Prison in Atmore were called to the scene, but they were unable to locate the suspect.
Tolbert said the victim believed that the attacker entered the home through an unlocked front door.
The incident is still under investigation by the Flomaton Police Department. The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department and the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Pictured top: Tracking dogs were used to search for the suspect. Pictured below: Authorities such for the suspect in a Thursday morning home invasion in Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
No Injuries In Cantonment School Bus Crash
February 18, 2010
There were no injuries in a crash involving a school bus Thursday morning in Cantonment.
The accident happened at 6:54 a.m. on Jacks Branch Road near Green Tree Circle when the bus was rear-ended as it prepared to stop to load a passenger.
The Florida Highway Patrol says the bus driven by Charmaine Mixon, 42, of Pensacola, was preparing to stop with its yellow flashing lights activated. That’s when Melanie R. Elkins, 38, of Cantonment, failed to stop and struck the back corner of the bus with her 1997 Nissan Sentra.
The FHP lists one child, Stephen Elijah, 12, of Pensacola, as being the only passenger on the bus.
No one involved in the accident was injured, and the damage to both vehicles was minor, according to the FHP reprot.
Elkins, the driver of the car, was charged with careless driving, according to the FHP.
Work On Highway 29 Slows Century Traffic
February 18, 2010
Motorists traveling on North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) between Cottage Street and Jackson Street in Century encountered delays Thursday as large pieces of concrete culvert were unloaded and installed.
Crews from Coastal Materials restricted traffic to one lane as they performed drainage work along the roadway.
Coastal Materials of Alabama was awarded a $480-thousand for drainage improvement on Highway 29 from south of Jackson Street to north of Cottage Street, in Century. Improvements consist of installing box culverts, replacing existing sidewalks in the area, and constructing pedestrian railing. Motorists can expect intermittent lane shifts and/or restrictions through the end of the project this spring.
Pictured: A large piece of concrete culvert is unloaded in the construction zone on Highway 29 in Century Thursday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Nuclear Power Plant? Gulf Power’s McDavid Purchases At $3.7 Million For 763 Acres
February 18, 2010
Gulf Power’s plans for a possible power plant — even a nuclear plant — in McDavid are still unclear.
The first new nuclear power plant in the United States in over 30 years will become a reality in Georgia thanks to $8 billion in federal loan guarantees announced by President Barack Obama.
The new plant will be operated by Southern Company, the parent company of Gulf Power.
It’s been nearly a year since NorthEscambia.com was the first to report that Gulf Power was buying land in North Escambia for a possible power generation plant — maybe even a nuclear plant. Over the months since our March, 2009, report, Gulf Power has continued to purchase land. So far, Escambia County tax records show that Gulf Power has paid $3,719,700 for approximately 763 acres of land in the Cox, Roach, and Courtney Road area of McDavid.
“We are looking for property to purchase in that area for a generating facility. What kind of generating facility it will be has not been determined at this point,” Gulf Power Company Manager of Public Affairs Sandy Sims told NorthEscambia.com last year. Sims said the plant could be nuclear, natural gas powered or even an advanced technology like wind or solar. “We really can’t rule out any possibility right now.” Since that time the power company has been silent about its plans.
One clue to Gulf Power’s plans might come from a speech to a Northwest Florida chamber of commerce.
In August of last year, CEO Susan Story told the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce that nuclear energy and biomass — items such as wood waste, wood, municipal waste and other forms of waste — would become viable options, according to a report in the Panama City News Herald. Story told the newspaper that Gulf Power was looking at potential nuclear power sites in Northwest Florida “as we speak”.
Whatever the type of power generation facility — if anything — is build in McDavid, the earliest it would likely produce its first kilowatt of electricity would be the year 2020, and perhaps as late as 2025.
Obama said this week that his administration is committed to clean energy for the county’s future.
“Whether it’s nuclear energy, or solar or wind energy, if we fail to invest in the technologies of tomorrow, then we’re going to be importing those technologies instead of exporting them. We will fall behind. Jobs will be produced overseas, instead of here in the United States of America. And that’s not a future that I accept,” the president said.
The new federal government guarantees through the Department of Energy to operate two new nuclear reactors at a plant in Burke, Georgia. The plant is expected to create approximately 3500 construction jobs and 800 permanent jobs. When the Georgia nuclear reactors come online, they will provide reliable electricity for 1.4 million people in Georgia.
Pictured above: This property in the 200 block of Roach Road that was purchased by Gulf Power Company last year. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Alabama And Florida Unhealthy Places To Live; Santa Rosa Much Better
February 18, 2010
The two Escambia counties might not be the healthiest places to live, while Santa Rosa County is one of Florida’s healthiest, according to a study released Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin.
Each day through Sunday, NorthEscambia.com will investigate our health. We’ll take a detailed look at what is healthy about our three county area, plus we’ll look at the dirty little health secrets of our residents like smoking, binge drinking, obesity and violent crime. Join us each day through Sunday for our special series “Our Local Health: North Escambia Area”.
Escambia County, Florida
In “health outcomes” which is determined by morbidity and mortality rates, Escambia (Fla.) ranked number 47 of 67 counties in the state.
In the four areas that determine “health factors” Escambia County (Fla.) ranked 43 of 67:
- 51st in health behaviors, (such as adults who report using tobacco)
- 3rd in Clinical Care (such as uninsured adults)
- 46th in Social & Economic Factors (such as high school graduation rates)
- 64th in Physical Environment (such as unhealthy air due to ozone)
Escambia County, Alabama
In “health outcomes” which is determined by morbidity and mortality rates, Escambia (Ala.) ranked number 51 of 67 counties in the state.
In the four areas that determine “health factors” Escambia County (Ala.) ranked 58 of 67:
- 52nd in health behaviors, (such as adults who report using tobacco)
- 50th in Clinical Care (such as uninsured adults)
- 56th in Social & Economic Factors (such as high school graduation rates)
- 36th in Physical Environment (such as unhealthy air due to ozone)
Santa Rosa County, Florida
In “health outcomes” which is determined by morbidity and mortality rates, Santa Rosa ranked number 10 of 67 counties in the state.
In the four areas that determine “health factors” Santa Rosa ranked 10 of 67:
- 27th in health behaviors, (such as adults who report using tobacco)
- 15th in Clinical Care (such as uninsured adults)
- 3rd in Social & Economic Factors (such as high school graduation rates)
- 48th in Physical Environment (such as unhealthy air due to ozone)
Friday, we will continue our NorthEscambia.com series “Our Local Health: North Escambia Area” with an in-dept look at the health of Escambia County (Fla.).
Editor’s note: In all rankings above, a lower ranking – such as Santa Rosa County’s 10th — is better than a higher ranking.
Animal Cruelty Suspects Arrested Wednesday Night For Failure To Appear In Court
February 18, 2010
Two Century residents were arrested Wednesday night after they failed to show up in court.
Deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office served failure to appear warrants against Steven Wayne Billiot, 57, and Faye Marie Kyle, 48. The two were arrested without incident at their residence at 2390 Highway 168, Century about 9:30 p.m. Billiot was arrested for failure to appear on a 2008 battery case, and Kyle was arrested for failure to appear on animal cruelty charges.
Both were charged in July, 2009, on multiple charges of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise. They were also charged with child abuse and neglect, but those charges were later dropped.
Billiot and Kyle were arrested last year after authorities discovered a horse, a donkey, four goats, two pigs and dog were living without food and water at a mobile home outside Century; and a young teen was found in their mobile home living in what deputies described as “squalor”.
The animals were discovered July 9, 2009, at mobile home at 2390 Highway 168, where rescuers say they had been living for days without water or food. The horse named Champagne was tied to a tree with an extension cord at the rear of the trash-covered property. Her ribs were clearly visible as she stood in an unfenced circle of dirt surrounded by tall grass. She had tried so hard to get to the grass that was just outside her reach that her bridle had worn a large sore on her head. Deputies said that when they provided water for Champagne the horse, she drank nearly a five gallon bucket of water.
The two small pigs were living in a crudely constructed pen made of wire and wood. The dirt in the pen was dry and dusty, according to deputy James Moretz, when he discovered it. There was no water in the pen for the pigs.
The four goats were in a wire pen, also with no water. The donkey was tied to a tree in the front yard of the mobile home, again, with no water. And the dog, also tied a tree in the front yard, appeared to be malnourished and had no water.
Panhandle Equine Rescue, a non-profit group authorized by the court system to investigate equine cruelty in Escambia County, seized the horse and donkey. After difficulty getting any other agency to remove the goats and pigs, PER seized them as well. All of the animals were transported to an area veterinarian for treatment.The dog was seized as evidence by a crime scene investigator with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department and transported to the Escambia County Animal Shelter in Pensacola.
Click here for more NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos from the 2009 rescue, the animals and the property. (Some readers may find some of the photographs in the photo gallery to be disturbing.)
Pictured top: This horse was found without food or water at a mobile home on Highway 168 in July. The horse was unable to reach the grass in the photo because of being tied to a tree. Pictured inset: Deputies James Moretz and Randy Murph remove goats from the property. Pictured below: The backyard of the mobile home were the animals were located. NorthEscambia.com exclusive file photos, click to enlarge.
Walmart Robbery, Hostage Incident Not Real
February 18, 2010
There was no holdup and no hostage incident at Brewton’s Walmart on Wednesday.
Media outlets, including NorthEscambia.com, received numerous news tips Wednesday morning that someone had attempted a holdup at the store, and, supposedly, the holdup had gone wrong and hostages were being held inside the store. In Brewton and surrounding communities, the alleged incident was the topic of conversation.
“Somebody just held up the Walmart in Brewton and they are holding hostages inside the store,” one caller in Century to NorthEscambia.com reported.
But police say the incident was nothing more than prank phone calls made to the store. The caller stated he was in a vehicle outside the store, and unless employees walked out with money, he would enter the store and rob it. He reportedly made at least two calls to the business.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the prank phone calls. No arrests have been made.