Investigators Seek Help With 20-Year Old Cantonment Murder
January 15, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help to solve a 20-year old Cantonment murder mystery.
During the early morning hours of January 14, 1990, the body of Jesse Lee Davis, Jr., a 25-year old black male, was found apparently murdered in the area of Highway 95A and Highway 29 in Cantonment. Davis was last seen alive earlier that morning walking northward towards his home from the area of Muscogee Road and Highway 29.
The case remains unsolved. The sheriff’s department is asking anyone with information about what might have happened to Davis to contact the Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP (433-7687).
Pictured: Photos of 1990 murder victim Jessie Davis, Jr. at about age 20 (left) and from grade school. Submitted photos from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to to enlarge.
High School Basketball: Northview, Jay
January 15, 2010
Here is a look at area high school basketball action from Thursday:
Pensacola Christian 65, Northview 36
Northview — Colton Sims 10, Lance Bushaw 9, LaDarion White 8, Dabney Langhorne 4, Austin Arrington 3, Stanley Chestnut 2.
Northview 4 12 10 10-36 PCA 21 22 16 6-65
Jay 57 Aletheia Christian 44
Jay — Dakota Walker 2, Luke Rowell 19, Hunter Boutwell 14, Bugg Fischer 1, Connor Weeks 8, Steven Brabham 10, Tyler Prescott 3
Jay 12 13 13 19-57 Alethia 9 12 7 16-44
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Northview 62, PCA 40
Northview — Sarah Killam 5,Laneicia Gomez 2, Shaniqua Jones 13, Amber McMillan 13, Angela Rodriguez 13, Kassandra Lett 3, Mallory Turner 3, Naomi Cooler 3, Megan Ryan 7
Northview 13 20 20 9-62 PCA 8 8 9 15-40
Jay 52 Aletheia Christian 37
Jay — Ginger Jennings 6, Courtney Hammac 4, Tessa Hendricks 19, Danielle Skaggs 2, Amber Steadham 4, Becca Calloway 14.
Aletheia 10 10 8 9-37 Jay 7 19 9 17-52
Escambia Academy Boys, Girls In State Top Ten
January 15, 2010
Both the boys and girls basketball teams at Escambia Academy are now ranked in the top ten among Alabama Independent School Association basketball teams.
The Lady Cougars (11-2) remain at number nine in the latest poll from the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
In the boys poll, the EA Cougars (13-3) entered the poll at number 10 this week.
Bell Email: Consolidation Committee Dumping Records On County
January 15, 2010
Because the Escambia County Commission refused to provide assistance to the consolidation committee, Chairman Ken Bell is passing the responsibility of maintaining public records and public records request to Escambia County.
In an email to County Attorney Allison Rodgers, Bell said he intends to see the Escambia County Consolidation Committee dissolved, and, per the legislation that created the commission, all of its property and records transfer to Escambia County. The legislation did not specify on which date the committee would be dissolved, other than it must take place by July, 2010.
Shortly after its creation, the consolidation committee asked Escambia County for clerical and legal assistance, but the county denied the request.
“As the County is well aware, from the outset of our work as a public commission, we asked for clerical help (which would include Public Records), Law compliance assistance and legal guidance. The BOCC refused to provide this assistance. With no public funding, this Commission has had to operate on an entirely voluntary basis,” Bell wrote in his email. “Unfortunately, any difficulty caused by the transfer of property on Friday is a direct result of the BOCC’s decision not to provide the assistance requested. As I have stated before, I sincerely regret this fact. The ECCSC has done everything we can to overcome this BOCC’s decisions not to assist.”
Bell said the commission would be willing to index the records if the county provided assistance by Friday, otherwise the commission will just turn everything over as-is. Escambia County will be responsible for fulfilling any current or future public records requests.
Click here to read Bell’s email.
Teen Driver Hits House
January 14, 2010
A teen driver was not seriously injured when he hit a tree and house this morning in Walnut Hill.
The 16-year old male driver was southbound on Juniper Street when he lost control of his Ford Mustang, struck a small tree and spun around into the porch of a wood frame house at 105 Juniper Street. The car missed a propane tank on the corner of the house by just inches in the 8:10 a.m. accident.
The driver was transported to Atmore Community hospital with minor injuries. No one in the house was injured, and there was no significant damage to the house.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance responded to the call.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured: The driver of this Mustang hit a tree before hitting the porch of this house Thursday morning on Juniper Street in Walnut Hill. The damage to car visible in the photograph was caused by the tree, not the house. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Only A Few Tickets Remain For Miss Northview High
January 14, 2010
Only a few tickets remain for the 2010 Miss Northview High School event.
Tickets are $8 and are available in the school’s front office. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
The 2010 Miss Northview High School pageant will be Saturday, January 23 at 6:30 in the Northview Theater.
Pictured: Miss Northview High School 2009 Amber Holland. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Old Fuel Tank At Closed Carver/Century Costing County Thousands
January 14, 2010
The Escambia County School District is spending thousands to remove an old fuel tank at the closed Carver/Century K-8 School.
The district will spend $16,496.79 to clean and close an 2,500 gallon underground fuel storage tank at the former Century school. The work will be done by UST Environmental Services, Inc. in Auburndale Florida. The contractor will provide the district will a “full closure report”, certifying that the closed tank meets environmental requirements.
The board is also closing fuel tanks at the J.E. Hall Center in Pensacola, bringing the total project cost to $68,946.79.
Photos: One Last Look At Our Winter Weather
January 14, 2010
Our two weeks of winter weather, some of which was the coldest in 25 years, provided the opportunity for lots of icy photos around North Escambia. We’ve gathered some of the best in a photo gallery to enjoy one last time, and we’ve included some new ones too.
Click here for a winter weather gallery.
Many thanks to all of our NorthEscambia.com readers that submitted photos over the past couple of weeks. Remember, when you see something you’d like to share, email your photos to news@northescambia.com.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Can’t Watch WKRG Channel 5?
January 14, 2010
If you are not able to watch WKRG Channel 5, you are not alone. Most residents of the North Escambia area that watch WKRG over the air are not able to see the CBS affiliate, and it will be missing through the weekend.
WKRG is completing a tower upgrade, moving their antenna to a 2,000 foot tower for a stronger signal. But during the antenna move, the station is being forced to broadcast on lower power, making it hard to watch in the area over the air. WKRG expects to complete the project and return to full power by Monday, according to a statement.
“We understand how frustrating it can be to miss your favorite CBS programming. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience,” the station said on its website.
WKRG viewers that watch the station on cable or satellite will be able view the station with no interruption.
FHP Issues About 47,000 Traffic Citations During Holidays
January 14, 2010
Tens of thousands of traffic citations were issued during the Florida Highway Patrol’s participation in the nationwide “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” program.
During the 19-day heightened enforcement period, the FHP beefed up its force by having troopers postpone administrative duties in favor of road patrols and adding reservists and auxiliary troopers to patrol duty, according to Col. John Czernis, director of the FHP.
Troopers issued nearly 47,000 traffic citations and made 537 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The FHP cited more than 16,000 drivers for speeding and nearly 5,000 for failure to buckle up.
“During the campaign, our troopers focused on driving practices that put motorists at higher risk for a crash,” said Czernis. “Impaired driving is a dangerous behavior. These drivers not only put themselves in harm’s way, but they also increase risk for everyone around them. Motorists should always designate a sober driver if they plan to consume alcohol.”
The members of the Florida Highway Patrol also offers the reminder that it is the law to “Move Over” when approaching any authorized emergency vehicle or wrecker displaying rotating or flashing lights stopped on the side of a roadway. Dialing *FHP (*347) from a cell phone contacts FHP to report an aggressive driver or require roadside assistance.