EWMS Eagles Beat Pollard-McCall
September 22, 2009
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles beat Pollard-McCall on the volleyball court in two matches Monday afternoon in Walnut Hill.
The EWMS White team won 25-17, 25-6. The EWMS Blue defeated Pollard-McCall 23-25, 25-14, 15-8.
- For a photo gallery from the EWMS Blue game, click here.
- For a photo gallery from the EWMS White game, click here.
EWMS White team members are: Raven Weaver, Madison Arrington, Brianna Parker, Lily Townson, Chloe Leonard, Kyndall Hall, Leah Fischer and Tiffani Pritchett.
EWMS Blue team members are: Mallory Wiggins, Mallory Ryan, Rebecca Grim, Shelby Nielson, Danielle Steadham, Saige Garrett, Lorri Harrell, Kaitlyn Abbott and Reagan Bell.
15-Year Old Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Tires For Getaway Car
September 22, 2009
A middle school student was arrested Monday in connection with an incident last week where tires were allegedly stolen for the getaway car used in the robbery of the Molino Tom Thumb.
The 15-year old Century boy was arrested on larceny and burglary charges when he appeared in court Monday on an unrelated trespassing charge. NorthEscambia.com’s policy is to not identify juveniles in criminal cases.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies found another man, Antonio Demetrius Ewing, 19, trying to fit tires onto a Pontiac Firebird with no tag in the parking lot of the Gospel Light Temple on Alger Road in Century about 9:20 September 14. The Firebird — the alleged getaway car from the robbery of the Tom Thumb in Molino earlier that morning — had a flat tire. Deputies said Ewing had taken the tires and tools from a nearby shed, and he was trying to fit tires onto the Firebird — including tires that had no rims.
Evidence tied the juvenile to the car and the tire incident, according to deputies, leading to the charges against the Ernest Ward Middle School student.
Deputies say both Ewing and the juvenile are suspects in the Tom Thumb robbery, and they expect more warrants to be issued by the State Attorney’s office.
Ewing, of West Highway 4, Century, was charged with burglary, escape and larceny. He remains in the Escambia County Jail.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s Investigator Frank Way photographs a vehicle located in Century on September 14 that may have been used in a Molino robbery a few hours earlier. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Former Atmore Dentist’s Employee Admits To Bilking Thousands From Insurance Companies
September 22, 2009
The former office manager for an Atmore dentist has pleaded guilty to defrauding tens of thousands of dollars from insurance companies.
Toni McMurphy, 54, pleaded guilty to health care fraud and mail fraud in federal court. In her plea agreement, McMurphy admitted that while working for Buckley and Buckley Family Dentistry between January 1, 2006, and November, 2008, she bilked about $45,000 from insurance companies by filing false claims for services never performed or by upgrading lower cost procedures to higher cost procedures.
“The insurance carriers would then send reimbursement checks to Buckley Family Dentistry to pay for the fraudulent claims,” McMurphy’s stated in her plea agreement. “I would then misapply said fraudulent proceeds, thereby allowing me to apply proceeds to different patients and to withdraw cash from Buckley Family Dentistry.”
The mail fraud charge stemmed from an incident in June, 2008, when McMurphy admitted that she filed a false claim with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama asking for reimbursement on behalf of a patient claiming that the dentist had extracted two of her teeth. Blue Cross and Blue Shield then mailed a payment for the services never performed to an Atmore post office box.
U.S. District Judge Kristi Dubose scheduled McMurphy to be sentenced in federal court on December 18. She could face up to 20 years in prison, three years probation and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. However, the plea agreement states that federal prosecutors will seek a minimum allowable sentence of probation. She could also be ordered by the court to make restitution in the case.
Escambia School District’s Website Hacked
September 22, 2009
Hackers defaced the main website of the Escambia County School District, forcing officials to take the site down for several hours on Monday.
The person or persons that got into the district’s website left behind music and anti-Muslim phrases on the main page, prompting the district’s information technology department to take the site offline. By early Tuesday morning, the site had been returned to service.
Officials say that confidential information and student records were not compromised in the attack.
Individual school websites — such as those for Northview High, Ernest Ward Middle, Bratt Elementary and Molino Park Elementary schools — were not impacted.
Northview FCA And Teens For Christ To Meet Tuesday Morning
September 21, 2009
The Northview High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Teens for Christ groups will meet Tuesday morning to organize and make final plans for the school’s See You At The Pole Rally for Wednesday morning.
The meeting will be held at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday in Mrs. Jernigan’s room.
Contract Worker Injured At Northview High School
September 21, 2009
A contract employee working at Northview High School was injured Monday afternoon.
Officials say the adult male contract worker suffered a work-related injury in the school’s boiler room. He reportedly suffered a laceration to his arm about 2:20 p.m. while trying to cut a pipe or other material.
He was transported to an area hospital by Atmore Ambulance.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire-Rescue and Northview’s Escambia County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer also responded to the incident.
County Commission Honors McDavid Man On His Retirement
September 21, 2009
The Escambia County Commission honored Ronald Rigby of McDavid on his retirement after 25 years of service in the county’s Public Works Bureau.
Rigby retired from the Escambia County Road Department after 25 years –all but just a few months of those years operating a Gradall excavator, moving tons and tons of dirt across North Escambia.
The county commission approved a proclamation meeting honoring Rigby. Click here to read the proclamation (pdf).
NorthEscambia.com published a story about Rigby on August 28. Click here to read that story.
Pictured above: Ronald Rigby. NorthEscambia.com photo/graphic, click to enlarge.
Football Weekend Recap
September 21, 2009
It was a big football weekend in and around North Escambia, and NorthEscambia.com had plenty of coverage.
Click a link below to visit the story or photo gallery.
- Top-Ranked Leroy Beats Flomaton 27-21 In OT
- Freeport Defeats Jay 33-20
- Tate Aggies Easily Beat Satsuma 43-14
- Escambia Academy beats Pickens Academy 28-22
- Spanish Fort Slams Escambia County High 45-6
- NWE Mini-Mites Photo Gallery
- NWE Mites Photo Gallery
- NWE Midgets Photo Gallery
- Flomaton Football Photo Gallery
Editors note: Northview High School was off last Friday night and will return to action this Friday.
Pictured above: Northwest Escambia Mini-Mite football action Saturday morning. Northescambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview To Hold First-Ever Homecoming Parade
September 21, 2009
Northview High School will hold its first annual homecoming parade this year on October 2. The school, founded in 1996, has never had a homecoming parade outside the school campus.
The homecoming parade will leave Bratt Elementary School at 12:30 on Friday, October 2 and proceed east on Highway 4 to Northview High. The school is currently seeking entries for the parade. There is no charge to enter, but all entries must be approved by the sponsoring Northview DCT class.
Units already entered in the parade include the Tribal Beat band, Northview cheerleaders, NHS ROTC, Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders, Poarch Fire Department and Princess Danielle Martin, NHS Mascot Raylin Spence and floats from the senior, junior, sophomore and freshmen classes.
Everyone is encouraged to support the Chiefs and line the route for this first annual Northview High School homecoming parade.
To enter the parade, call the school at (850) 327-6681 ext. 254.
Pictured above: Last year’s homecoming floats at Northview High were driven around the track at halftime. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Sentenced To 18 Months In Prison For Child Molestation
September 21, 2009
A Cantonment man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and a lengthy probation in a case were he was accused of molesting a child under 12.
Donald Wayne Baxley, 50, was arrested June 26, 2008, and charged with sexual assault on a victim under 12, molestation of a child under 12, and lewd and lascivious conduct.
The assault and molestation charges were dropped. Baxley received the 18 month sentence from Circuit Court Judge Frank Bell on the lewd and lascivious conduct charge.
Baxley will be on probation for 10 years after his release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Baxley was also ordered to pay $619 in court costs.
Baxley was originally arrested for molesting the child under 12 on June 26, 2008.