Teen Hit By Bus Thankful That She Is Alive
September 16, 2009
A Bratt teenager says she is lucky to be alive after being bumped by her school bus when it was slammed from behind Tuesday morning on Highway 4.
Courtney Gibson, 17, was crossing the road in front of her bus to board it when the bus was struck from the rear by a van driven by her neighbor. The impact sent the front of the van under the bus, pushing the bus forward about 21 feet and into Courtney’s arm. The impact was so severe it lifted the bus into the air; the back tires of the bus were left a few inches off the ground, supported by the van. Her only injury is a small bruise on her arm.
“I could have been killed, but I was so blessed,” she said. “I do thank God. He’s obviously got a plan for my life.”
It started as an ordinary day for Courtney and her mom, Janis Weaver. Like clockwork, Janis headed out of the driveway at 5:45 a.m., driving “BE 1″, Bryneville Elementary School’s new bus. At 6:15, Courtney was at the end of the driveway waiting for her bus to take her to West Florida High School where she is a senior. She is the first student to get on the bus each day.
“I looked both ways before crossing the road. I almost got hit one time before, so I try to be careful,” Courtney said.
“I saw him, but I thought he stopped,” she said of the van driven by Jesse Warner, 36. Jesse lives just four houses away. She continued across the street, around the guard at the front of the bus — an arm that extends to keep students from walking too close to the front of the bus where they can’t be seen by the driver.
“All of the sudden, Jesse’s van slammed into the bus. It moved forward and hit me in the arm. All is remember is screaming,” she said. “I got up and got on the bus.
“I was shaken and scared. I started crying when I talked to my mom (on the phone).”
Courtney also credits her survival to the quick thinking of her bus driver, Brenda Strickland of Pensacola. Strickland pulled the emergency brake, helping to stop the forward motion of the bus. Brenda was not injured in the crash, but she’s taking some time off before returning to work later this week.
“Mrs. Brenda is my hero; without her quick thinking, that bus could have rolled right over me.”
Once on the bus, Courtney did not realize the severity of the crash, and she did not know that it was her neighbor that had slammed into the bus. Once she was back off the bus, she knew the crash was bad, but it was some period of time before she realized who had hit the bus.
“I feel so bad for him, and I feel to bad for his kids,” she said. “I can imagine how they feel at this time.”
At West Florida High School, Courtney is working on becoming a certified nursing assistant. She has plans to study ultrasound at Pensacola Junior College and become a sonographer.
But she realizes that dream was almost cut short Tuesday morning.
“I almost didn’t get that chance,” Courtney said. “I just thank God that I did.”
For more information about the accident, click here for another story.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Watch The Survelliance Video From Tom Thumb Robbery
September 16, 2009
The two men that robbed the Tom Thumb in Molino Monday morning were in an out of the store in about 10 seconds according to survelliance video from the store.
Surveillance video show the two enter the front door, push a customer of the way, grab the entire cash register and leave. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department has questioned two people in the case, including 19-year old Antonio Demetrius Ewing of West Highway 4, Century. Deputies have also questioned a 15-year old Ernest Ward Middle School student. No charges have been filed yet in connection with the case.
Ewing was arrested Monday, after stealing tires for alleged getaway car and then trying to escape from deputies. Read more here.
Click below to watch the survelliance video .
(If you do not see video above, it is because your employer, school or other firewall is blocking access to external videos.)
Members Of Congress Support Men In ACLU Prayer Case
September 16, 2009
Congressional Prayer Caucus members, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, are supporting Frank Lay, Pace High School principal, and Robert Freeman, the Pace athletic director, as they head to federal criminal charges for praying.
On Thursday, Freeman and Lay will be in federal court to face contempt charges for praying before a meal at a field house dedication despite an order against prayer in Santa Rosa County Schools issued in response to an ACLU lawsuit.
“Please know that we are standing with you in prayer and support as you face your trial on Thursday because of an offering of prayer,” the letter signed by Miller, Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia and Mike McIntyre from the DNC wrote. The men wrote the letter as members of the Congressional Prayer Congress, a group comprised of 54 “members in the United States House of Representatives dedicated to protecting religious liberty, acknowledging tbe important role that prayer plays in American life, and recognizing our nation’s rich, spiritual history”.
“The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation’s spiritual heritage, that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such an innocent
practice would astonish tbe men who founded tlus country on religious liberty,” the letter states.
Click the image of the letter to enlarge in pdf format.
Five Years Later: Watch Hurricane Ivan Move Across North Escambia
September 16, 2009
The image above shows Hurricane Ivan a at 4:01 a.m. on September 16, 2004. Note that North Escambia is on the northeastern edge of the hurricane’s eye. To see an animated version of this radar image to watch the landfall, click the image above. Radar estimates indicated sustained winds about 100 mph with higher guests about 4 a.m.
Pedestrian Hit By Vehicle In Bogia Late Tuesday
September 16, 2009
The driver of a pickup truck backed over a pedestrian that she was trying to help late Tuesday night in Bogia.
The accident happened on South Pine Barren Road just north of Bogia Road about 11:10 p.m. The driver of a Ford pickup told authorities she passed a woman walking in the roadway. She said she decided to back up and see if the woman needed any help. As she backed up, the woman started crossing the road and was ran over by the pickup, authorities said.
Authorities said the woman suffered minor injuries. She was transported to West Florida Hospital by ambulance.
It was not known why the woman was walking in roadway.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. No other information was available.
Pictured above: The driver of this pickup accidentally backed over a pedestrian that she was try to help late Tuesday night in Bogia. NorthEcambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
EWMS Cheerleaders Raise Money With Old Gold
September 16, 2009
Ernest Ward Middle School teacher Cynthia Wilson turned scrap gold into money in her pocket Tuesday afternoon, helping the school’s cheerleaders raise money at the same time.
Wilson and dozens of people like her sold their old and sometimes damaged jewelry during a “Gold Party” at the school. The concept was simple — show up with unwanted, broken or used gold pieces and leave with a check.
“Wow, I’m really quite surprised,” Wilson said when she received her check for almost $200. About $30 was going to her daughter for items that belonged to her, “and the reset is mine,” she said.
“It was just junk,” she said about the small pile of jewelry she sold, which even included earrings that had long since lost their match.
For every dollar paid out to those selling their gold, the EWMS cheerleaders received 10 percent. After two gold parties last week and about a half hour start on Tuesday’s party, the cheerleaders had already made about $1,000, according to Andrea Tompkins of Golden Girls, LLC., the company buying the gold.
Pictured above: Ernest Ward teacher Cynthia Wilson sells her unwanted gold to Andrea Tompkins at a Gold Party sponsored by the EWMS cheerleaders. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Family Mourns The Loss Of Local Man Killed Tuesday By Falling Tree
September 15, 2009
Family members are mourning the loss of a Century man killed Tuesday morning by a falling tree.
Kathy Brady said her father, 69-year old Coy Otis Rhea, was struck and killed by the 40-foot tree being cut down at his rental home.
The accident was reported about 10:55 Tuesday morning at the end of Gilmore Road, a small residential road located just off Killam Road, about a half mile north of Highway 4.
“I know where he’s at,” Brady said of her father, who she described as a devout Christian man. “It’s a very big shock.”
“He was very special,” she said. “He’s a good father, very much a Christian, very much. Everybody he met loved him.”
Brady (pictured left) said her father had retired from his 30 year career working in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He had recently moved back to Florida with his wife Esterline, 67, about a a year ago to help Brady battle cancer. She said that her father died one day before his 26th wedding anniversary.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, with investigators and crime scene units examining the scene.
“It looks like it was an accident,” Investigator Frank Way said. He said three people were cutting the tree down, and they were not aware that Rhea was nearby. Rhea was struck and killed between two sheds near his home. Way said it was not clear if the tree or a portion of one of the sheds actually struck Rhea.
Authorities said the men were using a rope and a tractor to pull the tree away from the sheds while they used a chainsaw to cut it, but the rope broke.
“They thought he was out of the way,” Way said.
For more photos from the scene, click here.
Pictured above: When the tree in this photo was cut Tuesday morning, it struck and killed a Century man. Pictured below: Investigators at the scene. Pictured insets: Coy Otis Rhea and Kathy Brady holds the photo of her father. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Van Driver Seriously Injured In Wreck With School Bus
September 15, 2009
A Bratt man van was seriously injured in a rear end collision with a school bus on Highway 4 in Bratt Tuesday morning..
The accident happened about 6:20 a.m. near the First Baptist Church of Bratt. The impact of the crash sent the 2003 Chevrolet Venture van under the bus, lifting the back of the bus off the ground. The rear bumper of the bus traveled into the van, stopping very near the driver side headrest.
Courtney D. Gibson, 17, a senior at West Florida High School, was crossing the road in front of the bus at the time of the crash. She was knocked to the ground by the bus bumper as the bus moved forward about 21 feet following the impact. Gibson was not injured other than a scratch on her arm. She was the first stop for the bus that travels to West Florida High School.
The van driver has been identified as Jesse Warner, 36, of Bratt.
Warner was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital; LifeFlight was unable to respond due to fog. He was transferred to USA Medical Center in Mobile where he was listed in serious condition Tuesday afternoon.
The bus driver, Brenda L. Strickland, 59, of Pensacola, was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol report states that Warner was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, and that alcohol was not a factor in the accident. Warner was cited, according to the FHP, for failure to use due care and careless driving.
The FHP said the flashing lights and stop signs were activated at the time of the crash.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured above and below: The driver of this van was critically injured in a collision with a school bus Tuesday morning in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Suspects In Molino Store Robbery; One Arrested In Century For Burglary, Escape
September 15, 2009
Two suspects have been questioned in connection with Monday morning’s robbery of the Molino Tom Thumb; one is jailed after stealing tires for the getaway car and then trying to escape from deputies.
Antonio Demetrius Ewing, 19, of West Highway 4, Century, was charged with burglary, escape and larceny. He has not yet been charged with the robbery of the Tom Thumb; deputies say they are awaiting those warrants to be issued. He is being held in the Escambia County jail on $15,000 bond.
A second suspect, a 15-year old middle school student, has also been named as a suspect in the convenience story robbery and was questioned by deputies Monday afternoon. Warrants are expected to be issued for his arrest soon. NorthEscambia.com does not identify juveniles.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Ewing 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 Monday morning. The Firebird — the alleged getaway car from the robbery of the Tom Thumb in Molino at 6:10 a.m. — 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.
While deputies were questioning Ewing about the stolen tires in Century, a deputy that was not in Century at the time realized he had read a comment on NorthEscambia.com’s story about the Tom Thumb robbery. The comment posted by someone with the name “me” mentioned a teal green Firebird with no tag being seen off the road on Sunshine Hill Road shortly after the robbery.
The deputy call Sheriff’s dispatchers on the the telephone, and dispatchers talked on the phone with deputies in Century — alerting them that they possibly had the Tom Thumb robber in custody. In the meantime, NorthEscambia.com was able to provide contact phone numbers for the poster “me” to deputies in Century. Deputies spoke to the poster’s husband in Molino, and he exactly described the car in that deputies had found in Century.
When deputies searched the location provided by the NorthEscambia.com reader on Sunshine Hill Road at Cedar Springs Road, they found part of the cash register (pictured left) from Monday morning’s robbery of the Tom Thumb, as well as parts of the vehicle where the suspects had apparently hit a stump. Money, cash register and vehicle parts were recovered at the Molino Sunshine Hill Road location.
Ewing was taken into custody and transported to the Century Precinct of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for questioning about the tire theft and about the Tom Thumb robbery.
When deputies walked Ewing out of the Century Precinct to place him a cruiser to take him to jail, he ran. Deputies said Ewing ran across Highway 29 toward Century Woods Apartments where he lives. After a brief foot chase, Ewing was taken back into custody, and escape was added to his list of charges.
Pictured top: Escambia County Sheriff’s Investigator Frank Way photographs a vehicle located in Century Monday morning that may have been used in a Molino robbery earlier in the morning. Pictured below: The robbery scene early Monday morning in Molino. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Mayor Presents Censored List Of Code Violators At Meeting
September 15, 2009
A censored list of code violators did not go over very well for Century Mayor Freddie McCall Monday afternoon.
When the Century Town Council meet to discuss code enforcement violations that have reached the point of heading to a special magistrate or abatement by the town, Mayor Freddie McCall passed out a list of the 14 violators the town had met to discuss, but he had removed names and addresses from the list.
Click here to read both the censored and uncensored list. (See editor’s note at the bottom of the story.)
“I did not want to make a public spectacle out of them,” the mayor said. “We are not hiding anything.”
“We did not want to be the cause of that information being in the paper,” Council President Ann Brooks (pictured left) told spectators that questioned why the names were not made available. “…We did that intentionally; the mayor made that decision.” During the meeting, Brooks referred to a list in her paperwork to tell an audience member that his name and address did not appear on the list.
Council member Henry Hawkins, who said he was only given the edited list by the mayor, wanted to know how he was to make a decision based upon censored information.
“I can’t made a decision on something I don’t know,” Hawkins told the mayor. The mayor told Hawkins that he could receive a complete list with names and addresses by making a public records request.
According to the mayor and council, any code violator that had been repeatedly notified to correct their violations would face a $1,300 court fee when a special magistrate hearing was set to hear their violations.
“Once they are notified for a hearing, they are going to be charged — win, lose or draw,” council member Gary Riley said of the $1,300 court fee for a magistrate hearing.
The council voted to make a complete list — with names and address — public so that they were assured that everyone that might be faced with the $1,300 in fees was notified. The council will discuss sending the listed violators to the special magistrate or taking further action prior to their September 21 council meeting.
Editor’s note: On the code violation list pdf (click here) we have edited the complete list to remove an handwritten name that appeared at the bottom of the list. The name still appears at the top of the list, and the mayor said it was written at the bottom by mistake.