McDavid Men Arrested For Possessing Drugs, Owl Feet
September 11, 2009
Two McDavid men are free on bond after being arrested for having drugs, drug paraphernalia and the feet of an owl at an area fishing spot.
John Wesley Brooks (pictured left), 33, of Black Road, McDavid, and Chad Andrews Giddins (pictured right), 33, of Christian Home Road, McDavid were fishing last Saturday morning. When the two men headed back to their trucks at Bogia Landing, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer at the fishing spot noticed a glass smoking pipe, according to the arrest report.
The Fish and Wildlife officer recovered the pipe after Brooks placed it on the ground, and it appeared to have a drug residue on it. The arrest report says that two large knives and a bag of methamphetamine were recovered from Brooks.
The officer then noticed two owl feet on the dash of Giddins’ truck. Giddins, according to the arrest report, said that he killed the owl after it killed his chickens. A search of Giddins’ truck uncovered bottles and tubing with meth residue, other items often used in the production of methamphetamine, and marijuana seeds.
Brooks was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance. He was released on $2,000 bond.
Giddins was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a listed chemical, manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of migratory bird parts. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $23,750 bond.
Both men are scheduled to be back in court for an arraignment hearing late this month.
Pictured: Escambia County Jail booking photos of John Wesley Brooks (left) and Chad Andrew Giddins (right). Click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Versus South Walton Seahawks Preview
September 11, 2009
The Northview Chiefs are looking for their second win of the season and the first district win with a victory over the South Walton Seahawks tonight.
Last week, the Chiefs scored a big win 34-16 over the Graceville Tigers. Graceville star Leron Hoover, a 230 pound running back that had 1,200 yards last year, managed to score twice and get a two-point conversion against the Chiefs. But the Chiefs, who were 2-8 last season, dominated Graceville, a team that was 8-3 and in the regional playoffs last year.
The game was plagued with turnovers for both teams, who started the thunderstorm delayed game on a soaked field. Regardless of the wet field, Wheatley said his team has got to cut down turnovers.
“We’ve got to eliminate that; in a close ballgame, that could mean a difference,” Wheatley said. Ball security was to be a big focus of practice this week. “You want them to fight for every yard they can get,” he said.
Friday night’s win over Graceville was a confidence booster for the Chiefs, first-year coach Wheatley said, after a tough scene last year.
“I felt like it was key to get off to a good start, give the kids some confidence coming off a tough year last year, and we succeeded in doing that,” he said.
The South Walton Seahawks offense was strong last week as they easily beat Franklin County 37-6. They were coming off a preseason loss to the Wewahitchka Gators in a kickoff classic.
The man to watch for the Seahawks Friday night will be Jay Gatto, who had two touchdowns and 156 yards for South Walton last week. For the defense, the Chiefs may have to work to get past D.J. Stiedel who led South Walton with a dozen tackles a week ago.
Last week, the Chiefs gained 381 yards, with 355 of those on the ground. Dustin Yuhasz had 50 yards on the Chief’s first possession last week of the game. Overall, Yuhaszhad 159 yards on 15 carries and two TDs.
The Chiefs and Seahawks will kick off at 7 p.m. in Bratt at Northview High School.
Pictured top: Dustin Yuhasz gains yardage last Friday night for the Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview Versus Catholic Volleyball
September 11, 2009
Both varsity and junior varsity Northview Chiefs lost to the Catholic Crusaders on the volleyball court Thursday in Bratt.
Catholic Defeated Northview – Varsity
15-25, 15-25, 12-25
Junior Shawna Montgomery lead the Chiefs with two kills, two aces, one block and three assists. Senior Caitlin Hall had seven assists, one ace, three blocks and a pair of kills. Sophomore Raylin Spence a kill, an ace and a block. Senior Angela Rodriguez had two kills, one assist and one block.
Northview is now 2-3 overall, 0-2 in District 1-2A.
Catholic Defeated Northview – JV
14-25, 8-25
Sophomore Cheyanne Garnett had two aces for the Chiefs, and freshman Morgan Payne had one kill, one ace and a single dig.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the varsity game.
Pictured: Northview’s Angela Rodriguez, right, prepares to receive a serve Thursday night against Catholic while Caitlin Hall (left) watches. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Army Airborne To Deliver Northview Game Ball From Blackhawk Helicopters
September 10, 2009
The game ball for one of this year’s Northview High School football games will be delivered by Army Airborne from Blackhawk helicopters.
The United States Army’s parachute demonstration team the Silver Wings from Ft. Benning, Georgia, will deliver the game ball to Northview’s Senior Night on October 30.
SFC Bobby Ewing, an Army recruiter in Pensacola, said that two to four members of the Silver Wings are scheduled to jump from two Blackhawk helicopters at least 5,000 feet over the Northview stadium. They will bring down a United States flag, a POW/MIA flag, an Army flag and the official game ball. One jumper will land on the 50-yard line to deliver the game ball for the game against Sneads.
“It will be exciting, and a great way to begin Senior Night,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said.
The helicopters will not land at Northview — they will fly in and fly out, Ewing said. The Blackhawk helicopters will either fly directly from a location such as Pensacola NAS, the Pensacola Airport or Ft. Benning, he said. A ground crew will drive the Silver Wings jumpers back to Ft. Benning.
“Their mission will to be to deliver the game ball, get their gear and move out of the way for the game and Senior Night,” he said.
The Silver Wings’ mission is to perform live aerial demonstrations in support of the United States Army, and Ft. Benning public relations and recruiting.
The Silver Wings is comprised of Soldiers from throughout the Fort Benning airborne community. They have diverse backgrounds and various military specialties. The average age is 33 years old and the average number of free fall jumps range between 200-2500 per team member. The team represents the professionalism and dedication of the specially trained Soldiers that are products of the United States Army Infantry Center and Schools, to include Airborne, Pathfinders, and the Army elite Rangers.
Photos courtesy U.S. Army for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bids Opened On Century Water Project
September 10, 2009
The Town of Century has opened bids for a $1.6 million water system improvement project that will bring improved water service to many residents, including those at the end of Backwoods Roads that have waited a decade for help.
The low bids totaled just over $1.5 million for the project which will include a new 500,000 gallon elevated water storage tank to improve system reliability and fire protection, two natural gas operated back-up generators to improve system reliability for the existing water treatment plants, 16,000 feet of six-inch water main and a booster station to provide fire protection, improve pressure and system reliability in a portion of the existing water system franchise area.
Part of the project will include upgrading a two-inch pipe serving Backwoods Road to a six-inch water main. Backwoods Road residents have complained about poor water pressure and poor water quality for 10 years.
With engineering fees, the project will total about $1.58 million. Of that, $1.39 million will come from a federal stimulus grand awarded by the state; the balance be from a low interest loan. Once the council approves the loan terms and the project begins, it is expected to be completed within about a year.
Tell Us What You Think: Obama Health Care Reform (With Video, Full Text)
September 10, 2009
Last night, President Barack Obama outlined his health care reform plan. If approved, the plan will impact every American.
You can read the entire speech by clicking here (pdf) or watch it
We want to know what you think about the plan. Leave your comments below in our comments section.
Cantonment Man Wins Nearly $200,000
September 10, 2009
A Cantonment man is nearly $200,000 richer after purchasing a FANTASY 5 Quick Pick ticket Tuesday.
David Jordan, 69, of Cantonment, claimed the FANTASY 5 top prize drawn on September 8, according to Florida Lottery officials.
Jordan received a one-time, lump-sum payment in the amount of $198,369.62. He purchased his winning FANTASY 5 Quick Pick ticket at Tom Thumb, located at 6960 Mobile Highway in Pensacola. The retailer received a bonus incentive of $500 for selling the top prize winning ticket.
According to Jordan, he is an avid FANTASY 5 player and has been since the game began in 1989. Tuesday, he purchased two FANTASY 5 tickets, one with his favorite numbers and the other was a Quick Pick. When he and his wife got up Wednesday morning to check the numbers and when he first glanced he knew he didn’t win with his numbers but some of the numbers looked similar to the numbers on the Quick Pick ticket.
He then visited the Lottery’s web site to double check the numbers, and called Tom Thumb to triple check. And then he was off Wednesday to claim his six-digit prize.
Jordan says he is still in shock and beyond excited about his prize. “I wouldn’t know what to do with a million dollars but this was the perfect amount,” Jordan said.
Jordan was the only winner in the state with the numbers 3-11-17-19-34. There were 304 people with four of five numbers, and each of them won $105.
Century Considers Council Health Insurance; Could Cost $60,000
September 10, 2009
The Town of Century’s budget for the next fiscal year is approaching completion, but employee related issues like raises, insurance and annual bonuses must first be resolved.
Perhaps the hardest item for the town’s council to settle on will be insurance — specifically whether or not to continue to offer health insurance to town council members. Preliminary numbers show that the it will cost the town about $60,000 a year to offer insurance to council members, even though only two of them currently opt for coverage.
If the town does not offer insurance to the council members, the town’s insurance rates for the next fiscal year will range from $514 per month for an employee only to $1,638 for full family coverage. If the council is offered coverage, or if either of the two council members with coverage now opt for COBRA coverage, the rates jump to $688.25 per month for an employee-up to $2,197 per month for full family coverage.
If any member of the council is covered, the rates jump across the board for all employees. Or at least that is how the council currently understands a proposal presented to them; the council will bring the insurance agent back for a meeting with the council to explain why it will cost a total of about $60,000 more if council members are covered.
“Five thousand dollars a month is a huge amount,” said Robert Hudson, the town’s accountant.
If the council votes not to offer the insurance to themselves, the two council members currently covered by the town’s insurance — Ann Brooks and Nadine McCaw — would be entitled to continue their insurance coverage at their own expense under a federal law called COBRA.
“We would have to do COBRA or not have insurance,” Brooks said. “I can tell you know I would do COBRA.”
“We are part-time employees; we should not have insurance at all,” Council member Henry Hawkins said.
The town’s new insurance plan will require that an employee work 25 hours per week to qualify, but council members will be grandfathered in, according to Hudson.
Hudson said it would not be unusual for the town to offer council members a monthly supplement to purchase their own insurance.
The town currently pays 100 percent of employee coverage and 77 percent of coverage for family members.
As for employee raises and annual bonuses, the council will discuss those items further at their next workshop session. Presently, council members say they are leaning toward keeping the annual $250 employee bonus, and they are hoping for a one-percent across the board raise for employees.
Photos: Flomaton JV Beats Baker
September 10, 2009
The Flomaton JV picked up their second win of the season Tuesday night against the Baker Gators. The Hurricanes were coming off a win against JU Blacksher last week.
For a photo gallery, click here. And for even more photos, visit www.mikenewtonphotography.
Pictured: Action from Flomaton JV versus Baker Tuesday afternoon. Submitted photo by Mike Newton Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Event To Benefit Man’s Attempt To Walk Again
September 10, 2009
A ride to help a local young man walk again will be held this weekend.
Mark Daniel, 20, was paralyzed from the waist down in an October 2007 automobile accident. He was hospitalized for 28 days, underwent rigorous physical therapy and had to learn to live independently again — unable to walk.
“That day, truly changed our entire family’s life it seemed forever. The things that seemed so simple, were now very challenging,” said Renea Daniel, Mark’s stepmother.
Now Mark and family members from Molino have found a treatment that they believe will give him the opportunity to walk again. He has applied and been accepted into the International Cell Medicine Clinic in San Jose, Costa Rica. His stay there will be four weeks while he receives spinal injections of stem cells from donated umbilical cord blood, along with more physical therapy. The total cost of the treatments, including airfare, is $40,000.
“This is a substantial amount of money which of course our health insurance will not cover. But, the longer he is paralyzed the more his muscles will continue to deteriorate and the less chance we will have of these stems cells helping his condition,” Renea Daniel said.
The family is planning a series of fundraisers to pay for the treatment, the first being the Mark Daniel Ride to Walk Benefit Saturday at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.
Registration begins at 11 a.m, with a $10 fee for any vehicle. The Ride-out is at 1 p.m. to Ashton Brosnaham Park for lunch at 2 p.m.
Pork dinners will be available for an $8 donation, and there will be door prizes, a DJ and more. An after-party will be held at Ruby’s Fish Camp. For more information, call Mark at (850) 572-5660 or Kim at (850) 572-4521. Donations can also be made at Gulf Winds Credit Union or Beach Community Bank to the Mark Daniel Medical Fund.