Sid Wheatley Named New Northview High School Head Football Coach
August 14, 2009
Call him the chief of the Chiefs — Sid Wheatley has officially been named the new Northview High School head football coach.
Wheatley was named interim head coach after Cody Keene resigned in mid-July to accept a coaching job at Hooper Academy in Montgomery. Wheatley was hired as the head football coach this week.
“I’m excited about it,” Wheatley said from his new office Thursday afternoon. “We have a good group of kids, and a good group of seniors. We are working out now, and they look good.”
After four years as an assistant coach, Wheatley said he knows the players and they know him from working together. That allowed him to hit the ground running when he took over as interim head coach.
On the defensive side, Wheatley plans to stick with a 4-3 scheme and push for focus on the ball.
“We’ve got to have 11 guys swarm the football,” he said.
On the offensive side — that one he is keeping to himself, other than to say he plans to throw in a “few wrinkles”.
“We’re working on ball control and wearing down the offense.”
The Chiefs are a classification lower this year, having dropped into Class 2A District 1 with Jay, Baker, Vernon, Sneeds, Freeport, Holmes County, South Walton and Bozeman.
“We are excited about the new class; it will bring a lot of excitement,” Wheatley said. “It is going to be a very competitive district. We are going to work and put ourselves were we want to be.”
There are 20 seniors on this year’s lineup, and Wheatley said those seniors have already been instrumental in providing leadership and motivation for the entire team. Seniors to watch, he said, include John Sellars, Anthony Pierce, Brian Knight and Austin Cooper.
Chris Sheets and Dustin Yuhasz are two others to watch this year, he said.
The new coach said that in the quarterback position, “we have two that are battling it out right now” — senior Brad Lowery and sophomore Brandon Sheets.
“It’s going to be a good year,” Wheatley said.
“We are going to go all the way; we look forward to the playoffs” Principal Gayle Weaver said. “Coach Wheatley was a good choice. He represents the school well, both on and off the field.”
Wheatley was selected for the head coaching job by a selection committee. He had served as Keene’s assistant coach since the 2005 season, most recently coaching the offensive line and defensive backs last season.
Wheatley has served as Northview’s baseball coach since 2005, and he also teaches history at the school. Wheatley attended the University of Southern Mississippi where he received a Bachelor’s degree in coaching and sports administration.
This is not the first time Wheatley has served as a head football coach — he led Loyd Star High School in Brookhaven, Miss. from 2002 to 2003. He’s also served as an assistant football coach at various other schools in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.
$300,000 Theft Ring Suspect Behind Bars
August 14, 2009
The man accused in a $300,000 multi-state theft ring is behind bars facing a list of charges with more to be filed.
Mark Anthony Harrison, 38, was arrested after he was found hiding in an apartment closet in Milton. He is now in the Santa Rosa County Jail, charged with resisting arrest, criminal mischief, two counts of burglary and two counts of larceny. He will be charged with four counts of receiving stolen property in Escambia County, Ala., grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief in Escambia County, Fla.; and more charges from both Santa Rosa County and Baldwin County, Ala.
His total bond stands at $22,500 on his current charges.
A tip led Santa Rosa County deputies to an apartment near Milton. Deputies found Harrison hiding under clothing and other items in the apartment closet. According to police reports, Harrison refused to show his hands and was forceibly removed from the closet by deputies.
Authorities say the theft ring targeted homes and businesses in North Escambia, Santa Rosa County and Baldwin and Escambia counties in Alabama.
Property discovered on Upper Creek Road in Flomaton included a four wheeler that was reported stolen from Century Marine in December of last year. Two additional stolen four wheeler and two motorcycles were also recovered from the property.
When officers executed search warrants at home in Riverview and Brewton, they located a stash of additional stolen property, including a Fleetwood motor home. In all the stolen goods are worth an estimated $300,000 from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, and Escambia and Baldwin counties in Alabama.
Benefit This Weekend For Young Boy With Rare Condition
August 14, 2009
In December 2008, perfectly healthy A’Darious “A.J.” Adams, 5, was unexpectedly stricken with a life threatening illness — Steven Johnson’s Syndrome.
The illness, which can be suddenly caused by an ordinary children’s painkiller medication, caused A.J. to suffer second degree burns to 95 percent of his body.
Relatives say that through his painful recovery from debilitating surgeries, skin grafts, and therapies, AJ has remained a bright energetic child. Secondary complications have caused tremendous scaring on AJ’s corneas and have left him blind in both eyes.
A.J. who is from Pensacola but has several North Escambia relatives, is in need of several expensive surgeries to restore his vision.
A free benefit concert will be held Saturday for A.J. at the Deliverance Tabernacle at 1780 West Detroit Boulevard in Pensacola. The event will feature church choirs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and quarter groups beginning at 3 p.m.
Donations can also be made at to the “A’darious A.J. Adams fund” at any branch of Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union.
For more information, contact Janice Spencer at (850) 968-3899 or 450-6966.
Pictured above: A’darious A.J. Adams before and after being stricken with Steven Johnson’s Syndrome. Submitted photos for NorthEcambia.com, click to enlarge.
Billings Family Seeks To Keep Video From Being Made Public; Suspects Arraigned
August 14, 2009
The family of Byrd and Melanie Billings has asked a judge to rule that certain evidence, including security camera video footage of the execution style murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings, not be released to the public. That request came Thursday afternoon, just hours after the seven murder suspects all entered not guilty pleas to the crime.
“The only media or public interest in the information arises out of morbid exploitation by some members of the public and the sensationalism surrounding the criminal case,” Billings daughter Ashely Markham’s motion for a declaratory judgment said. The motion was filed in Escambia County Circuit Court last Wednesday afternoon.
The motion also argued that the documents and video would defame the Billings’ good name and place their nine adoptive children in danger. The motion states that at least one of the children appears in the video recordings from inside the home during the July 9 murders.
“The public release of the information will jeopardize the safety of the Markhams and the minor children,” the motion says. “The privacy rights of the Markhams outweighs the public’s right to know.”
State Attorney Bill Eddins agreed to withhold the video footage and other evidence until the judges assigned to hear the criminal cases can issue a ruling.
Items such as the video footage are usually made part of the public record in a case as it reaches the discovery phase — that’s when the prosecution makes the evidence available to the defense attorneys in a criminal case.
Also on Thursday, the seven people charged with first degree murder were arraigned. Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 35; Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr., 56; Wayne Coldiron, 41; Donnie Ray Stallworth, 28; Gary Lamont Sumner Jr., 30; Rakeem Florence, 16; and Frederick Lee Thornton Jr., 19 all entered not guilty pleas.
The alleged mastermind, Gonzalez, Jr., also asked that his bond be reduced, a request that was denied.
Commissioners Can’t Use Blackberry, Laptop, Text Messaging
August 14, 2009
A new policy expected to be approved next week by the Escambia County Commission will restrict how commissioners can use technology during meetings and to conduct public business.
The policy, drafted by County Attorney Allison Rogers, “is to establish rules for the county commissioners use of technology to ensure they conduct themselves in a responsible, professional, ethical and efficient manner, with an eye toward the public’s perception of their elected officials”.
In the past, it has not been uncommon to see a commissioner typing a message on a Blackberry or other cell phone, or typing on their laptop computer during a commission meeting.
The policy as proposed by the county attorney would have forbidden a commissioner from having any device, including a personal cell phone, powered on during a meeting. That part of the proposal was not acceptable to one commissioner.
“If I keep my phone on vibrate and I get a call, I look down at it and see who it is and know whether I need to answer it or if it’s an emergency or not,” Commissioner Wilson Robertson said. “But I am not going to turn in my cell phone like some of y’all are doing.”
“I have no problem if you can excuse yourself and go tend to your call,” Commissioner Grover C. Robinson said. “But I don’t want to be sitting here in a four-hour meeting and unable to respond to an important call for my business or family.”
The policy will be amended to allow commissioners to have their phone on vibrate or silent during a meeting.
The policy, once approved by commissioners at their August 20 meeting, will forbid them from communicating on blogs; social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter; or using text or instant messaging for county related matters. The policy even encourages commissioners request that text and instant messages be disabled on their county-owned devices.
All emails related to county business will also be required to using an official county email address — no personal email addresses can be used for county business. If a commissioner receives an email related to county business at a personal email address, they are to forward it to county address and request that the sender use a county address in the future.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said that part of the policy will not be a problem for him. “I don’t have that problem because I don’t even have a private email,” he said.
Florida’s broad public record’s laws state that emails related to county business are public record and must be archived, or maintained.
If a commissioner violates the policy, the other commissioners “may take an available enforcement action against a fellow commissioner”.
“The point is, you don’t want these things to be an interactive way of communicating with each other,” Rogers said. “The policy is really one part courtesy and three parts preventative medicine.”
Tate Grad Jayce Boyd Picks FSU Over MLB
August 14, 2009
Tate High grade Jayce Boyd is heading to Florida State. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers during the Major League Baseball draft, but he decided to play college ball before heading to the majors.
Boyd, a former Aggie third baseman, was chosen in June in the 19th round of the MLB amateur draft. He was expected to be picked in the first five rounds, but fell over concerns that he wanted too high of salary. His asking price was reportedly equal to a full scholarship to FSU where he is already signed to play next year.
Area Marine Killed In Afghanistan
August 13, 2009
An area Marine on his first deployment has been killed in Afghanistan.
Lance Cpl. Bruce “Bubba” Ferrell Jr., 21, of Perdido, Ala., was killed Sunday night by an improvised explosive device.
He joined the Marine Corps in November 2007, and was promoted to rank of lance corporal. His unit deployed to Afghanistan in May of this year as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Ferrell was a gradate of Baldwin County High School where he was an honor student and a member of the JROTC program.
Ferrell was a member of Fox Company, a rifle unit of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment of the Marine Corps. His tour of duty was scheduled to be just seven months.
He was recently engaged to be married.
Funeral service will be announced after his body is returned to the United States.
Former Carver/Century Principal Now Coordinator For Millions In School District Stimulus Dollars
August 13, 2009
Former Carver/Century K-8 Principal Jeff Garthwaite has a new job — coordinating millions of federal stimulus dollars that are flowing into the Escambia County School District.
His official title is “stimulus programs coordinator” in the school district’s Title I department. As of Wednesday, he had been on the job just eight days, with the school board slated to officially approve his position at their meeting Tuesday night.
Over $10 million in federal stimulus money has already been awarded to Escambia County’s schools; now Garthwaite’s job will be to make sure that money is spent under federal and district guidelines.
“I’m here to make sure that the money is used in ways that get the best value for the district and the students,” he said. “We have goals and, as coordinator, I will work to make sure the goals are met.”
Most of the federal stimulus dollars will be used for Title I, special education and alternative education programs that might not otherwise be funded.
“A big aspect of the job will be the accountability for the dollars,” Garthwaite said. “I’m here to look at what the schools are doing.”
One program funded by the stimulus money will be three teachers on special assignment for parent and community involvement at schools in the district that have been part of closure and consolidation — including Bratt and Ernest Ward as they accept students from the closed Carver/Century.
The teacher on special assignment in North Escambia will have an office at Ernest Ward Middle School but also work with Bratt Elementary to assist faculty, staff, teachers and parents to make sure the consolidation of Carver/Century K-8 into the two schools goes as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.
Garthwaite said he missed Carver/Century, and he is still haunted by just one point. That one point caused the school to be ranked an “F” school by the Florida Department of Education during its final year. A point system is used determine the school grade, and Carver/Century’s score was 394. At 395, the school would have been a “D” during its final year.
“That still really bothers me,” he said. “The writing test, for instance, is so subjective. One person reads it and give a test a two, and a second person gives it a 3. The student gets a 2.5 as their grade. If one student had made a half point higher on any FCAT test, we would have that one point and we would have been a D school — so much better than finishing with the F.”
“I am going to miss the students and the staff,” Garthwaite said. “Carver/Century was a great place, and they were great people.”
Pictured top: Jeff Garthwaite hugs a student goodbye on the last day of school last May at Carver/Century K-8 School. Pictured inset: Garthwaite addresses the audience at the school’s final eighth grade graduation. NorthEsambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Arraignments Set For Jay Teachers Accused Relationships With Students
August 13, 2009
A first court appearance has been scheduled for the two Jay High School teachers accused of having inappropriate relationships with underage students.
Ashley Elenea Burkett, 31, and April Burford Watson, 33, both of Jay, are scheduled to be arraigned August 26 before Santa Rosa County Judge Gary L. Bergosh.
Both women were released on $50,000 bond each after being booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail August 6 on three counts each of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a second degree felony. Both were released on GPS monitors.
“The investigation was initiated on July 28, 2009 after an anonymous letter was sent to the Santa Rosa County School District alleging sexual relationships between two Jay High School teachers and male juveniles,” Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Sgt. Scott Haines said. The letter was turned over the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office for investigation.
“Interviews were conducted with the alleged victims in the case. Two victims alleged that they were involved in sexual activity with Watson at her residence and the residence of Burkett between the months of July and October 2007. One other victim alleged that he was involved in sexual activity with Burkett at her residence and the residence of Watson between the months of July and October 2007,” Haines said. “Both of the suspects were questioned by investigators and they both admitted to the unlawful sexual activity.”
For more about the case, click here for an August 6 NorthEscambia.com story.
Green Named New Coordinator For Learn To Read Of Century
August 13, 2009
Patsy Green of Bluff Springs has been hired as the new volunteer coordinator for Learn to Read of Century.
Green, a retired educator, has served as a volunteer for the past few years at Learn To Read, teaching adults reading skills.
“It’s a very good program,” she said. “We are all aware that some folks come through school and can’t read. I’m so happy that this program gives people the opportunity to learn to read.”
Learn to Read of Northwest Florida is a non-profit adult literacy program in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that provides free one-on-one tutoring in basic reading and writing, GED preparation and English as a second language.
As a Learn to Read volunteer, Green has spent the past couple of years teaching a man in his early 30’s to read. Green said he is now getting a job after improving his reading skills.
“Reading was a big confidence boost that contributed to him getting the job,” she said.
She takes pride in another of her student’s accomplishments.
“Learning to read allows him to read his Bible,” she said. “He was excited that he was able to read two pages of his Bible Monday night at his Bible study.”
Green is a native of the Century area. She was, in fact, born in the former hospital building that now houses Learn to Read of Century. She is graduate of Century High School, Pensacola Junior College and the University of Florida. She taught at Century Middle School, Century Elementary and Carver/Century K-8 School for a total of 30 years, interrupted only by a one year leave to attend Auburn University for a M.Ed. in specific learning disabilities and a five year period to be home with her sons.
After her retirement from Carver/Century, she has, in addition to tutoring for Learn to Read, privately tutored a math student; substituted at Carver/Century, Byrneville Elementary and Westgate School; volunteered at Carver/Century; and served as leader of TOPS #125 of McDavid.
Patsy Green and her husband David reside in Bluff Springs. Sons Marcus and John now live and work in Pensacola. She is a member of Grace Baptist Church in McDavid where she serves as youth leader, serves as assistant youth director for the Baptist Missionary Association of Northwest Florida and is coordinator of the L.J. Stewart Baptist Camp.
For more information on Learn to Read of Century, call (850) 256-0880.