Stallworth Not Collecting Air Force Salary While In Brewton Jail
July 25, 2009
The Air Force is not paying Billings murder suspect Staff Sergent Donnie Stallworth while he sits in jail in Alabama awaiting extradition back to Florida.
Stallworth would receive about $2,670 per month at his rank, but he is not receiving his pay or allowances while he’s behind bars at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center.
The Air Force says that when members are arrested, pay and allowance cease until they are proven innocent. Additionally, a serious conviction subjects Air Force members to discharge.
Stallworth turned himself in at the county jail in Brewton. So far, he has not agreed to a voluntary extradition back to Florida. Escambia (Fla.) officials are now working to prepare an extradition warrant to be sent to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to have Stallworth sent back to Florida.
At the time of the murders, Stallworth was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field. The 1999 T.R. Miller High School graduate is a Brewton native. His family still resides in the Brewton area.
Tax Watch Issues Report; Sheriff Disagrees With Findings
July 25, 2009
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department needs to cut $12.3 to $27.3 million from its annual budget, ambulance service in the county might be better if in the private sector, and there needs to be better reporting of how Local Option Sales Tax dollars are expended. Those were some of the major recommendation in a report issued Friday by the group Florida TaxWatch.
But Escambia Sheriff David Morgan is not in agreement with the findings about his office in the $100,000 study funded by the Escambia County Taxpayers Association.
The Tax Watch report compares Escambia County to “peer” counties Leon and Marion and finds that Escambia spent $315.48 per resident to serve 258,527 people in fiscal year 2008. That compares to $269.74 per person to serve 272,535 people on Marion County and $222.41 per person to serve 272,896 people in Leon County.
“We would certainly sit with TaxWatch and listen to their recommendations,” Morgan told NorthEscambia.com Friday. “But their data is flawed.”
The total population served figures for Leon and Marion county were derived by subtracting the number of citizens service by a municipality police department from the total county population. But Morgan says the math was incorrect, and it did not include all of the smaller municipalities in the two peer counties.
Regardless, he says the state standard is 1.7 officers per person, and he operates his department at 1.3 officers per 1,000 residents. Marion and Leon counties are operating at 1.00 and 1.63 deputies per 1,000 persons, respectively.
The TaxWatch report says that Morgan should be able to cut $12.3 to $27.3 million from his budget.
“Unless you are willing to take reduced police protection, we can’t cut more than we have,” he said. Morgan has trimmed about $4 million off the $81.5 million department budget for the next fiscal year — without cutting jobs. “We can’t take a work order when someone calls the sheriff’s department. We are going to answer every call while we spend tax dollars in a wise and prudent manner.”
“Florida TaxWatch commends the Sheriff for his first attempts at identifying ways to reduce the Sheriff’s Office budget and recommends that he continue to explore cost reduction opportunities to further lighten the tax burden on the citizens of Escambia County,” the report released Friday states.
In addition, Morgan said the crime rate in Escambia is higher than the peer counties. The crime rate for areas covered by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department is 55 percent of that the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department service area, and Leon County is only 46 percent.
“Our crime rate is almost double the other two counties, and that justifies more deputies on the street,” he said. “We are not going to sacrifice the safety of the citizens in Escambia County.”
The TaxWatch report also finds that consolidation of some services between Escambia County and the City of Pensacola would be prudent, including purchasing, human resources, vehicle maintenance and technology.
The report also found:
- Several million dollars per year in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds were expended on vehicles, equipment, and certain operating expenses, which raises concern from a public policy standpoint. Additionally, the expenditure and loan of all LOST funds may not have been adequately described nor explicitly shared with Escambia taxpayers.
- The Pensacola Civic Center has lost money each year of operation since FY 2004 at a cost of nearly $10 million to the taxpayers of Escambia County. The operating deficit has been between 26 and 41 percent for each of the last five years.
The report makes a number of specific recommendations, including:
- Information about the LOST funds should be offered in more detail in order to avoid misleading the public or further eroding public trust, and a Citizen Advisory Board should be created to advise the Board of County Commissioners on issues related to the promotion of proper and effective use of LOST funds.
- To achieve a quality workforce and the best value for taxpayers, the Board should develop a more strategic and publicly accountable approach to managing salary and benefits costs.
- Due to the potential for significant cost savings through increased collaboration between Escambia County and other local government entities, the County should develop a strategic approach to achieve these savings through leveraging organizational strengths and purchasing power, and eliminating duplication of effort among government entities
- The County could achieve a potential cost savings of $1.8 million to $5.35 million per year with the implementation and usage of a better benchmark for facility space usage and utilization.
- The formation of a Citizens Advisory Board for the Pensacola Civic Center would provide proper oversight and encourage additional ways to reduce the level of public funding necessary to support ongoing operations. The lack of a meaningful financial incentive built into the facilities management contract should also be analyzed.
- There potential cost savings through outsourcing the County ambulance operations or through the possible merger of ambulance and fire services should be explored.
- The County should establish a “hotline” where instances of fraud, waste, and abuse of County resources can be reported to further identify cost savings and inefficiency. Additionally, as in the previous report, this report recommends that the County create an independent audit function to assist County management in finding ways to reduce costs and foster greater public trust.
- The County should consider all potential opportunities to reduce the county’s social security tax costs, including offering a 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan.
- While the County currently has a broad-based program to recognize exemplary government employees, Florida TaxWatch recommends the program enlist a more targeted focus that fosters a culture of cost savings.
- Florida TaxWatch recommends that the County sell or lease unnecessary or underutilized County assets, renegotiate contracts, and reevaluate equipment and technology expenditures
Click here to read the entire report (pdf format).
More Persons Of Interest In Billings Case
July 25, 2009
Friday afternoon, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department interviewed another person of interest in the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
Sheriff David Morgan declined to name the person investigators were interviewing, saying that many of the persons of interest that have been interviewed in the case turned out not to be remotely suspect.
“Many of them have timelines or alibis that rule them out,” the sheriff said. Friday, the department added more people to their list of people they want to talk with concerning the case, he said.
Morgan said he still believes there is a suspect that was tasked with disabling the security system at the Billings’ home in Beulah, and he expects more arrests to come in the case.
Chemstrand Road Closure
July 25, 2009
Current plans call for New Chemstrand Road north of Kingsfield Road to be closed beginning Wednesday of next week for up to four months.
As part of the 25 miles of transmission main being installed to redirect wastewater flow from the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) Main Street Wastewater Treatment Plant to the new Central Water Reclamation Facility (CWRF), one of ECUA’s contractors , Morgan Contracting, Inc., will begin pipeline construction on New Chemstrand Road Wednesday.
The area affected will be New Chemstrand Road, from Kingsfield Road north to Old Chemstrand Road, in front of Ascend Products (Solutia). During this time, the immediate section of the road where construction is occurring will be closed to through traffic. The current construction schedule is estimated to last approximately four months, but weather or unforeseen construction conflicts could cause project delays, according to ECUA.
“ECUA recognizes the inconvenience this may cause to some residents and businesses in the immediate area. It will make every effort to minimize the impact to those who travel Chemstrand Road and appreciates the public’s understanding during this phase of construction on a project so vitally import to our area,” ECUA said in a press release.
Two Months Later: FDLE Investigation Into Atmore Police Shooting Continues
July 24, 2009
The investigation is continuing into the death of an Atmore man shot by Atmore Police near Walnut Hill two months ago.
Danny Ray Williams, 33, died May 25 from wounds he received when he was shot by Atmore Police early Sunday morning, May 24 in Walnut Hill. Atmore Police said Williams was seen leaving the scene of a shots fired call in Atmore when they gave chase. That chase came to an end on Highway 97 just south of Kansas Road when officers fired on Williams’ car after they say he attempted to run over them.
“It is still an ongoing investigation,” Mike Morrison, spokesperson for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, told NorthEscambia.com Thursday afternoon.
Morrison said he expects the investigation to take a few more weeks, with the final FDLE report set to be turned over to the State Attorney’s Office for review.
Williams was shot by Atmore police officers following a high speed chase that started in Atmore and ended in Walnut Hill just south of Kansas Road about 1:45 a.m. on May 24.
Atmore Public Safety Directory Glen Carlee said the chase began after a reported shots fired incident near Ashley Street and Jones Street, a location about three miles driving distance from the Florida line. Officers say they spotted the Nissan Altima driven by Williams leaving the area of the shots fired call. That’s when the chase began that eventually crossed the state line into Florida. Carlee said Williams apparently tried to hit an Atmore Police Department cruiser head-on.
Once he stopped and officers approached the car with weapons drawn, Carlee says Williams accelerated toward an officer in an attempt to hit him. That prompted at least two officers to fire at Williams. Florida authorities told NorthEscambia.com at the scene that Williams had been shot at least once in the head.
For a complete gallery of exclusive photos from the scene that you will see only on NorthEscambia.com, click here.
For a statement on the shooting released May 25 by the Atmore Police Department, click here.
For NorthEscambia.com’s original story on the shooting, click here.
Pictured above and below: The scene of a shooting involving an Atmore Police Department officer early May 24 in Walnut Hill. Pictured middle: Crime scene investigators from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement work to recover evidence inside the car. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Pamela Wiggins Was Once Suspected In $300,000 Arson
July 24, 2009
Pamela Long Wiggins, accused as an accessory in the murders of Pamela and Byrd Billings, was once under suspicion for an arson that caused more than $300,000 in damage in Albany, Georgia.
The Albany Herald reports that Wiggins, 47, was under suspicion of arson according to Albany Fire Chief James Carswell. The newspaper reported:
In Albany she was married in 1988 to Charles Thomas Coco, divorce papers state. She had a son and the couple divorced in September 1992. Coco is now deceased according to a wedding announcement at OnlineAthens.com.
It is unclear whether the 1992 fire happened before or after the divorce.
“The way I understand it, someone went through this property with flammable liquids and set it on fire,” Carswell said. “It caused more than $300,000 worth of damage, according to the report.”
Wiggins remains free on $10,000 bail on the accessory charge in the Billings murder. Her next scheduled court appearance is an arraignment hearing on August 6.
For the complete story from the Albany Herald, click here.
Zoo Wants Tax Money To Stay Open
July 24, 2009
The Zoo Northwest Florida is asking the Santa Rosa County Commission to levy a special tax up to $60 per year on every property owner in a southern portion of the county, plus asking for $250,000 from county governments and agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Without a commitment on the money, the Zoo says they will be forced to close as early as August 7.
The property owners that would be forced to pay the tax in Gulf Breeze, Navarre, Holley, Midway and Navarre Beach would receive a gift certificate worth $75 for a family membership to the zoo.
It will be up to the Santa Rosa County Commission to place the special tax on the 2010 ballot with the hopes of bringing in $7.5 million over 10 years.
The zoo is also asking for $125,000 from the Escambia County Commission, $75,000 from the Santa Rosa County Commission and $50,000 from the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council.
On Thursday, PETA — the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals — sent a letter to commissioners in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties opposing any funding for the zoo.
Here is the full text of the PETA letter:
Board of County Commissioners
Escambia County
221 Palafox Pl., Ste. 400
Pensacola, FL 32591Dear Ms. Young and Commissioners:
I’m writing on behalf of PETA regarding the The Zoo of Northwest Florida’s pleas for public funding and to urge you to continue denying such requests. Not only is the zoo financially unstable, it also appears to have engaged in a contract that could transfer animals at the zoo to a private owner.
An article in the December 18, 2008, edition of the Pensacola News Journal (enclosed) indicates that the zoo received a $100,000 “loan” from Marcella Leone, owner of a private menagerie in Stamford, Conn. The enclosed documents from the Florida Secured Transaction Registry, filed on December 30, 2008, seem to indicate that the zoo’s animals were used as “collateral” for the loan (the documents specifically mention the zoo’s baby orangutan, Indah). PETA has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to investigate whether this transaction may constitute buying, selling, or otherwise engaging in commercial acts in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Leone’s facility is not accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is also not recognized as a sanctuary. All too often, animals at such facilities are passed on to exotic-animal breeders or dealers, private collections, pseudo-sanctuaries, shabby roadside zoos, the pet trade, or other aspects of the exotic-animal industry.
Because the zoo is approximately $4.5 million in debt, it’s difficult to imagine that it will be in a position to pay off the loan any time soon. At what point will Leone claim the baby orangutanor any of the zoo’s other animalsas payment on the loan?
Again, we urge you not to throw good money after bad at a facility that has consistently experienced fiscal difficulties and does not act in the best interests of the animals in its care. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
Sincerely,
Lisa Wathne,
Captive Exotic Animal Specialist
Minimum Wage Increased
July 24, 2009
If you work for minimum wage, you received a raise Friday. The federal minimum wage increased 70 cents Friday to $7.25 an hour, or $28 a week.
In Florida, the increase for a minimum wage worker is less dramatic, with just a 4-cent increase. Until Gtofsuday, Florida’s minimum wage was already at $7.21 an hour.
Tipped employees also received a minimum wage increase from $4.19 plus tips to $4.23.
During 2008, the minimum wage in Florida was $6.79 per hour, 24 cents higher than the federal standard.
Under Florida law, the Agency for Workforce Innovation will be required to calculate a new minimum wage in the state on September 30. Those calculations are based on the Consumer Price Index. If the state calculation is higher than the federal minimum wage, the state wage would take effect in January 2010.
Registrations Being Accepted For Molino Pet Shelter
July 24, 2009
Registrations are being accepted now at the county’s new pet friendly hurricane shelter at Molino Park Elementary.
Emergency Management’s disaster preparedness web site, www.bereadyescambia.com, provides vital information for pet owners evacuating or sheltering-in-place during storms and lists more than 1,500 rooms available in comfortable, pet-friendly local motels. While pet owners are advised to find alternative accommodations in the event of a hurricane, a pet-friendly shelter will be opened for residents as a refuge of last resort.
Molino Elementary School, a general population shelter located at 899 Highway 97 in Molino, will be available to pet owners on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pre-registration for pets is required. Registration forms plus a full list of all requirements and pet owner responsibilities can be downloaded from www.bereadyescambia.com, or picked up at the Escambia County Animal Shelter, 200 West Fairfield Drive in Pensacola.
Pre-registration helps the county plan for how many pets can be expected, however space is limited to between 150 and 350 animals, depending on breed and kennel sizes. Only dogs and cats will be accepted – no pets of any other species are allowed – however there is no limit of cats or dogs per person, nor limitations on breeds. Pet owners will be required to stay at a facility adjacent to the pet shelter and may not leave their pet at the shelter for any length of time.
Identification tags, proof of vaccinations, food, water, any medications plus bedding and kennels must be provided by the pet owner for each animal. Owners will also have to care for each of their animals including feeding, exercising, potty breaks and all clean up.
Plan now where you will go with your pet if you need to evacuate for a storm. Plan now and you will prevent the stressful dilemma of staying in dangerous location during a storm, or leaving your pet behind.
Northview Tribal Beat Band Camp Info
July 24, 2009
The Northview High School Tribal Beat has scheduled their Band Camp 2009.
Band Camp is mandatory for those that wish to be a member of this year’s band.
Here’s the schedule, as provided by Northview Band Director Scott Slay:
- Percussion Sectionals July 27th and 28th 9:00am – 1:00pm
- Woodwind Sectionals July 29th and 30th 8:00am – 11:00am
- Brass Sectionals July 29th and 30th 2:00pm – 5:00pm
- Color Guard Sectional July 27, 28, 29, 30th – 2:00pm – 5:00pm
- Majorette Sectional Contact Kolby Cobb for more info
- Full Band Camp Everybody Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7th and Monday August 10th through Friday, August 14th 8:00am – 4:30pm
Things to Know:
Come ready to learn, ready to work, be in regulation with district dress code, bring your instrument and whatever supplies you need to perform, reeds will not be provided, sticks and mallets will only be provided at the games, you must have what you need to practice by the first day of full band camp (8/3), bring your own lunch and any snacks you may need, be on time, ready to start on time, if you don’t come to camp – you will not be in band this year. This is going to be a lot of fun – think positive! Mr. Slay
Call for more info: (850) 327-6681 ext 266