Walnut Hill: Abandoned House Burns, Threatens Two Trailers (Updated With Photo Gallery)
July 13, 2009
An abandoned house on Juniper Street in Walnut Hill burned Monday afternoon, threatening two nearby mobile homes.
The house was already on the ground before the fire, according to neighbors, who said it was destroyed years ago by a hurricane. Firefighters said it appeared someone tried to burn the pile of debris, and the fire quickly got out of hand. It threatened two nearby mobile homes, melting the vinyl siding off the front of one home.
The fire, which was reported about 1:00 Monday afternoon, was reported under control at 1:50.
There were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid, Molino, and Century Stations, Engine 519 and Engine 1819 from Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the blaze. The State Fire Marshal and Atmore Ambulance were also called to the scene.
Click here for an exclusive NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the fire. The photo gallery shows the sequence of events from before the first fire truck arrived until the fire is nearly under control.
Pictured above: The fire as seen before the first fire units arrived on scene. Pictured below: Firefighters check a nearby mobile home that was damaged by the blaze. Exclusive NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Charged With Beulah Murder; Sheriff Says Like Hollywood Movie Script
July 13, 2009
(Updated 7 a.m.) Two people have been arrested and charged with open counts of murder in connection with the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings — a murder that the sheriff says compares to a Hollywood movie script.
Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr. (pictured above right), and Wayne Coldiron (above left) were arrested Sunday evening and charged with the murders of the Billings couple. Gonzelez, Jr. was arrested in Santa Rosa County and is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail. Coldiron turned himself in to authorities in Escambia County.
“The investigation is ongoing; other counts may be added,” Sheriff David Morgan said of the open counts of murder at a 10 p.m. news conference Sunday. Coldiron was taken into custody without incident in Escambia County about 8:00 Sunday night. He had been in Gulf Breeze, but the sheriff said he contacted his department and arranged to surrender in Escambia County.
Morgan described Coldiron as a day laborer, known to work with car dealers. The Billings family owned a car dealership in Pensacola, but Morgan said that there was no known connection between Coldiron and the Billings. “We have no information that would lead us to believe that Mr. Coldiron had any previous contact with the Billings family,” he said.
Coldiron and Gonzalez, Jr. were being held on $1,000,000 bond each in the Escambia County Jail.
The sheriff said any possible motive for the murders was still being developed.
Gonzelez, Jr.’s father, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr. (pictured left), 56, was arrested early Sunday afternoon for tampering with evidence — attempting to disguise the appearance of the red van seen in surveillance video from the couple’s Beulah home. He was being held on $250,000 bond.
Authorities said he tried to hide damage on the van by painting over it. The tampering charge is a third degree felony. Coldiron and the elder Gonzalez were reported to be friends.
The van was located Saturday behind a shed at Gonzalez, Sr.’s home at 318 Palm Court in the Brent community.
“We are very anxious to share this story with the citizens of Escambia County and the nation,” Morgan said in a Sunday afternoon news conference, comparing the the case to a Hollywood movie script. “It’s going to be a humdinger, I’ll tell you that.”
The Billings family lived in a sprawling, nearly 10,000 square foot home in the rural Beulah community. They had 16 children, a dozen of them adopted children. Many of the adopted children were considered special needs, some with autism and some with Downs Syndrome. A statement released by the family said there were nine children in the home at the time of the murders.
Morgan said that no member of the Billings family was a suspect in the murders.
“The people that were murdered they were good people performing very positive roles in the community,” State Attorney Bill Eddins said. “This is a very horrible tragedy.”
“This is certainly one of the most complex (cases),” Eddins said he had seen “I’ve seen others that rival this in other parts of the circuit, but as far as Escambia County is concerned, I believe this is the most complex I’ve seen in my four and a half years in office.”
The home had an extensive video surveillance system, giving investigators “hours” of tapes to review, Morgan said. The security footage reportedly shows the suspects dressed in black and entering the home through multiple doors and quickly carrying out the crime. The entire incident happened in only nine minutes, Morgan said. The Billings were found shot multiple times in the bedroom of their home.
Pictured top: Byrd and Melanie Billings were reportedly found shot to death in Beulah Thursday night. Pictured top inset: Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr. who was arrested and charged with tampering with evidence in the case. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Can You Hear Me Now? Alltel Is Gone
July 13, 2009
The transition from Alltel to Verizon Wireless is complete in North Escambia and surrounding areas.
Alltel customers are now officially Verizon customers, and can use verizonwireless.com to access their accounts, according to a company spokesperson. Verizon will honor former Alltel contracts — meaning that customers will generally see no change to their service, contract periods or monthly bill amount.
Alltel stores across the area were rebranded as Verizon stores over the weekend.
Verizon acquired Alltel in a $28 billion merger in January, making Verizon the largest wireless company in the nation.
Pictured above: The Alltel store in Atmore was rebranded as a Verizon store over the weekend as the official switch from Alltel to Verizon occurred in the South. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Woman Injured In Motorcycle Accident
July 13, 2009
One person was injured in a motorcycle accident near Bay Springs Sunday evening.
The accident happened on Highway 99, between Sunrise Trail and Highway 97A, about 6:15 p.m. Sunday. The female operator of the motorcycle reportedly lost control and ran off the road.
She was transported to a Pensacola hospital by LifeFlight. Her condition was not known.
Authorities said she was not wearing her helmet. The motorcycle had reportedly been removed from the crash site before the fire emergency personnel arrived on scene.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the call.
The accident is still under investigation by the FHP. Further details were not available.
Pictured above: The victim in a motorcycle accident is loaded into LifeFlight Sunday evening on Highway 99 near Bay Springs. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Rotary Clubs Name Leadership; Bo Brantley To Lead Local Rotary Club
July 13, 2009
Combined Rotary of Pensacola has named new leadership, including Bo Brantley as president of the Tri-Cities Rotary Club. Tri-Cities includes Century, Flomaton and Jay.
Combined Rotary of Pensacola President Ed Boywid is retiring after spending three years as assistant governor for District 6940 and two years as president of the group.
His successor is Leon Hirsh, second year assistant governor for Area 2. Ted Kirchharr has been named assistant governor for Area 1 and will serve as secretary of Combined Rotary of Pensacola.
Combined Rotary of Pensacola consists of the two assistant governors and 13 club presidents. Incoming presidents are: Pam Langham, Gulf Breeze; Bo Brantley, Tri-Cities (Flomaton-Century-Jay); Fran Crumpton, Pensacola North; Kelley Thompson, Perdido; Margarett Stopp, Pensacola; John Hutchinson, Five Flags; Lisa Weeks, Pace; Tracy Allen, Milton; Marie Adams, Cordova; Charles Thomas, Cantonment; Rick Lambert, Suburban West; Michael Whitaker, Navarre; and Jay Overman, Seville.
Ron Richards, Pensacola, completed his one year term as district governor for 2008-2009 by attending Rotary’s 100th International Convention in Birmingham, England.
The Tri-Cities Rotary Club meets each Wednesday upstairs at the Escambia County Bank in Flomaton. Prospective members are welcome.
Tri-County Beats Destin In Senior Baseball
July 13, 2009
Tri-County advanced in Senior Little League Baseball Tournament action over the weekend in Niceville.
The Tri-County All-Stars beat Destin 6-1. Tri-County will take on Niceville-Valparaiso at 6 p.m. Monday.
If they win, they will play at 6 p.m. on Wednesday. If they lose, they will be back in Niceville at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Learn About Skin Cancer At Area Seminars
July 13, 2009
If you are interested in learning more about skin cancer risk factors, symptoms, types, treatments available and tips to help prevent the disease, there are free seminars coming up in Jay, Atmore and Pensacola.
Statistics show that skin cancer claims the life of one person every hour in the United States. More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, representing the most commonly diagnosed malignancy – surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.
Yet, through early detection and preventative measures, most skin cancers are curable. Baptist Health Care’s wellness programs – Get Healthy Pensacola! and GoldenCare – are committed to providing you with the resources and education to have safe fun in the sun this summer.
Seminars will be held:
Tuesday, July 14 – Jay Community Center
9:30 to 10:30 a.m. seminar
Thursday, July 16 – Baptist Medical Park – Nine Mile
Azalea Room
2 to 3 p.m. seminar
Tuesday, July 21 – Atmore Community Hospital
Mayson Auditorium
9 to 10 a.m. seminar
Seminars are free and open to the public; however, reservations are requested. For reservations or more information, call (850) 469-2356. Individual appointments and group classes are also available.
Family Statement On Double Murder
July 12, 2009
The family of double murder victims Byrd and Melanie Billings released the following statement on their death:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic events that have occurred. Our first obligation is the children. The nine Billings children that were in the house are all safe and coping well. They are surrounded by many family and friends. The children have not been separated nor will they be. Bud and Melanie’s world revolved around all of their children….our second obligation is finding the people responsible for this.”
The Billings were shot to death Thursday evening at their home in Beulah. Read more here.
Two Arrested And Charged With Murder In Billings Case
July 12, 2009
Two people have been arrested and charged with open counts of murder in connection with the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr., and Wayne Coldiron were arrested Sunday evening and charged with the murders of the Billingses. Gonzelez was arrested in Santa Rosa County and is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail. Coldiron turned himself in to authorities in Escambia County.
Gonzelez, Jr.’s father, Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr., 56, was arrested early Sunday afternoon for tampering with evidence — attempting to disguise the appearance of the red van seen in surveillance video from the couple’s Beulah home. The tampering charge is a third degree felony.
As NorthEscambia.com first reported Saturday, Gonzalez was the owner of the mobile home where the van was located Saturday afternoon.
More details will be posted as they become available.
(Original Story From This Morning Below)
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said Saturday afternoon that they had interview two “persons of interest” in the murders of Byrd and Melanie Billings. They were shot to death in their own bedroom in an apparent home invasion in Beulah Thursday evening.
The two people questioned matched images seen on surveillance video from the home. Investigators are still looking for a third person seen on the tapes.
Deputies were able to find the two persons of interest after locating a red Dodge van seen on those surveillance tapes. The van was found Saturday afternoon behind a shed at a residence at 318 Palm Court in the Brent neighborhood near Highway 29 and Beverly Parkway. The van was located afters tips from the public following intense media coverage.
One of those being quested in a relative of the van’s owners, but the van’s registered owners are not the persons of interest, Morgan said. The owners of the mobile home where the van was found are Leonard P. Gonazlez, Sr. and Carol S. Brant, according to records from the Escambia County Property Appraiser. Morgan would not confirm who owned the van.
Morgan said he believed the crime was committed by seasoned criminals due to the speed in which the incident occurred. “It suggests experience to me,” the sheriff said, adding that he was surprised by the “rapidity of this crime — in and out”.
The security footage reportedly shows the suspects dressed in black and entering the home through multiple doors and quickly carrying out the crime. Morgan said there was no clear motive for the shootings. “We are still working off the premise of a home invasion,” Morgan said without clarifying if he believed the Billings were targeted or the victim of a random act. Morgan said his department had “yet to determine a reason for, specifically, why the Billings were targeted”.
The sheriff would not confirm if anything had been stolen from the home during the murders.
The sheriff’s department said eight children ranging in age from 8-14 were in the sprawling, almost 10,000 square foot home at the time of the murders. A statement released by the family said there were nine children at the home at the time. All total, the couple had 12 adopted children and four of their own. None of the children were injured.
Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at 436-9620.
Pictured top: Byrd and Melanie Billings were reportedly found shot to death in Beulah Thursday night. Pictured inset: The red van discovered Saturday in the Brent area (photo courtesy WEAR). Pictured below: A map showing where the van was found. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Livestock Indemnity Program Registration Begins Monday
July 12, 2009
Eligible ranchers and livestock producers can begin applying for benefits through the Livestock Indemnity Program provided in the 2008 Farm Bill on July 13.
“This program will provide livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters,” said Suzette Cooper, County Executive Director for Escambia County USDA Farm Service Agency.
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from disaster. LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011.
The following table provides the final dates to file a notice of loss and/or application for payment for either 2008 or 2009 livestock losses.
Specific provisions for the other supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Act – the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE), the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) – will be implemented through separate rulemakings and announced at a later date.
For more information on available supplemental disaster assistance programs, please visit your FSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov .