Man Originally Charged With Robbery Of Cantonment Dollar General Sentenced To Prison
August 2, 2022
A South Carolina man originally charged with the robbery of a Cantonment Dollar General was sentenced to prison Monday.
Matthew Allen Harvey, 39, was sentenced to one year and one day in state prison for grand theft. Judge Coleman Robinson immediately remanded him into custody.
On April 25, 2019, Harvey walked through the Dollar General on Pine Forest Road near Highway 297A and placed several items on the counter at the front register. He told the clerk to ring up the items before instructing exactly how to open the cash register, according to an arrest report.
The clerk said after she opened the register, Harvey placed his hand in his pocket and told her to give him the money in the cash register, but not any $1 bills or change. He left with the money in a plastic bag but left the merchandise behind.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reported finding two fingerprints from Harvey on a bottle of Gain dishwashing liquid he placed on the counter. Investigators also determined he had previous knowledge and experience operating a cash register during his former employment as the manager of a Best Way Grocery Store in Hemmingway, South Carolina, enabling him to tell the clerk exactly what to do.
Tdap Booster Shot Required For Incoming 7th Graders
August 2, 2022
If your student is entering the seventh grade in Florida this year, you’ll need to make sure they have a required booster shot.
Incoming seventh grade students in Florida are required to have a Tdap immunization before starting the school year.
The booster is available from the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County on Fairfield Drive For an appointment, call FDOH-Escambia at (850) 595-6554. Boosters are also available from your child’s physician or numerous walk-in clinics in the area.
Your child’s middle school will need a copy of their DH680 Florida Immunization Record before school starts on August 10.
Tdap is a combination vaccine that protects against three potentially life-threatening bacterial diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Work Underway On New Roof, Repairs For $311,710 At Century Courthouse
August 2, 2022
Work on a new roof and repairs is underway at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century.
Earlier this year, the Escambia County Commission approved a $311,710 contract with Centennial Roofing for the project. There was one other vendor submittal for the project from E. Cornell Malone Corporation, but the company did not submit required documentation at the time the bids were received, according to the county.
The base bid of $231,420 will remove the existing built-up roof and replace it with a new TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin membrane) roof, as well as make minor interior repairs. Another $35,290 will replace the fascia metal and gutters around the building, and another $45,000 will repair a sagging beam between the two outer columns on a porch.
The building houses offices for the Escambia County Clerk of the Court, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and a small courtroom.
The structure at 7500 North Century Boulevard is concrete masonry and brick veneer. It was built in 1976 and was renovated and expanded in 1997. The original structure is 2,750 square feet with the expansion adding an additional 2,120 square feet plus attached carport, for a total roof area of approximately 6,910 square feet.
Pictured: Roof and repair work underway at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECSO Deputies Corral Loose Horses In Molino
August 2, 2022
Two Escambia County deputies rounded up two loose horses in the area of Chestnut and Molino roads Sunday morning.
“The deputies are the heroes,” a neighbor told NorthEscamia.com. She said the deputies used their cruisers to corral the horses before gently moving them safely off the roadway and getting them back home.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Crooks May Target People Leaving Financial Institutions
August 2, 2022
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents to be observant when leaving the bank for crooks that may target them later.
The ECSO, along with other local and national law enforcement agencies, has received several reports of victims leaving local banks and carrying bank bags being targeted and followed from the bank to their destination. Once the victim exits their vehicle, the suspect breaks the vehicle window and steals the bank bag.
“The ECSO asks that you be aware of your surroundings and do not leave money or personal belongings in your vehicle,” the agency said.
Stock photo.
Monday Afternoon Fire Damages Atmore Home
August 2, 2022
Fire damaged a single family home in Atmore Monday afternoon.
The fire in the 600 block of Horner Street was reported just after 3 p.m. No one was home at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the blaze.
The Atmore Fire Department, Poarch Fire Department and the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia County (FL) Fire Rescue responded, along with the Atmore Police Department and LifeGuard ambulance.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Accused Of Scamming Homeowners For Fences That Were Never Built
August 1, 2022
An Escambia County man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly scamming three people out of money for fences that were never built.
Cody William Brown, 33, was charged with three counts of an organized scheme to defraud, three counts of grand theft, and fraudulent use of a credit card. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Brown allegedly made a charge of $3,700 to a victim’s credit card on each of three consecutive days for a total of $11,100 to do work at a home on Steeplechase Boulevard in Beulah. No work was done, and no workers arrived, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Unable to reach either of two phone numbers provided for Gulf Coast Fence and Supply, the resident called the deputies to report what he believed “to be an intentional local scam”.
The victim later received a text message from someone claiming to work for “Kodiak Fence Company”, the company named on the victim’s credit card statement. The text claimed that the work would be done, but no further response was received, an arrest report states.
According to the ECSO, Brown is the owner of Kodiak Fence Company, the Kodiak business phone number was used on a flyer for Gulf Coast Fence and Supply.
Brown told investigators that the third charge on the victim’s card was a mistake, and that he would refund the amounts. He stated that he had been sick with COVID, and that is why he could not start construction on the fence. according to an arrest report. He also explained that he was in the process of changing company names.
Two weeks later, the victim again called the Sheriff’s Office to state he had not received a refund, and Brown told investigators that he would overnight a check to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to give to the victim. A tracking number was provided, but it continues to show only that a label was created but never shipped.
Brown also allegedly accepted payments of $2,100 and $1,375 from two residents on Jamesville Road for a fence between their properties. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the work never started and promised refunds never arrived.
Update: Man Charged With DUI In Becks Lake Road Rollover Crash That Injured Three
August 1, 2022
A Cantonment man has been charged with DUI in connect with a rollover crash that injured three people on Becks Lake Road in Cantonment Sunday night.
Ricky Lyn Brooks, 43, was charged with DUI with serious bodily injury to another person, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. He remained in he Escambia County Jail Monday afternoon with bond set at $7,500.
A 13-year old was ejected from the vehicle and airlifted to a Pensacola Hospital by LifeFlight helicopter. An 11-year old and an 18-year old were also injured and transported by ambulance.
Brooks and another passenger in his vehicle refused transport.
The Cantonment and Ensley stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded.
IP Employees Scholarship Foundation Awards Four College Scholarships
August 1, 2022
The International Paper Pensacola Employees Scholarship Foundation has awarded four college scholarships.
The scholarships of $1,000 each were presented to:
- Tyler Daw, University of West Florida
- Emma Goldberg, University of West Florida
- Chase Horton, Florida State University
- Rachel Thomas, University of Central Florida
“We are proud to be able to award scholarships to these deserving young students. We wish them the very best in their educational journey,” said Laura Osborne, president of the I.P. Employees Scholarship Foundation.
Awarded annually to high school seniors, the scholarships were established more than 40 years ago. To be eligible, students must be a child of an active or retired employee of International Paper Pensacola Mill, be accepted by an institution of higher learning and submit an application with a qualifying ACT score.
Pictured: Scholarship winners (above) Tyler Daw, Emma Goldberg, (below) Chase Horton and Rachel Thomas. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Driver’s License Services, Vehicle Registration Available Tuesday In Century
August 1, 2022
The Florida Licensing On Wheels (FLOW) mobile office will be in Century on Tuesday.
FLOW is a standalone mobile office with technology to provide most motorists’ needs. The mobile unit provides a convenient method to renew a driver license, obtain a replacement driver license, conversion/reciprocation of out-of-state license, change a name or address on a current driver license or identification card, and get a first-time identification card. In addition to licensing services, the mobile unit also provides an opportunity to renew or replace a vehicle registration and apply, renew or replace disabled parking placards. Written and driving tests are not available from the FLOW unit.
Vehicle registrations can be renewed up to three months and driver licenses up to 18 months in advance of expiration.
The FLOW mobile office will be at the Billy G. Ward Century Courthouse, 7500 North Century Boulevard on Tuesday, August 2 from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Citizens using the FLOW services are encouraged to visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com and click the “What Do I Bring” button for information on what is needed for these services. Staff from the tax collector’s office will be on hand to answer all FLOW service questions and questions concerning all other tax collector services such as property tax, business tax receipts, concealed weapons licensing, etc.
Pictured: The Florida Licensing On Wheels (FLOW) mobile office at the courthouse in Century in June 2022. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
