Escambia (AL) Correctional Officer Accused Of Smuggling Contraband
December 2, 2021
A correctional officer at the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center is facing charges for allegedly smuggling contraband into the facility.
Taylor Boatright was charged with promoting prison contraband and use of an official position for personal gain.
“Boatright received money from the inmate to purchase the phone and to bring it inside the facility,” Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson said.
The phone was round during a routine search of employees entering the jail.
Boatwright was released on a $30,000 bond.
2021 Active Hurricane Season Has Ended With 21 Storms
December 2, 2021
An active 2021 hurricane season came to an end this week, having produced 21 named storms, including seven hurricanes of which four were major hurricanes with winds over 111 mph.
This year was the third most active year on record in terms of named storms, it marks the sixth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, and this was the first time on record that two consecutive hurricane seasons exhausted the list of 21 storm names.
The 2022 hurricane season will officially begin on June 1. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center will issue its initial seasonal outlook in May.
Pictured: Hurricane Ida on August 29, 2021. (NOAA)
ECSO Steps Up Speed Enforcement On Highway 97 Following Triple Fatal Crash
December 1, 2021
Following a triple fatal crash an other injury wrecks on Highway 97 last weekend, has area residents are calling for an increased law enforcement presence on the state highway.
“We have had more personnel out there and have heard the complaints recently,” Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Commander Andrew Hobbs told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday. “We will continue to address the complaints from the community.”
He said the ECSO has conducted over 130 traffic stops in the last five months on Highway 97. That number jumps to nearly 200 when including vehicle stops on nearby roads just off the 22 miles of Highway 97.
The Sheriff’s Office has placed speed-checking trailers along Highway 97. The units collect anonymous data on vehicle speeds, which Hobbs said allows the ECSO to work smarter.
The data from the trailers can be used to determine the peak time for speeding on Highway 97.
“We can use that information to put our resources from the Century and Molino precincts out there during those times.”
Florida Highway Patrol Lieutenant Jason King said it is difficult for FHP to patrol all of the state’s roadway.
“It’s extremely difficult, so we try to partner with all the local police departments and the sheriff’s offices and kind of work together,” King said. “We have a lot of crashes…throughout the day. We only have a certain number of staff that work the roads within a shift,” King said.
The FHP has not released the cause of the three weekend crashes, so it’s not yet known if speed was to blame.
Pictured top: This crash on Highway 97 Saturday afternoon claimed three lives. Pictured below: Seven people were involved in this two vehicle crash Sunday morning on Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Rehires Leslie Howington As Town Clerk; Fills Admin Clerk, Water And Street Jobs
December 1, 2021
The Century Town Council voted Tuesday night to rehire former town clerk Leslie Howington along with an administrative clerk, water operator trainee and a street worker.
Town Clerk
Howington was Century town clerk from 2010-2018. She then worked in sales for a new upscale apartment complex in Pensacola and managed the new Best Western in Brewton. In July 2021, she became deputy city clerk at the City of Palm Coast, FL, a city of nearly 90,000 people.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in public administration and an Associate of Arts degree in paralegal studies, is a certified municipal clerk, and is completing certification as a master municipal clerk.
Howington (pictured above) will be paid $24.55 per hour. Her start date, while in the near future, has not been finalized.
Current Town Clerk Kim Godwin is stepping aside from the position to attend nursing school.
Administrative Clerk
The council voted to hire Brianna Waldrop as an administrative clerk for $12.50 per hour. She worked for the town from 2019 until she moved away in 2021. Mayor Ben Boutwell said she left employment with the town on good terms. Her other experience includes a daycare caregiver and a waitress at a Pensacola pizza restaurant.
Water Operator Trainee
The council voted to hire Christopher “Scotty” Herndon as a water operator trainee at $13 per hour. His experience includes employment at the McCall Water System and a maintenance company. Once receiving his water operator certifications, he will be eligible for a raise.
Street Maintenance Worker
The council voted 3-2 to hire Dennis Mathis as a street maintenance worker for $12 per hour. He has nine years experience as a millwright at a lumber mill, five years in maintenance at a chemical plant, and six years in home construction.
Council members Dynette Lewis and James Smith voted against hiring Mathis.
Mathis has been up for consideration several times in the past year but was never hired by the council as they rejected or failed to act on employee recommendations by the mayor.
Town Manager
The council took no action Monday night on a town manager. Click here for more information on who applied for the position.
Editor’s note: Details on each individual are taken from their resumes and/or applications as submitted to the Town of Century.
Pictured top: Leslie Howington. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Portion Of Bridlewood Road In Beulah To Close Tuesday
December 1, 2021
A portion of Bridlewood Road in Beulah will be closed beginning Tuesday.
Bridlewood Road will be closed beginning at 8 a.m. December 7 between Fort Deposit Road and Bridlewood Lane (map below) for utility work.
Traffic will be detoured along Frank Reeder Road, Rebel Road and Suwanee Road. The roadway is expected to reopen by Thursday, December 11.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Tate’s Aaliyah Jordan Signs To Play Softball At Coastal Alabama East
December 1, 2021
Tate High School senior Aaliyah Jordan has signed to play softball at Coastal Alabama East in Brewton. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former Mayor Henry Hawkins Applied To Be Century Town Manager. Here Is The Complete List Of Applicants.
December 1, 2021
Former Century Mayor Henry Hawkins is among 11 people that applied to be Century town manager.
Hawkins, a longtime pastor, also served on the town council.
Applications for the position have closed, with the town council Monday night deciding to take more time to consider their options. Tuesday was the last day on the job for Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather as he retires.
Council President Luis Gomez said council members were never provided with resumes and applications. NorthEscambia.com received the 71-page document on November 24 in response to a public records request.
Former, and future, town clerk Leslie Howington applied for both the town manager and town clerk positions. Monday night, the council voted unanimously to hire her as town clerk, and the council also agreed to consider her proposal to combine the two positions. In a written proposal, she said a new manager/clerk position would save the town money.
Other applicants for Century town manager were:
- Jason Davis of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, is a division director for Palm Beach County, FL. He has worked there since 2007.
- Fred Ventresco has been city administrator in Milan, Missouri, since 2019. He is a previous town manager or administrator in Sandisfield, Massachusetts; Limestone, Maine; and Milbridge, Maine.
- Rodney Lucas of Mascotte, Florida, has worked as an interim city manager in Pahokee, Florida; community development director in Bunnell, Florida; and interim city manager in Groveland, Florida
- Robert A. Riojas of Gulf Breeze, has worked since 2016 as a C-130J electronics upgrade coordinator for Lockheed Martin and has held additional aeronautical positions.
- Mackey Wright of Pensacola has worked as an investigator in the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Tampa and Pensacola, an investigator for the Mississippi State Public Defender Office, and as a licensed social worker.
- Shawn Hall of Pace has spent the past 15 years as a human resources manager.
- Timothy Day of Cape Coral, Florida, has 25 years experience in law enforcement and fire services, and town manager or interim town manager experience at Melbourne Beach, Florida, and Greenville, Florida.
- Derek Burr of Birmingham, is a director for Jefferson County, Alabama. He has served as a director in Palm Bay, Florida; manager in Cape Coral, Florida; and a planner for the Lee County School District in Fort Myers, Florida.
- Fred Vella of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has worked for J.C. Penney in three states, and was a school teacher .
Editor’s note: Details on each individual are taken from their resumes and/or applications as submitted to the Town of Century.
Pictured: Former Century mayor Henry Hawkins. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Reports 77 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week
December 1, 2021
There were 77 new COVID-19 cases reported last week in Escambia County, according to a Florida Department of Health report. The report was released Tuesday, several days late due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 54,028 (+77)
Positivity rate last week: 3.1%
People vaccinated: 159,196 (+1,027)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 52%
New hospital admissions: 16
Total deaths last 7 days: 0 (CDC data)
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 32,645 (+66)
Positivity rate last week: 3.7%
People vaccinated: 92,560 (+662)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 52%
New hospital admissions: 0
Total deaths last 7 days: 0 (CDC data)
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 3,686,860 (+6,663)
Case positivity rate: 2.4%
Deaths: 61,548 (+44)
FDOH has moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report with local data limited only to number of cases and positivity rate The number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities is no longer provided by FDOH.
Thieves Hit Walnut Hill ‘Honor System’ Farmer Again Monday (With Video)
November 30, 2021
The Walnut Hill “honor system” farmer that was hit by crooks last week was targeted by thieves again early Monday morning.
Two people wearing ski masks spent about 11 minutes attempting to break into a drink vending machine outside Eicher Farms on South Highway 99 in Walnut Hill. Surveillance video from the incident is below.
They arrived about 2:35 a.m. Monday in a SUV believed to be a 2002-2004 Nissan Xterra. The vehicle’s headlights were off as they pulled behind the barn and went to work on the vending machine with a crowbar. At one point, the only cash in the machine fell to the ground, unnoticed by the duo as they continued their efforts. Eicher said there was only $2 or $3 in the machine, but thousands of dollars in damage was done.
After a lengthy battle with the vending machine, the suspects then took several bags of ice, valued at $2 each. They also took a large cooler valued at around $100 and several bags of corn from the business that sells deer corn, peanuts and other products on the honor system.
One of the suspects was wearing a hoodie with the words “Cash Only No Credit” on the back.
“It’s extremely tough in today’s economy when people are stealing from you,” Eicher told NorthEscambia.com. “It makes it especially tough. I don’t know why they want to come out and target this place for a few dollars they don’t even see when the money hits the ground.”
The last of three people accused of stealing bags of corn and peanuts from the farm November 19 were arrested Monday. Gregory Paul Traynor, age 47 of Pensacola; Bradley Parker Henderson, age 40 of Cantonment; and Michael Darrol Dunson, age 40 of Pensacola, were each charged with first degree misdemeanor petty theft. They have not been named suspects in the incident early Monday morning, November 29. For more on their arrest and mugshots, click or tap here.
Anyone with information on Monday’s incident is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com screen grabs and photos, click to enlarge.
Beulah Man Gets Life For Sexually Abusing Child For Seven Years
November 30, 2021
A Beulah man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing a child.
David Earl White, 32 was convicted by a jury of sexual battery on a child less than 12 years of age, lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim less than 12 years of age, and lewd and lascivious exhibition.
Immediately following the verdict, Circuit Court Judge Joel Boles designated White as sexual predator and sentenced him to life in state prison.
White sexually abused a minor male child over a period of seven years. The victim stated that the abuse began at age 4 and continued through age 11.