Rescue Zone: Kids Get Up Close With The Fire Department
July 15, 2009
Dozens of children in Bluff Springs had the opportunity to learn about firefighting up close and personal Tuesday evening.
It was all part of the “Rescue Zone: Saved by God’s Power” Vacation Bible School at Faith Bible Baptist Church in Bluff Springs. The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue gave the children the opportunity to see a 55-foot ladder truck and a fire engine. The children also had the opportunity to try their hand a fire hose.
Monday night, the children had the chance to talk with an Escambia County deputy. Wednesday night, Escambia County EMS will show off an ambulance at the VBS.
VBS at Faith Bible Baptist Church in Bluff Springs continues through Thursday from 6-8:30 p.m. for ages 5-12. For more information, call the church at (850) 256-5483.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Giving a fire hose a try. Pictured left: Touring a firetruck at Faith Bible Baptist Church in Bluff Springs Tuesday evening. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blog: Record Setting Big Day At NorthEscambia, And Thanks To CNN
July 15, 2009
Tuesday was a big day for NorthEscambia.com, as we reported our biggest traffic day ever with about 1.3 million page views — thanks in part to mentions by several national media outlets.
NorthEscambia.com was the first to report that Donnie Stallworth of Brewton had been arrested in the Alabama town in connection with the murders of Melanie and Byrd Billings. We were also the first media outlet in the county to report that he was an Air Force staff sergeant.
Fox, CNN and United Press International (UPI) were among the national media mentioning our coverage in their stories. Anderson Cooper of CNN mentioned NorthEscambia.com on his AC360 blog and provided our link. There were also links on many other site to NorthEscambia.com, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, and MSN.
We, like the other media outlets in the area, have covered the Beulah murder with updates as events have unfolded. We operate with a staff of one person, so we have not been able to send multiple reporters to press conferences, nor have we had a team of reporters to deploy to the field. But we’ve tried hard to bring you the very latest on the murder story, which happened just a few short miles from North Escambia.
Our high number of page view represents the unique nature of the Internet were Google and the like can instantly provide relevant search results to those in newsrooms at the major media. Those mentions can instantly propel a site’s traffic. We did have to make a few minor adjustments during the traffic peak around lunchtime Tuesday, but the site performed flawlessly — serving about 600,000 of those pages in just over an hour.
Tuesday’s record day followed a busy day on Monday, with about 600,000 page views.
Our normal traffic is about 4 million views per month, or over 130,000 per day average.
Incidentally, many tens of thousands of those page views were from the local area. If you need to advertise your business, we’d be happy to talk to you about how you can do that at news@northescambia.com
We Have Found Them: Seven Charged With Murders Of Billings Couple
July 15, 2009
Seven men ranging in age from 16 to 56 are behind bars this morning, charged with the murders of Beulah couple Melanie and Byrd Billings last week.
“We have found them, and they are in custody,” Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan told Ashley Markham, 26, the older child from the Billings family.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said there may be an additional arrest of an accomplice in the horrific crime that he was still calling a “humdinger” Tuesday afternoon. Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said the motive was robbery, with a “medium size” safe taken from the home. He would not say what was in the safe or elaborate on any other items that might have been taken.
“It involves other businesses, other states, other countries,” Morgan said of the entire situation surrounding the case. Federal agencies are involved in the investigations. “I will not speculate on how the crime spun out of control.”
The entire attack took just 10 minutes, four of those minutes inside the home. Some of the suspects wore black ninja garb. Some of the clothing may have been purchased at an area Walmart where surveillance video recorded three of the suspects together.
There were nine developmentally disabled children in the home at the time the Billingses were shot in their bedroom.
Three of the children, Morgan said, witnessed the intruders in the home. One ran to a neighbor’s to get help. He declined to say if cameras caught the actual murder on video, but authorities have said they recovered hours of video from the home that reportedly had security cameras in every room. Morgan said Tuesday that the cameras were not necessarily for security, but to aid in monitoring a house with so many developmentally disabled children.
There is another suspect being sought as an accomplice in the case. “There some loops that need to be closed,” Morgan said. “We have one individual that we are looking at now.”
Tuesday, three people were arrested on open counts of murder. They included Donnie Stallworth, Jr., 28, who turned himself in at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton about 9:00 Monday night. Stallworth was a staff sergeant in the Air Force stationed at Hurlburt Field. Frederick Lee Thorton Jr., 19, and Rakeem Florence, 16, were arrested in Okaloosa County. The three had worked together at a Fort Walton Beach auto detailing business.
State Attorney Bill Eddins also announced Tuesday that charges were upgraded to an open count of murder against Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Sr, 56. He is the man that was charged with evidence tampering for trying to alter the appearance of the red van that appears in surveillance video from the Billings home.
Wayne T. Coldiron, 41, has been charged with robbery and two open courts of murder. He was described as a day laborer who had already served time in prison for murder. Gary Lamont Sumner, 30, was arrested following a traffic stop in Okaloosa County. Sheriff David Morgan said he was one of the people seen in a Walmart surveillance video with Leonard Gonzalez, Jr. (Story here.) Morgan said Sumner is believed to be one of the suspects that entered the Billings home. He was described by law enforcement as a day laborerand a friend of other suspects in the case.
Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr., 35, was arrested Sunday evening and charged with the murders of the Billings couple. Gonzelez, Jr. was an ex-convict that taught self defense classes to women and children. He had been a member of the National Guard.
Gonzalez, Sr. had worked at the Beulah couple’s home through a pressure washing business that he owned. Gonzalez, Sr. had hired Coldiron in the pressure washing businesses, and Coldiron had been to the Billings’ property.
The group reportedly trained for about 30 days for the attack, practicing at the Palm Court property in Beulah were Gonzalez, Sr. lived and hid the red van.
Pictured top: The seven men charged with the murders of Melanie and Byrd Billings. Pictured top inset: Ashley Markham, daughter of Byrd and Melanie Billings, reacts as Sheriff David Morgan announces that all the suspects in the killings of her parents are in custody. Looking on is Blue Markham, her husband. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Protected: A Closer Look: Billings Family Photos
July 15, 2009
Brewton Man, An Air Force Staff Sergeant, Among Those Arrested For Beulah Murders
July 15, 2009
People that knew Donnie Stallworth Jr. of Brewton were in disbelief Tuesday when they learned that the Air Force staff sergeant had been accused in the murder of Melanie and Byrd Billings of Brewton.
“I could not believe what I was hearing or seeing. Remembering back, going to T.R. Miller High School with Donnie, he was not the type of person you thought would have done such a horrific thing to someone,” one person wrote on NorthEscambia.com “This is not the Donnie I knew 10 years ago. I wonder where he went wrong.”
Stallworth, who still has family in the Brewton area, is a 1999 graduate of T.R. Miller High School in Brewton.
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said Tuesday that Stallworth was involved in last Thursday’s double murder in Beulah. NorthEscambia.com has learned that there was a warrant issued for his arrest in Escambia County by Tuesday afternoon.
About 9:00 Tuesday night, Stallworth turned himself in at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton. Stallworth has been stationed at Hurlburt Field since 2000.
Stallworth, who is an aircraft maintainer stationed at Hurlburt Field, was escorted in a Brewton courtroom Tuesday afternoon by officers that included Sheriff Grover Smith.
Stallworth did not waive extradition back to Florida, meaning he refused to be willingly returned to Florida. He will remain in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton on $1 million bond for up to 30 days while legal proceedings continue.
“I went to school with Donnie. He is the last person you would ever think of doing or being involved with people like that. I am sorry for the family that lost their mother and father but the Donnie I knew was no animal, devil or creep,” another poster wrote on NorthEscambia.com.
“Oh my goodness! I know Donnie. I went to high school with him! You would never, ever, ever believe he would be capable of something like this. He was always calm-natured and fun to be around,” another high school friend said.
Stallworth reportedly worked at an auto detailing shop in Fort Walton Beach with three other suspects in the murders – Frederick Lee Thorton Jr., 19, and Rakeem Florence, 16.
NWE Out of Junior League Tourney With Loss To Shalimar
July 15, 2009
Northwest Escambia has been eliminated from the District 1 Junior League All-Star Tournament at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
Shalimar downed NWE 6-1. NWE was coming off a 6-3 loss to Niceville-Valparaiso, knocking them out of the double elimination tourney.
Defuniak Springs and Shalimar will meet Wednesday evening in the tournament championship game. In their first meeting on July 11, Defuniak Springs beat Shalimar 4-2.
Thursday: Council On Aging Caregiver Support Meeting
July 15, 2009
Council on Aging of West Florida will host a Century Caregiver Support Group Meeting on Thursday in Century.
The free meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. Reservations are not required. The meeting will be held at New Life Baptist Church at 700 East Hecker Road. The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same time and location.
The support group is part of new Council on Aging of West Florida programs designed to reduce stress, increase coping skills, provide strategies for effective management of care giving tasks and enable caregivers to provide high quality care in the home. The programs are sponsored by Council on Aging of West Florida, the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging. For more information, call 432-1475.
Escambia County residency is not required to attend the program.
Council on Aging of West Florida is a local, independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that has served seniors and their families since 1972. Council on Aging of West Florida helps seniors in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties live healthy, safe and independent lives in their own familiar surroundings by providing community based, in-home programs and services such as Meals on Wheels and Alzheimer’s respite care.
Atmore Police Investigating Shooting
July 14, 2009
The Atmore Police Department is investigating an incident that left one person shot in the head.
At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, an Atmore police officer stopped a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. The officer learned that a passenger in the vehicle had been shot in the head and was enroute to Atmore Community Hospital. Further investigation revealed that the shooting took place in the area of Avenue E in Atmore and was the result of an earlier altercation that occurred at the Flamingo Terrace nightclub located on Martin Luther King Drive, according to Atmore Police Investigator Robby Williams
Williams said the victim’s injuries were not believed to be life threatening.
Police are investigating several persons of interest in the case but no one has been charged as of early Tuesday afternoon. Anyone with information in this case is asked to contact the Atmore Police Department at (251) 368-9141.
Double Murder Suspects: “We Have Found Them”
July 14, 2009
Sheriff David Morgan says that all suspects in the Billings murder are in custody. He says the case has reached “conclusion”. “We have found them,” said.
Here are highlights from the last press conference today from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.
Morgan still calls the case a “humdinger”. “It involves other businesses, other states, other countries.”
“The individuals we are have arrested for this crime are involved in other areas and other crimes.”
Morgan said that the shooters had been identified from among those arrested.
He said there are a couple of persons with a military background.
Charges against Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr. are being upgraded to an open count of murder,” State Attorney Bill Eddins said.
Gonzalez, Sr. and Wayne Coldiron did work on the Billings property at least once, Morgan said.
Members of the Billings family joined Morgan for the noon news conference, including daughter Ashley Markam.
“There some loops that need to be closed,” Morgan said. “We have one individual that we are looking at now.”
“There are elements in this case that go outside the state of Florida,” Morgan said.
“I am hopeful that the matter is concluded now,” State Attorney Bill Eddins said.
Morgan said “I will not speculate on how the crime spun out of control”.
Eddins said the primary motive was home invasion and robbery. “They did take items that you would normally expect to be taken in a robbery.” Eddins said a safe was taken, but he would not say what was in the safe. He called the safe “one of the items that were taken in the robbery”.
Morgan would not say if the “medium size” safe that had not been recovered. He would not define the size of “medium size” safe.
Morgan said he was “honored” to watch his employees as they solved the case in five days.
Pictured above: Ashley Markham, daughter of Byrd and Melanie Billings, reacts as Sheriff David Morgan announces that all the suspects in the killings of her parents are in custody. Looking on is Blue Markham, her husband. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three More Arrests In Billings Murders, Including Brewton Resident That Was Air Force Staff Sgt.
July 14, 2009
(Updated 1:00 p.m.) At least three more people have been arrested in connection with the murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings, including one person in the Air Force.
Donnie Stallworth, Jr., 28, turned himself in at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton about 9:00 Monday night. Stallworth provide a Hurlburt Field address in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. NorthEscambia.com has learned that Stallworth was enlisted as a staff sergeant in the Air Force.
And Escambia County (Ala.) judge will decide this afternoon if and when Stallworth will be returned to Escambia County, Fla.
Stallworth is a 1999 graduate of T.R. Miller High School in Brewton.
Another has been identified as Frederick Lee Thorton Jr., 19, from Okaloosa County. The third suspect has been identified as Rakeem Florence, 16.
The arrests took place in Okaloosa County and will be announced about noon today by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. The two arrests will bring the total number of people charged in the case to six.
NorthEscambia.com will post details as soon as they become available.