Walnut Hill Sheriff’s Precinct Opens Today
July 7, 2009
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department substation in Walnut Hill will be reopened beginning today with regular office hours.
The Walnut Hill substation will be open on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will be manned by reserve deputies Jimmy Kirkland and Danny Collins under the supervision of Lt. Carl Jones from the Century Precinct.
Jones said the precinct will provide the Walnut Hill Community with easy access to the Sheriff’s Department. Residents will be able to file a report, or just stop by and express concerns about issues in their community, he said.
“It will really make it easier for people in this community to have access to the department,” Jones said. “A lot of times people want to talk about what is going on in their neighborhood.”
Sheriff David Morgan told NorthEscambia.com when he was elected last fall that reopening the precinct was one of his North Escambia priorities. He said the precinct would be open on a “test basis” to determine if there will be enough walk-in traffic to justify keeping it open.
The building that housed the Walnut Hill Precinct 7 was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan back in 2004. Since it was rebuilt, it has not been open to the public. Deputies occasionally use the office space or restrooms in the building, otherwise the Sheriff’s Department space in the building has sat unused.
The Walnut Hill Precinct is located at 7850 Highway 97 in front of the Walnut Hill Community Center. During the Tuesday office hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the office can be reached by phone at (850) 327-4974.
Pictured top: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department Walnut Hill substation will reopen today. It has been closed since the building was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. Pictured inset: Lt. Carl Jones looks over files being moved into the Walnut Hill Precinct 7 last week. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Discounted Pelicans Tickets For LEO, EMT And Fire Personnel; Sheriff To Sing
July 7, 2009
The Pensacola Pelicans will recognize law enforcement, fire, EMT, and other emergency staff from the area during Heroes Day Wednesday.
All Escambia, Santa Rosa, Baldwin, and Okaloosa County law enforcement, fire EMT and emergency staffers can buy one $8 ticket get one free with a valid badge or ID Wednesday night
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan will be singing the National Anthem prior to the game, and Sgt. Ted Roy, the ESCO’s public information officer, will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch.
Various emergency equipment, vehicles, and items will be on display for Pelicans fans to view.
Regular tickets to see the Pelicans being $7. Fans can purchase tickets in advance and print from home via the Pelicans website at www.pensacolapelicans.com. Additionally, fans can purchase tickets over the phone at (850) 934-8444 or at Escambia and Santa Rosa Circle K locations.
The Pelicans will take on the El Paso Diablos at 6:35 Wednesday evening.
NWE Girls Slam Shalimar 12-1; Advance To Tourney Finals
July 7, 2009
The Northwest Escambia All-Stars will play for the 11-12 Year Old All-Star District 1 Tournament championship Wednesday night. NWE advanced to the finals after a 12-1 win over Shalimar Monday night in Destin.
Mallory Ryan pitched a no hitter with just two errors. She had struck out five and had a single walk. Ryan also scored two runs for the NWE All-Stars.
Darby Randolph, Madison Arrington and Reagan Bell also scored two for NWE. Cheyenne Schoonover, Courtney Peebles, Kyndall Hall and Danielle Steadham scored one each for the NWE All-Stars.
NWE will play for the 11-12 Year Old All-Star District 1 softball title Wednesday night against the winner of Tuesday night’s Niceville versus Shalimar team. NWE has beat Niceville 7-0 already in the tournament, and downed Shalimar 12-1. In the event NWE should lose Wednesday night, they will play again Thursday night. If they win Wednesday night, they are tournament champions.
Click here for more photos from the game.
Pictured above and below: Members of the NWE All-Stars after a 12-1 in over Shamilar Monday night in Destin. Submitted photos by Kim Ryan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Store Employee Arrested For Fake Returns, Pocketing Cash
July 7, 2009
A Flomaton woman has been arrested on felony charges after she allegedly processed fake merchandise returns and pocketed the cash.
Crystal Michelle Tinker, age 29, of Flomaton, was arrested Monday afternoon and charged with felony theft of property by deception from a Flomaton area auto parts store where she was employed at the time.
Flomaton Police Chief Tim Hardage said an internal inventory of the store revealed $1,427.92 shown as returned items that were, in fact, never returned. The Flomaton Police investigation discovered that Tinker apparently kept the cash.
Hardage said the false merchandise returns of items such as brakes, belts, hoses and repair kits occurred between March 29 and June 15 of this year. He said all the item return slips were signed by Tinker.
“An investigation led to additional information to substantiate that Tinker had knowingly stolen cash from her employer and had profited from her actions,” Hardage said. Theft of property by deception is a felony and punishable by at least a year in jail, the police chief added.
Free Osteoporosis Screening In Molino Tuesday, Heart Health In Century Thursday
July 6, 2009
There’s a chance to get a free osteoporosis screening in Molino Tueday morning and a free heart-health screening in Century on Thursday.
Sacred Heart Health System will provide free health screenings during this week at sites in Molino and and Century as part of the Mission in Motion program. The screening program targets persons who are poor, uninsured or elderly.
The free osteoporosis screening will take place Tuesday at Scott’s Pharmacy, 6505 Highway 29 North in Molino.
A free heart-health screening will take place Thursday at the Century Council on Aging at 6025 Industrial Boulevard in Century.
Mission in Motion is a community service provided by Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 416-7826.
Escambia Names New Fire And Public Safety Chief
July 6, 2009
Escambia County has a new fire chief and public safety bureau chief — former Pensacola Fire Chief Frank Edwards will take over both positions.
Edwards was named Pensacola’s fire chief in 2007 after retiring as one of three deputy chiefs of the Chesterfield County (Virginia) Fire Department. He will take over the fire chief position left vacant in February after former Fire Chief Ken Perkins was asked to resign by County Administrator Bob McLaughlin.
Edwards will also take over the job of Public Safety Bureau Chief Mike Hardin who is leaving that position to return to the supervisor of elections office.
In Virginia, Edwards spent 28 years with the Chesterfield County Fire and Emergency Management Service Department and held the rank of Second Deputy Chief with the department since 1999.
Edwards received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Science from the University of Maryland and his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has received the professional designation of Chief Fire Officer from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and is a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program from the National Fire Academy. Edwards had been Pensacola’s fire chief since December 3, 2007.
Perkins was asked to resign after McLaughlin said he wanted a new administration to finally unify the department, eliminating problems between paid staff and volunteers. The county’s paid firefighters and 15 volunteer departments were all brought together with one unified leadership back in September. But McLaughlin said the department’s leaders did not have the skills needed to move the unified department forward with paid and volunteer firefighters working together. Then Assistant Chief Robbie Whitfield was also asked to resign.
Pictured: Escambia County’s new fire chief, Frank Edwards. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Highway 113 Wreck Injures Four, Including Two In Critical Condition
July 6, 2009
(Updated) Four people were injured — two critically — in a two vehicle accident on Highway 113 north of Flomaton about noon today.
The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 113 and Foshee Road about eight miles north of Flomaton. Authorities say the driver of a Ford Ranger pickup truck pulled from Foshee Road into the path of Nissan SUV The northbound Nissan was propelled across the southbound lanes by the force of the impact came to a stop in a nearby field.
Authorities said there was one person critically injured that had to be extricated from the vehicle. A female in the Nissan was also critically injured.
The female driver of the Ford Ranger was from the local area, authorities said. The Nissan was occupied by a family from Georgia — a husband, wife and a child under two. The child was not seriously injured.
All four were transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. LifeFlight was called to the scene, but was unable to respond due to weather.
More details will be posted as they become available.
Click here for more photos from the scene.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that only four people were involved in the accident. Emergency workers first reported that five were injured.
Pictured above: One person from the local area were injured in this pickup truck in a two vehicle accident Monday at Highway 113 and Foshee Road north of Flomaton. Pictured below: Three people were injured in this Nissan in that accident. Photos by Alisa Hart for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain, Rain Don’t Go Away: Good Chance Of Showers Today, Tuesday
July 6, 2009
There is a good chance of rain today and Tuesday that might bring relief to areas of North Escambia that have not seen rain for nearly two months.
There is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms today. The rain chance continues at 40 percent tonight and jumps back up to 70 percent for Tuesday. A 40 to 50 percent chance of rain continues each day and each night all the way through Friday.
A shortwave will move east across the forecast area today and tonight, allowing a surface front that is across the Tennessee Valley to drop slowly to the south into the area by tonight. The weather service says up to 2.5 inches of rain will fall in some parts of the area today. A few strong to briefly severe storms are possible.
Vehicle Overturns After Driver Tries To Avoid A Pig
July 6, 2009
There were no serious injuries in a single vehicle accident about 5:00 this morning in Bratt caused when a driver tried to miss a pig in the roadway.
The accident happened on North Highway 99 just north of Highway 168 when the driver of a Ford Explorer swerved in an attempt to miss a small pig in the highway. The driver lost control, and the vehicle overturned into a ditch.
Three people in the in vehicle were not seriously injured and refused transport to the hospital. The pig was killed in the accident.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the accident.
Pictured above and below: There were no serious injuries in this rollover accident Monday morning in Bratt. The SUV driver said she tried to miss a pig in the roadway. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Names New Tribal Beat Band Director
July 6, 2009
Northview High School has named Scott Slay as the school’s new band director and Tadd Corder as an assistant band director.
After graduating from Northview in 2000, Slay attended the University of West Florida where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Teacher Education with a specialization in Jazz. Slay has four years of teaching experience. Last year, he sponsored Northview’s guitar ensemble, theatre productions, chorus and the jazz band. He will remain Northview’s Performing Arts instructor.
Corder is transferring from the closed Carver/Century K-8 School to a teaching position at Ernest Ward Middle School, but he will volunteer his time as an assistant band director at Northview. Corder has a music minor, and he was a member of the UWF symphonic band.
“We are both Northview drum line alumni under Mr. Buck,” Slay said. “We are both looking forward to leading the band where we used to march.”
Slay plans to make a few changes with the Tribal Beat band — new music, a local focus and new instruments. He also plans to use technology more in the band program, tossing out the cassette tape players that were a mainstay in the program.
While he would not say exactly what new music he is looking to add to the selections played by the band on Friday nights, during football season, he did mention Earth, Wind & Fire, the Temptations, and the addition of about a half dozen new cadences at games. But traditionalists need not worry; he plans to keep some of the traditional cadences for Friday nights. There will also be new music added to the halftime show.
“Students will be able to identify with music and enjoy it, but it probably won’t be music that they would have bought for themselves,” he said.
Slay plans to add a “pit crew” to the band, with a electric guitar, axillary percussion instruments, xylophone and bells to support the woodwind instruments.
The Tribal Beat will take on more of a local focus, the new band director said, marching and participating in local events and parades. For now, distant competitions and events are out while Slay works to improve and build the program. “It will be more of a focus of serving our communities,” he said.
If all goes as planned, a second assistant band director is in the works for the program, a person with years of experience working with marching bands in the area. Corder and the second assistant band director will be volunteers, “working out of the goodness of their heart”, Slay said.
“We will have a quality program,” Slay said. “I want our band members to feel like they are part of a good group, part of something special and that we play good music.”
Slay said he is also looking forward to working with the Northview Band Boosters, and Northview Band Booster President Norma Halteman said the feeling is mutual.
“We are looking forward to this year and providing continued support for the band,” Halteman said. “We hope it grows, and we are looking forward to a lot of exciting things.”
Corder said he is looking forward to working with Slay and the Tribal Beat.
“This was an opportunity to become involved and do something,” Corder said. “There is a lot of renewed excitement in the program right now. So far, at least 10 new kids are coming back to the band. It’s exciting. The fans will see some fruits in this year, but there will be a lot more in the future as we work with the program. We are going to keep the quality and make it better.”
“I’m excited about the new band year,” new Tribal Beat Drum Major Melissa Moretz (pictured left) said. “It will be a great opportunity to bring all of these musicians together as a team and set goals.”
Students must also pay band dues to the booster club or attend every band boosters fundraiser until band dues are paid. The next band fundraiser is this Saturday morning, with a car wash at Advance Auto Parts in Atmore beginning at 8:00.
Band camp begins the last week of July with different days for different sections of the band. Full band camp will be the first two weeks of August, from 8 until 4:30 daily.
Former NHS Band Director Charles Tucker will remain at Ernest Ward Middle School as their band director, according to Nancy Gindl-Perry. Slay said the middle and high school bands would not be marching together or holding joint concerts this year.
Slay said it is not too late for students to join the Tribal Beat Band at Northview. Basic requirements for Northview students include a previous involvement in a high school or middle school band program and band camp attendance. For more information, call Lisa Chancery in the Northview office at 327-6681 ext. 238 or Slay at 261-5954.
Pictured top: New Northview Tribal Beat Band Director Scott Slay (left) works with Drum Captain Colton Sims. Pictured middle: Drum Major Melissa Moretz files music. Pictured bottom: Majorette Captain Kolbi Cobb organizes old Tribal Beat music. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
