Ronald K. Bryan Sr.
October 31, 2009
Ronald K. Bryan Sr., a former chemical operator for Monsanto, died Sunday, October 25, in Atmore. He was 70.
Bryan, a native of Bratt, Fla., was a resident of Atmore and a former resident of Walnut Hill, Fla.
He was a member of Pine Forest Assembly of God Church in Pensacola.
Survivors include his wife, Annie Ruth Bryan of Atmore; two sons, Kenny Bryan of Walnut Hill and Keith Bryan of Bratt; two daughters, Cheryl Vennell of Marianna, Fla., and Elaine Holk of Bratt; 12 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will was Saturday from 6 to 9 at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore, where the service was set for Sunday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Covenant Hospice, 1023 Douglas Ave., Suite 204, Brewton, AL 36426.
School Board Member Arrested For Abusing Jail Inmates
October 31, 2009
An Escambia County (Ala.) School Board member from the Flomaton area was arrested Friday after he was indicted by a grand jury on charges that he fondled inmates at the county jail.
Richard Hawthorne, 51, was indicted Friday by the grand jury on seven charges in connection with allegations that he fondled female inmates at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center where he formerly worked as a corrections officer. He was charged with two counts of custodial sexual misconduct, two counts of prostitution, two ethics violations counts, and one count of second degree promotion of prison contraband.
The charges stemmed from allegations made by two female inmates transported by Hawthorne while he was a corrections officer –one to state prison on March 4 and one being transported to a mental health facility on April 27. Both inmates alleged that Hawthorne touched them in a sexual manner.
The allegations were reported to Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff Grover Smith who immediately turned the investigation over to the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. Hawthorne resigned his position soon after the ABI began its probe. The results of that investigation were presented this week to the grand jury.
Hawthorne is free on $100,000 bond posted Friday by his wife.
He has served on the Escambia County (Ala.) School Board since 2001 and represents the Flomaton area.
Home Invasion In Molino; Young Teen Cut Multiple Times With Knife
October 31, 2009
Deputies are investigating an apparent Friday evening home invasion in Molino that left a 13-year old girl cut several times with a knife.
The girl was home alone at the time of the attack, according to her mother. She said a man entered the home through a window, and one tried to attack the girl with a knife. The middle school student was cut multiple times on her hands in an apparent attempt to fight off her attacker as she was pinned on a bed, her mother said, but she was not otherwise injured. Her injuries were not considered serious.
The incident at a home in the 7200 block of Highway 95A in Molino was reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department at 6:03 Friday evening. The first deputy was on the scene within minutes.
The mother said the 13-year old ran out of the house to a neighbor’s home to call for help after she escaped her attacker. She described the suspect as a tall, slender male that she believed to be white due to the sound of his voice. He said he was wearing a ski mask.
A K-9 unit from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was used in an attempt to located the suspect, but deputies were unsuccessful.
The victim’s mother said two suspicious men had been seen by several people in the neighborhood over the past week. One was a tall, slender while male with blond hair and a tattoo of an unknown object on his lower leg. The other was described as short, dark hair with a medium build.
The victim’s mother said her family was a the Northview High School football game at the time of the incident. She said the 13-year old would have been home alone only a short time; her grandmother was on her way to the house and was due to arrive just shortly after the time of the attack.
Anyone with any information on this apparent home invasion is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at 436-STOP.
The incident is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, which has not released any further information about the crime.
As a matter of policy, NorthEscambia.com does not identify juvenile victims of crime or their families.
Pictured above: An unidentified man reportedly forced this window open and attacked a 13-year old girl at a home in Molino Friday evening. This photograph was taken from inside the home after the attack for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A Winning Season: Northview Beats Sneads
October 31, 2009
Led by a strong defense in the second half, the Northview Chiefs beat the Sneads Pirates 10-7 on Senior Night in Bratt.
The Chiefs defense allowed Sneads just 13 offensive plays for 55 yards, while the Northview offense had 224 yards, all but four on the ground.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.
“It was a great win for the seniors. We’ve got 21 seniors and it was a special tribute to them tonight,” first-year Head Coach Sid Wheatley said.
“Offensively, I thought we ran the ball well; we controlled the line of scrimmage,” he said. “We need to put more points on the board when we have the opportunity. I know we got inside the red zone a couple of times, and we turned the ball over on downs.”
One of those plays inside the red zone came in the first half with a Brandon Sheets pass to Brad Lowery at the three. The officials ruled the pass incomplete, but photographs from four different photographers showed he had firm grip on the ball. (One photo is at left; other photos showed Lowery with a complete hold on the ball.)
“Defensively, I thought we did tremendous, especially in the second half,” Wheatley said. “We knew they had great, skilled people with tremendous speed, and they kind of hurt us the way the way they were reversing it.”
The final home game of the season for the Chiefs started out with a fumble right away as they received the opening kickoff. Sneads eventually took the lead 7-0 with 3:31 to go in the first quarter.
Then once again, the Chiefs fumbled the kickoff, but recovered at the Snead’s 30. Ka’Daris Grice picked up 18 yards to the Pirates’ 48. Dustin Yuhasz then gained six to the 42. Yuhasz followed that with a 42-yard touchdown run with 2:17 to go in the quarter. A good kick, and the game was tied 7-7.
With 4:26 in the first half, the Chiefs punted on a fourth down situation, with Brad Lowery sending the pigskin 35 yards through the uprights. The Chiefs led 10-7. With a scoreless second half, the Chiefs added another one to the win column, 10-7 over the Sneads Pirates.
“It was a great team win,” Wheatley said.
Yuhasz lead the Chiefs on the ground, with 68 yards on eight carries. Ka’Daris Grice had 55 yards on 13 carries. La’Mikal Kyles had 58 yards on 13 runs; and freshman Roderick Woods had 43 yards on 10 carries.
On the defensive side, the Chiefs were led by seniors Austin Reid and Steven Long with seven tackles each. Anthony Pierce had half a dozen tackles for Northview.
Northview (6-2, 5-2) will be on the road next Friday night against Vernon.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured above: Action as Northview beat Sneads Friday night in Bratt. Pictured below: Senior John Sellars receives the ceremonial game ball from the U.S. Army Silver Wings parachute team. The Silver Wings were unable to parachute into the stadium due to weather that grounded their plane in Alabama. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NHS Honors Seniors
October 31, 2009
The Class of 2010 was honored during the final Northview High School home game of the season.
For a complete photo gallery with all of the seniors, click here.
The following seniors were honored on Seniors Nigh Friday night in Bratt:
NHS Tribal Beat Band: Allison Spence, Kolbi Cobb, Jackson Smith, Olivia Nolen and Malorie Okahashi.
NJROTC: Clint Davis, Jessica Bloodsworth, Ethan Waters, Miranda Scott, Zachary Byers, Monica Mclain, Tyler Hunter and Cody Cousin.
Cheerleaders: Felicia Settle, Carley Hetrick, Aimee Clarke, Amber McMillan, Kassandra Lett, Courtney Merritt, Candice Greenwell and Heather Ward.
Football players: Austin Reid, John Sellars, Brad Lowery, James Shook, Devin Moorer, Phillip Coon, Sam Cooler, Austin Cooper, Wesley Morris, Anthony Pierce, Steven Long, Shakel Holmes, Jeremy Jackson, Brian Knight, Ka’Darius Grice, Aaron Chancery, Dayton Porter, Chris Sheets, Seth Leonard, Casey Hare and Lance Yuhasz.
For a complete photo gallery with all of the seniors, click here.
Pictured above: Senior football player Seth Leonard with his parents Heather and Steve Leonard. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Beats Coffeeville; Jay Falls To Bozeman; Escambia County Wins
October 31, 2009
Flomaton 42 Coffeeville 36
Flomaton beat Coffeeville Friday night, 42-36.
The Hurricanes stormed for 423 rushing yards in their win over visiting Coffeeville. Flomaton took a 14-0 lead with a 35-yard touchdown from Michael Knight and a 8-yard run from Ryheem Dixon. Coffeeville answered with three touchdowns, including an interception returned 82 yards.
Tate Ellis had a couple of touchdowns — 55 and 2 yards — for the ‘Canes. Shae Gipson had a 20-yard Flomaton touchdown, and James Jackson had a TD from 20 yards out.
With there 42-36 homecoming win over Coffeeville (1-9), the Flomaton Hurricanes finished their 2009 season at 4-6.
Bozeman 28 Jay 7
Jay lost number six in a row Friday night, with Bozeman beating the Royals 28-7. The Bozeman Bucks were up 21-7 at the half, and they added another six in the second half for a strong District 1-1A win. The Royals (1-6, 1-6) will be on the road in Baker next week.
Escambia County 21 Robertsdale 14
In a game that saw over 350 penalty yards, the Escambia County Blue Devils beat Robertsdale in Balewin County Fridya night, 21-14.
The Blue Devils had a total of 235 penalty yards, while Robertsdale was sent backwards 122 yards. There were 17 personal-foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against both teams combined.
The Blue Devils’ most interesting touchdown of the night by far came in the third. Nieko Williams was falling down in the backfield as he tossed a 20-yarder to Ricco Stallworth.
The Escambia County Blue Devils finished their 2009 season at 3-7.
Escambia Academy’s Game Called After Kicker Knocks Out Power
October 31, 2009
Friday night was the night the lights went out on the 2009 football season for the Escambia Academy Cougars.
The Cougars were trailing Bessemer Academy 14-0 with 8:16 to go in the first quarter. On an extra point attempt, Bessemer’s kicker — a 255 pounder — sent his kick into a power transformer, plunging the stadium and some of the surrounding neighborhood into darkness.
The game was called and will not be rescheduled because of the mileage between Canoe and Bessemer. With the 14-0 loss to Bessemer, the Cougars finished their regular season at 6-5.
Tate Gets Big District Win Over Escambia
October 31, 2009
The Tate Aggies dominated offensively Friday night with an impressive 35-26 district win over the Escambia Gators.
The Aggies had a total of 360 offensive yards Friday night while allowing the Gators just 32 yards in the first half of play.
Kevin Padgett picked up the first Aggie touchdown of the night at about the halfway point in the first quarter on a 7-yard dash. Then with 3:03 to go in the first half, Deauntay Johnson was in for another TD. A missed point after on both first quarter touchdwowns, and the Aggies were up 12-0.
After the Gators added six on a 2-yard run, Petey Jones had an 11-yard run for a Tate TD. A good two point attempt on a Quadarious Ford conversion, and the Aggies strengthened their lead to 20-6.
Edwin Richburg added a 12-yard run touchdown for the Aggies with 2:19 to go in the third, and Jones caught a 46-yard pass for another Aggie TD with 6:48 in the ballgame.
The Gators managed a few as well in the second half, with the Tate Aggies winning 35-26
Four Arrested For Attempted Murder Of Atmore Businessman
October 31, 2009
Four people were arrested Friday for the Monday robbery and attempted murder of an Atmore businessman.
The owner of the Game Room was shot in his chest and arms as he was closing the Game Room at Park Drive and Martin Luther King Avenue in Atmore about 8:45 p.m. on October 26. Police and tracking dogs were unable to locate the suspects.
After hearing evidence presented by the Atmore Police Department Friday, an Escambia County (Ala.) Grand Jury indicted four Atmore area residents in connection with the case. They were taken into custody Friday and booked into the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center.
LaCarlos Antwon Tolbert, Martin Luther King Drive, Atmore; Mikeal TyAnthony Starks, Powers Road, Atmore; Robert Mario Starks, Powers Road, Atmore; and Alex David Thomas, Park Drive, Atmore, were each charged with attempted murder and robbery first degree. They remain in jail on $300,000 bond each.
Teen Charged As Adult In Waffle House Robbery
October 31, 2009
A teen has been charged as an adult in the Wednesday robbery of a Pensacola Boulevard Waffle House.
At about 10:30, a black male later identified as Denzel James Reeves Wright, 17, entered the Waffle House on Pensacola Boulevard just north of I-10 armed with an assault rifle and demanded and received cash from the register. He then fled the store on foot.
Deputies and a K-9 unit tracked Wright down Broad Street where the K-9 alerted on some bushes where a black male and an assault rifle could be seen.
“The suspect initially refused commands to come out of the bushes and relinquish the weapon. Deputies approached and the suspect placed the weapon on the ground next to him. As Deputies approached the suspect to handcuff him the suspect rolled toward the assault rifle as if to re-arm himself,” according to Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. “The suspect was struck in the face by deputies and then handcuffed without further incident.”
Wright was charged with robbery with a firearm, use of a firearm during the commission of a felony and resisting arrest with violence, Roy said. He was originally charged as a juvenile, but those his case was moved to adult court on Friday. H