Police Chase Ends With Flipped Jeep, Suspect Jailed
September 9, 2009
An early morning sheriff’s department pursuit landed a Century man in jail on multiple charges.
Christopher Angelo Phifer, 38, of Field Road Century, was charged with DUI, fleeing/eluding a law enforcement officer, registration/tag expired more than six months, driving while license suspended/revoked, threatening a public servant, two counts of resisting arrest, possession of weapon by a convicted felon and violation of probation He was booked into the Escambia County Jail on $17,750 bond.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department report, Deputy James Gilman spotted a Jeep Cherokee occupied by Phifer at McMurray Park in Century at 12:20 am Sunday morning. When Gilman ordered Phifer to exit the vehicle, Phifer took off in the Jeep, according to the report.
Deputy Gilman gave chase, using his lights and siren as he pursued Phifer down Pond Street, onto Jefferson Street and onto Salters Lake Road. On Salters Lake Road, Phifer hit a washed out area in the road, according to the report, causing his vehicle to roll over. Phifer fled into a wooded area on foot, with Gilman giving chase, also on foot. Gilman tackled Phifer, the report says, and arrested Phifer with the help of deputies Jason Land and Scott Rivkin.
About 10 minutes after Phifer was placed in the back of Gilman’s patrol car, he told deputies he had pain in his arm. Atmore Ambulance was called to the scene, and Phifer was transported to Baptist Hospital where he was treated and released.
A search of Phifer’s Jeep turned up a .22 long rifle cartridge on the driver’s side floorboard.
At the hospital, Phifer told the deputy “Gilman I’m going to kill your a** and you know I have guns,” according to the ECSO report on the incident, and that he intended to kill or put a hit out on Gilman.
Ernest Ward Beats Excel 28-6 In The Eagle’s Season Opener
September 9, 2009
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles won their season opener Tuesday night on the road against Excel, 28-6.
J. Miles rushed for two Eagle touchdowns, and B. Freeman passed to J. Parker for another TD. T. Montgomery passed to B. Freeman for the final Eagle touchdown of the night. Freeman picked up a couple of two point conversions for EWMS.
The Eagles will be back on the road on Thursday, September 17 against Monroe County. They will be off on September 24 and will play their first home game on October 1 against W.S. Neal.
For more submitted photos from the game, click here.
Pictured top: The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles beat Excel on the road Tuesday night. Pictured inset: Touchdown Eagles! Submitted photos by Sandra Greenwell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Baker Downs Northview In Tuesday Volleyball Action
September 9, 2009
Tuesday was rough for Northview High School in District 1-2A volleyball, with both varsity and junior varsity Chiefs losing to the Baker Gators.
Baker Defeated Northview – Varsity
17-25 18-25 25-15 12-25
Shawna Montgomery lead the Chiefs with five kills and three aces. The junior also had two digs and a block. Senior Caitlin Hall had five assists, one ace and one block.
Northview is now 2-2 overall, 0-2 in District 1-2A.
Baker Defeated Northview – JV
16 – 25
Junior Trestine Dean had one assist and one ace for the Chiefs. Freshman Morgan Payne had two kills, one ace and one block.
Click here for a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the varsity game.
Pictured: Northview varsity volleyball action from Tuesday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Learn How Escambia County Works In Citizen Academy
September 9, 2009
A citizen’s academy will give interested Escambia County residents the chance to learn more about how county government works and the services provided to citizens.
The seven-week program beings on Tuesday, October 6 at 9 a.m. Classes will be held for 2½ hours each Tuesday until November 16 in the commission chambers at the Escambia County Governmental Center, 221 Palafox Place in Pensacola.
Registration is required, and participants must be at least 16 years old. For more information or to register, call Linda Turner at (850) 595-4575.
Pelicans Take 1-0 Series Advantage With 7-6 Win
September 9, 2009
The victory took 11 innings, but the Pelicans topped the Saltdogs 7-6 Tuesday night in game one of the best-of-five American Association Championship Series. Tyler Wilson earned the win, while starter Randy Beam struck out eight batters. Lou Palmisano homered and had the game-winning RBI, while Hunter Davis shut down the Saltdogs to save the game.
The Pelicans nearly had an early lead in the top of the first inning, but fell just short. Francisco Leandro started the game with a single, and advanced to second on a Kevin Reynolds sacrifice. Antoin Gray’s single moved Leandro to third, and when Marshall McDougall flied out to right, Leandro tagged and headed for home. However, Leandro’s former teammate Rafael Alvarez made the catch in right field and gunned him down at home.
Lincoln scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, when Argelis Nunez walked and came home on Shawn McGill’s double. However, the Pelicans would match the run and then some in the top of the third.
Adam Darby singled with one out in the top of the third inning. Leandro doubled to drive Darby in, and Reynolds singled to drive Leandro in. Antoin Gray knocked in Reynolds with a base hit, and the Pelicans had a 3-1 lead.
The Saltdogs closed the gap when Brandon Jones scored on an Albenis Machado sacrifice fly in the last of the third. When Gavin Dickey hit a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, the game was tied at three.
Lou Palmisano hit his own solo shot in the top of the fifth, but the Saltdogs matched the longball with a Nunez dinger in the bottom of the sixth.
Entering the seventh inning the game was tied at four. Pensacola took a two-run advantage when Dallas Christison ripped a single and came home on Adam Darby’s triple. When Leandro reached on an error by the shortstop, Darby came home as well.
The Saltdogs kept pace with the Pelicans by scoring two runs of their own after the stretch. With two outs Josh Burrus, Albenis Machado, and Phil Hawke all waked, and Burrus and Machado scored on a Nunez single. The runs would be Lincoln’s last, as the Pelicans broke the tie in the top of the eleventh.
Adam Deleo started the top of the eleventh by reaching on an error by the shortstop. Deleo moved up to second when Dallas Christison dropped down his second sacrifice bunt of the game. Lou Palmisano went big with a double to right center that brought Deleo in, and the 7-6 Pelicans’ lead would hold.
Randy Beam put up eight strikeouts in five innings of work, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks. Bubba Nelson pitched an inning and a third, yielding just one hit, but three runs scored due to two walks. Nelson had two strikeouts in the process. Francisco Butto pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing a hit and a walk. Tyler Wilson earned the win with a scoreless tenth inning, walking one and giving up a hit, but all three outs came via strikeout. Hunter Davis tossed a 1-2-3 eleventh inning to earn the save and preserve the victory.
With the win, Pensacola needs two more victories to claim the American Association title. Kieran Mattison will start for the Pelicans in game two against Lincoln’s Jim Paduch. First pitch for Wednesday’s contest is set for 7:05 p.m. Fans can listen to game on NewsRadio 1620, or online via SportsJuice.com.
Horse Management Course Planned
September 9, 2009
An upcoming short course will offer horse owners the chance to learn more about caring for their equines.
The University of Florida, IFAS Northwest Florida Livestock Extension agents will be offering a short course on horse management in four sessions. The sessions will be held on Mondays — September 14 and 28, October 12 and 26 from 6:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m. each night. This program is being offered at 14 sites in Florida and three in Alabama. The course will be offered as a live interactive video conference.
The registration fee for the course is $40 per farm (one set of reference books) and $10 each additional person. The registration deadline is Monday, September 7.
The course will cover: Signs of a Healthy Horse, Preventive Health Care, Forage That Works Well In Horse Pastures, Nutritional Requirements, Poisonous Weed Control, Weed I.D. in Pastures and Safety For Horses, Equine Emergencies, First Aid, Fencing and Layout of Barns.
Click here for more info, including other course locations and course descriptions.
Call the Santa Rosa County Extension Office at 850-675-6654 for more details and a registration form.
Flomaton Speedway Results
September 9, 2009
The Flomaton Speedway held its annual Labor Day race Monday night, with plenty of high-speed action with four classes racing for the big money in their feature races.
Steve Fretwell of Milton took the checkered flag in the Bomber feature race, followed by Jamie Young, Tally Warrick, Doc McDaniel, Johnny Baxley, Chad Jordon, Rusty Peacock, Micheal Emmons, Richard Johnson, Sr., Terry Mayhair and Joe Chiles.
In the Street Stock feature race, first place went to Joey Settle of Brewton, followed by Bobby Resmondo, Evan Folmar, Wayne Hawthorne, Adam Ellison, Jarrod Johns, Chandler Burgess, Gary Dunsford, Adam Purvis, Todd Purvis and Dakota Gregory.
In the Crate Late Model race, Steven Brantley took the checkered flag, followed by Josh Huss, Kevin Maher, Steve Turner and Bo Odom, Seth Gransberry, David Odom, Kenny Townson, Gary Maher and Micah Mccall.
In the big car Stinger feature race, first place and the $500 purse went to Aaron Kiaunis, followed by Harry Beatty, Johnny Jackson, Damon Osborn, Dylan Barfield, Billy Walker, Bradley Haveard, James Hardin, Cody Burroughs, Holly Walker, Jeffery Hagen, Ken Osborne, Al Woods, Logan Lindsey, Casey Spears, Jimmy Boyington, Richard Johnson, Hunter Baker and Joe Kittrell.
Click here for more photos. For even more photos from the night, visit www.mikenewtonphotography.
Pictured top: Bomber feature winner Steven Fretwell (#24) has the lead as Doc McDaniel (#27S) tries to pass on the outside. Pictured inset: Steven Brantley won the Crate Late Model feature Labor Day race at the Flomaton Speedway. Submitted photos by Mike Newton Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
In His Own Words: Watch Malcolm Thomas On Obama Speech
September 8, 2009
The Escambia County School District decided not to show the live Obama address to students on Tuesday.
Escambia Superintendent Malcolm Thomas released a video to all teachers and administrators explaining his position:
If you do not see the video above, it is because your employer, school or firewall is blocking external videos.
No More Deputies So Far In Molino Or Century; Molino’s Top Deputy Transferred
September 8, 2009
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan had hoped that additional deputies would be assigned to his department’s Century and Molino precincts by now, but, so far, that has not happened. And now, the top cop assigned to Molino has been transferred away, upsetting at least one local business person.
At a public forum in Molino back in May, Morgan said that he hoped three additional deputies would be assigned to Molino and two additional would be headed to Century by September.
There has not been an increase in officers in Century or Molino to date, according to Commander Bobby Jackson, because of short staffing across the department.
There were extra deputies assigned to the two North Escambia precincts during the summer, Jackson said, but they were school resource officers working regular patrol. They returned to their school assignments in late August. In addition, at least two Century precinct deputies were out for several weeks on medical leave.
And now the department has transferred Lt. Tony Jordan, the highest ranking officer assigned to Molino, to a patrol position elsewhere in the county. He will replace Lt. Rex Blackburn who was reassigned to a juvenile court security position. Sgt. Kevin Vickrey will oversee the day to day operations of the Molino precinct, complimented by the lieutenant on duty in Cantonment, according to Jackson.
“I’m afraid that losing him (Lt. Jordan) will be bad for us,” Fran Hampton, owner of Fran’s Country Grill in Molino, said. Hampton said she has noticed a big difference since Jordan was assigned to Molino.
“It used to take an act of Congress to get the deputies to swing through here at night, but Tony has made the deputies keep a watch on the businesses like mine at night,” she said. “It think it has deterred crime quite a bit.”
Jackson, who heads the ECSO patrol division, said that neighborhood watches and business checks are routine throughout the department and would continue at the same pace in Molino.
“I’m not down on Mr. Morgan at all,” Hampton said. “I just hope the north end does not get the shaft.”
“We move people around all the time,” Jackson said. “Tony was transferred because I needed him down here. Sgt. Vickrey will be able to do a great job up there.”
Jackson said the department is down one patrol deputy in Molino and is fully staffed in Century.
As for the five additional deputies promised for Molino and Century, the commander said he still expects additional deputies to be assigned to both precincts. Additional deputies will soon graduate from the law enforcement academy. In addition, federal grant money will be available in October to hire 20 new deputies across the county.
“It all depends on retirements and that sort of thing. You lose deputies sometimes, and they have to be replaced. With a large organization, there is always staff moving,” he said.
“I cannot provide what I do not have and we cannot continue to take personnel from investigations, narcotics, etc.,” Morgan wrote to NorthEscambia.com recently. “However, we note the shortage and make arrangements to backfill it with the next class.”
“Now factor into this retirements and medical issues. So we may, in fact, get the Molino Substation up to 15 assigned officers, and in 60-90 days have a retirement, medical issue, etc., and lose an officer. At this point we use the flex shift, Reserves, etc., to keep the numbers balanced until we can permanently (once again) get the numbers stable,” Morgan continued in his letter.
Watch Obama Speech To Students Online Here
September 8, 2009
President Barack Obama addressed students across the nation live Monday morning.
In Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, very few students watched the speech because both districts elected to not show the speech live.
The speech is in two parts below.
If you do not see videos above, it is because your employer, school or firewall is blocking external videos.