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Tropical Depression Could Become Tropical Storm Ana

The second tropical depression of the Atlantic hurricane season continues to move over the far eastern tropical Atlantic.

The center of Tropical Depression Two was about at latitude 14.8 north, longitude 31.5 west, or about 475 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands. The depression of moving to the west near 13 mph, and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 48 hours.

Maximum sustained are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast, according to the National Hurricane Center, and the tropical depression could become a tropical storm on Wednesday. If that happens, Tropical Storm Ana would be the first of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Escambia Deputy Arrested, Charged With Pointing Gun At Two People

An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been arrested after he allegedly pointed a gun at two people in Pensacola.

Deputy Joseph Dejoie, a 15 year veteran with the Escambia Sheriff’s Office was involved in a incident within the city limits of Pensacola last Monday, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.

“After an investigation conducted by the Pensacola Police Department, a warrant was issued and served on Deputy Dejoie today, charging him with two counts of aggravated assault,” Ted Roy, spokesperson for the ECSO, said Tuesday afternoon. Bond was set at $500.

“The investigation determined Dejoie could not adequately justify to the satisfaction of the detective and the State Attorney’s Office his actions in pointing the firearm,” said Pensacola Assistant Chief Chip W. Simmons.

The incident began around 3:15 p.m. August 3 in the 800 block of Scenic Highway after Dejoie, who was driving an Infiniti G35, stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, causing the driver of a Jeep Cherokee to slam on its brakes, according to Pensacola Police.

The driver of the other vehicle – Dylan Johnson, 21, of  Pensacola – honked his horn at Dejoie. This resulted in an exchange of profanities and insults between occupants of both vehicles, which continued westbound on Cervantes Street, according to police reports. Dejoie is accused of pointing a handgun at Johnson and a 15-year-old male passenger in his vehicle on East Cervantes Street and the Bayou Texar Bridge.

The victims told police they turned north on 19th Avenue to escape, and called 911 to report the incident. Dejoie also called 911 at about the same time.

Deputy Dejoie is currently on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case, according to Roy.

Grand Jury Indicts Suspects In Billings Murder

It took an Escambia County grand jury just four hours Tuesday to indict eight people in the Byrd and Melanie Billings murder case.

The six men and one teenager arrested in connection with the murders were each charged with two counts of first degree murder and one count of home invasion in connection with the July 9 murders and robbery of the Beulah couple.

Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Jr., Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr., Wayne Thomas Coldiron, Gary Lamont Sumner, Jr., Frederick Lee Thornton, Jr., Rakeem Chavez Florence and Donnie Ray Stallworth will each be arraigned at 9:00 Thursday morning on two counts of first degree murder and one county of home invasion. Judge Joel Boels ordered that all defendants be held without bond in the Escambia County Jail.

Pamela Long-Wiggins was indicted on a charge of first degree accessory after the fact, a felony charge that carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. She remains free on bond, but the State Attorney’s office is requesting that her bond be increased.

Century Drug Raids: Updates On Each Suspect In Local Sweep

In late May, the SWAT teams executed 10 search warrants and made 19 felony drug arrests across Century.

Some of the defendants have already made it through the judicial system, while others are awaiting trial. Charges in some cases have been dropped, and two defendants failed to appear in court. One of those defendants,  Mark Elliot, is still on the run with a warrant for his arrest for failure to appear.

NorthEscambia.com was there as SWAT teams from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office, Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office, Pensacola Police Department and Crestview Police Department  executed the 10 search warrants at addresses across Century. While executing the search warrants, officers recovered cash drugs paraphernalia, and drugs including marijuana and crack cocaine. Several vehicles were also seized.

One of those arrested was Sonya Alexis Carter, 25, a corrections officer at Century Correctional Institution, according to Lt. Eddie Barnard from the ECSO Narcotics Unit.. She was arrested at a mobile home on Salters Lake Road.  She was, according to the the Department of Corrections, terminated from her position.

NorthEscambia.com investigated the current case status of each person arrested during the  drug raids in Century late night May 27 and early morning May 28. The results of our investigation are below:

• George Dubose, 33, was arrested at his 21 Ramar Street home. He was released on $5,500 bond on June 2. On June 19, he entered a not guilty plea to cocaine possession and possession of drug paraphernalia charges. Dubose is set for trial at the end of September.
• Bobby Elliot, 57, was arrested at her 21 Ramar Street home and charged with marijuana possession of not more than 20 grams.  She was released from jail on a $500 bond on May 29. She pleaded nolo contendere and adjudication was withheld. She ordered to pay $300 court costs and a $50 public defender application fee. She has not pad the fees; they are due by October 20.
• Mark Elliot, 33, of 200 East Street Brewton, was arrested at 21 Ramar Street and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and marijuana possession with intent to manufacture or sell. He was released on $15,000 bond on June 2. He failed to appear for a June 25 arraignment, and his bond was canceled. Court records indicate a failure to appear warrant is outstanding on Mark Elliot.
• Willie Elliot Sr, 61, was arrested at 21 Ramar Street and charged with marijuana possession of not more than 20 grams. He was released on $500 bond on May 29. Prosecutors dropped the charges against him.

• Eric Maurice Davison, 42, of 6711 Jefferson Avenue, was arrested at 6760 Jefferson Avenue as a search warrant was executed. He was charged with disorderly conduct and released from jail on the pretrial release program. Charges against Davison were later dropped by the prosecution.
• Katherine Linzey Hawsey, 23, of 6469 Daniel Griffith Road, Jay, was arrested at 6760 Jefferson Avenue and charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. She was released on $10,000 bond on May 29. She pleaded not guilty and is set for n October trial.
• Kevin Deray Johnson, 34, of  6760 Jefferson Avenue was arrested at his home and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, possession of cocaine, marijuana possession not more than 20 grams, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released June 1 on $12,000 bond. He is due back in court in late September.
• Kevin Bradley Montfort, 27, of 6469 Daniel Griffith Road, Jay, was arrested at 6760 Jefferson Avenue and charged with marijuana possession not more than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released from jail May 29. He pleaded nolo contendere and adjudication was withheld. He was ordered to spend 12 months on probation at a cost of $55 per month with the possibility to terminate probation after six months, ordered to pay a $1,000 fine or community service work and accessed a $150 public defender fee. He is due back in court on August 19 for probation instructions.

• Ashley Nicole Scott, 25, was arrested at her home at 6760 Jefferson Avenue and charged with marijuana production, possession of a controlled substance without prescription, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released from jail on May 29 on $27,000 bond. Charges of marijuana production were dropped, and Scott pleaded not guilty to the other charges. Her trial is set for early October.
• Randall Scott Thames, 57, of 3640 Mayhaw Road in Walnut Hill was arrested at 6760 Jefferson Avenue and charged with cocaine distribution. He was released from jail on June 1 under the pretrial release program. He pleaded not guilty and is set for a jury trial in October.
• Terrance Terrill Grice, 24, was arrested at his home 7551 Sellers Road and charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance .  He was released from jail on May 29 on $37,500 bond. He pleaded not guilty and is set for trial in mid-October.
• Lekicia Ann Manuel, 22, was arrested at her home at  280 Hilltop Road and charged with possession of a controlled substance and released May 29 on $5,000 bond. She pleaded not guilty and is set for jury trial later this month. She will also be facing grand theft charges on her court date stemming from March 18 arrest.

• Nekinely Sonita Manuel, 20, was arrested at her home at  280 Hilltop Road and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and marijuana possession with intent to distribute. She was released on $30,000 bond and is due back in court in September.
• Johnnie Lee Carter, 28, was arrested at his home at 807 Salters Lake Road and charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana possession not more than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia.  He was released May 29 on $17,500 bond. His jury trial is scheduled for mid-October.
• Sonya Alexas Carter, 25, was arrested at her 807 Salters Lake Road home and charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana possession not more than 20 grams and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released from jail May 29 on $17,500 bond. She is due in court for a jury trial in mid-October.
• Christine Chnix Mixon, 32, was arrested at her home at 110 Ramar Street and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. She was released May 29 on $7,500 bond and is set for trial in September.

• David Lynell Williams, 25, of 7011 Hadley Lane, was arrested at 110 Ramar Street and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. He was released May 29 on $7,500 bond. He was not in court on June 18 was arrested on a failure to appear warrant on July 4. He remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond. He is set for trial in late October.
• Bridget Dennise Brown, 25, of 7011 Hadley Lane, was arrested at 116 Ramar Street and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. She was released from jail on $5,000 bond and is due back in court for a jury trial in early September.
• Brenda Mixon, 48, was arrested at her 116 Ramar Street home and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, destroying evidence and marijuana possession not more than 20 grams.  She was released May 29 on $20,100 bond. She will be in court for a jury trial in early September.

Information for this article was obtained from the Escambia County Clerk of the Courts.
Pictured top: Some of the marijuana found during a late May drug raid as deputies executed search warrants across Century. Pictured top inset: Officers arrested a Century Correctional Institution corrections officer after executing a search warrant at this home at 807 Salters Lake Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.

Tuesday Was First Day Of School, First Day Of Cell Phone Ban In Escambia, Ala.

Summer vacation is over for children in part of the area — today is the first day of school for public school students in Escambia County, Alabama.

One major change this year includes a ban on all cell phones at school. The Escambia County (Ala.) Board of Education passed a ban on all cell phones at all schools this year. Last year, students were allowed to bring their phones to school and check them into the office during the day, but that option has been eliminated.

Students may keep their cell phones in their vehicles on campus.

Another change for students at Escambia County High School will include a  uniform policy that will be strictly enforced.

The first day of school in Escambia County, Florida,  is Monday, August 24.

Flomaton Grad’s New Album Released

A Flomaton High School graduate’s new CD is now available.

John Boutwell, who now performs under the name Ryland Bael, has released his country/pop album “Gone Too Long”, featuring 10 new songs that he wrote.

“I cannot tell you how excited I am to have reached this point. With a new album to promote, in addition to selling as many copies as we can to help continue making music, our next focus is getting a single on country radio,” Bael said.

Right now, the album is available for digital download for $9.99 from DigStation.com. The album will soon be available from Itunes, Amazon.com and other retailers.

For more information on the new album from Ryland Bael, click here to read a NorthEscambia.com article from August 6, or visit his web site at  www.rylandbael.com

Teams Needed For Coed Softball Tournament

The Northview High School Quarterback Club will host a coed softball tournament on Saturday, August 22 at Showalter Park In Century beginning at 8 a.m.

The entry fee for the double elimination tournament is $200 per team. The proceeds will benefit the football program at Northview High School.

Organizers are encouraging all businesses, churches and local organizations to support the football program at Northview High School by organizing a team and joing in a great day of fun.

For complete details and contact information, click here (pdf).

Pelicans Crash Air Hogs 11-10 in Eleven Innings; Pels Extends Lead in First Place to Three Games

he Pelicans won an improbable game on Monday night, topping the Air Hogs 11-10 in 11 innings Monday night. Even though Grand Prairie led by three in the bottom of the ninth, and in the bottom of the eleventh, Pensacola still rallied to overcome the deficits and pull out the victory. The Air Hogs went through seven pitchers in their third straight loss to the Pelicans. With the win, Pensacola increases their lead atop the American Association South Division to three games.

The Air Hogs took a four-nothing lead in the very first inning, three of which came on Chad Gabriel’s sixth home run of the year. The Pelicans started chipping away at the Air Hogs’ lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Chase Burch walked with one out and Darby followed with a walk of his own. Dallas Christison singled to drive in Burch, and Palmisano hit a base hit to drive in Darby and the Pelicans cut the Air Hogs’ lead in half. The Pelicans pulled within one run an inning later.

With one out, Antoin Gray walked. After a groundout advanced Gray to second base, Gray scored when Burch hit an infield single to the shortstop. The Pelicans trailed the Air Hogs by one from the bottom of the third until the top of the seventh.

In the seventh, the Air Hogs added three more runs to their total by plating Tucker, Dziomba, and Garza. Mike Conroy drove in two of them with a one-out single, and the game seemed over.

Key word: “seemed”. The Pelicans added a run in the bottom of the eighth when Dallas Christison doubled. He scored when Lou Palmisano drove him in with a base-hit. The Pelicans rallied to tie the game in bottom of the ninth, scoring their first run of the frame when Francisco Leandro singled and stole second, coming home on an Antoin Gray base knock. Rodriguez walked to follow, and Chase Burch hit a RBI single to bring Gray in. Dallas Christison grounded out to the shortstop, but Rodriguez came home on the play and the Pelicans had tied the game at seven to force extras.

In the eleventh inning the Air Hogs rallied for three runs, one coming in on a bases-loaded single by Chad Gabriel, and two more coming home when J.B. Tucker doubled. Things looked grim for Pensacola, but the Pelicans had overcome larger deficits against Grand Prairie: on May 29 of this year Pensacola rallied back from a four-run Air Hogs’ tenth to score five runs and win 10-9. History would repeat itself tonight.

After the Pelicans’ first two batters were retired to start the bottom of the eleventh, Pensacola started scoring. Adam Darby singled. Dallas Christison walked. Lou Palmisano walked to load the bases, and Lou Huggins delivered a two RBI single to left. Trailing by one, Kevin Reynolds hit an infield single to the shortstop that brought Palmisano home from third to tie the game. After Francisco Leandro walked, Antoin Gray lifted a trouble-ball to shallow left. The Grand Prairie shortstop couldn’t secure the ball, and as the sphere hit the turf, Huggins touched home plate and the Pelicans won 11-10.

Tyler Wilson earned win, improving to 4-1, while Jose Cordero was hit with the loss. The Pelicans started Dane DeValk, but after six innings, six (earned) runs, eight hits, three walks, and a strikeout, Ron Hill relieved him. Hill pitched through the end of the ninth, allowing one earned run on five hits, walking one and striking out two. Tyler Wilson pitched the tenth and eleventh innings, yielding three runs on four hits with a pair of both strikeouts and walks.

Leandro, Burch, and Christison all went 2-5, with Burch and Christison picking up two RBI and Leandro stealing two bases. Lee Huggins made his debut for the Pelicans, but not his debut at Pelican Park: the 2009 UWF Argonaut went 1-4 with two RBI, scoring the game-winning run on his Alma Mater Terra Firma.

The Pelicans and Air Hogs resume their series tomorrow, playing the middle match of this three-game set at 6:35 p.m.

Kindergarten Registration At All Area Schools; Molino Park To Hold Screenings This Week

Anyone with a child headed into kindergarten this year in Escambia County needs to register now. For those starting Molino Park Elementary, it is especially important to register now because there are student screenings and conferences scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

To register for kindergarten for this school year, a student must be five years old on or before September 1, 2009. First grade students must have completed a kindergarten program and be six years old on or before September 1.

At the time of registration, parents need to bring the child’s birth certificate and social security card. Proof of residence, such as an electric bill or rent receipt, is required. Telephone and cable bills are not acceptable proof of residency.

Prior to enrollment for the first time in an Escambia County School, students must have a Florida Blue Card from the health department or physician. An original copy of your child’s school physical should be presented to the school by the first day of class.

On Thursday and Friday of this week, teachers at Molino Park Elementary will be screening new students and conferencing with parents about kindergarten expectations, report cards and parental concerns.

The parents of students that have already registered at Molino Park have been contacted with a time. Those that have not registered need to do so as soon as possible so that they will not miss the orientation, according to Principal Alice Woodward.

The following is kindergarten registration information from North Escambia area schools:

• Registration will be held Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Molino Park at 899 Highway 97 in Molino, or call 587-5265 for more information.
• For registration information at Byrneville Elementary,  visit the school at 1600 Byrneville Road or call  256-6350.
• For registration at Bratt Elementary, visit the school at 5721 North Highway 99 or call 327-6137.
• For Jim Allen Elementary registration information, contact the school at 937-2260 or stop by 1051 North Highway 95A.
• For Jay Elementary registration, visit the school at 13833 Alabama Street or call 675-4554.

Tonight: Time To Start Planning For Relay For Life 2010

Relay for Life is months away, but there is a meeting tonight to being planning Relay for Life 2010 in North Escambia.

Community leaders and anyone passionate about fighting cancer in the North Escambia area are invited to a Relay for Life 2010 Committee Rally at 7:00 tonight at the Century Ag Building at the corner of Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard.

The purpose of the meeting will be to recruit new members for the Relay for Life Steering Committee. The committee is tasked with organizing teams, fund raising and the Relay event itself.

The 2010 Relay for Life will be the fourth in North Escambia supporting the American Cancer Society.

For more information, contact Paula Jernigan at (850) 256-3842.

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