Violent Sex Offender Arrested In North Escambia
August 8, 2009
A wanted Tennessee violent sex offender was arrested Friday in North Escambia.
Charles Alton Clift, 34, was taken into custody on warrants out of Hamilton County, Tennessee. Clift was listed as one of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s 12 most wanted fugitives.
The search for Clift began just before 8:00 Friday morning at a house in the 3900 block of Highway 97 near Hendricks Lane north of Molino. Escambia County deputies were unable to locate Clift at that address, but a tip led them to another address in the area. That exact address was not immediately available.
Clift was taken into custody and booked into the Escambia County Jail as a fugitive from justice. He remains in jail without bond.
Clift plead guilty to aggravated sexual battery in 1996 and was sentenced to state prison, according to Hamilton County, Tennessee, court records. He was arrested in August, 2008, after he failed to properly register as a sex offender. Court records show he plead guilty to violation of Tennessee’s sexual offender registry laws in September 2008.
A warrant for violation of sex offender registry, second offense was issued for his arrest after he once again failed to comply with Tennessee’s sexual offender registry laws by not reporting his whereabouts.
Hamilton County, Tennessee, encompasses that Chattanooga area.
School Shopping Savings: Sales Tax Holiday This Weekend In Alabama
August 8, 2009
This is Alabama’s sales tax holiday weekend on back-to-school shopping, but to get the full savings, you will need to drive past Escambia County, Alabama. And don’t expect to find sales tax savings in Florida.
This year is only the third year since 1998 without a back-to-school sales tax holiday in Florida. It is up to the Florida Legislature to approve the back-to-school tax breaks each year. A bill was introduced this year, but it failed to pass amid concerns over the state’s budget woes.
There is a sales tax holiday in Alabama through Sunday night, but Atmore, Flomaton and Escambia County, Ala., are not participating — they will be collecting county and sales tax as usual. Shopping in Escambia County, Alabama, will enjoy no state sales tax.
In Monroe County, including Monroeville, and Baldwin County, including Bay Minette and outlet shopping favorite Foley, there will be no school shopping sales taxes. Brewton will exempt shoppers from city sales tax, but county tax will still apply.
The Alabama sales tax holiday began at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ends at midnight Sunday. Most clothing items, computers less than $750 and most school supplies will be completely exempt from sales tax in Alabama counties and cities that approved the tax exemption.
Click here for a complete list of Alabama’s sales tax holiday items.
More Details On Tice Connection To Billings; Read Arrest Report
August 8, 2009
More details have emerged about the connection between Henry “Cab” Tice and Byrd and Melanie Billings, the Beulah couple shot to death in the their home on July 9.
Tice was arrested Thursday night and charged with grand theft in connection to over $17,000 in worthless checks Tice wrote to the Billings’ family company Worldco Financial Services. He was released on $10,000 bond.
Tice’s arrest report says Byrd Billings stated that he has business dealings with Tice and his Hispanic American Auto Sales. Tice wrote 12 checks totaling $17,342.51 to Worldco that were returned due to non-sufficient funds, according to the report. The checks were payments for vehicles and services conducted through Worldco and Hispanic American Auto Sales.
“Worldco Financial Services has been unable to have Tice make good on the twelve checks and the vehicles consigned to Henry Tice of Hispanic American Auto Sales locations are currently unknown,” the report says.
After his arrest on the grand theft charges Thursday night, Sheriff David Morgan named Tice as a “person of interest” in the murder investigation. The sheriff said Tice and murder suspect Leonard Gonzalez, Jr. had a “father and son relationship” and spoke often.
The Billings family released a statement that said, “We have faith that Sheriff Morgan will be diligent in determining whether there is any connection between Cab Tice and the murders”.
The sheriff also said that Tice admitted when questioned Thursday that Tice had connections to the Mexican mafia. Morgan said he would release further information soon about Tice and his dealings with the Mexican mafia and the car business.
Morgan said Tice had borrowed $50,000 from the Mexican mafia, and that he was still in debt to them. In his dealings with the Mafia, Morgan said Tice would sell cars across the border to be resold in Mexico. The sheriff said the deals were cash, under-the-table.
Click here to read the arrest report (pdf).
Two Billings Suspects In Court, Arraignments Postponed
August 8, 2009
Two more of the Billings murder suspects were in court Friday.
Gary Lamont Sumner, 30, and Frederick Lee Thornton Jr., 19, are being held on open counts of murder. They were in an Escambia County courtroom Friday, where State Attorney Bill Eddins requested that their arraignments be postponed until after a grand jury considers charges on Tuesday.
The judge agreed, postponing their arraignments until August 13. Leonard Gonzalez, Jr, Leonard Gonzalez, Sr., Wayne Coldiron, and Pamela Long Wiggins are also scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
State Farm To Raise Insurance Premiums, Drop Customer Discounts
August 8, 2009
State regulators on Thursday approved a slate of requests from State Farm Florida Insurance Co. that will raise premiums for homeowners by an average of 28.4 percent.
The decision by the Office of Insurance Regulation, agency officials say, would result in additional premiums of $278 million for the company after all policies come up for renewals beginning Dec. 1.
But the rate increases will target only those customers who now benefit from a handful of voluntary discounts offered by State Farm including premium breaks for policyholders who also insure their cars with the company, have a home security system or have not filed a claim in several years.
State insurance regulators, however, rejected a company request to reduce premium discounts it is required to offer customers who hurricane-proof their homes, saying the company must provide additional data before regulators will be willing to modify discounts already in place.
“They need to do some more work on that piece,” said Belinda Miller, OIR deputy commissioner.
State lawmakers recently enacted legislation requiring insurers to offer premium discounts for homes that are better able to withstand hurricane force winds. To change the discount, companies must provide a detailed study showing that different discount rates are more appropriate.
“State Farm ran a model but did not have what we considered to be a detailed alternative study,” Miller said.
State Farm and Florida regulators are in the process of negotiating a two-year exit plan. Unable to obtain the premium increases it says it needs, the company in January said it would leave the state’s property insurance market over a two-year period once an acceptable withdrawal plan was approved.
State Farm has long offered discounts as a marketing tool. The discounts are voluntary, but must still be approved by OIR. The agency is also required to sign off if those discounts are discontinued, even though regulators have little or no authority to block the decision.
A company spokesman said eliminating the discounts is needed as the company responds to market conditions and its inability to convince regulators that higher premiums are needed.
“Right now what we’re focusing on is developing a plan to provide a soft landing for our customers and to allow them to continue to work through their agents,” said Justin Glover, a State Farm spokesman.
Formal hearings are scheduled to begin in October over State Farm’s exit plan, but Glover said the company continues to talk with agency officials to reach agreement before then.
Century Football, Cheerleading Registration Today
August 8, 2009
The Century Recreation Association Little League will hold football and cheerleading sign up every Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon at the Roadside Park.
Everyone is welcome, including children from surrounding areas.
Community Outreach: Children At Bratt Church Wash Cars For Free
August 8, 2009
Children at the First Baptist Church of Bratt held a free community car wash Friday.
Pete Amerson explained that the car wash was for the community — a chance for the children to do something for the community and spread the Gospel at the same time. First to fifth graders washed cars and stood by the side of Highway 4 with handmade signs advertising their event.
Pictured top: Children at the First Baptist Church of Bratt held a free community car wash Friday afternoon. Pictured inset: Advertising the event. Pictured bottom: Anna Lee, 5, decided to cool off with a hose during the car wash. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NHS Band Car Wash Today
August 8, 2009
The Northview High School Band Boosters will hold a car wash Saturday morning from 8 until noon at Advance Auto Parts in Atmore. All proceeds will benefit the Northview High School Tribal Beat Band.
On Stage: Northview Student In High School Musical Production
August 8, 2009
A Northview High School student will be on stage this weekend in the Pensacola Little Theatre performance of High School Musical.
Angel Mitchell spent over 150 hours — about 15 hours per week — rehearsing this summer for her role as a skater and part of the ensemble. Angel will be a freshmen this year at Northview.
High School Musical is based on the Disney Channel original movie. The last performance is at 2:30 Sunday afternoon.
For more information, visit www.pensacolalittletheatre.com.
Pictured above: Angel Mitchell (far right) in the Pensacola Little Theatre performance of High School Musical.
Pensacola Pelicans Win Third Straight
August 8, 2009
The Pensacola Pelicans extend their lead in first place to two games after defeating the Fort Worth Cats 8-3 on Friday night. Randy Beam earned his eighth win as the Pelicans led from the third inning on.
The Pelicans scored first in the incipient inning, bringing Kevin Reynolds home on a Marcos Rodriguez base hit. The Pels added another run in the inning when Antoin Gray came home on a fielder’s choice hit by Adam Darby.
Fort Worth tied it up in the top of the second. After John Allen walked, Michael Bell hit home run number 11 on the year to even the score at two.
The Cats actually went up by a run in the top of the third, bringing home Chuck Carter on a sacrifice fly.
The Pels added three more runs in the bottom of the third to take the lead for good. Marcos Rodriguez started the inning with a double, and moved to third when Chase Burch grounded out to second base. Adam Darby walked, and Dallas Christison picked up an RBI on a fielder’s choice, scoring Rodriguez from third. After Lou Palmisano walked to load the bases, catcher’s interference put Luis Guance on first. That forced Darby home, Palmisano to second, and Christison to third. Reynolds followed with a sacrifice fly to score Dallas, and the Pelicans led 5-3.
Pensacola cemented the outcome with a three run sixth. Leandro led off with a single and stole second, coming home on a base knock by Marcos Rodriguez, his second of the night. Rodriguez stole second, and after Burch walked and Christison did the same, Palmisano hit a single that scored both Rodriguez and Burch.
The Pelicans bullpen handled things the rest of the way. Ron Hill allowed one hit while striking out three in the seventh and eighth, and Joey Wedner pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout. The Pelicans’ starter, Randy Beam, went six innings allowing three earned runs on four hits, yielding two walks and striking out three.
At the plate, Lou Palmisano walked three times, and his only official at-bat was the two RBI single. Francisco Leandro went 3-3 with two stolen bases, two walks, and a run. Marcos Rodriguez went 3-4 with a double, two RBI, a stolen base, and two runs scored.
The Pels and Cats play again on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.