Escambia Sheriff’s Office Presents Awards
January 24, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department presented a Medal of Valor to one of its own and honored about five dozen employees and citizens during their annual awards ceremony.
Investigator Curtis Cephas was awarded the Medal of Valor for rescuing a man from a burning building last year. While off duty on July 3, 2009, Cephas was informed by a local citizen that a nearby house was on fire. Deputy Cephas ran to the house, noticed smoke pouring from inside, and began searching the home to determine if anyone was inside.
After discovering that the home’s occupant was inside and unable to escape the fire, Deputy Cephas proceeded to enter the burning house and found the resident inside and immobile. He succeeded in pulling the man outside and safely away from the fire.
Cephas was also honored in the United States House of Representatives last week, with Congressman Jeff Miller saying: “Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to recognize Deputy Curtis Cephas for going above and beyond the call of duty. He is a hero to the community and a true public servant. My wife Vicki and I wish Deputy Cephas and his family all the best for the future.”
A large number of the awards presented were to investigators, deputies and other sheriff’s office employees that worked on the investigation of the July 9 murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings in Beulah. Ashley Markham, the daughter of Byrd Billings, attended the ceremony along with her husband Blue Markham. Ashley Markham hugged and personally thanked each person involved in the investigation of her parents’ murders that resulted in the arrests of eight suspects within 118 hours.
Awards were presented as follows:
Law Enforcement Officer of the Quarter: Deputy Donald Lewis
Detention Deputy of the Quarter: Matthew Roth
Employee of the Quarter: Sally Valetta
Detention Employee of the Quarter: Debbie Funderburg
Life Saving Medals: Rebecca Simpson, Charles Dickin
Letter of Commendation: Juneal Whitchard (citizen), Sherrie Enderson (citizen), Shelley Dill, Allen Anderson, Terry Hammock, Jennifer Lovely-Gandy, Cathy Eckols, Scott Seely.
Unit Citations: Pct. 1/ Pensacola Beach – which will include a Meritorious Service Medal for Lt. Joseph Eddins; B Shift Detention
Medal of Distinction: RMA Tracy Hardaway, RN Lisa Seabrook, LPN Bobby Hawkins
Medal of Valor: Curtis Cephas
Billings Medals
Meritorious Service: Medal Captain Bruce Wood
Commendation Medals: Ray Briggs, Lieutenant Rusty Hoard, Sergeant Donald “Buddy” NeSmith, Jr. Sergeant Tom Watts, Master Deputy Tama Barber, Senior Deputy Lee Tyree, Senior Deputy Christopher Baggett, Senior Deputy Zack Ward, Deputy 1st Class Terry Hardy, Deputy 1st Class Bobby Guy, Deputy 1st Class Brian Shorette, Deputy 1st Class Breina Hammond, Criminal Intelligence Technician Melissa Aiken , Protocol Sena Maddison, Protocol
Commendation Medals: Patrol Doyle Gresham, Sergeant Marcus Murphy, Sergeant Shedrick Johnson, Sergeant Kevin Pachucki, Deputy 1st Class Christopher Phelps, Deputy 1st Class Scott Seely, Deputy Sheriff Mark Pearson, Deputy Sheriff Walter Thomas, Deputy Sheriff
Unit Citation: Stan Wehmeier, Sergeant Christine, Percell, Crime Scene Technician Will Bradley, Crime Scene Jennifer Jones, Crime Scene Technician Jennifer Norman, Crime Scene Technician Wayne Wright, Crime Scene Technician Lacey Oden, Crime Scene Technician Scott Glazebrook, Latent Print Examiner Marybeth Bryie, Latent Print Examiner
Achievement medal: David Craig
Letter of Commendation:Marlene Lutz, Secretary Rebecca Edmondson, Secretary Robbie Leverett, Victim Advocate
Employee of the year: Vicki Hodge
Deputy of the year: Lafe Highfill
Detention deputy of the year: James Mayberry
Detention employee of the year: Debbie Funderburg
Nokomis Accident Claims Teen’s Life
January 24, 2010
(Updated 11 a.m.) An 18-year old from Perdido was killed in a single vehicle accident in Nokomis, Ala., Saturday afternoon.
Patrick Bryan Jay, 18, was was pronounced dead after the accident just before 4 p.m. Saturday.
Jay was a passenger in a 2008 Honda Civic driven by Tiffany Brooke Parker, 16, of Bay Minette. Alabama State Troopers say Parker was westbound when she lost control, ran off the road and overturned into a tree shortly.
Parker was taken by the USA Medical Center in Mobile by LifeFlight. She was listed in serious condition Sunday evening.
Jay was not wearing seat belt, and speed was believed to have been a factor in the crash, according to troopers.
Escambia Mom Reunited With Daughter From Haiti
January 24, 2010
(Updated) An Escambia mom originally from Haiti was reunited with her 7-year old daughter late Saturday night thanks to the efforts of several people, including two state representatives.
Rachelle Boyd, 38, moved to Escambia County in June, leaving behind her daughter with family in Haiti. Rachelle’s daughter, Rose Angy Lee Kah Alessandra Hilarion, was to move to Pensacola soon, following Rachelle’s Christmas Day wedding to Lester Boyd, 58.
Their plans ended when the earthquake hit.
Hour after hour, Rachelle was on the phone trying to find out what had happened to Rose and the rest of her family back in Haiti. Three days later, she learned that Rose was fine. But not all of the news was good — 12 other family members died in the massive earthquake.
Rose wanted to get her daughter out of Haiti and to Pensacola, but her family was unable to find a way — until Saturday morning. They were presented with the opportunity to put Rose on a military plane headed to Fort Lauderdale.
But the Boyds had no transportation to Fort Lauderdale to meet their daughter as she arrived in the United States. So they decided to try a couple of politicians for help. They called Congressman Jeff Miller of Chumuckla and state Rep. Dave Murzin of Pensacola for help.
Murzin went to work. He called Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, a guardian ad litem and a personal friend in the Fort Lauderdale area. Bogdanoff volunteered to meet Rose at the airport and help get her through U.S. Customs. Problem one was solved.
Problem two was getting the Boyds to Fort Lauderdale to get their daughter. Murzin turned to Jon Johnson, who he described as “a lobbyist friend and a good Christian man with a heart of gold”. Johnson provided a private plane and pilot to get the mom to Fort Lauderdale.
Lester was unable to make the trip, but Rachelle flew out of the Pensacola airport about 8 p.m. Saturday to meet Rose in Fort Lauderdale. They were to spend the night and fly to Pensacola sometime around midday Sunday.
However, due to weather, the plane was forced to land in Tallahassee. Lester then drove to Tallahassee to pickup the reunited mom and daughter.
Pictured above: Rachelle Boyd (left) and Lester Boyd just before Rachelle boarded private plan to Fort Lauderdale to reunite with her daughter with Haiti. Submitted photo by Dave Murzin for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Seniors: Apply For EREC Scholarship
January 24, 2010
This April, EREC will award scholarships to graduating seniors in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County whose parent or guardian is a member of the cooperative. A total of two scholarships, one in each county, of $4,000 per student will be offered. The students must show proof of enrollment and maintain a GPA of 2.5 to continue to receive the funds each year.
Seniors in Escambia River Electric Coopeartive’s service area should check with their high school guidance counselors or contact Marketing and Communications at EREC for scholarship applications. Winners will be announced at EREC’s Annual Meeting on April 24.
This is EREC’s thirteenth year of offering scholarships to high school seniors. In the past, those capital credits issued by EREC that were unclaimed had to be turned over to the state. But state legislation now allows such funds to be deposited into a qualified, educational charity fund. The EREC membership voted to use these funds in the form of scholarships for graduating seniors in EREC’s service area.
For more information, contact the marketing and communications department at EREC at (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848.
High School Basketball: Tate Aggies Fall to Crestview, Niceville
January 24, 2010
Crestview 59 Tate 56 (Boys)
The Tate Aggies fell to Crestview Saturday in Cantonment, 59-56. Shermonne Jones had 15 for the Aggies, and Krys Waldon had 13. Tate is now 13-7.
Tate — Shermonne Jones 15, Krys Walden 13, Tevin Brown 9, Petey Jones 7, John Barber 6, Spencer Taylor 4, Jibril Rashied 2.
Crestview 13 12 25 9-59 Tate 18 11 19 8-56
Niceville 52 Tate 51 (Girls)
Niceville edged past the Tate Aggies at the buzzer Saturday, 52-51. Courtney Brown had 21 for the Aggies, while Meghan Briske added 14. Tate’s season now stands at an even 9-9.
Tate – Courtney Brown 21, Meghan Briske 14, Chelsea Hall 12, Ashley Thompson 2, Kat Tucker 2.
Tate 11 12 9 19-51 Niceville 15 10 13 14-52
Allison Woodfin Named Junior Miss EWMS
January 23, 2010
Sixth grader Allison Woodfin, 12, was named Junior Miss EWMS tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School.
First runner up was sixth grader Kaitlyn Abbott, second runner-up was seventh grader Morgan Ward, and third runner-up was eighth grader Mariah Albritton.
Victoria Wright received the Miss Hospitality, Miss Congeniality, and the Poise and Appearance awards. Hope Coggins was presented with the Physical Fitness Award.
Pictured above(L-R) Second Runner-Up Morgan Ward, First Runner-up Kaitlyn Abbot, Junior Miss EWMS Allison Woodfin and Third Runner-up Mariah Albritton. Pictured below: Allison Woodfin (left) reacts as she is named Junior Miss EWMS. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Allison Woodfin was sponsored by Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union and Tammie’s Cuttin Loose.
Latest Data Released: Almost 24,000 Out Of Work In Area
January 23, 2010
For the first time in many months, unemployment rate in Escambia County held steady in the latest statistics released Friday.. The number of jobless was up slightly in Santa Rosa County, Escambia County, Ala., and across the two states. There were 23,970 total persons out of work in the three counties.
In Escambia County, unemployment data released Friday shows that 11.0 percent of the labor force was out of work in December. That’s 15,320 people out of work.
There were 6,891 Santa Rosa County residents out of work last month. Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate was 10.0 percent in December, up from 10.0 percent in November.
Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment was up to 12.7 percent from 12.5 in November. That translates to 1,759 people out of a job.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2009 is 11.8 percent. This represents 1,087,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,180,000. The unemployment rate is up 0.3 percentage point from the November rate of 11.5 percent, and up 4.2 percentage points from the December 2008 rate. The state’s current unemployment rate is 1.8 percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate of 10.0 percent. December’s rate is the highest since May 1975 when it was 11.9 percent.
Industries losing the most jobs in Florida were construction; trade, transportation, and utilities; and professional and business services. These three industries account for more than two-thirds of the job losses in the state. Health care has been Florida’s only growth sector for most of 2009.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 11.0 percent in December, increased from November’s rate of 10.5 percent and was still well above the year-ago rate of 6.5 percent.
Ball Registration Today For NWE, Molino, Century
January 23, 2010
It’s almost ball season in North Escambia, and three area recreation groups will hold registration events Saturday. And for Northwest Escambia in Walnut Hill, Saturday will be the last day of registration.
Northwest Escambia
Registration for Northwest Escambia baseball and softball ends Saturday for ages 3 to 18 for Wee ball to big league.
Registration fees are: 1st child, $35, 2nd child: $25, 3rd child: free. Children will be measured and a $20 uniform deposit collected at registration. A copy of each child’s birth certificate is required.
There will also be a cleat swap…bring a pair of outgrown cleats and trade/swap while supplies last.
NWE registration will be held from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
Molino Recreation AssociationThe Molino Recreation Association will begin their registration today from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Registration will continue through the last Saturday in February for Wee Ball, tee ball, baseball and softball.
Century Little League
Registration will be held January 30 and February 6 and 13 for Century Little League.
The registration fee is $30 for the first child and $20 for each additional child. A copy of each child’s birth certificate is required.
Anyone interested in coaching can fill out an application on any of the registration days. For more information, contact Wes Sims at (251) 370-0246.
the road to the crown: Miss NHS Pageant Is Tonight
January 23, 2010
Today, it’s part four of our five part series “the road to the crown” brought to you by Tammie’s Cuttin’ Loose and Mike Newton Photography. We are following 30 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2010.
Today we are taking another behind the scenes look at a recent practice. To see the photos, click here.
Tickets are sold out for the pageant tonight at 6:30. NorthEscambia.com will be there, and we’ll have the new Miss Northview High School and all the photos here Sunday morning.
To see a photo of each girl and read their biographical information click here and click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Basketball: Northview Chiefs, Jay Royals, Flomaton ‘Canes
January 23, 2010
Here’s a look at Northview and Jay basketball action from Friday afternoon:
BOYS BASKETBALL
Northview 47 Freeport 45
The Northview Chiefs beat Freeport by a basket in Bratt Friday, 47-45. Jacob Gibson led the Chiefs with 14, while Lance Bushaw added 13 in the district win.
Northview — Lance Bushaw 13, Aaron Bellamy 3, Colton Sims 4, Austin Arrington 2, Stanley Chestnut 2, Dabney Langhorne 9, Jacob Gibson 14.
Northview 9 17 16 5-47 Freeport 16 11 5 13-45
Baker 73 Jay 59
The Jay Royals dropped District 1-2A game to the Baker Gators Friday. Luke Rowell and Hunter Boutwell had 17 each for the Royals.
Jay — Dakota Walker 8, Luke Rowell 17, Hunter Boutwell 17, Bugg Fischer 10, Steven Brabham 6, Tyler Prescott 2, Todd Laney 2.
Jay 12 10 16 21-59 Freeport 6 21 19 27-73
Flomaton 57 Excel 44
The Flomaton Hurricanes beat the Excel Panthers 57-44. Ta-Ta Ellis had a game-high 15 points, while Dalvin Craft sent 11 through the hoop in Flomaton’s district win at home. Flomaton is now 14-9, 3-2 in District 2A-1.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Freeport 48 Northview 33
The Northview Lady Chiefs lost a District 1-2A game Friday in Bratt to Freeport, 48-33. Shaniqua Jones added 18 for the Chiefs.
Northview — Sarah Killam 4, Shaniqua Jones 18, Amber McMillan 3, Angela Rodriguez 8.
Northview 5 10 6 12-33 Freeport 14 12 13 9-48
Flomaton 50 Excel 34
It was another win for the Lady Hurricanes Friday in Flomaton as they beat Excel 50-34. Paige Harwelle led the Canes with 9. Flomaton, 20-4 overall, is still undefeated in 2A Area 1. The Lady Canes will travel Highway 31 to Atmore on Monday to take on the Lady Blue Devils of Escambia County High School,