Coming Sunday: Mayfest, A Very Special Fishing Trip And More
May 1, 2010
Make sure you join NorthEscambia.com Sunday morning for a look back at Saturday’s events.
We’ll take you to a very special fishing rodeo where it’s not about the catch. It’s a heartwarming story and photos you won’t want to miss.
We’ll also take you to Mayfest in Atmore. Beautiful babies, cute pooches, food and fun — take a look at our photo gallery Sunday morning and see who you know.
Plus, we’ll take a look at the very latest on the massive oil spill in the Gulf, you weekday forecast and more. It’s all Sunday morning here on NorthEscambia.com.
Former Atmore Cop Arrested For Fake Pain Pill Prescriptions In Century
May 1, 2010
A former Atmore Police Department officer was arrested Friday afternoon in Escambia County, Fla., charged with prescription fraud at a pharmacy in Century. Meanwhile, Atmore Police said their former officer is under investigation by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation.
Ronald Sanford Freeman, 23, of Flomaton is charged with two felony counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $5,000 bond.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office incident report, Freeman made an arrangement with a doctor’s office employee, Ashley Megan Nall, 24, of Atmore, to call-in prescriptions for pain medication to area pharmacies. Freeman would then pick up the filled prescriptions and split the pills evenly with Nall. Nall was employed by Dr. Francis Salter of Atmore, and she is Salter’s granddaughter, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Two such prescriptions were called in to the Century Pharmacy and filled on February 5 and March 5. Both were in Ronald Freeman’s name, and both were for 90 Lortab pills, according to the ECSO report. When Century Pharmacy received another call-in prescription on April 19 for 90 Lortabs and 20 Keflex, they became suspicious and called Dr. Salter to verify that she had issued the prescription. When Dr. Salter said that she did not issue the prescriptions and that Freeman was not her patient, the sheriff’s department was contacted.
When deputies contacted Dr. Salter, she said “she made contact with her granddaughter and told her that she was fired and further indicated that she also contacted the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) in reference to some matter concerning her license.”
When interviewed by Escambia County (Fla.) deputies, Nall admitted that she had called in about eight fraudulent prescriptions for Freeman to Walgreens in Atmore, Flomaton Pharmacy and Century Pharmacy for 90 Lortab pills and 20 Keflex. Nall said the two came up with the 50-50 split phony pain pill scheme about four months ago. She said she had known Freeman since high school and as an officer for the Atmore Police Department.
Freeman told Escambia deputies that he saw Dr. Salter one time in October 2009 for a back injury, and that is when he made the deal with Nall. He admitted, according to the police report, that he knew the prescriptions were fraudulent.
According to the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office report, Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean was notified of the investigation on April 19. “Chief Dean indicated that he would be taking administrative action against him (Freeman), pending the outcome of our investigation”.
Dean said Friday afternoon, following Freeman’s arrest, that Freeman had “resigned for personal reasons” and was no longer an Atmore police officer. Dean said that the Alabama Bureau of Investigation was investigating any alleged incidents in Alabama involving Freeman. He declined to comment on that investigation.
As of Friday, any alleged involvement by Nall in the incident was still under investigation in both Florida and Alabama. She had not been charged in connection with the case as of Friday afternoon.
Escambia Declares State Of Emergency In Advance Of Oil
May 1, 2010
Escambia County has declared a local state of emergency, as has the State of Florida, in anticipation of an oil slick arriving from the Gulf of Mexico by early next week.
The county has formulated a plan to keep the oil out of bay, bayous and other inland waterways. The plan calls for placing about 30,000 feet of boom stored at Pensacola Naval Air Station to form a barrier in a v-shape to catch the oil at East Pensacola Pass. With additional barriers at Fort McRae and Perdido Pass, oil should be blocked from Pensacola Bay, according to county officials.
The oil blocked by the booms will be collected and skimmed from the surface of the water. The booms would be in place about eight hours per day, and they would be removed when the tide flows out.
The following is the latest information from the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center:
State of Florida
- A state of emergency was declared by Governor Crist today, Friday, April 30.
- The state emergency operations center activated to a level 2 today.
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners
- A local state of emergency was declared by the Board of County Commissioners at an emergency meeting at 2 p.m. Friday, April 30.
- The emergency operation center will activate to a level 2 on Saturday, May 1 at 9 a.m. CST. This is a minimal activation with only specifically involved agencies activating at that time.
Citizen Information
- Citizen information phone lines will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 1 for questions from residents may have. The number will be (850) 471-6600.
Operation “Clean Sweep”
- An “Operation Clean Sweep” will be held on the beaches to clean them of any debris before the oil spill reaches the shores to prevent additional contamination. This is a preventative measure that everyone can participate in.
- On Pensacola Beach, the cleanup will be held Sunday at noon, please meet at the Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach.
- On Perdido Key Beach, the cleanup will also be held Sunday at noon, please meet at the Perdido Key Chamber.
- Anyone may participate in this pre-cleanup event; please bring your own garbage bags and gloves.
Volunteer Opportunities
- BRACE, United Way and First Call for Help are organizing volunteers for cleanup after the oil reaches the shores. Please call 595-5905 to register to volunteer. Please call 595-5905 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday to register to volunteer.
Volunteer Training
- Sign-up to be trained for post-beach clean-up, call 595-5905 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
- Registration is required for a four-hour health and safety training classes for handling petroleum-contaminated materials.
- Classes will be held beginning Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Pensacola Civic Center.
Important information
- Although oil has not yet touched Escambia County shorelines, citizens are asked to stay away from oiled areas and keep a safe distance away from oil containment booms.
- Report oiled shorelines to 866-448-5816. Report oiled wildlife to 866-557-1401.
- For more information, see the official Escambia County disaster response site, www.EscambiaDisasterResponse.com.
Resurfacing Begins Next Week On Highway 29 North Of Molino
May 1, 2010
Paving operations will begin next week on Highway 29 from Highway 97 to north of Pine Barren Road.
Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures for the next three weeks as crews pave the roadway, turn lanes and median opening. Drivers are reminded to use caution, obey the posted speed limit, and watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The 4.55 mile stretch of Highway 29 has a price tag of $3,986,342, funded with federal stimulus dollars. The entire project is due to be complete by August.
Census Workers Start Knocking On Doors In Local Area
May 1, 2010
About 635,000 2010 Census takers across the nation began going door to door Saturday to follow up with households that either didn’t mail back their form or didn’t receive one. An estimated 48 million addresses will be visited through July 10.
In Escambia County, 72 percent of residents returned their census forms by mail. In Santa Rosa County, 76 percent were returned, while in Escambia County (Ala.) 68 percent of forms were mailed back.
If a 2010 Census worker knocks on your door, here are some ways to verify that person is a legitimate census taker:
- The census taker must present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. The census taker may also be carrying a black canvass bag with a Census Bureau logo.
- The census taker will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the local census office phone number for verification, if asked.
- The census taker will only ask you the questions that appear on the 2010 Census form.
The 2010 Census taker will not ask for social security number, bank account number or credit card number and will never solicit for donations or contact you by e-mail.
In most cases, census workers will make up to six attempts at each housing unit address to count possible residents. This includes leaving notifications of the attempted visit at the house or apartment door, in addition to trying to reach the household by phone to conduct the interview or schedule an in-person interview.
“If a census taker knocks on your door, please help by providing the basic information required for the census,” Groves said. “Your answers are strictly confidential. There are just 10 questions on the form and it should only take about 10 minutes to complete.”
Census takers will go to great lengths to ensure that no one is missed in the census. After exhausting their efforts to do an in-person interview with a resident of an occupied housing unit, they will seek out proxy sources — a neighbor, a rental agent, a building manager or some other knowledgeable person familiar with the housing unit — to obtain as much basic information about the occupants as they can.
Some households will receive a visit even though they may have mailed back their form. If the form arrived too late to be processed before non-response follow-up packets were sent to one of the 494 local census offices, the household occupants must still be interviewed when the census taker arrives. The Census Bureau is urging cooperation and patience with the census takers, as this is the best way to ensure that everyone is counted properly.
Households that didn’t receive a form by mail, including those that pick up their mail from post office boxes, will be visited by census workers as part of the follow-up plan. The Census Bureau doesn’t mail forms to post office boxes because responses must be associated with a specific residence location, not the post office box location.
The Census Bureau has stringent systems in place to ensure that people can feel safe when they open their door to a census taker. All census takers undergo an FBI background check that includes both name and fingerprint checks. All have taken an oath for life to protect the information they collect and understand that they face stiff penalties, jail time or both for any disclosure of personally identifiable information.
Photos: North Pensacola Relay For Life At Tate High
May 1, 2010
The North Pensacola Relay for Life got underway Friday evening at Tate High School with over 1,000 people taking part in the event that benefits the American Cancer Society.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Celebrates The Arts
May 1, 2010
Molino Park Elementary School held its annual Arts Day on Friday, with the students spending the day immersed in a variety of arts.
The students enjoyed a wide range of arts, from pottery to painting. They had the opportunity to get “hands on” with many activities.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
The day ended with the “Molino Park Arts Day Roundup”, a live concert series in the school cafeteria. Artists appearing in the concert all had local ties to Molino Park, including Leah and Morgan Taylor, the Moye Family Band, Dusty Sandeson, Candy and Hannah McGahan, Crystal Holliday, Lynda Barnes, Sheila Allen & Co., Chris Dufour Karate, Kelton French and Florence Cutler.
Visual art demonstrations included the Pensacola Doll Study Club, painting from Joyce Benink and Ruth Gordon, watercolors by Patsy Pennington, pottery by Matt Brabham and wood turning with Ralph Thomas.
Performing artist demonstrations included the Northview High School Jazz Band, singer/songwriters Sheila Allen and Ginny Cruz, singer Crystal Holliday and The Gospel Keys.
In a hands on area, students had the opportunity to make or explore with sun visors, wire sculptures, paper hats, clay, spin art, sidewalk chalk art, beaded necklaces, yarn wraps, fish prints, and water tube bracelets.
Hall displays featured the Society for the Creative Anachronisms, the Molino Park Historical Society, Barrineau Park Historical Society, Pensacola Quilt Guild, various school doll displays, folk instruments and the Australian Trunk from the Pensacola Museum of Art.
Other displays and activities included oil painting by Debbie Andress and Yvonne Vick, photography by Candy McGahan and Michelle Daniel, candles from Dee Riley, crochet and needlework by Teresa Myrick, embroidery by Anita Barnett, Linda Till and Pat Johnson, motocross and dragsters from Allen Lowery, race cars with Jerry Venable and antique cars.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mayfest Today In Atmore
May 1, 2010
The 37th annual Mayfest will take place today at Tom Byrne Park in Atmore with plenty of fun-filled family activities.
Mayfest will offer arts and crafts, plenty of good and live entertainment, children’s rides and games, clowns, pony rides, push lawnmower races, the Mayfest “Beautiful Baby Contest”, a Pooch Parade and more.
The schedule of events is as follows: `
- 9:00 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies
- 9:15 a.m. – Alabama‘s International Misses, Inaugural Pooch Parade Begins
- 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Beautiful Baby Contest (Sponsored by The Atmore Advance)
- 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Twirl Time
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Shane Harrell & The Major Moves Band
- 12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – New Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Choir
- 12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – The Santa Rosa and Escambia Twirlers
- 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Shane Harrell & The Major Moves Band
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Atmore Elite Allstars
- 2:15 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. – Willie Hawthorne (vocalist)
- 2:35 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Deep South
- 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Danielle Scott (vocalist)
- 3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Deep South
NHS Prom: Generosity Provides Free Dresses
May 1, 2010
About a half dozen young ladies attended the Northview High School prom Saturday night in dresses they received compliments of a group of concerned students that worked to make sure that every girl could have that perfect dress for a magical evening.
The girls learned about the program from an April 9 article on NorthEscambia.com. Also after the article, over 30 dresses were donated.
Our original April 9 article is reprinted below.
Calling themselves the “SWANS”, the group of young ladies is collecting prom dresses that are being made available to any Northview girl headed to prom that needs a dress, no questions asked.
“Prom is big deal for girls,” said SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth. “They want to look pretty, and the perfect dress helps them look special. It can boost the self-esteem of a girl.”
Knowing that dresses are without a doubt expensive and that the expense could keep some girls from attending their junior or senior prom, the 20-something students in the SWANS decided to go to work to create a prom dress closet of sorts. So far, they have collected just over a dozen dresses, and they have been promised a donation of about 30 more soon from someone that is closing a bridal shop.
“A lot of girls have dresses left over from other events, and there are girls that need a dress but their family can’t afford one, so it’s a perfect match,” Bloodsworth said.
The girls recently bagged groceries at a Winn Dixie store to raise money — about $200 — so they could dry clean the donated dresses. The dresses are fashionable, modern styles that are free of flaws.
“Prom is just that special night that you get dressed up and feel like an adult,” said Natalie Nall, one of the SWANS teacher sponsors. “This is the big deal for many of the girls. For the girls that don’t go to college, senior prom night is the special time in their lives until their wedding.”
Extra effort is made to make sure that no girl is embarrassed by wearing a donated dress, according to Barbara Luker, another SWANS teacher sponsor. It is all done as quietly as possible to make sure no one knows a girl took part in the program. Even for our NorthEscambia.com photo, Luker worked to make sure the dresses were presented in such a way that no dress could be identified.
Northview girls that donate a dress to the program sign a promise to not let anyone know what dress they donated.
“I promise to not let it be known that this dress once belonged to me and will hold it secret in my heart because I know that my generosity means more than the compromise of someone’s self-esteem,” the prom dress donation promise states.
Girls that receive a SWANS prom dress have the option of keeping it, or returning to the program.
The SWANS — Sophisticated Warriors Advocating Northview Self-Discovery — are also working toward a clothes swap closet at the school for everyday clothing. And they are planning a Mother’s Day tea to allow girls and their moms to get a little closer and allow the girls to meet their friends’ moms.
“It’s all about self-esteem and being a woman,” Bloodsworth said.
SWANS is actively seeking prom dress donations. Anyone can drop a dress by the school office. Any Northview student in need of a dress can contact any SWANS member at the school, or any teacher sponsor.
Pictured above: Northview SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth with some of the donated prom dresses. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jay Pro Rodeo Continues Tonight
May 1, 2010
The 8th Annual Jay Pro Rodeo is scheduled to continue Saturday night, and NorthEscambia.com has free tickets for children 12 and under.Gates open at 6 p..m. and the rodeo begins at 8 p.m. There will be musical entertainment, plus free moon bounces and activities for the children. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 2-12 and children under 2 are free.
The Jay Pro Rodeo is sponsored by the Jay Quarterback Club, Jay High SGA, FRIENDS (a community service organization) and the Ted May Arena. All proceeds will benefit local youth and Relay for Life.
Click here and print the flier and receive one free admission for a child 12 and under with each paying adult, compliments of NorthEscambia.com.