News Video: Body Found In McDavid
August 10, 2010
Raw news video from the scene in McDavid where a body was discovered by Highway 29 on August 10.
Click here for the story and photos.
Homicide Investigation: Body Found Next To Highway 29 (With Video, Photo Gallery)
August 10, 2010
A man’s body was found lying along the side of Highway 29 in McDavid Tuesday morning, and the case is currently being investigated as a homicide.
Click here for an update to this story.
A road crew found the body about 9:20 a.m. in tall grass just off the northbound lanes of Highway 29 about a tenth of a mile north of Champion Drive and the West Fraser McDavid sawmill.
“It is being treated as a homicide to err on the side of caution,” Sgt. Ted Roy, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said. Roy said an autopsy would be conducted Wednesday to determine how the man died. As of now, he said investigators did not know how or exactly the man died or if foul play was involved. Roy said it was possible that the man was hit by a vehicle, but that was yet to be determined.
Roy said authorities do know the man’s identity, but he declined to release the man’s name at this time.
Click here for a photo gallery from the scene.
Click here for raw news video from the scene.
NorthEscambia.com will update this developing story as more information becomes available.
Pictured above and below: A man’s body was found along Highway 29 in McDavid Tuesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Fall Football Pratice Begins (With Photo Gallery; NHS, Tate, Jay Schedules)
August 10, 2010
The prep football season got underway Monday in North Escambia, with teams hitting the practice field.
(Schedules are included below for Northview, Tate and Jay high schools.)
The Northview Chiefs finished last season at 7-3 under first-year Head Coach Sid Wheatley, one spot away from a playoff berth and a huge turnaround from the previous year’s 2-8 record. Wheatley said he had playoff plans for the Chiefs’ 2010 season.
Monday morning’s first practice of the fall season focused on the fundamentals and dealing with the heat. The Chiefs will continue morning practices through Wednesday with no pads. The full pads will be on as the Chief’s move to afternoon practices on Thursday.
For a photo gallery from the Chiefs’ Monday morning practice, click here.
The Northview Chiefs open their regular season on the road September 3 against Graceville. Here is the complete schedule for the 2010 Northview Chiefs:
- September 3 Graceville — Away
- September 10 South Walton – Away
- September 24 Bozeman — Home
- October 1 Baker — Away
- October 8 Bonifay — Homecoming
- October 15 Freeport — Away
- October 22 Jay — Home
- October 29 Sneads — Away
- November 5 Vernon — Home
- November 12 — West Florida Tech — Home
The Tate Aggies will begin their season on August 27 in Pensacola against West Florida at 6:30. The first regular season game will be away against Washington on September 2. The Aggies will play their first home game on September 17. Here is the complete Tate Aggies schedule:
- August 27 Kick-Off Classic Vs. West Florida — Away
- September 2 Washington Away
- September 10 Pensacola High – Away
- September 17 Crestview – Home
- September 24 Pace — Away
- October 1 Catholic — Away
- October 8 Pine Forest — Away
- October 15 Brother Martin — Homecoming
- October 22 Milton — Home
- October 29 Escambia — Away
- November 5 Navarre — Home
The Jay Royals will open their season at home against Holmes County. Here is the complete Jay High School football schedule:
- September 10 Holmes County — Home
- September 17 Freeport — Away
- September 24 Flomaton — Home
- October 1 Sneads — Home
- October 8 Vernon — Away
- October 15 South Walton — Homecoming
- October 22 Northview — Away
- October 29 Bozeman — Away
- November 5 Baker — Home
- November 12 Wewahitchka — Away
Pictured top: Northview High Head Coach Sid Wheatley (top center of photo) watches the first practice of the season Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Plans Call For Quintette Road To Be Resurfaced
August 10, 2010
Plans call for Quintette Road to be resurfaced on the Santa Rosa County side of the Escambia River.
Santa Rosa County will enter into an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation for the milling and resurfacing of Quintette Road from the Escambia River Bridge to Chumuckla Highway. Santa Rosa County will perform the work and will be reimbursed $1,275,655 by the state under the Small County Outreach Program.
The project design will be set for completion for January, 2011. Contracts are expected to be let on or before March, 2011. The actual construction will be set for completion by December 31, 2011.
The Santa Rosa County Commission is set to vote on the project at their August 12 meeting.
Quintette Road runs from Highway 29 in Escambia County to Chumuckla Highway in Santa Rosa County. It is the only roadway across the Escambia River between Highway 4 in Century and Highway 90 in Pensacola.
Carver/Century Covered Play Area Being Moved To Bratt
August 10, 2010
Bratt Elementary School will be getting a covered play area later this year from the former Carver/Century School.
“The request was made by the school to investigate the feasibility of relocating the covered play structure located at the former Carver/Century K-8 school to Bratt Elementary. The assessment was conducted and the project was commissioned,” said Shawn Dennis, assistant superintendent of operations for the Escambia County School District.
Current plans call for the 40 x 60 foot structure to move to Bratt over Christmas break. The 16-foot high cover will be disassembled and re-erected at Bratt with electricity and appropriate lighting.
Pictured above: A festival was held under the covered play at Carver/Century K-8 school in October, 2008. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Dannheisser Appointed To Escambia Bench, Replaces Ackerman
August 10, 2010
Thomas V. Dannheisser of Pensacola was appointed Monday to the Escambia County Court by Gov. Charlie Crist.
“Tom has a long-standing commitment and dedication to pursuing public service and to fairly and compassionately enforcing Florida law,” said Governor Crist. “I am confident his over two decades of experience will serve him well as he takes the bench.”
Dannheisser, 54, has been an assistant county attorney for Santa Rosa County since 1986. Previously, he was an assistant Escambia County attorney from 1983 to 1986, an assistant state attorney with the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit from 1982 to 1983 and with the Twelfth Judicial Circuit from 1981 to 1982. Dannheisser received his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Florida.
Dannheisser will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge David Ackerman.
Ackerman resigned his office on May 24 with the intent to return in February, 2011, one month after he was to begin a new six-year term. He was the only candidate to qualify for the position for the November ballot. Ackerman resigned, he said, to collect a $1.3 million lump sum retirement payment to deal with a financial problem involving his wife’s business.
In an unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court said Crist should appoint a new judge to fill the position.
Primary Voting Begins
August 10, 2010
Voters around Escambia and Santa Rosa counties began casting their ballots Monday as two weeks of early voting got underway leading up the August 24 primaries.
There are four early voting locations in Escambia County:.
- Supervisor of Elections Main Office, 213 Palafox Place 2nd Floor
- Supervisor of Elections Annex, 292 Muscogee Road, Cantonment
- Southwest Branch Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- West Florida Genealogy Library (former Tryon Branch Library), 5740 North 9th Avenue
Early voting in Escambia County will be offered Monday, August 9th through Friday, August 13th from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, August 14th from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.; Sunday, August 15th from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.; and Monday, August 16th through Saturday, August 21st from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Early voters will cast paper ballots through our digital scanners, and may choose any one of the four sites.
And there are two early voting locations for Santa Rosa County residents:
- Elections Office (behind McDonalds on U.S. 90, Milton), 6495 Caroline St., Suite F
- South Service Center (one block east of the zoo on U.S. 98), 5841 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze.
Early voting in Santa Rosa County will held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. through August 21, with no early voting on Sunday.
Another option for voters is to cast an absentee ballot, which can be obtained by contacting the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections by mail, phone (850-595-3900), e-mail (absentee@escambiavotes.com), fax (850-595-3914), or by using the online form at EscambiaVotes.com. Requests must include the voter’s date of birth and the address where the ballot should be mailed, and must be received no later than Wednesday, August 18th. Voted ballots must be received in the Elections Office no later than 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. Absentee voters may now follow the status of their ballot by clicking “Track My Ballot” on EscambiaVotes.com.
To obtain an absentee ballot in Santa Rosa County, contact the supervisor of electons by mail, phone (850-983-1900), e-mail (bodenstein@santarosa.fl.gov), fax (850-983-1829), or by using the online form at www.santa rosa.fl.gov/elections.
Man Allegedly Assaults Underage Girl At Walmart
August 10, 2010
An Escambia County man was arrested Sunday night at a Pensacola Walmart after being held at gunpoint by the father of an underage girl he allegedly groped.
William Burten Butler, 29, of Pensacola, was charged with battery and lewd and lacivious behavior following the incident.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy, already at the Walmart on an unrelated case, was approached by a customer and advised of a fight in the parking lot. The deputy learned that the juvenile’s father, Richard Ferrand, 41, had witnessed Butler approach his juvenile daughter and ask for her phone number. Ferrand approached Butler and asked him to leave her alone, according to deputies.
Ferrand continued to keep close watch over his daughter and two of her friends, also juveniles, when he saw Butler walk into the women’s restroom that his daughter was using. Ferrand, concerned for his daughter’s safety, also entered the restroom. He noticed that while his daughter was attempting to leave Butler followed and slid his hand under the back of her shirt.
Ferrand followed Butler and asked a cashier to call the Sheriff’s Office. He also dialed 911 on his cell phone. Once in the parking lot Butler became aggressive towards Ferrand. Ferrand, fearing for his safety, withdrew a handgun from his waist and held Butler until the deputy arrived. Ferrand was in possession of a concealed carry permit at the time of the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Butler remains in the Escambia County Jail on $70,000 bond.
The incident occurred at the Walmart on Blue Angel Parkway.
Escambia Deputies Investigate Stabbing Death
August 9, 2010
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a stabbing death during a Saturday morning domestic disturbance.
Jose Domingo Velez, 38, died after being stabbed by a 17 year old juvenile, according to a statement released Monday afternoon by the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators are not releasing the juvenile’s name.
Deputies responded to residence in the 1700 block of North 58th Avenue about 5:50 a.m. Saturday and found Velez lying on the front porch. “Deputies performed CPR until EMS arrived and transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead,” according to Chris Wellborn, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Wellborn said the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed against the juvenile. Investigators are still awaiting autopsy results and forensic evidence tests. Further details were no available.
Report: 160,000 Acres Of Local Farmland Are Foreign Owned
August 9, 2010
That all-American farm in your area may not be as American as you think.
According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, tens of thousands of acres of farmland — almost 160,000 in all — in the North Escambia area are owned by foreigners.
In Escambia County, there are 56,994 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 55,681 of the acres are forestland, 249 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses, and 1,064 are non-ag. Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (56,745 acres) and Germany (249 acres).
In Santa Rosa County, there are 58,626 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 57,414 of the acres are forestland and 1,263 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses.Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (57,363 acres) and other countries (1,263 acres) not listed in the report.
In Escambia County, Alabama, there are 44,156 acres of farmland that are foreign-owned — 43,191 of the acres are forestland, 947 acres are classified as other-agricultural uses and 18 acres are cropland.Most is owned by interests in the Netherlands (44,138 acres) and Canada (18 acres) not listed in the report.
In Florida, foreigners own 201,213 acres of cropland, 144,353 acres of pasture, 567,825 acres of forest. Over 1,056,681 total acres of farmland are foreign-owned in Florida.
In Alabama, foreigners own of 4,162 cropland, 3,169 acres of pasture, 1,441,911 acres of forest. There are 1,481,520 total acres of farmland that are foreign-owned in Alabama.
Foreign persons held an interest in 22.2 million ares of U.S. agricultural land in the U.S. That represents 1.7 percent of all privately held agricultural land and just under 1 percent of all land in the United States, according to the USDA report.
Pictured top: An American-owned field is cultivated in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.