No Major Damage In Molino Fire
December 16, 2010
Area fire departments responded to the report of a house fire in Molino Thursday night.
The reported stove fire was out when the first fire units arrived at the home in the 6000 block of Cedartown Road about 8:10 p.m.
There were no injuries and no major damage reported.
Three Escambia Drive-by Shooting Suspects Arrested
December 16, 2010
Three people are in jail today after an early morning shooting in Escambia County left one man injured.
At around 12:09 a.m., deputies responded to the 1300 block of North T Street for a reported shooting victim. It was there that deputies found a victim with a gunshot wound to the leg.
The victim, identified as Timothy Jerome Curry, 41, of Pensacola, told deputies that he was shot by the occupants of a black truck, with dark tinted windows. Curry said the truck fled the scene after he was shot.
Medics transported Curry to Baptist Hospital to be treated for his injury.
At around 12:17 a.m., while deputies were still busy investigating the shooting, they were notified of a vehicle crash involving a black truck with dark tinted windows, according to Chris Welborn. public information officer for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. It was reported that the vehicle had crashed into a power pole in the 4000 block of Palafox Street.
When deputies arrived at this scene of the crash, they discovered three handguns in an unoccupied black 2001 Ford F150 truck. One of the guns was reported stolen in a vehicle burglary earlier this year. The truck was later determined to be a stolen vehicle.
Patrol deputies, believing this was the truck used in the shooting on T Street, began to search the area for suspects. All of the suspects were apprehended shortly after the search began.
Arrested were Quamain Tyjuan Williams, 18, of Pensacola, Brandon Lashawn Holliman, 19, of Pensacola and Candace Sabe Abrams, 24, of Pensacola. All three were charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They were booked in the Escambia County Jail and held on a $25,000.00 bond. This investigation is on-going and more charges may be forthcoming.
During this investigation deputies recovered the stolen vehicle, a stolen handgun and seized the other two handguns.
One Year Later: The Flood Of 2009
December 16, 2010
This week marked one year since flooding left portions of Atmore, Flomaton and Brewton underwater, and a year since North Escambia residents along the Escambia River began to wonder if they were next. It also marked a year since a dramatic rescue of four people trapped in a flooded creek that was captured in photos on NorthEscambia.com.
When it started to rain the night of December 14, no one really knew just how much rain would fall. But it kept pouring, and pouring.
Atmore
Within a few hours, many streets in Atmore were under more than a foot of water, making it nearly impossible to travel more than few blocks. It was all hands on deck, with an overloaded Atmore Fire Department turning to the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department to assist with the rescue of stranded motorists and residents in flooded homes.
For more Atmore flooding photos, click here for a 2009 article.
By 9 p.m., a car had been swept off Deere Creek Road in Atmore, just north of the Florida line. Four people were trapped in the raging waters of Brushy Creek. Firemen tried unsuccessfully to use a human chain to reach the victims. A boat used in another rescue attempt was quickly capsized by the flood waters.
“Help me! Help me!” A faint voice could be heard calling for help from creek. “You’ve got to come get us.”
“I can’t hold on any more,” a victim clinging for his life to a tree yelled.
While rescue workers pondered their next move, Mike Allen of Atmore, a private citizen, arrived with a jet ski and rescued the four about two hours after they were first swept away.
For more on this story, and a gallery of dramatic photos, click here.
Pictured page top: Firefighters form a human chain in an attempt to rescue four people trapped in a flooded creek. Pictured inset: Mike Allen rescues a man that had been trapped for two hours in the flood waters of Brushy Creek near Atmore.
(Article continues below photo)
Flomaton
By morning on December 15, rising water of Big Escambia Creek had flooded several parts of Flomaton, bringing the town to a virtual standstill.
Emergency workers were forced to rescue about two dozen people — including nine in one family – from homes and vehicles. The main intersection of Highway 31 and Highway 29 was closed Tuesday morning. Rising flood waters flooded several homes in the area behind Hardee’s and across the street from Flomaton High School. All traffic from Century into Flomaton was stopped. Coupled with the other flooded roads around the area, Flomaton was a near ghost town.
For more on the Flomaton flooding, click here for a 2009 story.
Pictured top: A boat used to navigate flooded streets in Flomaton. Pictured inset: Flooding in Flomaton, December 15, 2009.
Brewton
Also on December 15, a rapidly rising Murder Creek had flooded downtown Brewton, washing away hopes of a profitable Christmas for the town’s many downtown businesses. In all, roads and bridges in Escambia County, Ala., suffered about $6 million in damage, prompting Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to declare a state of emergency.
For more in a 2009 article about flooding in Brewton, click here.
Pictured: An aerial view of downtown Brewton, Alabama, underwater on December 15, 2009.
North Escambia
As the flood waster pushed downstream, residents from Century to McDavid to Molino began to keep a close eye on the Escambia River and wonder just how high the river would go.
The Great Flood of 1929 caused major problems as the areas around Flomaton, Century, McDavid and Molino were flooded. But since then, the Escambia River has failed to reach the level that the National Weather Service terms “moderate” flood stage.
Flood stage on the Escambia River is 17 feet, and moderate flood stage is 25 feet — a number the river level has only reached once in recorded history.
The river did not reach those historic levels, but both the Escambia River and the Perdido River did cause North Escambia flooding. About dozen roads were closed from river and other lowland flooding.
To learn more about when flooding occurs on the Escambia River, click here for a December 16, 2009 story.
Pictured: Flooding on Occie Phillips Road near Walnut Hill, December 16, 2009.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Feds Suing BP Over Oil Spill
December 16, 2010
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and other federal officials announced Wednesday that the government is suing BP and eight other defendants, seeking to recover damages from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill earlier this year.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New Orleans, alleges that BP and contractors failed to take precautions to prevent the April 20 rig explosion that caused the largest oil spill in U.S. history, failed to monitor the well’s conditions and to use proper equipment and materials.
“We intend to prove that these violations caused or contributed to this massive oil spill, and that the defendants are therefore responsible – under the Oil Pollution Act – for government removal costs, economic losses, and environmental damages,” Holder said in a news conference in Washington.
“As our investigations move forward, Justice Department attorneys will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local partners to get to the bottom of what caused this disaster and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable – and brought to justice,” Holder said. “The American people – and especially the people of the Gulf Coast – deserve nothing less.”
The company, in a statement provided to the News Service, said the suit was expected.
“The filing is solely a statement of the government’s allegations and does not in any manner constitute any finding of liability or any judicial finding that the allegations have merit,” BP spokesman Daren Beaudo said in the statement. “BP will answer the government’s allegations in a timely manner and will continue to cooperate with all government investigations and inquiries.
Beaudo said that BP is the only party involved in the spill that has “stepped up to pay” for spill-related cleanup. The company has set aside $20 billion to pay “all legitimate claims.”
“We took these steps before any legal determination of responsibility and will continue to fulfill our commitments in the Gulf as the legal process unfold,” Beaudo said.
While the government didn’t name an amount it is seeking, its suit said it is seeking “civil penalties for each barrel of oil that the defendants discharged into the Gulf of Mexico.”
In addition to pursuing damages under the oil pollution act, the government is also seeking civil penalties under the Clean Water Act, which prohibits unauthorized discharges of oil.
“We allege that the defendants named in this lawsuit were in violation of the (Clean Water) Act throughout the months that oil was gushing into the Gulf of Mexico,” Holder said. “And we intend to hold them fully accountable for their violations of the law.”
BP recently announced third quarter net income of $1.8 billion – returning it to profitability – after a record second quarter loss.
The federal lawsuit follows the announcement earlier this week that Florida retailers are asking the oil company spend $25 million to pay the state back for a series of sales tax holidays early next year to try to pump some money into the Panhandle economy. Economists have said the region lost nearly a half billion dollars in revenue when tourism was stunted because of the spill. The Florida Retail Federation said this week that it is negotiating with BP to reimburse the state for three-day sales tax holidays starting in February to try to lure people to the area.
Also on Wednesday, Florida CFO Alex Sink and Attorney General Bill McCollum renewed a call for federal Claims Administrator Kenneth Feinberg to improve the claims process for Floridians impacted by spill. Sink and McCollum said that of over 150,000 claims filed by Florida residents, only about 40 percent have been paid.
By David Royse
The News Service Florida
Santa Today At Century Library
December 16, 2010
Santa Claus is scheduled to pay a special visit to the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon.
Santa will visit with North Escambia area children beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday at the library. There will be a Christmas story, a special craft and goodie bags too. Everything is free, and everyone is invited. The Century Branch Library is located at 7991 North Century Boulevard.
Pictured above: Santa Claus during his visit last year to the Century Branch Library. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
IBM Grant Funds Computer Ed At Camp Fire Century
December 16, 2010
The Camp Fire USA Century Youth Leaning Center received a new computer and a “cool” kid’s computer desk thanks to a grant from IBM.
The Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County received the 2010 IBM KidSmart Early Learning Program Grant and distributed five new computers and Little Tikes furniture to early learning sites that serve low-income children.
The computers have educational software to help children learn math, language and science.
The recipients were Campfire USA Century Youth Learning Center, Alice Williams Day Care, Faith Christian Academy, Englewood Baptist Church Preschool and Family Ties Child Development.
Pictured: Students at the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Leaning Center received a new IBM computer, Little Tikes computer desk and educational software thanks to the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County and a grant from IBM. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Suspect Back Behind Bars In Incident With Shot Fired At Deputy Near Northview
December 16, 2010
The man facing domestic violence charges after incident near Northview High School where a shot was allegedly fired at a deputy is back behind bars.
Marvin Anthony Haynie was booked into the Escambia County Jail Wednesday after being arrested on an outstanding warrant issued when his bond was revoked by a county judge for allegedly violating the terms of his pretrial release.
Haynie, 46, was arrested in October on the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation by Poarch Creek Tribal Police and extradited back to Florida to face a domestic violence battery charge. He was not charged in connection with the alleged shot fired at an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy during a manhunt near Northview High School.
Deputies had established a perimeter around York Road as they searched for a domestic violence suspect they identified as Haynie. At least one shot was reportedly fired from a wooded area toward a deputy’s cruiser, with the round striking the dirt road directly in front of the car. The deputy was not injured and did not return fire.
After searching for Haynie for a couple of hours after the shot was fired, the manhunt was called off.
The incident began when the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence complaint in the 3000 block of York Road about 7:30 p.m. on October 26. Haynie’s wife told deputies that he was outside in their vehicle drinking a beer and playing the radio loudly. When she asked him to turn down the radio, she stated that he threw CD’s at her. After exiting the vehicle, he then threw an empty beer can at his wife, striking her in the upper arm, according to the ECSO report. She was not seriously injured.
When deputies arrived, the wife told them that Haynie had gone to a neighbor’s house; the neighbors told deputies that Haynie had fled into a nearby wooded area. Deputies searched the area and at least two homes for Haynie, but were unable to locate him.
At about 11 p.m., the female victim again called the Sheriff’s Office, reporting that Haynie was back at the residence, wet and covered in scratches from running through the woods. The wife alleged that Haynie took beer, Lortab and other medication, and departed in an unknown direction.
Deputies set up a perimeter and called for the assistance of an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit about 11:40 p.m.
About 12:05 a.m. Wednesday, the shot was reportedly fired at the deputy. Deputies maintained their perimeter and continued their search with the K-9.
By 1:45 a.m., deputies returned to the mobile home where the victim reportedly lived and escorted her out of the area to spend the rest of the night elsewhere. By 2 a.m., the manhunt was called off.
York Road is a short, dead-end dirt road east off Pine Barren Road directly opposite Northview High School.
Pictured top: Escambia County Deputy Bobby Cook helps maintain a perimeter in the search for a suspect on York Road about 1:30 a.m. on October 27. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pace’s Smith To Lead Jay Royal Football; Youngblood Athletic Director
December 16, 2010
Kent Smith was named the Royal’s new head coach Thursday, and Lance Youngblood will be the school’s new athletic director while remaining boys basketball coach.
Smith has 23 years of coaching experience, including the 22 years at Pace High School where most recently he was defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. The Pace Patriots finished this season at 7-3, just short of a playoff appearance.
The Royals finished their last season under Head Coach Elijah Bell at 0-10. Bell led the Royals for 21 years, with a 108-95 record. Jay made the state playoff series seven times under Bell’s leadership, most recently the quarterfinals in 2007.
Bell was a major player in the formation of a new rural school classification for small schools like Jay in an effort to make the chances at a state playoff more equitable for smaller schools like Jay. He advocated such a plan since about 1990.
Next season, under Smith’s leadership, the Jay Royals will join Baker, Freeport and Northview in the first year of District 1 of the new Rural Division.
Smith holds a B.S. in business administration from Auburn University.
State Delays Chocolate Milk Ban At Public Schools
December 16, 2010
The State Board of Education has decided to delay any decision on whether to ban chocolate milk and other sugary drinks from Florida public schools after it received a letter from Agriculture Commissioner-elect Adam Putnam requesting the delay.
“They’re not going to take it up because they thought it was a reasonable request,” said state Department of Education spokeswoman Cheryl Etters. Putnam, in his letter to the board, wrote that part of his campaign platform was to move school food programs into the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, “with a goal of improved nutrition and the development of better lifelong eating habits.”
Putnam said he would like to take a comprehensive look at food service offerings, rather than just focusing on drinks.
Baseball, Softball Clinics This Weekend
December 16, 2010
A 2010 Winter Baseball Clinic will be held Tuesday and a 2010 Winter Softball Clinic will be held Wednesday at the Poarch (Ala.) Sports Complex.
The baseball clinic, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, will include instructors Steve Peterson- Middle Tennessee State University Head Coach; Ricky Patterson- Former Minor League Manager; Larry Thomas- Former MLB Player; Lance Johnson- Former MLB Player; Kyle Davis- Former College Player; Nate Espy- Washington High School Head Coach; Barry Dean- Executive Director of Alabama Baseball Association; and Ron Litier- Former USA Player and Coach.
The softball clinic, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, will include the staff from the University of South Alabama and former Troy University player Cassie Lassiter.
Registration fee is $25 for either clinic with lunch provided. Both clinics are for students ages 8 to 18.
For baseball registration information, click here.
For softball registration information, click here.