Accused Ax Murderer: ‘Loved Every Swing’
May 21, 2010
“I enjoyed it, I loved every friggin swing” — that’s what the suspect in an apparent ax murder Wednesday near Nine Mile Road told Escambia County deputies.
Brian P. Puckett, 34, was found dead in a home Wednesday morning on Hollowbrook Circle, a cul-de-sac near Hillcrest Baptist Church. Deputies believe he died after being hit in the head with an ax.
Nathan Greg Smith, 28, is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond on an open count of murder. His mother, Constance K. Smith, 45, has been named a “person of interest” in the murder, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She was, according to deputies, Puckett’s girlfriend. All three resided in the some house on Hollowbrook Circle.
Authorities responded to a cardiac arrest call at the home about 7:55 Wednesday morning.
When deputies arrived, Constance Smith told them that her boyfriend Puckett was dead in the garage. Deputies found Puckett’s body sitting in a chair in the garage. “They immediately noticed a large laceration to the left side of the victim’s head, and it was apparent he was deceased,” Deputy Robert Guy, Jr. wrote in his report. The report states deputies found an ax by the back door of the garage, about 10-15 feet from the victim.
Deputies found Nathan Smith asleep inside the residence. He told them that he had been out with his friend the previous night and had gotten home about midnight. He told deputies that Puckett and Constance Smith were arguing, but he went straight to his room and went to sleep.
The friend told deputies that he and Nathan Smith arrived at the residence about 2:30 a.m. At about 5 a.m., Nathan Smith went to the nearby friend’s house and stated that he had gotten into an altercation with Puckett and ” he thought he hurt him pretty bad”, the Sheriff’s Office report states.
The friend said he later received a phone call from a hysterical Constance Smith stating that Puckett was dead and that she thought her son, Nathan Smith, was in trouble. The friend told deputies that Constance Smith said that Puckett had been hit with an ax.
Prayer Bill Praised By Free Speech Advocates
May 21, 2010
A bill aimed at encouraging school prayer is drawing praise from an unlikely pairing of free speech advocates and social conservatives – even as some warn it could make it tougher for school administrators to discipline students.
The legislation (HB 31) grew out of a longstanding dispute in the Panhandle’s Santa Rosa County, where the ACLU got the school district to sign a consent decree restricting prayer and religious activities by students at school events. The measure also bars school officials from preaching or promoting prayers during school functions and organizing school-sponsored religious services.
But several Panhandle lawmakers, angered by the consent decree restrictions, fought back this spring – successfully getting the Legislature to approve the measure prohibiting school officials from infringing on the free speech rights of students or teachers, unless they agree to the limits in writing.
“This bill says that just because you’re a student or work for a school district, it doesn’t mean you check your rights at the door,” Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, sauid Thursday.
The Santa Rosa consent decree remains under attack in court. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative advocacy organization based in Orlando, filed suit this month saying the consent decree makes a “mockery of the First Amendment.”
First Amendment advocates say the legislation — expected to be sent soon to Gov. Charlie Crist — clearly enhances free speech. But they point out that it could also include consequences supporters failed to envision.
Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Association in Washington, D.C., said the legislation may unshackle student newspapers from the usual oversight of school administrators, effectively putting Florida among seven states – none in the Southeast – which have passed laws endorsing free expression for students.
Student papers running frank discussions of sex on campus, drug-use, and other provocative topics usually face few restrictions in the states that have approved such laws, LoMonte said.
“This bill certainly leaves an open question about what the standard in Florida is going to be for student newspapers,” said LoMonte, a former Tallahassee reporter with the Florida Times-Union.
Similarly, because the legislation also safeguards teachers and other school personnel, it may blunt sanctions by school administrators against personnel for speech and dress code, experts said.
“The focus of the bill may have been about freedom of religion,” said Barbara Petersen, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, an advocacy organization funded by news organizations, including the News Service of Florida. “But it’s very broad and seems to open the door for free speech, whether it be a T-shirt that says `George Bush Sucks’, a Confederate flag, or students wearing head scarves to school.”
But Rep. Greg Evers, R-Baker, a sponsor of the legislation, disagreed, saying the measure would have “no impact on school discipline or long-standing rules.”
“What cannot happen under this law is a teacher cannot stop a student from bowing his or her head in quiet, silent prayer before the FCAT (test) begins, as long as it does not obstruct the health, safety and welfare of the other members of the class,” Evers said.
He added, “Similarly, no child can stand up and start saying the pledge loudly during the FCAT because, again, the health, safety and the welfare restrictions established by years of First Amendment case law still apply.”
by John Kennedy, The News Service Florida
Cantonment Man Accused Of Bringing Loaded Gun Into Atlanta Courthouse
May 21, 2010
A Cantonment man has been arrested for trying to bring a loaded handgun into the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta.
Douglas Fitzgerald, 43, of Cantonment was caught with a .44-caliber Magnum and six hollow point bullets inside a leather bag when he placed them on a scanner at a security checkpoint, according to a statement from Fulton County (Ga.) Sheriff Ted Jackson in a statement released Wednesday.
Fitzgerald was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a deadly weapon and carrying a pistol without a license, the sheriff said. He was released from jail on $8,000 bond.
Officials say Fitzgerald originally denied bringing the weapon into the courthouse, but later said he forgot that it was inside his bag.
Photos courtesy Fulton County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Today Is Last Chance To Register To Vote In Alabama Primary
May 21, 2010
Today is the final day for residents of Escambia County, Ala., to register to vote in the June 1 primary election.
Residents can register at the Board of Registrars office in the Escambia County Courthouse in Brewton or the Board of Registrars office in the Escambia County Courthouse Annex in Atmore. Voter applications are also available at the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Resources and Alabama Driver’s License Examiners locations.
In order to vote, legal residents of Escambia County, Ala.:
- Must be 18 years of age by the day of the election and a U.S. citizen.
- Must live at the address provided on the application.
- Must not be barred from voting by reason of a felony conviction
- Must not have been adjudged “mentally incompetent” in a court of law.
For more information, or to make changes in your name or address of record, contact the Board of Registrars at (251) 867-0243.
Tate Multimedia Students Appear On TV , Collect $1,000
May 21, 2010
Three students from Tate High School’s Multimedia Academy appeared on WEAR TV’s “Dayside” show Friday morning. The students were recognized for producing the winning video for the annual WEAR Lewis Bear “Don’t Drink and Drive” video contest.
Senior Denise Rivers, sophomore Breanna Harrison and freshman Amy Sapp appeared on the program to accept a $1,000 check from Lewis Bear for the Multimedia Academy at Tate.
The “Live Responsibly” video produced by the three Tate students placed first in the competition. The winning video aired on Channel 3 during prom season.
Pictured above: Tate High Multimedia Academy students Breanna Harrison, Denise Rivers and Amy Sapp. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Isolated Shower Possible Today, Sunny And Hot For Weekend
May 21, 2010
There’s a slight chance of an isolated shower for your Friday, and we are in for a sunny and hot weekend.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south southwest around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming north northwest around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 88.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 89.
Spring Football Tonight: Northview Hosts West Florida; Tate Hosts Washington
May 21, 2010
Both Northview and Tate high schools will be in action with spring football tonight.
The Chiefs will play West Florida Tech at 7:00 in Bratt, and the Aggies will take on Washington High at 6:30 at Pete Gindl Stadium in Cantonment.
Last year, the Chiefs were 7-3 during their first season under first-year Head Coach Sid Wheatley. In 2008, Northview’s record stood at 2-8. The Chiefs have a young team this year, with 20 seniors from last year’s team graduating.
The Tate Aggies were 8-3 last year. The Aggies have also lost a lot of experience, with 28 seniors graduating.
Atmore Man Pleads Guilty To Federal Porn Charges
May 21, 2010
A former Atmore resident is facing at least 15 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to child pornography charges.
Eric Sebastian Barrow, 38, pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography and the possession and distribution of child pornography on a computer file sharing network.
According to federal court documents, Barrow used a web camera to record a pre-teen girl living in the western United States. The girl, according to court documents, was about 11 or 12 years old at the time. When located by federal investigators, the girl said she recognized Barrow’s online nickname “bad_red_dragon_2004″.
According to court documents, Barrow, who is unable to walk due to spina bifida, would meet other young girls in Internet chat rooms and direct them to perform for him.
In 2005, a Florida Attorney General’s Office investigator found Barrow sharing child pornography online from his home in Atmore. The Florida investigator turned the case over the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. The case was later turned over to the FBI.
In February 2006, the FBI raided Barrow’s Atmore home and seized computer equipment. Federal investigators said they found 65 videos of nude pre-teen girls, along with 3,847 images of minors. According to court documents, Barrow would use the “Limewire” file sharing software to download and share child pornography files.
Barrow was also arrested in Escambia County, Fla., on March 26, 2009, on five counts of possession of child pornography charges. He was eventually sentenced to five years in state prison on those charges.
Pictured: Eric Sebastian Barrow of Atmore is pictured (top) February 13, 2010, in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail; (middle) in September, 2009 in a Florida Department of Corrections mugshot, and (bottom) in an undated photo.
Tribal Beat’s Moretz Receives Band Camp Scholarship
May 21, 2010
The Northview High School Tribal Beat’s Melissa Moretz is among six area high school students to receive summer band camp scholarships from the Pensacola Civic Band.
The scholarships were funded by the Pensacola Civic Band’s yearly holiday concerts at band sponsor Pensacola Junior College. The Civic Band has distributed more than $40,000 through the years for these scholarships.
Moretz will receive a partial scholarship to the Florida State University Marching Band Leadership Camp in July.
This year’s scholarship recipients from the Pensacola Civic Band are:
- Melissa Moretz, Northview High School
- Mahagony Lee, West Florida Tech
- Garrett McCrary, Washington High School
- Brandon Spencer, Washington High School
- Megan Roberts, Ft. Walton Beach High School
- Bobby Wagner, Ft. Walton Beach High School
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Oil Smell Reported In Escambia; Health Department Cautions Residents
May 20, 2010
The Escambia County Emergency Operation Center has received reports of possible petroleum-like odors in the southern part of Escambia County.
It is possible that these odors are related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to a press release from the Escambia County Health Department. There is currently no measurement data of petroleum-like substances in the air.
As a result, the Escambia County Health Department is advising residents that exposure to petroleum-like odors may cause temporary respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, such as eye, nose, and throat irritation. People experiencing respiratory symptoms, including those with pre-existing severe or chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic lung disease, should stay inside and consult their physician for treatment if symptoms persist. While inside, residents should close windows and run their cooling system. If symptoms persist while inside an air-conditioned home, residents may choose to leave the area until their symptoms are tolerable. The health department will continue to monitor this situation.
Health officials have been informed that the Escambia County EOC is reporting these odors to the BP Hotline and that the source of the odor is being investigated. Florida residents and visitors who need updates on the oil spill can call the Florida Oil Spill Information Line at 1-888-337-3569 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT) seven days a week.