McDavid Woman Indicted On Child Sex Charges After Husband’s Death
November 29, 2010
A McDavid woman has been indicted on child sex charges after authorities found evidence against her as they investigated the apparent suicide of her husband.
Karen D. Rice, 42, of West Bogia Road, was indicted by an Escambia County (Ala.) grand jury on two counts of sexual abuse on a boy under the age of 12 and one count of first degree sodomy.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office located the unnamed evidence against Rice while investigating the death of her husband, Atmore dentist Dr. Thomas Rice, late last year. She was released from the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center on $300,000 bond.
Dr. Thomas Alvin Rice, Jr., 54, was found dead from a gunshot wound at his Nokomis home on November 21, 2009. Authorities said the death was an apparent suicide and unrelated to any alleged marital problems between the couple.
Atmore Man Sentenced For North Escambia Burglary
November 29, 2010
An Atmore man has been sentenced to just under a year in jail for a North Escambia burglary.
Brady Lee Mosley, 52, of McRae Street, was found guilty on felony charges of burglary and larceny. He was sentenced to 11 months and 15 days in the Escambia County Jail by Judge Nickolas P. Geeker.
About 1 p.m. July 11, Escambia County Sheriffs’ Office investigators said Mosley took five automotive radiators from a workshop at a home in the 10000 block of Highway 97 in the Davisville community. Witnesses reported seeing a 1995 tan Mercury Marquis with an Alabama tag backed into the carport area of the workshop. The suspect removed five radiators worth about $500 from the workshop area, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.
A witness confronted Mosley, at which time he fled north on Highway 97 in the Mercury Marquis. The witness followed Mosley as he turned west on Nokomis Road, to Rockaway Creek Road to Miller Road. Knowing that Miller Road was a dead end, the witness parked his car and waited while on the phone with a Sheriff’s Office dispatcher. When Mosley exited Miller Road a short time later, the witness again followed him back to Nokomis Road. That’s where the witness stopped the chase because he said the man believed to be Mosley was driving erratically at a high rate of speed.
Two witnesses reported that Mosley had a juvenile male about 11-years old in the car at the time of the incident.
The burglary victim reported that several items in the workshop had been tampered with or moved, but only the radiators were missing.
According to the Sheriff’s Office report, the Mercury was registered to the Mosley’s stepfather, and his roommate in Atmore told authorities that Mosley had left home in the vehicle just prior to the incident. Two witnesses independently picked Mosley out of separate photo lineups.
Winning Fantasy 5 Ticket Sold In North Escambia
November 29, 2010
A winning ticket in Saturday night’s Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 drawing was sold in North Escambia.
The ticket, with numbers 3-7-14-22-29, was sold at the State Line O’Yes Lotto on Highway 97 in Davisville at the Alabama state line. The ticket was one of five winning tickets in the drawing.
Each of the five winning tickets are worth $50,833.73 each. There were also 464 tickets with four correct numbers worth $88 each, and 12,543 with three of five numbers worth $9 each.
The other winning tickets were sold in Jacksonville, Miami, Palm Beach and Stuart.
Cold Front Will Bring Rain, Some Strong Storms
November 29, 2010
A strong cold front will bring an increasing chance of rain and thunderstorms Monday night into Tuesday, including a slight chance of severe weather.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight…Cloudy. Chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Showers likely through the night. Thunderstorms likely after midnight. Some thunderstorms may be severe after midnight. Lows in the upper 60s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
- Tuesday…Showers and thunderstorms in the morning…then rain showers likely in the afternoon. Some thunderstorms may be severe. Locally heavy rainfall possible in the morning. Highs around 70. Temperatures falling in the afternoon. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.
- Tuesday Night…Much colder. Mostly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Chance of rain in the evening…then slight chance of rain after midnight. Lows in the mid 30s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
- Wednesday…Cooler…sunny. Highs in the mid 50s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
- Wednesday Night…Clear. Lows in the upper 20s. Northwest winds around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
- Thursday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
- Thursday Night…Clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
- Friday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
- Friday Night…Clear. Lows in the upper 30s.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
- Saturday Night…Mostly clear. Lows around 40.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
- Sunday Night…Mostly cloudy. Lows in the upper 40s.
- Monday…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
Plans Underway For Saturday’s Molino Christmas Parade
November 29, 2010
Final plans are being made now for the 8th Annual Molino Christmas Parade this Saturday
The parade begins at 1 p.m. and will travel from the west end of Crabtree Church Road at Sunshine Hill Road to the Molino Ballpark, where there will be a bake sale and Santa will visit with the children.
Entries are being accepted now for the parade; pre-register at Fran’s Diner, or register the day of the parade. Parade line-up will be at 12:15. Entry fees are $15 for floats or vehicles, and motorcycles, golf carts and horses are $5 each. Go karts and 4-wheelers are not allowed.
For more information, contact Jayson Ging at (850) 587-2825, Fran’s Diner at (850) 587-2803 or Darrell Wilson at (850) 516-6652.
All proceeds from the parade benefit Molino area children in need during the Christmas season. Donations of toys and non-perishable food items are also being accepted at Fran’s Diner.
In the event of rain, the parade will be rescheduled for Sunday, December 5 at 2 p.m.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month For November
November 29, 2010
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for November. They are (L-R) Elizabeth Wright, Ben Preston and Ashlynn McCall. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deadline Near To Apply To West Florida High
November 29, 2010
West Florida High School is accepting applications for the 2011-2012 school year through Wednesday.
West Florida High is a magnet school open to high school students from anywhere in Escambia County. The school’s advanced technology program focuses on providing a unique, comprehensive and useful education that will lead to lifelong personal, career and professional accomplishments. West Florida’s mission is to prepare students for entry into their chosen field or higher educational pursuit through the incorporation of learning experiences and technical fields.
Students and parents may obtain applications at www.wfhs.net or at their middle school guidance office. For further information, contact Lori Anderson at (850) 941-6221, extension 2188.
Class 1-A Playoff Brackets
November 29, 2010
Northview will face Trinity Christian at 6:30 Central time Friday night in Jacksonville in the Class 1-A State Semifinals.
No Injuries As Early Morning Fire Prompts Evacuation At Century Care Center
November 28, 2010
An early Sunday morning fire prompted an evacuation at Century Care Center, but caused little damage.
The nursing facility reported smoke and flames from a clothes dryer just after 1 a.m. The fire was extinguished a short time later.
The fire was limited to the gas clothes dryer in the laundry room, while smoke from the fire was contained to the center wing of the building.
Residents of the facility were evacuated to the parking lot as temperatures hovered in the upper 30’s. The patients were moved back indoors to the smoke-free north and south wings of the building by 1:40 a.m.
There were no injuries; all residents were reported to be in good condition.
The Century, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Fire Department responded to the blaze.
Cut Your Own: Local Christmas Tree Farm
November 28, 2010
Many area residents will enjoy Christmas tradition again this year with a fresh, locally grown Christmas tree. The Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm near Bratt is now open daily until Christmas.
“You come here for the old time experience,” said farm owner Andy Bogdan. “This is so much more than just a plastic tree.”
Visitors to the Christmas tree farm stroll around the trees, which are located in an “L” shape field around a scenic pond with a fountain and ducks. Once the perfect tree is found, visitors can cut their own tree with a supplied saw, or have Bogdan cut it down.
The tree is then shaken to remove any loose needles (and bugs), then it’s ready to head home or it can be bagged for easier transport.
During the “experience”, visitors can also enjoy free cookies, apple juice, candy canes for the kids and lots of Christmas music. “The kids can run and play, and have the time of their lives looking for just the right tree,” Bogdan said.
Tree varieties include Virginia Pines, Leylend Cypress and Carolina Sapphires. If you have allergies, he said the Leylend Cypress is the perfect tree. It will not drop needles and has virtually no smell. The Carolina Sapphire has an intriguing aroma that is a mix of lemon, lime and mint. The Virginia Pine has that classic pine Christmas tree smell.
True fresh cut trees cut on the farm will last from before Thanksgiving until well after Christmas, Bogdan said.
Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm is one of the few remaining Christmas tree farms in Northwest Florida or South Alabama, and is the only one in the immediate area. There were a few more prior to hurricane Ivan and Dennis, Bogdan said, but most did not survive.
“You had the direct damage from the wind,” he said. “Then you have the delayed die back from damage to the trees. Exotic bugs and fungus that were not here before were blown in, and trees around here had no resistance.”
“”The trees have had good growth since the hurricane. An average seven or eight foot tall Christmas tree will grow from a seedling in about four years. “They grow much faster here in the South than they do up north,” he said.
With a little straightening and tender loving care, Bogdan’s trees post-hurricane are ready for a living room and a visit from Santa. Prices vary depending on the variety of tree and height, ranging from $18 to $50.
Bogdan and his wife moved to the Davisville area from Miami after he retired from Eastern Airlines. He was looking for a little something to do in his retirement and settled on Christmas tree farmer over 10 years ago.
“I’d never farmed before, but ended up with a Christmas tree farm,” he said. “But it’s a nice business. It’s not like being a doctor or a lawyer where people you deal with are not happy. At a Christmas tree farm, everybody is happy when they come here.”
For more photos from the Christmas tree farm, click here.
The Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm is located at 5001 Still Road, just south of Highway 4. A map is at the bottom of this page. The farm is open 9 a.m. until dark daily. Trees range is size from table-top to 12 feet. (850) 327-4600.
Pictured top: A few of the trees at the Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm near Bratt. Pictured middle: At the Christmas tree farm, you can use one of their saws to cut your own tree. Pictured below: The Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm stand with tree accessories plus goodies like free apple juice, cookies and candy canes for the kids. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
