Homeowner Shoots At Intruder With Shotgun
January 20, 2010
A homeowner shot at an intruder Tuesday night in Cantonment, and deputies are still searching for the suspect.
About 6:30, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department responded to the home in the 1800 block of Wareham Way. That’s where a homeowner says he shot at a man trying to get into his house. Deputies don’t believe the homeowner’s shotgun blast hit the intruder, but they were not completely certain.
The intruder was not found.
Warem Way is a small cul-de-sac located off Louis Street, just south of International Paper.
Gene M. Valentino Statement
January 20, 2010
First, let me apologize to my constituents and Citizens of Escambia County for the confusion related to the issues associated with this recent bid. The way this has been handled and reported, as well as my own mistake, have added to an already bad situation. As your elected Commissioner I have a duty to represent all of the Citizens of the County in an ethical manner. I understand that in the current confusion some of you may feel I have not done so. I can assure you that I have never intentionally misstated or acted illegally on this or any other issue. However, I am embarrassed and ashamed if it appears that I may have compromised my office. I have not and will not. I will explain what occurred.
As to the question of “Did I solicit campaign contributions while in my office or on County Property?”
The answer is “No”. What did happen was, Mr. Rawson and Mr. Weaver asked for an appointment which I was happy to schedule as I would for any citizen. I was not aware in advance of the purpose of their visit. During the conversation I indicated that I would seek their support but stated that we’d discuss this matter at a separate time and place.
“Did I discuss the re-bid on the Maplewood Drainage Project?”
The answer is yes. Sort of. I was not aware that Roads, Inc. was in a bid process and had a problem. When Mr. Rawson and Mr. Weaver came into my office we made ’small talk’ for a while and then they got to the meat of their concern. That was the first time I became aware that they wished to discuss a pending bid and their alleged $100,000 mistake. Mr. Rawson and Mr. Weaver stated that they had been given two different alternatives to address their alleged mistake: one by County Staff and one by the County Administrator. The Purchasing Department allegedly told them there was no recourse for protest and to talk to the Commissioners. The County Administrator allegedly told them to file a bid protest, contrary to the other advice given. When I became aware that their true purpose for meeting with me was to discuss a bid in progress, I told them at that time I could not discuss this any further to protect bid protocol. I told them I would bring their concerns to staff. We ended on that note.
I then consulted with staff. They informed me that there was in fact a “breach in the process of the bid and that the process was flawed.”
It was my responsibility to bring this notion forward to protect “due process”.
If I sounded as though I was waffling at any time in my conversation with the reporter on this matter over a month later when rushing to a meeting, it was an error on my part and I apologize.
I hope this clarifies my actions and statements. Again, I wish to apologize for any appearance of wrong doing. However, I make no apology for my steadfast desire to improve our local economy and to create new jobs. I remain committed to protecting the “due process” of our government. I intend to move forward and to continue to champion the causes for District #2 and all of Escambia County. Let’s get back to work.
Gene M. Valentino
Escambia County Commissioner, District 2
Northview, Jay, Tate, Flomaton, Escambia Academy Basketball Results
January 20, 2010
Here’s a look at Northview, Jay and Tate basketball action from Tuesday afternoon.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jay 40 Northview 25
The Jay Royals defeated the Northview Chiefs Tuesday, 40-25. The teams were tied at the end of a low-scoring first quarter, 4-4, but the Royals rallied in the second, outscoring the Chiefs by 10.
Lance Bushaw and Colton Sims led the Chiefs with seven each. Luke Rowell and Hunter Boutwell both had 10 for the Royals.
Northview – Lance Bushaw 7, Colton Sims 7, Austin Arrington 3, LaDarion White 6, Roderick Woods 2
Jay – Luke Rowell 10, Hunter Boutwell 10, Tyler Prescott 9, Todd Laney 4, Bugg Fischer 4, Dakota Walker 3.
Northview 4 3 9 9-25 Jay 1 13 9 14-40
Tate 75, West Florida High 56
Petey Jones had 19 as the Tage Aggies beat West Florida High 75-56 Tuesday. Tate improved to 12-5 on the season.
Tate: Petey Jones 19, Shermone Jones 13, Chris Walden 12, Whitney Richardson 5, Dylan Anderson 4, Jabrille Rasheed 4, Adam Stump 3, Spencer Taylor 2.
Tate 14 12 21 28-75 West Florida 6 10 14 26-56
Escambia Academy 59 Patrician Academy 39
Escambia Academy beat Patrician Academy Tuesday, 59-39. Darron McGhee led the Cougars with 15.
Escambia — Michael Hippa 10, James White 3, Nate Smith 10, Keaton Maher 2, Darron McGhee 14, Jake Wasden 3, Brandon Goddard 4, Tanner Kirk 9, Jalen Henry 2, Tanner Boatwright 2.
Red Level 47 Flomaton 45
Red Level beat Flomaton by a basket Tuesday, 47-45. The Hurricanes were led by Anthony Patterson with a dozen points.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Jay 56 Northview 39
Becca Calloway had 16 as the Jay Royals beat Northview Tuesday afternoon in Jay. Jones led the Chiefs with 14.
Northview — Shaniqua Jones 14, Amber McMillan 11, Angela Rodriguez 8, Lanecia Gomez 4, Sarah Killam 2.
Jay– Becca Calloway 16m, Tessa Henricks 14, Candice Mulford 10, Amber Steadham 4, Taylor Moore 2, Ginger Jennings 8, Courtney Hammac 2.
Jay 10 21 9 16-56 Northview 10 3 3 11-39
Tate 68 West Florida 28
The Lady Aggies of Tate beat West Florida 68-28 Tuesday afternoon at Tate.
Tate — Briske 16, Olsen 11, Brown 10, Hall 7, Tucker 6, Baldwin 2, Cobb 2, O’Brien 2, Thompson 2.
Tate 20 19 19 10-68 West Florida 7 8 12 1-28
Patrician Academy 63 Escambia Academy 44
Patrician handed a loss to the state ranked Escambia Academy Cougars Tuesday, 63-44. Jordan Jabe had 18 for the Cougars, and Amber Husky had 10.
Escambia — Amber Huskey 12, Jordan Jaye 16, Taylor Helton 8, Carlie Broughton 1, Kay Leigh Miller 5, Rachel Fuller 2.
Escambia 15 8 8 13-44 Patrician 15 15 18 13-63
Flomaton 56 Red Level 19
The Flomaton Hurricanes blew past Red Level Tuesday, 56-19. Brittany Mallet and Tara Gafford had 10 points each for the ‘Canes, now 18-4. Flomaton will play Jay Thursday afternoon.
Driver, Two Children Injured In Crash With 18-Wheeler
January 20, 2010
Three people, including two children, were injured when the driver of a car apparently drove under the trailer of an 18-wheeler Tuesday night in McDavid.
Madeline Hope Johnson, 28, failed to stop at the end of Highway 164 at Highway 29 about 7:15 p.m., according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Her Pontiac Grand Prix traveled into the path of a southbound 18-wheeler on Highway 29 driven by Willie Lee Bell, 56, of Atlanta. The trailer tires apparently ran over the front of the Grand Prix, flattening the front of the car.
Johnson and her two children, ages eight and 12, were transported by ambulance to an area hospital. Johnson’s injuries were considered minor; the conditions of the children were not available.
Johnson told authorities that her brakes failed. Firemen at the nearby McDavid fire station said they heard the collision, but they never heard either vehicle brake. According to the FHP, Bell said he was southbound in the outside lane of Highway 29 when he barely saw the car approaching the intersection. He changed lanes, but was unable to avoid the crash.
The accident is still under investigation by the FHP.
The McDavid Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, Atmore Ambulance and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: Three people, including two children, were injured Tuesday night in McDavid when this car collided with an 18-wheeler. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
More Rain, Some Severe Storms
January 20, 2010
There’s more rain and a chance of severe storms in our forecast during the next day.Here is your official North Escambia area forecast.
- This Afternoon: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 68. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
- Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 60. South wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
- Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Some of the storms could be severe. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 73. South wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
- Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind between 10 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 66. Southwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
- Monday: A 10 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 59.
- Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 56.
EA Beats Monroe
January 19, 2010
Here’s a look at recent Escambia Academy basketball results:
Escambia Academy 67 Monroe Academy 51
With 19 points, Brandon Goddard paced the Escambia Cougars in their 67-51 win over Monroe on Monday. Keaton Maher added 10 for the Cougars.
Escambia — Michael Hippa 8, James White 6, Nate Smith 2, Keaton Maher 14, Darron McGhee 9, Jake Wasden 3, Brandon Goddard 19, Tanner Kirk 4, Jalen Henry 2.
Escambia Academy 41 Monroe Academy 28(JV)
Escambia Academy’s JV Cougars beat Monroe Monday 41-28. Jordan Sasser led the Cougars with 11.
Escambia — Jordan Sasser 11, Paul Arnold 5, Blake Quimby 8, Jacob Dean 8, Eddie Agrait 4, Scott Brantley 5.
Escambia Academy 11 Monroe 8 (Girls)
Monday, the Escambia Academy JV Cougars defeated Monroe 38-8. EA held Monroe scoreless in the first quarter and allowed just four points in the second. Page Lancaster led the Cougars with 11.
Escambia – Lacie Flowers 6, Grayson Emmons 9, Brook McGhee 2, Peyton Snider 6, Page Lancaster 11, Lulu McGhee 4.
Escambia 11 7 3 17-38 Monroe 0 4 2 2-8
Escambia Academy 63 Monroe 13 (Girls JV)
Escambia Academy’s Lady Cougars beat Monroe 63-13. EA improves to 14-3 on the season. Jordan Jaye led the scoring for the Cougars with 10, and Amber Huskey added 9.
Escambia — Amber Huskey 9, Jordan Jay 10, Taylor Helton 6, Grayson Emmons 8, Kay Leigh Miller 5.
Escambia — 17 22 12 12-63 Monroe 6 3 4 0-13
Help For Haiti: North Escambia Residents Donate Health Kits
January 19, 2010
About 200 health kits are on their way from Molino to Haiti, thanks to the hard work of a local church and generosity of the North Escambia community.
The idea started with Allie Vidak (pictured left), a youth member at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and her mom Rikki. Allie saw a need following the massive earthquake in the island nation, and they settled on preparing the health kits and sending them to Haiti via UMCOR — the United Methodist Committee on Relief.
With items like washcloths, combs and soap, the health kits provide for basic needs among the quake victims, Rikki Vidak said.
Monday morning, a small group of volunteers gathered at the church to assemble to kits.
“We have had a lot of donated items. This is our first day of putting the kits together. We have a lot of wonderful volunteers helping make the kits. We’ve had about 100 kits donated already put together and have put together about another 100 today,” she said. “”We are out of nail clippers, hand towels and combs. Anyone who still wants to help out can donate for about a month. We were going to accept donations for about a week, but have decided to extend the time period for donations for a month.”
A box for donations will be located outside the church office. Aldersgate is located on Highway 29 just south of Highway 97.
Persons wishing to help can donate any of the items listed below, or assemble complete kits as instructed.
Haiti Health Kits
Place these items inside a sealed one-gallon plastic bag.
* 1 hand towel (15” x 25” up to 17” x 27”, no kitchen towels)
* 1 washcloth
* 1 comb (large and sturdy, not pocket-sized)
* 1 nail file or fingernail clippers (no emery boards or toenail clippers)
* 1 bath-size bar of soap (3 oz. and up)
* 1 toothbrush (single brushes only in original wrapper, no child-size brushes)
* 6 adhesive plastic strip sterile bandages
(NOTE: UMCOR is now purchasing toothpaste in bulk to be added to health kits before shipping to ensure that the product does not expire before it is sent. Please include $1 for each kit you send toward the purchase of toothpaste.)
Important Kit Assembly Information
All items included in kits must be NEW items.
All emergency kits are carefully planned to make them usable in the greatest number of situations. Since strict rules often govern product entry into international countries, it is important that kits contain only the requested items—nothing more.
Do NOT include any personal notes, money or additional materials in the kits. These things must be painstakingly removed and will delay the shipment.
Pictured: Volunteers assemble health kits Monday morning for earthquake victims in Haiti. NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos, click to enlarge.
Deputies Seek Home Depot Armed Robbery Suspect
January 19, 2010
Authorities are still searching for the person responsible for the weekend armed robbery of the Home Depot on Nine Mile Road.
At about 6:40 Sunday night, about 20 minutes before the store would normally close, a store employee said a masked man with a gun forced him into the manager’s office and ordered him to open the store’s vault. The employee was unable to open the vault.
When a manager entered the office, the gunman forced him to open the vault. The robber fled the store with an undisclosed amount of money. The store manager and the employee were left behind in the manager’s office, their hands bound with zip ties.
The gunman was described as being about 6 feet tall, about 160 pounds and in his early 40’s. He was wearing a dark gray jacket, gray Dickies band pants, black gloves with “mechanic” written on them, and gray shoes with blue stripes. He had a thin mustache.
Anyone with information on the crime is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Deputy Knocked Down By Teen, Manhunt Follows
January 19, 2010
Deputies surrounded a Cantonment neighborhood Monday afternoon after an Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputy was knocked down by a young teen suspect.
The problems started a little after 12:30 Monday when deputies responded to the area of Wegner Avenue where a couple of teens were reported to be threatening other kids with a gun. One of the teens was taken into custody without incident, but the second pushed a deputy and fled on foot.
Deputies created a perimeter around the neighborhood, a short distance from Allen Memorial United Methodist Church. A sheriff’s K-9 unit was called to the area to assist in the hunt for the teenage suspect.
He was captured a short time later by a homeowner when he tried to break into a neighborhood home. The homeowner held the teen until officers could take him into custody.
Further details were not immediately available.
Make Up To $15 An Hour: Census Is Hiring Now In North Escambia
January 19, 2010
The U.S. Census Bureau will hold testing events this week in North Escambia for persons interested in census jobs that pay up to $15 per hour.
The Census Bureau is currently hiring temporary employees to assist with this year’s census. Jobs will include census takers, crew leaders, crew leader assistant and census clerks.
Pay generally begins at $12.50 an hour, and can range up to $15 an hour, for up to a 40 hour week.
A valid driver’s license is required for most positions. Additionally, the potential Census Bureau employee must be 18 or older, pass a background check, be a U.S. citizen, pass a written test of basic skills and have a valid social security number.
Census Bureau hires locally because local residents are knowledgeable about their neighborhood and familiar with the community, its residents, and its local customs, according to their web site.
Persons taking one of the North Escambia census tests must have their valid driver’s license and social security card. Census tests will be given in North Escambia as follows:
- Thursday, January 21, 5 p.m.: Walnut Hill Community Center
- Saturday, January 23, 10 a.m.: Walnut Hill Community Center
- Monday, January 25, 7 p.m.: Aldersgate United Methodist Church (Molino)
- Monday, February 8, 7 p.m.: Aldersgate United Methodist Church
For more information on census jobs, click here or call Tebyl Presley at (251) 253-0622. Churches or other organization that would like to host a census job testing site should call the same number.