Shooting Death Of Cantonment Teen By Juvenile Under Investigation
March 1, 2011
The shooting death of a 17-year old Cantonment teen is under investigation.
Ryan Edward Flaherty was shot about 1:30 Sunday morning on Idlewood Drive in Warrington. Flaherty, who was on life-support after the incident, has succumbed to his injury, according to a statement issued Tuesday morning by Deputy Chris Welborn, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Several juveniles were reportedly playing with a handgun at a party when the gun went off and the round struck Flaherty in head.
Charges are pending against a juvenile suspect. The Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office, will determine if the suspect will be charged, according to Welborn.
Flaherty was a student at West Florida High School. Grief counselors are on hand for students that might need help dealing with the tragedy.
Funeral Services Scheduled For Former Council Member Scott
March 1, 2011
Funeral services have been set for former Century Town Council member Sharon Scott.
The funeral will take place at 1:00 Friday, March 4 at the Bethel AFM Church of God on West Highway 4 (across from the Century Care Center). Family and friends will gather at the Ag Building community center on West Highway 4 following the funeral service.
Scott passed away at her home unexpectedly last Thursday night.
She did not seek re-election to her District 5 seat on the Century Town Council last year, with her four-year term on the council ending in December.
Building Rented For ‘Teen Party’ During Double Shooting; No Security Required
March 1, 2011
Century’s Habitat building, the site of a double shooting early Saturday morning, was rented at the time by a Century woman for the purpose of a “Teen Party”. The shooting came after months of discussion by the Century Town Council about problems with violence, drugs and alcohol during parties at the town’s community centers.
According to the rental agreement executed February 18 with the Town of Century, the building on East Pond Street was rented to Martha Tims. The rental agreement specifies that the building remain in good, clean condition, and that there was to be no smoking, no alcoholic beverages or drugs on the premises.
Tims assumed “total responsibility for the activities to be held” at the building, according to her signed, witnessed rental agreement with the town. The building rents for $200, with a $100 security deposit returned if the rental agreement is followed. (Click the graphic at the left to read the agreement.)
The agreement did not require Tims to have any sort of security at the party. The Habitat Building is one of the community centers the Town of Century frequently rents to the public. For several months, the town has discussed the need to require security at parties and other functions at their community centers following other reports of violence and potential alcohol use, but the council has yet to take any formal action on the discussion.
Saturday morning’s double shooting is reportedly not the first violent party at the building.
“It was reported to me that there was a shooting that took place inside the building,” Mayor Freddie McCall said during a January town council meeting, adding that he could not find any bullet holes. “But there was evidence there that someone stuffed somebody’s head through one of our windows. The window was knocked out, and there was blood and hair.”
Century’s community centers — including the Habitat Building and Ag Building on West Highway 2, are often rented for community and family events like birthday parties, wedding receptions and baby showers. But sometimes even those events are not problem free, McCall said at that January meeting, citing an incident last summer in which the Ag Building on West Highway 4 was rented for a baby shower. After that event, McCall said he found two 55-gallon trash drums full of “whiskey bottles”.
“We are walking on thin ice,” McCall told the Century Town Council. “We are to the point that we need to insist that we have some kind of security there (at events).”
“We are going to be sued sooner or later,” McCall said.
The mayor said security needs to be in place at community center events to insure that the town’s drug-free and alcohol-free building policies are followed.
Off-duty Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies won’t work security at any type of party, but they will work other event types at $25 per hour per deputy,” McCall said.
The problem, according to the mayor, will be determining what type of functions will be required to have on-site security and what functions will be exempt. And, another problem, he said, will be trusting that events like family gatherings will be what the organizers claim.
“It’s not fair to everybody else that uses the building appropriately like they should with respect to the community and the neighbors,” Council Member Nadine McCaw said at the January meeting, “because it hurts everybody.”
Saturday Morning Double Shooting
Two people were shot when gunfire erupted at the party about 2 a.m. Saturday — Ieshia Mitchell, 20, of Century, was hit in the left knee and later airlifted to a Pensacola hospital, and 19-year old Register Yelder of Atmore was shot in the leg. A third person, Stacy O’Neal Johnson, 18, of Atmore, was injured when he was hit in the head with a bottle during the incident.
Deputies say a gun was recovered at the scene, but they are not yet sure if it is the weapon used in the shooting while 75 to 125 people were at the early morning party.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that a suspect had been identified in the double shooting. That suspect, according to spokesperson Sena Maddison, will face a felony charge of firing into a crowd.
Further details have not been released by the Sheriff’s Office.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Church Holding Services At Tate High During Renovation
March 1, 2011
Harvest Christian Center of Cantonment has temporarily moved its services to Tate High School, and hopes the new location will draw more people and in turn provide more opportunities to address community needs.
This week, Harvest will be sending out 30,000 pieces of mail letting Cantonment and North Escambia County know of the move, and inviting the community to attend Sunday services at 9:30am or 11:15am.
“My prayer is that this temporary move gives Harvest Christian Center an opportunity to see lives permanently changed by Jesus,” said Brian Farley, senior pastor. “Our goal is to build a life-giving, multi-racial church that reaches all age groups.”
Harvest runs a food bank and clothing closet out of their property located at 1095 Muscogee Road. Each program has assisted 684 families in the Cantonment area. In 2010, the food bank distributed more than 15,000 pounds of food to families in need. The church is also involved in two prison ministries in Cantonment and Atmore.
Harvest’s facilities on Muscogee Road are undergoing renovations, including a new education building that the church hopes will accommodate growing youth and children’s programs. Fortress Student Ministries, Harvest’s youth program, has had up to 180 youth participate in church activities.
While Sunday services are held at Tate High School, Harvest continues to have adult, youth and children services on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Muscogee Road campus.
Harvest Christian Center opened its doors to the community a decade ago with just 11 people in a motel room. The church has since grown to 300 attendees each week.
“God has given me a vision for this church,” says Pastor Brian. “This is just the beginning of some really incredible things He has in store for Harvest and the Cantonment area.”
Ernest Ward Middle Names 2011-2012 Cheerleaders
March 1, 2011
The Ernest Ward Middle School Cheerleaders have named their 2011-2012 squad. Members are:
- Kaitlyn Abbott
- Jadlyn Agerton
- Autumn Albritton
- Sanala Banks
- Jalyn Bodiford
- Peighton Dortch
- Denise Floyd
- Mallory Gibson
- Dariane Guy
- Lorri Harrell
- Raegan Harrell
- Bailee Hinote
- Anna Nelson
- Hannah Nelson
- Jamia Newton
- Danielle Robinson
- Brittany Ward
- Chelsea Waters
- Tatyanna White
- Hadley Woodfin
- Brandy Wooten
Teacher Merit Pay, Revenue Caps On Agenda For Senate’s First Week
March 1, 2011
The Senate’s proposed overhaul of the way teachers are paid, ending tenure and phasing in short-term contracts where teachers are evaluated in part on student performance, is set for a vote next week.
The bill (SB 736) is on the floor calendar for a likely vote on Wednesday, March 9, just the second day of the legislative session. While not as controversial as last year’s proposal, the measure is still disliked by the teacher union and many rank and file teachers.
Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed a similar proposal last year – Gov. Rick Scott is in favor of the plan.
Also up for a vote the first week in the Senate will be the proposed new revenue cap for the state. Lawmakers are proposing to change the constitution to limit revenue using a formula based on inflation plus population growth, rather than the current personal income growth formula. Backers say it will be a more restrictive cap.
Opponents say the state hasn’t ever bumped up against the less restrictive cap so it’s not really needed. The joint resolution (SJR 958) is on the special order calendar for Thursday, March 10.
Also up for a vote on the first day of the session is the Senate’s proposed block of the federal health care law (SJR 2.)
Major New Boat Ramp Could Come To Perdido River
March 1, 2011
A new major boat ramp could be coming to the Perdido River in the Beulah area.
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission will consider the purchase of 4.31 acres for $888,500 for the first major public boat ramp site on the Perdido River. The two lots located at 11800 and 10860 will be purchased from Gregory and Linda English, if approved.
Two appraisals were obtained on the property — one by the county, which placed a total value of $665,000 for both parcels; and one by Gregory and Linda English, which placed a total value of $1,112,000 for both parcels. The Gregorys and the county agreed to meet in the middle at the $888,500 price tag.
The purchase will be funded by Local Options Sales Tax (LOST) monies and from vessel registration fees.
Escambia Students Of The Month Named
March 1, 2011
Escambia County Students of the Month for February have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two students from participating schools.
The following students were named from participating North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt Elementary — Hunter E. Carter, fifth grade; Jonathan T. Gibbs, first grade
- Jim Allen Elementary — Anthony R. Leger, kindergarten; Kornesha S. Purifoy, kindergarten
- McArthur Elementary — Jesse C. Kintz, kindergarten; Alejandra E. Martinez, kindergarten
- Molino Park Elementary — Ariel S. Ward, second grade; Kenley E. Brown, second grade
- Ransom Middle — Cortez M. Jackson, seventh grade; Angel J. Chu, seventh grade
- Northview High — Elizabeth A. Wright, 11th grade; Joshua M. King, 12th grade
Pictured top: Northview High School Students of the Month for February Joshua M. King and Elizabeth A. Wright. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Animal Control Worker Bitten By Pit Bull
March 1, 2011
An Escambia County Animal Control worker was attacked by a pit bull that was being released at the county animal shelter.
The pit bull had been quarantined for 10 days after biting another dog. It was being released to its owner when officials say it pushed past the owner and bit the county worker on both arms. The 31-year old worker was transported to Baptist Hosptial for treatment.
The dog’s owner signed the animal over to the animal shelter. The dog will be euthanized after a 10-day holding period.
Tryouts Thursday For Century Baseball, Softball
March 1, 2011
It’s time to play ball in Century.
Century Little League will hold tryouts for t-ball, major and minor league baseball and softball at Showalter Park on Thursday, March 3rd at 5 p.m. Registration may also be completed at this time.