Christians Mark Good Friday
April 22, 2011
Christians are marked Good Friday — the solemn day when Christians reflect on the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. McCullough Christian Center marked the day with a reenactment of the Crucifixion. The six hour event featured three crosses depicting Jesus and the two thieves.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Fugitive Captured By U.S. Marshals
April 22, 2011
A U.S. Marshals task force arrested an Escambia County man shot by police that walked out of a hospital last November right before he was to be arrested.
Anthony Michael Smith, 22, was arrested without incident at the Fairway Villas Apartment Complex off of Michigan Avenue Wednesday.
“At one point, they even tried to use a decoy to lure us away from the apartment when they dressed up a female in men’s style clothes and left in a car hoping that we would give chase,” said Inspector Dominic Guadagnoli with the Task Force.
The initial incident occurred in the early morning hours of November 6 when a Pensacola Police officer was driving around in the area of Davis Street and Texar Drive searching for suspects involved in a homicide that occurred near Texar Drive and Palafox Street. When the officer tried to contact the occupants of a maroon Chevrolet truck one of them fled on foot. The officer chased a male later identified as Smith through a grass lot where the suspect ran behind a large oak tree. When the officer tried to further pursue Smith he allegedly pointed a handgun at him. The officer shot at and struck Smith, who was admitted to Baptist Hospital.
Smith walked out of the hospital before he was to be arrested by Pensacola Police Department on charges of assault on an officer, carrying a concealed weapon, resisting an officer with violence and possession of marijuana over 20 grams.
Smith was also wanted by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for robbery with a weapon, aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, aggravated battery on a person using a deadly weapon, drug trafficking; and in Sumter County, Fla. for violation of probation on original charges of possession of cannabis of 20 grams or less.
Sheriff’s Office, DEA And ECUA To Conduct Drug Round Up
April 22, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and Walgreens, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will appear at six local Walgreens Drug Stores, and four ECSO precinct locations, Saturday, April 30, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The “Prescription Drug Round-Up” is a one-day effort between local and federal law enforcement to provide the pubic a site to voluntarily surrender expired, unwanted, unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for destruction.
Pharmaceuticals are being discovered in our nation’s waters at very low concentrations, and to date, no evidence has been found on human health effects or in the environment. While the sources of these pharmaceuticals may be numerous, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been studying unused pharmaceutical disposal practices. This study was prompted by the concern that potentially large amounts of pharmaceuticals are being flushed or disposed of down the drain, ultimately ending up in rivers, streams and coastal waters.
“Prescription drug abuse is not uncommon in our society and this is an opportunity for members of our community to get rid of their unwanted drugs before they fall into the hands of someone who may abuse or misuse them,” said Sheriff David Morgan.
On September 25, 2010, the “Prescription Drug Round-Up” collected over 500 pounds of unused and unwanted prescription drugs from two collection sites in Escambia County. This year’s event will feature ten locations with deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection providing information on the environmental benefits and ways citizens should dispose of prescription drugs properly.
Prescription Drug Round-Up locations will be:
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office
- Precinct 1, Pensacola Beach, 43 Fort Pickens Road Pensacola Beach
- Precinct 2, Big Lagoon 12950 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
- Precinct 5, Cantonment 5844 North Hwy 29 Molino, Florida
- Precinct 6, Century 7995 North Century Blvd. Century, Florida
Walgreens Locations:
- 20 West Nine Mile Rd
- 2237 West Nine Mile Rd
- 4497 Mobile Hwy
- 5995 Mobile Hwy
- 870 E Cervantes
- 6314 North 9th Ave
Escambia EMS Passes State Inspection
April 22, 2011
A recent state inspection of Escambia County Emergency Medical Services found no deficiencies, according to County Administrator Randy Oliver.
Inspections by the Florida Department of Health are required at least every two years. Inspections include the verification of personnel records, service records, facility inspections and ambulance inventory, including equipment tests and supply stocks.
“We are very proud of the high standards Public Safety maintains to best serve the citizens of Escambia County,” said Michael Weaver, Public Safety Bureau chief.
Pictured: An Escambia County EMS unit from Century on scene at a February car crash on Highway 4A. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Students Of The Year Honored From Each Escambia School
April 22, 2011
Students of the Year were honored Thursday night by the Escambia County Council of PTAs and PTSAs, Baptist Healthcare and the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence.
The awards, which are for students overcoming challenges, were presented at the N.B. Cook Elementary School of the Arts.
North Escambia area students honored were:
- Bratt Elementary School – Latavia Grace
- Byrneville Elementary School – Shellie Harrelson
- Ernest Ward Middle School – Amy Murph
- J.M. Tate High School – Brenton Reid
- Jim Allen Elementary School – Zachary Donaldson
- Molino Park Elementary School – Rubin O’Donovan
- Northview High School – Brandon Scott
- Ransom Middle School – Nicholas Ward
Other students from across the county receiving the honor were:
- A.K. Suter Elementary – Elizabeth Partington
- Allie Yniestra Elementary School – Destiny Griffin
- Bellview Elementary School – Barbara Lutz
- Bellview Middle School – Abigail Odom
- Beulah Elementary School – Jacob Studebaker
- Blue Angels Elementary School – Ty Neumayer
- Booker T. Washington High School – Terrias “T.J.” Lake
- Brentwood Elementary School – Cortasia Weaver
- Brown Barge Middle School – Michael Ho
- C.A. Weis Elementary School – Zynaria Berry
- Cordova Park Elementary School – Mia Zareck
- Ensley Elementary School – Kevon Gaines
- Escambia Charter School – Kristin Moye
- Escambia High School – La’Maysha Pleasant
- Escambia Westgate Center elementary – Helena James
- Escambia Westgate Center middle – Hawk Americanhorse
- Escambia Westgate Center high – William Davis, III
- Ferry Pass Elementary School – Deshawnna Allen
- Ferry Pass Middle School – Madisan Kate King
- Hallmark Elementary School – Tremaine Bright
- Hellen Caro Elementary School – Sam Vinyard
- Holm Elementary School – Ethan Luckie
- Jacqueline Harris Preparatory School – Kemondrey Thomas
- Jim C. Bailey Middle School – Dacon Lamarr Buchanan
- Judy Andrews Center – Lindsey Michelle Barr.
- Lakeview Day Support Center elementary – Marvino “Tre” Allen, III.
- Lakeview Day Support Center middle – Marisol Zuniga
- Lakeview Day Support Center high – Sarah Pickard
- Lincoln Park Elementary School – Tavares Nichols
- Longleaf Elementary School – Gabriella Mayes
- McArthur Elementary School – Sara Elizabeth Bradley
- McMillan Pre-kindergarten Program – Isabella DeJesus
- Montclair Elementary School – Amanda Evans
- Myrtle Grove Elementary School – Taylor Hinson
- N.B. Cook Elementary School – Charles Warren
- Navy Point Elementary School – Aurora Rodriguez
- O.J. Semmes Elementary School – Taylor Delorme
- Oakcrest Elementary School – Victoria McLaney Harris
- PACE Center for Girls – Tiffany Bodie
- PATS Center – Gerald “Gerry” Sill
- Pensacola Beach Elementary School – Blair Amberson
- Pensacola Boys’ Base – Brandon Fenn
- Pensacola High School – Tae Kyung Yang
- Pine Forest High School – Ryan Trilling
- Pine Meadow Elementary School – Phenix Lamkin
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School – Shelby Ladieu
- R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School – Gregory Heck
- Scenic Heights Elementary School – Richard Holzknecht
- Sherwood Elementary School – Marvinique Thomas
- Spencer Bibbs Elementary School – Theriyana Moore
- Warrington Middle School – Devonchae Bryant
- West Florida High School of Advanced Technology – Jordan Britt
- West Pensacola Elementary School – Gina Rose Velez
- Woodham Middle School – Sakura Kawasaki
- Workman Middle School – Luna Floyd
BP Earmarks $1 Billion For Five States; $100M For Florida
April 22, 2011
Oil giant BP will send $1 billion to the federal governments and the five Gulf coast states under an agreement announced Thursday to restore habitat damaged by the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas will receive $100 million each. The remaining $500 million will be divvied up between the states by federal agencies also involved in cleanup efforts.
“While there is still much more to be done to hold BP and other (responsible) parties accountable for the damage done to our state, this marks an important first step in restoring our natural treasures to pre-spill status,” Gov. Rick Scott said in a statement.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Herschel Vinyard said the money is welcomed and will be quickly spent.
“Because we have worked diligently to assess the environmental damage resulting from the spill, we are well positioned to be able to quickly begin performing important restoration projects and use Florida’s share of the early restoration funds to assist our coastal communities with their continued recovery from the spill,” Vinyard said.
Most of Florida’s shoreline did not receive oil or tar. But environmentalists said Florida’s coastal resources were affected.
“We are glad BP and the Trustees recognized the urgency of initiating restoration immediately,” said Eric Draper, Executive Director of Audubon of Florida. “Halting wildlife population declines and beginning the slow process of restoring coastal habitats now will ultimately save money and time later.”
States can use the money to fund projects such as the rebuilding of coastal marshes and beaches, conservation of sensitive areas for ocean habitat for injured wildlife, and restoration of barrier islands and wetlands that provide natural protection from storms.
The agreement does not affect the liability of BP, Transocean, Halliburton or any other entity for natural resource damages or other liabilities.
Local officials have been pushing for the company to finance the next round of cleanup and are waiting for a response. Taylor “Chips” Kirschenfeld, Escambia County’s senior scientist and division manager for water quality, said hundreds of tar mats remain submerged just offshore.
Until the patches, some as large as football fields, are removed, tar balls will continue to roll up on Panhandle shores when kicked up by storms.
“BP says they want to make this the way they were before the spill, Kirschenfeld said. “We’re fine with that. The oil was not there before the spill, so it should not be there after the spill.”
Environmental groups said Thursday they will focus now on making sure the money is spent on restoration.
“The challenge now is to stay vigilant and make sure this money is spent on the environment, and not siphoned off by special interests,” said David Guest, Earthjustice Managing Florida attorney. “We want to make sure this doesn’t turn into a slush fund for the Chamber of Commerce.”
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
IP Awards Reading Program Grant To Council on Aging
April 22, 2011
A Council on Aging of West Florida reading program has received a $2,500 grant from International Paper in Cantonment.
The grant provides funding for the Foster Grandparent Program’s Little Readers project. The Little Readers project is designed to build confidence in young readers and to provide students with reading deficiencies access to books appropriate for their individual developmental needs. Foster Grandparents will receive training over the summer months so they are prepared for the 2011-2012 school year.
The Foster Grandparent Program provides income-eligible adults 55 and older an opportunity to help students with school work, reinforce values, teach parenting skills to young mothers, and care for premature infants and children with disabilities while earning a tax-free stipend and other benefits.
The IP grants are focused on environmental education, literacy, employee involvement, and critical community needs.
For more information about the Foster Grandparent Program and Council on Aging of West Florida call 432-1475 or visit www.coawfla.org.
House Passes Bill To Take On Pill Mills, Fight Drug Abuse
April 22, 2011
The Florida House overwhelmingly approved a plan Thursday to curb prescription-drug abuse, after offering a glimpse of how the “epidemic” is hitting their communities and families.
Reps. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, and Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, told the House that they have family members who have abused prescription drugs.
“I will tell you it’s devastating on everyone who comes in contact with it,” said Glorioso, who did not identify his family member but indicated the person was taking the painkiller Oxycontin.
In an emotional speech, the usually low-key Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey, said prescription-drug abuse is “destroying our state.”
“Once and for all, it is time that we kill this monster,” Legg said.
The House voted 116-1 to approve HB 7095, with only Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne, opposing it. The full Senate is ready to take up a bill (SB 818) that includes significant differences, and both chambers will have to agree on a final version.
Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi immediately issued statements praising the House. Florida in recent years has become a magnet for prescription drug abuse, with “pill mills” popping up across the state.
“Today we are one step closer to giving law enforcement and regulators the tools they need to combat pill mills and prescription drug abuse in Florida,” said Bondi, who has made the issue one of her top priorities.
The House bill would place new restrictions on clinics, doctors, pharmacies and drug wholesalers. But in some ways, its passage Thursday was a turnaround from the House leadership’s position early in the legislative session.
At that time, House leaders and Scott called for scrapping a planned prescription-drug database because of concerns that it could infringe on privacy rights. The database, which is aimed at better tracking sales of dangerous drugs, was approved in 2009 but was delayed by a bid dispute. It recently got the OK to start operating.
Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, opposed eliminating the database, and the issue also drew attention from officials as far away as Kentucky. That is because drug users and traffickers have traveled to Florida from other states to get supplies of painkillers.
The House bill will keep the database, though it also would ban drug manufacturers from contributing money to pay for the system. That worries some database supporters because lawmakers have refused to set aside state money for the system.
Drug-company Purdue Pharma recently offered to contribute $1 million to the database, an offer that would not be allowed under the House bill.
The bill also would take steps such as barring most doctors from dispensing two categories of controlled substances in their offices and clinics. That means patients would have to go to pharmacies to get the substances, curbing the ability of unscrupulous clinics to sell painkillers.
Another part of the bill sets up a new permitting process for pharmacies that want to sell the two categories of controlled substances. That process is designed to make sure shady clinics don’t create pharmacies to try to circumvent the ban on doctors dispensing dangerous drugs.
But pharmacies have raised concerns about that requirement, at least in part, because of a March 1, 2012, deadline for getting permits. They are concerned that would not leave enough time for the Department of Health to approve rules and issue permits.
By Jim Saunders
The News Service of Florida
Manhunt Near Cottage Hill Turns Up Empty
April 21, 2011
A Thursday morning manhunt for a burglary suspect near Cottage Hill turned up empty.
Neighbors reported someone in a shed on Stacey Road near Highway 95A about 8:45 a.m. When an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived moments later, a while male ran out of the shed. The deputy gave chase but lost the suspect in a wooded area.
Deputies set up a perimeter around the area on Stacey Road, Coweta Road and Highway 95A as they searched for the suspect. A K-9 unit was also used in an attempt to located the suspect, who remained at large as of 10:45 a.m.
The suspect was described as a white male wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans and black gloves. He is between 5-foot 7-inches and 5-foot 9-inches tall.
Anyone with information on the crime should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Northview Travels To Jay Tonight For District Softball Championship Game
April 21, 2011
The District 1-2A softball championship will be decided tonight between Northview and Jay. The game, originally set for to be played in Freeport, will be easier on the gas money — it has been moved back to Jay at 6 p.m.
Northview easily defeated Baker, district runner-up last year, Tuesday night 10-0, and the Royals beat Ponce de Leon 9-3 to advance to the finals. The Chiefs won the district crown last year, while the Royals last came out on top in 2006.