No Injuries In Reported Hwy 97 Crash
April 21, 2011
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a single vehicle crash on Highway 97 just south of Howell Road just before 7 a.m. Thursday. They found that the driver of this Nissan Quest had lost control in a curve and ran off the road into a ditch. There were no injuries. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Third Grader Brings Mom’s Marijuana To School
April 20, 2011
A third grade student brought marijuana to and Escambia County school on Tuesday, launching an investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families.
The 8-year-old girl, who attends Lincoln Park Elementary School, took the marijuana from her jacket pocket and told her teacher, “This is some of my mom’s weed. It’s what my mother puts in blunts”, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
According to deputies, the teacher, who says she was given the marijuana between the hour of 1 and 2 p.m., waited for the student to board a bus and leave school before she informed the principal about the incident. The sheriff’s office was informed at 2:20 p.m.
A deputy tried to locate the student’s mother by going to an address the school has on file for the student. While at that address the deputy was told by the student’s grandmother that her granddaughter didn’t live there, and she didn’t know where she currently resided.
“A good many societal problems are a direct result of irresponsible parenting,” said sheriff’s office spokesman Deputy Chris Welborn. “Children are being raised in an atmosphere that drugs and violence are normal,” he said. “It’s sad that this child had access to the stuff and was actually able to bring it to school.”
The student isn’t facing any charges, but the incident is currently under investigation by both the Sheriff’s Office and the State Department of Children and Family Services.
Deputies Seek Cop Impersonators That Targeted Elderly Lady
April 20, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the report of a man and woman impersonating police officers on Wednesday and defrauding an elderly Pensacola woman.
The couple approached the victim between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. at her residence in the 7000 block of Aaron Dr. and told her they were investigating her grandson for stealing money from her checking account.
After allowing the suspects to enter and search her home, the victim was told that she needed to accompany the two to her bank and transfer funds out of her account.
“The suspects in this case identified themselves as police officers and threatened the victim with arrest if she didn’t cooperate with them,” said sheriff’s office spokesman Deputy Chris Welborn. “They convinced the victim that this was standard investigative procedures and she trusted them.”
The victim told deputies that she allowed the female suspect to drive her vehicle to her bank while the male suspect followed in a white sport utility vehicle.
While at the bank, deputies say that the female suspect told the victim to fill out a withdrawal slip for $5,000 and sign it. The suspect obtained the victim’s identification card and the withdrawal slip and took the money from the account.
The victim was driven back to her residence and told by both suspects to keep this matter confidential, and if she didn’t she could be subject to arrest. The male suspect then handed over her checkbook but it is believed he kept some of her unwritten checks.
Shortly after this incident a second check was cashed for an additional $5000.
The male suspect was described by his victim as black, between 30 to 40 years of age and well-dressed and groomed. He was said to be wearing a white shirt with unknown type pants. The female suspect was also black but the victim was unable to give a detailed description. They were last seen traveling in a white sport utility vehicle.
“These two preyed upon a vulnerable member of our society and they should be incarcerated as quickly as possible,” Welborn said. “We do not need people like this roaming free.”
Deputies are reminding people that they should always ask to see the badge and commission card of anyone not wearing a uniform that claims to be a law enforcement officer.
“Our investigators and plainclothes officers are required to carry these forms of identification on them while conducting business,” said Welborn. “Also, we will never ask you to provide us with money or ask you to transfer funds from one of your accounts.”
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP
Escambia Elementary Teacher Charged With Molesting Student
April 20, 2011
EDITOR’S NOTE: All charges were dropped against the man in this story on May 10, 2011, after the accuser recanted her story. Click here for an update.
An Escambia County teacher has been charged with molesting a student at school.
Kenneth Wayne Campbell was released from the Escambia County Jail on $100,000 bond. The 46-year old music teacher at Spencer Bibbs Elementary School allegedly reached under the shirt of a 10-year old student and fondled her.
Pensacola Police Department Detective Lisa Cutler said the girl told her mother the incidents began a few weeks ago when Campbell began rubbing her shoulders in class. The girl said Campbell fondled her breasts twice and told her if she told anyone he would hurt her and kill her family. Cutler said the child’s mother notified police Tuesday after her daughter told her what happened.
The incidents reportedly happened in the school’s music room.
The Pensacola Police Department is asking for anyone that may information about the suspect contact Detective Lisa Cutler at (850) 435-1971 or the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900.
Hacker Or Virus? Century Suffers Computer Data Loss, $9K Expense
April 20, 2011
The Town of Century suffered a major computer server failure last year that was blamed on either a hacker or virus and recovering from the incident cost the town over $9,000.
The incident happened last November, but Century Mayor Freddie McCall just made the incident and costs public this week.
According to McCall, he delayed telling the town council because the incident “was under investigation”. He said the town’s main computer server failed in late November as the result of a virus — leaving the town without computer for about a week. He said a “major investigation” was launched to determine if the virus infected the server as a result of employee action within the building or as the result of an outside hacker attack.
McCall said he notified the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office of the incident, but the Sheriff’s Office did not investigate any criminal actions, according to a spokesperson. The town’s computer consultant, Leonard Hursh of Southern Computer Services in Atmore, and another outside firm were unsuccessful in determining exactly what brought down the server and destroyed data, the mayor said.
About 95 percent of the data on the server was recovered, Hursh said. The five percent of the town’s data that was lost was deemed “non-critical”, he said. The total cost for data recovery efforts and server upgrades was $9,049.49.
McCall said that there was no indication that the server data was compromised and obtained by any outside party — including the names and addresses of every water and gas customer in the town. There were no social security numbers, credit card numbers or other sensitive data on the server, he said.
Hursh said the server has been upgraded with a new firewall and other security measures to prevent future problems. In addition, the town is upgrading the security system on the city hall building. Building security upgrades will cost $398 with a $45.95 per month monitoring agreement.
“We are going to make sure this does not happen again,” McCall said. “We are securing everything.”
$1 Million Project To Improve Rocky Branch Road
April 20, 2011
A $1,099,855.50 project will improve Rocky Branch Road and construct a new concrete bridge to allow residents access to their homes without worries about flooding.
The project will include paving about 6,400 feet of existing dirt road, adding a 100 foot concrete bridge and culvert upgrades. The road will be raised about seven feet across about 600 feet of wetlands.
Since the roadway is the only access for the residents of Rocky Branch Road, a temporary roadway will be constructed through the wetlands during the construction process.
The low bidder on the project was Aero Training & Rental, Inc. $1,099,855.50. Other bids ranged from Roads, Inc. of NWF at $1,118,951 to The Green-Simmons Co at $1,573,727.05.
Rocky Branch Road runs north off East Quintette Road, near the Escambia River.
Billings Murder Suspect Stallworth Wants His Trial Moved
April 20, 2011
The Brewton man charged in the death of Byrd and Melanie Billings wants his trial moved out of Escambia County.
Donnie Stallworth is facing two counts of first degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths of the Beulah couple last July — one of seven people charged in the double murder. The former Air Force staff sergeant went on trail last month, but a judge declared a mistrial after a jury could not decide his fate during nine hours of deliberations.
His second trial is set to begin Monday, and now his attorney has filed for a change of venue to move the case out of Escambia County. The judge is expected to rule on the request in the next few days.
Stallworth was accused of being in the home at time of the murders, armed with a gun. The accusations came from two co-defendants, 16-year old Rakeem Florence and 21-year old Fredrick Thorton. Both pleaded not contest to a lessor second degree murder charge in exchange for their testimony.
District Softball: Northview Beats Baker; Jay Over Ponce DL
April 20, 2011
The Northview Chiefs and the Jay Royals both advanced in the District 1-2A softball tournament Tuesday in Freeport. Northview will visit Jay Thursday at 6 p.m. for the district championship.
Northview 10 Baker 0
The Lady Chiefs game with the Baker Gators was called after five innings under the 10-run mercy rule. In the 10-0 win, sophomore pitcher Misty Doran allowed just three hits while striking out five for the Chiefs (14-9).
Shawna Montgomery had a third inning solo home run for the Chiefs and a two-run double in the fourth. Miranda Burkett added a two-run single in third and two-run doubles in the fourth. Doran was 2-3 with a double and RBI, and Sarah Killam was 2-2 with a double and RBI.
Jay 9 Ponce de Leon 3
The Jay Royals (14-7) beat Ponce de Leon Tuesday in Freeport to advance in the District 1-2A softball tournament. Becca Calloway went 2-2 with a solo homer in the third and a three-run homer in the fourth for the Lady Royals. Tessa Hendricks was 2-4 with two runs, two RBI and a double. Camille Driver was 3-4 with a run and RBI, Alicia Ashworth was 2-3 with a run and RBI, Ashley Stokes was 2-4 with a double and Olivia Wright was 2-3 with two runs and a double.
Ernest Ward High Grad Inks 3-Book Deal With Publisher
April 20, 2011
An Ernest Ward High School graduate has inked a multi-book deal with a New York publisher.
Jean Webb Therkelsen, a 1974 EWHS grad, has signed the three-book deal with Kensington Books. She writes under the pen name Lexi George.
The first book in the series, Demon Hunting in Dixie, is a paranormal romance that goes on sale next Tuesday, April 26. It will be followed by her novella The Bride Wore Demon Dust as part of a Kensington Halloween anthology that includes bestselling paranormal romance writers Angie Fox and Kathy Love.
Click to order the paperback Demon Hunting In Dixie directly from Amazon.com or click here to order the Kindle version.
Jean Webb, Therkelsen’s mother and a former teacher and administrator at Ernest Ward High, released her book “Feet of Clay” in 1999. Click here for more about her book.
Probation In Escambia DUI Death Case
April 20, 2011
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 12 months probation in a 2010 fatal accident.
Tyler Neal Wass, 26, pleaded no contest Tuesday to a misdemeanor DUI charge. He had been charged with DUI manslaughter for the death of William E. Carlson, 30, of Pensacola.
Carlson was walking west on Wilde Lake Boulevard shortly after 3 a.m. on June 20 when he was struck and killed by a 2002 Saturn driven by Wass, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. According to the FHP., Wass saw Carlson at the last second and attempted to avoid him, but struck him with the right front of his Saturn. Wass and a passenger, 25-year old Carissa L. Snipes, 25, of Pensacola, were not injured.
Wass was taken into custody after the accident and charged with a misdemeanor count DUI. Prosecutors later upgraded the charge against Wass to manslaughter.
According to testimony during, Wass would have been unable to avoid hitting Carlson as he walked in the dark highway, despite blood alcohol test results of 0.112 and 0.115.
Wass’ vehicle was also impounded for 10 days, his license was revoked for 180 days, he was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse treatment, and pay $956 in court costs and fines.