Escambia Man Indicted In Death Of His Grandfather
July 13, 2011
An Escambia County man was indicted on first degree murder charges for the murder of his grandfather.
The indictment was returned Wednesday Thomas Isaiah Bunch for the murder of Cleo Kennedy. The 69-year old Kennedy suffered a single gunshot would to his head while in his yard on Fiesta Drive on June 26.
Bunch is schedule to be arraigned July 21 and remains jailed without bond.
Fiesta Drive is located near the Highway 29 and I-10 interchange.
Pensacola Residents Could See Tax Cut
July 13, 2011
Pensacola residents may see a decrease on their property tax bills.
Tuesday, Mayor Ashton Hayward announced plans to cut property tax rates by 5.5 percent — a quarter of a millage point. He said the move will still allow the city to operate with a balanced budget while cutting $973,300 from the upcoming budget year.
“Governments around the world are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, because they’ve let spending get out of control. I want to make sure that we continue to be fiscally responsible here at City Hall, and we have to make tough choices like every family and business has to make,” Hayward said. “Rolling back property tax rates will give our taxpayers a bit of a break in this tough economy, and it will force us at City Hall to do more with less, which was my pledge to the voters.”
Each year, the mayor submits the tentative millage rate for property taxes in the City of Pensacola and the Downtown Improvement District. Those millage rates are formally approved by the Pensacola City Council during the budget process. Under Florida law, each taxing authority must submit a tentative ad valorem tax millage rate to the tax appraiser and tax collector. These rates must also be publicly advertised, and the public forums for the millage rates will be held in September, prior to the October 1 beginning of the city’s fiscal year.
Century To Resurface Five More Streets
July 13, 2011
The ride around Century will soon get even better — the town council has approved resurfacing five more streets in addition to seven that were just completed.
The town will resurface West Cottage Street, Lake Street, Ramar Street, Academy Street and the portion of Pleasant Hill Road that is in the town limits.
The resurfacing project will cost the town just under $88,500 by piggybacking on an Escambia County contract with Roads, Inc. Of Northwest Florida.
Earlier this year, the town resurfaced Freedom Road, the portion of Old Flomaton Road in the city limits, Hecker Road, Elm Street, Hilltop Road, B Street and Archie Street — the streets that were placed on the top of the town’s priority list for repaving. That project came in with a total price tag just over $200,000.
Pictured top: The recently resurfaced Hecker Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Sentenced For Robbery; One Gets Life, One 30 Years
July 13, 2011
Two Escambia County men were sentenced Tuesday afternoon in Escambia County by Judge Linda L. Nobles.
Jazz Vonshay Dewindt and Tiderius Terrel Warren were found guilty by an Escambia County jury of robbery with a firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle and two counts each of aggravated assault in April of this year. Jazz Dewindt qualified for Prison releasee reoffender status and received a mandatory life sentence for his involvement in the August 2010 incident. Tiderius Warren was sentenced to a total of 30 years state prison, with a minimum mandatory 20 years to be served.
On August 8, 2010 siblings Ashley and Travis Benjamin were at the corner of Tarragona and Hernandez when Warren flagged their vehicle down and told them to pull over, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. Warren, Dewindt and a third unidentified male pulled out handguns and began demanding money. Dewindt grabbed Ashley’s purse. As Ashley and Travis quickly pulled away, all three individuals pointed guns at the vehicle and fired multiple times into it.
Florida Legislature Home To More Than 50 Millionaires
July 13, 2011
The Florida Legislature is home to more than 50 millionaires — including Northwest Florida’s Don Gaetz — according to an analysis of financial disclosure forms. Lawmakers are required to report their income and net worth once a year.
The Legislature tends to attract wealthy individuals due, in part, to its heavy time commitment and low salary. Legislators receive $29,697 a year, with presiding officers making $41,181 a year. The Legislature meets once a year for two months for its regular session, but lawmakers are often called in for committee weeks or special sessions – and they also have to spend a lot of time campaigning and fundraising.
“It’s a difficult position if you are working a nine-to-five job to say ‘Hey, I’m going to give up my clients for four months,’ and then come back to that world for six months,” said Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, one of the wealthiest legislators. “Most people can’t do that.”
Millionaires make up almost half of the 40-member Florida Senate and nearly one-third of the 120-member Florida House. Fifty-one of the lawmakers that filed financial disclosure forms by the July 1 deadline were millionaires. Not all lawmakers filed a financial disclosure form by the deadline – more than 30 lawmakers failed to turn one in. They get a grace period before they’re penalized for being late.
The wealthiest legislator in the House is Brandes, with a net worth of $11.8 million at the end of 2010. His family sold its ownership of Cox Lumber Co. to Home Depot in 2006 for an undisclosed sum.
Brandes said he manages his family’s real estate investments in Florida and the Cayman Islands. The former military officer is also involved with his family’s new timber company venture called Tibbetts Lumber Co. Brandes had an income of $181,540 in 2010, money that mainly came from his investments.
“When you think about who could give up four or five months out of the year, (for) an employee it would be very difficult,” Brandes said. Many lawmakers have owned their own businesses or are retired.
“One of the blessings of my position is that I have opportunities to pursue my passions and things I am really interested in,” Brandes said. “I am fortunate to be able to do this more or less full time.”
In the Senate, Don Gaetz holds the distinction of being the richest senator. Gaetz, a Republican from Niceville, was the founder of VITAS, a hospice care company, and has a net worth of nearly $25.5 million.
His assets included nearly $11.9 million in securities, nearly $10 million in real estate and about $3.2 million in cash. The real estate includes three homes in the upscale community of Seaside.
Margate Democrat Jeremy Ring, the Senate’s second-wealthiest member, helped build his $17.9 million net worth as an executive with the Internet company Yahoo. Among his assets are a $1.6 million home in Parkland.
Not everyone in the Legislature is wealthy. There are six lawmakers in the House with a negative net worth.
Rep. Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres has the distinction of having the lowest net worth in the Legislature. Caldwell is a real estate appraiser who purchased his home at the height of the housing boom.
He watched as the value of his $144,000 investment shrank to about $25,000 as hard-hit Lehigh Acres became the epicenter of the national housing bust.
“I tell people I’m nothing special, I’ve experienced the same types of challenges that many other people have gone through,” said Caldwell, whose net worth as of Dec. 31 was negative $125,000.
But Caldwell says he’s keeping it all in perspective. He turns 30 in August and he only loses money on his property if he sells, which he has no plans of doing anytime soon. “I consider myself fortunate,” Caldwell said. “I’ll have my house paid for by the time I’m 40 years old. That’s pretty good.”
Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, reported a net income of negative $69,177. Pafford is in a similar situation to Caldwell and many other Floridians. He purchased his West Palm Beach home in 2003 for $124,900. It is now worth $92,100, but Pafford still owes $216,000 on the mortgage and home equity loans.
“The Legislature is a citizen’s legislature and should be made up that way,” Pafford said. “As much as I’m struggling, that is OK because there are a lot of other people doing the same thing, just working and trying to pay down bills. That is reality.” Pafford acknowledged, however, that the legislative system is not built to elect “average Floridians.”
Damien Filer, a spokesman for the progressive advocacy group Progress Florida, said the confluence of wealth and legislation is troubling. Likewise, lawmakers of overly modest means can also find themselves in compromising circumstances.
“There is an inherent danger anytime money and policymaking mix,” Filer said. “We have a system that is far too much a pay-to-play situation.”
By Lilly Rockwell and Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Robert Lee “Bill” Powell
July 13, 2011
Mr. Robert Lee “Bill” Powell, 75, passed away on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at a Baldwin County hospital.
Mr. Powell was a native of Tallassee, AL, a resident of Stockton, AL, for the past 13 years, and attended the Baptist church. He was preceded in death his parents, Bud and Nellie Powell; a brother, Raymond Earl Powell; and three sisters, Geraldine Day West, Velma Jean Smith and Billie Jean Powell.
He is survived by his three daughters, Dianne Powell and Bruce Pike of New Braufels, TX, Donna Powell and Joey Garner of Pascagoula, MS, and Kelly and Jim Eissler of Bay Minette, AL; four grandchildren, Nathan W. Naranjo, Eric Eissler, Erika Eissler, Kaila Kresta; a brother, J. D. “Pete” and Laura Powell of Nokomis, AL; and two sisters, Gladys and Thomas Qualls of Atmore, AL, and Faye and Carlos Gohagin of Huxford, AL.
Funeral services will be held Friday, July 15, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Gene Pickern officiating.
Burial will follow at Sardis Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 14, 2011, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Gene Lawson, Glen Cooley, Dickie Johnson, Mike Joiner, Mike Hurst, Ricky Miller and Billy Byrd.
Honorary pallbearers will be his friends at Boatyard Lake.
Ronald McDonald House Names New Exec Director
July 13, 2011
A new executive director has been named for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida.
Judy Burns will begin work on Monday, July 25 and begin working on strategic planning, donor relations, board development and fundraising.
Burns had worked since 2003 with Autism Pensacola and was instrumental in the startup of ‘Kids for Camp’, a local summer camp for children with autism. She also has a business background, having held various positions with Southern California Edison over a 16-year career that included service as an analyst, supervisor, administrator and manager. In these positions, she directed staff, managed energy efficiency programs and was responsible for performance, contracting and budgeting.
“We look forward to Judy’s contributions as we continue to work towards our mission of being the best available home-away-from-home and source of respite and resources for children and families of children suffering a medical crisis,” said Paul Robinson, president of the Ronald McDonald House Board of Directors.
Two Injured In UWF Chemistry Lab Accident
July 12, 2011
Two students were injured in a chemistry lab accident Tuesday afternoon at the University of West Florida.
A male and female student were transported to West Florida Hospital with minor burns. One was burned on the arm, the other on the leg.
There were less than 100 students in the building at the time. They were all evacuated, and university officials closed Building 58. Classes in the science building were canceled for Tuesday night. UWF said the building was cleaned during the night and was ready for operation during normal hours on Wednesday.
Preliminary information indicated that nitric acid was involved in the incident. Officials said the spill did not pose any danger to those outside the building.
Morgan Meets Petition Requirement
July 12, 2011
David Morgan’s campaign says he has met the petition requirement for qualification to be on the 2012 ballot for Escambia County Sheriff.
There were 1,996 validated petitions needed to qualify. He was the first candidate for sheriff to qualify in this race.
Copper Thief Strikes Community Center
July 12, 2011
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a copper thief hit the Byrneville Community Center.
The theft at the county-owned facility was reported Monday. Someone destroyed one of three air conditioning units, stripping out the copper coils, in recent days. Early estimates are that theft could cost the county $3,000 in damage and replacement costs.
Officials said the thief cut the power to the air handling unit before stripping the copper.
The air handling units are located behind a privacy fence, just feet from the community center’s playground.
Anyone with information about the theft should contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured above and below: Crime scene investigators with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office retrieve fingerprints from air conditioning units at the Byrneville Community Center Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
