Two Life Sentences In Escambia Gas Station Murder
August 2, 2011
Omar Shereef Hickenbotham and Tyrone Vincent Moultrie were convicted by an Escambia County Jury of first degree murder. Circuit Court Judge Terry Terrell sentenced both men to life in prison without the possibility of parole immediately following the verdict.
Hickenbotham and Moultrie were convicted for the killing of Jerome Peters on August 10th of last year. The defendants lured Peters to the Exxon station on the corner of Fairfield and W Street under the premise of purchasing clothing from Peters. When Peters arrived at the Exxon he was robbed at gun point, dragged to a dark corner of the parking lot and then shot in the head. Jewelry and clothing were taken during the robbery.
Fingerprints belonging to both defendants were found on items of evidence at the scene. DNA belonging to Hickenbotham was found under the fingernails of Peters. Additionally, both defendants made statements to other witnesses that indicated their involvement.
New Unemployment Comp Rules Go Into Effect
August 2, 2011
Newly jobless Floridians seeking unemployment compensation and those wishing to continue receiving benefits must do so online under a slate of changes that kicked in Monday that officials say will save the state $4.7 million a year.
Following up on legislation passed earlier this year, the Agency for Workforce Innovation enacted a series of changes that also includes a mandatory skills review and tougher eligibility requirements.
The changes were included in legislation that also reduced the maximum duration of unemployment benefits from 26 to 23 weeks and links future payouts to the unemployment rate.
The new law would reduce benefits once the unemployment rate dips below 10.5 percent, bottoming out at 12 weeks if the unemployment rate hits 5 percent.
By The News Service of Florida
Scott To Get To Work At Ordinary Jobs
August 2, 2011
Taking a page from former Gov. Bob Graham, Gov. Rick Scott plans to spend some time doing the jobs of ordinary Floridians in what the governor is calling “Let’s Get to Work Days.” Scott’s twist on the “work days” that Graham made a hallmark of his time as governor is to do jobs he’s done before.
Scott portrays himself as in touch with the common man – despite being a multimillionaire – because he rose from poverty to where he is now through a series of ordinary jobs.
So, Scott will start on Wednesday making doughnuts at a shop in Tampa. Scott got his start in business running a doughnut shop with his mom in Kansas City.
“Like most Floridians, I have worked hard all my life,” Scott said in a statement released by his office late Monday. “I started school in public housing and my family struggled financially. For that reason I went to work at a young age doing everything from delivering newspapers and cleaning phone booths, to selling groceries and working on a ship in the Navy.”
Graham applauded Scott for taking up the idea.
“I found the workdays to give me an unusual insight not only into how people earn their living, but how they live their lives, pursue their dreams and confront their challenges,” Graham said. “I hope that Gov. Scott will have the same rich experiences as he commences workdays.”
And yes, there are still some phone booths around for Scott to clean, though not that many. According to the Public Service Commission, Florida still has 51,000 pay phones, though there aren’t any statistics on how many of those are actually in a booth.
Pictured Gov. Rick Scott speaks to reporters at the Capitol on Monday. Photo by David Royse for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
By The News Service of Florida
Watching Tropical Storm Emily
August 2, 2011
Eyes are on the Caribbean today as Tropical Storm Emily spins up on a path that may take Emily into the Florida coast by the weekend. The latest coordinates, forecast path and other information on Emily can be found in the graphic above, click to enlarge. The graphic below shows several computer models for the track of Emily.
Escambia Teen Pleads Guilty To Murdering His Father
August 1, 2011
An Escambia County teen is headed to prison for murdering his father.
Warren Williams, 15, pleaded guilty this morning to second degree murder for the death of 55-year old William Williams, a retired Marine. The young Williams, who was just accepted into the International Baccalaureate program at Pensacola High School, was watching the reality series “Survivor” while his mother attended a PTA meeting. During the program, he got up, left the room, and returned with the gun to shoot his father.
Warren Williams was only 14-years old when he shot and killed his father with a 9mm handgun inside their home off Scenic Highway in March 2010. He was sentenced to just over 20.5 years in state prison and 15 years probation by Circuit Judge Joel Boles.
During the sentencing phase, Boles recommended that Warren Williams be placed in the juvenile system until he turns 21. That decision will be made by the Florida Department of Corrections.
Warren Williams’ only brother, 12-year old Sawyer, committed suicide in 2003. The defense claimed Warren Williams suffered depression from the traumatic event.
5 Juveniles Charged For ‘Mafia’ Graffiti At Bratt Park
August 1, 2011
Five juveniles ranging in age from 9 to 16 have been arrested for allegedly defacing the Bratt Community Park back in June with claims about the “mafia”.
Sometime June 9 or 10, deputies said the five juveniles used paint and permanent markers to leave graffiti on 13 picnic tables, the playground equipment, concrete and a covered shelter at the Bratt Community Park on West Highway, near Northview High School.
The five juveniles charged were a 9-year old male from Walnut Hill, a 16-year old female from Walnut Hill, a 12-year old male from Pensacola, a 16-year old female from Century and a
13-year old male from Walnut Hill. All were charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the juveniles were questioned in the presence of the parents, and all admitted to taking part in the incident. Their parents were all described by the Sheriff’s Office as being extremely cooperative in the investigation.
Much of the graffit referenced the “ICP”, “Wicked Clowns”, “Juggalos” and “Hatchet Man Mafia” — all references to the music and personas of Insane Clown Posse, a hardcore hip hop duo known for their supernatural and horror-themed graphic lyrics.
“The hatchet man mafia rules you and the park,” a paragraph of profanity-laced graffiti read on a children’s slide.
The graffiti at North Escambia’s newest park, which was completed last fall, was full of profanity on the picnic tables and children’s playground. It also contained references to several names and even phone numbers — giving the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office several leads on the culprits.
Most of the graffiti was removed from the park by an Escambia County prisoner work crew at an approximate cost to the county of $250.
Editor’s note: Names of juveniles charged with misdemeanors in Florida are not public record.
Pictured: Five juveniles have been charged in connection with this graffiti that was discovered in mid-June at the Bratt Community Park. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Member To Be Sworn In For Century Town Council Tonight
August 1, 2011
The Century Town Council is set to discuss ordinary business tonight — after swearing in a new council member.
Annie Carter Savage will be sworn in as council member for Seat 2, which was left vacant after the death of Nadine McCaw. Savage’s appointment was unanimous at the council’s last meeting on July 18.
The council’s agenda for Monday night includes regular business — paying bills and hearing a report from the mayor.
Coming up on Thursday, a special budget workshop will be held for department heads to present their budget requests to the town council. The meeting will take place at 2 p.m. at the Century Town Hall. The public is invited to attend.
Pictured top: Anne Carter Savage sits in the audience at July 18’s Century Town Council meeting. She will be sworn in as a council member Monday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Hot Weather Continues
August 1, 2011
Tuesday will be another hot one, with a heat advisory in effect for heat index expected to reach 107 to 112 degrees.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight…Mostly cloudy early in the evening becoming partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms early in the evening. Lows in the mid 70s. Southwest winds around 5
- mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
- Tuesday…Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms through the day. Highs in the upper 90s. East winds around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent. Heat index readings 107 to 112.
- Tuesday Night…Partly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening. Lows in the mid 70s. Southwest winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming light. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
- Wednesday…Sunny. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms through the day. Highs around 100. Northwest winds around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Wednesday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 70s. Southwest winds around 5 mph in the evening becoming light.
- Thursday…Sunny. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms through the day. Highs around 100. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Thursday Night…Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 70s.
- Friday…Mostly sunny. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 90s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Friday Night…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Saturday…Mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 90s. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.
- Saturday Night…Partly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Sunday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Sunday Night…Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 70s. Chance of precipitation 20 percent.
- Monday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 90s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
State Retirement System Sees Big Growth
August 1, 2011
.In the three months since the legislative session ended, the Florida Retirement System has seen a substantial uptick in the number of new retirees.
Likely at least in part in response to a new law that dramatically changed the state’s retirement plan, requiring employee contributions for the first time in three decades, about 10,100 people chose to enter retirement or exited the state’s deferred retirement plan in May, June and July, an increase of more than 900 people from the same time last year.
The Florida Retirement System serves employees of state and local governments, including all public school teachers, county governments, and the state’s universities and community colleges. There are nearly 1 million participants in the program, making it one of the largest public retirement systems in the country.
Most of the FRS participants are enrolled in the pension plan, which gives employees a set amount of money each month upon retirement, with the amount depending on years in service. The retirement system also offers a 401(k)-style investment plan.
The new law requires employees to contribute 3 percent of their paychecks to their retirement, raised the retirement age for employees and reduced cost of living adjustments. Supporters of the changes, including Gov. Rick Scott, argue that public employees were receiving better benefits than private sector workers and that requiring contributions was the right thing to do to protect taxpayer dollars.
But unions that represent FRS members say pension benefits are one of the few perks of the job, with many workers going years without pay increases and earning salaries lower than private sector counterparts.
The increased number of retirees did not surprise critics of the new law.
“They are creating a lot of incentives not to work for the state,” said Doug Martin, a lobbyist for a union that represents state and local employees.
Because some of the changes under the new law go into effect on July 1, some Florida Retirement System members were incentivized to retire or exit the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) before that date.
Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pudlow said some teachers chose retirement this year because of many changes with their profession, including the new teacher merit pay law that ties salaries to test scores.
“Some folks said it’s just not worth it,” Pudlow said. “There are a number of people who probably would have stuck around for a few more years and the constant volatility in their jobs made them decide to go ahead and leave.”
Martin, who works for the Florida chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said FRS members are concerned about changes to the popular deferred retirement plan.
Information on how many FRS members enrolled in the deferred retirement plan during the same post-legislative session time period won’t be available until early August, a Department of Management Services spokesman said.
The deferred retirement program is designed to promote early retirement. DROP participants can start drawing their pensions while still continuing to work for up to five years. The pensions sit in an interest-bearing account until the actual date of retirement, when the employee receives a lump sum payout.
But the new law changes how much interest a DROP account earns, from 6.5 percent 1.3 percent.
“For the folks that we represent, the average pay out would have been something like $72,000,” Martin said. “That is going to go down to less than $60,000. That is obviously a very significant decrease.”
Martin also said the more experienced employees are incentivized to leave.
“If you have worked 30 years for the state, you would essentially get no additional retirement benefit for staying and you would be working for less,” Martin said.
Martin said there has also been uneven implementation of the new law, with some FRS entities incorrectly taking money out of employee paychecks in June, a month before the new law went into effect.
The Florida Education Association and several other union groups have filed a lawsuit challenging the required new contributions as unconstitutional. A court date is set this fall to consider the merits of the challenge, but both sides say they expect the final arbiter to be the Florida Supreme Court.
The changes made this year by lawmakers were the most significant to the pension system since the 401(k)-style investment plan was added more than 10 years ago, and many union groups representing teachers, police officers and firefighters, and other state and county employees vehemently opposed the changes.
While Scott has hinted he is interested in more pension changes, calling this year’s law a “first step,” Martin said he doubts the Legislature is interested in making additional changes next legislative session.
“What we’ve been hearing is the Legislature is going to be primarily concerned with redistricting,” Martin said. “With the improved financial position of the state and of the retirement system and the amount of time and grief this brought to the legislators, going back and ripping that scab off that wound isn’t their first priority.”
By Lilly Rockwell
The News Service of Florida
Debt Limit Deal Could Push Prices Up At The Pump
August 1, 2011
A deal reached Sunday night to raise the national debt limit may push prices up at the pump this week.
Retail gas prices in the North Escambia area remained relatively unchanged last week as oil prices fluctuated when the government initially failed to reach a compromise on a plan to raise the national debt limit and as Tropical Storm Don closed oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
A barrel of oil dropped $4.17 during the week to close at $95.70 a barrel, partial on news that the economy grew less than expected in the second quarter. But oil futures began to climb Sunday night after President Obama said leaders of both parties in the House and Senate had agreed to a compromise to raise the nation’s debt limit.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas Sunday in Escambia County was $3.71, down slightly from a week ago at $3.74 and up sharply from $3.47 a month ago.
Pictured above: A gallon of regular unleaded gas was $3.72 Sunday night at a station in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.