Century Man Charged With Grand Theft, Also Wanted In Alabama
October 27, 2011
A Century man is facing a felony charge after allegedly selling a stolen boat and two stolen boat motors as scrap, and he will be extradited to Alabama to face additional charges.
Joshua Duane Griffis, age 24 of North Century Boulevard, is charged with grand theft and was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
On October 11, a resident of Elsie Davis Road in Century reported that during the previous weekend someone had stolen several items from his yard, including three used boat motors, a 14-foot aluminum boat and three Poulan chainsaws.
As part of their investigation, deputies contacted Advanced Environmental Recycling in Flomaton and discovered that on October 8 Griffis sold them an aluminum boat, two used boat motors and a Ford vehicle catalytic converter for $120.44, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
The victim later identified the boat and motors as his property. On October 24, Griffis admitted to deputies during questioning that he was the person that sold the boat and motors to the Flomaton company, according to the arrest report.
Griffis has an outstanding warrant from Escambia County, Ala., for receiving stolen property second degree, according to the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
Judge: Lawsuit Against Conecuh Woods Landfill Can Proceed
October 27, 2011
An Alabama judge has ruled that a lawsuit can proceed against the developers behind the 5,100 acre Conecuh Woods landfill near Repton, Alabama.
Repton and Repton Mayor Terri Carter have been joined in the suit by a list of plaintiffs, including Escambia County, Ala.; Escambia County, Fla.; Century, Atmore, Brewton, Flomaton and the Escambia County (Fla.) Soil and Water Conservation District.
According to an Escambia County (Fla.) resolution, the county opposes the landfill because it poses a threat to Escambia River, Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay, as well as the drinking water supply in the county.
In late April, attorneys filed the original suit in Conecuh County Circuit Court on behalf of Repton (pop. 280) and Carter seeking an injunction to block the 5,100 acre Conecuh Woods landfill. The landfill was approved 3-2 by the Conecuh County Commission just a week before the lawsuit was filed contending that the application violated applicable law and the public did not have ample opportunity to comment on the proposal.
Conecuh Woods’ landfill, will include a 1,600 acre “disposal cell” from Range to Repton to near the Big Escambia Creek. Big Escambia Creek flows southward into Escambia County, Alabama, Flomaton and drains through a North Escambia swamp into the Escambia River and then into Escambia and Pensacola bays.
Pictured: Repton (Ala.) Mayor Terry Carter explains her position against the landfill to the Century Town Council earlier this year. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Dept. Of Children And Families Impersonator Sought
October 27, 2011
Law enforcement is investigating at least two incidents where someone impersonated Department of Children and Families’ child protective investigators.
One incident occurred in Santa Rosa County when a mother received a call at work from an unknown male subject who identified himself as “Matt Lyles” and said he was an investigator with DCF. The man said he was investigating a case about her son having bruises. The called was described as very professional and he knew details about her family, including her name, phone number, place of employment, date of birth, address, child’s daycare, husband’s name and his place of employment.
After the phone call, the mother went to her son’s daycare, who said they had not been contacted and did not notify DCF about any issues. The daycare center contacted DCF but the agency did not have an open case with the family.
A second incident occurred in Bay County when an unknown male and female knocked on a family’s door and asked for their baby. The mother told them the baby was with another family member. The male was dressed in a dark-colored uniform that looked like law enforcement or security and the family said he was wearing a “weird” badge. The suspects never produced any identification or explained why they were there to see the child before leaving. The mother called the local DCF office and was informed there was no open case and no one had been sent to see her.
According to DCF, their investigators always carry proper identification. The identity of a DCF investigator can also be determined by calling a state hotline at (800) 962-2873 or a local DCF office.
Escambia Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter
October 27, 2011
An Escambia County man has been charged with DUI manslaughter in connection with a September crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Larry C. Johnson, 57, was traveling northbound in the southbound lane of Blue Angel Parkway in a 1995 Saturn at 9:35 p.m. on September 26 when he crashed head-on into a 2006 Land Rover driven by Tanieka Wilson, 29, of Hoover, Alabama. Wilson received minor injuries in the crash, while Johnson was transported to Baptist Hospital in critical condition.
Larry Johnson’s passenger, 54-year old Kenneth L. Johnson of West Palm Beach, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Florida High Patrol said Larry Johnson had a blood alcohol level of .293 at the time of the crash. Johnson surrendered and was booked into the Escambia County Jail on Wednesday morning, October 26. He was being held without bond.
Escambia County’s October Students Of The Month Named
October 27, 2011
Escambia County Students of the Month for October have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two or three students from participating schools.
The following students were named from participating North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt: Justin Cruce, fifth grade; Zykuria Fountain, kindergarten.
- Jim Allen: Christopher Daniel, fourth grade; Austin Skipper, fourth grade.
- Molino Park: Lillian Hatch, kindergarten; Brier Thompson, kindergarten.
- Ernest Ward: Ashley Davis, seventh grade; Bailee Hinote, sixth grade; Allison Woodfin, eighth grade.
- Ransom: Maurice Hendricks, sixth grade; Emma Jenkins, sixth grade.
- Northview: Devon Cottrell, 11th grade; Ashley Duncan, 11th grade.
- Tate: Madison Bell, 11th grade; Isaac Heller, 11th grade.
Here is the complete list from across Escambia County:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
- Bellview: Marissa Balkum, kindergarten, Zharius Mayes, third grade.
- Beulah: Myah Harne, fourth grade; Kaitlin Weeden, fourth grade.
- Blue Angels: Brayden Miculka, first grade; Olivia Wells, first grade.
- Bratt: Justin Cruce, fifth grade; Zykuria Fountain, kindergarten.
- Brentwood: Jonathan Cook, first grade; Drake Kelley, first grade.
- Cordova Park: Joel Lett, fourth grade; Ashley Van Matre, fourth grade.
- Ferry Pass: Ayden Bailey, first grade; Julianna Reagin, first grade.
- Global Learning Academy: Joshua Jones, kindergarten; Isaiah Turner, kindergarten.
- Helen Caro: Jazlyn Caza, fourth grade; Brianna Cox, fifth grade.
- Holm: Everett Audorff, fifth grade; Michelle Luther, fifth grade.
- Jim Allen: Christopher Daniel, fourth grade; Austin Skipper, fourth grade.
- Lipscomb: Maddison Harte, third grade; Railynn Hughes, second grade.
- Longleaf: Kaetlen Hamlet, fourth grade; Tiera Robinson, fourth grade.
- McArthur: Jacob Caldwell, fourth grade; Nicholas Piazza, third grade.
- Molino Park: Lillian Hatch, kindergarten; Brier Thompson, kindergarten.
- Montclair: Trevor Tucker, fourth grade; Charlize Wilson, fourth grade.
- Myrtle Grove: Zachary Batten, fourth grade; Breanna Ellard, fourth grade.
- Navy Point: Jada Johnson, fourth grade; Jeffrey Sinclair, first grade.
- Oakcrest: Jasmyne Davis, fourth grade; Jessica Jones, fourth grade.
- Pine Meadow: Angelina Adams, first grade; Skyler Matson, first grade.
- Pleasant Grove: Emily Johnson, kindergarten; Alexander Mejia, kindergarten.
- Semmes: Dilan Adams, fifth grade; Dajuan Thomas, fifth grade.
- Sherwood: Isaiah Brown, fourth grade; Jaynessa Westfall, fourth grade.
- Suter: Chloe Eads, fourth grade; Danielle Ward, fourth grade.
- Warrington: Abrianna Skipper, third grade; Amayia White, third grade.
- Weis: Teya Baldwin, fourth grade; Arianna Riley, fourth grade.
- West Pensacola: Gabriela Guillen-Guillen, first grade; Joshua Smith, first grade.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Bailey: Jeffrey Nelson, seventh grade; Maya Woods, seventh grade.
- Bellview: Kayla Knight, eighth grade; Joseph Milsteen, eighth grade.
- Brown Barge: Thomas Cummins, eighth grade; Allyson McGuffin, seventh grade.
- Ernest Ward: Ashley Davis, seventh grade; Bailee Hinote, sixth grade; Allison Woodfin, eighth grade.
- Ferry Pass: Allison Davies, seventh grade; Austin White, seventh grade.
- Ransom: Maurice Hendricks, sixth grade; Emma Jenkins, sixth grade.
- Warrington: Cassandra Harrison, eighth grade; Ti’quilla Hosea, eighth grade.
- Woodham: Da’shawn Clark, seventh grade; Leslie Degraaf, seventh grade.
- Workman: Maximilian Levesque, seventh grade; Lindsey Mitchell, seventh grade.
HIGH SCHOOL
- Northview: Devon Cottrell, 11th grade; Ashley Duncan, 11th grade.
- Pine Forest: Alyssa Enrile, 10th grade; Joseph Gammons, 12th grade.
- Tate: Madison Bell, 11th grade; Isaac Heller, 11th grade.
- Washington: Victor Nall, 11th grade.
- West Florida: Joseph Clark, 12th grade; Amber Reeves, 10th grade.
Pictured top left: Northview October Students of the Month Devon Cottrell and Ashley Duncan. Pictured top right: Ernest Ward Students of the Month for October Bailee Highnote (standing), Allison Woodfin (left), and Ashley Davis. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free Flu Shot Clinic Will Double As Emergency Exercise
October 27, 2011
Free flu shots will be available next Monday for Escambia County (Ala.) residents.
Several agencies will come together to offer Escambia County (Ala.) residents a special drive-thru clinic on Monday, October 31, 2011 at Little Escambia Baptist Church, 445 Highway 113 in Flomaton, from 8:00 a.m. until noon.
This clinic is a collaborative effort between the Escambia County (Ala.) Health Department, Escambia County (Ala.) Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross, local medical providers and local law enforcement.
In addition to providing a valuable health service, this clinic will serve as a real time exercise that demonstrates established emergency protocols for any future occurrence that would require mass public vaccination.
Official said flu outbreaks generally occur from November to March in Alabama. The symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, headache and fatigue. For most people the flu only lasts a few days, but for others it can lead to pneumonia and breathing problems. In children, it can cause high fever and seizures.
In addition to getting a flu shot, the public is reminded to follow basic infection control measures. These include covering the mouth when coughing and frequent hand washing, official said.
Education Commissioner Recommends Tougher FCAT Scoring
October 27, 2011
Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said Wednesday he will recommend new “cut” scores that will be used to determine a student’s score on the FCAT 2.0 and new Algebra 1 end-of-course assessment. .
These scores will be used to determine whether a student’s score is labeled at a Level One (the lowest) all the way up to Level Five (the highest). The new scores will be recommended for FCAT 2.0 Reading in grades 3-7 and in FCAT 2.0 in mathematics in grades 3-8 and in all Algebra 1 end-of-course exams. The remaining grades need more time for public input before recommending cut scores, Robinson said.
The State Board of Education will consider whether to approve the new scores at its December meeting.
“Our state has long-established high expectations for our students,” Robinson said in a statement. “As we move forward, it is vitally important that students are well prepared to move to the next level.”
Schools To Take Part In High Tech Robot Showdown
October 27, 2011
Robots will battle it out for world supremacy (ok, almost-world supremacy) as young scientists square off against each other at the University of West Florida Field House.
No, it’s not the latest Will Smith sci-fi movie. It’s the fifth annual Emerald Coast BEST Robotics middle and high school competition sponsored by Gulf Power Company. The event pits teams from 20 Northwest Florida schools in head-to-head competition to teach teamwork, problem-solving, project management and pride in task completion.
BEST Robotics Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition.
“Gulf Power believes the competition teaches students practical engineering, science and math skills, which are critical for their future,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesman. “But the event also teaches the students to work together as a team, to organize projects, to market their work and to creatively solve problems.”
Each student team has six weeks to design and build a remote-controlled robot to solve a problem or perform a specific function. The year’s theme, BUGS, refers to a conceived disaster of genetically engineered bugs escaping from a BEST lab. The goal for the robots is to recover and contain the bugs before they create a potential health and environmental crisis.
Each team is judged on its robot performance, marketing presentation, team exhibit, technical notebook and spirit and sportsmanship. The 20 schools from across Northwest Florida will participate in the University of West Florida Emerald Coast BEST hub with the top schools advancing to regional competition at Auburn University.
Area schools have been competing in BEST since 2004, when Gulf Power sponsored eight local teams to compete in the BEST hub in Mobile, Ala. The funding of hub operations depends entirely on corporate and individual sponsorships. Materials kits to build the robots are provided to the teams by the hub. No fees are paid by students or schools participating in BEST robotics.
The competition will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the UWF Field House.
2011 teams are:
- Avalon Middle School
- Bellview Middle School
- Bethlehem K-12
- Brown-Barge Middle School
- Cottondale High School
- Deane Bozeman School
- Escambia High School
- Hobbs Middle School
- Holley Navarre Middle School
- Milton High School
- Newpoint Pensacola High School
- Pace High School
- Pensacola High School
- Ransom Middle School
- Seaside Neighborhood
- Tate High School
- West Florida High School
- Woodham Middle School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
- Workman Middle School
Vienna Sausage, Body Wash And Shampoo Lead To Felony Charge
October 26, 2011
A Walnut Hill man is facing a felony charge for allegedly shoplifting $41 worth of Vienna sausage, shampoo and body wash from a Pensacola Dollar Tree.
Michael Allen Flowers, age 48 of Arthur Brown Road, was booked into the Escambia County Jail, charged with petit theft, third or subsequent offense. His bond was set at $5,000.
Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies caught Flowers running through the parking lot of a Dollar Tree on Davis Highway after the store reported a person matching his description had shoplifted several items.
A search of Flowers’ truck revealed multiple bottle of shampoo, body wash, 20 cans of Vienna sausage, and other merchandise belonging to Dollar Tree, according to an arrest report. Deputies recovered other items still with tags on them that did not belong to the Dollar Tree.
Flowers had previously been convicted of shoplifting in March 1999, larceny in November 2000, and larceny in November 2002.
Ernest Ward Showcases Talent
October 26, 2011
Ernest Ward Middle School held their annual talent show Tuesday night.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
Awards presented were:
- Kenral Langford, Honorable Mention
- Logan Doremus and Trace Franklin, Honorable Mention
- Abbie Johnson and Liberty Peebles, Audience Choice Award
- Lorri Harrell, Critics Choice Award
The complete list of participants was as follows:
- Koriaun Lewis, played piano and sang “Well Done”
- Alayna Brown and Ashtyn Pressley, sang “The Revelation Song”
- Abbie Johnson and Liberty Peebles, performed skit “The Dud Wars”
- Amber Freeman, sang “Somebody”
- Elizabeth Wright and Amy Branch, performed skit “The Boy Book”
- Reagan Harrell, performed human video routine “Gone without Goodbye”
- Kayla Galvan, sang “Hero”
- Renee McGahan, sang “Sparks Fly”
- Morgan Wiggins, baton routine to “The Way You Make Me Feel”
- Harmoni Till, sang “Never Along”
- Bethany Reynolds, sign language routine to “Bless the Broken Road”
- Kenral Langford, monologue “The Chill”
- Logan Doremus and Trace Franklin, performed skit “Nerd USA”
- Evon Till, sang “Fireflies”
- Lorri Harrell, sang “What Love Really Means”
- Colby and Aaron Dees, performed classic skit “Who’s on First”
- Loudon Leatherberry, sang “Our Song”
Pictured top: Logan Doremus and Trace Franklin perform the skit “Nerd USA” during a talent show Tuesday night at Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured below: Abbie Johnson and Liberty Peebles performed skit “The Dud Wars”. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.