Critical Need For Blood Donations, Blood Drives Scheduled
July 24, 2011
Northwest Florida Blood Services has a critical need for O-negative and A-positive blood, according to Director Betty Roberts.
Blood donations can be made in Pensacola from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Northwest Florida Blood Services at 1999 East Nine Mile Road. All blood types are welcome.
The Bloodmobile will also be at several locations this month, including the Century Town Hall from 3-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 28. Other locations include:
Tuesday, July 26
Pensacola State College
1000 College Blvd
Pensacola – 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 28
Century Town Hall
7995 N. Century Blvd
Century – 3-7 p.m.
Evenings in Olde Seville Square
Government and Adams St.
Pensacola, – 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, July 30
D.W. McMillan Hospital
1301 Bellville Avenue
Brewton – 12 – 6 p.m.
Featured Recipes: Mexican Sausage Pizza, Sausage Mushroom Calzone
July 24, 2011
A busy life does have to put a damper on dinner plans with these two simple recipes — Mexican Sausage Pizza and Sausage and Mushroom Calzone.
(Scroll down to see both recipes.)
Mexican Sausage Pizza
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings
1 pound roll sausage (can use hot)
3 cups baking mix
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In medium skillet over medium heat crumble and cook sausage until brown. Cool.
In large bowl, combine baking mix, cheddar cheese and cooked sausage. Stir in 5 or 6 tablespoons water to form a dough. Pat out into a thin layer on a large baking sheet or pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown.
Spread crust with refried beans. Top with onions, tomato, cilantro and cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Sausage and Mushroom Calzone
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings
1 pound Italian sausage
1 pound loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 jar sliced mushrooms, drained (4 ounces)
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In large skillet, crumble and cook sausage until browned. Set aside.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12- to 14-inch rectangle. Cut into 4 pieces.
Top half of each rectangle with sauce, sausage, mushrooms and cheese. Fold dough over to enclose. Crimp around edges with a fork. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Arrest Made In Toddler Murder, Former Cantonment Resident Still At Large
July 23, 2011
Pensacola Police say a suspect was taken into custody in Louisiana Saturday in connection with the July 15 murder of toddler Tyquarius Moultrie.
Shaquill J. Besst of Pensacola was arrested in Hammond, Louisiana. He is expected to be charged with an open count of murder and extradited back to Escambia County. Authorities said Besst was present when the 22-month old and his uncle were shot inside a Pensacola Village apartment.
Authorities are still searching for 19-year-old Dwayne Pinestraw. Pinestraw, whose last know address was in Cantonment, was named earlier this week as the lead suspect in the case.
Funeral services for Moultrie were held Saturday afternoon.
For more on the murder and suspect Dwayne Pinestraw, click here for an earlier story.
Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty
July 23, 2011
A former Alabama tax preparer pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to what was described as a systematic schedule to file thousands of false tax returns and defraud the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Alice Mobley pleaded guilty to conspiracy, tax perjury, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. She is expected to receive from 8 to 14 years in federal prison according to sentencing guidelines.
She will be sentenced in October under a plea agreement that calls for her to forfeit $593,949, including $309,341 in cash seized during federal raids in March 2010 along with several vehicles.
Mobley was scheduled to plead guilty in federal court two weeks ago but changed her mind before deciding again to make Friday’s guilty plea.
Federal agents raided Mobley’s Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC on Ridgely Street in Atmore and other locations in March, 2010. Federal court documents show that FBI and IRS agents seized over $300,000, boxes of tax documents, computers, vehicles and even a stuffed teddy bear when they raided the businesses and Mobley’s Monroeville home.
Mobley’s scheme filed tax returns claiming some $68 million in tax refunds, largely for Earned Income Credit and other tax credits, according to the Department of Justice. Mobley would falsely claim various dependent credits, either charged her clients an extra fee for the using the false dependents or pocketing the extra funds herself.
Mobley also “split” dependents, using the identity of some children on one return to obtain Earned Income Credit, and on other returns to obtain Child Credit and Dependent Care Credits. Mobley’s firm also prepared returns which claimed business tax deductions for business which did not exist and farm tax deductions for clients who did not have farms, the DOJ said.
Overall, prosecutors believe Mobley pocketed somewhere under $1 million from the schemes.
Latina Locke, who worked at the business from 2009 to 2010,was indicted in late June 2011 on one charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. She pleaded guilty recently and faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to court documents, Mobley instructed Locke to create false dependents on tax forms in order to claim exemptions and tax breaks. The plea agreement states Locke would use a Post-it Note and write down the number of dependents the client wanted to purchase and attach it to the tax form. Once in Mobley’s hands, she would add the dependents before filing the form with the IRS, according to the plea deal.
Pictured above: A federal agent enters Preyear’s Tax & Check Cashing, LLC in Atmore March 4, 2010. Pictured inset: Agents search a vehicle at the business. Pictured below: A federal agent and an Atmore Police officer talk to an employee of the business during the raid. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Century Man Busted For Crack, Marijuana And Pills
July 23, 2011
A Century man is facing drug charges after deputies allegedly caught him with crack, marijuana and Xanax on a Century street.
When an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Unit Deputy turned on Jefferson Avenue near Pond Street Thursday night, he observed a group of males including 37-year old Jeffery Jay standing outside a fence. Deputies said they saw Jay place items behind the fence, and that’s where they located a quantity of pills and crack cocaine. They also reported finding marijuana in Jay’s pants pocket.
According to an arrest report, Jay told deputies that the pills — later identified as Xanax — were given to him by a friend for pain, and all of the narcotics were for his own personal use.
Jay was booked into the Escambia County Jail on felony charges of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription and cocaine possession, and a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Jay was released on $2,100 bond.
Savage Prefiles For Century Council Seat
July 23, 2011
Annie Carter Savage prefiled Friday afternoon to seek election to Seat 2 on the Century Town Council.
The seat was held by Councilwoman Nadine McCaw until her death on July 7. On July 18, the Century Town Council voted unanimously to appoint Savage to fill the post until the end of McCaw’s term which ends in early January of 2012. Savage will be sworn at the council’s next regular meeting on August 1.
Last year, Savage ran an unsuccessful campaign for Seat 5, defeated by current council member Sandra McMurray Jackson.
The Seat 2 position will appear on Century’s October ballot with the newly elected council member taking office in January 2012.
Unemployment On The Rise In 3-County Area
July 23, 2011
The latest job numbers released Friday was bad news for the three counties in the North Escambia area, with unemployment rates up sharply.
Escambia County’s unemployment jumped back into the double digits — from 9.9 in May to 10.5 percent in June. There were 1,045 jobs lost, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 14,950 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 10.7 percent.
Santa Rosa County a full percentage point increase— from 8.7 percent in May to 9.7 percent in June. Santa Rosa County lost 810jobs during the period, with a total of 7,030 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 9.6 percent.
Escambia County, Alabama, had over a one percent jump in unemployment — from 11.2 percent in May to 12.4 percent in June. Escambia, Alabama, lost 22 jobs during the month-long period, with 1,875 people out of work.
Florida
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June 2011 is 10.6 percent. This represents 982,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,234,000. The state’s unemployment rate is unchanged from May 2011 but is 0.8 percentage point lower than the June 2010 rate of 11.4 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate is 9.2 percent in June.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted total nonagricultural employment in June 2011 is 7,247,000, an increase of 4,300 jobs (+0.1 percent) from May 2011. Florida has gained 85,500 jobs from January through June 2011.
“While Florida’s continued pattern of job growth is good news, we still have much work to do to restore our state’s economy to pre-recession levels, and that effort remains our highest priority,” said Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Cynthia R. Lorenzo. “Under Governor Scott’s leadership and through Florida’s nationally recognized workforce services, we are committed to ensuring our employers and potential employers have the support they need to succeed and create the jobs that will continue Florida’s forward momentum.”
Alabama
Alabama’s June 2011 unemployment rate rose to 9.9%, up from May’s rate of 9.6% and the 9.3% recorded a year ago. June’s rate represents 213,975 unemployed persons, compared to 206,578 last month and 197,780 in June 2010.
“While we are disappointed to report any increase in our seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, we keep in mind the contributing factors that led us here,” said Alabama Department of Industrial Relations Director Tom Surtees. “We still have hundreds of Alabamians unemployed as a direct result of the tornadoes of last April and the national unemployment rate also continues to rise. On the positive side, we have observed an uptick in the number of discouraged workers re-entering the job market in their employment search. There are over 33,000 more Alabamians working in June than in January, but during this same period over 50,000 came into the workforce. ”
Scattered Showers Sunday
July 23, 2011
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Thursday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Friday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Saturday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Chemstand, Solutia, Monsanto, Ascend Retirees To Hold Reunion
July 23, 2011
Retirees from Chemstrand, Monsanto, Solutia and Ascend Performance Materials will hold a reunion on August 13.
The reunion will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Marcus Point Baptist Church at 6205 North W Street.
Hundreds of retirees and their guests are expected to attend the event. A lunch with fried fish or pulled pork will be available for $8. For a lunch reservation, mail a check to Sherry Smith at PMB 133, 40 West Nine Mile Road No. 2, Pensacola, FL 3253 by August 1. There will also be door prizes, including six prizes of $50 and one grand prize of $500.
For more information, contact Seldon Pierce at (850) 968-9344 or Sherry Smith at (850) 478-7330.
Man Faces 5 Years For Burger King Robbery
July 23, 2011
An Escambia County man has been convicted of robbing a Pensacola Boulevard Burger King and now faces at least five years in prison.
Anthony Ladell Wright, 26, was convicted of attempted robbery and battery by an Escambia County jury for the January 2, 2011, robbery of the restaurant. Wright entered the Burger King and attacked the manger, holding her down while he rummaged through the office looking for money, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. Another employee intervened pulling Wright off of the manager, and Wright fled the restaurant after the alarm was pressed. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded and was unable to locate Wright that day; however, the manager was able to pick him out of a photo lineup and he was later arrested.
At the time of the robbery, Wright was on bond for burglary of a dwelling. He has since been convicted on that charge and is currently serving a prison sentence of 18 months.
A sentencing date for Wright has not yet been set. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years.