Allentown Community Without Power
June 28, 2011
Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers served by a substation in Allentown in Santa Rosa County were without power this morning. The electric cooperative was forced to cut power to the substation to make repairs and equipment upgrades. Power was expected to be restored by Tuesday afternoon.
Man Dies In Atmore Wreck (With Photo Gallery)
June 28, 2011
One person died in a three vehicle collision on Highway 21 at Fountain Prison in Atmore this morning.
Jessie Hemphill, 73, of Geraldine, Alabama, was pronounced dead on the scene. Witnesses said Hemphill was northbound in a 1996 Jaguar when he collided with a southbound 2005 Freightliner operated by Standard Furniture of Bay Minette. Witnesses said he attempted to pass a Nissan Maxima when the rear wheels of the tractor and wheels of the trailer hit the Jaguar.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
The driver of the Maxima, 47-year old Patricia Ann Myers of Atmore, was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then transferred by LifeFlight to USA Medical Center in Mobile. Her condition was not available. The driver of the semi-truck, Robert Earl Stevens, 44, of Bay Minette, was not injured.
The accident is still under investigation by Alabama State Troopers.
Pictured: The driver of this Jaguar (top) was killed after colliding with this 18-wheeler (below). A passenger in a third vehicle (pictured inset) was also injured in the wreck on Highway 21 at Fountain Prison in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Man Second Candidate To Prefile For District 5 Commission Seat
June 28, 2011
A second candidate has tossed their name into the running for the Escambia County Commission District 5 seat currently held by Kevin White of Molino.
Dennis Wiggins of Killam Road, Century, prefiled Monday for the job. He will run on the 2012 ballot as an independent with no party affiliation.
Sam Archer of Cantonment was the first candidate to announce for the seat back on June 15. He will run as a Republican.
Tri-County Advances In Tournament Play, NWE Still Alive
June 28, 2011
The 9-10 and 11-12 year old Tri-County All Stars are moving on undefeated in Florida District 1 Little League tournament play after wins Monday evening, while Northwest Escambia remains alive in 11-12 year old play.
Tri-County 2 Niceville White 1 (ages 9-10)
The Tri-County 9-10 year olds came from behind in the sixth inning to win their second round playoff game Tuesday evening, 2-1 over Niceville White.
Tri-County was led by Judd Smith who went 3-3 with a three singles. Seth Killam went 2-4 with a single and a double, and both Trevor Flowers and Jackson Free went 1-3 with a single. Flowers allowed just two Niceville hits and striking out three. Killam struck out four of six batters.
Tri-County allowed just three errors during the game.
Tri-County advances to the next round at 7:30 Wednesday in Shalimar. Tri-County will face Niceville Maroon, which beat Shalimar 13-1 Monday.
Tri-County 8 Northwest Escambia 3 (ages 11-12)
Tri-County’s 11-12 year old All Stars defeated Northwest Escambia 8-3 Monday evening. With the win, Tri-County advances to take on Niceville at 7:30 Wednesday in Niceville. Northwest Escambia gets another shot in the loser’s bracket Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. against DeFuniak Springs.
Pictured top: Jackson Free slides in for the Tri-County 9-10 year olds. Pictured inset: Nathan Archer on the mound for Tri-County. Submitted photos by Tammie Free for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Three Years In State Prison After Shot Fired Into Molino Home
June 28, 2011
A gunshot fired into a Molino home back in March has landed one man in prison for three years.
Three people were arrested after a resident in the 6000 block of Highway 99 near Blackberry Lane reported that someone fired a shot into their home on March 16, 2011.
Anthony Taylor Crepeau, 21, of Gulf Breeze, received a minimum mandatory sentence of three years in state prison for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. Zachary Brandon Miller, 20, of Cantonment was sentenced to six months probation on a disorderly conduct charge. And Riley Edward Baldwin, 35, of Pensacola, pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge and adjudication was withheld.
All three men were ordered to pay restitution ranging from $400 to $850.
The three were, according to deputies, firing at targets in a nearby field. All three claimed to have never shot in the direction of the house, but deputies said they would have had to intentionally pointed a weapon in the direction of the residence in order to strike it. Deputies found the trio with a shotgun, a handgun, an AK-47, a Keltec semi-automatic rifle and what appeared to be a Mac 10 pistol.
According to deputies, the bullet fired into the residence exploded a window, went through a wall and struck a kitchen cabinet. The bullet reportedly passed just above the head of someone inside the residence.
Crepeau’s father, the owner of the property where the three men were found, told deputies that they did not have permission to be on his property shooting firearms.
The home is located about 500 feet off Highway 99.
Pictured above: Escambia County deputies investigate after a shot was reportedly fired into a Molino home Wednesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bond Revoked For Century Robbery Suspect
June 28, 2011
A Century man accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend and taking her cash is back behind bars, facing an additional charge for trying to run from deputies.
Kendrick Jamar Washington, 22, is charged with grand theft, battery and robbery in connection with the April 5 incident at an apartment on Freedom Road in Century.
Washington allegedly took $1,500 in cash from the wallet of his ex-girlfriend after punching and kicking her. He told deputies that the woman gave him the cash and denied attacking her. He told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that the victim called him and admitted to lying to deputies.
He was arrested on an outstanding warrant on May 6 for the alleged incident and released on bond. On June 15, Judge Jan Shackleford granted a request by the State Attorney’s Office to revoke Washington’s bond and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
When Escambia County sheriff’s deputies attempted to rearrest Washington over the weekend after a traffic stop on Pond Street, he allegedly pushed away a deputy and tried to run. That’s when he was “taken to the ground” by three deputies. The entire incident, according to the arrest report, was recorded on video. Washington is now facing an additional charge of resisting arrest.
Washington is back behind bars in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Florida Ag Officer Jailed
June 28, 2011
A Florida Department of Agriculture officer, previous accused of beating his wife, was arrested Monday on multiple charges of cruelty to a child.
Justin Wade Potts, 35, is also facing charges of domestic battery by strangulation and kidnapping false imprisonment. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Potts and his wife had argued for several days because she wanted a divorce. The victim told deputies that Potts grabbed her, threw her around their home, held her down and choked her during a one and half hour ordeal.
Potts is the son of a former Pensacola Police Department chief.
Health Alert Rescinded For Bayou After 2.2 Million Gallon Sewage Spill
June 28, 2011
The Escambia County Health Department has rescinded a health alert issued for Thompson’s Bayou near the Escambia River. The alert was issued last week after a ECUA pipe failure dumped 2.2 million gallons of untreated sewage into the bayou, located near the University of West Florida.
“The health department feels that water quality in this area has improved considerably due to the reduction in bacteria levels,” according to a statement released Monday afternoon following bacteriological sampling.
For an earlier story about the sewage spill, click here.
Summer Reading Programs Continue In Century, Molino, Flomaton
June 28, 2011
There are two summer reading program this week in the North Escambia area.
The Molino Park Elementary School Library will be open Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon for students and their parents. Students are encouraged to dress in red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July a few days early. There will be guest readers along with activities related to the stories that are read. Parents and students can check out books, and students can take Accelerated Reader tests. Parents are required to stay with their children.
The summer reading program begins Thursday at the Flomaton Public Library. Programs will be held each Thursday through August 4 from 10-11 am.
Pictured: Students and parents enjoyed story time on June 15 at the Molino Park Elementary School Library. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Scott Signs Off On Unemployment Benefit Cut
June 28, 2011
Jobless Floridians will be cut off from unemployment benefits more quickly under a measure signed into law Monday by Gov. Rick Scott.
The bill (HB 7005) immediately scales back the number of weeks for state unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 23 weeks, causing emergency federal benefits to kick in more quickly and essentially shaving three weeks off the total run of benefits.
Under the measure, the number of weeks of unemployment insurance available would gradually decline further once the unemployment rate dips below 10.5 percent, bottoming out at 12 weeks if the unemployment rate hits 5 percent.
The bill also makes it more difficult for Floridians who lose their jobs to qualify for unemployment benefits to begin with.
The current maximum unemployment benefit dollar amount stays the same under the measure, at $275 a week, already near the bottom of states. Federal statistics show the state’s average weekly benefit is just over $230.
Scott’s signature was widely expected; he hailed the House version of the measure when it passed during the spring legislative session.
It was a major priority for the state’s business groups, who feared a continuing increase in taxes as the unemployment rate hovers above 10 percent, and following the fund borrowing $2 billion from the federal government. The trust fund is funded with taxes on employers.
“We think it’s really a step in the right direction to make the system more sustainable long-term,” said Tammy Perdue, general counsel for Associated Industries of Florida, one of the bill’s main backers.
Perdue said the minimum tax rate for businesses has tripled over the last year and could triple again unless the state found a way to rein in the system.
Opponents slammed the changes, saying they come at the worst possible time and could hurt the economy by ending state aid for those most likely to spend it.
“This was a ghoulish attack on the victims of the recession to benefit the big guys at the top that caused it,” said Rich Templin, a lobbyist for AFL-CIO.
Templin said the focus on keeping business taxes as low as possible was a misplaced priority.
“Business does not need another tax cut,” he said. “What business needs are customers.”
By Brandon Larrabee
The News Service of Florida