Federal Regulators Demand Change At “Troubled” Atmore Bank
May 7, 2011
Federal regulators are ordering the First National Bank and Trust of Atmore to make changes to take action to bring bad loans in line, designating the bank as being in “troubled condition”.
“The Comptroller has found unsafe and unsound banking practices relating to credit risk management and underwriting at the bank,” according to an agreement between The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the bank.
Under the agreement, the bank agreed to maintain an adequate loan reserve and form a compliance committee to ensure the bank follows their agreement with the OCC. The bank also agreed to reappraise the property and creditworthiness of large, troubled loans, particularly those that exceed $250,000 per borrower. The plan also calls for the bank to not pay shareholder dividends unless approved by the OCC.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is the federal agency in charge of regulating national banks.
The First National Bank and Trust of Atmore has reported a modest profit in 2008-2010 and has made a $47,000 profit in the first quarter of 2011.
Man Throws 4-Month Old Son, Causes Traumatic Brain Injury
May 7, 2011
A four-month old infant is in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and his father is now in jail charged with child abuse.
Steven Allen Tutwiler, 20, is charged with three felony counts of aggravated child abuse. Tutwiler is the father of the four-month old boy who was abused, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 27, the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the medical staff of Sacred Heart Hospital about the suspected abuse. When deputies spoke to Tutwiler, he told them that he had called 911 after the infant regurgitated his food and became unresponsive.
Deputies learned the following day that the infant was suffering from a traumatic brain injury, which required emergency surgery, and had other injuries that were believed to be non-accidental. Sheriff’s investigators determined that the infant received the brain injury after being thrown to the floor while in the care of his father.
Tutwiler told investigators that he was sitting on the floor holding the infant, and became frustrated and angry with the baby for crying. He explained that he pushed the infant backwards causing the infant to hit his head on the floor.
The infant boy remains hospitalized for the injuries. Tutwiler was being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
New Farmers’ Market Opens Today In Cantonment
May 7, 2011
A new farmers’ market will open today in Cantonment.
Beginning with today’s event, St. Monica’s Episcopal Church will host a Farmers’ Market on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. until noon.
The market will offer locally produced commodities such as seasonal vegetables, fruits, eggs, flowers, plants, cheese, pasta and more to consumers. Local artisans also invited to sell their wares such as art, clothing and more.
“Faith can and should be a major force for change towards sustainable development, sustainable communities, and a healthy environment,” according to a church press release. “Since local food does not have to be hauled long distances, fresher and more nutritious food can be eaten that does not require large amounts of fossil fuels to transport it. In fact, eating locally produced food, in addition to supporting local farmers and families, can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by 12 percent. ”
Vendors are now being accepted for upcoming Market at St. Monica’s. In lieu of vendor fees, vendors are asked for a donation of cash or food for Manna Food Pantry. For more information, call the church office at (850) 937-0001, Wednesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
St. Monica’s is located at 699 South Highway 95A in Cantonment.
Poarch Creek Indians Donate Half Million Dollars To Tornado Relief
May 7, 2011
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians tribe is joining in efforts to help tornado victims by donating a half million dollars to relief efforts.
In announcing the donation Friday, Tribal Chairman Buford L. Rolin said, “I think everyone who has seen the pictures of the destruction caused by the tornadoes that struck our State wants to help any way that they can. We hope this donation will help begin to ease some of the suffering of our neighbors. This is the first of what we want to do to help, and we look forward to continue to work with relief agencies on the ground in the affected areas.”
Members of the Poarch Creek Tribal Council voted to make the donation after members of the Council toured the destruction last week. The donation, which is part of the Tribe’s ongoing Planned Giving Campaign, will be distributed to several organizations. Both the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa Chapters of the American Red Cross will receive $50,000. The Tribe will donate $100,000 to Governor Bentley’s Emergency Relief Fund. The remaining $300,000 will go to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Disaster Relief Fund to assist in additional disaster relief efforts that will be distributed according to local needs throughout the affected areas.
“All of us at Poarch Creek still remember how relief organizations like the Red Cross helped us after Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis hit our area,” said April Sells, tribal emergency management director for the Poarch Creeks. “We had so many people in the area without food, water, electricity, or ice. Thanks to the Red Cross, we were able to feed everyone in the community twice a day after the storm and take care of their basic needs. We are thrilled to be able to give back to that organization and others who are helping families who have lost so much,” she said.
“We feel for the victims of this disaster and want to do anything we can to help,” said Robert McGhee, tribal council treasurer and governmental relations advisor. “Immediately after the tornadoes hit, the Tribe’s emergency management response teams were dispatched to the area to help with disaster relief. The Tribal Council hopes this donation will be another way the Tribe can continue to assist Alabamians weather this disaster. And as efforts to rebuild begin, we will continue to do what we can to aid families as they start anew.”
Photo Gallery: Northview Presents ‘Bye Bye Birdie’
May 7, 2011
Northview High School presented their senior class play Bye Bye Birdie Saturday evening at the school.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from Friday afternoon’s Bye Bye Birdie practice, click here.
Bye Bye Birdie is one of the most captivating musical shows of our time with lots of golf old-fashioned fun. It is a satire done with the fondest affection, and tells the story of a rock and roll singer who is about to be inducted into the army.
Pictured top: Josh Scott, Colton Sims and Sarah Killam in Northview High School’s production of Bye Bye Birdie. Pictured below: The entire cast. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
What Is Special About Your Mom? Tell Her Story On NorthEscambia.com
May 7, 2011
Do you want to say thanks to your mom for Mother’s Day? NorthEscambia.com wants you to tell us what is special about your mom.
We may select your story to appear in a special feature this Sunday (Mother’s Day). Tell us a little bit about your mom and why she is special to you in 300 words or less.
Please include your name (and the names of your siblings, if you would like), your mother’s name and the community where she lives. Please include your phone number, which will not be published.
Please take the time to proofread your story just a little and make sure you use spellcheck.
To submit a story with a photo:
Email the story in the body of an email and attach a photo. Please tell us the names of everyone that appears in your photograph. Send to news@northescambia.com with the subject line “Mother’s Day”.
To submit a story without a photo:
You can simply leave a comment on this story (your comment will not be “approved” or appear to the public until Sunday). Or you can email your story to news@northescambia.com with the subject line “Mother’s Day”.
Pill Mill Bill Goes To Scott
May 7, 2011
With a key lawmaker likening it to a war, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed a bill Friday that seeks to wipe out the state’s pill-mill industry and curb prescription-drug abuse.
Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi made a rare appearance in the House chamber as lawmakers gave final approval to the bill (HB 7095) in the closing hours of the legislative session.
Bondi helped broker a deal between the House and Senate that is designed to crack down on unscrupulous clinics, doctors and pharmacies that have made Florida a magnet for drug users and traffickers.
“Quite simply, we’re at war,” said House sponsor Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill. “We’re at war with this prescription-drug epidemic.”
The bill, in part, will increase criminal and administrative penalties against doctors who are involved in prescription-drug wrongdoing. Also, it would ban most doctors from dispensing two categories of controlled substances in their offices or clinics.
At the same time, the bill will require a new permitting process for pharmacies that want to dispense dangerous painkillers — an effort to prevent fly-by-night pharmacies from acting as suppliers.
Also, lawmakers decided to continue moving forward with a controversial prescription-drug database that will help track sales of controlled substances. Scott and some legislative leaders called earlier this year for eliminating the database because of concerns about infringing on patient privacy.
Senate sponsor Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said the database is slated to start operating by Aug. 28, after numerous delays.
House and Senate debates Friday focused more on the devastation of prescription-drug abuse than the details of the bill. Unscrupulous storefront clinics have operated in various parts of the state in recent years, drawing addicts from as far away as Kentucky.
But Paul Sloan, president of the Florida Society of Pain Management Providers, questioned the effectiveness of the bill.
For example, Sloan pointed to a legislative decision that will bar the use of financial contributions from the pharmaceutical industry to help pay for the prescription-drug database. Lawmakers have refused to use tax dollars to pay for the database, and the decision will eliminate a potential $1 million contribution from the drug company Purdue Pharma.
More broadly, Sloan said in an email that lawmakers should deal with addiction issues that drive demand for the drugs, rather than trying to “arrest our way out of the predicament.”
“This so-called solution has a 40-year history of outright failure, yet we repeat it every year,” Sloan said.
The debate Friday was personal to some lawmakers, who talked about constituents or family members who have struggled with addictions to drugs such as oxycodone.
Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, said some bad doctors have gotten away with “murder” by supplying prescription drugs to users. He said the epidemic has particularly hit young people.
“It’s not a rich person’s problem, it’s not a poor person’s problem,” Bennett said. “It’s a kids’ problem.”
Rep. Rich Glorioso, a Plant City Republican who has a family member with a prescription-drug problem, said the bill will keep young people from dying.
“Tonight, we have an opportunity to stop … the death, the destruction of our young ones, our future leaders,” Glorioso said.
Bondi has made combating pill mills one of her top priorities and said she was on the phone at 3 a.m. Friday with House Speaker Dean Cannon to try to get agreement on the bill.
One of the final issues was a House proposal that would have banned drug wholesalers from selling to a retail pharmacy more than 5,000 “unit doses” a month of oxycodone, hydrocodone or other types of often-abused drugs.
Bondi said that limit would be too low for some legitimate pharmacies, such as those near the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. The negotiations led lawmakers to drop the 5,000 unit-dose limit but require a study to determine a more-appropriate amount.
Also watching closely Friday was physician Stephanie Haridopolos, the wife of Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island.
Stephanie Haridopolos said she tried to make sure her husband didn’t “waver” on issues such as the drug-monitoring database. She said she has seen patients who have asked for help dealing with prescription-drug problems and expressed frustration with doctors who supply addicts.
“They should have penalties like attempted murder,” the family-practice doctor said.
By Jim Saunders
The News Service of Florida
Frances Chesteen Grimes
May 7, 2011
Frances Chesteen Grimes, 85, of Walnut Hill died Saturday May 07, 2011, in Pensacola. She was a retired bus driver with the Escambia County (Fla.) School District.
She was born in New Orleans on October 20, 1925, to the late Marion White and Roberta Eunice Dotson Merritt.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Grimes and a brother, James Merritt.
She is survived by three sons, Kenneth Tyson of Bay Minette, James Tyson of Harriett Bluff, GA, and Robert “Skeeter” Tyson of Killen, AL: two daughters, Frances Tyson Vaughn of Seguin, TX, Dottie Ann Davis of Walnut Hill; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Monday May 9, 2011, at 10 a.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel in Atmore with Bro. Ted Bridges and Bro. James Boyd officiating. Interment will follow in the Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. Active Pallbearers will be Christopher Tyson, Clinton Davis, Byron Vaughn, John K, Vaughn, Thomas “Ty” Tyson and Lee Minor Tyson.
Family will receive friends Sunday evening May 8, 2011, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
National Flight Academy Launched Aboard Pensacola Naval Air Station
May 7, 2011
In the tradition of the U.S. Navy, as bottles of American sparkling wine were smashed across a symbolic “bow” of the land-based training ship, Ambition (CVT-11), the National Flight Academy (NFA) was christened Friday at the National Naval Aviation Museum.
Supported by a $2 million donation from Northrop Grumman Corporation, the NFA is the newest learning center in the United States to support advancing America’s next generation of students interested in science, technology, engineering and math careers.
With local dignitaries and Navy leadership in attendance, Apollo 17 Astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Gene Cernan, presented a stirring keynote address, calling on America’s children to experience this academy to help them reach for the stars. Cernan was joined by Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, who is also a member of the academy’s board of advisors. Apollo 13 Commander and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Jim Lovell is also on the board.
Located adjacent to the existing National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola, the NFA is a 102,000 square foot four-story structure designed to be fully immersive and interactive. The facility will host 246 middle and high school students at a time, who can attend a five-day or two-day in-residence program, participating in a realistic and intensive training course that combines classroom fundamentals with hands-on experiences. In this unique high-tech adventure, students join a squadron and engage in missions, based on real-world experiences. The NFA will accept students beginning summer 2012.
“The NFA’s adventure begins with a land-based, simulated training aircraft carrier, Ambition (CVT-11). Each deck of Ambition is designed to realistically simulate a modern aircraft carrier,” said retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Gerald Hoewing, president and chief executive officer of the National Flight Academy Foundation. “The first deck houses the galley, mess deck, administrative spaces and the main simulator bays. The second deck is dedicated to academic spaces and contains all of the Simulation and Immersion Center spaces. The third and fourth decks house berthing, student aviator lounges and activity rooms.”
“Too many years have passed for me to still be the last man to have left his footprints on the moon. I believe with all my heart that somewhere out there is a boy or girl with indomitable will and courage who will lift that dubious distinction from my shoulders and take us back where we belong,” said Cernan. “We need to allow children to reach for the stars and the National Flight Academy will help them do that.”
All this week, Pensacola has celebrated its aviation week heritage with a special tribute to the Centennial of Naval Aviation which is now underway.
Pictured top: The symbolic bow of the National Flight Academy is christened Friday aboard Pensacola Naval Air Station. Pictured inset: Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Sector Vice President Jim Zortman joins Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil Armstrong and American Journalist and media host David Hartman at the christening of the National Flight Academy. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Saturday: Bye Bye Birdie, Century Sawmill Day, Mayfest, More
May 6, 2011
The are several big events in the North Escambia area this weekend. Here’s a sampling of some of the great things to do:
Bye Bye Birdie
Northview High School’s senior class will present “Bye Bye Birdie” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at the school. Tickets available at NHS for $5. General admission.
Sawmill Day and Car Show
Sawmill Day and Car Show, Saturday, May 7 from 8:30 a.m.. until in Century. Click here for complete information.
Tate High FFA Alumni Rodeo
The 20th Tate High School FFA Alumni Foundation Rodeo will take place Saturday night at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Click here for more info.
Atmore Mayfest
The annual Mayfest in Atmore will take place from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday at Tom Byrne Park on Lindberg Avenue.