Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office Seeks Absconded Fugitive
January 14, 2011
Santa Rosa Sheriff’s investigators are searching for fugitive that absconded from a court ordered GPS monitoring program.
Donald Ray Boone, Jr., cut his ankle monitor off at his Milton residence. Deputies received the alarm and responded to his home within a few minutes to find Boone gone and the ankle monitor inside the residence with the strap cut.
On January 4, Boone was ordered to wear the GPS monitor for a 60 day house arrest for a probation violation related to a narcotics charge. He currently has active warrants for criminal mischief for harming the equipment, and a conditional release violation for his absconding from the program.
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Donald Ray Boone, Jr. is asked to contact the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 983-1190, or Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP.
Local Art Students Honored During Mask Exhibit
January 14, 2011
Several North Escambia students were month those honored during the fourth annual mask exhibit by Escambia county School students.
The exhibit is January 11-21 at the Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place in the first floor of the old Escambia County Courthouse.
Northview students Kiani Okahashi, Charles Rolin and Katelyn Garrison where awarded first through third places, while Tate student Mercedez Rocheblav’s ceramic piece “Dragon” was named Best of Show.
The names of North Escambia area winners and participants are listed below, along with their award, title of their piece, medium and school.
High School
- Mercedez Rocheblave, Best of Show, “Dragon”, Ceramics, Tate
- Kiani Okahashi, First Place HS, “L’homme Ridicule”, Mixed, Northview
- Charles Rolin, Second Place HS, Itcho Tastanagi (Deer Warrior), Mixed, Northview
- Katelyn Garrison, Third Place HS, “Octavius”, Mixed, Northview
- Hailey Garrison, “Foreign Body”, Mixed, Northview
- Elizabeth Wright, “Recycle, Reuse, Renew”, Mixed, Northview
- Katelyn Varhalla, Steel Magnolia, Ceramics, Tate
- Shane Sahli, “Big Al”, Ceramics, Tate
- Saber Gipson, “Tribal Love”, Ceramics, Tate
Elementary:
- Lauren Mills, “The Crazed Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Alexanderia Harrison, Honorable Mention, “Coco Crazy”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Brooklyn Jensen, “The Crazy Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Corey Ryland, “The Crazy Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Paige Owen, “The Mystery Mask, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
Pictured top: Katelyn Garrison and her mask. For other students and their masks, scroll down this page.
Kiani Okahashi (above).
Hailey Garrison (above).
Elizabeth Wright (above).
Charles Rolin (above).
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ida Brown Jones
January 14, 2011
Ida Brown Jones, 89, of Atmore passed away peacefully with family at her bedside on January 13, 2011.
She was born in Lottie, AL, and lived almost all her life there. She was a long time member of Lottie United Methodist Church and an active member for many years. She moved to The Meadows Assisted Living facility in the fall of 2006.
She was preceded in death by her husband Henry Ardis, who was killed in action in 1945. She was also preceded in death by husband Dolphus S. Jones in December 2003 after 57 years of marriage. She was the youngest of nine children born to Mary Milsted Brown and William Lee Brown. Three sisters and four brothers preceded her in death.
She is survived by her daughter Janice (Elbert) Croley of Pensacola, and son Terry (Linda) Jones of Atmore; seven grandchildren, Jesse (Linda) Croley of Hoover, AL, Stephen (Rachael) Croley of Molino, Rex (Kristina) Croley of Pensacola, Kathy (Wayne) Bedsole of Cantonment, Ashley (Jason) Harper of Hoover, AL, Wendy (Brandon) Whitehead of Blakely, GA, Amy (Kevin) Sanders of Dothan; 16 great grandchildren, and one brother, Thomas Brown of Robertsdale.
The family offers a very special thanks to Alice Daily for her many years of care and devotion to our mother, to the staff at The Meadows Assisted Living and The Atmore Nursing Care Center for their care.
Serving as pallbearers will be the grandsons and grandsons-in laws.
The family will receive friends Sunday, January 16, 2011, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 1:30 till 3:00 with services following at 3:00 with Reverend Diana Everette and Reverend Jim Reese officiating. Interment will follow at Lottie United Methodist Cemetery.
Betty Lou Gentry
January 14, 2011
Betty Lou Gentry, 74, of Walnut Hill was surrounded by her family when she peacefully went home to be with the Lord and Savior on January 12, 2011.
Betty was a kind and generous person who never tired of taking care of and spending time with her family and friends. She was very proud of her family and her strength and guidance will be missed greatly.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William Leslie and Rosie Lee Walker; her husband, John Edward Gentry; son, Terry Dean Gentry; three brothers, William Monroe Walker, Dewey Edward Walker and Leslie Eugene Walker and four sisters, Alberta McGhee, Vera Mae Johns, Dorothy Lee Bethea and Rose Marie Gentry.
She is survived by her son, James Edward Gentry; daughter, Patricia Darlene Gentry, nine grandchildren, Tara Ann, Jeremiah Egan, Joshua Evan, James Ethan, Laura Michelle, Stacey Lynn, Alicia Nicole, Dusty and Drew; three great grandchildren, Brooklynn, Jacob and Michael Wayne as well as many nieces and nephews. She will be deeply missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Services will be held at Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 1 p.m. from the Enon Baptist Church in Enon, Fla. with Bro. Ed McMillian and Bro. Chip Barbas officiating. Interment will follow in the Enon Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers are Douglas Johnson, Roy Thomas, Travis Grant, Kevin Faircloth, Zane Gray and Buddy Bethea. Honorary Pallbearers are Randy Dortch, Tim Gentry and Larry Gibson.
Family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday evening, January 14, 2011, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of all arrangements.
One Injured In Molino Crash
January 13, 2011
At least one person was injured in a Thursday afternoon wreck in Molino.
The two vehicle accident happened on Highway 29 at Highway 97 about 4:45 p.m. One person was transported from the scene by ambulance and transferred to LifeFlight in Cantonment for transport to a Pensacola hospital.
The accident slowed traffic in the southbound lanes of Highway 29 for nearly an hour.
Further details were not immediately available from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above and below: At least one person was injured in this two vehicle crash Thursday afternoon at Highway 97 and Highway 29 in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Wind Hampers Fight Against Quintette Field Fire
January 13, 2011
Firefighters were in a battle against the wind to control a field fire Thursday near Highway 29 and Quintette Road.
A resident’s trash fire reportedly got out of control shortly after 11 a.m., setting a field on fire. Changing winds kept firefighters busy as the fire was pushed in different directions. No structures were damaged, and there were no injuries reported.
For more photos from the scene, click here.
Pictured above and below: Firefighters battled a field fire near Highway 29 and Quintette Road late Thursday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Deputies, County Agencies Sweep Crime-Ridden Neighborhood
January 13, 2011
The Sheriff’s Office and several county agencies conducted an “Operation Clean Sweep” event on Frontera Circle in Warrington Thursday morning, and a similar sweep is planned for Cantonment.
Dozens of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies, county workers and volunteers cleaned up the high crime, blighted area off Jackson Street. The Sheriff’s Office, probation officers, Escambia County’s roads and bridges department, the Escambia environmental services department and volunteers from the U.S. Navy physically worked to clean up the neighborhood, cleaning up and piling up mounds of trash.
There were four arrests during the event, 25 tickets issued and almost 25 tons of trash removed.
The focus of “Operation Clean Sweep” is to clean up neighborhoods and educate citizens on preventive measures that could be implemented to minimize possible crimes.
A similar Operation Clean Sweep event is planned for the Cantonment area on March 24.
Pictured above: Sheriff David Morgan (near horse) and deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office prepare for the clean up of Frontera Circle in Warrington Thursday morning. Pictured below: Volunteers collected mounds of trash from the neighborhood in just a short time. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Freezing Weather Closes Escambia Alabama School
January 13, 2011
An Escambia County, Alabama, school was closed Thursday due to our freezing weather.
Escambia Academy in Canoe, just outside Atmore, was closed because of no water in a portion of the campus. Officials with the private school believe that the school’s water pipes froze Wednesday night.
The school plans to be open again on Friday.
Woman Sentenced For Trying To Smuggle Pot Into Century Prison
January 13, 2011
An Alabama woman has been sentenced to probation for trying to sneak drugs into Century Correctional Institution.
Sandra Eloise Tompkins, 36, of Greenville, Ala., pleaded no contest to charges of possession of marijuana and felony introduction of contraband into a state facility. She was sentenced to 18 months probation, including 25 hours of community service.
A CCI K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs in Tompkins’ car in the prison parking lot while she was inside for visitation during October 2010. She was escorted back to her vehicle where she signed a search consent.
Inside Tompkins’ car, prison officials “found personal lubrication, plastic wrap and a torn condom in the car”, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Tompkins told deputies that she had a small amount of marijuana hidden internally, and she later removed the marijuana from her person at the county jail, according to the report.
U.S. Marshals Capture Wanted Child Sex Offender
January 13, 2011
A man wanted on child sex charges in Massachusetts was nabbed Wednesday afternoon in North Escambia by a U.S. Marshals task force.
Matthew Robert Brennon, 24, originally from Chicopee, MA, is wanted by the Chicopee (MA) Police for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years of age. Brennan also has outstanding warrants from Andover, MA for indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or over, assault to rape, open and gross lewdness, resisting arrest, and assault and battery.
The U.S. Marshals in Springfield, MA, working with the New England HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Task Force, contacted the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in Pensacola on Monday and asked for their help.
Around 1:30 Thursday afternoon, U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office captured Brennan after they observed him as a passenger in a car leaving a residence on Coweta Road in Cantonment.
The Task Force immediately stopped the car and arrested Brennan without any resistance. Brennan was booked into the Escambia County Jail as a fugitive from justice and will remain there until he is picked up by Massachusetts authorities.