Northview Gets Double OT Win Over PCA
January 7, 2011
Here’s a look at area high school basketball action on Thursday:
Northview 43 PCA 35 2OT
The Northview Chiefs defeated Pensacola Christian Academy in double overtime Thursday. The Chiefs and PCA were tied 33-33 at the end of regulation. In the first overtime, both teams managed just two points each. But in the second overtime, Northview dominated PCA 10-0 for the 43-35 win.
Northview 6 7 11 9 2 10
PCA 4 7 11 11 2 0
Aletheia 59 Jay 53
The Jay Royals fell by a half dozen to Aletheia Thursday 59-53.
GIRLS
Jay 55 Aletheia 22
Tessa Hendricks led the Lady Royals with 10 in a 55-22 win over Aletheia Thursday.
Jay –Tessa Hendricks 19, Lauren Steadham 8, Becca Calloway 8, Olivia Wright 4, Hilary Hendricks 4, Danielle Skaggs 4, Emily Russel 4, Lauren Diamond 2, Taylor Moore 2
Jay 12 20 13 10-55
Aletheia 4 8 5 5-22
Fire Departments Called To Bondurant Lumber; Find Trash Fire
January 6, 2011
Multiple fire departments were dispatched to a reported fire at Bondurant Lumber and Hardware in Century about 7:20 Thursday night, but what they found was a trash fire on a nearby street.
A caller reported that flames were coming from the back of the lumber company, but an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy arriving who arrived on scene first found a trash fire on McCurdy Street.
Multiple Departments Battle Lumber Mill Fire
January 6, 2011
Firefighters were able to quickly contain a fire a Swift Lumber in Atmore Thursday afternoon.
The fire was reported about 3:20 in a lumber mill. For a brief time, a towering black cloud of smoke could be seen rising from the area. The fire was quickly brought under control, with the main fire reported to be out at 3:50.
Firefighters remained on the scene to work on smaller hot spots. An explosion was reported, but the source of the explosion was not immediately known.
There were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fire departments from Atmore, Nokomis and Poarch have responded to the scene.
Pictured top: Firefighters work to cool remaining hot spots after a fire at Swift Mill in Atmore Thursday afternoon. Pictured below: An ambulance stands by outside the mill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Battle Brush Fire
January 6, 2011
Firefighters from Walnut Hill and Century battled a large field fire on West Highway 4 Thursday afternoon.
A 40-acre field was reported to be burning in the 3200 block of West Highway 4 between C.W. Caraway Road and Canoe Creek just after 2 p.m. Firefighters were worked to keep the blaze from entering a wooded area. Most of the field was reported to have already burned before firefighters arrived.
The fire was reported under control about 2:55 p.m. No structures were threatened by the fire.
The Walnut Hill and Century Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the fire.
Pine Forest High Put On Lockdown After Suspicious Item Found
January 6, 2011
Pine Forest High School was placed on lock down Thursday after a student alerted a faculty member to suspicious item in another student’s bag.
The item turned out to be an electronic or computer part that belonged in a school project the student was working on. A bomb squad was called to the scene, and the item blasted with a water cannon to ensure it was safe as precaution, according to the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A portion of the school was evacuated as a precaution while authorities checked out the item.
8 Students Injured In Escambia School Bus Crash
January 6, 2011
Eight Escambia High School students were injured in school bus crash with pickup truck Thursday morning in Pensacola. All of the injuries were considered to be minor.
William Bivins, 54, of Pensacola was traveling west on Highway 98 approaching Fairfield drive when he failed to stop at a red light and hit the Escambia County School bus driven by Karen Beane, 53, of Pensacola. The force of the impact rotated and pushed the bus off the roadway into a ditch. Bivins suffered minor injuries, while the school bus driver was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol says charges are pending blood test results on Bivins.
There were 45 students on the bus, according to the FHP.
Century Lumber: Not Open Yet; Alabama Issues Cease And Desist Order
January 6, 2011
A ribbon cutting was held last October for a group of new businesses in Century including Century Lumber and Land with the promise of new jobs. Since that time, there has been little public activity on the part of the company, other than a cease and desist order issued by the Alabama Securities Commission against the company and a company official.
“I feel like it’s going to be a done deal, sooner or later, but I can’t tell you how soon it’s going to be,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said about Century Lumber and Land, LLC’s plans to renovate a portion of the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber complex that has sat idle for a number of years in order to process railroad cross ties.
Century Lumber and Land unofficially announced a venture with several other companies at a September 2 meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce. Century Lumber and Land Manager Jim Craft said at that meeting that the operations would eventually employee 300 to 500 people within a 36 to 42 month period.
The ribbon cutting was first tentatively set for September 18, then was delayed until October 16. Then, company officials delayed the ribbon cutting a third time until October 22, while they worked to finalize financing for their ventures, according to McCall.
A NorthEscambia.com telephone message left on the cell phone of Century Lumber and Land CEO James “Jim” Craft Tuesday seeking comment for this story was not returned. Numerous emails also went unanswered.
NorthEscambia.com has learned that the Alabama Securities Commission has ordered Century Lumber and Land, LLC and James Craft to cease and desist from offering or selling financial securities info, within or from the state of Alabama.
An Alabama resident told the Alabama Securities Commission that a business associate and missionary residing in Tennessee introduced him to an opportunity in which he could make money by investing in a business buying and selling railroad cross ties. The business associate suggested that the man contact Craft and Glenn Lavon Gillman, manager of the Mobile company Universal Wood Products, LLC.
The Alabama investor provided authorities with an email indicating that Gillman told the Tennessee missionary that he and Craft would pay the missionary a commission for soliciting and introducing them to the potential Alabama investor, if the Alabama man made the investment.
After a meeting with Craft and Gillman, the Alabama investor agreed to make the investment and agreed to assist Craft and Gillman with preparing and filing documents to form a limited liability company in Alabama. Craft and Gillman then issued two promissory notes in the name of the Alabama corporation, according to the Alabama Securities Commission, for $140,000 to be used for the purchase and resale of railroad cross ties.
Craft and Gillman later met with two other Alabama residents offering them an opportunity to invest in a railroad cross tie business. Craft and Gillman, according to Alabama officials, told the Alabama investors that they were able to purchase cross ties from lumber yards in South American and sell them to U.S. railroad companies suffering from a shortage of the lumber product. One of the additional Alabama investors later wired $25,000 into the account of Milton Timber as an initial investment in Century Lumber and Land, the first portion of what was to be a $40,000 investment to be completed by the third investor, according to Alabama Securities Commission documents. A $40,000 promissory note was issued, and the Alabama investors paid Century Lumber and Land the $15,000 balance.
Craft, representing Century Lumber and Land and acting as it’s manager, advised one of the Alabama investors in writing that the company was still active and notified him of an attempt to close Milton Timber.
According to the Alabama Securities Commission, Craft and Gillman are not registered as dealers or agents to issue securities (such as promissory notes) in Alabama. In addition, the Commission found that the $140,000 and $40,000 promissory notes were not registered with the state as required by law.
The order does not prevent the Commission from seeking other civil or criminal remedies under the Alabama Securities Act, according to Commission documents.
Pictured top: The October 22, 2010, ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land. Pictured top inset: The old Alger-Sullivan Lumber complex in Century. Pictured bottom inset: James “Jim” Craft addresses the Century Chamber of Commerce in September, 2010. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Man That Eluded November Manhunt Now Jailed
January 6, 2011
A Century man that was subject of a November manhunt after a bail bondsman spotted him in a park and gave chase was arrested Wednesday.
Tabarin Oneil Wesley, 31, was booked into the Escambia County Jail about noon Wednesday on an outstanding failure to appear warrant. He was being held without bond.
A bail bondsman reported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office the afternoon of November 24 that he had located Wesley in Showalter Park. The bail bondman gave chase and last reported seeing Wesley as he scaled a fence behind the old Century Elementary School.
Deputies and a K-9 unit from the Century Correctional Institution were unable to locate Wesley after a two hour manhunt.
According to Escambia County Clerk of Court records, Wesley is facing a felony charge of operating a vehicle while his driver’s license was revoked for being a habitual traffic offender.
Date Changed: Sheriff’s Office Offers Free Fingerprinting For Children
January 6, 2011
Free fingerprinting for children will be available on Saturday, January 22 at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Substation in Century.
“One way to help protect your child in the unimaginable event that they were to become missing, is to have their fingerprints on file,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The fingerprinting will be offered from 10 a.m. until 2 pm. at the substation located at 7500 North Century Boulevard on January 22.
The event will be hosted by the Sheriff’s Office Explorers, a voluntary program that educates and involves young people in law enforcement operations whether or not they choose to enter a career in law enforcement. Members gain a working knowledge of police work and have the opportunity to serve their community.
Explorers receive training in patrol procedure, first aid, honor guard, criminal law, crime prevention, finger-printing, arrest techniques, drug abuse prevention, firearms safety, crime scene techniques and more.
(The event was rescheduled from December 8 to December 22.)
Volunteers Needed Countywide For Tax Preparation Program
January 6, 2011
United Way of Escambia County’s Financial Stability Coalition seeks individuals countywide to join the Financial Fitness Volunteer Team as an IRS-certified volunteer tax preparer.
The Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program helps lift people out of poverty by providing free tax preparation services for low-income individuals. The service saves lower income taxpayers from paying costly fees to have their taxes prepared and volunteers are trained to help each taxpayer file for and receive all tax credits to which they might be eligible. In 2010, volunteer tax preparers working with United Way completed more than 1,200 tax returns returning $1.9 million back to Escambia County residents.
Volunteering with the VITA program is a great way to gain free training and experience in tax preparation. It is ideal for students or residents who desire experience in accounting work. No experience is necessary to become a volunteer tax preparer. Volunteers are required to participate in a free IRS-led course to obtain certification in basic tax preparation.
Volunteers may select from the following course dates:
- Option 2: Jan. 10, noon to 4 p.m., and Jan. 11, 12 and 13, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at The Lewis Bear Company, 6120 Enterprise Drive, Pensacola.
- Option 3: Jan. 10-13, 5 to 9 p.m., at The Lewis Bear Company.
After becoming certified, volunteers are asked to give about four hours per week throughout tax season during available days/hours.
To sign up for a training session or for more information, call 444-7042 or visit www.escambiafinancialstability.com. If you want to volunteer but tax preparation is not your calling, other volunteer positions are available.
If you are in need of free tax preparation services, please call 595-5905 for more information. A complete list of tax preparations sites and times will be posted soon at www.escambiafinancialstability.com