Oops! Armed Robber Leaves His Picture ID Behind
December 24, 2011
An Escambia County man is spending Christmas Eve in jail after giving police a special present at the scene of an armed robbery — he left his picture identification behind.
John T. Bruce, 50, was charged with armed robbery and possession of marijuana under 20 grams after a holdup at a Cervantes Street CVS.
Pensacola Police Department Officer Jim Bell said a 56-year-old female employee told police the suspect walked up to the register and asked for a pack of cigarettes. She said when she went to give him the cigarettes, he was holding something wrapped in “some kind of material” in his right hand, and pointing it at her as if there was a gun under the material.
The suspect then demanded cash, and when she told him she had to get it, she saw what she believed was a gun under the material. Once he got an undisclosed amount of cash, the suspect left the business and police were notified, Bell said.
After the robbery, the employee noticed the suspect had left his identification card on the counter. The card had his name, date of birth and his photograph.
A description of the suspect was broadcast to police and a short time later, he was located and arrested with a bag of marijuana in his pocket.
Officer Involved Shooting Under Investigation
December 24, 2011
A man was shot outside a West Cervantes Street bar Friday night by a Pensacola police officer.
The incident happened outside Tom and Buddy’s Liquors about 5:45 p.m. The officer in plain clothes, identified as Shawn Thompson, was not injured.
The man who was shot, 25-year old Robert Jason Donson, was transported by ambulance to Baptist Hospital. His condition was not available.
The incident is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as is normal with officer involved shootings.
Pictured above: Crime scene tape surrounds a bar on Cervantes Street in Pensacola after an officer involved shooting Friday night. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Christmas Recipes: Apples, Sweet Potatoes And A Quick Breakfast Brunch
December 24, 2011
Today’s Christmas recipes feature an Apple Caramel Pudding and a Sweet Tater Cheesecake. We also have a Farmer’s Omelet Casserole that’s easy to cook and would provide a hearty Christmas morning breakfast or brunch for everyone.
To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Farmer’s Omelet Casserole
by Terri Brown
- 3 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
- 1 cup chopped green pepper, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 18 large eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (coarse grind is best)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Cook potato, 3/4 cup green pepper and onion in oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, 8 min. or until tender. Cool potatoes if preparing the night before. Combine potato mixture, eggs, ham, 1 cup tomato, salt and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 325 for 40 minutes or until golden. Top with remaining 1/4 cup green pepper and 1/4 cup tomato. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake 5 more minutes until cheese melts.
Apple Caramel Pudding
by Janet Smith
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples
Combine first five ingredients; then add apples and milk. Blend thoroughly and pour into 8″ square pan.
Combine:
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Mix sugar, boiling water and butter and pour over the batter already in pan. Bake
at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Seeve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Very simple but rich dessert. Serves 4 to 6
Sweet Tater Cheesecake
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup whipping cream (cool whip will work if no cream handy)
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (NOT CANNED)
Graham Cracker-Pecan Crust
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 425°.
Crust:
Combine crust ingredients thoroughly; press into a 10-inch springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and eggs until smooth; beat in flour, cinnamon, and ginger. Beat cream and well-mashed sweet potatoes in on medium speed of a hand held mixer just until well-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; lower heat to 275° and bake 1 hour longer. Turn heat off and leave in the oven to cool for several hours, or cool on a wire rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Photos: Century’s Old Fashioned Christmas Light Display
December 24, 2011
Thousands of cars pass the Century Roadside park each evening, very few stopping to enjoy the old-fashioned Christmas lights.
The lights, which became Century’s after the City of Pensacola upgraded some number of years ago, include a large North Pole house, “The Jolly Trolley”, and Santa with his sleigh and reindeer.
Today, we take you inside the park at North Century Boulevard (Hwy 29) and Hecker Road for an up close and personal look at the lights.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: No. 1 North Pole Place, part of the Town of Century’s Christmas lights display. Pictured inset: A clown fires and “animated” cannon. Pictured below: The Jolly Trolley. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Need Last Minute Gift Wrapping? The Tate Band Has You Covered
December 24, 2011
The Tate High School Showband of the South will be wrapping those last minute Christmas gifts today.
The band members will be at Walmart on Highway 29 in Ensley from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. wrapping presents for donations.
Christmas Closings, Trash Schedule
December 24, 2011
The following will be closed in observance of the Christmas holiday:
- Escambia County offices will be closed through Monday.
- Santa Rosa County offices will be closed through Monday.
- Century town offices will be closed through Monday.
- Jay city offices will be closed through Monday.
- West Florida Library branches will be closed from noon Saturday through Monday.
- U.S. Postal Service deliveries will be made as normal.
- ECAT will not run Sunday or Monday.
- ECUA routes will all be picked up as normal.
- The Perdido Landfill will be open as usual on Saturday and Monday, except for the administrative offices.
How Much Do Those Christmas Lights Cost On Your Power Bill?
December 24, 2011
Have you ever wondered just how much it costs to light up your house and tree for the holidays? Probably less than you think, according to Gulf Power. The utility says it costs about $1.40 to run a string of 200 miniature holiday lights for about five hours a day for 30 days.
To save money, the company recommends the purchase of LED Christmas lights — the cost to power 200 LED bulbs five hours a day is only about 19 cents for a month. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, each LED bulb uses only about one-tenth of the energy used by traditional mini-lights. And, LED lights last a long time and don’t produce heat, which helps eliminate fire hazards.
Century Store Manager Robbed In Broad Daylight
December 23, 2011
A Century store manager was robbed in broad daylight Friday morning.
An unidentified male suspect stole the nightly deposit from the manager of the Food Giant on North Century Boulevard about 9:30 a.m. The incident happened outside of the store. It was not known if the suspect displayed a weapon.
The manager described the robber as a male wearing a dark colored, possibly green sweatshirt and wearing a mask or hood. He fled on foot away from the store in an unknown direction with an undisclosed amount of cash and checks.
K-9 teams from Century Correctional Institution and the Escambia County Road Prison tracked the suspect’s scent south to an unoccupied residence on Henry Street, just west of Highway 29. Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were unable to locate anyone at the house, but there were reportedly recent tire tracks were an unknown vehicle left the driveway of the home.
The store manager was not injured.
Anyone with information on the incident should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s office at 850-436-9620. More details will be posted as they become available.
Pictured top: Deputies check a house on Henry Street in Century for a robbery suspect Friday morning. Pictured insert: A K-9 team works to track the suspect on Henry Street. Pictured below: The manager of the Food Giant in Century was robbed outside the store Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pedestrian Killed On Nine Mile Road
December 23, 2011
A pedestrian was hit and killed Thursday night on Nine Mile Road.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the unidentified white male stepped into the path of a 1997 Jeep Cherokee driven by 19-year old Victoria N. Oliver of Pensacola on Nine Mile Road near Fowler Avenue about 6:18 p.m.
The pedestrian was wearing dark clothing, and Oliver was unable to see him in time to stop, according to the FHP.
The crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Unit. The name of the pedestrian is being withheld until he can be positively identified and next of kin can be notified.
No charges have been filed at this time in the crash.
In McDavid’s Future? NRC Approves New Nuclear Power Plant Design
December 23, 2011
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a new reactor design Thursday, paving the way for Southern Company — the parent company of Gulf Power — to build the nation’s first new nuclear power plant in more than 30 years.
The NRC certified the use of a Westinghouse reactor design known as the AP1000 for 15 years, after a lengthy review that included looking at safety issues. The design approved can be built at any suitable location in the United States.
The design could potentially be used for a nuclear plant in North Escambia . Gulf Power is in the process of purchasing about 4,000 acres near McDavid for a power plant that company officials say might be a nuclear plant.
Westinghouse said Thursday that a construction site for an AP1000 nuclear plant would generate about 3,000 jobs.
The AP1000 design meets NRC requirements, including those that require the design to withstand the impact of an aircraft crash on its shield building, a steel reinforced concrete structure approximately 3 feet thick that protects the steel containment vessel which houses the reactor.
The company said both the shield building and the containment vessel play significant roles in the passive safety systems of the AP1000 design, which allow it to safely shut down with no, or minimal, operator action and no AC power. The innovative passive safety design was recognized by the NRC as providing significant added capability that allows the plant to safely cope with an event like the Japanese earthquake and subsequent nuclear meltdown.
Officials said Thursday that it would likely be another decade before the first AP1000 would begin producing electricity.
Pictured top: An artist rendering of an AP1000 nuclear plant. Pictured inset: The reactor design. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.