Deadline Approaching For Groups To Apply For $50,000 In IP Grant Money
January 6, 2012
International Paper Pensacola Mill (IP) will award $50,000 in Foundation Grants in 2012. The deadline for all 2012 grant applications is Friday, January 13.
Grants are awarded by the IP Foundation in Memphis, Tenn., which focuses on environmental education, literacy, employee involvement, and critical community needs. Applicants must be a registered 501c3 non-profit organization, school, or qualifying government entity to apply.
For more information about the Foundation or to apply online, interested applicants should visit www.ipgiving.com.
Escambia Man Gets Life For Sexual Assault Of Minor
January 6, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a child.
State Attorney Bill Eddins said Jose Hernandez was found guilty by an Escambia County jury of two counts of sexual battery on a victim under 12 years of age. Immediately following the trial, Judge Frank Bell sentenced him to life in prison.
In August 2010, Hernandez engaged in sexual activity with a child family member.
The investigation and arrest were conducted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Escambia Names New Assistant Superintendent
January 6, 2012
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has named Steve Marcanio, presently the director of Middle School Education, to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.
Marcanio has served the district for 26 years, including principal of Yniestra Elementary, Bellview and Brown Barge Middle Schools, and Washington High School as well as the assistant principal of Sherwood Elementary School.
Thomas said Marcanio “will move the Curriculum and Instruction Department to the next level, while building on the successes attained during Mr. Fetsko’s tenure.” Mr. Marcanio will be replacing Paul Fetsko who is retiring January 31. He will begin his new assignment on February 1.
Marcanio is subject to school board approval at their next meeting on January 17.
New Direction Announced For Port
January 6, 2012
Pensacola’s mayor has announced his plans for the Port of Pensacola, including a focus on the high-tech offshore service industry.
“The Port of Pensacola has suffered for decades because of competitive disadvantages,” Mayor Ashton Hayward said. “There are those who feel the time has come to close the Port and sell the land to the highest bidder. Others feel we should invest in marketing the port and improving its facilities. One thing is clear – the status quo is no longer sustainable.”
Hayward said his administration would re-examine leases with Cemex and other firms storing aggregate material at the Port.
“Aggregate storage is incompatible with our adjacent downtown and historic districts,” Hayward said. “We’re going to support the expansion of high-tech offshore service industry at the Port. This sector has a lesser impact on the Port’s neighbors and has considerable private-sector growth potential. The Port may never be an enterprise which puts millions into the City treasury, but what it can be is an engine for economic growth and private-sector job creation. It’s time to pursue new industry and capitalize on the opportunities those industries offer.”
Hayward developed his policy after studying a report from his Port Advisory Committee, a panel of business leaders formed last year to examine port operations and make policy recommendations.
“This plan will begin to transition the Port from an aggregate and cement-driven enterprise to a Port that’s better suited for our waterfront and better positioned to cater to sectors with high job growth,” he said, adding that city will look at state and federal grant opportunities along with available economic development funds stemming from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“I believe these changes provide a clear direction for the port,” Hayward said. “We can create the opportunity for sustainable, private-sector job growth and make Pensacola a viable, competitive port option for 21st-century industries.”
Pictured top: Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announces his plans Thursday for the Port of Pensacola. Pictured below: Two vessels docked at the port. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Facing Federal Arson Charge For Abortion Clinic Fire
January 5, 2012
An Alabama man has been arrested for arson in connection with a New Year’s Day fire at a Pensacola abortion clinic.
Bobby Joe Rogers of Tuscaloosa is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond, charged in a federal complain with one count of damaging a building by fire or explosive.
United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Timothy issued an arrest warrant based on the complaint and supporting affidavit filed today, which charges Rogers, 41, with the arson of the American Family Planning Clinic at 6770 North 9th Avenue in Pensacola on January 1. If subsequently indicted by a grand jury and convicted at trial, Rogers faces a possible 20 year prison term.
Shortly before noon Thursday, Rogers appeared before Magistrate Judge Timothy, who appointed a federal public defender to represent him. Rogers waived his right to a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing and is being held without bond pending further action by the court.
According to a federal affidavit, Rogers admitted to setting the fire that damaged the clinic due to his strong disbelief in abortion. He told investigators that he made an incendiary device using a 32-ounced beer bottle filled with gasoline and a wick made from an old shirt. After tossing the device and watching it burst into flames on the back of the clinic, he went across the street to an abandoned car wash to make fire was going. He then returned to an old shed behind Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q where he would sleep at a night.
According to court records, Rogers’ criminal history included arrests in Florida, Alabama and seven other states, plus felony convictions in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee for burglary, and in Mississippi for grand larceny.
Rogers was arrested after a joint investigation involving the Division of State Fire Marshal’s Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (BFAI) and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The investigation determined that Rogers set fire to a clinic, causing approximately $300,000 in damage.
“We are thankful that no one was injured during this incident and for the collaboration between all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this case,” said Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, who also serves as State Fire Marshal. “I would like to also thank members of the Pensacola community for providing the critical information needed to promptly resolve this case.”
On January 1, 2012, the Pensacola Fire Department responded to a fire at the American Family Planning Clinic located at 6770 N. 9th Avenue in Pensacola and requested the assistance of the BFAI to investigate the cause of the fire. The investigation determined that the fire was intentionally set.
The details surrounding this fire initiated the response of members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The JTTF is composed of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose primary work is to identify and disrupt terrorist activity. The following agencies cooperated in this investigation; the Florida State Fire Marshal Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Pensacola Fire Department, the Pensacola Police Department, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service.
“This arrest demonstrates the strategic value of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the high level of cooperation among the numerous agencies involved,” said Julius Halas, director of the Division of State Fire Marshal.
Child Neglect Arrest: Photos Released Of Filth In Jay Home
January 5, 2012
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has released photos from inside a home described as “dangerous, disheveled and unsanitary” where two children were living outside Jay.
Rebeccah Lynn Ates, 35, and Vance Joseph Ates, 38, were released on bond from the Santa Rosa County Jail after being charged with child neglect. Deputies found that their two young children were filthy and walking around barefoot in the squalor shown in these photos.
Deputies found garbage everywhere, decaying food in the kitchen along with an infestation of roaches in the home.
For more photos from inside the home, click here.
For more information, click here for an earlier story.
Pictured: Two children were found barefoot and filthy in this home on Highway 4 near Jay. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Could Land 50 Jobs In Under 50 Days
January 5, 2012
If all works out as planned, 50 new jobs could be announced in Century in less than 50 days from now.
According to Century Mayor Freddie McCall, a company that would employ 50 people could announce that they are locating in Century by the middle of February.
“I had a call from a company I’ve been dealing with for a year,” McCall said. “They’ve got their financing and they are ready to do business. Hopefully they will be in here breaking ground by the 15th of February.”
McCall said he believes the economic development outlook for Century is about to improve dramatically in 2012, unlike the past couple of years were announced industries never materialized.
The most recent, Century Lumber & Land, announced a group of industries would locate in Century with up to 500 jobs. Over 3,000 people applied for jobs with the company, which held a ribbon cutting in October 2010. As 2011 rolled around, company officials continued to make promises — until James Leonard Craft, the manager of Century Lumber and Land, was jailed in Alabama on numerous securities and financial fraud related charges after being indicted as the result of an Alabama Securities Commission investigation.
The new company that could announce jobs for Century is totally unrelated to Century Lumber & Land or anyone associated with it, McCall said.
As for 50 new jobs for Century, McCall said, “That’s going to be a blessing to us”.
Pictured: Century Mayor Freddie McCall reviews paperwork at a recent Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Indicted For 1st Degree Murder Of Toddler
January 5, 2012
A grand jury has indicted two men for the murder of a Pensacola toddler.
Dwayne “Money” Pinestraw of Cantonment and Shaquill Besst of Pensacola were indicted on charges of first degree murder in the shooting death of 19-month old Ty’Quarius Moultrie and first degree attempted murder for the shooting of 23-year old Vincent Dennis. The two are also charged with shooting into a dwelling.
Pinestraw allegedly shot the child and Dennis on July 15, 2011, when he fired a .45-caliber gun through the window of a Pensacola Village apartment. He was arrested in Texas hours after being featured on the television program American’s Most Wanted.
Pinestraw is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on January 19; Besst will be in court on February 22.
No Injuries In School Bus Wreck On West Florida High Campus
January 5, 2012
There were no injuries in a wreck involving a school bus Wednesday afternoon on the West Florida High School campus.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 65-year old school bus driver Michael Nathan of Pensacola collided with a 2005 Nissan Sentra driven by John Atkins, age 25 of Pensacola. Damage to the school bus was estimated at $250; damage to the Sentra was estimated at $3,500.
There were no injuries to either driver or the 16 students on the school bus.
No charges were filed in the accident, according to the FHP.
State Attorney: Reserve Trooper Justified In Shooting Naked Armed Invader
January 5, 2012
The State Attorney says a reserve Florida Highway Patrol trooper was justified when she shot and killed her neighbor, who was naked and armed with a bow and arrow, after a home invasion in Escambia County.
A Medical Examiner’s report said the deceased man, Sean Thomas Harris had cocaine, cannabis, opiates, methadone and amphetamines in his blood at the time of the shooting.
Reserve Trooper Tabbatha Nussbaumer was in the shower in her upstairs bedroom in the Scenic Heights neighborhood area when her 9-year-old son ran in and told her a man he didn’t recognize was in the house. Nussbaumer exited her room and was confronted by Harris, who was at the bottom of the stairs holding a bow and arrow.
Nussbaumer told Pensacola Police that Harris asked her where the money was located. In an effort to get the suspect out of her house and away from her son, she told him it was in her truck parked on the street. As she exited the front door, Harris followed, removed his clothes and approached her as she was at her vehicle, which was parked in the street.
Police said Nussbaumer removed a handgun from the truck, turned around and faced Harris, who was standing a few feet from her. She said that she ordered him to the ground, but Harris instead advanced toward her, and she fired one shot.
When police arrived, Harris was found lying nude in the street. He had been shot once in the lower abdomen. He died a short time later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
“Ms. Nussbaumer could and did stand her ground in accordance with applicable Florida law,” according to a State Attorney’s Office report.