Scott: GOP Candidate Must Win Florida For The White House; Still No Favorite
January 4, 2012
Florida Gov. Rick Scott declined to endorse a Republican presidential candidate on Wednesday after Mitt Romney won the Iowa caucuses narrowly over Rick Santorum.
In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday morning, Scott stuck to his message that whichever candidate can best articulate a plan for lowering unemployment and creating jobs will be the successful GOP candidate and have the best chance to unseat President Obama.
The Republican governor said he hasn’t chosen a favorite candidate – he doesn’t know if he will before the Jan.uary 31 Florida primary – in part because none of the GOP candidates are talking enough about job creation for Scott’s satisfaction.
“Let’s talk about where we want to take the country,” Scott said. Eventually one of the Republican candidates will, he predicted. Scott also said the candidates have to pay attention to Florida. “You have to win Florida to win the White House,” Scott said. “I don’t know how you can do it without.”
Century Swears In Mayor, Council; Mayor To Focus On Economic Development
January 4, 2012
Two incumbent council members and a incumbent mayor that says his top priority is economic development were sworn in Tuesday night in Century.
“I really think we are in a position now to move forward with economic development and some jobs for the town that are much needed,” second term Mayor Freddie McCall said. “That’s what we are concentrating working on.”
McCall defeated former council member Henry Hawkins by a 3-2 margin in October’s general election.
Incumbent council members Ann Brooks and Annie Savage were also sworn in Monday night for four year terms. For Brooks, it will be her second complete term on the council. Savage was first appointed to the council in August 2011 to finish the term of the late Nadine McCaw.
Also Monday night, the council re-elected Brooks as council president and Gary Riley as vice president.
Pictured top: Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez swears in Mayor Freddie McCall for his second term. Pictured inset: McCall with council members Annie Savage (left) and Ann Brooks. Pictured below: Gonzalez swears in Brooks and (page bottom) Savage. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Bumps Up Garbage Rates
January 4, 2012
The new year is bringing a slight increase to garbage bills in Century.
Monday night, the town council voted to increase residential service from $15.04 per month to $15.38 — a 34 cent increase — for household waste. The town is passing along a 2.9 percent rate increase from Allied Waste, the town’s service provider, according to Mayor Freddie McCall.
Commercial refuse service from the town will also increase by 2.9 percent.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated that residential bills would increase from $11.46 to $11.80. Those figures accurately reflect the amount of a customer’s bill that pays for Allied Waste residential service through the Town of Century. Residential bills also include an additional $3.58 for bulk trash pickup, which is now included in the story above.
Temperatures Warming
January 4, 2012
Tonight will be back above freezing, as temperatures moderate over the next several days.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. Calm wind.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 70. West wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 52. Calm wind.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
- Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Couple Charged With Child Neglect After Kids Found In Squalor
January 4, 2012
A Jay couple is facing child neglect charges after deputies found their young children living in a roach-infested home full of trash and decomposing food.
Rebeccah Lynn Ates, 35, and Vance Joseph Ates, 38, were released on bond from the Santa Rosa County Jail.
Deputies had responded to a domestic disturbance when they found two small children in the disturbing living conditions in a home on Highway 4 east of Jay. According to an arrest report, deputies said they were overwhelmed by the smell of urine inside the home and had to step over garbage and clothing in the floor. Deputies also reported observing bags of garbage outside the bathroom, dirty sheets on the beds, and garbage on the living room floor that “contained old food broken glass, crushed soda cans, potato chip bags, candy wrappers and filth”. Children’s toys and clothing were scattered among the garbage and blocked the pathways to and from rooms, according to the Sheriff’s Office report.
In the kitchen, deputies observed old decaying food on the stove top, dirty bowls containing food on the table and garbage covering the floor. A plugged-in electric space heater, according to the report, was also surrounded by garbage, creating a fire hazard.
Rebeccah Ates told deputies that the home had been in the condition for about a year.
Rebeccah Ates also told deputies that the urine smell was coming from her son, which the deputy reported was wearing pants that were wet on the front and back.
“At no time did Rebeccah make any effort to change (her son’s) pants. After several minutes, I had to instruct Rebeccah to change him,” the deputy wrote in her report.
The children were turned over to family members, and the case was turned over to the Department of Children and Families for investigation.
Tax Collector Holley Prefiles
January 4, 2012
Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley prefiled Tuesday to seek her post again. She is the first person to prefile for the position.
Holley was appointed to office in 1998 and has been re-elected to three additional terms.
Holley prefiled as a democrat.
Burglar Busted After Returning To The Scene
January 4, 2012
An Escambia County man was arrested for breaking into a house and returning a short time later to attempt to break into the house next door.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Christopher Dewayne Grice was seen fleeing from a house in the 5700 block of East Shore Drive after the homeowner was alerted by an alarm. The homeowner noticed several pieces of jewelry missing from inside the house.
About an hour and a half later, deputies responded to the 5700 block of Fairview Drive — which is next door to the first burglary — for a possible burglary in progress on New Year’s Eve. Deputies observed Grice fleeing the area. They set up a perimeter and called in a K-9. He was located a short time later and refused to comply with a deputy’s commands, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was apprehended by a K-9. Grice received minor injuries during the incident.
Deputies said Grice was still in possession of property from the first burglary at the time of his arrest. He was booked in the Escambia County Jail without bond on multiple charges, including burglary, larceny, resisting arrest, battery, criminal mischief, marijuana possession and a probation violation.
Cold Cantonment Case: 1981 Murder Remains Unsolved
January 4, 2012
It was 31 years ago on the afternoon of January 2, 1981, that 9-year old Kenneth Deshun Underwood and three companions went bird hunting in the woods near their Cantonment home. Everyone returned home that afternoon except for Underwood.
When Underwood was still not home around 6 p.m., Escambia County Search and Rescue personnel were called. The area were Underwood was last seen alive was canvassed. His body was discovered about 5:45 the next morning –apparently murdered — in an area near Booker Street.
The case remains unsolved, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help because they believe someone in our area still has information about Underwood’s death.
If you know anything about the death of Kenneth Deshun Underwood, 9, you are asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stopper at (850) 433-STOP (7867).
Pictured above: The fourth grade photo of murder victim Kenneth Deshun Underwood of Cantonment. Pictured below: The highlighted area in this map shows were the body was found. Submitted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Volunteers Needed To Count The Homeless
January 4, 2012
The EscaRosa Coalition On the Homeless needs 150 volunteers across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties for their annual homeless survey.
The annual 2012 “U Count” Point-in-Time Homeless Survey will be conducted over a 24-hour period from on Wednesday, January 25 to 8:00 am on Thursday, January 26.
The coalition is charged with counting homeless individuals in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to determine the needs and extent of the local homeless population including sheltered and unsheltered men, women, and children.
The homeless will then be matched with the services offered in the community.
Volunteers are asked to serve as active participants in the counting process. No specific experience is required to serve as a volunteer but compassion and a desire to help individuals who are homeless are essential. Volunteers will serve a 2-4 hour shift at area soup kitchens, churches, food pantries and other locations where homeless gather.
For volunteer forms and more details, visit www.escarosa.wordpress.com.
The application deadline is January 12.
US Airways Adds Twice Daily Nonstop Flights To Washington
January 4, 2012
US Airways is adding twice daily nonstop flights from Pensacola to Washington’s Reagan National Airport beginning March 25.
“This news is a great win for our airport and the region. Having a direct flight to Washington Reagan puts us that much closer to national business and political leaders. More importantly, as the highest traffic airport between Jacksonville and New Orleans, this is one more step towards putting Pensacola on the map as a great place to live and do business,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward.
In addition to Pensacola, US Airways is also adding daily, nonstop flights from Birmingham; Fayetteville, N.C.; Islip, N.Y.; Little Rock, Ark.; Jacksonville, N.C.; Tallahassee and Ft. Walton Beach. These destinations currently have no existing service from Reagan National.
The Pensacola Flights will depart at 6 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. and arrive in Washington at 9:21 a.m. and 7:58 p.m. on a 50-passenger Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ200) aircraft.