Lawyer: Century Can’t De-Annex Resident Claiming Slavery, Discrimination
April 3, 2012
The Town of Century can’t de-annex the property of a woman that claims she is the victim of slavery and discrimination based upon the town limits drawn 33 years ago.
Leola Robinson, a resident of of 350 West Highway 4, claimed at a late March Century Town Council meeting that her nearby “farm” was wrongly annexed into the town back in 1979 when other farmland belonging to white property owners was not.
“It is slavery and discrimination,” Robinson told the council on March 19. “It must be because I am black.”
Matt Dannheisser, the town’s attorney, said Monday night that Robinson’s property cannot be removed from the town limits because it would leave other parcels of property non-contiguous — essentially cut off from the town.
Robinson alleged discrimination again at Monday’s night meeting of the Century Town Council.
“I don’t think they were fair,” Robinson said of the town limits drawn in 1979. “They were discrimination to me.” Robinson is continuing to ask Century to remove her property from the town limits.
“Right now, it’s not legal,” council President Ann Brooks said Monday night.
The council has taken no action on Robinson’s request.
Pictured: Leola Robinson claims that her property was wrongly annexed into the Town of Century 33 years ago. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Academy Defeats Atmore Christian
April 3, 2012
Escambia Academy defeated Atmore Christian 13-0 in five innings Monday.
ACS will travel to Bonifay Saturday to take on Gateway Academy, while Escambia Academy will travel to Jackson on Tuesday.
Pictured: Action as Escambia Academy defeated Atmore Christian Monday. Submitted photos by Katie Findley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Respond To Apartment Fire; No Major Damage
April 3, 2012
Firefighters responded to a reported apartment fire in Atmore Tuesday morning.
The fire at McRae Apartments was mostly confined to a kitchen stove upstairs in the “D” building. Firefighters reported light smoke showing from the apartment as they arrived on scene about 7:30 a.m.
There were no injuries report.
Pictured top: Firefighters responded to a reported kitchen fire at McRae Apartments in Atmore Tuesday morning. Pictured left: The stove was removed from the upstairs apartment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Burglary Suspect Dies After Being Caught In Cantonment Home
April 2, 2012
A burglary suspect died early Monday morning after being caught by deputies inside a Cantonment home.
Just after midnight, deputies responded to the 100 block of Robinson Street after receiving several calls about a man breaking into houses and acting irrationally. At 124 Robinson Street, deputies found 33-year old Tracy Deshawn Lett on the floor after breaking into the home, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
“Lett met the description that was given to deputies by witnesses. Deputies restrained Lett after he did not comply with deputy’s commands to place his hands behind his back,” according to a sheriff’s office release.
Moments later, Lett showed signs of being in medical distress. He was immediately unrestrained and requested EMS. Lett then stopped breathing and deputies began to administer CPR. After EMS arrived on scene, Lett was taken by LifeFlight to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Sheriff’s investigators are awaiting autopsy results from the Medical Examiner’s Office. Further details have not been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Inside Century Correctional Institution
April 2, 2012
Today, we begin our exclusive look inside the Century Correctional Institution with a trip through security and a look at what’s behind the fence. Our series will continue tomorrow with a trip inside the medical unit, the chapel and and more.
No weapons, no drugs. Must have a picture ID. Subject to search. No cell phones, no cameras. No Blackberrys.
No Blackberry? That one seemed a little harsh and hard to swallow. I live with my Blackberry in running NorthEscambia.com — always figured the paramedics would pry it from my hands one day.
Otherwise the briefing on entering the Century Correctional Institution seemed simple enough. The same rules apply to family visiting prisoners on the weekends, but we were getting the all-access pass, far beyond the visitation room and yard.
We were told the “no camera” rule did not apply to us — Tallahassee had pre-approved NorthEscambia.com for the tour. But no photos of locks, guard control rooms or anything else related to security. And no photos that showed the identifiable faces of a prisoner. Seems that the state’s rules say prisoners have a right to privacy behind bars unless they sign a photo release.
“The prisoners will not interact with you,” Col. Joseph Schwarz said before the tour. They are much like children in an elementary school room, he added, often gawking at the strange visitor.
Schwarz is in charge of keeping the prisoners in and the rest of the world out as security boss. A commanding voice, with a bit of an accent, he seemed fit to play himself in a movie giving orders and watching over a Southern prison chain gang.
Standing under the razor wire that surrounds the 40-acre CCI campus, the barbs glistening in the sun look like enough deterrent to keep one on the proper side of the fence.
Then it was through the gate into the sallyport. The gate must close behind those entering before one in front opens. There was no slamming sound like the movies. If you are headed into CCI to begin your life sentence, you’ll miss the gate slamming closed sound that momma warned you about. Just the sound of a chain link fence gate closing. And an electrical hum as a lock is opened and closed from a control room. Still, it’s hard to imagine what the feeling would be like headed in for 10, 20 years or even life.
“They are armed with three different types of weapons,” Schwarz said, motioning with his eyes up toward the guard tower. One of the weapons is a shotgun. Aim is not terribly important with a shotgun…not terribly hard to hit the guy trying to get over the fence.
Standing in the small sallyport, it very much feels and looks the typical preconceived idea of a prison. Surrounding by fence and razor wire — and let’s not forget the guy watching with a shotgun — it feels like the outside is already a world away.
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Stepping through the second gate is a bit of a surprise. A two-lane road, bright freshly painted yellow lines in the middle and sides. Staff walks down the middle, while prisoners must walk outside the yellow lines on the “shoulder”. The grass is freshly trimmed, flowers beds are neat and plentiful around the buildings lining the road.
The flower beds — filled with fresh mulch, pansies, petunias and other little flowering plants like grandma would plant — are everywhere around the sidewalks along neatly painted buildings.
Library. Chapel. Security. — neat, hand lettered signs are above the doors of each building. A “Town of Century” water tower close behind the buildings. It really looks more like small town USA than a prison. If you overlook the bars on the windows. Especially on the Chapel.
But at the far end of CCI small town, USA, there’s another fence, razor wire and another guard tower. Beyond those are the dorms — the home of up to 1,400 inmates.
Our series “Inside Century Correctional Institution” continues tomorrow on NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured: Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Traffic Restrictions On Highway 29 At Muscogee And I-10
April 2, 2012
There will be traffic delays in two different areas along Highway 29 overnight Tuesday through Thursday.
Southbound traffic on U.S. 29 at Muscogee Road and at the I-10 overpass in Escambia County will encounter overnight lane restrictions Tuesday through Thursday between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. as Transfield Services performs routine maintenance.
Drivers are reminded to pay attention to the speed limit when traveling through the construction area, and to use caution, especially at night when driving in work zones, according to the Florida Department of Transporation.
Property Taxes Are Now Late, But There’s A Reprieve
April 2, 2012
Real estate and tangible personal property taxes became delinquent on Sunday, but there’s a little reprieve if you forgot to pay up on time.
Since the March 31 deadline fell during a weekend when the tax collector officers were closed, offices will still accept payments without penalty on Monday, April 2 for in person payments only.
If not paid by today in person, a penalty of 3 percent for real estate and 1½ percent for tangible taxes will be assessed. At last report, over $32.5 million (approximately 13%) of the Escambia County tax roll remains unpaid, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley.
You may check the status of your taxes and pay online at www.escambiataxcollector.com. For more information, contact the tax collector’s office at (850) 438-6500, ext. 3252.
Stand Your Ground Remains Under Fire
April 2, 2012
The National Rifle Association has long been a powerful force in Tallahassee. But as the Sanford shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin continues to create a national furor, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer and her legislative allies face growing pressure to revamp the state’s “stand your ground” law.
“There’s a critical and urgent need to look at the law, and at least clarify it, or explain it,” said Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.
Some black lawmakers have called for holding a special legislative session to deal with the law. While that appears unlikely, Rep. Dennis Baxley, an Ocala Republican who was an original sponsor of stand your ground in 2005, acknowledged that it might need to be clarified.
“There’s nothing in the statute that provides for any kind of aggressive action, in terms of pursuit and confront,” Baxley said. “So I think that’s been some misapplication of this statute. If anything could come out of this very tragic circumstance, it could be some clarification of when this applies and how.”
Stand your ground, which was backed by the NRA, has drawn widespread attention since neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman shot and killed Martin last month. Zimmerman, who has not been charged in the death, contends that he fired in self-defense.
The law allows people who feel threatened in public to stand their ground and use force to defend themselves, eliminating a prior responsibility to try to retreat. Questions in the Martin case center, at least in part, on whether Zimmerman pursued the teen before shooting him.
Gov. Rick Scott wants to wait until the conclusion of the Martin investigation before addressing the stand-your-ground law. He has appointed an outside prosecutor, Angela Corey, to head the investigation and also has announced that a task force will later look at issues such as stand your ground.
“We still don’t know the effect the stand-your-ground law might have in this case, so it would be premature to begin evaluating facts when more facts are yet to emerge,” Scott spokesman Lane Wright said. “Gov. Scott believes we need to be thoughtful and thorough as we deal with this awful tragedy, and for those reasons he will not interfere with the investigation or prematurely expedite the work of the task force.”
By the News Service of Florida
New Senate Maps Submitted To Feds
April 2, 2012
The second draft of new maps for the state Senate have been submitted to the U.S. Justice Department for “pre-clearance” under the Voting Rights Act.
In a memo contained with the filing, the state argued that the plan easily complies with the act.
“There cannot be any serious issue concerning discriminatory purpose in the covered counties,” the memo says. “The minority districts there largely followed the districts recommended by civil-rights groups and materially preserved the ability of minority voters in those counties to elect their preferred candidates.”
The submission should give the Justice Department the full 60 days it has under the Voting Rights Act to review the proposal before candidate qualifying begins. Any changes to Florida elections law must be considered by the federal agency or a federal court before going into effect in five counties with a history of racial discrimination.
Maps for the House were submitted March 13.
Warm Week Forecast
April 2, 2012
After a record high of 84 on Sunday, we are expecting another warm day. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Patchy dense fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind between 5 and 10 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Patchy dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. South wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. West wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.