Man Incompetent To Stand Trial For Robbing, Beating Store Clerk
July 2, 2012
A judge has declared a Cantonment man incompetent to stand trial for the January robbery of a convenience store and beating of the clerk.
Antoan Dekyl Fountain, 32, was charged with battery causing bodily harm, grand theft and robbery with a firearm for the January 7 holdup of the CMP Food Mart at the corner of North Highway 29 and Beck’s Lake Road in Cantonment.
After a psychological examination was complete, Judge Jan Shackelford declared that Fountain was incompetent and ordered him committed to the Department of Children and Families.
According to Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reports, Fountain was dressed in all black when he entered the store about 10:35 p.m., jumped over the counter and tried to get into the register. When Fountain was unable to open the register, he beat the clerk with a handgun to force him to open the cash drawer. Fountain then fled on foot in an unknown direction with about $300 in cash.
Fountain was busted after deputies received an anonymous tip that Fountain had been bragging about committing the robbery.
The clerk positively identified Fountain as the bandit from a photo lineup, according to an arrest report.
Pictured: The CMP Food Mart in Cantonment as seen a few hours before a January 7 robbery. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
North Escambia ECUA Customer? Take Out The Trash Today
July 2, 2012
Trash pickup days are changed this week for most North Escambia ECUA customers due to the Fourth of July holiday on Wednesday.
ECUA residential sanitation customers scheduled for collection on Tuesday will have their garbage, recycling and yard trash picked up on Monday. Collection for Wednesday customers will be on Tuesday. The collection routes for July 5 and 6 will remain on their regular schedule.
For more information, call ECUA at (850) 476-0480.
McDavid Man Charged With Battery By Strangulation
July 2, 2012
A McDavid man is facing a felony charge for allegedly trying to strangle his girlfriend outside a Pensacola Walgreens.
Marcus Dion Berthiaume, age 44 of Cox Road, was charged with felony battery by strangulation. He was released from the Escambia County jail on a $15,000 bond.
The victim and another male were allegedly stopped at a Davis Highway traffic light when Berthiaume got out of his vehicle and threatened them. He continued to follow them and tried to run them off the road until they stopped at a Walgreen’s on Olive Road, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
The victim told deputies that Berthiaume then choked her and slammed her head into the center console of a vehicle. A Walgreen’s customer provided deputies a smartphone video of Berthiaume diving into a vehicle and another witness pulling him out by the waist band of his pants.
The victim told deputies that she was currently dating Berthiaume and the pair had lived together for about two weeks.
Retired Astronaut Dies In Pensacola Beach Jet Ski Accident
July 2, 2012
A retired NASA astronaut died Sunday from injuries he received in a Pensacola Beach jet ski accident.
Captain Alan Poindexter, 50, was jet skiing with his two sons near Little Sabine Bay about 1:30 Sunday afternoon.
Poindexter and one of his sons, age 21, were sitting still in the water on a jet ski when his other son accidentally came barreling into him on a second jet ski, according to reports. He was airlifted by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital where he died from his injuries.
Poindexter’s wife is formerly of Gulf Breeze. He was a graduate of then Pensacola Junior College and Georgia Tech. He flew numerous space shuttle missions, spending nearly 28 total days in space before he retired from NASA in 2010.
In 2008, he was the pilot on the STS-122 space shuttle mission to deliver and install the European Space Agency’s Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station. In 2010, he was the commander for STS-131, a resupply mission to the station that delivered more than 13,000 pounds of hardware and equipment.
“The NASA family was sad to learn of the passing of our former friend, and colleague Alan Poindexter who was killed today during a jet ski accident in Florida,” a NASA Facebook posting stated. “Our thought and hearts are with his family.”
During his career, Poindexter was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, NASA Aviation Safety Award, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, various other service awards.
“He was a talented, courageous Navy veteran with gifts,” astronaut Greg H. Johnson wrote on Twitter. “Dex was a lovable guy with a strong work ethic.”
Pictured top: Astronaut Alan Poindexter works on the aft flight deck of space shuttle Atlantis during his first spaceflight in 2008.
New Molino Tax Collector, Property Appraiser Offices Open
July 2, 2012
A new Molino location for the Escambia County’s tax collector and property appraiser have opened.
The property appraiser will be open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
The Molino tax collector service center will process motor vehicle and vessel registrations and titles, hunting and fishing licenses, property taxes, and business tax receipts. Limited driver license and ID card services will be available by appointment only. The new office will continue to offer drive thru service and a 24-hour drop box. Office hours will remain the same — Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. while the tax collector will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m and will have a 24-hour drop box.
For more information, contact the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office at (850) 434-2735 or the Tax Collector’s Office at (850) 438-6500.
The facility is located at the Old Molino School on Highway 94A, just south of Molino Road.
An open house will be held at both offices in the coming weeks.
Pictured: The new Molino location for the Escambia County Tax Collector and Property Appraiser.
Scott: Florida Won’t Implement Optional Portions Of ‘Obamacare’
July 2, 2012
Rep. Gov. Rick Scott announced Sunday night that two major provisions in the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare” are inconsistent with his mission to grow jobs for Floridians, make sure there is adequate funding for education, and to keep the cost of living as low as possible.
The Affordable Care Act does not require states to take any action before the 2012 general election, and the full law does not take effect until January 1, 2014, provided it is not repealed before that date. Scott, like other state governors, has made it clear that even though Florida will opt out of implementing two major, yet optional, provisions, should there be any legal obligation to implement ObamaCare, the state will follow the law.
Florida will opt out of spending approximately $1.9 billion more taxpayer dollars required to implement an expansion of the Medicaid program. A second provision in the Affordable Care Act gives Scott the flexibility to opt out of building insurance “exchanges.”
“Floridians are interested in jobs and economic growth, a quality education for their children, and keeping the cost of living low,” Scott said. “Neither of these major provisions in ObamaCare will achieve those goals, and since Florida is legally allowed to opt out, that’s the right decision for our citizens.”
Florida already has health care safety net programs om [tphts, for those with the greatest need, including assistance for families with incomes up to 133% of the poverty line, and Florida KidCare to ensure no child goes without health care in Florida.
But even though the federal government has promised to initially pay 100% of the increase in Medicaid payments for the first three years of ObamaCare, the burden increasingly shifts to Florida taxpayers in future years. Scott said.
“The real problem with health care is that costs continue to rise. That’s why I believe we need more choice for patients, more free-market competition, increased accountability for providers, and incentives for personal responsibility,” said Scott. “These are the things we can do that will hold down health care costs and make it affordable for more people. Unfortunately, ObamaCare doesn’t do any of those things. In Florida, we are focused on becoming the number one place for businesses so that Floridians have more jobs.”
Suns Beat Pensacola Blue Wahoos 10-4 In Season Opener
July 2, 2012
Eight of the nine spots in the Jacksonville lineup reached base while first baseman Curt Smith, right fielder Jeff Dominguez and second baseman Paul Gran all homered to power the Suns to a 10-4 victory over the Pensacola Blue Wahoos on Sunday night at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
With the win, Jacksonville improves their record in the second half to 5-6, while the Blue Wahoos fell to 6-5 since the Southern League All-Star Break.
The Suns got the scoring started early on, plating two tallies in the opening frame. LF Jake Smolinski drew a leadoff walk and then stole second before coming home on Smith’s blast to left to push Jacksonville to a 2-0 advantage. Dominguez would then leave the yard in the next inning to move the Suns margin to three.
Pensacola however, would answer with three runs of their own in the third to draw the contest even. After C Mark Fleury and CF Ryan LaMarre each drew a free pass, SS Didi Gregorius brought both home with a triple down the right field line, while Gregorius would later come across on 2B Brodie Greene’s sacrifice fly to right.
Jacksonville would then take command of the game however in the fifth thanks to their third longball of the evening. Relief pitcher Kyle Kaminska drew a leadoff base-on-balls prior to a another walk by Smolinski, his third of the contest, before Gran launched a three-run blast to left to give the Suns a lead they would not give up.
The home team would add a total of four insurance runs combined in the sixth and seventh frames, including a run-scoring single by Gran for his fourth RBI of the contest. Smolinski would reach base once more when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh with the bases loaded to force in a run.
Jacksonville reliever Kyle Kaminski (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO) earned the win after yielding a lone earned run on two hits, while Joshua Schmidt (3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 SO) earned his first save of the year by tossing the final three innings. Blue Wahoos starter Tim Crabbe (4.0 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 SO) suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs on three hits while walking six in his four frames.
Three Suns batters, including Gran (2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB), Smith (2-4, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB) and Dominguez (2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI), all collected two hits in the contest while Pensacola LF Bryson Smith (4-4, 1 2B) tallied four base knocks in the loss. Smith in his last three games has now tallied eight hits in 12 at bats and is hitting .533 since his promotion from High-A Bakersfield on June 27.
By Andrew Green
Rep. Miller: Supreme Court Got It Wrong With Obamacare Ruling
July 2, 2012
Submitted by U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to uphold Obamacare. This unprecedented overhaul of our health care system is the most controversial piece of legislation that I have seen during my tenure in Congress. Like millions of Americans, I fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision. Simply put, the Constitution makes clear that the federal government has defined and limited powers. Forcing individuals to buy health insurance or be levied with an estimated $800 billion tax hike is clearly outside this power.
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court got this one wrong. It isn’t the first time the Supreme Court has issued an opinion that is just plain incorrect. In the infamous 1857 Dred Scott v Sanford case, the Supreme Court overturned the Congressionally passed Missouri Compromise and ruled that African-Americans were not U.S. citizens and thus not protected by the Constitution. This horrendous decision was eventually overturned by the 14th Amendment. In the 1896 case Plessy v Ferguson, the Supreme Court upheld state laws that required racial segregation. This decision was overturned by the 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v Board of Education. In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled in Korematsu v U.S. that because it was impossible to separate loyal Japanese-Americans from disloyal ones, the civil rights of all Japanese-Americans citizens could be restricted and the court upheld the charges against the plaintiff, George Korematusu. In 1983, these charges were overturned.
Victory for the Obama Administration in this case is a huge loss for the American people. This ruling means the largest tax increase in American history, up to 20 million Americans losing their employer-provided health insurance, an average increase in premiums of more than $2,000 per family, $500 billion in cuts for seniors on Medicare and trillions of dollars in additional debt. The American people don’t deserve to have the government involved in their personal health care decisions, and I believe that come November they will make it abundantly clear that this decision must also be overturned.
The Administration advanced three arguments to support its assertion that the law was constitutional. Tellingly, it was the Administration’s third-choice argument on which the Supreme Court relied to uphold the law. The law was allowed to stand because the Supreme Court found that the mandate to buy health insurance was actually a tax. However, from the beginning, the President repeatedly stated that his health care law was not a tax, only to have the Supreme Court ultimately uphold his signature law solely on the basis that it is a tax.
The American people have voiced their concerns over Obamacare for the past two years, and throughout the debate on the law, House and Senate Republicans repeatedly objected to this unprecedented government overreach. During a time of economic crises, the President and the large Democrat majority in Congress in 2010 chose to ignore the American people and shun Republican Members of Congress in an ill-advised attempt to engineer a government takeover of health care. During this time, the President could have been truly serving the needs of the American people by working with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to enact pro-growth policies to improve our economy and create wealth and jobs for all Americans. Instead, the Democrats acted on their own and, the American people have been forced to suffer the consequences.
While the Supreme Court may have upheld Obamacare, the House of Representatives will vote in July to repeal it in its entirety. House Republicans have already voted 30 times to repeal, defund, or dismantle all or portions of Obamacare. In the written opinion of the Supreme Court’s ruling on Obamacare, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote “members of this Court are vested with the authority to interpret the law; we possess neither the expertise nor the prerogative to make policy judgements. Those decisions are entrusted to our Nation’s elected leaders, who can be thrown out of office if the people disagree with them. It is not our job to protect the people from the consequences of their political choices.” Congressional Republicans will continue to stand in firm opposition to Obamacare, while Congressional Democrats and President Obama will likely continue to fervently support their extreme government takeover. However, come November it will be the American people who have the last word.
Plan Now: Sertoma Fireworks On The Fourth Of July, Sponsored By NorthEscambia.com
July 2, 2012
The largest fireworks show on the Gulf Coast will be Wednesday night over Pensacola Bay, sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
For the 23rd year, Sertoma organizations will coordinate and host the fireworks display over Pensacola Bay on Wednesday, July 4th, at 9:00 p.m.
There will be activities throughout the day, from 11:00 am until 6:30 pm, in Seville Square to include a FREE Children’s Area with inflatables and pony rides, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and live entertainment on the gazebo stage beginning at 11:00 a.m. There is also a hot dog eating contest at noon.
Starting at 4 p.m., there will be live music on the Bayfront Stage, featuring Crosstown Band, followed by Bad Habits at 6:30. The festivities will culminate with the fireworks show over Pensacola Bay at about 9 p.m. synchronized with music broadcast on Cat Country 98.7.
Sponsors for the program include NorthEscambia.com, Cat Country 98.7, NewsRadio 1620, WEAR 3, Publix, Escambia County and the City of Pensacola.
Click the program brochure to enlarge for a complete schedule.
Coming up Tuesday and Wednesday, NorthEscambia.com will publish a guide to fireworks shows across the area.
Local Youth ‘Converge’ During Camp That Served
July 2, 2012
Last week, dozens of youth from across Escambia County took part in Converge — a combination youth summer camp and summer missions project to help the community.
Among the week’s projects, the youth took part in beatification projects at Byrneville Elementary and Warrington Middle schools, a food drive for Manna Food Bank, handed out milk and bread in needy neighborhoods and even helped build a house with Habitat for Humanity.
From the North Escambia area, youth groups from Highland Baptist in Molino and Ray’s Chapel in Bogia took part in Converge last week.
“All the kids made new friends and had a great time working and making a difference in the lives of our communities,” youth leader Ramona Preston said.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Local youth converged on Escambia County last week in a youth camp/missions project. Pictured inset: Youth take part in a cleanup at Byrneville Elementary School. Pictured below: Ray’s Chapel Pastor Nathan Brown with the church’s youth group. Submitted photos by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
