Escambia Man Convicted, Sentenced To Life For Murder
July 26, 2012
A 24-year old Escambia County man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Wednesday after he was convicted of a 2008 murder.
It took a Escambia County Jury just a few hours to return the first degree murder verdict against Daniel Levi Ward.
He shot and killed Linda Tate inside of her home on Blue Angel Parkway in October of 2008. Family members believed Ward intended to steal prescription Oxycontin from Tate when he shot her.
Ward was charged with the murder in 2010 after new information from witnesses and a DNA test. He was reportedly unaware a warrant had been issued for his arrest when he was arrested without incident by the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force in a shopping center parking lot at Chemstrand and Nine Mile roads.
Welcome A Local Wounded Warrior Home
July 26, 2012
A local U.S. Marine injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan two years ago will be welcomed home to Pensacola Friday, and you are encouraged to joined in the celebration.
Cpl. Joseph Daniel Palmer, along with his wife Becky and his two young children, will be welcomed back at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Pensacola Aviation at 4145 Jerry L. Maygarden Road, behind the Pensacola International Airport.
Palmer suffered extensive combat related injuries in Afghanistan and endured more than a year of medical rehabilitation in North Carolina.
Palmer is a 2004 graduate of Central High School. He joined the Marines in October 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan in January 2010. He has several relatives in the North Escambia area, including his sister.
Deputies Recover Burglar’s Finger At Crime Scene
July 26, 2012
The story of an early morning burglar that left his finger behind is definitely not for the squeamish.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a J&J Towing on Pace Boulevard when a 15-year old’s finger was cut off by the barbed wire that lines the top of an eight-foot fence around the facility.
Deputies say the suspect jumped the fence and realized he had lost his finger. He climbed back over the fence and began yelling for help and asking two witnesses to help him look for his finger.
The witnesses called an ambulance. When EMS arrived, it was determined that the finger was still inside the fenced in area of the business. A deputy responded, collected the finger and turned it over to EMS. The suspect and his finger were taken to a local hospital.
Charges are pending against the 15-year old at this time. His name has not been released pending his arrest due to his age.
Driver Charged With DUI After Pedestrian Hit By Vehicle On Hwy 95A
July 26, 2012
A Cantonment woman was charged with driving under the influence by the Florida Highway Patrol after she allegedly hit a pedestrian Wednesday night in Cantonment.
The accident happened about 10:30 p.m. on Highway 95A just north of Highway 29, near the Gee Willies convenience store.
Melissa D. Kettering, age 38 of Crowndale Road, apparently struck the pedestrian with the driver’s side of her Mercury car, knocking a rear view mirror off the car. The pedestrian was transported by ambulance to a Pensacola area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The name of the pedestrian has not yet been released.
The Cantonment and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured above and below: The driver of this Mercury struck a pedestrian on Highway 95A in Cantonment Wednesday night. Pictured inset: The driver was given a series of field sobriety tests. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Escambia Candidates To Appear On Live TV Forum Tonight
July 26, 2012
Escambia County candidates will appear tonight in a televised candidate forum on WSRE TV 23.
“Rally 2012″ is a live forum that airs at 7 p.m. It is hosted and moderated by longtime local reporter Drexel Gilbert and Sandra Averhart. The purpose of “Rally 2012” is to give citizens an unbiased look at the candidates vying to represent them and learn where they stand on the important issues.
According to WSRE, candidates scheduled to appear tonight are:
Clerk of the Circuit Court – Pam Childers (R), Ernie Lee Magaha (R)
Sheriff – David Morgan (R), John Russell Powell (R)
County Commission District 1 – Jesse Casey (R), Wilson Robertson (R)
County Commission District 3 – Lumon May (D), Clinton Earl Powell, Sr. (D), Annie Thomas Walker (D)**
County Commission District 5 – Sam Archer (R), Glenn Austin (R), Steven Barry (R), Pat Burkett (R), Jim A. Taylor (R)
ECUA District 1 – Vicki H., Campbell (R), Logan Fink (R)
ECUA District 3 – Calvin Avant (D), Benell English (D), Elvin McCorvey (D), Clorissti Mitchell (D)
ECUA District 5 – Barry B. Tweedie (R), Larry Walker (R), Charlou Williams (R)*
Public Defender First Judicial Circuit – Bruce A. Miller (R), James Owens (R)
State Rep. District 2 – Jeremy M. Bosso (R), C.V. (Clay) Ford (R)
State Rep. District 3 – Doug Broxson (R), Jayer Williamson (R)
Circuit Judge Group 15 – Terry Ketchel, Thomas S. Murphy
*Not available to participate
** Not confirmed as of July 18, 2012
Sheriff’s Race: Both Morgan And Powell’s Campaign Finance Reports Headed To Grand Jury
July 26, 2012
ARCHIVED STORY — July 26, 2012
Campaign finance reports from both Republican candidates for Escambia County Sheriff will be presented to an Escambia County grand jury on Monday.
The State Attorney’s Office announced Monday that the grand jury would review John Powell’s campaign finance reports after claims were made by incumbent David Morgan. And on Wednesday, the State Attorney’s Office said the grand jury would also review Morgan’s campaign finance reports.
Citing the secrecy of grand juries in Florida, Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said his office could not say why Morgan’s campaign finance report would be presented.
Due to a letter from Morgan to State Attorney Bill Eddins, the nature of the allegations against Powell became public.
In that letter, Morgan asserts that about 30 cash contributions made to Powell’s campaign that were in excess of the legal $50 per person cash limit.
Powell said Monday afternoon that he has cooperated fully with the State Attorney’s Office investigation and that any mistakes were just that — honest mistakes that were being corrected with any cash contributions in excess of the $50 rule being refunded to contributors.
If the grand jury were to find any wrongdoing on the part of either candidate, a resolution in the case is not likely before the August 14 primary.
$750K In Grants Rehabilitate About A Dozen Century Homes
July 26, 2012
The Town of Century is wrapping up two grants totaling three-quarters of a million dollars that was used to rehabilitate about a dozen homes in the town.
The town was awarded a $650,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to rehabilitate or replace homes that are currently occupied by persons of low or moderate income. The town also received $100,000 in Residential Construction Mitigation Program Funds for hurricane retrofits.
Homes rehabilitated under the program were:
- 210 East Street, Myrtice Lowe, — Bill Walter Construction, $42,786
- 221 East Street, Frankie Lowe et al, — Bill Walter Construction, $36,592
- 7640 Mayo Street, Hattie Odom — Thompson Contractor Resources, $57,915
- 540 East Pond Street, Roy and Rosie Pearl Hale, Motes Construction, $86,465
- 6 Howard Street, Cullie Mae Carter — Motes Construction, Inc., $64,817
- 521 East Hecker Road, Ollie Kelly — Thompson Contractor Resources, $68,102
- 411 Cedar Street, Dorothy Newton — John Claude, General Contractor, $38,215
- 7820 Jefferson Avenue, Elsie Reaves — Parker Custom Homes, $79,120
- 300 Front Street, Charles H. and Wanda Therrell — Mike Motes Builders, $59,000
- 571 Church Street, Maryland P. Bridges – Bill Walther Construction, $47,875
- 301 East Hecker, Richard and Eva Carter — Mike Motes Builders, $32,000
Additional funds from the grants were using for relocation costs, inspections, environmental reviews, lead testing, surveys and other associated expenses.
Pictured above and below: Before and after pictures of a house at 540 East Pont Street in Century that was rehabilitated using grant money. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Man That Ran From Wreck Arrested
July 26, 2012
An Atmore man has been arrested in connection with a wreck that led to manhunt last week near Flomaton.
Steven Michael Campbell, Jr. of Canoe Road, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
A manhunt followed a July 16 wreck in the 3600 block of Old Atmore Road near Fowler lane, about two-tenths of mile north of the Alabama/Florida line. An manhunt followed because the driver, later identified as Campbell, reportedly suffered a severe head laceration.
Officials said Campbell lost control of of a Jeep Grand Cherokee and overturned several times before he jumped out and ran.
The Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office, Flomaton Police Department, tracking dogs from Fountain Prison near Atmore, LifeFlight and the Flomaton Fire Department looked for the Campbell unsuccessfully for about an hour.
A witness that told police he saw a man run from the overturned jeep identified Campbell from a photo lineup.
Campbell was arrested by the Atmore Police Department. He was also wanted on three outstanding failure to appear warrants from Escambia County, Ala.
Pictured: The driver of this Jeep Cherokee fled on foot after a wreck July 16 on Old Atmore Road. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Huntsville Homers Past The Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6-2
July 26, 2012
The Stars slammed four home runs, including two from first baseman Hunter Morris and one each from left fielder Khris Davis and right fielder Kentrail Davis, as Huntsville powered past the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6-2 on Wednesday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The victory was the fourth in a row for the Stars, who improve their record in the second half to 15-17. The defeated dropped the Fish to a 18-14 mark since the league’s All-Star Break. The team wore Reds jerseys for the contest in honor of the club’s affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds, while fans in attendance also wore red.
Pensacola got the scoring started in the opening frame to take the early 1-0 lead. SS Billy Hamilton drew a free pass and subsequently swiping second for his 113th steal of the year before moving to third on an error and home on an RBI single by RF Bryson Smith. The theft means the speedster is now 32 steals away from Vince Coleman’s all-time mark of 145, which he set in 1983 with Single-A Macon.
Huntsville would then launch their first homer of the contest in the next inning, when Morris led off the second with a solo shot to right. The left-handed slugger then mashed his second longball of the evening in his next at bat in the fourth to up his season total to 18. Kentrail Davis followed Morris with a solo blast of his own to combine for back-to-back jacks. A third Stars tally would come across in the fourth thanks to a Blue Wahoos error to make it 4-1.
The fourth and final Stars shot would come in the fifth, when Khris Davis deposited the first pitch of the at bat to left for his sixth roundtripper of the year, extending the advantage to five. Pensacola pinch hitter Josh Fellhauer cut the deficit to three in the fifth, scoring 3B David Vidal from third, but Huntsville answered right back in the sixth with a run-scoring single by SS Tommy Manzella to complete the scoring.
Morris (2-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB) was the lone Huntsville hitter to collect two or more hits in the contest, while Smith (2-4, 1 RBI) also recorded a multi-hit effort for the Blue Wahoos. 1B Beau Mills drew a free pass in the sixth to extend his team-record on-base streak to 28, accounting for every game he has played for Pensacola this year.
Stars starter Johnnie Lowe (5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) earned the win after yielding just two earned runs on four hits in his five innings of work, while the relief trio of Dan Meadows (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO), Darren Byrd (1.0 IP, 1 SO) and Brandon Kintzler (1.0 IP, 1 H) combined for the final four shutout frames. Pensacola RHP Kyle Lotzkar (4.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) suffered the loss to fall to 4-5, as Josh Ravin (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 SO), Justin Freeman (1.0 IP, 2 SO) and Chris Manno (1.0 IP, 2 SO) totaled seven strikeouts in the last three innings.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again on Thursday evening, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at the bayfront stadium. RHP Daniel Corcino is slated to toe the rubber for the Blue Wahoos, while Huntsville is expected to counter with RHP Josh Stinson.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: Pensacola’s Billy Hamilton stole his 113th base of the season in Wednesday’s 6-2 loss to Huntsville. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escaped Prison Inmates Recaptured
July 26, 2012
Authorities have recaptured two two prison inmates that escaped in Mobile County Wednesday night.
James Ledford and Dallas Morgan were discovered missing at 5:30 p.m. during a bed check at the Mobile Community Facility. They were taken into custody by the Mobile Police Department Thursday morning in west Mobile.
Ledford is a three time offender sentenced to life out of Mobile County for theft.
Morgan was sentenced in March 2012 out of Pike County for manufacturing narcotics. He was last seen wearing shorts and a white shirt.