Back To School: School Start And Dismiss Times
August 19, 2012
Here is an overview of school start and dismiss times this year in Escambia County.
Elementary: The earliest drop time for students at most schools will be 7:20, and school will begin at 7:45 and will dismiss at 2:00. The North Escambia area elementary schools — Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park and Jim Allen — will all follow this schedule. The 7:45 to 2:00 day is the standard elementary day in Escambia County. On early release days, students will be dismissed at 11:00. There are exceptions to this schedule for the Global Learning Academy, Holm, Lincoln Park, Montclair, Weis and West Pensacola — click for complete list.
Middle School: Ernest Ward will begin the school day at 9:05 and dismiss at 3:45. The earliest students can be dropped off at school will be 8:55. Ransom Middle School and most other county middle schools will follow the standard 9:20 to 4:00 school day with drop off time of 9:05. On early release days, Ernest Ward will dismiss at 12:35 while Ransom will dismiss at 12:50. Click for complete list.
High School: Northview High School will have an 8:30 drop time, and an 8:45 to 3:20 school day. Early release time will be 12:10. Tate High School will have an 8:30 to 3:05 day. Morning drop time will be 8:15. Early release time for Tate will be 12:00. Click for complete list.
Back To School: Supply Lists
August 19, 2012
School starts Monday in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Here are the school supply lists from each elementary school and middle school in Escambia County, plus the North Escambia area schools in Santa Rosa County.
(High schools typically do not have a general supply list. Students are advised of their supply needs in each class.)
North Escambia Area Schools:
- Bratt Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- Central School
- Chumuckla Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Molino Park Elementary
- Jay Elementary
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ransom Middle
Complete Escambia County Lists:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Bellview Elementary
- Beulah Elementary
- Blue Angels Elementary
- Bratt Elementary
- Brentwood Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- Cook Elementary
- Cordova Park Elementary
- Ensley Elementary
- Ferry Pass Elementary
- Global Learning Academy
- Hellen Caro Elementary
- Holm Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Lincoln Park Elementary
- Lipscomb Elementary
- Longleaf Elementary
- McArthur Elementary
- McMillan Pre-K
- Molino Park Elementary
- Montclair Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- Navy Point Elementary
- Oakcrest Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- Pleasant Grove Elementary
- Scenic Heights Elementary
- Semmes Elementary
- Sherwood Elementary
- Suter Elementary
- Warrington Elementary
- Weis Elementary
- West Pensacola Elementary
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
- Bailey Middle
- Bellview Middle
- Brown Barge Middle
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ferry Pass Middle
- Ransom Middle
- Warrington Middle
- Woodham Middle
- Workman Middle
Steege, Godwin To Wed
August 19, 2012
Ms. Tracie Steege of Atmore, and Jimmy Steege of Dothan, Ala., announce the engagement of their daughter, Bethany Dawn Steege to Dajun Forrester Godwin, son of Patricia and Joe Godwin of Dothan.
The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. & Mrs. Billy Smith of Atmore, Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Peacock of Atmore, and Rev. & Mrs. Harrison Steege of Headland, Ala.
The groom-elect is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. James Roney of Dothan, Earlene Godwin and the Late Cecil Godwin of New Brockton, Ala.
The wedding will be held September 15, 2012, at Cornerstone Church in Dothan.
Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter After Fatal Wreck On Nine Mile Road
August 18, 2012
An Escambia County man has been charged with DUI manslaughter after an early Saturday morning wreck on Nine Mile Road that left one man dead and woman in critical condition.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 28-year old Skylar Clint Davis of Pensacola was traveling east in the westbound lane of Nine Mile Road at Northminster Lane in a 2003 Chevrolet 1500 when he topped the crest of a hill and struck a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier head-on.
The driver of the Cavalier, 57-year old Russell George Sheppard of Pensacola, was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger in his vehicle, 24-year old Kathryn Elizabeth Sheppard of Pensacola was critically injured and transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Davis was transported to West Florida Hospital where he was treated and released into the custody of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Davis was charged with DUI manslaughter, DUI serious bodily injuries and DUI property damage. He was booked into the Escambia County jail with bond set at $115,000.
Shots Fired At Pickup; No Injuries Reported
August 18, 2012
There were no injuries when someone opened fire on a pickup truck Friday night on County Road 97 near Cantonment.
The victim told deputies that someone “came after him” on Jacks Branch Road, according to Melissa Rawson, spokeswoman for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The victim continued south until someone fired a gun and shot out his tire on County Road 97 about 8:50 p.m.
The suspect was described as a black male, driving what was believed to be green over metallic-colored extended cab pickup, possible a Ford Ranger.
Rawson said it was not immediately known if the shooting was a road rage incident or if the suspect knew the victim.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Fall Ball Registration: Molino And Northwest Escambia
August 18, 2012
Fall ball registration will continue Saturday, August 25 for the Molino and Northwest Escambia ballparks.
NWE Bradberry Park
NWE is organizing the park’s first Fall Ball program for the Walnut Hill, Century, and Atmore area. Baseball is for children 5 to 15, and softball is open to ages 7 to 16. Games will run mid-September until the end of October.
Players will be registered Saturday, August 25 from 10 a.m. until noon each day at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill with no money collected at the time of registration. A $50 registration fee will be collected when teams are created; the fee will cover park expenses and a player team shirt. Each team will also raise $5 per player, per game for umpire fees.
For more information, call (850) 327-4579 after 5 p.m.
Molino Ballpark
Sign ups are underway for Fall Ball at the Molino Ballpark.
Registration will take place August 25 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the board room at the ballpark. Fall ball is for all ages — tee ball, baseball and softball. $35 per player.
One Year Later: Remembering LCpl Travis Nelson
August 18, 2012
Saturday marked the one year anniversary of the death of local Marine LCpl. Travis M. Nelson. LCpl. Nelson gave all on the battlefields of Afghanistan on August 18, 2011.
A world was shattered at the Nelson home in Bratt as three men in military uniforms stood at the door. “I just screamed and said no,” Beckie Nelson of Bratt said shortly after she learned that her son, LCpl Travis Nelson, was shot and killed while conducting combat operations in in Helmand province, Afghanistan. “I just went to my knees and said don’t let them come in. I knew right away that he was gone.”
It was a tragedy that began a wave an emotions and events that touched the entire North Escambia area and a nation. The community grieved as hundreds if not thousands changed their Facebook profile pictures to a single image in honor of Nelson. Tears flowed as powerful photos were published that showed an honor guard removing Nelson’s flag-draped coffin from a plane at Dover AFB in Delaware.
For a video retrospect, click here.
The rain poured down at Pensacola Naval Air Station a few days later as the final leg of Nelson’s journey home began. The rain did not send them running; they stood silently — many holding American flags — as the hearse carrying an American hero departed on a 55-mile journey to Atmore. Along the way, some of Pensacola’s busiest roadways came to a complete standstill as the motorcade passed. Many motorists stood outside their vehicles and paid their respects. In Walnut Hill, just a few miles from Nelson’s boyhood home in Bratt, the motorcade slowed as it approached Ernest Ward Middle School. Nelson was Golden Eagle, attending Ernest Ward in the sixth and seventh grades.
Hundreds of Ernest Ward Middle School students and teachers dressed in red, white and blue lined Highway 97, American flags in hand, waiting for the arrival of the motorcade.
As the procession passed, the students stood with their hands over their hearts, waving Old Glory. The thunder of 127 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders vibrated the ground and echoed across the country fields near the school.
Six Florida Highway Patrol trooper vehicles led the hearse past the school. Many students broke down in tears at the sight of a flag draped coffin. Others cried as they made eye contact with Nelson’s parents and their daughter — a sixth grader at Ernest Ward.
The motorcade continued into Atmore, where crowds stood along the route, waving Old Glory. At a local bank on Highway 31, people stood with large flags as the Northview High School NJTROC stood steadfast at attention. Across the way at the iconic Atmore train station, a group of local veterans stood proudly and saluted as Nelson’s remains passed.
Nelson’s funeral was held in Atmore where, again, hundreds paid their final respects.
Nelson was not forgotten. His name was added to the Walnut Hill Veterans Wall of Honor and other area memorials. A scholarship was announced. The Bratt Community Park was renamed the LCpl. Travis M. Nelson Park. Nelson’s family was honored at the annual Veterans Day program at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Madeline Cates was to marry LCpl Travis Nelson when he returned from service with the Marines in Afghanistan. She had picked out her dress just before he lost his life serving his country half a world away in August.
“It wasn’t suppose to happen,” Madeline Cates, then 21, said about the death her soulmate. “He was the love of my life.”
Travis Nelson’s parents, Scott and Beckie Nelson, just could not stand the thought of their first Christmas without their son. To take their minds off a Christmas without Travis in the house, they decided to give back to the communities that had supported them so much following his death.
The Nelson family, along with a small army of volunteers, prepared and delivered about 125 Christmas meals Sunday for elderly, shut-in and needy people in the Bratt, Atmore and surrounding areas.
“He really was our hero,” Scott Nelson said.
LCpl Travis Nelson left behind a short, simple note just in case he did return from the battlefield in Afghanistan.
“Dear friends and family, if you are reading this, I didn’t get to come home. I love each and every one of you. I have no regrets, I died for a meaningful cause.”
For a video retrospect, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Sentenced To 40 Years For Murder
August 18, 2012
An Escambia County man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for a 2011 murder.
Thomas Bolds will serve a minimum of 25 years under the sentenced handed down by Judge Linda Nobles.
Bolds was convicted early this year of second degree murder for the September 22, 2001, shooting death of 53-year-old Alvin Merriwell Lewis, Jr
When deputies arrived at the Old Spanish Trail apartments, they found the Lewis dead from multiple gunshot wounds inside the Bolds’ apartment, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
A witness stated that Lewis had been demonstrating how he would defend himself by using a knife, but at no time threatened anyone. During Lewis’ demonstration, Bolds picked up a gun and began shooting Lewis. Lewis was shot once in the chest and seven times in the back
Lewis was shot seven times in the back and once in the chest at the Moorings Apartments. He as found inside Bolds’ apartmen.
U.S. Marshals Task Force Busts Four Wanted Felons; Looking For Fifth
August 18, 2012
The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Task Force busted four wanted felons Friday, and they are still searching for fifth.
At 7:15 a.m. Friday, the Task Force arrested Arion Lavon Goble and a 17 year-old juvenile both wanted in Escambia at a home on Fremont Avenue. Goble, 18, was wanted by the Sheriff’s Office for armed home invasion, committing a crime while wearing a mask, larceny and misdemeanor battery. Goble was wanted by the Pensacola Police Department for arson, grand theft auto and burglary. The juvenile, had warrants in Escambia County for assault with a deadly weapon and simple battery. Both suspects were arrested without incident. Another woman, identified as Goble’s mother, Meighan Shea Goble, 36, was arrested for obstruction of justice and resisting without violence, a misdemeanor.
Just after midnight, Task Force members from Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Ft. Walton Beach Police Department, along with Okaloosa Street Crimes and K-9 units and Crestview Police Department Investigations apprehended Joseph Dwight Johnson of Crestview. The 21-year-old Johnson was arrested while Task Force members conducted surveillance on a Crestview home on the 200 Block of Ogelsby Road. An unidentified woman who had left the home confirmed Johnson was inside when questioned by the Task Force. Johnson surrendered shortly afterwards without incident. Johnson was wanted by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
And Friday afternoon, the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Task Force captured Roderick Clyde Sims at the corner of Chiefs Way and Old Corry Field Road. He was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. He was wanted on a drug-related federal probation violation, and state charges of arresting arrest, failure to appear and driving with a suspended license.
Authorities are still searching for Robert Falcon Fraser, 24. He is wanted on multiple felony charges, including home invasion and armed robbery. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Police Officer Fired, Arrested For Using Unnecessary Force
August 18, 2012
A Pensacola Police officer was fired Friday after a routine review of his patrol vehicle’s camera revealed he used unnecessary force in making a recent arrest.
Officer Christopher Geraci also was arrested and charged with battery.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Pensacola Police Chief Simmons said, adding that the incident was found through a routine supervisory review of the videotape and was not the result of a complaint. Department supervisors review all uses of force.
The incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. August 2 when Geraci responded to a hit and run crash at D and Cervantes streets. The driver – identified as Abbi Bonds, 29, of Pensacola – was found with the car in the 1100 block of North C Street. The car had heavy front end damage and was disabled.
During a verbal exchange between Geraci and Bonds, Geraci approached Bonds and grabbed her by her left arm. He then forcibly slung her into the side of the car, then grabbed the back of her head and forced it into the top of the vehicle while placing her in handcuffs.
“When I saw the video, I was shocked and disappointed,” Simmons said. “This is not how we train, it was unreasonable force and it was inconsistent with the level of resistance.”
Bonds was charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, failure to yield, driving under the influence, and not having proof of insurance.
Geraci, 33, was hired by the department as a cadet on March 1, 2004, and promoted to police officer on March 14, 2005. He presently was assigned to the department’s K-9 Unit in the Uniform Patrol Division.
Upon review of the video, Geraci was placed on leave until he was fired Friday.