Gov. Scott, FDLE Honor Tonia Allen As School Bus Operator Of The Year For Saving Wandering Child
September 11, 2012
A local school bus driver was named the School Bus Operator of the Year Monday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Tonia Allen received the award from Gov. Rick Scott during the 2012 Florida Missing Children’s Day ceremony in Tallahassee for helping to protect a child who wandered away from a Walnut Hill home and onto a highway.
Allen found the child “on the yellow line” near the intersection of South Highway 99 and Morgan Road about 8:20 a.m. on September 13, 2011.
“She was there in the middle road with two dogs,” Allen said that morning. “I said to myself, ‘Oh my God, that’s a baby’.”
Allen alerted the school district’s bus dispatch and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. She kept the child on the bus until deputies arrived, and they determined that the toddler had wandered out of a residence in the 1500 block of South Highway 99 — which is where she was found.
Allen said she sounded the bus horn multiple times in an attempt to get the attention of the people inside the house with no response.
“Anything could have happened in that highway,” she said. “I was scared. I just have a heart for babies.”
The child was returned unharmed to her parents.
Allen continues to drive a daily route to Bratt Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle and Northview High schools.
Pictured top: Bus driver Tonia Allen found this little girl wandering alone in South Highway 99 near Walnut Hill in September 2011. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Local Church Burglarized
September 11, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a burglary at a Molino church.
Monday morning, broken glass littered the rear of the sanctuary at Victory Assembly of God on Highway 29 as church members stopped by to see why an Escambia County Crime Scene van and deputies’ cruisers were outside as a crime scene technician worked to recover fingerprints, DNA and other evidence from church.
Between the end of Sunday services and Monday morning, someone busted a sanctuary window to enter the church, opened it and apparently headed for the pastor’s office in the rear of the building.
Victory Assembly Pastor Jeff McKee said the burglars appeared to be looking for something specific in his office, bypassing electronics to rummage through desk drawers. Nothing was taken from the sanctuary or the church office.
As deputies were wrapping up their investigation, a church staff member discovered that someone had stolen a CD player from the church’s 2000 year model van.
McKee said he has possible suspects in mind — a male and female claiming to be brother and sister stopped by the church prior to Sunday evening services looking for financial help. He said the church requires those seeking help to fill out a form with their name and other identifying information. He said he believes the duo may have returned, looking for that form.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing their investigation into the burglary. When apprehended, the suspects are likely to face felony charges due to the dollar value of damage to the church.
Pictured: A burglary at the Victory Assembly of God is currently under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
So Exactly Where Is Pensacola? Maybe Not In Florida
September 11, 2012
The City of Pensacola, recently rebranded as “The Upside of Florida”, may not actually be in Florida at all – at least according to a TV ad developed by the city’s advertising agency.
The city’s new advertising agency, the Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, created the TV ad that appears to show the Pensacola International Airport located somewhere much closer to Gulfport, Mississippi, than to Pensacola.
“I guess we are trying to fool people in New Orleans into flying out of Pensacola. It appears our city has moved westward,” Pensacola city council member Maren DeWeese wrote on her blog.
The agency plans to correct the error.
Production cost for the ad was $8,000, and a July though September placement totaled $44,884.25, according to Derek Cosson, public information officer for the City of Pensacola. The purchases were made with airport revenue, not general fund revenue.
“The airport is now actually saving money on their advertising as they no longer have to pay a commission on production and placement with our new agency,” Cosson said.
The Zimmerman Agency recently developed a new brand for Pensacola that abandons the longtime “City of Five Flags” in favor of “Pensacola: The Upside of Florida”. The firm was chosen over local agencies to market the city to the tune of over $1.2 million a year.
There’s a new Zimmerman-created logo too, with the “O” in Pensacola replaced by what is described as an emerald wave. The new logo will be pasted on the upside, and the backside, of water towers, city vehicles, signs, websites and more.
Blog: Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2012
September 11, 2001. It’s been 11 years.
Life, at least when that morning began, seemed good. I’ve always been a work at home dad, so I was home with my two girls. The youngest was almost four months old, and the oldest was approaching her fourth birthday. It was a normal morning. The little one was asleep, “fat and happy” as we used to say, after a morning bottle. The oldest was in the living room just a few feet from my office watching PBS Kids on the TV as I worked on a project for a client.
Then this arrived in my inbox:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 08:52am– World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has
crashed into tower. Details to come.
I got up, walked to the living room and flipped the TV to CNN. They were talking about how a pilot could make such an error, hitting such a large building. They were speculating that it was just a small plane. But then as the TV news helicopters zoomed their cameras in closer, the anchors were beginning to notice what I had already thought….those holes the tower were to big to have been a small plane.
I called my wife at work in Atmore. She had seen the breaking news email, and had tried to visit the CNN website to see the story. If you remember trying to use the internet that morning, it was near impossible to get a news website to load; they were all overloaded. She was unable to see the pictures. I was describing what I saw on the TV to her.
I managed to grab a picture from CNN via my web server and then download and email it to her. We were speculating about how it could happen when the second one hit.
I remember saying “wait, hold on, wait…”. I told her what I just watched on the TV. The second plane had hit the other tower. We quickly decided that we were at war as the anchors on TV speculated again that perhaps there was a problem with some navigational system, causing jetliners on a beautiful, clear morning in New York to fly into some of the tallest structures in the world.
Another breaking news email arrived:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:21am– Second plane crashes into World Trade Center.
She and I began to speculate ourselves that we were at war. What would we do? What should we do? What about the kids? It was not panic, understand, but just that protective momma and daddy instinct, I suppose. Prayer. That was a good idea. Maybe go to the bank and get out a little cash. That seemed like a good idea. How would you prep for a war on American soil? We were not sure.
I continued to relay information about what I was seeing on TV to my wife at work, who, in turn, would relay the information to her coworkers. They had a TV, but no cable service or antenna. They ended up fashioning a homemade antenna to see a fuzzy picture.
Meanwhile, the breaking news emails kept arriving…
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:32am– Sources tell CNN one of two planes that crashed into World Trade
Center was an American Airlines 767.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:42am– President Bush calls plane crashes at World Trade Center a
terrorist act.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:45am– Significant fire at the Pentagon. Details to come.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:46am– White House evactuated. Details to come.
The Pentagon on fire? The White House evacuated? Notice that in CNN’s email they were in such a hurry that they misspelled “evacuated”. One sentence at a time, the situation became more grave.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:55am– CNN confirms a plane hit the Pentagon
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:03am– One of World Trade Center towers collapses; fire forces
evacuation of State Department
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:30am– Second World Trade Center tower collapses in Manhattan
Over and over, we watched those towers collapse on TV, and we watched our Pentagon burn.
Our almost four year old asked a lot of questions. “Were people hurt? Did they need a Band-aid?” The magnitude of the event was lost on a four year old. Looking back at those first few hours, I think the magnitude of the event was lost on all of us.
Like many Americans, I sat glued to the TV that day, continuing to watch the video of the towers falling. Our almost four year old asked if another building fell down or if it was the same one. It was time to change the channel on the TV.
You might remember that many of the entertainment TV stations ran network news feeds. Others just simply ran screens about the day’s events. There was no USA network, no ESPN, no MTV. But on PBS, we found children’s programming at a time it was not normally on. For a little while, sitting in the living room floor holding my kids, the world stopped turning that September day, as we watched Big Bird and the Cookie Monster.
Country artist Alan Jackson later wrote a song “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”.
Some of those lyrics:
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cryDid you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left belowBut I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where where you when the world stopped turning that September day? Your comments are welcome below.
Deadly Weapon: Cantonment Woman Beats Boyfriend With His Own Leg
September 11, 2012
A Cantonment woman has been charged with pulling of her boyfriend’s prosthetic leg and beating him with it in Baker.
Jadian Faye-Marie Hatfield, 23, is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, domestic violence battery, interfering with the custody of a minor, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The victim, 25-year old Brandon Fleming, told deputies that Hatfield, the mother of his two-year old son, agreed to share custody and exchange the child every two weeks. He said Hatfield told him via text messages she was tired of him and would put him six feet under, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Fleming told deputies that around 11 p.m., Hatfield arrived to pickup the child and an altercation followed.
During that physical altercation, Fleming said Hatfield came up behind him, pulled off his prosthetic leg and began striking him with it. He says Hatfield then reached into the front of the car, pulled out a 12-gauge shotgun and pointed it at him, saying she would kill him if he didn’t let her leave with the child. Hatfield and the child then drove away.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Fleming has injuries consistent with his statement.
Escambia Man Gets 10 Year For Copper Thefts
September 11, 2012
An Escambia Count y man has been sentenced to a decade in state prison for stealing copper and aluminum from multiple businesses and churches.
Michael Edward Howard, Jr., was sentenced by Judge Terry Terrell to 10 years in prison to be followed by 30 years probation for multiple charges of burglary, grand theft and dealing in stolen property.
The State Attorney’s Office said Howard was part of a copper theft ring that, during the spring and summer of 2011, would steal from churches and businesses. They would dismantle the A/C units, taking the copper and aluminum parts to be sold at recycling centers. Howard’s fingerprints and DNA were found at several of the locations.
Damages to the churches and businesses exceeded $45,000, according to prosecutors.
JV Football: Escambia County Slips Past Northview (With Gallery)
September 11, 2012
The junior varsity Escambia County Blue Devils slipped past the JV Northview Chiefs Monday evening in Atmore, 8-6.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Blue Devils took an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, while the JV Chiefs answered in the second. Northview’s Isaiah Bivans was in for the touchdown on a pass from Keondre Lett.
The junior varsity Northview Chiefs will next host Baker at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 20. The Blue Devils will host Faith Academy in Atmore on Monday, September 17 at 6 p.m.
Atmore Remembers 9/11
September 11, 2012
The Woodman of the World Lodge 1872 presented an American flag to the city of Atmore Tuesday morning to honor those who lost the lives on September 11, 2001. Pictured are Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean, Mayor Howard Shell and Samantha Bennett, Woodman of the World Lodge 1872 secretary. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Honors Area First Responders On 9/11
September 11, 2012
A breakfast Tuesday morning at the Little Escambia Baptist Church in Flomaton remembered 9/11 and honored first responders from Escambia counties in Alabama and Florida.
The Friendship Learning Lodge, a Flomaton preschool, recently made a sign for the nearby Friendship Volunteer Fire Department to thank them and all first responders on 9/11. The was presented to the department today. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Northview Beats Pensacola High; Tate Over Central
September 11, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs defeated Pensacola High School Monday in both varsity and junior varsity volleyball action.
Northview Varsity
The Northview’s varsity defeated PHS 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-21.
Misty Doran had seven aces and dozen kills, while Morgan Payne had nine kill. Danielle Steadham contributed five aces and three kills, and Shelley Mothershed had three aces, three kills and 15 assists. Lily Townson had nine assists.
Northview Junior Varsity
In junior varsity action, Northview beat PHS 25-11, 23-25, 15-8.
Kyndall Hall had six aces and four assists, and McKenzie Nasser had four kills. Shelby Nielsen added three aces and three kills for the JV Lady Chiefs.
The Northview Lady Chiefs will travel to Baker Tuesday.
Tate Varsity
The Tate Aggies defeated Central Monday night, 25-14, 25-15, 25-21.
Lauren Merts had 21 assists for the Lady Aggies, while Brooke White had eight kills. Brooke White added eight kills, six blocks and two assists.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.