Century Man Charged With Shooting At Car In Local Street
September 26, 2012
A Century man is jailed on charges he shot at a vehicle in a local street.
Roosevelt Lamont Dixon, 25, was booked into the Escambia County jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm in public, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and smuggling contraband into a detention facility. He remained jailed Tuesday night with bond set at $44,500.
In June, Dixon allegedly fired a handgun at a vehicle occupied by two people in the 6800 block of Jefferson Avenue. The victims told deputies that they were forced to stop in the roadway in order to avoid hitting Dixon’s vehicle as he pulled out of a driveway. Dixon then allegedly got out of his vehicle, confronted the victims and pulled out a handgun. The victims sped away, at which time Dixon fired the weapon in their direction, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
Deputies reported finding one 9mm round in the area at the location of the alleged incident.
Dixon was named the suspect in the incident after he was identified by the victims from photo lineups. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
When Dixon was arrested and booked into the Escambia County Jail this week on the outstanding warrant, a detention deputy reported finding two methadone pills and a hydrocodone pill in his front shorts pocket.
Library Cuts Due To Budget Draws Criticism; Hours Slashed For Century, Molino
September 26, 2012
The West Florida Library will cut library hours next month — including drastic cuts for Century and the soon to open Molino branches — due to budget cutbacks. And the move is drawing sharp criticism from Escambia County officials.
“Libraries are the heart and soul of our community. With budget cuts and a higher cost of doing business, the Library Board of Trustees felt it was important to keep all of our locations open and available.” said Darlene Howell, acting library administrator. “Keeping our libraries open is important and we wanted to make choices that had the least impact on the people we serve.”
Planned library reductions include cutting operational hours by one-third, reducing part-time employees by 30 percent, subscriptions by 15 percent and book purchases by 85 percent. The new Molino Branch, set to open this fall, will be staffed by personnel from the Century Library, while the Century Library will see hours cut by 40 percent. The library system hopes to stock the shelves at the Molino Branch with duplicates from within the system and donated items.
With the passage of a fiscal year 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night, Escambia County cut their library contribution by five percent or $165,000 from the previous year. No additional funds were provided by Escambia County for the new Molino Branch Library, but the county will pick up the tab for utilities and upkeep for fiscal year 2012-13.
“The threatened 30% across the board cut by the library is garbage and solely intended to be an alarmist tactic,” Escambia County Administrator Randy Oliver said Tuesday. ” The library needs to act responsibly like the county has and live within their means.”
Oliver said the library has increased expenses almost 12 percent in a year. By comparison, he said Escambia County has eliminated about 150 positions and cut expenses by 8.6 percent from 2012 and almost 16 percent since 2009.
“The library needs to control expenses like the county has done and, in my opinion, use more volunteers,” Oliver said. “Volunteers are a great source of resources for libraries.”
Escambia County provides 70 percent of the West Florida Library’s funding but has no say into the day to day operations of the agency.
“Our funding is dependent on formula of usage. If unincorporated usage goes down, our funding goes down. Next year we should be required to pay less due to usage. This may allow us to reduce our expenditure significantly the next year,” Escambia Commissioner Grover Robinson said. “Either way this just demonstrates the severe flaw in a system that forces one group to pay so much of the bill and have no say in the system.”
New West Florida Library hours by location, beginning October 1, will be:
MAIN LIBRARY — 200 W. Gregory Street
- Sunday 12pm – 4pm
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
TRYON BRANCH LIBRARY -- 1200 Langley Avenue
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 12pm – 8pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
SOUTHWEST BRANCH LIBRARY – 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 12pm – 8pm
- Tuesday 10am – 6pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 10am – 6pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 2pm
WESTSIDE BRANCH LIBRARY — 1580 W. Cervantes Street
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday 12pm – 8pm
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday 10am – 4pm
- Saturday 10am – 4pm
CENTURY BRANCH LIBRARY – 7991 N. Century Boulevard
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday CLOSED
- Tuesday 9am – 5pm
- Wednesday CLOSED
- Thursday 12pm – 8pm
- Friday CLOSED
- Saturday 9am – 5pm
MOLINO BRANCH LIBRARY — 6450 Highway 95A
- (Opening Fall 2012)
- Sunday CLOSED
- Monday 10am – 6pm
- Tuesday CLOSED
- Wednesday 10am – 6pm
- Thursday CLOSED
- Friday 10am – 6pm
- Saturday CLOSED
WFPL BOOKMOBILE
- New Schedule: TBA
Fire Damages Century Home
September 26, 2012
Fire damaged a Century home Tuesday night.
The bedroom fire was reported just before 10 p.m. on Hatties Boulevard, just west of North Century Boulevard. Firefighter were quickly able to extinguish the fire.
There were no injuries reported.
The Century, McDavid and Walnut Hill Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Flomaton Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responded to the call.
Commission Approves $356 Million Budget, Denies Request To Save Six Sheriff’s Office Jobs
September 26, 2012
The Escambia County Commission approved a $356 million fiscal year 2012-2013 budget Tuesday night after denying last minute pleas from the Sheriff’s Office and other agencies.
As the final vote approached on the budget, the commission heard a request from Escambia County Chief Deputy Larry Aiken for an additional $353,000 in funding. Without the money, Aiken said, the department would be forced to cut six positions. The money was to be above and beyond the sheriff’s $75.8 million budget, unchanged from this year.
The commission denied the requested on a 2-3 vote, with Commissioners Grover Robinson, Marie Young and Gene Valentino against the request.
The commission also shot down a request from Bette Hooton, president of the Friends of the Library, to restore funds for the West Florida Library System. [Read more about the library funding here.]
With a 3-2 vote, the commission voted to move $1.2 million in unexpected savings from Medicaid payment adjustments into a reserve account rather than funding last minute requests. Robinson and Wilson Robertson voted against the reserve fund move.
Dogs, Cats Seized After Report Of Dog Remains In Freezer
September 26, 2012
Almost a dozen cats and dogs were seized from a Walnut Hill home Tuesday morning after officials received a report that the remains of a dog were in a freezer.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Animal Control responded to the apparently abandoned home that had no power in the 8000 block of Occie Phillips Road.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a freezer was found outside the home on a back porch. However, there was no confirmation that any animal remains were in the freezer, and there was no criminal case opened.
Escambia County Animal Control said eight cats and kittens and three young dogs were removed from the property. All were reported to be in good health due to being fed by neighbors. Animal control said the department had previously responded to the home and posted a notice on the front door about the animals.
Neighbors said the residents of the home had moved out a few weeks ago.
Pictured above and below: Escambia County Animal Control works to remove dogs and cats from an abandoned home in Walnut Hill Tuesday morning. Pictured: One of kittens removed from the property. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
DOD Awards $1.35 Million To Four Escambia Schools
September 26, 2012
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership has awarded the Escambia County School District a $1.35 million dollar grant to serve the following four schools that have a large military dependent student enrollment:
- Navy Point Elementary
- Jim C. Bailey Middle
- Escambia High School
- West Florida High School of Advanced Technology
These schools will focus on infusing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) principles throughout the curriculum for the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2015-16 school years. This three-year grant which serves students from grades K-12 will increase student success, provide professional development for teachers, implement practices that minimize the impact of transitions and deployment, and provide access to rigorous educational opportunities.
In 2010, the District received its first DoDEA grant of $1.27 million dollars to serve Hellen Caro, Blue Angels, and Pleasant Grove Elementary Schools. DoDEA awarded more than $35 million in grants this year. The grants were awarded to 26 military-connected public school districts to strengthen family-school-community relationships and enhance student achievement for military connected students. Although funding levels are related to military student enrollment, the proposed programs will serve all students at the target schools.
Community Mourns Loss Of Scott Nelson, Father Of Fallen Marine
September 26, 2012
The North Escambia area is mourning the loss of Scott Nelson of Bratt who passed away Monday.
Scott Nelson was the father of LCpl Travis Nelson who was killed in action August 18, 2011, in Afghanistan. Scott and his wife Beckie could not stand the thought of spending their first Christmas at home without their Marine. They decided to give back to the communities that had supported them so much following their tragic loss.
The Nelson family, along with a small army of volunteers, prepared and delivered about 125 meals on Christmas day for elderly, shut-in and needy people in the Bratt, Atmore and surrounding areas. It was all to honor the memory of Travis.
“He really was our hero,” Scott Nelson said just before Christmas.
Scott and the Nelson family established a scholarship in their son’s name to benefit outstanding seniors involved in either the Northview or Pace High School ROTC program or in the Young Marines of Pensacola. They family also worked to purchase a memorial that stands in honor of their fallen Marine at the LCpl. Travis M. Nelson Park in Bratt.
Scott Nelson and the Nelson family were named NorthEscambia.com Persons of the Year for their unselfish sacrifices.
On May 3, Nelson took part in a National Day of Prayer observance held in Century.
“I pray for the safe return of our troops,” said Nelson as he prayed for the military and local law enforcement, firefighters and EMT’s. “And for the families…only You can provide comfort in the their hearts.”
The following day, he received the diagnosis that he had cancer.
Funeral services for Scott Nelson were held Wednesday at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Pictured: Scott and Beckie Nelson remember their son, LCpl Travis Nelson, shortly after he was killed in action in August 2011. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
University: Florida Consumer Confidence At Post-Recession High
September 26, 2012
Florida consumers are emerging from the post recession doldrums and are more optimistic than at anytime since the crash, the University of Florida reported Tuesday.
UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research found that consumer confidence rose in September to a post-recession high of 79 compared to the revised August reading of 76. The improved ranking was across the board as all five categories tracked by the monthly survey showed improvement over the previous month.
Brightening expectation were led by a three point surge in the national economic outlook over the next two years. More Floridians said they planned to make a major purchase and more felt their personal finances were improving.
“The last time Florida consumer confidence hit 79 was in October, 2007,” said Chris McCarty, the Survey Director. “
Gov. Rick Scott cited the report as an indication that Florida continues its trek back to economic vitality. “The fact that Florida’s consumer confidence is at a five-year high is more good news and evidence that our state is moving in the right direction,” Scott said in a statement.
By The News Service of Florida
Wednesday: See You At The Pole
September 25, 2012
The annual See You at the Pole rally will be held Wednesday morning at several North Escambia area schools.
Students will gather as school begins to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students typically pray for their school, friends teachers, government and the nation — often meeting at their school’s flagpole.
Local See You at the Pole events include:
- Northview High School: 7:30 a.m.
- West Florida High School: 7:45 a.m.
- Tate High School: 7:45 a.m.
- Jay High School; 7:15 a.m.
- Pace High School: 8:30 a.m.
- Ransom Middle School: 8:30 a.m.
- Ernest Ward Middle School: 8:45 a.m.
- Molino Park Elementary: 7 a.m.
- Beulah Academy of Science: 7 a.m.
Pictured: Students gather last year for See You at the Pole at Northview High (top), Ernest Ward Middle (below) and West Florida High School (inset). NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Downed Power Line Sparks Small Fire; Cuts Power About 3 Hours
September 25, 2012
A downed power line left many Gulf Power customers in the dark for about three hours Tuesday morning in the Cantonment and Gonzelez areas.
The power line was reported down alongside Highway 29 near Faith Chapel North in Cantonment about 4:25 a.m. A small grass fire caused by the power line was out before the Ensley Station of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived on scene.
Power was reported out from the area of the downed line south to Roberts Road until about 7:25 a.m. As many as 2,400 Gulf Power customers lost power.
“Gulf Power reminds customers to always stay clear of downed power lines and report them immediately by calling 911,” said Jeff Rogers, spokesman for Gulf Power.
Pictured: This cellphone photo shows a small grass fire sparked by a downed power line in Cantonment Tuesday morning. Submitted photo by Gordon Godfrey for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.