Ribbon Cutting Set For New Molino Community Center
October 4, 2012
A grand opening for the new Molino Community Center has been set for mid-October.
Escambia County Commissioner Kevin White and other dignitaries will cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening of the Molino Community Center on Wednesday, October 17 at 11:00 a.m.
The old Molino School has been renovated into a modern Molino Community Center that will include a library, meetings rooms and a museum with a glimpse into the history of Molino. A newly constructed, and already open, second building houses offices for the Escambia County Tax Collector and the Escambia County Property Appraiser.
The new Molino Community Center is located at 6450 Highway 95A in Molino, just south of the Highway 95A and Molino Road intersection. The public is invited to the ribbon cutting; refreshments will be served.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
McDavid Man Run Over By Forklift In Flomaton
October 4, 2012
A McDavid man was critically injured in an industrial accident Wednesday afternoon.
The 18-year old Brandon Carnley was run over by a forklift while working at Bondurant Lumber on Highway31 in Flomaton. He was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight.
The Flomaton Fire Department, Escambia County (Fla.) EMS, Flomaton Police Department and the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident scene.
The accident remains under investigation.
Arrested Again: Former Molino Resident That Fathered Child With 16-Year Old Girlfriend
October 4, 2012
A convicted sex offender from Molino that fathered a child with a 16-year old is back behind bars.
Archie Eley Brooks, 39, is charged with failing to report name or residence change and failure to report vacation permanent residence, both felonies.
Once released from jail after serving time for unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, Brooks reported a new permanent residence on Olive Road. Authorities later determined he was not living at that address, according to an arrest report.
In a February 2, 2010, interview, the victim told investigators that “the relationship started when suspect Brooks moved in with her family and the two shared a room” at her family’s home on Pine Circle Drive in Molino. The victim “stated that Brooks knew she was 16 at the time they began their sexual relationship,” according to the sheriff’s office report.
Brooks told investigators that he had a sexual relationship with the victim in which she became pregnant, according to the incident report, and that he knew the victim was 16 at the time. Brooks told deputies that the relationship lasted about two years until it ended on the victim’s 18th birthday.
Brooks remained in the Escambia County Jail early Thursday morning with bond set at $10,000.
America’s Most Wanted Suspect Back In Court For Toddler Shooting
October 4, 2012
A Cantonment man that was named one of “America’s Most Wanted” and his co-defendent were back in court Wednesday.
Judge Linda Nobles granted a defense attorney request to delay trial for Dwayne “Money” Pinestraw, 20, of Cantonment and Shaquill Besst, 19, of Pensacola on charges of first degree murder in the shooting death of 19-month old Ty’Quarius Moultrie and first degree attempted murder for the shooting of 23-year old Vincent Dennis. Both men were also charged with shooting into a dwelling.
Pinestraw allegedly shot the child and Dennis on July 15, 2011, when he fired a .45-caliber gun through the window of a Pensacola Village apartment. He was arrested in Texas in December 2011, hours after being featured on the television program American’s Most Wanted.
Both men are due back in court in late November with their trials set to begin in December.
Pensacola Police Arrest Century Man On Drug Charge
October 4, 2012
A Century man was arrested this week on traffic and drug charges by the Pensacola Police Department.
Lorenzo John Payne, age 23 of Hudson Hill Road, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and cited for driving with a revoked license and driving with a license plate unassigned to the vehicle. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
According to an arrest report, Payne was stopped by Pensacola Police at Davis and Baars streets when officers discovered the license plate registration did not match the vehicle Payne was driving. During the traffic stop, officers reported finding Oxycodone pills in the center console of the vehicle with Payne having no valid prescription.
Payne told police that he knew the tag on the vehicle was wrong; he said his tag was seized during a previous traffic stop. His license had been suspended for failure to pay traffic fines, the arrest report states.
Century Continues Christmas Decorating Plans
October 4, 2012
The Town of Century is continuing to make plans for new Christmas decorations on utility poles along North Century Boulevard.
The town has ordered 42, 50-inch Christmas wreaths with energy saving LED bulbs and 24-inch nylon bows. The wreaths were ordered from Dixie Decorations in Montavello, Ala., for $15,047
This week, the town learned that it will cost $2,734 to have Gulf Power wire three poles that currently do not have electricity for three of the wreaths. Council President Ann Brooks said that local companies have been contacted to create bows for the wreaths that are expected to arrive by the end of the month.
Pictured above: Century Town Council President Ann Brooks displays the size of the bow that will added to 42 Christmas wreaths ordered by the town. Looking on are council members (L-R) Gary Riley, Sandra McMurray-Jackson and Jacke Johnston. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECUA, City Unveil Escambia’s First Natural Gas Filling Station
October 4, 2012
Escambia County’s first compressed natural gas fueling station was unveiled Wednesday.
The $1.8 million CNG station at 6722 Pine Forest Road was a joint project between the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Energy (formerly Energy Services of Pensac0la) and ECUA. It will serve over 80 natural gas vehicles operated by the City, ECUA and Escambia County. Pensacola Energy is also actively marketing the station to corporate fleets, with plans to open the station to the general public in the future.
“This station marks a new day for the City of Pensacola, Pensacola Energy, and ECUA,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “In this era of budget constraints, those of us in
government must continually look for opportunities to generate non-tax revenue and work together to improve our operations. These cleaner-burning natural gas vehicles will cost less to fuel and maintain, leaving more dollars for vital City services. I want to thank the city council and ECUA board for their support of this initiative.”
Officials said natural gas-powered vehicles have substantially lower fuel and maintenance costs than vehicles using gasoline or diesel fuel. While the national average for a gallon of diesel fuel has topped $4, a diesel gallon equivalent of CNG at Pensacola’s fueling station is currently priced at $2.05. CNG prices have remained relatively stable over recent years as gasoline and diesel prices have risen steadily.
ECUA Executive Director Steve Sorrell stated, “By transitioning to CNG in natural gas vehicles (NGVs), ECUA is projecting an annual maintenance cost savings in excess of $350,000, and a savings of about $900,000 in annual fuel costs. And there are environmental benefits associated with the use of NGVs in that there are less greenhouse gas emissions than the diesel-powered vehicles they are replacing.”
In 2011, ECUA finalized a ten-year CNG agreement with Pensacola Energy. As part of the agreement, ECUA will pay a monthly transportation charge as well as an indexed price-per-diesel-gallon equivalent of CNG fuel used by ECUA vehicles.
Pensacola Energy will operate and maintain the station, which features four “fast fill” hoses as well as 90 time-fill dispensers which can be used to refuel vehicles overnight.
Pictured: The grand opening of Escambia County’s first CNG filling station Wednesday on Pine Forest Road. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Today: Dig Pink Volleyball To Benefit Breast Cancer Awareness
October 4, 2012
The Northview Lady Chiefs and the Flomaton Hurricanes will take part in Dig Pink volleyball today to raise breast cancer awareness.
Dig Pink is an organization raising awareness for cancer through volleyball. A hospitality room will be available for survivors and cancer survivors will receive free admission to the games.
The Dig Pink event will take place today with the junior varsity playing at 4:30 and the varsity playing at 6:00 at Northview High School in Bratt.
Donations are being accepted now on the Northview Dig Pink website (click here.)
Pictured: Action from last year’s Dig Pink matchup between Northview and Flomaton. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Obama, Romney Face Off in First Debate
October 4, 2012
President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, faced off Wednesday in their first debate of the election campaign. The debate focused on the top issue of the campaign – the state of the U.S. economy.
For 90 minutes, the president and the former governor of the state of Massachusetts clashed over how best to strengthen the country’s sluggish economy.
Romney aggressively attacked the Democratic president’s economic policies, and they disagreed sharply about tax cuts. “Virtually everything he just said about my tax plan is inaccurate. So if the tax plan he described were a tax plan I was asked to support, I would say ‘Absolutely not.’ I am not looking for a $5 trillion tax cut,” Romney said.
Obama countered that Romney’s ideas for changing the tax system would not work. “The fact is, if you are lowering the rates the way you described, Governor, then it is not possible to come up with enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high-income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class,” he said.
They also sparred over whether the president’s health care program, sometimes called “Obamacare,” would help or hurt the U.S. economy. Romney said Obama should have concentrated instead on creating jobs.
“I just do not know how the president could have come into office, facing 23 million people out of work, rising unemployment, an economic crisis at the kitchen table, and spent his energy and passion for two years fighting for Obamacare, instead of fighting for jobs for the American people,” said Romney.
The president responded that when he took office, problems in the nation’s health care system were just as urgent as the jobless rate.
The widely-anticipated debate, in Denver, Colorado, took place 34 days before the election.
This was the first of three debates between the two contenders. Obama and Romney will square off next on October 16, on both domestic and foreign policy issues. The final debate, exclusively on foreign policy, is set for October 22.
Vice President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Congressman Paul Ryan, will debate on October 11.
[VOA]
Escaped Alabama Prisoners Caught In Escambia County
October 3, 2012
Two escaped Alabama prisoners were captured Tuesday night by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Task Force.
Jamie D. Morgan, 40, of Pensacola and Jeremy Hadden, 33, of Eight Mile, Ala., had escaped from the Elmore County Jail in Wetumpka, Ala, on September 18. Officers spotted the duo in a stolen vehicle near Mobile Highway and Fairfield Drive and conducted a traffic stop at which time Hadden was taken into custody without incident. Morgan was taken into custody after a brief foot chase and struggle with officers.
Morgan was transported to a local hospital for treatment and later booked on charges of vehicle theft, resisting an officer, and an Alabama escape warrant. Hadden was arrested on an Alabama escape warrant. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday awaiting extradition back to Alabama.