Former Northview Student Convicted Of Killing Younger Adoptive Sister; Will Serve One Year In Jail
August 2, 2012
A former Northview High School student has been convicted of the shooting death of her adoptive sister last August.
Elena Janelle Rendell — who was 17 at the time of the August 3, 2011, shooting — was convicted as a youthful offender for shooting 14-year old Christina Marie Sneary, a former Molino resident.
Rendell was sentenced to one year in the county jail, with no credit for nearly one year she spent behind bars awaiting trial, according to Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille. After release from jail, she will be on probation for five years.
She was also ordered to continue with mental health counseling and treatment. After her time in jail, Rendell will be required to seek and maintain employment or continue her education.
The two girls had recently moved with their mother from Sunset View Lane in Molino to the 7600 block of Kipling Street in the Ferry Pass community.
Rendell told deputies that she began to argue with Sneary over a cell phone. During the argument, Rendell ran into her parent’s bedroom and retrieved her father’s 9 mm handgun from the top of a television shelf that stood about 12-feet high. Rendell then pointed the handgun at her 14-year old sister and fired a single gunshot into the right side of Sneary’s neck. Sneary died a short time later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Apartment Fire Caused By Child Playing With Lighter
August 2, 2012
Investigators say a fire that heavily damaged two Century apartments Monday night was caused by a young child.
The three-year old was reportedly playing with a lighter on a bed, sparking the blaze, as his grandmother was sleeping nearby.
The fire about 10 p.m. Monday in Building G of the Oakwood Village Apartments on Shady Lane was contained to one apartment, with one adjacent apartment suffering some smoke and water damage.
Century Fire Station Chief Regi Burkett credited the quick work of responding fire departments and a properly constructed firewall between apartments for preventing damage to the entire apartment building.
The Century, McDavid, Molino and Walnut Hill Stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Fire Department also responded to the fire.
Pictured: Firefighters were able to quickly contain a fire Monday night at the Oakwood Village Apartments in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Church Youth Fly High, Cruise Bratt (With Gallery)
August 2, 2012
Youth at the First Baptist Church of Bratt hit the road, and the skies, Wednesday evening.
The youth road motorcycles with church leaders, and flew model airplanes from the Travis M. Nelson park near the church. Afterwards, the group volunteered to paint a portion of the church parsonage.
Pictured top: A candid photo of a youth group at the First Baptist Church of Bratt after flying a model plane at a Bratt Park. Pictured inset: Church member Greg Wilson explains his model plane. Pictured below: Ashley Mooney and Interim Pastor Jerry Kaylor prepare for a spin Wednesday evening. Photos by Marcella Green Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Grand Theft For Not Delivering Yetis
August 2, 2012
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple theft charges for collecting cold cash for cool Yeti coolers but not delivering the merchandise.
Timothy James Barry, 51, was arrested this week on four counts of grand theft and three counts of petit theft after an investigation by the State Attorney’s Office and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He was released from jail on a $5,500 bond.
Barry, owner of Baywatch Arms & Accessories, allegedly accepted $2,944.18 during the summer of 2011 from seven people to order Yeti brand coolers, a high-end ice chest, on their behalf. After the coolers were not received from Barry, the victims filed a complaint.
Certified letters were sent by the victims and the State Attorney’s Office in an attempt to collect the money. According to an arrest report, Barry admitted to receiving the money from the victims and told deputies on June 4, 2012, that he was unable to repay them.
Barry provided the victims and the State Attorney’s Office with” numerous excuses to avoid coming in to clear that matter up”, the arrest report states. One victim told the State Attorney’s Office that he contact the Yeti Cooler company and was told the order was complete and awaiting payment from Barry.
Century Prison Inmate Charged With Committing Lewd Act
August 2, 2012
A Century Correctional Institution inmate has been charged with committing a sexual act inside the prison walls.
Paul R. Daniel, 26, charged with lewd and lascivious behavior committing a sexual act in the presence of a correctional facility employee, which is a third degree felony. Daniel’s arrest report does not detail the incident.
Daniel is serving a 12 year sentence for crimes out of Broward County including uttering a forged instrument, marijuana possession, and two counts of robbery with a deadly weapon.
Daniel is currently being held in the Escambia County Jail.
Santa Rosa Superintendent Cleared Of Campaign Finance Allegations
August 2, 2012
The State Attorney’s Office has dismissed a complaint against incumbent Santa Rosa County School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick.
A review of Wyrosdick’s campaign finances began after a complaint filed by George R. McCormick, who is also running for the superintendent’s seat as a Republican. Wyrosdick received a cash contribution by mail of $200, over the legal limit of $50. Once he noticed the error, he issued a refund.
The State Attorney’s Office found it as an isolated incident and not a willful violation of campaign finance laws and decided that no criminal charges will be filed.
Operation Overboard: VBS At Aldersgate Molino (With Gallery)
August 2, 2012
Vacation Bible School is underway this week at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino.
The “Operation Overboard” VBS will continue with activities Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:30-8:30 for ages 3 to rising fifth graders. VBS will conclude with an ice cream social and closing ceremonies on Saturday, August 4 from 5-7 p.m.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
AG Bondi ‘Troubled’ By BP Oil Spill Settlement
August 2, 2012
In a letter to the general counsel of BP America, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she’s “troubled” about the terms of a settlement reached in litigation in New Orleans over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
Bondi said the settlement in the case only covers 30 of Florida’s 67 counties, even though a BP fund initially set up to pay some claims ended up approving payments in 66 counties.
While I sincerely hope that BP properly compensates Florida individual and business claimants for the losses they have suffered, either through or outside of the proposed settlement terms, I will, if necessary, use the full power of my office to ensure that BP lives up to its responsibilities under the law,” Bondi wrote.
By The News Service of Florida
ACLU: 13,000 Ex Florida Felons Could Register To Vote
August 2, 2012
.More than 13,000 ex-felons may be eligible to vote but don’t know it, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said Wednesday, citing data it obtained from the Florida Parole Commission.
The ACLU said the commission is sitting on more than 17,000 Restoration of Civil Rights certificates that would notify former felons that they can now register to vote, but which have not reached their intended recipients. The civil rights group cross checked the names on those certificates with voter registration lists and found that 13,571 of them are not registered voters, presumably because many of them don’t know they’ve been cleared to register.
Florida is one of a minority of U.S. states that does not automatically restore civil rights once a felon has completed a sentence.
The certificates were sent between 2007 and March 2011, during which time a change in policy spearheaded by former Gov Charlie Crist allowed nonviolent ex-felons to have their rights automatically restored.
The policy was repealed in March 2011 after Florida Gov. Rick Scott and newly elected members of the Florida Cabinet voted to eliminate automatic restoration and again make it more difficult for ex-felons to get their civil rights, including the right to vote, restored.
Scott has been aggressively pursuing efforts to clean up the state’s voter rolls because, he says, there are some non-citizens who are ineligible to vote who are registered.
Following a legal battle, the state last month gained access to a federal Department of Homeland Security database to continue the effort to remove ineligible voters. An initial effort stalled when local supervisors of elections balked because of possible inaccuracies on an earlier list of potentially ineligible voters that was sent to the counties by the state.
“The contrast between the baseless claims that Governor Scott has made about voter fraud and the lengths to which he has gone to make voting more difficult, and the inattention to the thousands of voting rights restoration certifications gathering dust … could not be sharper,” Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida executive director, said in a statement.
Tammy Salmon, a parole commissioner administrative assistant, said the figures were correct and reflect certificates mailed to recipients who could not be found and left no forwarding address.
In some cases, the agency made “multiple attempts” to make contact, but to no avail, she said.
The parole commission’s website – https://fpcweb.fpc.state.fl.us/ – allows viewers to search to see if an ex-offender’s rights have been restored.
“We are going above and beyond to try to reach these folks,” Salmon said.
Eligible residents must register by Oct. 9 to vote in the general election in November.
By The News Service of Florida
Dates Announced For Next Year’s Beulahfest
August 2, 2012
Mark your calendars now…the dates have been announced for the 27th Annual Beulahfest.
The event will take place March 15-16, 2013, at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Entertainment will, as always, feature local and regional bands plus top country stars. The headline acts will be named at a later date.
Over 75 vendors are expected at the 2013 Beulahfest, selling arts and crafts and other merchandise.
Organizers also announced that “surprise changes” are coming to Beulahfest that will be announced soon.
Pictured: Performances at last year’s Beulahfest from Rodney Atkins (above and inset) and Travis Tritt (below). NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
