Escambia Man Gets 60 Years For Fathering Child With Underage Teen
June 3, 2012
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for abusing and fathering a child with an underage family member.
Tony Levester Scott was convicted of sexual battery while in position of familial or custodial authority. Following the verdict, Judge Paul Rasmussen immediately sentenced Scott to 60 years in state prison as a habitual felony offender with 30 years to be served as a prison releasee reoffender. He was also designated as a sexual predator.
During the fall of 2010, Scott was sexually abusing his daughter’s half-sister on weekend visitations, according to State Attorney Bill Eddins. The victim, who was under 18 years of age, ended up pregnant and gave birth. A paternity test was conducted by Florida Department of Law Enforcement which established Scott as the father within a 99.99% probability.
Scott was given the enhanced sentence based on his extensive prior record and his recent release from prison in June 2010. In 1985, Scott was sentenced to 15 years state prison
for sexual battery.
Jacksonville Suns Beat The Pensacola Blue Wahoos 9-6
June 3, 2012
Three Suns batters collected three hits as Jacksonville plated seven unanswered runs in the final three innings to counter Pensacola’s sixth-run fifth frame and defeat the Blue Wahoos 9-6 in front of another capacity crowd of 5,038 on Saturday night at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium.
The sellout was the Blue Wahoos’ 19th of the season in 25 home openings, as well as the sixth straight dating back to Pensacola’s previous homestand. The victory improves the Suns’ record to 26-30 this season, while the Fish fell to 25-31 in 2012.
After Pensacola grabbed a 6-2 lead with their six-run fifth, Jacksonville charged back with seven straight scores, including four in the eighth frame to take command. C Jake Jefferies got the rally started with a leadoff double and moved to third on 2B Paul Gran’s single prior to coming home on SS Chris Gutierrez’s run-scoring base knock to cut the deficit to 6-5. 3B Shawn Bowman would follow with a two-run double to left to push the Suns into the lead, which they would not give up.
Jacksonville got the scoring started with single tallies in the first and third frames. Gutierrez drew a free pass to begin the contest and eventually was brought home on an RBI groundout, while 1B German Duran left the yard to start the third frame. It was Duran’s second longball of the year, which gave the Suns an early 2-0 advantage.
After Blue Wahoos pinch hitter Stephen Hunt and CF Ryan LaMarre began the sixth with a single and base-on-balls, SS Didi Gregorius reached on an error, with Hunt scoring on the play. LaMarre and Gregorius would then be sent in on 2B Brodie Greene’s two-run single to center, which provided the Fish with a 3-2 lead. 3B David Vidal then subsequently singled home Greene after a double from RF Josh Fellhauer, while Pensacola also used a suicide squeeze bunt and sacrifice fly to bring home the final two scores of the frame.
Suns reliever Joshua Schmidt (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 SO) earned the win to move to 2-3 after his scoreless inning of work, while Blue Wahoos RHP Justin Freeman (0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 SO) suffered the loss. Jacksonville closer Evan Reed (1.0 IP, 2 SO) shut the door in the ninth to notched his 11th save of the year.
Duran (3-5, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI) , Bowman (3-5, 3 2B, 3 RBI) and Jefferies (3-5, 1 R, 1 2B) all accumulated three hits in the contest and CF Donnie Webb (2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI) also recorded a multi-hit game, while Pensacola batters tallied two or more base knocks.
The Suns and Blue Wahoos will face off again on Sunday afternoon at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, which first pitch set for 2:05 PM. The Fish are scheduled to send LHP Tony Cingrani to the hill in his Double-A debut after being promoted from High-A Bakersfield on Friday, while Jacksonville is expected to send LHP Jose Alvarez to toe the rubber.
By Andrew Green
Pictured: Josh Fellhauer reached base three times in the Pensacola Blue Wahoo’s 9-6 loss Saturday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Birth: Kaedyn Lee Lynd
June 3, 2012
Sgt. and Mrs. Brian and Kitty Lynd of Ft. Stewart, GA, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Kaedyn Lee Lynd.
Kaedyn came into the world on May 18, 2012, at Winn Army Community Hospital in Ft. Stewart. He weighed 7 pounds, 6.9 ounces and was 19 inches long.
His grandparents are the late Al Proffitt and Penny Proffitt of Flomaton and John and Carol Southard of Puyallup, WA. Great grandparents are Clara “Gramma Sue” and the late John Hendrix of Bluff Springs, and Marvin and (the late) Harriet Lynd of Puyallup WA.
He was welcomed home by his big sister Annabelle Auburn.
Annie Maude McCurdy
June 3, 2012
Mrs. Annie Maude McCurdy passed away on Saturday June 2, 2012, in Atmore.
Mrs. McCurdy was a lifetime resident of Atmore and a member of the Poarch Creek Indians.
She is preceded in death by her husband Willie McCurdy, her parents James and Zemmer Presley and one Sister Nummie Presley.
Survivors include one son, Wayne McCurdy (Mavis) of Atmore; two daughters, Dorothy Annette McCurdy Lane (Billy) of Atmore, Annie Stough (Danny) of Tuscaloosa; eight grandchildren; two Step grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Monday June 4, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at the Petty- Eastside Chapel with Rev. Leo Luker officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Rolin, Don Wayne Rolin, Dempsey Rolin, Ronald Rolin, Elvis Presley and Donald Presley.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Elections Supervisors: Back Off Voter Purges For Now
June 3, 2012
The organization that represents the state’s elected county elections supervisors is recommending they hold off on removing anyone from the state’s voter rolls in light of new concerns raised by the federal Department of Justice.
The DOJ notified the state Division of Elections and Secretary of State Ken Detzner this week that it is concerned that the state’s effort to cull illegal voters from the rolls may run afoul of a federal law that requires states to finish removing ineligible voters 90 days before an election. Florida is inside that window, with the primary scheduled for Aug. 14.
DOJ didn’t immediately order the state to stop removing voters, but along with the warning that Florida could be violating the law, demanded to know whether the state plans to continue the purge. The state’s effort is intended to remove non-citizens from the rolls, something state officials said was possible by matching voter registration lists with a driver’s license database that flags possible non-citizens. Critics have said the list is inaccurate and could lead to legal voters being purged.
On Friday, Ron Labasky, the legal counsel for the Florida State Association of Supervisors of Elections, sent elections supervisors around the state a memo suggesting they stop using the state list to remove people from voter rolls, at least for now.
“It suggested to them that … in light of the fact that the Department of Justice has some concerns about the 90-day window to remove voters that the supervisors just stop doing anything,” Labasky said.
Labasky’s advice is as the supervisors’ lawyer and he said the group hadn’t taken any formal decision on how to respond, meaning it remains up to individual supervisors to determine what to do with the information provided by the state in its efforts to remove voters.
State Division of Elections spokesman Chris Cate reiterated Friday that removing ineligible voters from the rolls is something the agency is committed to. But he noted the supervisors are ultimately the ones who will make the call.
“If supervisors have reliable information that someone is an ineligible voter, that voter needs to be removed from the voter rolls,” Cate said. “But the process is very important to us, and the supervisors have the responsibility of making the ultimate determination of ineligibility and removing ineligible voters.”
The question over the 90-day issue arises because the law doesn’t completely clearly define what is covered by the 90-day requirement. The law spells out that systematic voter removals should stop, but those typically include the removal of people believed to be felons, dead, or incapacitated – it’s not clear whether the law intended to include “special” efforts to purge clearly ineligible voters, such as those who are non-citizens.
Labasky also said that the state was trying to improve its list anyway – with state officials having advised local supervisors earlier this week that it was planning to go back over the list of more than 2,500 people it has identified as potentially ineligible to further vet them before recommending that supervisors consider them for purging.
That also was a factor in his sense that it makes sense to hold off on any new purges, he said.
Also this week Detzner’s office sought to get the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s help in improving the list. State officials want to cross-check the list that has been called into question with one from the Homeland Security agency that is thought to be more accurate.
By The News Service of Florida
Incumbents Win Poarch Creek Elections, Amendment Passes
June 3, 2012
All three incumbents on the ballot were re-elected in the 2012 Poarch Band of Creek Indians Tribal elections held Saturday, while an amendment on the ballot passed.
Stephanie Bryan was re-elected as vice chairman. She was first elected to the Tribal Council in 2006, and she also serves as chair of the Tribal Gaming Commission.
Sandy Hollinger and Keith Martin were re-elected to two at large Tribal Council seats.
A Tribal Constitutional amendment on the ballot passed, clarifying provisions related to the filling of vacancies for the officers and at-large positions on the Tribal Council.
Poland To Pensacola Bike Ride Hits North Escambia
June 2, 2012
In 2008, Chuck Campbell’s wife Carol spent her final days under hospice care Ohio. And Friday he crossed the Florida state line in Century just ahead of a finish for a 1,000 mile bike ride in memory of his late wife — from Poland, Ohio to Pensacola Beach — to benefit Covenant Hospital in both Ohio and Pensacola.
Chuck and is daughter, who lives in the Pensacola area, were impressed with hospice and began to volunteer. And then came the idea for the bike ride.
He pedaled out of Poland, Ohio, on May 3 with plans to arrive in Pensacola on Memorial day, but weather caused a few delays along the way.
Chuck has had a stowaway on his trip…a young “Flat Stanley”. Along the entire trip, he’s carried along a drawing of the popular traveling book character. This particular Flat Stanley was first mailed to Ohio by Jordan Stranec, a first grade student at S.S. Dixon Primary School in Pace. Flat Stanley hitched a ride back to Florida with Chuck. Due to weather delays in the trip, his plans to visit Mrs. Grant’s first graders at S.S. Dixon were ruined due to the end of school.
Pictured: Chuck Campbell crossed the Florida state line in Century Friday morning as he nears the end of a 1,000 mile bike ride from Poland, Ohio, to Pensacola Beach. Accompanying Campbell (seen in his hand) is the popular children’s character Flat Stanley. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
School’s Out (With 2012-2013 School Calendar)
June 2, 2012
Escambia County schools were dismissed for the summer Friday as students began their vacation break. The final day for teachers will be June 5.
Students will return to class in Escambia County on Monday, August 20, 2012.
Holidays for the 2012-2013 school year are as follows:
- September 3 — Labor Day
- November 12 — Veteran’s Day
- November 21-23 — Thanksgiving/Fall Break
- Christmas Break — December 22 — January 6
- MLK Day — January 21
- Spring Break — March 25-29
- Memorial Day — May 27
- Last Student Day — May 31
Pictured top: Eighth grade students at Ernest Ward Middle School take a traditional “Final Walk” Friday afternoon to end the school year. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
High School Graduation Schedule; Submit Your Graduation Photos
June 2, 2012
Here is schedule of remaining high school graduations across the area.
You can submit photos of area graduates, from them receiving their diploma to even candid shots with friends, to news@northescambia.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming photo gallery.
- Central High School, 6 p.m. June 4, Central High School
- J.M. Tate High School, 1 p.m. June 4, Pensacola Civic Center
- Pine Forest High School, 7 p.m. June 4, Pensacola Civic Center
- West Florida High School, 4 p.m. June 4, Pensacola Civic Center
- Booker T. Washington High School: 1 p.m. June 5, Pensacola Civic Center
- Escambia High School, 7 p.m. June 5, Pensacola Civic Center
- Pensacola High School, 4 p.m. June 5, Pensacola Civic Center
We Have A Winner: North Escambia Fantasy Five Ticket Worth $81,429.14
June 2, 2012
A Fantasy 5 ticket purchased Friday in North Escambia is worth $81,429.14.
The winning ticket, with numbers 09-19-23-26-29 — was sold at the State Line Gift Shop at 11208 Highway 97 in Davisville. It was one of three winning tickets sold in the state. The other winning tickets were sold in Jacksonville and Lake Alfred.
The $81,429.14 ticket sold in Davisville was not a “Quick Pick”, meaning the winner choose the correct numbers when purchasing the ticket rather than relying on computer generated numbers.
There were also 439 tickets with four correct numbers worth $89.50 each, and 11,949 with three of five numbers worth $9.00 each.