Century Correctional Inmates To Graduate Next Week
April 13, 2012
Six Century Correctional Institution inmates will receive their GED diplomas next week.
The inmates obtained their GED diplomas by passing a five-part test consisting of reading/language and writing (including an essay), math, social studies and science.
In addition, 11 inmates will also be receiving their Florida Ready to Work certificates. Florida Ready to Work is an innovative state-funded workforce education and economic development program that provides student/jobseekers with a standard credential that certifies their workplace readiness and ability to succeed on the job.
The number of Florida inmates earning GED certificates has nearly doubled in three years, increasing from 1,313 in fiscal year 2006-07 to 2,603 awarded in fiscal year 2009-10.
Pictured: A GED graduation for six Century Correctional Institution inmates will be held next week in the prison’s chapel. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
On The Menu: ‘Fresh Kittens Here’
April 13, 2012
A menu board type sign in Cantonment caught a little bit of attention Thursday. The”Fresh Kittens Here, Ask to See” signs had drivers looking twice along Highway 29 while sign photos made the rounds on Facebook.
But not to worry, the sign was not for a restaurant, but for the Companion Animal Clinic, which had several newly arrived kittens up for adoption.
Interested in adopting one of the “Fresh Kittens”? Call the Companion Animal Clinic at (850) 968-0226 or visit them at 470 South Highway 29, in the old Winn Dixie shopping Center.
Pictured: “Fresh Kittens” were available in Cantonment Thursday. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pcola Blue Wahoos Snap Skid With 6-3 Win Over Mobile
April 13, 2012
The Blue Wahoos came back to snap back to back losses with a 6-3 win over the Mobile BayBears at Hank Aaron Stadium on Thursday night in Mobile. Didi Gregorius led the way by going 4-for-5 with a couple of runs scored and an RBI as the Blue Wahoos pounded out a season-high 15 hits in the winning effort.
The Blue Wahoos got off to a fast start with a three-run first inning compliments of Mike Costanzo’s league leading third home run of the season, a three-run shot. The BayBears answered with a single tally in the bottom of the first inning against Blue Wahoos starter Daniel Corcino. The BayBears went on to add single tallies in the fourth and fifth innings against the Wahoos starter to even the score at three.
Pensacola reclaimed the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh when Gregorius scored from third on an RBI groundout by Henry Rodriguez. Two batters later, Cody Puckett tripled off the top of the left field wall scoring Ryan LaMarre from third after he had doubled earlier in the frame. Pensacola added an insurance run in the eighth when Gregorius singled home Josh Fellhauer.
Offensively the Blue Wahoos had four players with multi-hit games. Rodriguez (2-for-5), Brodie Greene (3-for-5) and Josh Fellhauer (2-for-5) all collected multiple hits in addition to Gregorius.
Corcino didn’t record a decision after working five innings and getting charged with two earned runs, three total. Mark Serrano (W, 1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen after working a pair of scoreless innings. Serrano, Clayton Tanner and Donnie Joseph (S, 3) combined to turn in four scoreless innings for the Blue Wahoos in relief. Joseph worked a scoreless ninth to earn his third save of the season.
Bryan Henry (L, 0-1) was saddled with the loss for the BayBears after allowing the go-ahead runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Mobile starter Derek Eitel didn’t record a decision.
The Blue Wahoos look to even the series on Friday night at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile. The Blue Wahoos will send right hander Tim Crabbe to the mound against Mobile lefty Patrick Corbin. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
By Tommy Thrall
Man Faces Up To 5 Years For Lying On Bank Loan
April 13, 2012
An Escambia County, Ala., man faces up to five years in federal prison after admitting to making a false statement on a bank loan.
United States Attorney Kenyen Brown said Brewton resident Jack Witherspoon Hines pleaded guilty to charges that he made a false statement pertaining to a bank loan in violation of federal law.
As part of his plea, Hines admitted that he pledged shares of stock as collateral for a loan from the Bank of Brewton when he had already pledged the same stock for a loan from another bank, which maintained the original stock certificate. In so doing, Hines falsely represented that the stock had been pledged as collateral only for the Bank of Brewton loan, according to Brown.
Hines faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, plus a fine of $250,000. His sentencing is set for July 19 before United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) investigated the case.
Reather Olene Lowery
April 13, 2012
Mrs. Reather Olene Lowery, age 89, of Century, FL passed away on April 12, 2012, at Jay Hospital.
Mrs. Lowery was a native of Canoe and a resident of the Century community for most of her life, was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith. Mrs. Lowery was preceded in death by her parents, Bart and Carrie Hobbs; husband of 51 years, Clinton Lowery; brother, Edward Hobbs; sister, Lois Hobbs; two great grandchildren, Toni Hammond and Nicole Lowery.
She is survived by her son, Johnny Clinton (Wanda) Lowery of Century; daughter, Evelyn (Ray) Hammond of Century; sister, Mildred Croley of Century; five grandchildren, Eddie Hammond, Tammy Lowery, Terri (Joey) Chiles, Jennifer (Chris) Read, Clint (Amanda) Lowery; seven great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Friday evening, April 13, 2012, at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel from 6-9 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at 2 p.m. at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Fred Stallworth officiating. Interment wil follow in Flomaton Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Eddie Hammond, Clint Lowery, James Ronald Darby, Colton Hammond, Logan Hammond, Chris Read.
Man Pleads No Contest In Underage Abuse Case
April 12, 2012
A 48-year old Cantonment man that was accused of molesting a high school student in an off-campus incident has been sentenced to probation on a child abuse charge.
Marcus Eugene Stone was originally charged in December 2011 with lewd or lascivious behavior with a victim age 12-16 and a sex offense against a child over 12. In court this week, those charges were dropped as Stone pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of child abuse.
Judge Terry Terrell withheld adjudication and placed Stone on probation for three years. Stone will be required to successfully complete a sex offender course, and he was ordered to have no contact with the female victim.
Stone was arrested after a juvenile female told investigators that Stone would routinely enter her room and give her back massages in order to wake her up each morning for school. On the morning of her report, said told investigators that back massage progressed with Stone inappropriately touching her.
George Zimmerman Charged With Trayvon Martin Murder
April 12, 2012
The state on Wednesday charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and the special prosecutor promised to not only get justice but to find the truth in the case that has rocked Florida and captured the nation’s attention.
Zimmerman was in custody Wednesday after a warrant was issued for his arrest, State Attorney Angela Corey said at a news conference in Jacksonville. She declined to say where Zimmerman was being held, but said he turned himself in.
“We’ve got a long way to go, and we have faith,” said Tracy Martin, the father of the 17-year-old shot Feb. 26 in Sanford, near Orlando.
Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, shot Martin under disputed circumstances. Police have said Martin was unarmed, but other than that, the facts haven’t fully emerged. Lawyers who represented Zimmerman in the case until the last couple of days have said he acted in self defense when attacked by Martin.
Corey, who works in the circuit around Jacksonville but was assigned to take over the case by Gov. Rick Scott, promised to get to the bottom of those facts.
“We are not only ministers of justice, we are also seekers of the truth,” Corey said. “We will continue to seek the truth throughout this case.”
She declined, however, to specifically discuss any facts of the case.
The case has drawn protests nationwide, and a new look at Florida’s stand your ground law, the self defense statute that says those who feel threatened have no duty to retreat even out in the street – but can fight force with force. It’s also drawn politicians, celebrities and ordinary people nationwide to declare they believe that Martin was the victim in the case. The teen’s family also pushed hard for some sort of law enforcement action.
Corey, however, said facts were what drove the decision to charge.
“We do not prosecute by public pressure, or by petition,” Corey said.
She did, however, make it clear she was sympathetic to Martin’s family, calling him by his first name Trayvon on a number of occasions, and at one point, calling his parents “sweet.”
Corey said prosecutors haven’t decided what penalty to pursue. Technically, a life sentence is possible in a second degree murder case.
“We don’t make that determination at this time,” Corey said. “Once there is a decision then we would concern ourselves with the sentence.”
When – and if – the case comes to trial, it would default to Seminole County, where the shooting occurred, she said. But, she declined to speculate on whether a fair jury could be found there.
National media reported Wednesday that Zimmerman, whose original attorneys dropped him as a client in the last couple of days, had hired a new lawyer, Mark O’Mara of Orlando.
Scott issued a statement urging people to let the case go through the judicial process.
“This matter is now in the hands of the judicial system and I am confident justice will prevail,” Scott said. “As the process continues, it is critical that we be patient and allow the proceedings to move forward in a fair and transparent manner. …. We will all continue to look for answers to the Trayvon Martin tragedy.”
Rev. Al Sharpton appeared at a news conference in Washington with Martin’s parents after Corey’s announcement. Sharpton said he initially didn’t trust Scott, but praised the governor for appointing a special prosecutor in the case and for Corey’s ultimate decision to file charges.
Sharpton said he didn’t think state officials decided to file charges based on public pressure but said that public pressure made it more likely the case would be reviewed, leading to the ultimate decision.
“There is no victory here, there is no winner here – they lost their son,” Sharpton said. “This is about pursuing justice.”
By The News Service of Florida
Investigation: Byrneville Elem. Bus Fire Similiar To North Carolina Blaze
April 12, 2012
A fire on a Byrneville Elementary School bus late last month is not the first time in recent months that particular model of bus has been destroyed by fire, NorthEscambia.com has learned. Meanwhile, the Escambia County School District says the district is continually inspecting buses in an attempt to prevent such incidents.
Moments after the driver and a dozen students escaped without injury from the emergency exit at rear of the bus March 30, the front dash erupted into flames on Thompson Road south of Century. The fire destroyed the dash and driver’s area of the bus and caused heavy smoke and heat damage throughout.
The bus, a 1999 Thomas Built Bus, was on loan as a temporary replacement bus from the Escambia County School District to Byrneville, a charter school that operates its own buses. The fire appeared to be the result of an electrical short circuit in the dash area, firefighters said. It was not an engine fire.
Just last month, a NorthEscambia.com investigation revealed, the state of North Carolina ordered all 1998-1999 Thomas Built Buses inspected after fire destroyed a bus from a Charlotte school.
North Carolina officials found that the North Carolina fire likely started with a heater wire rubbing against a metal valve. Every school district in North Carolina was ordered to inspect “all of the school buses and activity buses in this date range for similar wiring issues”, according to a state memo.
Escambia County only has 22 Thomas Built buses from 1998-1999 still in their fleet, according to Escambia School District Transportation Director Rob Doss. They are all “limited use”, he said, serving as substitute or field/sports trip buses.
“We will investigate the buses more thoroughly,” Doss said after the Thompson Road bus fire. The buses, he said, were inspected for the North Carolina wiring issue after the district became aware of the recall in that state. “We will call North Carolina to see if there’s anything that was not in their report. We want want to know everything they considered.”
“Children’s safety is our first priority,” Doss added.
The official cause of the Escambia County school bus fire remains under investigation.
Pictured: Fire heavily damaged this school bus the morning of March 30 near Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Counties Could Sue Over Medicaid Billing; Escambia Owes $6.2 Million
April 12, 2012
The Florida Association of Counties could decide Thursday whether to file a lawsuit challenging the Legislature’s decision to recoup tens of millions of dollars in disputed Medicaid costs from counties.
Under the law, Escambia County owes about $6.2 million to the state for disputed Medicaid bills that have been adding up for about a decade.
At least one county — Manatee — is ready to go to court; the Manatee County Commission voted 6-0 Tuesday to pursue a lawsuit or to join other counties in a case.
The Legislature last month approved recouping the money, with leaders contending that counties have not fully made required Medicaid payments. Counties, however, argue that the state’s billing system has major flaws. The state says Manatee County owes about $4 million in back payments.
The News Service Florida contributed to this report.
Tate Chorus Awarded At Atlanta Festival, Headed To Carnegie Hall
April 12, 2012
The Tate High School Chorus is headed to Carnegie Hall later this year after a superior performance in the Heritage Music Festival in Atlanta. The Aggie Chorus was awarded with two Gold Awards, and one Silver Award.
Cantus: Zaria Anderson, Josie Burkett, Tiffany Butler, Deborah Cardwell, Tabetha Champitto, Ginny Corley, Harlie Diamond, Viki Edge, Alena Gainey, Arah Hans-Major, Angela Howard, Alex Kent, Taylor Meadows, Rachel Marlin, Kristen Nelson, Katelynn Stillwell, Kaosha Stromas and Brittany Wine.
Vocal Jazz: Marcus Baker, Tristan Baker, Deborah Cardwell, Tabetha Champitto, Breanna Clark, Taylor Dent, Viki Edge, Alena Gainey, Angela Howard, Jacon Lasky, Ruben Marrero, Melissa Moore, Holly Price, Brian Sutton and Dyricka Tucker.
Concert Choir: everyone listed above plus Ariel Alexander, Elizabeth Baker, Savannah Bass, Eion Blanchard, Joshua Brown, Marissa Gonzales, Crysta Meredith and Kristen Wheeler.