Man Facing Federal Arson Charge For Abortion Clinic Fire
January 5, 2012
An Alabama man has been arrested for arson in connection with a New Year’s Day fire at a Pensacola abortion clinic.
Bobby Joe Rogers of Tuscaloosa is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond, charged in a federal complain with one count of damaging a building by fire or explosive.
United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Timothy issued an arrest warrant based on the complaint and supporting affidavit filed today, which charges Rogers, 41, with the arson of the American Family Planning Clinic at 6770 North 9th Avenue in Pensacola on January 1. If subsequently indicted by a grand jury and convicted at trial, Rogers faces a possible 20 year prison term.
Shortly before noon Thursday, Rogers appeared before Magistrate Judge Timothy, who appointed a federal public defender to represent him. Rogers waived his right to a detention hearing and a preliminary hearing and is being held without bond pending further action by the court.
According to a federal affidavit, Rogers admitted to setting the fire that damaged the clinic due to his strong disbelief in abortion. He told investigators that he made an incendiary device using a 32-ounced beer bottle filled with gasoline and a wick made from an old shirt. After tossing the device and watching it burst into flames on the back of the clinic, he went across the street to an abandoned car wash to make fire was going. He then returned to an old shed behind Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q where he would sleep at a night.
According to court records, Rogers’ criminal history included arrests in Florida, Alabama and seven other states, plus felony convictions in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee for burglary, and in Mississippi for grand larceny.
Rogers was arrested after a joint investigation involving the Division of State Fire Marshal’s Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations (BFAI) and other members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The investigation determined that Rogers set fire to a clinic, causing approximately $300,000 in damage.
“We are thankful that no one was injured during this incident and for the collaboration between all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this case,” said Florida CFO Jeff Atwater, who also serves as State Fire Marshal. “I would like to also thank members of the Pensacola community for providing the critical information needed to promptly resolve this case.”
On January 1, 2012, the Pensacola Fire Department responded to a fire at the American Family Planning Clinic located at 6770 N. 9th Avenue in Pensacola and requested the assistance of the BFAI to investigate the cause of the fire. The investigation determined that the fire was intentionally set.
The details surrounding this fire initiated the response of members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. The JTTF is composed of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose primary work is to identify and disrupt terrorist activity. The following agencies cooperated in this investigation; the Florida State Fire Marshal Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Pensacola Fire Department, the Pensacola Police Department, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service.
“This arrest demonstrates the strategic value of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the high level of cooperation among the numerous agencies involved,” said Julius Halas, director of the Division of State Fire Marshal.
Child Neglect Arrest: Photos Released Of Filth In Jay Home
January 5, 2012
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has released photos from inside a home described as “dangerous, disheveled and unsanitary” where two children were living outside Jay.
Rebeccah Lynn Ates, 35, and Vance Joseph Ates, 38, were released on bond from the Santa Rosa County Jail after being charged with child neglect. Deputies found that their two young children were filthy and walking around barefoot in the squalor shown in these photos.
Deputies found garbage everywhere, decaying food in the kitchen along with an infestation of roaches in the home.
For more photos from inside the home, click here.
For more information, click here for an earlier story.
Pictured: Two children were found barefoot and filthy in this home on Highway 4 near Jay. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Could Land 50 Jobs In Under 50 Days
January 5, 2012
If all works out as planned, 50 new jobs could be announced in Century in less than 50 days from now.
According to Century Mayor Freddie McCall, a company that would employ 50 people could announce that they are locating in Century by the middle of February.
“I had a call from a company I’ve been dealing with for a year,” McCall said. “They’ve got their financing and they are ready to do business. Hopefully they will be in here breaking ground by the 15th of February.”
McCall said he believes the economic development outlook for Century is about to improve dramatically in 2012, unlike the past couple of years were announced industries never materialized.
The most recent, Century Lumber & Land, announced a group of industries would locate in Century with up to 500 jobs. Over 3,000 people applied for jobs with the company, which held a ribbon cutting in October 2010. As 2011 rolled around, company officials continued to make promises — until James Leonard Craft, the manager of Century Lumber and Land, was jailed in Alabama on numerous securities and financial fraud related charges after being indicted as the result of an Alabama Securities Commission investigation.
The new company that could announce jobs for Century is totally unrelated to Century Lumber & Land or anyone associated with it, McCall said.
As for 50 new jobs for Century, McCall said, “That’s going to be a blessing to us”.
Pictured: Century Mayor Freddie McCall reviews paperwork at a recent Century Town Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Indicted For 1st Degree Murder Of Toddler
January 5, 2012
A grand jury has indicted two men for the murder of a Pensacola toddler.
Dwayne “Money” Pinestraw of Cantonment and Shaquill Besst of Pensacola were indicted 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. The two are 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 hours after being featured on the television program American’s Most Wanted.
Pinestraw is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on January 19; Besst will be in court on February 22.
No Injuries In School Bus Wreck On West Florida High Campus
January 5, 2012
There were no injuries in a wreck involving a school bus Wednesday afternoon on the West Florida High School campus.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 65-year old school bus driver Michael Nathan of Pensacola collided with a 2005 Nissan Sentra driven by John Atkins, age 25 of Pensacola. Damage to the school bus was estimated at $250; damage to the Sentra was estimated at $3,500.
There were no injuries to either driver or the 16 students on the school bus.
No charges were filed in the accident, according to the FHP.
State Attorney: Reserve Trooper Justified In Shooting Naked Armed Invader
January 5, 2012
The State Attorney says a reserve Florida Highway Patrol trooper was justified when she shot and killed her neighbor, who was naked and armed with a bow and arrow, after a home invasion in Escambia County.
A Medical Examiner’s report said the deceased man, Sean Thomas Harris had cocaine, cannabis, opiates, methadone and amphetamines in his blood at the time of the shooting.
Reserve Trooper Tabbatha Nussbaumer was in the shower in her upstairs bedroom in the Scenic Heights neighborhood area when her 9-year-old son ran in and told her a man he didn’t recognize was in the house. Nussbaumer exited her room and was confronted by Harris, who was at the bottom of the stairs holding a bow and arrow.
Nussbaumer told Pensacola Police that Harris asked her where the money was located. In an effort to get the suspect out of her house and away from her son, she told him it was in her truck parked on the street. As she exited the front door, Harris followed, removed his clothes and approached her as she was at her vehicle, which was parked in the street.
Police said Nussbaumer removed a handgun from the truck, turned around and faced Harris, who was standing a few feet from her. She said that she ordered him to the ground, but Harris instead advanced toward her, and she fired one shot.
When police arrived, Harris was found lying nude in the street. He had been shot once in the lower abdomen. He died a short time later at Sacred Heart Hospital.
“Ms. Nussbaumer could and did stand her ground in accordance with applicable Florida law,” according to a State Attorney’s Office report.
Dept. Of Ed Releases High School Accountability Grades
January 5, 2012
School accountability grades were released Wednesday for Florida’s high schools, and they were good news for most North Escambia area schools.
Northview, Tate, Washington and Pensacola high schools all maintained their B grades from last year, while West Florida High School remained an A school for sixth consecutive year. Two Escambia County schools — Escambia and Pine Forest — showed improvement from a D last year to a C grade.
Every high school in Santa Rosa County earned a B — with Jay, Milton, Pace and Gulf Breeze falling from A grades last year.
“We are disappointed that we incurred a penalty. However, we are very excited about the continuous effort and performance of our Aggie family. With immeasurable support from the parents and community, our students and staff have had an incredible year. We will review the current data making necessary adjustments to provide our students with the best opportunity to be successful,” Tate High School Principal Rick Shackle said.
“We are ecstatic about our School Grade, knowing that we really were an “A,” without penalty for drop in At-Risk Graduation Rate,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said. “The teachers and staff have worked extremely hard to accomplish our goals. Our total points, FCAT Points and High School Component Points combined, increased 180 points above 2010 points. That improvement is twice as much as any other high school in our district
“Right now, we are just basking in the fact that we had total points to be an “A,” and we will begin to look into why our At-Rick Graduation Rate declined. I encourage parents to view this accumulation of points as a validation of the hard work that has been done by their students and the entire NHS faculty and staff. It is truly a team effort,” Weaver said.
Statewide results from the Florida Department of Education showed that 78 percent of the state’s high school earned either an A or B grade, up from 71 percent last year.
The expanded high school grading system, first used for the 2009-10 school year, focuses on a broader set of student outcomes, including graduation rates and student participation and performance in advanced coursework. The high school grade is earned based on two major elements: 50 percent from the performance of each school’s students on the FCAT, and 50 percent from factors that include the following:
- The school’s graduation rate.
- The performance and participation of students in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Enrollment, Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), and industry certification.
- The postsecondary readiness of high-achieving students as measured by the SAT, ACT, or College Placement Test (CPT).
- The high school graduation rate of at-risk students.
Statewide, the greatest average increase in high school grade component points earned in 2010-11 was for student performance on accelerated coursework measured by AP, IB, AICE and industry certification examinations, as well as dual enrollment courses.
High School Seniors Can Apply For Cooperative Scholarships
January 5, 2012
This April, Escambia River Electric Cooperative will award the Herman D. Johnson Scholarships to graduating seniors in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Two $4,000 scholarships, one in each county, will be offered to students with a parent or guardian that is a member of cooperative. The students must show proof of enrollment and maintain a 2.5 GPA to continue to receive the funds each year.
To apply, seniors in EREC’s service area should check with their high school guidance counselors or contact EREC Marketing and Communications at (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848. The deadline to submit an application is March 1. Winners will be announced at EREC’s annual meeting on April 28.
This is EREC’s 15th year of offering scholarships to high school seniors. In the past, capital credits issued by EREC that were unclaimed were required to be turned over to the state. But state legislation now allows such funds to be deposited into a qualified, educational charity fund. The EREC membership voted to use these funds in the form of scholarships for graduating seniors in EREC’s service area.
Escambia Man Indicted For Murder
January 5, 2012
A grand jury has indicted Charles Douglas Boshell for first degree murder in the death of Caroline Marbury-Smart.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies found Marbury-Smart’s decomposing body in a bedroom closet under boxes and suitcases at her Starboard Village condo on Pensacola Beach on July 23, 2011.
Boshell is scheduled to be arraigned on January 5, 2012.
Fog Overnight; 70’s Tomorrow
January 5, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Areas of dense fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 41. Calm wind.
- Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Patchy fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph.
- Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 68. South wind around 5 mph.
- Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
- Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 56.