Small Electrical Fire Reported At Fountain Prison
November 20, 2012
A small electrical fire was reported at Fountain Prison north of Atmore this morning.
The first firefighters from Atmore and Poarch to arrive on scene reported no smoke showing from the medium security prison facility.
Fountain has a total population of 1,265 as of the latest report from the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Tate Fires Head Coach
November 20, 2012
Tate High School head football coach Brad Naggatz has reportedly been fired after his first season at the 6A school.
Naggatz was 1-8 with the Aggies, winning only the last game of the season against Washington. The win snapped a 20-game losing streak; the last previous win for the Aggies was in October 2010.
Naggatz had been at Tate since 2006 where he has served as both offensive and defensive coordinator. He previously worked as offensive coordinator for Pensacola High School, and head coach at Catholic High School for about a decade.
Naggatz replaced Ed Rigby who had been at Tate for six seasons before leaving in January.
Century Upset About Gas Tax Hike, ‘Not Fair’ To North Escambia
November 20, 2012
The Town of Century says a four-cent gas tax increase approved Monday by Escambia County for mass transit is unfair to North Escambia residents and may force the closure of some Century businesses. And, for now, Century won’t sign off on an interlocal agreement with Escambia County and the City of Pensacola to allocate the tax proceeds to ECAT.
“All of us are upset about it (the gas tax),” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said Monday night. “They were not considering Century.”
“I am not prepared to sign an interlocal agreement at this time,” he said.
There are three service stations in Century, according to council member Gary Riley, and “the increase will really hurt their business mainly because of how close we are to the Alabama line”.
“Who wouldn’t drive across the bridge,” McCall said of Century’s proximity to normally cheaper gas — with lower taxes — in Flomaton, Ala. “We stand a chance of losing three service stations, businesses, on account of everybody going across the bridge to get their gas.”
Council member Gary Riley attended the lengthy Escambia County Commission special meeting Monday morning, pleading with commissioners to not overlook how the tax will harm Century, and how North Escambia residents have little or no access to use ECAT’s services. ECAT provides limited service to Century, Cantonment and Molino — with one bus making stops in the mornings as early as 6:15, midday and nights as late at 7:05. Residents in community such as Walnut Hill and Bratt have no direct transit service from ECAT..
County Attorney Alison Robinson said that, according to state statute, the gas tax must be implemented across the entire county with no way to exclude Century stations, or the lone gas station on Highway 97 south of Atmore.
Commissioner Wilson Robertson suggested that Century, or the local gas station owners, could seek an exemption from the Legislature prior to the tax implementation date in 2014.
Commissioner-elect Steven Barry (pictured), who will be sworn into office Tuesday, attended Monday night’s Century Town Council meeting.
“This is not fair for District 5,” he said of the gas tax hike to fund ECAT, “at our current level of service.
“A dedicated source of funding for ECAT is something that is necessary,” Barry told the council. “But it does not have to come on the backs of taxpayers as an additional burden.
McCall said he would meet with the Interim County Administrator Larry Newsome next week to discuss the interlocal agreement on the gas tax increase.
For an earlier story about the gas tax increase passage, click here.
Pictured top: Council member Gary Riley addresses the Century Town Council Monday night as council president Ann Brooks listens. Pictured inset: Newly elected District 5 Commission Steven Barry talks to the council. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Powell Campaign Charges To Be Dismissed
November 20, 2012
ARCHIVED STORY — Nov. 20, 2012
John Powell, a former candidate for Escambia County Sheriff, has entered into a pretrial diversion program in a criminal case pending against him.
Powell was charged with nine counts of election law violations for accepting cash contributions in excess of the $50 legal limit. According to the State Attorney’s Office, the conditions of the diversion agreement require Powell to pay all costs of the program and provide proof that all improper contributions have been repaid.
“It was determined that this was the appropriate disposition based on Powell’s lack of any criminal history as well as his willingness to return all improper funds,” the State Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Upon satisfactory completion of the program, the case against Powell will be dismissed.
Local Man Gets 15 Years In Prison On Drug Charges
November 20, 2012
A Century man will spend the next 15 years in prison for selling drugs to an undercover officer.
Willie Davis Owens, Jr., age 31 of Bonwell Lane, was convicted by a Santa Rosa County jury of two counts of trafficking in hydrocodone. Following the verdict, Owens was sentenced by Circuit Judge David Rimmer to a 15 year minimum mandatory prison sentence and a $100,000.00 fine.
Prosecutors said owens sold hydrocodone to a confidential informant and an undercover narcotics officer on June 4, 2009. He was arrested by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on August 8, 2012.
Both Lottery Store Murder Suspects Now In Florida Jail
November 20, 2012
Both suspects in the November 6 murder of a Davisville lottery store owner are now behind bars in Florida.
Malcolm Troy McGhee, Jr., 24, was transferred from the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center in Brewton to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola on Monday afternoon. McGhee had previousl refused to waive extradition to Florida following his November 7 arrested in Escambia County, Alabama.
The second suspect in the murder, Brent Dewayne Lambeth, age 20 of Atmore, was arrested the afternoon of November 7 by a U.S. Marshals Task Force at or near a trailer in a wooded area on Sandy Hollow Road near Walnut Hill. He is being held in the Escambia County (Fla.) Jail without bond. Lambeth has been declared indigent by the court and will be appointed a public defender. He is due to appear in court November 29 for an arraignment hearing before Judge Ross Goodman, according to court records.
Both men are facing charges of murder and robbery with a firearm.
The longtime owner of the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 in Davisville, 74-year old Thomas “Tommy” Kroll was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire during a robbery about 1:30 p.m. on November 6.
Investigators said they received information from confidential sources that led to the arrests. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Kroll’s business was specifically targeted by Lambeth and McGhee because of previous purchases of “Spice” and that the duo “intended on robbing the store of more Spice that day”.
For a photo gallery from the murder scene, click here.
Pictured top: The owner of the State Line O’ Yes Lotto on Highway 97 was killed during an exchange of gunfire on November 6. Pictured below: Suspect Brent Dewayne Lambeth, was taken into custody at or near this mobile home on Sandy Hollow Road in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECUA Makes Trash Pickup, Office Hour Changes For Thanksgiving
November 20, 2012
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority residential sanitation customers will experience schedule changes to their garbage, recycling and yard trash collection during this Thanksgiving week. The residential collections scheduled for Thursday, November 22 will be made on Friday, November 23. Collections scheduled on Friday, November 23, will be made on Saturday, November 24.
Commercial customers will experience schedule changes to their dumpster service collections during the week. Collections scheduled on Thursday, November 22, will be made on
Wednesday, November 21. Collections scheduled on Friday, November 23 will remain on their regular schedule.
ECUA business offices will be closed on Thursday, November 22 and Friday, November 23 in observance of the Thanksgiving Day holiday. ECUA offices will resume regular business hours on Monday, November 26
For additional information call ECUA Customer Service at 476-0480, or visit www.ecua.fl.gov.
Local Volleyball Players Named To All-Star Team
November 20, 2012
The 2012 Subway High School Volleyball game will be played tonight, featuring several local players. The game will take place at UWF beginning at 6 p.m.
WEST GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL-STARS
Head Coach: Giulio Simonelli, Catholic
Ashley Griffits – PCA
Kara Heintzelman – West Florida
Kaitlin Johnson – West Florida
Alexis Lugo – Escambia
Brianne Kuhnhausen – Escambia
Kimlyn Bethea – Escambia
Misty Doran – Northview
Shelley Mothershed – Northview
Erin Smithies – Washington
Brooke White – Tate
Jordan Barnette – Tate
Heather Thomason – Tate
Julian Laird – Catholic
Courtney Deason – Catholic
Hana Flurry – Catholic
Aleecia Ybarra – Pine Forest
Lamia Miller – Pine Forest
Sara Goolsby – East Hill
Maia Nguyen – Pensacola
EAST GIRLS VOLLEYBALL ALL-STARS
Head Coach: Nicole Adarme, Choctaw
Haley Meeks – Laurel Hill
Haleigh Hollinhead – Crestview
Olivia Wright – Jay
Krisena Gall – Milton
Kayla Carr – Niceville
Kimy Sarra – Niceville
Katie Wickery – Baker
Sarah Elizabeth Harrell – Pace
Taylor Campbell – Choctaw
Ashley Quackenbush – Choctaw
Allison Freer – Navarre
Kelly Barrett – Navarre
Caitlin Chapman – Gulf Breeze
Ally Hurd – Gulf Breeze
Brittney Forsythe – Central
Rachel Dehlinger – FWB
Jennifer Bazlyak – FWB
Rachel Mosley – Rocky Bayou
Former Flomaton High Coach Passes Away
November 20, 2012
A former Flomaton High School coach passed away on Saturday.
Donald “Don” Thornton, 65, was a 1965 graduate of Sulligent High School and a 1969 graduate of Livingston University. He coached and taught at Kennedy High School, Carrollton High School, and Millry High School. For the next 18 years, he moved into the insurance business, but his passion for coaching continued, leading him back to the field in 1992 at T.W. Martin High School.
He then moved to Flomaton High School in 1994 and taught and coached there until his retirement in 2007 when he moved to his hometown of Vernon, Ala.
Thornton became a volunteer coach for the Lamar County High School Bulldogs from 2008 to the present season. He also served on the Vernon City Council.
Funeral services were scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Featured Recipe: Those Cheesy Thanksgiving Potatoes
November 20, 2012
Our Thanksgiving week recipe series continues today with a dish simply named “Those Potatoes”. It’s a great last-minute dish to put together in time to take to grandma’s house for the big dinner. And even an inexperienced cook can pull this one off in impressive fashion.
