Pensacola Chamber Awarded $200K Cyber Warfare Grant
November 7, 2013
Governor Rick Scott announced Wednesday that the Greater Pensacola Chamber has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Florida Defense Support Task Force. The funding will establish a center of excellence for information dominance to stimulate science and technology research and cyber warfare training.
We’re investing $200,000 in the Pensacola region to support the growth of science and technology in the region. The Greater Pensacola Chamber is putting these funds to great use by providing the community with more opportunity to excel and expand their knowledge in the military and defense sector,” Gov. Rick Scott said.
“The bases in Northwest Florida are vital to America’s national security, and we’re committed to supporting the families and communities who serve our country. We want to protect jobs and opportunities for Florida families, and the investment of another $200,000 from the Florida Defense Support Task Force grant funding to support research and development operations, create a center of excellence, and support our warriors will help in that goal,” Sen. Greg Evers said.
Representative Clay Ingram said, “I congratulate Pensacola’s military and defense industry. This award is huge for our area. The knowledge that our military men and women will gain because of these resources will make Pensacola a better place to live.”
“We’ve been working hard to support our military and defense in Pensacola and these funds will greatly help this community. I’m excited about Pensacola’s bright landscape and what’s to come for this area’s military sector,” added Rep. Mike Hill.
“The Center of Excellence is the culmination of our on-going relationship and collaboration with our federal partners at Corry Station,” said Craig Dalton, vice president of Armed Services, Greater Pensacola Chamber. “We are extremely grateful to the State of Florida for supporting this endeavor to collectively develop a cyber-forensics lab that promotes science and technology research in Pensacola.”
The grants are vital to military and defense programs and local economies, according to Secretary of Commerce and President & CEO of Enterprise Florida Gray Swoope. He said jobs are created and the state’s workforce is strengthened.
Statewide, the Task Force awarded more than $2 million in grant initiatives to local community organizations supporting Florida military installations. These grants will be utilized to protect, preserve and enhance Florida’s military missions and installations while maintaining Florida’s reputation as the most military friendly state in the nation.
Additionally, these grants will strengthen Florida’s military bases ahead of any potential U.S. Department of Defense realignment or closure actions. This will protect the more than $73 billion in economic impact and the nearly 760,000 jobs the defense industry infuses into Florida.
The Florida Defense Support Task Force was created in 2011 with the mission to make recommendations to preserve and protect military installations, support the state’s position in research and development related to military missions and contracting, and improve the state’s military-friendly environment for service members, military families, military retirees and businesses that bring military and base-related jobs to the state.
This program is administered by Enterprise Florida, Inc. on behalf of the Florida Defense Support Task Force.
Byrneville Elementary Releases First Nine Weeks Honor Roll
November 7, 2013
The following students were named to the first nine weeks honor roll at Byrneville Elementary School:
Mrs. Barberree, Kindergarten
All Satisfactory
Emily Adams
Savannah Barrow
Allie Bradley
Elizabeth Coleman
Luke Godwin
Sawyer Jackson
Katherine Johnson
Ryder Lee
Makenzie Levins
Mrs. Golson, Kindergarten
All Satisfactory
Mary-Clayton Dawson
John Glenn
Jaycee Harvell
Logan Jordan
Hanah Lambeth
D’Ericka Odom
Easten Odom
Andrew Plant
Brynlie Shaw
Layla Sims
Evelyn Smith
Christian Velazquez
Mrs. Dawson, First Grade
All A’s:
Raymie Brechin
A’s and B’s:
Madeleine Attalah
Layla Brown
Kerissa Dortch
Daisy Johnson
Hunter Johnson
Gage McCormick
Addisen Miller
Blake Shaw
Mallory Smith
Zi’don Smith
Nicholas Walston
Mrs. Thornton, First Grade
All A’s:
Madison Levins
Jayden White
Brian Yoder
A’s and B’s:
Ayden Attalah
Gavin Beasely
Maddie Mae Driskell
Tyler Gilmore
Jikeem Hall
Jaci Jackson
Kelan Jurey
Mia Kornegay
Evin Matlock
Allie Odom
Mrs. Gilmore, Second Grade
All A’s:
Riley Dawson
Tyson McBride
Tyler Riggs
A’s and B’s:
Jon Bolen
Kaylee Hamilton
Aydan Smith
Mrs. Marshman, Second Grade
All A’s:
Nolin Godwin
Madalyn Grimes
Meredith Johnston
A’s and B’s:
Caden Canaday
Alexa Castro
Tyler Davis
Takayla Lewis
Mrs. Dunsford, Third Grade
All A’s:
Emily Levins
Kaden Odom
Blake Yoder
A’s and B’s:
Leah Anderson
Hunter Barnes
Drake Allen Driskell
Dreama Wright
Mrs. Weaver, Third Grade
All A’s:
Aloysia Dortch
Bradley Hamilton
Kayla Johnson
A’s and B’s:
Briana Dunsford
Chase Hampton
Jessica Loftis
Tiana White
Mrs. Gilmore, Fourth Grade
All A’s:
Hunter Borelli
Torka Mills
A’s and B’s:
Cody Adams
Dusty Carnley
Tessa Flowers
Kaitlin Gafford
Jace Gifford
Harley Walker
David Ward
Mrs. Johnston, Fifth Grade
All A’s:
Maille Kilcrease
A’s and B’s:
Travon Brown
Logan Bryan
Brianna Colter
Heather Knowles
Justin Lambeth
Abigail Levins
Tyler Merchant
Jalexis Robinson
Ty Rolin
The Latest Buzz: Roadside Bees Garner Attention
November 7, 2013
A roadside bee hive in Walnut Hill is catching the attention of passing motorists. The exposed hive is located in an oak tree alongside North Highway 99 near Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Update: The bees were removed by someone Thursday morning.
Tate Grad Hubbard Graduates From Basic Training
November 7, 2013
Air Force Airman 1st Class James A. Hubbard graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Hubbard earned distinction as an honor graduate.
He is the son of Lesley Hubbard of Deedra Avenue, Pensacola.
The airman is a 2002 graduate of Tate High School, Cantonment. He received a master’s degree in 2010 from Stony Brook University, New York, N.Y.
Escambia Man Gets 30 Years For Baseball Bat Attack
November 7, 2013
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison for a 2012 baseball bat attack.
Terrance Delaney Davison was sentenced by Circuit Judge Linda Nobles to 30 years as a prison releasee re-offender. Davison was convicted by an Escambia County Jury for aggravated battery with great bodily harm and with a deadly weapon.
On January 15, 2012, deputies responded to 444 S. Navy Blvd and found Joel Lee Houtz unconscious on the front steps. The only other person on scene was his friend, Jonathan Holloway. Holloway advised that they were visiting a friend at that residence when the friend’s new boyfriend whom he knew only as “T” struck Houtz in the back of the head with a baseball bat while he was seated in the living room. He said after the initial blow Houtz fell to the floor and Davison delivered two more additional strikes with the bat.
Davison then threatened to kill Holloway and fled the scene. Houtz was in a coma for about 40 days and has suffered traumatic brain injury as a result. He has a very difficult time speaking and is unlikely to make a full recovery, prosecutors said.
Escambia Man Convicted Of Fatal Shooting
November 7, 2013
An Escambia County jury Wednesday night found a man guilty of a fatal shooting on Tiki Lane just over a year ago.
The jury convicted Robert Marvin Parker, Jr., 27, of second degree murder for the October 22, 2012, shooting death of 25-year Labar Cardalyo Brown. Parker walked up to Brown’s car in the 6800 block of Tiki Lane and shot him multple times. Law enforcement said at the time the murder was a drug related robbery.
Parker was arrested in December 2012 in Clayton County, GA.
Pictured: Reader submitted cellphone photos show the scene on Tiki Lane after Labar Cardalyo Brown was shot and killed on October 22, 2012. Pictured inset: Convicted murderer Robert Marvin Parker, Jr. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Set To Tighten Rules On Sex Predators
November 7, 2013
The Florida House is taking a hard look at the state’s civil-commitment process for sexual predators, with House committees working together on an overhaul — and it’s likely that any recent slack in the commitment process will be corrected next year.
“One of the things we are going to do is ratchet up some of the penalties on people who abuse children sexually, abuse seniors, abuse the developmentally disabled,” said House Criminal Justice Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach. “We’re also going to make sure that when people get out of jail, we don’t just release them back into the wild and hope for the best.”
The process took another step forward this week, as the House Healthy Families Subcommittee took up recommendations still being developed by Gaetz’s criminal-justice panel.
“We must address those here and craft those in this committee,” said House Healthy Families Chairwoman Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart. Her subcommittee oversees the state Department of Children and Families, which in turn oversees the Sexually Violent Predator Program.
Legislative hearings began in September. That came after the June rape and murder of Cherish Perrywinkle, an 8-year-old Jacksonville girl, allegedly by a sexual predator who had been released just weeks before on a prior offense.
Also, in August, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that commitments under the state’s Jimmy Ryce Act had dried up. The act targets sexually violent predators who cannot stop themselves from further violence, and identifying them requires a DCF screening, a psychological evaluation and a trial. Once committed to the 720-bed Florida Civil Commitment Center in Arcadia, they must remain until a judge rules they are no longer dangers to society.
The Sun Sentinel found that 594 offenders had been released statewide, only to be convicted of new sex offenses — more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
“Over a period of a year or two, there were no longer a significant number of people committed under this program,” Harrell said.
Now the Sexually Violent Predator Program has a new director, Kristin Kanner, a 21-year prosecutor and the former head of Broward County’s civil commitment unit for sexual predators. DCF Interim Secretary Esther Jacobo tapped Kanner after hearing her address lawmakers in September.
“It is very clear (Kanner) understands from top to bottom how this works,” Jacobo told lawmakers Tuesday. “She will be adding a focus in addition to the rest of the focus on treatment and identification, the public safety awareness piece and a really important partnership with law enforcement, which is very important for us to do this job correctly.”
Legislators have signaled they will give law-enforcement officers more tools to monitor sexual predators. They’re also considering adding state attorneys and corrections officials to the list of those who refer offenders for a civil-commitment evaluation.
DCF has already added convictions for attempted kidnapping or attempted murder with a sexual component as automatic grounds for referring people for evaluations.
Had that provision been in place, Cherish Perrywinkle might still be alive.
Donald Smith, 56, was released from jail in May and, according to prosecutors, kidnapped, raped and strangled Perrywinkle three weeks later. A registered sex offender, Smith had made repeated failed attempts to kidnap young girls — even posing as a DCF worker in one instance. But those crimes did not qualify him for civil commitment. Now they would.
Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, represented the House Criminal Justice panel at the meeting of Harrell’s subcommittee Tuesday. Harrell said she, Eagle and Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, would shepherd a legislative response on the House side.
Clearly, lawmakers are in no mood for half-measures. Gaetz said crafting the legislation would be one of the most important things his committee does during the 2014 legislative session.
“There are some folks who commit some offenses who we should never let out of jail,” Gaetz said. “If you are predisposed to violently rape children, or senior citizens, or the developmentally disabled, you simply should not be allowed to walk the streets with the rest of us.”
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz talks to the capitol press Wednesday. Photo by Tom Urban, NSF, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHP Report Details Why Molino Father Arrested At Scene Of Son’s Fatal Wreck
November 6, 2013
Saturday night, a Molino father was arrested on felony charges for attacking first responders and troopers at the scene of a traffic accident that claimed the life of his son.
John David Edmonson, Jr. stands accused of felony battery on an officer, firefighter or EMT, felony aggravated assault on officer, firefighter or EMT, felony resisting an officer with violence and a misdemeanor count of failure to obey police or fire department. Edmonson, 56, was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $15,500 bond.
(For the original story on the accident, click here.)
NorthEscambia.com has obtained the Florida Highway Patrol report on the incident, which spells out in detail exactly what troopers say happened.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol report:
Two troopers were dispatched to the crash and were responding. They were advised by their dispatcher than EMS had reported an “angry mob” was forming and not allowing them to perform their duties. The troopers then sped up their response with lights and sirens, arriving to see the victim’s pickup in the woods, surrounded by first responders.
A fire chief on the scene told troopers there was a man by the truck assaulting EMS and firefighters and interfering with their duties. One trooper reported that he personally observed Edmonson pushing back at firefighters and not obeying their orders to leave the scene. The second trooper made contact with Edmonson and advised him to leave the area so emergency responders could do their job. He refused to leave.
The first trooper then went over to Edmonson and placed his left hand on his shoulder and advised him that he had to leave the scene. He pushed away, and was advised that he would be arrested if he did not leave the scene immediately.
Edmonson became angry and pushed the trooper away. The second trooper then placed the man in a choke hold and attempted to calm him down. He pushed the trooper off, and threw a punch at the second trooper, hitting him in the upper part of his chest.
Both troopers continued their attempt to subdue Edmonson, but he continued resisting. Edmonson then ended up on top of one trooper, trying to punch him. He was pulled off by another trooper by his shirt. Edmonson continued to resist, trying to go back against the trooper. One trooper then pulled out his taser and removed the cartridge due to being in close proximity to other responders.
The trooper advised Edmonson that he would be tased if he continued resisting. Edmonson pushed the trooper with the taser, and the trooper tased Edmonson one time around his stomach, causing him to fall back into bushes.
Edmonson resisted as both troopers attempted to take him into custody; the troopers were eventually able to overpower and handcuff him.
A McDavid firefighter told troopers that Edmonson had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him away from victim as he tried to render aid.
Edmonson was not seriously injured. He did request that he be checked by a doctor for his diabetes. Escambia County EMS responded to the scene where Edmonson appeared to be having a diabetic issue. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was “cleared” and transported to the Escambia County Jail.
The FHP report also indicates that Edmonson was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.
Pictured bottom inset: A Florida Highway Patrol trooper talks with John David Edmonson, Jr. after his arrest Saturday night. Pictured below: Edmonson’s alleged struggle with two troopers prompted a large emergency response from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Congressman Jeff Miller’s Staff To Hold Office Hours In Century, Jay
November 6, 2013
Congressman Jeff Miller has announced that his staff will be conducting mobile office hours for Century and Jay on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.
In order to better serve the needs of constituents who are unable to get to the Congressman’s Pensacola or Ft. Walton offices, special “mobile office” days have been established. Expanding on the idea first used for “veterans’ assistance days,” two members of Congressman Miller’s staff will be on hand to answer questions about problems with federal agencies or issues affecting the First Congressional District.
“This is just another way we can better serve our growing population in Northwest Florida,” Miller said. “We tried the mobile office concept earlier and we had such an outstanding turnout that we decided to expand the concept and add more dates and locations to the program.”
The mobile office hours will be conducted on Wednesday, November 13 as follows:
Century Chamber of Commerce
7811 N. Century Blvd
9:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
Jay City Hall
3695 Highway 4
11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.:
Molino Man Pleads Not Guilty Of Juvenile Sex Abuse, Bond Remains At $1.6 Million
November 6, 2013
A 61-year old Molino man charged with sexually abusing a teenage family member remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1.6 million.
Eddie Williams, a resident of Blake Street, has entered a not guilty plea on three counts of sexual assault by a custodian with a victim age 12-18, two different counts of lewd and lascivious behavior with a victim age 12-16, and incest.
During an interview with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the victim said Williams first withheld certain unspecified items from the victim while soliciting her for sex. She eventually had sex with him three to four times.
Williams admitted in an interview with investigators that he had sexual intercourse with the underage victim, according to an arrest report.