Cantonment Woman Sentenced To 4.5 Years For Fraud
May 16, 2013
A Cantonment woman has been sentenced to four and a half years in federal prison for wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and failing to file a federal income tax return.
Kandi Kay Holden, 43, pled guilty in November 2012 to charges that she embezzled funds from her employer and failed to report this money as income on her federal income tax returns.
Between November 2004 and January 2011, Holden was employed in the bookkeeping and accounting department of Cantwell Steel Erectors, Inc., in Pensacola, Florida. Holden used her position there to make unauthorized wire transfers of approximately $282,000 from Cantwell Steel Erectors’ bank account to various bank accounts that she controlled.
As part of her sentence, Holden was ordered to pay $370,026.43 in restitution to Cantwell Steel Erectors and $90,145.59 in restitution to the I.R.S.
The case was the result of a joint investigation between the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations, according to U.S. Attorney Pamela C. Marsh.
Fallen Escambia Deputies Honored
May 16, 2013
Law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty were honored Wednesday by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Fraternal Order of Police. About a dozen Escambia County deputies have died in the line of duty — the first in 1923 and the most recent, Lt. George Hura, Jr., in 2004. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Nursery, Church Team Up With Nursing Home For Gardening Time
May 16, 2013
In honor of National Nursing Home Week, Century United Methodist Church, and M&D nursery of Century pooled their efforts to create a gardening experience for the residents and staff at Century Care Center.
The residents were given a few lessons on planting and caring for an assortment of plants, with a few residents digging in and getting their hands dirty. The end was result was a more beautiful courtyard at the facility.
“The residents will be watching closely, as the plants grow and become even more beautiful,” said Mae Hildreth, Century Care’s activities director. “We have a wonderful and giving community.”
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Indicted For First Degree Murder
May 16, 2013
An Escambia County Grand Jury has indicted Taikwan Crosby for first degree murder in the death of James David Faucett.
Deputies responded to a burglary in progress call shortly before midnight on April 2 in the 1300 block Wisteria Avenue, near the Pensacola Country Club. Neighbors reported a man that was allegedly trying to break into a 2006 Honda Civic. Arriving deputies found James David Faucett, 60, in the living room of the residence. He had been beaten and stabbed.
Faucett was pronounced deceased at the scene by EMS.
Julius Fred Thompson
May 16, 2013
Julius Fred Thompson, age 82, of Cantonment, went to be with his Lord on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, at his residence. He was born February 26, 1931, in Fulton, AL, to the late Tom Watson Thompson and Lonis Bradford Thompson.
Mr. Thompson was a veteran of the U.S. Army having served in the Korean Conflict. He retired from Monsanto after 33 years of service. He enjoyed making wooden canes. He loved his relationship with God, having served in Missions Education, Pulpit Supply, Usher and Sunday School Teacher all his adult life. Mr. Thompson even taught, while being ill, from his hospital bed from his residence, last Sunday his lesson on “Repentance” being his last lesson to teach here on Earth. He was well known for living a Christian life and being a true example of holiness and long service to his church, First Church of the Nazarene in Pensacola where he was a member.
Survivors include his high school sweet heart who became his wife 63 years ago, Dorothy “Dot” Thompson; his son, Terry Michael (Pam) Thompson of Houston, TX; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; a sister, Virginia Glass of Thomasville, AL; and his dear, faithful friends, Dennis Wilson and Randy Knepper.
Funeral services will be Friday, May 17, 2013, at 10:30 a.m. at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home with Brother Ken McCloskey officiating.
Interment will follow in Eastern Gate Memorial Gardens with Larry Wood, Steve Howard, Hollis Hobbs, John Stein, Neal Armstrong, Danny Yates, John Mason and Chris Beck serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the service hour.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First Church of the Nazarene, 3475 Pine Forest Road, Cantonment, FL, 32533 for a memorial fund in honor of Julius Thompson.
Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Tate’s Andrew Briske Signs With Misssissippi College
May 16, 2013
Tate High Schools senior Andrew Briske has signed to play defensive tackle for Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. Briske is a four-year player for Tate and also played little league at Ensley. He made the district All-Star team as a senior and carries a 3.5+ GPA.
Pictured are (seated, L-R) Kathy Briske (mom), Andrew Briske, Christopher Briske (brother), Wayne Briske (dad), (standing) Meagan Briske (sister) Dean David Venettozzi, Coach Bobby Reyes and Tate Principal Rick Shackle. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos To Honor Molino Major Leaguer Travis Fryman
May 16, 2013
The Blue Wahoos will welcome two of Major League baseball’s greats to Pensacola’s Bayfront Stadium Thursday night. Tate High School grad Travis Fryman, former third baseman and shortstop for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, will be throwing out the first pitch along with Ken “Squeaky” Parker, a member of the Cincinnati Reds’ organization and legendary major league scout.
Fryman, who currently coaches in the Cleveland Indians organization, makes his home in Molino with his family, where his children attend North Escambia schools. During his thirteen years as a Major League infielder, Fryman earned a .274 batting average, with over 1,000 RBI’s and more than 200 home runs. Fryman was a first round draft pick in 1987 and quickly made his way to the Majors by 1990.
Ken “Squeaky” Parker is a long-time major league baseball scout and Pensacola resident, most recently with the Cincinnati Reds. Parker also scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and the Pittsburg Pirates. Fryman is taking time away his coaching responsibilities to participate in the evening’s ceremonies with Parker, because of their relationship forged while Fryman was a young ball player and Parker was a scout based out of Pensacola in the late 1980’s, where he signed another notable Pensacola Major Leaguer, Greg Litton.
Fryman and Parker will participate in the pre-game activities, including the ceremonial first pitch, and will be recognized by the Blue Wahoos for their contributions to baseball.
Jonathan Griffith, an executive with the Blue Wahoos, noted the team’s connection to Major League players past, present, and future.
“The Blue Wahoos are fortunate to be proving ground for the Major League stars of today and tomorrow, but we are also fortunate to count so many past Major League stars as members of the northwest Florida community,” said Griffith. “Our fans can watch current Major Leaguers as they rehab from injury, future Major League stars play here for a season or part of a season, and also see some of baseball’s historic greats – sometimes all in the same night. It makes the Blue Wahoos and Pensacola definitely a special place in the world of professional baseball,” Griffith continued.
Pictured: Travis Fryman speaks to a group at Northview High School last year. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Francis Everett “Frank” O’Connor
May 16, 2013
Francis Everett “Frank” O’Connor, 74, of Pensacola, passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2013.
Mr. O’Connor was born in Bay Minette and resided in Pensacola area for many years. He was retired from St. Regis Paper Mill and was a volunteer at the Cantonment Volunteer Fire Department.
Mr. O’Connor is preceded in death by his parents, Esther Olson O’Connor and Vincent David O’Connor; sister, Christine Steadham; and brother, Phillip O’Connor.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Rachael Peacock O’Connor; daughters, Kim Drawdy (Walter) of Dublin, GA and Traci Lewis (Jeff) of Pensacola; granddaughter, Jennifer Brown (Kevin) of Dublin, GA; great-granddaughter, Piper Woosley of Dublin, GA; great-grandson, Brennan Brown of Dublin, GA; brothers, Harry O’Connor (Ada) of Cantonment and Alfred O’Connor (Juanita) of Molino; sisters, Ruth Granat of Cantonment and Alfreda Nellums of Robertsdale.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 2013, at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the local Humane Society of Pensacola, 5 North Q Street, Pensacola, FL 32505 or Hotel for Dogs and Cats, 4110 Creighton Road, Pensacola, FL 32504, in memory of Frank O’Connor.
Special thanks to friends and neighbors, Ingrid Carlson of Joyce Goldenberg Hospice, Dr. Andy Kees and Maya of Cardiology Consultants.
Key Decisions Await Scott on Education
May 16, 2013
The biggest battles on the education front in the 2013 legislative sessions have already been fought and largely decided: Educators will get $480 million in pay raises, though not precisely how Gov. Rick Scott had asked, and the Senate killed a bill allowing parents more of a say in the future of failing schools.
But there were several more high-profile bills that moved through the process, dealing with everything from how the Florida Virtual School is funded to how schools should address “cyberbullying.” Many of those still wait for decisions from Scott on whether to sign or veto them, and some people have taken to lobbying the governor by email on what he should do.
HIGH SCHOOL DEGREES: Another one of the initiatives that lawmakers say is the most wide-ranging has already been put into law: Scott signed the bill (SB 1076) in April. The 144-page bill creates two “designations” for high school degrees, each with different requirements, with one aimed at encouraging students to work toward industry certification.
The measure has been praised by business groups and educators, in part because it would free students who choose one of the designations from being required to pass some courses — such as Algebra II — that are aimed at college-bound students. Business groups also say the bill will more closely tie the education system to employers’ needs.
“Senate Bill 1076 will make sure our students are prepared for college and careers and have the skills to compete for jobs in an ever-competitive global marketplace,” Scott said during a ceremony marking the signing of the bill.
VIRTUAL SCHOOL, TUTORS: A budget conforming bill dealing with education (SB 1514) is coming under fire for major changes to the funding that would flow to outside providers of services. Part of the bill would slice into the money provided to the Florida Virtual School by revising the way the state’s main funding formula applies to the 16-year-old program.
Private providers say the change will do away with an unfair advantage that the virtual school receives on the funding formula. In many cases, that would mean the virtual school might go from getting one-sixth of the cost of educating a student to splitting one-seventh of the cost with the student’s brick-and-mortar school. That will discourage public schools from allowing their students to enroll in the classes.
“Students are already being denied access to critical FLVS courses as a result of this bill,” wrote Taylor Sampson, whose email indicates a link to the online school but doesn’t say how.
Tutoring providers are also complaining about the fact that the bill allows the lapse of a provision of law requiring school districts to use 15 percent of their federal funding on academic help for lower-income children. Media reports have raised questions about some of the providers.
But Todd Walden, a Pasco County resident who has a tutoring company, wrote to Scott that those are exceptions to the rule when it comes to providing “supplemental education services.”
“While there have been scathing stories about certain company’s practices within SES, the majority of the providers are providing effective and quality services,” Walden wrote. “I am asking that you do not sign the Senate bill and preserve tens of thousands of FL jobs [affected] by this bill.”
However, it seems unlikely that simply refusing to sign the bill would reinstate the 15 percent set-aside.
Another new bill dealing with virtual education (HB 7029) aims to encourage the use of massive open online courses, known as MOOCs, in Florida schools. Out-of-state companies would be able to provide the courses under the change, and “blended” courses that include some online instruction and some classroom time would be exempt from class-size requirements.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Some of the most emotionally charged discussions around education this year took place on a bill that ended up passing both chambers unanimously: SB 1108, a measure pushed by Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine. Parents showed up to give often-emotional stories of how their children would be affected.
The measure gives parents more influence on the individual education plans, or IEPs, that are used to guide the education of children with disabilities. For example, parents would have to sign off on plans to send their child to an Exceptional Student Education center, which specializes in educating those with disabilities.
The Foundation for Florida’s Future, an education advocacy group chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush, hailed the measure.
“This bill will be life changing for Florida families,” said Patricia Levesque, the organization’s executive director, after the Senate vote. ” … These are life-altering decisions, and parents should be fully informed and engaged in the process. The support witnessed on the floor today spoke volumes about the Senate’s commitment to making this a reality for moms and dads.”
Lawmakers also approved a bill (HB 461) aimed at standardizing some procedures for IEPs for students with hearing difficulties.
BULLYING, SAFETY: Lawmakers also unanimously approved a bill (HB 609) that would crackdown on “cyberbullying” in public schools. The bill would expand what school districts are allowed to punish at school and when children are not at school — if the non-school bullying affects education. Supporters say the bill simply catches up to new realities when it comes to education.
But not everyone supports the measure. Daniel Daly Jr., writing to Scott from Santa Rosa County, urged a veto.
“School officials are not law enforcement,” he wrote. “They will become law enforcement of the Internet for school age kids and abuse their power if the[y] see a message that they do not like.”
And after debate about a range of policy solutions, and the approval of funding for a study of security measures in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Conn., the Legislature passed one measure (SB 284) dealing with emergencies. The measure allows private schools to be notified by first responders about emergencies and makes sure public schools spell out which agency is supposed to contact them.
BIG BILLS: An omnibus education bill (HB 7009) would make a slew of changes across the board, including:
–Adding both new accountability measures and new flexibility for charter schools. High-performing charters would be allowed to boost their enrollment annually, and the Department of Education is charged with proposing a standard contract for charter schools.
–Giving school boards the ability to set up a public “Innovation School of Technology” that could get much of the same flexibility as charter schools get if they use new technology in instruction.
–Barring students from being taught by low-performing teachers in the same subject two years in a row, though parents could allow districts to ignore that rule in the case of extracurricular courses.
Another large bill (HB 1664) makes several changes regarding educators, but the most-watched provision might be one aimed at making sure classroom teachers are only assessed based on the students they teach.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Nola Ann “Baker” Sutton
May 16, 2013
Mrs. Nola Ann “Baker” Sutton, 75, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, in Canoe.
Mrs. Sutton was a native of Canoe and resided at Canoe for most of her life. Mrs. Sutton was a very humble lady, who carried on the legacy of Bakers Service Station and Store at Canoe which was started by Rosa Nell Baker, her mother, in the early 1960’s. She is preceded in death by her parents, Leon and Rosa Nell Baker; one sister, Janell Bachlor; and one daughter, Jackie Chavers.
She is survived by her three sons, Timothy (Kim) Chavers of Birmingham, Greg (Barbara) Chavers of Colleyville, TX and Tony (Bishop) Chavers of Birmingham; one daughter, Tracy Chavers Sells of Canoe; one sister, Judy Barnes of McDavid; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, May 17, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Grindle officiating.
Burial will follow at the Canoe Freewill Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday, May 17, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. until funeral time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Greg Chavers, Tony Chavers, Cody Sells and Dakoda Sells.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Tommy Abrams, Mike Helton, Rodney Helton, Brandon Dortch, Glen Wiggins and Alex Lowery.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Canoe Freewill Cemetery.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC, is in charge of all arrangements.