Escambia Man Faces Up To Life For Shooting Outside Store
January 14, 2014
An Escambia County man faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced for a shooting outside a convenience store.
James Nathaniel Marshall was convicted by an Escambia County jury of aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a firearm, shooting into an occupied vehicle and three counts of discharging a firearm in public.
The conviction stems from a shooting at the Beacon Foodmart on Barrancas Avenue in December 2012. Prosecutors said Marshall got into a verbal argument with two people. Once the argument ended, the other two individuals got in their vehicle to leave. As they began to drive out of the parking lot, Marshall fired shots at their vehicle. One of the individuals exited the vehicle and was struck in the shoulder with one shot. That person was treated at Baptist Hospital and survived.
Marshall will be sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Linda Nobles at a later date. He faces from 25 years to life in state prison under Florida’s 10-20-Life law.
Northview Beats Escambia Charter
January 14, 2014
The varsity Northview Chiefs continued their winning ways Monday night as they beat Escambia Charter 77-72.
Scoring for the Chiefs were Neino Robinson 23, Tony Mcaroy 18, Cameron Newsome 11, Eric Williams 10, Tydre Bradley 8, and Nick Lambert 6.
The Chiefs are now 11-0 overall , 3-0 in the district. Northview’s varsity boys will host Holmes County in a district game Thursday at 5:30. The varsity girls will begin play at 4:00.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
PNJ Names New Publisher
January 13, 2014
Gannett Co., Inc. announced today Terry Horne has been named president and publisher of the Pensacola News-Journal.
Horne had been publisher of the East Valley Tribune in Arizona and general manager of 1013 Communications, which offers digital services in Phoenix, Dallas and Houston. Previously, he was CEO and president of the Orange County Register from 2007 to 2011. He is returning to Gannett, where he served as vice president of community newspapers for The Arizona Republic from 2004-2007.
“Terry has a rich history as a media executive, is passionate about community journalism and understands the role digital plays in connecting with our customers,” said Robert Dickey, Gannett’s U.S. Community Publishing president. “We’re excited to have him return to Gannett and engage in the vibrant Pensacola community.”
Horne has also worked with Swift Newspapers in Reno, Clarksburg Publishing in West Virginia, Thomson Newspapers, and Knight-Ridder, where he started as a staff writer for The Wichita Eagle in Kansas, having been inspired to pursue journalism by the Watergate scandal and coverage.
He received his BA in journalism from Wichita State University and an MS in mass communications from Oklahoma State University. He is married with six children.
Meeting This Week To Discuss McDavid Post Office Cutbacks Or Closure
January 13, 2014
A public meeting this week will address the future of the McDavid Post office, which has been targeted by the U.S. Postal Service for cutbacks or possibly even closure.
As NorthEscambia.com first reported in December, residents and businesses in the 32568 zip code were notified that the Postal Service will take future action regarding the McDavid Post Office. Possibilities include:
- Keep the office open, with window hours cut from 8 hours per day to six hours with those weekday hours realigned to match workload.
- Look at closing the office, providing only roadside mailbox delivery. Retail and delivery service would be provided through a rural carrier, with customers able to purchase most postal services from their carrier or alternative access points.
- Close the office and find a contract post office location, usually a local business. This contract location would provide post office boxes and most retail services.
- Close the office and relocate post office box service to a nearby post office.
Residents and businesses in the 32568 zip code received a mailed customer survey on the available options.
The Postal Service will hold a public meeting concerning the McDavid Post Office this Thursday, January 16 at 5 p.m. at the McDavid United Methodist Church at 2 Main Street in McDavid. No decision concerning the McDavid post office will be made until after the public meeting.
“Residents are encouraged to return the survey and attend the meeting to offer their input into the future of the post office,” Stephen Seewoester, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service said Thursday afternoon.
The Walnut Hill Post Office, also in the 32568 zip code, will not immediately be impacted by any closures or changes at the McDavid Post Office, Seewoester said. The Walnut Hill Post Office is a contract location operated by Escambia River Electric Cooperative, providing retail window services and post office boxes.
“We plan to keep the Walnut Hill Post Office open and continue to serve the community,” Sabrina Owens, spokesperson for EREC, said last month.
The McDavid Post Office is the only local office in Escambia or Santa Rosa counties on the current closure or cutback list.
Budget Chairman Promises Large Cut To Vehicle Fees
January 13, 2014
An unpopular 2009 vehicle-registration fee hike will be rolled back, the Senate’s budget chairman promised Thursday.
The size of the reduction is still a couple of months from being settled, as lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott have proposed different bottom-line numbers. But Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who is spearheading the issue in the Senate, assured his colleagues that the final total will be big.
“What we can promise people is that the fee decrease will be large and something that they’ll feel,” Negron told members of the Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
The panel unanimously supported the proposal (SB 156), which is projected to collectively save motorists $185 million during the upcoming budget year, growing to $236.7 million the following year.
The reductions would translate to about $12 per vehicle registration fee, or half the 2009 increase.
Scott, who was at a Brandon Honda dealership on Wednesday as he continues to promote his proposal to roll back the 2009 hike by $400 million, called the committee vote Thursday an “important first step.”
“We’re committed to undoing the 54 percent tax increase that families experienced in 2009, so we can give more back to families,” Scott said in a prepared statement.
Scott, who is up for re-election in November, has said his proposal will be part of a $500 million tax-and-fee-cut package for the upcoming legislative session.
After the committee meeting, Negron said the cut amount will ultimately depend on updated revenue projections from state economists after the legislative session begins in March.
In December, state economic forecasters pushed the state’s projected surplus toward $1.2 billion for the coming year.
“The good news is that our economy is recovering and we will have some additional revenue this session, and some of that we’ll save for the future,” Negron said. “I hope to keep our reserves at a good level and we’ll address some infrastructure needs. But I think there is a good piece in there to return some of that money to the taxpayers that sent it to us in the first place.”
The vehicle registration fee will be in competition with a number of other proposed cuts, from a three-day back-to-school sales tax holiday to reductions in corporate-income taxes, communications-services taxes and commercial rental taxes.
“Every budget proposal is in competition with every other budget proposal, I don’t mind that there is competition, that is part of the process,” Negron said.
The vote Thursday was the second Senate panel to back Negron’s vehicle-registration fee proposal. The Transportation Committee endorsed the measure on Oct. 9.
The final stop before being sent to the Senate floor is Negron’s Appropriations Committee.
The House version (HB 61), which is sponsored by freshmen Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, has yet to be scheduled.
Hill’s office hopes the proposal will get its first hearing next Thursday before the House Finance and Tax Subcommittee.
by The News Service of Florida
Escambia To Interview Administrator Finalists On January 30
January 13, 2014
The Escambia County Commission is set to schedule one-on-one job interviews with each of the five finalists for the county administrator position.
The interviews will be held the morning of January 30 with each finalists meeting separately with individual commissioners in their office prior to public interviews with the full board at 1:00 that afternoon.
A second special board meeting will be scheduled for 9 a.m. on January 31; the meeting will be canceled if the BOCC makes a final decision on an administrator on January 30.
The five finalists for Escambia County administrator, as recommended by a citizens advisory committee, are:
- Jack Brown — Perry, FL. County Administrator, Taylor County BOCC.
- Ted Lakey — Graceville, FL. County Administrator, Jackson County BOCC.
- Albert Penska — Gettysburg, PA. County Manager, Adams County.
- William Reynolds — Pensacola. Former City Administrator, City of Pensacola.
- John Weaver — Murrells Inlet, SC. Attorney, Thomas & Brittain
The original pool of candidates was compiled by the Waters Consulting Group before being cut to five by the citizens committee.
Rain Ending Tonight, Sunny On Tuesday
January 13, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia are forecast:
- Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 55. Light west wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind around 10 mph.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 23.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 53.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
- M.L.King Day: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Scott Wants $100 Million To Promote Florida For 100 Million Visitors
January 13, 2014
Gov. Rick Scott will seek $100 million to help bring 100 million visitors a year to the Sunshine State.
Scott announced Friday that he intends to ask the Legislature for the record amount of funding for Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-promotion arm, in the 2014 budget.
Legislative budget leaders are taking a cautious approach to the proposal.
The proposal is a jump of $25 million from what Scott sought last year and more than $35 million above what the Legislature eventually gave the agency for the current 2013-14 budget year.
The boost in funding would allow Visit Florida to expand its seasonal, city-specific targeted advertising to a year-round national campaign and would allow it to further target areas such as the United Kingdom and Brazil that already send large numbers of tourists to Florida.
During a morning appearance on an Orlando television station, Scott said marketing is “how we grow our economy.”
“All we have to do now is basically call up north and ask what the temperature is,” Scott said. “Other times, the more you put yourself in front of people, talk about our beaches, our weather, our attractions, our parks … so we just market ourselves more. We can get a lot more tourists in our state.”
And, of course, Scott said that with more tourists would come the creation of more jobs.
The funding request will be included in his annual budget request, which will be sent to the Legislature before the 2014 session starts in March.
Scott’s office released a series of supportive quotes from lawmakers, including Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Rep. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, who will help oversee the economic-development budget process in their respective chambers. However, that doesn’t mean the funding request will have an easy journey through the Legislature.
Sen. Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who heads the powerful Appropriations Committee, called the proposal “bold” and said the Senate will give it great consideration. But he added that lawmakers will have to determine if the recent funding increases to Visit Florida are why the state has seen tourism numbers increase.
“While tourism has increased, is this a correlation or causation?” Negron said. “That’s something we’ll have to analyze as part of the committee process.”
Rep. Seth McKeel, a Lakeland Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, said in a release that the proposal will be “thoughtfully considered.”
“Tourism is certainly an important industry in our state,” McKeel said. “However, each year during the legislative budget process we must look at all of the state’s priorities and determine how to best allocate our available funds statewide.”
The Legislature approved $63.5 million for Visit Florida during the 2013 session, a $9.5 million increase from the prior year.
Meanwhile, the state is expected to be close to 94 million visitors for 2013, which would easily break the 2012 record of 91.4 million visitors.
Through the first three-quarters of 2013, the state had attracted an estimated 72.5 million tourists.
With the $100 million proposal, Visit Florida President and CEO Will Seccombe said the governor is further challenging Visit Florida and the tourism industry to reach 100 million visitors.
“We’re on pace for a third consecutive record year of tourism,” Seccombe said. “If you’re on that kind of a pace, there are two things you can do: You can sit back and enjoy the ride or you can double down and redouble your efforts to build on that momentum. There is no question that is what the governor has done.”
The state has already started to market itself as a year-round destination rather than just a warm-weather winter playground. Also, while focusing on attracting more people from traditional locales — New York, Boston, Atlanta and Chicago — ads have increased in markets west of the Mississippi and overseas.
The additional money would expand on both domestic and international advertising and include efforts to encourage passenger air carriers to increase international flights to the Sunshine State, Seccombe said.
Of Florida’s 2012 visitors, 13.8 million were international travelers.
The state money is in addition to $110.9 million in private contributions to Visit Florida.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Carlton Wayne Roberson
January 13, 2014
Mr. Carlton Wayne Roberson, 70, passed away on Saturday, January 11, 2014, in Atmore.
Mr. Roberson was a native of Nokomis, FL and a life long resident of Nokomis, AL. Mr. Roberson was a member and Deacon of the New Life Baptist Church. His parents, Lloyd and Myrtle Roberson precede him in death.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Joyce Roberson of Nokomis, AL; two sons, Wayne Roberson and Ken (Tina) Roberson all of Nokomis, AL; one daughter, Gayle Nall of Perdido; one brother, Carl (Betty) Roberson of Deer Park, TX; two sisters, Joyce Samson of Slidell, LA and Joann (David) Hester of Atmore; five grandchildren, Dustin Nall, Cody Nall, Meagon Roberson, Brett Roberson and Taylor Roberson and one great-grandchild, Coltyn Nall.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, January 15, 2014, at 10 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. John Montalvo officiating.
Burial will follow at the Antioch Cemetery.
Visitation will be Tuesday, January 14, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Richardson, Arnold Thomaston, Brian Aaron, Wilson Palmer, Bill Paulson and Chris Gibbs.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Rodney Ronald Gajewski
January 13, 2014
Rodney Ronald Gajewski “Big Daddy”, 47, of Gulf Breeze (Midway) died January 5, 2014 after a short illness. He was a native of Detroit, MI.
During his professional career, he worked as a firefighter for Midway Fire District, South Walton Fire District, Sacred Heart Health System/Air Heart, Atlantic Life Flight, Escambia County EMS, Broward County Fire and presently was a paramedic with Life Guard Ambulance.
He attended Coastline Calvary Chapel Church in Midway.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Cheri Lee Lynch.
Survivors include: his wife, Kelly Gajewski; two sons, Justin Gajewski and Jonathan Provenzono; mother, Claire Gajewski; two sisters, Suzanne (Richard)Walcheck and Sheela Cooper; three step-daughters, Sarah Beargie, Mary Beth Beargie, and Katie Beargie; two step-sons, James Beargie and Michael Beargie; one step-brother, Jay Gajewski; nephews, Brad Jackson, Shawn Tobin, and Brian Ragland; and nieces, Heather Bolin, Jennifer Ragland, Claire Stark and Hayley Cooper; and extended family.
Trahan Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be held from 12 noon until funeral service begins at 2:00 p.m., all on Monday, January 13, 2014 at Coastline Calvary Chapel Church in Midway. Pastor John Spencer will officiate with full first responder honors.
First responders will serve as active and honorary pallbearers.