Escambia’s Newest Judge Takes The Bench Friday
August 14, 2014
Escambia County’s newest judge will officially take the bench on Friday.
The investiture of Jennifer J. Frydrychowicz to the Escambia County bench, Group 3, will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building at 190 Governmental Center, Courtroom 407, in downtown Pensacola.
“J.J. has all the qualities that will make her a great judge. I look forward to her service on the Escambia County Court bench,” Gov. Rick Scott said.
Frydrychowicz is a Pensacola native, receiving both her undergraduate degree and her law degree from the University of Florida. She was an associate at Luther, Collier, Hodges & Cash, LLP, an Assistant State Attorney in the First Judicial Circuit, and served as a staff attorney in the office of the late U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. She fills a vacancy in Escambia County, Group 3 resulting from the retirement and separation of Judge Thomas E. Johnson.
Photo courtesy Luther, Collier, Hodges & Cash, LLP.
ECSO: Man Assaults Girlfriend Upon Learning He’s Going To Be A Daddy
August 14, 2014
A Flomaton man did not take the news that he was going to be a daddy very well, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The mom-to-be met her live-in boyfriend, 29-year old Jasper Terail Scott of Flomaton, in the area of Highway 4 and North Century Boulevard to deliver the news that she was pregnant with his child. Scott became agitated, began to argue about the pregnancy, grabbed the victim by the arms, slapped her in the face and put his hand around her neck, according to an arrest report.
The victim contacted deputies and filed a report, leading to Scott’s arrest on a felony count of aggravated battery when the offender knew the victim was pregnant. Scott was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
Boy Scout Leader, School District Employee Gets 50 Years For Molesting Three Kids
August 14, 2014
A local Boy Scout leader and school district employee has been sentenced to five decades in prison for molesting three girls.
Douglas Alden Parker, 47, pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of felony lewd and lascivious molestation on victims under 12 years old, 24 counts of child pornography and one count of video voyeurism.
Circuit Judge Ross Goodman sentenced Parker to 50 years in state prison followed by a lifetime of probation.
Pensacola Police Sgt. Kristin Brown said detectives began investigating Parker on July 14, 2013, the same day one of the females filed a complaint against Parker with the Department of Children and Families. An investigation determined the females were ages three to nine years old when Parker had sexual contact with them.
Brown said detectives found child pornography on Parker’s computer.
As of July 16, 2013, Parker was a Boy Scout leader with local Troops 3 and 608 and was an information technology employee for the Escambia County School District. The school district position had no direct contact with children, according to police.
Coming Soon: Fall Tomato School
August 14, 2014
UF/IFAS Extension Gulf Coast Small Farms & Alternative Enterprises will present “Fall Tomato School” beginning next month. The evening workshops are intended for farmers who are interested in learning about small farm tomato production.
The course will combine lectures with hands-on activities with a course notebook at the West Florida Research & Education Center in Jay. The school will include topics such as transplanting, varieties, nutrition, diseases, staking, insect scouting, harvesting, storage and marketing. Classes will be held 6-7:30 p.m. on September 2 and 23, and October 7 and 28. The cost is $20 per class or $60 for the four-course series, payable at the first session.
To register, or for more information, call the UF/IFAS Extension Santa Rosa Office at (850) 623-3868.
Rodie Comalander
August 14, 2014
Mr. Rodie Comalander, 23, passed away on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, in Pensacola.
Mr. Comalander was a native of McDavid, former resident of Robertsdale, and resided in McDavid, for the past couple of years. Mr. Comalander was very loving, caring, always with a smile on his face and he made everyone laugh. He attended the Byrneville Mennonite Church.
Survivors include his mother, Melissa Comalander of Robertsdale; sisters, Samantha Johnson, Tabitha Johnson and the twins, Allison and Alicia Johnson all of Robertsdale; father, Buford Wiggins and his wife Sharon of Davisville; grandparents, James and Elizabeth Comalander of McDavid and Dollie and Buford Johnson of Cantonment; brother, Scotty Wiggins of Davisville; sister, Heather Wiggins of Flomaton; two nephews, Trenton and Jay Johnson of Robertsdale; and stepfather, Tracy Johnson of Cantonment.
Funeral services will be Saturday, August 16, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Justin Morce and Bro. Marvin Bender officiating.
Burial will follow at the Christian Home Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday, August 15, 2014, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore.
Pallbearers will be Reese Thames, Austin Emmons, Dilan Guss, Buck Comalander, Michael Lanzer, Dustin Devine, James Kennedy and Chad Varnadore.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Kyle Peterson, Nick Foster, John Carter, Brandon Varnadore and Dustin Cook.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC in charge of all arrangements, Atmore, Alabama
The Night The Lights Went Out For The Wahoos
August 14, 2014
The Southern League rivalry between the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and Mobile BayBears will be remembered Wednesday for the first ever game delay because the ballpark lights went out.
The field and fans sat in complete darkness for about 15 minutes in the top of the ninth inning, right in the middle of a Mobile rally. The BayBears had the bases loaded with one out after scoring two runs to go ahead, 4-3.
That’s when the lights on the first base side went out. When the lights came back on, the lights on the first base side did not return to full power.
As a result, the umpires suspended the game until 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The regularly scheduled game will start 30 minutes after the suspended game ends.
Blue Wahoos officials were still trying to figure out why the malfunction happened late Wednesday night.
Blue Wahoos Manager Delino DeShields said he has “never” experienced a suspended game because of the lights going out in his nearly 30 years of professional baseball.
“I’ve had the lights go out before temporarily but not to suspend a game,” DeShields said.
He said he doubts the blackout will effect the game’s outcome.
“I don’t think it will really matter much,” DeShields said. “The bases are loaded and one out. We’ll see what happens.”
Pensacola had comeback with three runs on five hits in the eighth inning to take the lead, 3-2. First baseman Travis Mattair pushed a single through to right field that scored Ryan Wright and Kyle Waldrop.
The third game of the five-game series with Arizona DiamondBacks Double-A affiliate the Mobile BayBears gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. RHP Ben Lively (1-6, 3.96) takes the mound for the Wahoos and is scheduled to be opposed by the BayBears RHP A.J. Schugel (5-2, 3.43).
by Tommy Thrall
Man Opens Fire Into Multiple Residences
August 14, 2014
A man who shot into at multiple residences Wednesday night in the area of Toni and Goodrich streets in Pensacola is in custody.
Jeremy French, 27, of 1460 Langley Ave. was charged with one count of attempted murder, three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, five counts of shooting into a dwelling/conveyance, and one count each of improper display of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharging a firearm in public.
Police were notified of the shootings when Torya Nobles, 41, of 1311 Toni St., called 911 around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday and said a man was shooting into her home. Two bullets struck Nobles – one in the hand and one in the hip. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Pensacola Police Officer Dennis Salon said French fired approximately 15 rounds into Nobles’ apartment. Salon said Nobles is the property manager for the duplexes. French lives in one of the duplexes and also was the maintenance man for the residences. Police determined he shot into the residences because he had been fired from his job on Wednesday and given three days’ notice to move out of his duplex.
After French shot into Nobles’ residence and her vehicle, he walked to nearby duplexes and fired into at least three more. Motives for the additional shootings remain under investigation.
Salon said the aggravated assault with a firearm charges were filed on French because he pointed the handgun toward at least one man, and Nobles’ two daughters – ages 12 and 13 – were inside her residence at the time. They were not injured.
Police determined French fired at least 20 rounds before he was taken into custody at Langley and Sanders avenues, located approximately two blocks away from the initial shooting.
French was holding a handgun and also had additional ammunition on him when he was taken into custody, said Lt. Stephen Davis.
Man Charged With Assaulting Two Women
August 13, 2014
A man who police said recently robbed two women at gunpoint and forced one of them to perform a sex act on him has been arrested.
Deontra Rysaun French, 23, of 500 E. Fairfield Dr., was arrested around noon Wednesday. He was charged with two counts of armed robbery, and one count each of aggravated battery, aggravated battery on a known pregnant victim, and sexual assault with a weapon.
The incident occurred just after midnight on July 31 when two females – ages 27 and 35 – ere walking in the 3800 block of North Davis Highway. One of the victims told police that the suspect approached them from behind and then forced them at gunpoint to go to the back of a building.
French then ordered the females to lie face down on the ground and struck the 35-year old woman, who is pregnant, in the back of her head with the gun. He then forced the 27-year old woman, whom he also struck in the head with the firearm, to perform oral sex on him at gunpoint, according to Detective Lisa Alverson.
French then fled the area with one of the victim’s cell phones and cash from the other victim, police said.
Man Gets 45 Years For Chumuckla Camping Trip Child Molestation
August 13, 2014
A man has been sentenced to prison on multiple child molestation charges after a weekend camping trip in Chumuckla.
Ramon Wade Renfro was sentenced Wednesday by Circuit Judge John Simon to 15 years in state prison for lewd or lascivious battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, 15 years in state prison for unlawful sexual activity with minors, and 15 years for contributing to the delinquency of a child and tattooing a minor. Renfro was convicted of these charges on July 10 by a Santa Rosa County Jury.
In February 2011, Renfro had been placed on three years probation for failure to redeliver hired or leased property. Simon sentenced Renfro to five years in state prison for violation of probation, to run concurrent to his previous sentence for a total of 45 years in state prison.
The 40-year old Renfro was supervising a group of teenagers on a weekend camping trip to Webb Landing in Chumuckla in February 2013. During the camping trip, Renfro fondled and had sexual relations with several of the girls who were between 14 and 16 years old.
He gave the teens vodka, whiskey and beer to get them drunk before molesting them. Renfro used tools he brought with him to give one of the girls two tattoos in private locations. One of the girls disclosed the activity to her parents after returning from the trip. They notified the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Investigator Alvin Bicasan conducted an investigation, which led to Renfro’s arrest on May 24, 2013.
When questioned by Investigator Bicasan, Renfro denied engaging in any sexual acts or inappropriate touching. He further denied providing or bringing alcohol on the camping trip. Renfro claimed that he had not given the girls tattoos; however, during the trial prosecutor Stephanie Pace introduced photographic evidence of the tattoos. Witnesses testified that they had seen Renfro giving the tattoos and engaging in sexual acts with the girls.
School Orientations This Week (With Printable Supply Lists)
August 13, 2014
Orientations are scheduled this week for most Escambia County public schools. School begins next Monday, August 18.
For printable school supply lists, click here.
Orientations will be held as follows:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
Orientation, Meet And Greets, August 14-15
- Bratt – August 14 – K-5, 8:30 – 10:30; Pre-K, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Byrneville — August 15, 9-11 a.m.
- Jim Allen – August 14, K-5 9-10:30 a.m.
- Lipscomb – August 14, K – 8:30-9:30; grades 1-5, 9:30-11 a.m.
- McArthur – August 14, 8:30-10 a.m.
- Pine Meadow – August 14, 9-11 a.m.
- Molino Park - August 14, Pre-K 9-10:00; K-5, 10-11 a.m.
For Escambia County elementary schools not listed, click here.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
Orientations, August 14
- Bailey – 6th grade 10 a.m.; 7-8th 1:00 p.m.
- Bellview Middle – 9 – 11 a.m.
- Brown-Barge – 9 – 11 a.m.
- Ernest Ward – 10-11 a.m.
- Ferry Pass – 10 – 11 a.m.
- Ransom – 1-3 p.m.
- Warrington - 10: a.m.
- Workman – 1:00 – 2:30
- Woodham Middle – 6th grade 1 p.m.; 7-8th 1-2 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOLS
Ninth Grade/New Student Orientation
- Northview
- 8/14/14 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 9th grade/new student orientation
- Tate
- 8/14/14 1:00 p.m. 12th grade schedule pickup
- 8/14/14 2:00 p.m. 10th-11th grade schedule pickup
- West Florida
- 8/14/14 10:00 a.m. 11th grade schedule pickup
- 8/14/14 1:30 p.m. 10th grade schedule pickup
- 8/14/14 6:00 p.m. Senior/parent(s) information meeting
- Pine Forest
- 8/14/14 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 9th grade/new student schedule pickup
- 8/14/14 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 10th-12th grade schedule pickup
- Pensacola
- 8/14/14 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 9th grade orientation
- 8/14/14 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 10th-12th grade schedule pickup
- Washington
- 8/14/14 9:00 a.m. — noon New student orientation
- 8/14/14 8:00 a.m. – noon 11th grade schedule pickup
- 8/15/14 8:00 a.m. – noon 10th grade schedule pickup
- Escambia
- 8/14/14 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 10th- 12th grade schedule pickup
Note that some high schools have already held some orientation events.