Cantonment Man Takes Deputy’s Gun During Struggle
October 9, 2014
A Cantonment man is behind bars after he allegedly took a deputy’s weapon during a struggle that followed a traffic stop.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigator made a traffic stop for an equipment violation. As he approached the vehicle, 35-year old David Lee Mason, Jr. fled, and a brief foot pursuit followed.
Mason tripped and fell down an embankment after which time as struggle took place between Mason and the investigator. During the struggle, Mason was able to gain control of the investigator’s firearm, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
As the investigator and Mason fought over the firearm, the investigator shoved the firearm into the mud to prevent Mason from using it against him. The investigator managed to regain control of the firearm, which was no longer functional.
A short time later, backup arrived and took Mason into custody. A large amount of cocaine and crystal meth and a small amount of marijuana were located in Mason’s vehicle along with a firearm and more than $1,100 in cash, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Mason and the investigator were both treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.
Mason was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of aggravated assault on a specified person (LEO), displaying a weapon in the commission of a felony, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, resisting an officer with violence, obstruction of a law enforcement officer (deprive of communications), possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, trafficking in methamphetamine and violation of probation. He was being held with no bond due to the probation violation and a $156,000 total bond for all other charges. He also received a verbal warning for the equipment violation.
Christmas 2014: Satanic Temple Display Proposed For State Capitol
October 9, 2014
The New York-based Satanic Temple wants to bring some of its holiday cheer to the Florida Capitol, after being turned away last year. The Satanic Temple announced Wednesday that “in a gesture of seasonal spirit and good will” it will ask the state Department of Management Services to accept the same display for the Capitol’s first-floor rotunda that was rejected a year ago as being “grossly offensive.”
“We feel our holiday display sends a very important, affirmative message that goes above and beyond that of superficial season’s greetings,” temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves said in a release. “It’s a message of religious freedom, and church-state separation expressed in the state’s neutrality.”
Ben Wolf, a spokesman for the Department of Management Services, said in an email Wednesday that the agency has yet to receive the application. The agency limits the height of displays based on where they are located in the rotunda and prohibits displays from blocking permanent memorials such as the Civil Rights and Veterans halls of fame. Also, the department will allow displays as long as there is available space, but has rules against noise and impeding official business.
The department decided in May to maintain its mostly open-door, first-come, first-served policy on Capitol displays after a number of diverse exhibits dotted the Capitol rotunda during the 2013 holiday season. The often irreverent displays, which included a pole made of empty beer cans to mark the sitcom-created Festivus holiday and a shredded pile of paper that was supposed to resemble the deity of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, came in response to the state approving a pair of Christian nativity scenes for the Capitol.
The Satanic Temple had proposed a diorama of an angel falling into hell bannered with the phrase “Happy holidays from the Satanic Temple.”
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster joined several groups putting up irreverent displays in the first floor of the Florida Capitol last year for Christmas. Pictured inset: A display proposed by the Satanic Temple that was rejected last year by the Department of Management Service for the Florida Capitol. File photos by Jim Turner for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Tax Collector’s Office Burglary Under Investigation
October 9, 2014
The search for a suspect is continuing in a weekend burglary at the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Office in Molino.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglar alarm at the office, located in the Molino Community Complex on Highway 95A, about 3:40 Saturday morning. When a responding deputy arrived, he found what appeared to be pry marks on an exterior door and saw what appeared to be someone inside the building.
The suspect was able to escape the building and an unsuccessful manhunt involving multiple deputies and a K-9 unit followed.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, nothing appeared to missing from the Tax Collector’s Office, and investigators believe the burglary may be related to others in the Molino and surrounding areas.
Anyone with information on the burglar should call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cross Country Results: Northview, Tate, Flomaton, Ernest Ward (With Photo Gallery)
October 9, 2014
One hundred fourteen runners competed in a cross county meet Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School in Bratt. Runners represented Central High, Ernest Ward Middle, East Hill Christian, Flomaton High, Northview High, Pensacola Christian Academy, Pensacola High and Tate High schools.
For a photo gallery with most runners, click here.
Results were as follows:
Girl Teams
- Pensacola Christian Academy 28 points
- Central 55 points
- Pensacola High 70 points
- Northview 159 points
- Ernest Ward 185 points
Top 5 Girls From Each Team
Pensacola Christian Academy Girls
- Kaytlyn Buschman
- Lauren Cochran
- Macie Gilbert
- Mikayla Gagmon
- Miranda Gagmon
Central High Girls
- Camryn Gilliard 23: 14
- Christine Clark
- Erin Taylor
- Alexis Clark
- Kennedy Fuller
Pensacola High Girls
- Gabbe Ruiz 24:12
- Mackenzie Daine
- Carly Vonosienbridge
- Mong Nender
- Grace Penta
Northview High Girls
- Moriah McGahan 26:23
- Keondra Stanley 33:13
- Marry Sullivan 33:14
- Myishia Syria 35:03
- Bethany Reynolds 35:33
Ernest Ward Middle Girls
- Addison Albrittton 29:52
- Cailee Wilburn 33:30
- Anna Sullivan 33:42
- Payton Jackson 35:16
- Kaitlyn Kasslebrock 35:43
Varsity Boys Teams
- Pensacola Christian Academy 29 Points
- Pensacola High 92 Points
- Central 124 Points
- Flomaton 138 Points
- Tate 149 Points
- Northview 207 Points
- Ernest Ward 307
Top 5 Boys From Each Team
Pensacola Christian Academy Boys
- Hunter Stewart 18:19
- Hyum Lee
- Michael Frank
- Daniel Posy
- Zach Arine
Pensacola High Boys
- Jeit Crowdie 19:05
- Liam Neal
- Justin Polk
- Chandler Haines
- Joseph Nguyen
Central High Boys
- Morgan Givens 20:38
- Kyler Fuller
- Lee Henning
- Alan Carlson
- Garrett Price
Flomaton Boys
- Dustin Reaves 20:53
- Hayden Hammond
- Dwayne Hamby
- Dylan Patterson
- Mayson Kent
Tate High Boys
- Dave Nolen 18:57
- Jonathon Crabbe 21:37
- Cole Stillwater 22:06
- Dale Smith 23:23
- Matthew Blalock 27:53
Northview High Boys
- Brandon Korinchak 20:19
- Josh Borelli 23:23
- Austin Ates 25:14
- Triston Reeves 26:35
- Zach Calloway 27:31
Ernest Ward Middle Boys
- Brandon Sheldt 25:17
- Bryce Korinchak 29:00
- Shane Hardin 33:05
- Keaton Brown 35:20
- Alexander Floyd 37:24
New York Rapper Arrested In Escambia County
October 9, 2014
A self-proclaimed rapper who police said traveled the country with an entourage and didn’t pay bills for lodging and wages to his employees has been arrested in Pensacola.
Walker Washington, 46, aka Shameek Shamel of Brooklyn, NY, was arrested in Escambia County and charged with fraud/defrauding an innkeeper for $300 or more. A woman who was traveling with him – Adnijah Niles aka Sharon Williams, 20, of Albany, NY – also was arrested on the same charge.
Pensacola Police officer Maria Landy began investigating the pair around 2:40 a.m. Tuesday after she received information from Anthony Greer, 23, of Madison, TN. Greer and seven other people, including Washington, had stayed at the Lee House Bed & Breakfast, 400 Bayfront Parkway, for two nights.
Landy said Niles had tried to charge five rooms that had been rented for two nights at Lee House. Niles was arrested because she knew the credit card she provided as payment was not valid.
During the investigation, Landy determined Washington and his entourage had defrauded catering services, recording studios, transportation services, and motels/inns in Mobile, Nashville and Panama City. The amount of unpaid bills is not yet known. Also, Landy contacted a business in Gallatin, TN, and learned Washington and his entourage had allegedly left there without paying a $10,000 bill.
Washington told Landy he was an artist and that he worked for Black Billionaires Inc. He has performed at various locations but has accrued thousands of dollars in unpaid bills, Landy said.
Greer told Landy he owned a business called The Royal Society and had been hired by Washington and Niles in Nashvill to provide personal security and transportation. Greer said he estimated he and his employees were due more than $136,000 for services and expenses for approximately the past month.Greer also said the entourage had left in the middle of the night without paying bills at other locations, and the reason he contacted police was he feared Washington and Niles were getting ready to leave Pensacola without paying him and his employees.
In addition to claiming he is a rapper, Washington also travels the country and holds “open casting calls” for a reality show called “The Originator,” which he tells people he plans to film, police said. Potential cast members pay a $20 fee, which investigators said Washington pockets, and they are not contacted for the show.
Landy said active warrants for illegal use of credit cards and failure to appear on charges have been issued for Washington in other cities. She also said Washington, who uses many aliases, was arrested in 2005 for fraud by not paying for services with numerous businesses when he presented himself as a rapper.
He also had an active warrant with the U.S. Marshal’s Office for probation violation, Landy said.
Taking A Bite Out Of Hunger: Peanut Butter Drive Underway
October 9, 2014
The Escambia County Extension office, Santa Rosa County Extension office along with the University of Florida Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences and the Florida Peanut Producer Association are collecting peanut butter now through mid-November to help take a bite out of hunger.
The groups are accepting donations of unopened jars of peanut butter to be donated to local food pantries during Farm-City Week.
Unopened jars of peanut butter of any brand can be dropped off until November 21 at any of the following locations:
Escambia County
- Escambia County Extension Office, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Escambia County Farm Bureau, 153 Highway 97, Molino
- Escambia County Public Safety, 6575 North W Street
- Gilmore Services, 31 East Fairfield Drive
Santa Rosa County
- Jay Extension Office at 5259 Booker Lane, Jay
- Santa Rosa County Extension Office at 6263 Dogwood Drive, Milton
- South Santa Rosa Service Center, Master Gardener Help Desk at 5819 Gulf Breeze Parkway
- All Santa Rosa County Library locations
- Lowe’s Stores in Pace and Gulf Breeze
Peanut butter collected in Escambia County last year was donated to food pantries in Molino, Bratt and Century.
Pictured: The Godwins of Godwin Farms in Santa Rosa County, (L-R) Steven, Laryn, Valarie, Kylei, Rachael. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local VFW Voices Of Democracy Writing, Speaking Competition Winners Named
October 9, 2014
Northview High School has named winners of their school level VFW Voice of Democracy writing and speaking competition. Winners were (L-R) Alyssa Borelli, second; Mitchell Singleton, first; and Alyssa Bell, third. The three students will now compete for cash prices at the district, state and national levels. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A/C Unit Prompts House Fire Call Near Ransom Middle
October 9, 2014
Firefighters reported to a reported structure fire on West Kingsfield Road, directly across from Ransom Middle School, Wednesday tonight.
A resident in the 900 block of West Kingsfield reported a possible fire under their home. Firefighters traced the source of smoke to an air conditioning unit. Besides the A/C unit, no other damage was reported.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Harold “Teeny” McKinley Kendrick
October 9, 2014
Harold “Teeny” McKinley Kendrick, 74, of Foley, passed away on Tuesday, October 7, 2014. Harold grew up in Wyoming and Colorado and graduated from Lewis Palmer High School in Monument, CO. He married Mary Maxine Oakes on July 1, 1961, and worked for the U.S. Forest Service. They then moved to Dover, FL where he worked for G.E. Telephone Company and graduated from the University of South Florida. More recently, he retired from MHK Corporation in Russellville, AR and previously was part owner of Continental Timber Company in Valley Center, KS. He and Maxine moved to Foley upon retirement. He was a member and deacon at Galilee Primitive Baptist Church in Stapleton, AL.
He is preceded in death by his parents, William “Bill” and Ruth Kendrick; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley and Ed Anderson; and sister, Hazel Colvin.
Harold is survived by his wife, Mary Maxine Kendrick; daughters, Beth Ann (Ed) Kingsley and Christie (Steve) Hansell; grandchildren, Joshua (Amanda) Glaze and Jenna Glaze; great-grandchildren, Emma and McKinley Glaze and J.B. and Caleb Mott; nieces and nephews, Pam Jones Williams, Kaye (Darrell) Maez, Wendi Maez, Debbie (Mike) East, Harold (Tammy) Oakes, Kenneth (Tonya) Oakes, Phil Oakes, Penny Colvin Garren, Bill Colvin and Alan Colvin; and uncles, Bob (Laura) Glasspoole and Bill Glasspoole.
Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 10, 2014, at Little Flock Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Molino with Elder Bobby Willis officiating.
Pallbearers will be Ed Kingsley, Harold, Phil, and Kenneth Oakes, Mike East and Joshua Glaze.
Honorary pallbearer will be Derrick Oakes.
Memorials can be made in Harold’s name to Galilee Primitive Baptist Church, P.O. Box 361, Bay Minette, AL 36507.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with arrangements.
Molino Man Identified As Victim In Alabama Fatal Wreck
October 8, 2014
A Molino man has been identified as the victim in a fatal wreck with an 18-wheeler Sunday night in Brewton, Ala.
The accident happened shortly after 9 p.m. on Highway 31 near the Georgia Pacific Mill. Authorities said 42-year old James Thomas Ward was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was trapped in his Chevrolet Blazer that came to rest underneath the truck’s trailer.
Officials have not released further details concerning the crash.
A traffic homicide investigation by the Brewton Police Department is continuing.