Fizz, Boom, Read: Summer Reading Thursday At Century, Molino Libraries
July 10, 2014
The Fizz, Boom, Read: Summer Reading Program continues Thursday at library branches in Molino and Century.
Children and teens 6-12 are invited to participate in the West Florida Public Library’s 2014 Fizz, Boom, Read program, which focuses on experimenting with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
The interactive program is a fun way for students to keep their minds sharp throughout the summer months. Join the library for the summer reading game and interactive enrichment programs where there will be prizes for reading books, a chance to take part in science experiments and meet new people.
The program will be held Thursday afternoon at the Century Branch Library from 2:30 until 3:30 p.m. and at the Molino Branch Library from 6-7 p.m. The program continues at the same times at the Century and Molino libraries on July 17, July 24 and July 31.
NEP 7U All Stars Place Second In World Series
July 10, 2014
The NEP 7U All Star Team recently came in second place in the 8U division in the All Star World Series in Gulf Breeze. Team members are Brayden Beck, Kaydon Biggs, Grant Bray-Hastings, Brendan Carpenter, Daviaun Farrish, Nino Freeman, Trevor Land, Jackson Poindexter, Brady Smith, Tradley Thompson and Caden White. Coaches are Travis Thompson, Heath Kelly and Chad Briggs (not pictured). Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century’s Gonzalez Begins Second Term As City Clerk Association Director
July 10, 2014
Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez recently began her second term as district director for the Northwest District of the Florida Association of City Clerks.
“I have enjoyed getting to know the clerks in the Northwest District. They are consistently the cream of the crop – community minded civil servants who put their heart into their job to make their municipalities shine,” Gonzalez said. “It has been an honor to represent the Town of Century at the state level, and I am delighted to be serving a second term on the board of directors of FACC.”
Gonzalez recently traveled to Panama City to present a resolution from FACC to Terri Lillard, who retired after serving at the City of Panama City for over 23 years.
The Northwest District of the Florida Association of City Clerks covers all municipalities from Escambia County to Jefferson County, just east of Tallahassee.
Escambia County Brothers Arrested For Santa Rosa Burglary Spree
July 10, 2014
Two brothers, both former North Escambia residents, have been charged in connection with a residential burglary spree in Santa Rosa County.
Shawn Demontre Cooler, age 19 of Pensacola, and Jeremiah Cooler, age 20 of Barth Road in Molino, are facing multiple burglary charges. Investigators in Santa Rosa County said the brothers kicked in doors and stole thousands of dollars in property, including guns, during broad daylight burglaries between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during a three month period.
The burglaries, deputies said, targeted jewelry, high end electronics and money, while other items such as TV’s and game systems were left behind. Authorities said the Coolers would sometime ransack multiple homes in the same day, fleeing with their stolen bounty in pillowcases.
The Cooler brothers, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, are both documented gang members.
Shawn Cooler is being held in the Santa Rosa County Jail with bond set at $310,001. Jeremiah Cooler was being held Wednesday in the Escambia County Jail without bond awaiting transfer to Santa Rosa County.
Jeremiah Cooler was arrested in January in Escambia County when an Escambia County deputy in the area of Plantation Road recognized him as a suspect wanted for burglaries and attempted home invasions in Santa Rosa County. Cooler, according to an arrest report, had been involved in a police pursuit with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office the previous day, and the vehicle with a matching tag number from the pursuit was outside the motel where Cooler was spotted.
As the deputy detained another individual with an outstanding warrant, witnesses said Jeremiah Cooler ran from the motel, threw a backpack into a dumpster and entered a nearby Waffle House. Surveillance video confirmed Cooler was involved in the sequence of events.
Deputies transported Cooler from the Waffle House back to the motel. Inside the backpack from the dumpster, they found five guns — four of which were reported stolen from Santa Rosa County, numerous rounds of ammunition, an iPad and a Toshiba tablet.
Shawn Cooler has an extensive criminal history involving burglary, theft and narcotic use and is currently on state probation for previous burglary/theft conviction, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
June Parilee Agee Deckard
July 10, 2014
June Parilee Agee Deckard, 73, of Atmore, passed away Thursday, July 10, 2014, in Atmore. She was a judicial assistant born in Linden, Ala. on June 29, 1941, to the late Narralee and Clarice Glass Agee.
Survivors include her husband, Carl Deckard of Atmore; one son, Richard (Jenna) Deckard of Cherokee Village, AR; one daughter, Sherri Edge of Fort Walton Beach; five brothers, Vernon Agee of Daphne, Thomas Agee of Flomaton, Gary Agee of Warrior, Ala., Mike Agee of Dallas, TX and Dean Agee of Monroeville; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be Saturday, July 12, 2014, at noon at the Walnut Hill Baptist Church with Bro. Ted Bridges officiating.
Interment will follow in the Walnut Hill Baptist Cemetery.
Active pallbearers are will be Brett Ward, Kevin Faircloth, Edward Godwin, Lonnie Wilson, Bryon Sawdon, and Richard Deckard.
Honorary pallbearers will be Jason Stabler, Robbie Ferguson, Josh Whitticker, and Dusty Burckette.
Family will receive friends, Saturday, July 12, 2014, at the Walnut Hill Baptist Church from 10:30 a.m. until service time.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Gusty Thunderstorms Move Through Area, More Rain Possible Tonight
July 9, 2014
Thunderstorms with gusty winds moved through portions of the North Escambia area this afternoon. In Molino, portion of a tree fell across Fairground Road, and about three dozen Gulf Power customers in the Fairground Road area south of Cedartown Road lost power.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight.
- Thursday Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%
- Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Friday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Friday Night Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Saturday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Sunday Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
- Monday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Monday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
- Tuesday Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Photo by Mitchell Singleton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa Man Gets Life For Child Sex Offense
July 9, 2014
A Santa Rosa County man was sentenced to life in state prison Tuesday for child sex abuse.
Claude Russell Ratliff was found guilty of lewd or lascivious molestation by a Santa Rosa County jury earlier this year.
Ratliff, 56, had molested a nine-year old girl while she was visiting at his Milton home during August 2012. In March 2013 the child told her parents about the abuse and they took her to a Pensacola hospital, which contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. During an interview at the Gulf Coast Kids House, the girl told investigators that Ratliff had come into the room where she was sleeping and molested her from behind. A warrant was issued for Ratliff and he was arrested on May 6, 2013.
Escambia Budget Talks Begin: Sheriff Wants Extra $5 Million
July 9, 2014
Escambia County opened budget talks for the upcoming fiscal year, and the requests made today include an extra $5 million plus for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff David Morgan wants the extra money to put more deputies on the streets, increase salaries and benefits, and meet rising fuel costs.
New Escambia County Administrator Jack Brown’s proposed budget as presented to Escambia County Commissioners Tuesday includes an extra $1.07 million for the ECSO so Morgan’s employees can receive a 3 percent cost of living adjustment like other county employees.
Morgan wants a total budget increase of $5.24 million — which includes the $1.07 cost of living adjustment, $300,000 for fuel budget increases and about $4.9 million for 15 new deputies and for the Sheriff’s Office to begin providing holiday and overtime pay to employees like other county departments. Currently, Sheriff’s Office employees are required to bank overtime worked.
“For example, the ice storm,” ESCO Chief Deputy Eric Haines told commissioners, “all the people that worked that received overtime that worked at the county, fire, EMS. Our deputies had to work and man all those bridges all night, and they got nothing.”
“We’ll sit down, and we’ll do due diligence on both sides, and we’ll compare benefit packages and stuff,” Brown said. “I think the Board, and I know I am certainly committed to equity. And making sure make sure you are talking about oranges versus oranges not apples and tangerines.”
As for the 15 extra deputies, Haines said it would take about 60-70 new deputies to bring Escambia County up to the state per capita level. He said the ECSO will continue to ask for 15 new funded deputies per year until that level is reached.
“I think there is an appetite for making sure that we provide additional resources in some form or fashion,” Commissioner Lumon May said.
May stressed it was important to him to make sure Morgan had the resources needed to protect citizens on the streets.
“It’’s important to me to have deputies on the ground. It’s important to me to have narcotic units. Most of these crimes are quite frankly gang related or drug related,” May said. “We have to get aggressive and put our resources where you do get aggressive.”
Covenant Hospice Offers New Volunteer Training In Century And Pensacola
July 9, 2014
Covenant Hospice is seeking individuals who are interested in making a difference in the lives of patients and families facing end-of-life issues and in supporting the organization. Training sessions for volunteers are upcoming in both Century and Pensacola.
A volunteer workshop will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, July 26th, at the Century Chamber of Commerce at 7811 North Century Blvd. Workshops will also be held in the Pensacola area Monday, July 14 and Thursday, July 17 from noon to 4 p.m. on both days at the Pensacola branch office located at 2001 North Palafox Street. The workshops are free and open to the public. Food and drinks will be provided.
Patient and Family Support Volunteer Training will provide an overview of hospice care, including Covenant’s programs and services and the special roles that volunteers fill. This training prepares individuals to volunteer in a variety of ways. Volunteer choices include visiting and companionship for patients, supporting family members by offering emotional support and practical help, assisting with fundraising events, providing administrative support in a Covenant office, serving as an outreach ambassador and much more.
No special background or experience is required to volunteer for Covenant, just a desire to make a difference. Time commitment is flexible and based on volunteer availability. Retired and working professionals are also needed to share their expertise and experience with patients and families. To register or to learn more: call Barbara Fike for the Pensacola training at (850) 202-0924 and Sharon Oakes for the Century training at (850) 202-5948.
Convicted Century Sex Offender Back Behind Bars
July 9, 2014
A convicted sex offender from Century has been arrested for failing to register his address after being released from prison.
Michael Alexander Dubose, 20, was released from the Lake City Correctional Facility after serving out a sentence for the lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12. Dubose is now back behind bars in the Escambia County Jail for failing to register his address as required as a convicted sex offender. He is being held with bond set at $10,000.
When arrested July 4, Dubose told officials at the county jail that he is currently homeless.
Dubose was 17-years old when he was arrested in 2012 after a male victim told investigators at the Gulf Coast Kids House that Dubose had sexual relations with him over a one year period at two different units at Century Woods Apartments. He was later transferred from the Department of Juvenile Justice to adult court.
Dubose was sentenced as a youthful offender to two years in state youthful offender/sexual offender facility, with credit for 301 days served, to be followed by four years probation.
He was also ordered to complete sexual offender counseling while in custody and follow up with a sex offender evaluation and recommended treatment upon release.