Woman Sentenced On ‘Operation Blister Pack 2′ Charges
March 14, 2014
Another former North Escambia resident has been convicted in connection with last year’s Operation Blister Pack 2.
Jennifer Dianne Kelly, age 34, was convicted Thursday of conspiracy to traffic in amphetamine or methamphetamine, possession of a listed chemical.
Under a plea agreement, Kelly was sentenced to 18 months in state prison to be followed by 18 months probation with eight hours of community service per month. She will also be required to receive substance abuse counseling. She also was ordered to pay $54,222 in costs and fines.
Kelly was a resident of Ayer Street in Molino at the time of the operation, according to the Sheriff’s Office. She later moved to Milton, according to jail records.
Operation Blister Pack 2 targeted nearly 80 individuals on methamphetamine and pseudoephedrine related charges. Many of those arrested were involved with drug groups dubbed “The Village Group”, centered around “The Village” area of Forrest Street and Lakeview Avenue in Cantonment; and “The Ayers Group”, a group centered around Ayers Street in Molino, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Former Gov. Askew Praised As Visonary
March 14, 2014
Former Gov. Reubin Askew, who died early Thursday, left a broad imprint across the state, shaping policies that sought to improve schools, the environment and the courts, while also restoring faith in a Florida government tainted by scandal.
“He was a visionary. He saw issues whether they were in areas of racial fairness or educational opportunities or environmental protection in a generational perspective, not just what’s going to be the best position for the next election. He led by his personal example and by the wisdom of his ideas and the strength of his passions,” said former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, who also served as governor.
Askew, 85, died after being admitted to a Tallahassee hospital Saturday with aspiration pneumonia. His condition worsened when he suffered a stroke, family spokesman Ron Sachs said.
A Democrat who had represented the Pensacola and North Escambia area in the Legislature, Askew defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Claude Kirk in 1970 and was re-elected in 1974, becoming the first governor in Florida history to be elected to successive four-year terms.
Askew is considered by historians to be one of the most influential politicians in Florida’s modern history, second only to the late Gov. LeRoy Collins, who oversaw the state during the turbulent civil-rights era.
A teetotaler who was prim and could even be prudish, Askew, a lawyer, was relatively unknown when he ran for governor. Bucking the business community, Askew made a corporate income tax an integral part of his 1970 campaign.
Florida was in the midst of a population and development boom when Askew took over as chief executive. The state was still grappling with racial tensions prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court decision that put an end to school segregation. The devoutly religious Askew, born in Muskogee, Okla., was on the opposite side of many other Southern politicians, as well as many of his Pensacola constituents, in his call for racial reconciliation.
In response to an anti-school busing “straw poll” proposed by conservative Democrats and Republicans, Askew countered with a proposal asking voters if they wanted to keep schools integrated. Voters approved both non-binding measures.
Although the anti-busing measure passed overwhelmingly, Askew’s opposition to it endeared him to voters, said Sandy D’Alemberte, who was a close friend of Askew and served alongside him in the Legislature.
“He took the right position. He was on the right side of history. He was courageous. And the public, even though they disagreed with him on busing, recognized that he was a person of integrity, and his popularity increased,” D’Alemberte, a former president of the American Bar Association, said Thursday.
Askew appointed the state’s first black Cabinet member since Reconstruction, and pardoned, with the Cabinet, Freddie Pitts and Wilbert Lee, two black men who spent 12 years on Death Row after being wrongly convicted by an all-white jury. Askew also integrated the Florida Highway Patrol.
Askew served as governor during a scandal-ridden era when Watergate rocked Washington and, in Florida, two state Supreme Court justices were forced out of office and three Cabinet members were indicted. Askew thwarted the Legislature by spearheading the first petition initiative, known as the “Sunshine Amendment,” approved by voters in 1978. The constitutional amendment opened government records and required public officials to disclose information about their financial affairs. Florida’s “government in the sunshine” standards, considered by many to be Askew’s chief legacy, are still viewed as a model for the nation.
Askew also “left a permanent and meaningful imprint” on Florida regarding environmental issues, said Jay Landers, who served as a cabinet aide to Askew before the governor appointed him to head up the state’s first environmental agency. Askew pushed through legislation, still on the books, that created the state’s water management districts, required local comprehensive plans, regulated wetlands and set air-quality standards.
Askew’s “litany of legislative triumphs” are “still significant 40 years later,” Landers said. “To me, we don’t elect people like that anymore. And I don’t think we ever will. And it’s a real shame.”
The straight-laced Askew never drank, did not swear and was a devout Presbyterian — a sharp contrast to many of his colleagues in the Capitol. Askew did not allow alcohol at governor’s mansion dinners or social events. Because of that, mansion events were often followed by after-parties sponsored by lobbyists.
Landers regularly played tennis with Askew at a court across the street from the mansion on Sunday afternoons when downtown Tallahassee was deserted and there was not a car on the road within miles.
“He would not cross the street to go to the tennis court until the light changed,” Landers recalled.
In a 1998 interview with Florida State University’s “Research in Review,” Askew said he wanted to restore “some sense of responsibility and competence” in the governor’s office.
“It sounds awfully corny for me to say this but my goal wasn’t (simply) to get elected governor,” Askew said during the interview. “My goal was to get elected in such a way as I could govern. There’s a big difference. … So many people who run for office negotiate away all their options in the pursuit of the office and they literally tie their hands on dealing with the problems, by commitments.”
Askew, an attorney, said the Sunshine Amendment, fiercely opposed by many legislators at the time, stopped “a lot of circuitous business transactions in state and local government.”
“Having to report your income is sort of an invasion of privacy and yet, I felt, while it was extraordinary, I felt that it was needed to give some sense of reassurance to the people (about their elected officials),” he said during the 1998 interview. “Who are they working for? Are they working for themselves or for the people?”
Askew “always put principles before politics,” said former Gov. Jeb Bush, one of many Republican officials who lavished praise on the late governor in statements released Thursday.
“Florida has lost one of the great leaders who played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of our state during a time of substantial growth and change. He led on contentious issues, fought for equality and did what he believed was in the best interests of Florida families. Governor Askew always put principle before politics, and I was fortunate to know him, seek counsel from him and learn from his years of service,” Bush said in a statement.
After leaving office, Askew served as the U.S. trade representative from 1979 to 1981. He ran unsuccessfully for president in 1984. He later taught at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy at Florida State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1951.
The former governor is survived by his wife of 57 years, Donna Lou; a son, Kevin Askew; a daughter, Angela White; and several grandchildren. Askew will lie in state at the Historic Capitol Museum on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Faith Presbyterian Church, 2200 North Meridian Road, Tallahassee.
Northview, Jay Compete In Track Meet (With Photo Gallery)
March 14, 2014
The Northview Chiefs and Jay Royals competed in a track meet Thursday at Jay High School against Baker, Central, Holmes County and J.U. Blacksher of Uriah, AL.
Team results were as follows:
Boys:
- Baker
- Jay
- Northview
- J.U. Blacksher
- Central
- Holmes County
Girls:
- Baker
- Jay
- Central
- J.U. Blacksher
- Northview
- Holmes County
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Greg Evers: “It’ll Be Snowing In Miami” When Pension Bill Passes
March 14, 2014
A law-enforcement union and one of the Republican senators who helped kill an overhaul of the state pension system last year came out Thursday against this year’s version of the revamp, appearing to further dim hopes for a compromise bill to pass.
“When it passes, it’ll be snowing in Miami,” Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, said. Evers’ district includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Evers was one of a handful of renegade GOP senators who sank a more-sweeping pension overhaul last year. Supporters had hoped that carving out law-enforcement and emergency workers in this year’s legislation would make it easier for lawmakers like Evers to support.
But so far, the effort appears to have stalled. The Senate proposal (SB 1114) cleared the Community Affairs Committee by one vote last month after Sen. Jack Latvala of Clearwater, another one of the Republicans who voted against last year’s overhaul, opposed it.
Baker spoke at a press event with the Fraternal Order of Police, a law-enforcement union that is opposed to this year’s measure. James Preston, the president of the organization’s Florida State Lodge, said even exempting “special risk” workers didn’t make the proposal any more palatable to the organization.
He said those employees make up a small slice of people paying into the Florida Retirement System.
“If we’re carved out and all those other members are no longer putting into the system, eventually, that system is going to collapse, it’s going to destabilize because no fresh money’s coming in,” Preston said. “And it will eventually affect us. We know if we’re carved out this year, they’re coming back after us a year from now or two years from now.”
The pension-reform bill is one of the top priorities of House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. Weatherford pushed a bill last year that would have moved all future retirees into a 401(k)-style investment plan, instead of the state’s traditional pension plan.
This year’s Senate proposal would still close the Florida Retirement System’s traditional pension plan to new employees after July 1, 2015, though those employees already in the system would remain. New hires would be required to choose between the investment plan and a “cash balance” plan, which in some ways would act like a 401(k) but would guarantee a minimum benefit.
Sen. Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican who has sponsored SB 1114, told a reporter as he left an unrelated committee meeting that he didn’t want to comment about the pension bill. When told that the Fraternal Order of Police had announced its opposition to the measure, Simpson said: “Now, there’s a shocker.”
Evers indicated his support could be won for the bill — if the Legislature agrees to a condition that even he said was incredibly unlikely.
“You give state employees, whether they’re wearing a uniform and carrying a gun or whether they’re sitting behind a desk, you give every employee a 50 percent pay raise, and then I think that we could take and redo the FRS,” he said.
By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Sunny Friday, Rain Moving In For The Weekend
March 14, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight Clear, with a low around 36. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Friday Sunny, with a high near 68. Light east wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Friday Night Increasing clouds, with a low around 47. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southeast in the evening.
- Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers after 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Light southeast wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Saturday Night A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Sunday Showers and thunderstorms likely before 7am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 7am. Cloudy, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Sunday Night Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday A 20 percent chance of showers. Sunny, with a high near 67. North wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
- Monday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 41. Breezy, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
- Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 71.
- Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
- Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
- Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
- Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Deputies Looking For Man For Questioning In Nightclub Shooting
March 14, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a person for questioning in reference to an early Thursday morning shooting at Ray’s Soul City on Baar’s Street.
Deputies responded to the establishment for a shots fired disturbance just before 1 a.m. They found a female victim with a minor graze from a bullet. She was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Deputies said they are looking for 30-year old George Newman Barge for questioning in connection with the shooting.
Anyone having information on this crime or the whereabouts of Barge is urged to contact Crimestoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Escambia Woman Gets 25 Years For Two Armed Robberies
March 14, 2014
An Escambia County woman was sentenced to prison Thursday for her part in two armed robberies.
Keashtani Renee Sapp was sentenced by Judge Edward P. Nickinson III to 25 years state prison with 10 years as a mandatory minimum sentence under the 10-20-Life law. Sapp pled no contest on March 6, 2014 for her involvement in two separate armed robberies.
On October 2, 2012, Sapp was given a ride home by Danicia Copeland to Oakwood Terrace Apartments. Upon arrival, Sapp struck Copeland in the face numerous times while demanding money from her. Sapp was observed to have had a handgun in her pocket during the robbery and was able to get away with approximately $800.
On January 16, 2013, Sapp was given a ride home from George Stone Technical Center by Timothy Norris. Sapp asked Norris to pick up two unidentified males prior to arriving at 215 Cross Street. Upon arrival, the two unidentified males each stuck a handgun to the back of his head, demanding money. Sapp went through Norris’ pockets and robbed him of $300 cash and other personal items. Sapp was identified by the victim in both of these cases.
Sapp was released from prison on July 5, 2012, after serving 18 months for other charges.
Flags At Half Staff To Honor Askew
March 14, 2014
Gov. Rick Scott ordered that flags be flown at half-staff to honor former Gov. Reubin Askew, who died early Thursday at age 85 in a Tallahassee hospital.
“Governor Askew exemplified the ideals of public service,” Scott said in a memorandum directing the honor. “As a mark of respect for the memory of Governor Askew, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown immediately at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida, until sunset on the date of internment.”
Askew, a Democrat, served as governor from 1971 to 1979 and was the first Florida governor elected to successive four-year terms.
Tributes to Askew poured in Thursday from political figures in both parties.
“For those of us of a certain age who cut our political teeth in the ’60s and ’70s, Governor Askew was living proof that good guys can finish first,” said Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. “Integrity was his platform and honor was his policy.”
For a related story, click here.
Pictured: The flag at half staff Thursday at the Century Town Hall in remembrance of former Gov. Reubin Askew. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview Beats Holmes County
March 14, 2014
The varsity Northview Chiefs beat Holmes County in Bonifay 7-3 Thursday night. The junior varsity Chiefs downed Holmes County 11-3. The junior varsity Chiefs will play Freeport at 4:00 Friday afternoon, while the varsity will take the field at 6:00 in a district game.
File photo.
Margaret Elizabeth “Beth” Morris
March 14, 2014
Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth “Beth” Morris, age 48, passed away Thursday, March 13, 2014, in a Pensacola hospital.
Mrs. Morris was born in Bay Minette and had been a life long resident of Escambia County, Alabama. She was a graduate of W.S. Neal High School and worked as an LPN in the health care industry for a number of years. She was of the Protestant faith. Mrs. Morris was preceded in death by her mother, Mrs. Evelyn Brown, and her grandparents, Cecil and Margaret Brown.
She is survived by her husband, Emmett D. Morris of Flomaton; her father, Wayland Brown of Brewton; a son, Aaron Jacob Morris of Flomaton; a daughter, Ava Nicole Brazil of Flomaton; one brother, Daniel Franklin Brown of Pensacola; and two grandchildren, Michael David Griffis and John Hunter Lee Griffis, both of Flomaton.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 17, 2014, at 11 a.m. from the chapel of Craver’s Funeral Home.
Interment will follow in Bay Minette Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at Craver’s Funeral Home on Sunday, March 16, 2014, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.