Latest Jobs Numbers Show Unemployment Decrease
December 19, 2015
The latest job numbers released Friday show the unemployment level decreasing in the three county North Escambia area.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate fell slightly from 5.1 percent in October to 4.9 percent in November. There were 6,867 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 5.9 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment decreased from 4.4 to 4.34 percent from October to November. Santa Rosa County had a total of 3,186 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4.9 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment decreased from 6.5 percent in October to 6.4 percent in November. That represented 943 people unemployed in the county during the month. One year ago, the unemployment rate in Escambia County, Alabama, was 7.1 percent.
Florida’s unemployment rate fell to 5 percent in November from a revised 5.2 percent in October, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The November mark puts Florida even with the national unemployment rate for the first time since January. The state had been above the national rate since that time. Florida’s October’s figure was initially projected at 5.1 percent. In a news release, Gov. Rick Scott focused on the creation of 35,600 private-sector jobs across the state during November, nearly reaching the 36,600 private-sector jobs reportedly created in October, which was a 10-year high.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 6.0 percent in November, was up from October’s rate of 5.9 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 6.1 percent.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Bratt Elementary First Graders Hop On Polar Express, Visit With Santa
December 19, 2015
Mrs. Trice’s first grade class at Bratt Elementary School wrapper up their year with a visit from a Santa Claus and a trip aboard the Polar Express. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Salvation Army Thief Arrested
December 19, 2015
An Escambia County man who allegedly burglarized a Salvation Army thrift store earlier this week has been arrested.
David Lamar Jones, 32, no permanent address, was charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools, grand theft, and criminal mischief.
Officer Brandon Byrd was dispatched to the Salvation Army Family Store, 3870 North Davis Highway, just after 10 a.m. Monday to investigate a burglary.
Employees told Byrd the store had been burglarized some time between 5 p.m. December 12 and 10 a.m. Monday December 14 and that an undisclosed amount of cash had been stolen.
Jones, who was employed by the Salvation Army at the time of his arrest, was identified by employees through surveillance video.
Meanwhile, Detective Eric Hubley said an investigation continues into the theft of two Salvation Army donation kettles on December 12. In that incident, a man collected the two kettles from volunteers in front of Sam’s Club on Airport Boulevard. The suspect, who was wearing a red apron similar to one worn by Salvation Army volunteers, said he was early because the Army’s van had broken down.
Anyone having information on the incident is asked to contact the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433- STOP.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Hosts ‘Shop With A Cop’
December 19, 2015
Dozens of Escambia County children had the chance to “Shop With a Cop” Friday afternoon.
Each child received $125 to shop with a deputy from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. They were able to gift shop for family members and themselves.
The children were selected with the help of the Escambia County School District, and the shopping trips were make possible thanks to donors.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cool, Dry Weekend; Wet Next Week
December 19, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 30. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Patchy fog after 3am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 50. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 62. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 71. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 77.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Christmas Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Two Injured In Highway 29 Crash Near Molino
December 18, 2015
Two people were injured in a two vehicle accident Thursday night on Highway 29 in Molino.
One person was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola by LifeFlight as a “trauma alert”, while a second person was transported by Escambia County EMS to a Pensacola hospital. Further details on their conditions were not available. A third victim refused medical treatment.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. But both vehicles overturned off Highway 29 near Rawhide Lane, just north of Highway 95A. At least one of the vehicles snapped a utility pole. One vehicle, a Saturn car, came to rest on its side while a Chevrolet Silverado pickup came to rest partially on the Saturn.
The seriously injured victim was trapped in the Saturn as firefighters were forced to remove the roof of the vehicle to free him.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not yet been released as they continue their investigation. The Molino, McDavid and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Florida Supreme Court Signs Off On Medical Marijuana Proposal
December 18, 2015
In a key step for supporters of legalizing medical marijuana, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would go on the November 2016 ballot.
Justices said the proposal, spearheaded by the group People United for Medical Marijuana, meets legal tests that include dealing with a single subject and having a clearly worded ballot title and summary. The Supreme Court does not consider the merits of proposed constitutional amendments but reviews them, in part, to make sure voters would not be misled.
“(The) ballot title and summary fairly inform voters of the purpose of the proposed amendment — the state authorization of medical marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions,” the 15-page opinion said. “The language is clear and does not mislead voters regarding the actual content of the proposed amendment.”
People United for Medical Marijuana, which is led and heavily financed by Orlando lawyer John Morgan, still needs to submit 683,149 valid petition signatures to the state by a Feb. 1 deadline. As of Thursday morning, it had submitted 400,032, according to the state Division of Elections website.
“The unanimous decision by the Florida Supreme Court to approve the new medical marijuana constitutional amendment is a huge victory for hundreds of thousands of sick and suffering Floridians who could benefit from the passage of such a law,” campaign manager Ben Pollara said in a text message. “While we still must collect the required number of petitions before officially being placed on the 2016 ballot, we are confident that we will and that Florida voters will approve this amendment in the general election.”
The group, also known as United for Care, tried to pass a similar constitutional amendment in 2014 but fell short of getting approval from 60 percent of voters, as is required by law. About 58 percent of voters supported the measure, which drew opposition, in part, from a group heavily funded by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.
Supreme Court justices split on the wording of the 2014 initiative, ruling by a 4-3 margin that it could go on the ballot. Attorney General Pam Bondi argued that the ballot language could deceive voters about the extent of marijuana use that would be allowed.
But supporters revised the 2016 proposal to address concerns raised about the 2014 initiative by Supreme Court justices and opponents. With the changes, Bondi did not contest the 2016 proposal at the Supreme Court.
The proposal, in part, would allow patients with “debilitating” medical conditions, as certified by physicians, to get medical marijuana. The initiative lists a series of conditions that could be considered debilitating, including cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, post-traumatic stress disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott last year approved a measure that allows limited types of medical marijuana for certain patients, such as children with severe forms of epilepsy. But those types of cannabis purportedly do not get users high.
The proposed constitutional amendment, however, would make available euphoria-causing marijuana to a larger number of patients. The Florida Department of Health would have regulatory powers.
“We conclude that the initiative has a logical and natural oneness of purpose, specifically, whether Floridians wish to include a provision in our state Constitution permitting the medical use of marijuana,” the Supreme Court opinion said, addressing a requirement that initiatives deal with single subjects. “The proposed amendment’s provision regarding the specific role for the Department of Health in overseeing and licensing the medical use of marijuana is directly connected with this purpose.”
by Jim Sanders, with contribution by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
School Toy Drive Shuts Down Classroom
December 18, 2015
A toy drive in Atmore shut down one classroom. Escambia County High School teacher Tiffany Oliver challenged her students to bring in toys for a local toy drive. She challenged them to donate enough toys to block her classroom door to win a “get out of an assignment” pass. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Man Jailed As He Awaits Sentencing To More Prison Time In Drug Case
December 18, 2015
A Century man that recently completed a prison sentence for a drug crime is now back behind bars awaiting a sentence of more prison time due to an opinion issued in October by Florida’s First District Court of Appeals.
At a circuit court hearing this week before Judge J. Scott Duncan, 38-year old Steven Daniel Kite was remanded into custody without bond pending sentencing next month.
Kite was arrested as part of the “Operation Blister Pack 2″ sweep in April 2013. It took an Escambia County jury just under an hour to find Kite guilty of conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a listed chemical – pseudoephedrine.
However, Kite moved for and obtained a judgement of acquittal on the conspiracy to traffic count. The trial judge cited two grounds for the judgement of acquittal — inaccurate wording and the failure to prove that there was any agreement between Kite and any other person to purchase and deliver pseudoephedrine. The state appealed the ruling.
In October, the appeals court found the acquittal on the conspiracy to to traffic count to be incorrect and ordered the trial court to reinstate the jury’s original guilty verdict.
The appeals court found that Kite did conspire to traffic in methamphetamine. Between December 2010 and April 2013, Kite made 53 purchases of pseudoephedrine, totaling 123.94 grams, from various pharmacies. He would deliver the package of pseudoephedrine to the home of a known methamphetamine cook and receive half a gram of meth each time in return.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, Kite faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years on the reinstated trafficking charge. The seven years must be served day by day without the possibility of parole or gain time. He will not be able to receive any credit for the two years already served under the possession charge.
Kite previously received a two year sentence, with credit for 122 days previously served, on the possession charge. According to Florida Department of Corrections records, Kite was released from prison on September 20.
In 2013, Operation Blister Pack 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 Escambia County Sheriff’s Offfice.
Century Boat And Float Parade Is Saturday; Entries Still Accepted
December 18, 2015
The Century Area Chamber of Commerce’s 3rd Annual Lighted Boats and Floats Parade is set for this Saturday.
Line-up for the parade will begin at 4 p.m. on Renfroe Street at North Century Boulevard (across from the Family Dollar). The parade will roll at 5 p.m. down North Century Boulvard to Showalter Park where there will be a Music in the Park event with food and craft vendors.
Entries – boats, floats, vehicles and marching groups — are still be accepted. (Click here for an entry form.)
Arts, crafts and food vendors are also still be accepted. (Click here for a vendor application.)
For more information, call the Century Chamber of Commerce at (850) 256-3155.
The parade is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.