June 26, 2015
Correction: Man Charged With Animal Abuse In Connection With Horse Seized In Molino
June 26, 2015
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on June 25, 2015, with the defendant’s name listed as Daniel Barrett Francis, the name being used for the defendant by law enforcement, prosecutors and the court system. However, the State Attorney’s Office has informed us that an error was made in the legal system, and the defendant’s name is actually Daniel Franklin Barrett, Jr.
An arrest has been made in connection with an abandoned horse seized from a Molino property earlier this year.
Daniel Franklin Barrett, Jr., 38, is facing one count of animal cruelty. He was released from jail on a $500 bond.
Escambia County Animal Control and Panhandle Equine Rescue seized the horse from the 6000 block of Cedartown Road last February. According to a report provided by the State Attorney’s Office, the horse was being kept at a home under construction with insufficient food and water available on a daily basis. The report states that there was a water trough available to the horse, but it was full of about six inches of water that was not potable and contained algae and remnants of rotten hay.
There was also no shelter available for the horse, the report states.
Pictured: A rescued horse later named “Smarty” seized last February from Cedartown Road in Molino. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely Today
June 26, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. West wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
$25,000 Century Business Challenge Winners Named
June 26, 2015
The winners of the $25,000 Century Business Challenge were named Thursday afternoon at the Century Business Center. But in the end, it appears the contest may foster more winners by sparking a spirit of entrepreneurship and friendship in Century.
Judges decided to split the $25,000 prize — with $20,000 going to East Hill Academy to be used toward a special needs school in Century and $5,000 to the Abundant Life Children of Hope Center childcare center.
In addition to the operating funds from the Studer Institute, the winners will be offered space inside the Century Business Center at $1 per year, with the possibility of an extension of that rate for two more years based on the group’s performance.
“These kids need to have a school in Century that is theirs, that is part of their community, Barbara Barber of East Hill Academy, and the soon-to-be Century Academy said. “This was a real win for the special needs children in the local area.”
East Hill Academy operates schools for children with learning disabilities in Pensacola and Milton. As a private non-profit organization providing educational services to about 135 children (grades 1-12) with Autism and other related disorders, the school seeks to help students succeed when otherwise their learning disabilities make it impractical to place them in a regular school setting.
Barber said the new Century Academy should open in the fall of 2016, prepared to serve about 20 students with two classrooms. Plans call for the addition of at least one new classroom per year. Negotiations are underway to locate the Century Academy in a portion of the former Carver/Century K-8 School.
While Century Academy will be a private pay school, Barber said any child with an “IEP” (Individualized Education Program) at their current school would be eligible for a scholarship that would cover tuition and fees. There are currently 368 students with an IEP in school in the Century and Walnut Hill areas that would eligible for the Century Academy, she said.
“I’m excited,” Heather Smith, director of the Abundant Life Children of Hope daycare center said. “We were honored and grateful to be awarded part of the prize.”
While the project was in in the running for the Century Business Challenge, the daycare was already up and running as of June 1 at the Abundant Life Assembly of God Church with space for 29 children six weeks old to Pre-K…allowing their mothers, or fathers, the chance to go to work or school.
Smith said she had long seen the need for a daycare in Century, and the business challenge competition caused the church to look seriously at the plan.
Shortly after the winners were announced Thursday afternoon, representatives of the new Century Academy and the daycare were already discussing how they could partner to benefit one another.
It’s those sparks and ideas that have Century Mayor Freddie McCall ready to move full steam ahead with business development in Century.
“This is a great day for Century,” McCall said. “We are sending a message that Century is ready for business. We are ready to showcase our facilities and the business center as an incubator. We are ready to utilize the buildings and put people to work.”
Three other business ideas made it all the way through the competition to Thursday’s announcement: Wayne Key of Permedico, LLC, is creating medical software to record personal health history and make it more presentable to doctors and emergency rooms. Kevin and Judi Hogan, with TaraTiki Enterprises, have developed a unique golf accessory, and Holly Driver wanted to open the Holly L. Driver School of Music in Century.
Not winning the competition may not be as setback for the additional business ideas.
“We now have a patent on our product,” Kevin Hogan said. “We are going to move ahead; we’ve even placed our first order for the product.”
Hogan’s TaraTiki Enterprises will produce a self-dispensing golf ball holder ready to attach to any golf bag.
He said the company would have used the Century Business Center prize and location to establish a distribution center for the golf product. Even without the prize, Kevin Hogan said he’s still eyeing a Century location, and local employees, for his shipping and handling services.
The Century Business Challenge was part of an economic development partnership of the Haas Center, the Town of Century and the Studer Institute. The Studer Institute provided the $25,000 prize money.
There were 10 applicants, with five actually submitting business plans. The Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida worked with the five applicants over the last several months to develop their business plans.
Pictured top: Representative of the future Century Academy discuss the Century Business Challenge prize with judge Mollye Barrows of the Studer Institute. Pictured inset: Barbara Barber of East Hill and Century academies reacts to winning $20,000 in the business competition. Pictured bottom: Representatives of Abundant Life Children of Hope daycare center and Century Mayor Freddie McCall (background). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Wins Half Million Dollar Lottery Prize
June 26, 2015
An Escambia County man won a half million dollars in a lottery scratch-off game, the Florida Lottery announced.
Frederick Raby, 67, claimed the $500,000 top prize in the Gold Rush game at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee. Raby purchased his winning ticket at the Publix at West Nine Mile Road and Pine Forest Road.
Escambia County Reorganizes: New Assistant Administrator, Some Department Directors Ousted
June 26, 2015
A new assistant county administrator is on the way in and some department heads are on the way out under a new organizational chart approved Thursday night by the Escambia County Commission.
Retiring Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons will come on board after his retirement in August as an assistant county administrator. He will be responsible for overseeing community public safety relations and coordination, firefighters both paid and volunteers, jail construction and public safety coordination and employee relations. Corrections Director Michael Tidwell, Public Safety Director Mike Weaver, Facilities Management Director David Wheeler and Building Services Director Don Mayo and their departments will report to Simmons.
Assistant County Administrator Amy Lovoy will oversee the Pensacola Bay Center, the county budget, contract management, property sales, purchasing and risk management. Library Services Director Todd Humble, Information and Technology Director Shawn Fletcher, Waste Services Director Pat Johnson and Natural Resources Management Director Keith Wilkins and their departments will report to Lovoy.
Two longtime county department directors will be gone. Marilyn Wesley, director of Community Affairs, and David Musselwhite, information and technology director, will no longer work for the county.
Two other prominent county employees, public information officers Kathleen Dough-Castro and Bill Pearson, are leaving the county by choice, not as a result of the reorganization.
The new Escambia County organization chart looks like this, with changes and additions circled (click to enlarge):
The old Escambia County organization chart looks like this (click to enlarge):
Expect Delays On Highway 4 East Of Jay
June 26, 2015
Traffic on State Road 4 between Cold Water Creek Bridge and County Road 191 (Munson Highway) in Santa Rosa County will encounter alternating lane closures Friday, June 26 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. as crews perform paving operations. Flagmen will be on site to safely direct traffic through the work zone.
All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to obey the posted speed limit and pay attention to traffic flaggers when driving through work zones.
Driver Refuses Medical Treatment After Highway 29 Rollover Accident
June 26, 2015
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident in Highway 29 just north of Nine Mile Road Thursday evening. After being extricated by the Ensley and Brent stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, the driver refused to be transported to the hospital. The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscamba.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Bank Robbery
June 26, 2015
A man was quickly arrested after running from an Escambia County bank during a robbery attempt Thursday morning.
At about 9:45 a.m., deputies were notified of a robbery in progress at the Wells Fargo bank on Fairfield Drive. Deputies said Rodney Dale Jones, 48, approached the counter, throwing down a note that said “Robbery, have a gun on you, all 20 quiet”.
The teller had opened the drawer when Jones ran from the bank. He did not display a weapon and no one was injured.
A responding deputy saw Jones running, and he was located and taken into custody. He was charged with robbery and booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at
United Way Awards Grants To Community Organizations
June 26, 2015
Thursday, the United Way of Escambia County award over $1.6 million to programs in Escambia County that work to improve the health, education and financial stability outcomes of the area.
In fiscal year 2014-15, United Way’s campaign totaled $2,190,000, with over half ($1,247,000) was raised by 10 campaigns. The top three workplace campaigns were Gulf Power, Publix Super Markets and Ascend Performance Materials.
United Way Community Investment grants were awarded to:
1 -Year Grant, Education
- Be Ready Alliance for Coordinating Emergencies, Youth Emergency Preparedness – $4,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Academic Success – $18,000
- Capstone Adaptive Learning, Capstone Academy Pensacola – $18,000
- Every Child A Reader in Escambia, ReadingPals Program – $13,652
- Gulf Coast Kid’s House, Family Advocacy – $10,000
- Independence for the Blind, Transition Program – $4,000
3 -Year Grant, Education
- Autism Pensacola, Kids for Camp Summer Learning Lab – $19,800
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, Community Based Mentoring – $46,426
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, Middle School Bigs – $22,000
- Chain Reaction, Chain Reaction – $25,000
- Children’s Home Society of Florida, Teenspace – $16,500
- Pace Center for Girls, Ready through Remediation – $18,000
- YMCA of Northwest Florida, Child Care Program – $44,962
1-Year Grant, Health
- Baptist Healthcare Foundation, Speech & Hearing Board – $4,625
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Healthy Lifestyles – $5,000
- Epilepsy Foundation of Florida, Epilepsy Services and Resource Center – $7,500
- Independence for the Blind, Older Blind Program – $2,000
- Lakeview Center, Rape Crisis/Trauma Recovery Center – $10,000
- Manna Food Bank, Inc., Healthy Seniors Food Program at Westminster Center – $20,000
- Panhandle Youth Assistance Program, Inc., The Leaning Post Ranch – $4,000
3-Year Grant, Health
- Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers, Inc., Essential Life Skills – $35,853
- Children’s Home Society, Kugelman Counseling Center – $10,000
- Council on Aging of West Florida, Meals on Wheels – $50,000
- Council on Aging of West Florida, Senior Companion Program – $13,200
- Gulf Coast Kid’s House, Child Abuse Prevention Education – $17,500
- Lutheran Services of Florida, Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program – $36,264
- Manna Food Bank, Inc., Healthy Kids Initiative – $17,366
- New Beginnings, New Beginnings Recovery Homes for Women – $16,275
- The Arc Gateway, Pearl Nelson Center – $73,130
- The Arc Gateway, Supported Living – $10,000
- YMCA of Northwest Florida, Youth Development Program – $24,300
1-Year Grant, Financial Stability
- American Red Cross, Disaster Services – $9,500
- Be Ready Alliance for Coordinating Emergencies, Heritage Oaks – $5,000
- Be Ready Alliance for Coordinating Emergencies, Restoring Hope & Housing – $5,000
- Catholic Charities, Circles NWFL – $15,000
- Catholic Charities, Emergency Assistance Programs – $3,271
- FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, FavorHouse Domestic Violence Shelter Program – $17,500
- Legal Services of North Florida, Independence for Dependent and Homeless Youth – $10,000
- Legal Services of North Florida, Veterans Legal Assistance – $12,500
- The Salvation Army, Social Services/Basic Needs – $40,051
- The Salvation Army, The Salvation Army Emergency Shelter (Sally’s House) – $47,700
3-Year Grant, Financial Stability
- Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County, Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County – $70,000
- United Way 2-1-1 Northwest Florida, United Way 2-1-1 Northwest Florida – $93,808