Susie B. McCord
April 16, 2015
Susie B. McCord, 90, of Brewton, passed away Thursday, April 16, 2015.
Mrs. McCord was a native of Tennessee and resided in Pensacola for 51 years prior to moving to Flomaton 15 years ago. She had attended Altersgate United Methodist Church in Molino and was retired from Monsanto.
Preceding Mrs. McCord are her husband of 56 years, Richard P. McCord, and her parents, Albert and Kairee Baldwin.
Survivors include her friend/neighbor, Julia Alexander and two other friends, Steve Carmer and Wilma Powell.
Visitation will be at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Monday, April 20, 2015, from 1 p.m. until services begin at 2 p.m.
Search Continues For Suspect In Century Double Shooting
April 15, 2015
Authorities are still looking for a suspect wanted in connection with a double shooting March 26 in Century.
Deputies are searching for 28-year old Brian Keith Sanders (pictured, but deputies said his head is now shaved). He is wanted on charges of aggravated battery, deadly missiles, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and criminal mischief. Deputies said he should be considered armed and dangerous and not approached.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Jay Hospital emergency room the night of the shooting alerting them that two gunshot victims had arrived in a private vehicle seeking treatment. The gunshot victims advised that they were shot on Jefferson Avenue in Century. Both victims were shot in the shoulder or upper-arm area, and they were treated and released .
They were apparently shot while in a vehicle that was discovered on Mayes Street at Jefferson Avenue. It appeared that the driver’s window of the Chevrolet Impala had been shot out.
Anyone that knows the whereabouts of Sanders is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or CrimeStoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Arrest Made In 2014 Escambia Homicide
April 15, 2015
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in the August 20, 2014, murder of Tyler Evans, whose remains were found in the area of Weller Avenue and Bradfield Road.
Tony James Leamon Stroud, 23, was charged with premeditated murder. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The Sheriff’s Office said “exhaustive investigative work” by Major Crimes investigators, along with witness testimony and forensic evidence, led to the arrest.
House Closes Door On Liquor, Groceries Debate
April 15, 2015
A House committee slammed the door Tuesday on a proposal to relax an 80-year-old state law that requires liquor stores to be stand-alone facilities.
The Regulatory Affairs Committee voted 11-7 against the measure (HB 107), which would have allowed a door to be the only barrier between a liquor store and other retail goods. Wal-Mart and Target were among those pushing the measure as a way to increase convenience for shoppers. Target views allowing people to buy liquor with groceries and other goods as part of its business model, which includes a push for smaller “express” locations in downtowns. The legislative proposal was initially filed to eliminate the law requiring separate liquor stores.
The bill drew opposition from independent liquor stores, some county sheriffs and Lakeland-based Publix, which argued the company’s business model has been to separate its liquor stores from the main grocery operations.
by The News Service of Florida
Scott Signs Bill To Scale Back Student Testing
April 15, 2015
Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday signed a wide-ranging bill aimed at rolling back the number of tests given to public school students, capping off a discussion that saw Florida Republicans ease back at least slightly on a longstanding principle of the state’s education-reform movement.
Scott’s office announced that he had signed the high-profile measure, following up on weeks of legislative wrangling and his own campaign promise to review the level of testing in schools.
“I agree with many teachers and parents who say we have too many tests, and while this legislation is a great step forward, we will keep working to make sure Florida students are not over tested,” Scott said in a statement issued by his office.
The legislation (HB 7069) was the most closely-watched education bill of the 2015 session.
It puts a hold on the use of student test data for school grades, teacher evaluations and student promotion to fourth grade until the new Florida Standards Assessments can be independently validated. It also scraps a law requiring school districts to come up with end-of-course tests in classes where the state doesn’t administer such exams; caps the amount of time students can spend on state and school district tests at 45 hours a year; and reduces the portion of a teacher’s evaluation tied to student performance from the current 50 percent to one-third.
While over-testing was already a key concern heading into the session, the issue was fueled by technical problems with the online platform used by some of the assessments. American Institutes for Research, a non-profit group that signed a six-year, $220 million deal with the state to develop the standardized tests, has accepted responsibility for the problems. The bill signed by Scott outlines how any damages paid by AIR should be distributed.
Groups on both sides of the normally heated testing debate backed the final product.
“This morning, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that achieves ‘fewer, better tests’ for Florida students,” wrote Patricia Levesque, executive director of the Foundation for Florida’s Future, in an open letter. “But it actually does much more than that. It’s a bill that refines policies while sending the resounding message that Florida will measure what matters — student learning.”
Levesque’s group was founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush and is a strong supporter of the state’s accountability movement, which some critics blame for the testing craze.
Meanwhile, the Florida Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, said it sent a letter to the governor Tuesday, before Scott’s announcement, calling for him to approve the bill.
“In short, we support this legislation as a first step, but hope that you will continue the effort to make sure that Florida’s education accountability is built to serve the learning needs of children and the legitimate data needs of the adults that serve them,” wrote FEA President Andy Ford.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Florida Dept. Of Corrections Revamps Policies On Use Of Force
April 15, 2015
Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Julie Jones plans to bar the use of chemical agents on prisoners with histories of respiratory ailments and is changing procedures to reduce the use of force on severely mentally ill inmates.
The changes to the policy regarding inmates with respiratory ailments, such as asthma, come after reports of at least two prisoners dying as a result of complications from preexisting breathing-related medical conditions. The inmates had been gassed by guards.
In one case first reported by The News Service of Florida last month, Rommell Johnson, an inmate at the Northwest Florida Reception Center, died in 2010 after being gassed with noxious chemicals less than five hours after being treated for an asthma attack. The state later paid his family $175,000 to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit against the prison and a nurse who worked at the prison the night Johnson died.
Three months later, Randall Jordan-Aparo, who suffered from a chronic blood condition that caused respiratory problems, died after being repeatedly gassed by guards at Franklin Correctional Institution. Reports last summer of the inmate’s death, stumbled upon by investigators probing corruption at the prison, unleashed a floodgate of news stories and inquiries into questionable inmate deaths.
Jones, who took over the agency earlier this year, said she decided to change the policy after being questioned about it by The News Service of Florida.
“It’s not anything that’s happened on my watch, or even recently. But looking at history can help generate policy. And if we can keep an incident like any of those we’ve talked about in the past from happening again, that’s a good thing,” Jones said during an interview Tuesday. “I’m going to be very clear in our policy that if the health care folks say that you can’t use chemical agents, you’re not going to use chemical agents. Period.”
Current policy requires medical staff to certify that chemical agents, which cause respiratory distress and can be lethal for asthmatics, may be used on inmates who have certain medical conditions. Although Johnson was treated for a severe asthma attack around 2 p.m. on June 3, 2010, a nurse working a later shift gave guards permission to use the highly concentrated pepper spray, according to incident reports.
Under the new policy Jones is in the process of implementing, chemical agents could no longer be used for inmates who have histories of breathing problems.
“Certainly that is good news for people whose respiratory tract has been compromised. It’s long overdue, but it’s certainly a welcome change in policy,” said Florida Justice Institute Executive Director Randall Berg, who represented Johnson’s mother in the lawsuit against the state.
Jones also intends to change the way mentally ill prisoners are handled when they create disturbances. As a result of federal court rulings, state policy already bars the use of chemical agents on severely mentally-ill inmates, including those diagnosed with psychotic, bipolar or major depressive disorders. But use of force involving “hands-on” physical force is allowed.
Jones made addressing issues regarding mentally ill inmates, who make up about 17 percent of Florida’s 100,000 prisoners, one of her top priorities after taking over the agency in January.
Jones, who called the policy change “huge,” plans to require mental-health workers to conduct crisis interventions to determine the extent to which an inmate’s mental health diagnosis is related to his or her disruptive or maladaptive behavior, according to an internal document obtained by The News Service of Florida.
If the crisis intervention does not calm the inmate and the mental-health staff decides the prisoner’s underlying illness is the root of the problem, “the inmate will be placed in a level of care commensurate with his assessed mental health needs,” the draft policy directive written by Department of Corrections Director of Mental Health Services Dean Aufderheide reads. If the behavior is not related to the inmate’s mental illness, use of force can be used but with the oversight of the mental-health personnel, Jones said.
“So where we have these difficult inmates, rather than automatically using use of force if they’re making a disturbance, I want to have them evaluated with mental-health care staff first. If it’s a mental-health crisis, it should be a medical response, not a security response. Right now, security is responding to everything,” she said.
Guards now must undergo eight hours of “critical incident training,” one of a series of reforms implemented by Jones’ predecessor, Mike Crews, as part of an effort to “change the culture” of the beleaguered corrections system. Jones also said Tuesday she intends to increase staffing levels at the state’s 10 mental-health units as part of her reworking of contracts with private health-care vendors.
Berg called the mental-health changes “a significant shift in policy” that should eliminate excessive use of force by corrections officers on mentally ill inmates acting out on their diseases.
But, he cautioned, policy changes alone won’t make prisoners any safer.
“There’s a huge gap between writing policies and following policies. That’s where the proof is in the pudding,” he said.
Jones’s new policy directives come as lawmakers grapple with their own proposed fixes for the prison system.
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee approved a dramatically altered plan aimed at curbing corruption and purging prisons of rogue guards.
House Criminal Justice Chairman Carlos Trujillo’s revamped plan (HB 7131) would require specialized training for guards to handle mentally ill inmates “in non-forceful ways,” create a pilot project that would require guards working in mental-health units at Union Correctional Institution to wear body cameras and split the state into five corrections regions — an increase of two — headed by directors who can serve a maximum of four years.
The Senate approved a separate plan that would create an independent oversight commission to police prisons, now handled by the agency’s inspector general who works for Gov. Rick Scott’s inspector general. Both plans contain similar elements dealing with oversight of chemical agents and making it easier for inmates to file grievances.
Trujillo, who met with Jones for an hour Monday, called his bill a work in progress but was adamant about shaking up the corrections agency.
“You have organizational issues, structural issues, and personality issues,” Trujillo, R-Miami, said, adding that most of the state’s 22,000 corrections employees are hard-working and honest.”But that 2, 3, 4 percent, whatever that number is, they are so bad that they’re casting complete doubt on the integrity of the system.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Mud Forces Ernest Ward Middle To Change Student Arrival, Dismissal Procedures
April 15, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has made changes in how students arrive and depart the school each day due to recent rains.
In the mornings, buses will drop-off on the paved ramp as they arrive. Parents dropping off students should use caution — buses and cars will be using the same gates.
At dismissal, about one-half of the school’s buses will be loaded at a time on the paved ramp outside the current school entrance/exit. Once those buses are properly loaded and depart, the remainder of the buses will be loaded on the same paved ramped. As a result, some buses will arrive at their destination slightly later than normal.
Due to car rider vehicles using the same gates as the buses at dismissal time, all car rider vehicles must now turn left (away from Highway 97) on Highway 99A when exiting the school, or otherwise follow the instruction of a deputy or school official directing traffic.
Due to construction, buses had previously been loaded and unloaded in a dirt area behind the school. With the recent rains, that area has become an unusable mud pit, according to school officials.
Rain, Rain Won’t Go Away; Flash Flood Watch In Effect
April 15, 2015
A flash flood watch continues in effect for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday
Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 78. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a low around 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a high near 76. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a low around 67. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday
Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday Night
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday
A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Monday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
Tuesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Softball Districts: West Florida Wins, Northview Out
April 15, 2015
The West Florida Lady Jaguars beat Marianna in a late game Tuesday night in the first round on the District 1-4A playoffs. Weather permitting, the Lady Jags will play for the district championship at 6 p.m. Thursday against Walton. Walton is coming off a 6-2 win over Catholic Tuesday.
For West Florida, Breana Rogers was 1-2, Kayla Miller was 2-4, Kristin Gunter was 2-12 with a double and two RBI, Meagan Freeman was 1-3 with a double and two RBIl, Emily Loring was 2-3, and Lauren Carnley was 2-3.
District 1-4A
Tuesday (at Marianna)
Walton 6, Catholic 2
West Florida 4, Marianna 2
For a photo gallery from West Florida over Marianna, click here.
Thursday
West Florida at Walton, 6 p.m.
District 3-1A
Tuesday (at Freeport)
Holmes County 5, Baker 3
Freeport 4, Northview 3
Wednesday (at Freeport)
Chipley vs. Holmes County, 4p.m.
Jay vs. Freeport, 6 p.m.
Friday
3-1A Championship Game, 6 p.m.
Pictured: West Florida beats Marianna in Marianna late Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Post Office Open Later For Tax Returns
April 15, 2015
One local post office will be open later than usual today for those last minute tax filers on this April 15 tax deadline. The Walnut Hill Post Office, located on Highway 99A adjacent to Ernest Ward Middle School, will be open until 6 p.m.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, other area post offices will close today as follows:
- Century, 4 p.m.
- McDavid, 4 p.m.
- Molino, 4 p.m.
- Cantonment, 4:30 p.m.
- Gonzalez, 5:00 p.m.
- Pensacola – Jordan Street, 5:30 p.m.
- Pensacola – Downtown, 4:30 p.m.
- Jay 4 p.m.
- Flomaton, 4:15 p.m.
- Atmore, 4 p.m.
The U.S. Post Office in Walnut Hill is a contract facility operated by Escambia River Electric Cooperative. It normally closes at 3:30 p.m on weekdays.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.