Three Charged With Burgess Road Murder
January 15, 2016
Three people have been charged with a January 11 murderer on East Burgess Road.
Bryan Marquis Simmons, Jezzamay Arline Atherton and David Lee Calland have been charged with the murder of Darel Devonte Mims.
During the investigation it was determined the incident was not a random home invasion. The suspects were at Mims’ home making a drug transaction when Mims was shot and killed, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
All three suspects are being held in the Escambia County Jail.
Drivers Can Expect Delays Today On Highway 4 Escambia River Bridge
January 14, 2016
Traffic on State Road 4 at the Escambia River Bridge in Century may encounter lane restrictions until late afternoon as crews perform routine maintenance work. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
VIP Train Will Roll Next Month As Officials Study Rail Service Return To Gulf Coast
January 14, 2016
[FIRST ON NORTHESCAMBIA.COM]
The return of passenger rail service to the Gulf Coast is taking one more major step toward reality with a special train set to roll through the area in February.
Amtrak’s Sunset Limited passenger train, which included service from New Orleans through Pensacola to Jacksonville, came to an end along the Gulf Coast due to damage from Hurricane Katrina. The restored rail service would breathe life back into abandoned train stations in Pensacola and Atmore, but now there is at least one option being discussed that would not see service restored in Florida.
“We are on the cusp hopefully of retrieving our lost rail service,” Jerry Gehman, Atmore’s representative to the Southern Rail Commission, announced Wednesday. “The specifics have now been nailed down to where we will have a train event in our city February 18. There will be what is called a VIP train, or an inspection train, that Amtrak will run from New Orleans to Jacksonville, FL. On that train, it’s intended purpose is to build support at the state level for funding the cost of this train as far as the state’s share is concerned.
The invitation-only train will arrive in Atmore at 3:55 p.m. on February 18. Passengers will board buses to spend the night at the Wind Creek Hotel in Atmore, while the empty train will continue. On the morning of Feburary 19, the passengers will be bused to Pensacola to re-board the train at 8 a.m. and continue on to stops in Crestview, Chipley, Tallahassee and Jacksonville.
The train is a test of sorts, testing the potential route and testing the willingness of state leaders from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana to provide millions in funding for the daily train service.
“That’s what this train is designed to do….to bring community leaders, local state and federal to the table to talk about it to see if we can get the money to fund one of three options. All three of those options include Atmore, and I’m really excited,” Gehman said. If the states are willing to pay up, the earliest Gehman said the train would roll would be about 24 months.
One of the options being considered by Amtrak, according to Gehman, would return train service from New Orleans only to Atmore, while other options would continue into Florida to Pensacola and Orlando. The route into Florida would depend on the state’s willingness to financially support the service.
The Poarch Creek Indians are extremely support of the return of rail service, not only to Atmore, but along the Pensacola to Jacksonville route along which the tribe has gaming properties, or at least plans for gaming property, Gehman said. While a member of the tribe, he noted that was not speaking officially on their behalf during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
The Atmore area could also benefit from new jobs the rail route would create.
“That daily service train would have to be serviced, and they (Amtrak) have interest in us facilitating that in our community,” he said. The Poarch Creek Indians own property alongside the railroad line, and they have expressed interest in bringing the train maintenance to Atmore, along with about 20 daily jobs.
Atmore officials are planning to make a huge impression on the VIP passengers when the arrive in the city for their overnight stay on February 19. The plan to meet the train with huge fanfare — high school bands, color guards, school groups and thousands of local residents.
The city is also asking residents to clean up their homes and businesses prior to February 19, according to Mayor Jim Staff. The city will use plywood to re-deck the aging train platform at the Atmore train station, which also services as Alabama’s Official Rail Welcome Station. The town will install new flower boxes, flag decorations and more in their beautification efforts.
Pictured top: Jerry Gehman, Atmore’s representative to the Southern Rail Commission, says a special VIP inspection train will roll into the Atmore train station with invited passengers to spend the night of February 19 in Atmore. Pictured top inset: Gehman discusses a Southern Rain Commission report during a press conference Wednesday at the Atmore City Hall. Pictured bottom inset: Atmore Mayor Jim Staff listens during Wednesday’s announcement. Pictured below: The aging Atmore train station will be spruced up prior to the event, including the installation of new plywood decking. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rain Becoming Possible Tonight
January 14, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Rain likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Low around 46. Southeast wind around 10 mph becoming northeast after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers before noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. West wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly between 9pm and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph.
M.L.King Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 53.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 64.
Elderly Driver Cited After Nine Mile Wreck
January 14, 2016
There were no serious injuries in a Nine Mile Road accident late Tuesday morning in which an elderly driver failed to yield as an ambulance approached.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 79-year old Leo Muchorski, Jr. of Rochester, NY, was stopped eastbound in a left turn lane of Nine Mile Road at Pensacola Boulevard as an ambulance with the emergency lights activated approached the intersection. Muchorski attempted a left turn in his 2007 GMC Sierra, but turned into the path of a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 28-year old Melinda Harrell of Pensacola. Both vehicles overturned as a result of the collision.
Muchorski and his passenger, 78-year old Donna Muchorski, were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. Harrell and her passenger, 87-year old Jeffrey Harrell, received minor injuries but were not transported to the hospital.
Leo Muchorski was charged with failure to yield right of way.
$1.5 Billion Powerball Drawing Has Three Winners, One In Florida
January 14, 2016
Winning jackpot tickets in Wednesday’s record $1.59 billion Powerball drawing were sold in Florida, California and Tennessee.
Florida’s winning ticket was purchased at Publix on Highway A1A in Melbourne Beach. Another winning ticket was sold in Chino Hills, CA, east of Los Angeles, according to the California Lottery, and a third in Munford, TN.
The drawing also produced 11 $1 million winners in Florida, along with one $2 million winner.
The winning Powerball numbers were 8-27-34-4-19 PB 10.
The jackpot winning tickets marked the first time the winning numbers were sold since November 7 when a series of 20 prize rollovers began.
Hundreds of people crowded stores to purchase tickets Wednesday in North Escambia, including Davisville where lottery hopefuls gridlocked traffic on Highway 97 just out of Atmore.
Pictured: Lottery hopefuls purchase Powerball tickets Wednesday afternoon at the State Line Gift Shop, which sold an $80 million winning Powerball ticket last year to an Alabama woman. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Woman Sentenced For Elaborate Plan To Torture, Kill Ex, Burn House Down
January 14, 2016
An Escambia County woman has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison, of which a 20 year minimum mandatory sentence which must be served day for day or parole, for an elaborate plan to kill her ex-husband.
Nadine Sapp Harris, age 60, was convicted by an Escambia County jury for charges of attempted first degree murder, attempted false imprisonment, attempted arson, aggravated assault with a firearm, and battery. The charges stem from an elaborate plan to ambush, capture, torture and kill her ex-husband and to burn down the marital home.
Over a course of weeks Harris distributed hundreds of pounds of shredded or crumpled paper bundled into plastic grocery bags throughout the entirety of the three-story Escambia County home she had shared with her ex-husband. She placed paper in every dresser and cabinet drawer in the house, in cardboard boxes in every room, and inside the heating and cooling closets, return air vents and attic of the home. Some of the grocery bags were stacked in pyramid configurations placed into corners to maximize the intended fire’s intensity.
Harris planted over 115 drinking bottles that had been filled approximately one-third full with gasoline with the cap on. She also purchased thirteen bottles of charcoal lighter fluid from nearby Home Depot and Walmart stores on three separate trips, along with wooden dowels. She cut the wooden dowels down to 6-inch lengths and presoaked them in the lighter fluid to act as kindling for the fire. She also soaked the paper and all the mattresses in the home with lighter
fluid.
Then, on June 27th, 2014, Harris lured her ex-husband to the home. She parked her car three miles away and then sent him a text message that she was vacating the house – a condition of their divorce. Then she laid in wait. When the victim
came inside, she was waiting for him with a gun. She confronted him in the living room near the front door, and told him that she “was going to end it right here.” The evidence suggests she intended suicide as well as murder.
One fact saved the victim’s life. He had brought witnesses. The witnesses were outside at the time of the confrontation, but were within earshot. When Nadine Harris moved to close the open door, the victim desperately lunged for the gun. As they fought for control of the gun, Nadine Harris discharged one shot. The bullet missed the victim and buried itself in a wall.
After the discharge, the victim successfully disarmed the defendant and tossed the gun outside. He broke his hand in the process. After being disarmed of the handgun, Nadine Harris then produced a stun gun and attempted to shock the victim with it. He knocked the stun gun out of her hand. Then she pulled out a can of pepper spray and sprayed the victim. Nevertheless, after being sprayed with pepper spray, he wrestled the defendant to the ground and held her down until law enforcement arrived. While being held down, she also bit his forearm causing a significant wound.
The subsequent investigation conducted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the State Fire Marshal’s Office revealed the extent of the defendant, Nadine Harris’s plan. They discovered the arson preparations. They discovered that within arm’s reach of where Nadine Harris had confronted her ex-husband, she had planted zip ties fashioned to serve as handcuffs, a strip of duct tape precut and ready to grab, a rope tied with a noose, and a small black duffel bag. Inside the duffel bag, Nadine Harris had placed the accelerant-soaked dowel rods, a lighter, a box of safety matches, more zip-tie handcuffs, a roll of duct tape, a pair of socks potentially to be used as a gag, a screwdriver, a folding camping saw, a drywall saw, and two clear easy-access containers full of muriatic acid.
Escambia Man Arrested For Soliciting A Minor Online
January 14, 2016
An Escambia County man on probation for child neglect has been arrested by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for soliciting a minor online.
Robert Hardee, 24, was charged with online solicitation of a child, transmitting harmful material to a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. Hardee was already serving probation on a 2015 child neglect conviction from Escambia County.
Hardee began communicating with an undercover FDLE agent online last June. During the communication, Hardee solicited who he believed to be a 14-year-old boy. During the investigation, Hardee sent nude photos and attempted to seduce the undercover agent to engage in sexual activity.
Hardee was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond. When arrested, he provided an address in the 700 block of Benjulyn Road in Cantonment.
He was previously sentenced on charges of DUI and child neglect to 90 days in jail followed by 48 months probation for driving drunk on the wrong side of Nine Mile Road with two children in his vehicle.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy was traveling westbound on Nine Mile Road on August 9, 2014, when he observed traffic swerving left and right to avoid a Nissan SUV traveling on the wrong side of the road. Hardee turned on Chemstrand Road where he came to a stop. Two children were in the vehicle.
Hardee failed a field sobriety test, and later failed a breathalyzer test with an alcohol level of .242 — just over three times the legal limit of .08 — according deputies. Deputies reported finding a small bottle of vodka in the vehicle, with one of the children telling a deputy that Hardee has just consumed the alcohol.
Hardee also received traffic citations for driving on the wrong side of the road and possession of an open container in a motor vehicle following the 2014 incident.
Can You Hear Me Now? Donald Trump Brings Campaign To Pensacola
January 14, 2016
Thousands of people packed the Pensacola Bay Center Wednesday night to hear Donald Trump, Republican candidate for president.
Trump took at two Florida residents during the event — “So you have the Governor who’s got very low energy, named Bush. You have Rubio who is a sitting senator and you have Trump. Now I have a lot of property…lot of stuff, all over Florida,” the billionaire said.
His lengthy 70 minute speech –without teleprompters — kept the crowd on their feet as he moved, sometimes suddenly, from one topic to another.
“And by the way I don’t like this mic, whoever the hell brought this mic system don’t pay the son of a b****,” Trump informed his staff as he was discussing trade policy with China. “This mic is terrible, stupid mic keeps popping…Don’t pay him. You know I believe in paying but when somebody does a bad job like this you shouldn’t pay the b******,” Trump said.
Trump received the endorsement of several prominent community leaders in Florida prior to his rally in Pensacola.
Businessman George Scarborough, Pastor Carl Gallups, 2nd Amendment activist Clover Lawson, and Veterans Terry Busbee Sr., Gary O’Neal and Capt. Allen Brady each spoke prior to Trump’s speech, in addition to Kathryn ‘Kat’ Gates-Skipper the first female Marine in Combat Operations, who endorsed Trump’s candidacy in November at his Sarasota rally.
“It is my great honor to receive endorsements from each of these incredible people. Their support for my message and endorsement of my candidacy for President of the United States means so much to me, and with their help, and the help of so many great people in Florida and all over the country, we will make America great again,” Trump said.
Pictured: Republican candidate Donald Trump packed the Pensacola Bay Center Wednesday night. Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
BBB Warns Of Powerball Scams
January 14, 2016
With the largest ever Powerball prize now in the history books, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers that scammers will be taking advantage of the situation to trick people into thinking they are winners.
The BBB expects to see scammers reaching out via email, telephone and snail mail to “inform” secondary winners of smaller prizes. Lottery scams were among the top scams last year.
Typically, targets of a lottery scam are asked to pay “taxes” or other fees upfront before they can claim their “winnings.” Of course, once they make the payment (or several payments), the big prize never materializes and the scammers are nowhere to be found. In another variation, the target receives a congratulatory letter in the mail informing them of the big win. Included is a check to cover the taxes on the winnings. Victims are instructed to deposit it into their bank account and then send the money to a third party, usually by wire transfer or prepaid debit card, which are largely untraceable. The lottery check is a fake that bounces and the victim is out the money.
Here are BBB’s tips to avoid lottery scams:
- Don’t pay up to claim a prize. You should never have to pay money or buy products in order to receive a prize. Be especially wary of requests to send money via wire, prepaid debit card, gift card or other unusual forms of payment.
- Be wary of email announcements. Major sweepstakes organizations sometimes email about smaller prizes, but for big winners they usually show up at your house with a big check (and a camera crew).
- You can’t win a contest you didn’t enter. You need to buy a ticket or complete an application to participate in a contest or lottery. Be very careful if you’ve been selected as a winner for a contest you never entered.
- Verify — but not by using a source the scammers give you. Check if an offer is real, but don’t call the phone number in the email or website you suspect may be a scam. If it is a con, chances are the person on the other line will be involved, too.
- Check with BBB: Learn more about lottery scams and other cons at bbb.org/scam.