Alabama Fugitive Arrested In North Escambia
April 16, 2016
An Alabama fugitive wanted for allegedly stealing weapons during the burglary of an law enforcement officer’s home was arrested in extreme northern Escambia County, FL, Friday afternoon.
Jerrell Mitch Johnson, Jr., age 30 was taken into custody without incident at a home on Albritton Road in Nokomis. There was no word of any weapons being recovered after the arrest.
Johnson is being held on outstanding warrants from the Monroeville (AL) Police Department for allegedly taking multiple weapons after breaking into the home of a law enforcement officer. He remains in the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola awaiting extradition back to Alabama.
Slight Chance Of A Scattered Shower For Saturday
April 16, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. East wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 76. East wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 76. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.
One Injured In Molino Wreck
April 16, 2016
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Friday night in Molino.
The accident happened about 10:45 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 29 and Molino Road. One person was transported to West Florida Hospital with minor injuries. Five other people, including at least three teens, involved in the crash refused medical treatment at the scene.
Further details have not been released by the Florida Highway Patrol as they continue their investigation.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Vetoes Alimony Overhaul
April 16, 2016
For the second time in three years, Gov. Rick Scott has vetoed a controversial alimony proposal, this time blaming an even more-contentious child custody component included in the latest bill.
The proposal vetoed Friday would have created a formula, based on the length of marriage and the combined incomes of both spouses, for judges to use when setting alimony payments. After years of disagreement on the issue, alimony reform advocates and The Florida Bar’s Family Law Section supported the alimony proposal, which would have also eliminated permanent alimony while giving judges some discretion to veer from the formula.
But the plan became one of the most hotly contested issues of the 2016 legislative session when it was amended to include a child-sharing component that would have required judges to begin with a “premise” that children should split their time equally between parents.
The proposed time-sharing changes could potentially upend the state’s current policy of putting the needs of children first in favor of parents’ wishes when judges determine custody arrangements, Scott wrote in Friday’s veto letter.
The proposed revisions “have evoked passionate reactions from thousands of Floridians because divorce affects families in many different ways,” Scott wrote.
Men, women and a handful of children on both sides of the measure (SB 668) clashed outside of Scott’s office Tuesday, before representatives met with the governor’s policy director to make last-ditch pitches. Scott received nearly 10,000 messages urging him to sign the bill into law, more than three times the number of requests for a veto.
“As a husband, father and grandfather, I understand the importance of family and the sensitivity and passion that comes with the subject of family law. Family law issues are very personal, and nearly every family comes to the court with different circumstances and needs. As such, we must be judicious and carefully consider the long term and real life repercussions on Florida families,” he wrote.
But “the one constant” when a divorce involves a young child is “the needs of the child must come before all others” when judges determine parenting schedules, something now required by Florida law, Scott wrote.
“This bill has the potential to upend that policy in favor of putting the wants of a parent before the child’s best interest by creating a premise of equal time-sharing. Our judges must consider each family’s unique situation and abilities and put the best interests of the child above all else,” he concluded.
Scott’s veto drew a barbed response from Senate budget chief Tom Lee, who has pushed the child custody issue.
Lee, a former Senate president, said he met with Scott’s staff throughout the session in an attempt to address some of the concerns expressed in the governor’s 2013 veto of a similar alimony bill. Scott objected to a retroactivity provision in the 2013 legislation, which was not included in this year’s bill. Scott’s aides wouldn’t give any clear guidelines about what might please the governor, Lee indicated in a statement issued Friday afternoon.
“At this point it is unclear what future family law reform legislation the governor may find acceptable. Today’s veto message is vague and does nothing to further illuminate the governor’s concerns,” Lee, a Brandon Republican whose wife is a judge, wrote. “Specifically, the veto message focuses exclusively on potential outcomes, without giving reasons for how the legislation could actually result in those outcomes. Current law is clear that the best interest of the children remains paramount and it is the primary responsibility of judges to make a determination based on 20 factors listed in current law. Senate Bill 668 does nothing to change the primary role of the court, which is to do what is in the best interest of the children.”
Lee said he remained “hopeful that we can continue to work to find a solution for the thousands of families across our state who are seeking meaningful changes in family law.”
Other alimony reform advocates aren’t backing down, but will try to keep the time-sharing and alimony issues in separate bills next year.
“We still believe, as an organization, child sharing is important. We just don’t want it to hurt our chances for alimony reform, which is what happened this session.” Family Law Reform founder Alan Frisher, who has spent nearly a decade pushing the issue, said in a telephone interview Friday.
The alimony measure has been mired in controversy since Scott’s first veto three years ago.
A revised version of the measure, which included the formula included in this year’s proposal, died in 2015 after being enmeshed in a dispute between Lee and House Rules Chairman Ritch Workman, a key alimony-overhaul supporter who opposed the child-sharing component.
Late in this year’s legislative session, Workman and Lee reached a compromise regarding the child-sharing language. Instead of requiring a “presumption” of equal time-sharing between parents, the proposal instructed judges to begin with a “premise” that children will divide their time equally between both parents.
The Family Law Section of the Florida Bar, which for years had opposed the alimony reform efforts but worked with Workman, Frisher and others to develop the formula, opposed the child-sharing portion of the bill. Late in the session, the Family Law Section hired lobbyists close to Scott — including the governor’s former legislative affairs director, Jon Costello, and Slater Bayliss — to persuade the governor to veto the proposal.
The National Organization for Women and the League of Women Voters of Florida and some conservative groups also opposed the bill, which they argued would be especially harmful for older homemakers who have few prospects of lucrative employment after spending much of their lives caring for children and husbands.
Family Law Section Chairwoman Maria Gonzalez hailed Scott’s veto, saying the bill would have caused more litigation if it had become law.
Divorces or paternity cases in which couples are separating are “tough situations for the entire family” but are particularly painful for children, Gonzalez said.
“So when mom and dad come in front of the judge the best thing they can have is a clean slate and have a judge consider the uniqueness of the family, and also the needs of the particular family and come up and craft a good parenting plan, a good time-sharing schedule that works best for that family,” she said.
Calling Scott’s veto “crushing and devastating,” Frisher accused the governor of ignoring the will of “the highest court, the court of public opinion.”
“He did not listen to our citizens. He did not listen to our legislators. One man made this determination. I understand he’s a family man, but he’s also our governor. And that made me even more disappointed,” he said.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
New Prison Health Contractors Moves Into Nine North Florida Facilities
April 16, 2016
A new prison health contractor will begin moving into nine North Florida facilities Saturday, an initial step toward providing care for more than 80,000 inmates, the state Department of Corrections said Friday.
Centurion of Florida will begin what the department described as an “initial transition” into Holmes Correctional Institution, Gulf Correctional Institution, Liberty Correctional Institution, Madison Correctional Institution, Cross City Correctional Institution, Lake Correctional Institution, the Quincy Annex, the Mayo Annex and the Gadsden Re-Entry Center.
The department in January awarded a contract to Centurion of Florida after another firm, Corizon Health, decided to end its contract to provide services to about three-fourths of the state’s inmates. Centurion of Florida will move into 32 other facilities by May 31, the department said.
The award of the contract drew a challenge from Wexford Health Sources, Inc., which provides services to inmates in the rest of the state. But an administrative law judge this month rejected the Wexford challenge.
“Since entering into a contract for comprehensive health care services in January, the department and Centurion have worked collaboratively to ensure proper staffing, the availability of medical resources and a seamless delivery of medical care and services during this transition period,” Corrections Secretary Julie Jones said in a prepared statement Friday. “I am confident that Centurion will produce positive, patient-centered health outcomes for the more than 80,000 inmates under their care.”
by The News Service of Florida
Pictured: The medical unit inside Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Wins District Title; Jay Falls To South Walton
April 16, 2016
Tate 7, Pace 2
For the third year in a row, the Tate Lady Aggies won the District 1-7A title Friday night 7-2 over Pace at Escambia High School.
Savannah Rowell recorded 10 strike outs in seven innings and allowed just two runs and seven hits. Rowell was also 2-4 with two RBIs and run. Savannah Ullrich and Hannah Brown bother homered for the Lady Aggies.
Other Tate hitters — Hannah Brown 3-3 HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R; Savannah Rowell 2-4 2 RBIs, R; Savannah Ullrich 1-2 HR, 2 RBIs, R.
Tate will host Milton on Wednesday in regional action, while Pace will hit the road to Niceville.
South Walton 3, Jay 1
The Jay Lady Royals lost Friday night 3-1 to South Walton at Northview in the Lady Royal’s sixth consecutive appearance inthe District 3-1A title game.
Destiny Herring pitched seven innings for Jay, allowing three runs, eight hits and striking out three. Micheala Stewart was 1-3 with a run for Jay.
Jay will travel Thursday night to Franklin County for the regional semi-finals.
Pictured top: The Tate Lady Aggies celebrate their district championship win Friday night. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott: Area’s Unemployment Drops
April 16, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott announced Friday that the Pensacola area added 4,300 new private-sector jobs over the year in March. The area’s unemployment rate declined by 0.7 percentage point over the year to 4.6 percent in March.
Scott said, “I am proud to announce that the Pensacola area added more than 4,000 new jobs this year and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 percent. We want Florida to become first for jobs, which is why we worked to cut more than $1 billion in taxes in the past two years and why we will continue to do all we can to support job growth in Florida.”
The industry with the largest job gains in the Pensacola area over the year in March was leisure and hospitality with 1,000 new jobs. The Pensacola area had 4,866 job openings in March, including 1,219 openings for high-wage, high-skill, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations.
West Florida Lady Jags Win District Championship
April 16, 2016
The West Florida Lady Jaguars shut out Gulf Breeze 4-0 for the District 1-6A championship Friday night.
Sarah Nicholas pitched seven for the Lady Jags, allowing three hits and striking out five. Lauren Carnley was 2-4 with a single, a double, three RBIs and a run scored for West Florida, while Jibrashia Moore was 2-3 with a walk and two runs scores. Bri Morgan was 1-3 with a sacrifice bunt.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville
April 16, 2016
Pensacola Blue Wahoos first baseman Ray Chang said when he stepped into the on-deck circle, he had a serious case of de ja vu.
Less than a year ago on June 10, the 32-year-old minor league veteran hit a walk-off single to defeat the Jacksonville Suns.
He did it again last night with a single to right field to score catcher Chad Wallach from third base with one out in the 11th inning, giving Pensacola a, 4-3, victory Friday over Jacksonville at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It’s the first time in the Blue Wahoos’ five-year history that it has won the first two five-game series.
Pensacola is 3-1 against the Suns and sits atop the Southern League South Division at 7-2. Jacksonville fell to 5-4.
Chang, who’s hitting .294, nearly froze to death after his walk-off hit getting doused in cold water three times. It was the third walk-off in his career. He said the feeling of hitting a walk-off never gets old.
“Never. Absolutely never,” Chang said after the game. “That’s an awesome feeling.”
Chang’s walk-off was set up by smart base running by Wallach. He took off for second when Suns’ closer Victor Araujo bounced one in the dirt and ended up on third when catcher Francisco Arcia threw the ball into right-center field.
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Chang was just the person he wanted at the plate.
“I love him being up in that situation with his experience,” Kelly said. “Chang was clutch again.”
In the 10th inning, the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases against Araujo with two outs but he struck out Pensacola’s Brandon Dixon to get out of the inning.
Chang said the mood of the 2016 team compared to last year’s team is “180-degrees different.” He added, “We got off to a really slow beginning last year. We’ve got some serious chemistry going on here.”
Interestingly, Wallach scored the Blue Wahoos last two runs. He smashed a two-run homer to right field — the team’s third home run of the season — that put the Blue Wahoos up, 3-0, in the second inning.
“Chad’s got the power to go to the opposite field,” Kelly said. “In this park, I don’t care which way the wind is blowing, that’s a big home run.”
The Blue Wahoos went up, 1-0, in the first when Beau Amaral walked and then scored when left fielder Tony Renda, ripped a single to center field.
However, Jacksonville clawed its way back scoring one run in the sixth, seventh and eighth to tie the game, 3-3. In the eighth, Suns first baseman Brady Shoemaker singled into right field with one out to score right fielder Jeremias Pineda with the tying run.
Jacksonville had a golden opportunity to win the game in the ninth inning when it loaded the bases but Austin Dean hit a chopper to Pensacola third baseman Eric Jagielo, who quickly threw to home plate to force out second baseman Peter Mooney. With the bases still loaded and two out, Shoemaker hit a grounder to Jagielo who stepped on the third base bag to end the scoring threat.
Meanwhile, the Wahoos bats went silent as Jacksonville relievers set down 16 Pensacola hitters in a row from the fourth inning until Chad Wallach earned an infield single that ricocheted off the first baseman in the ninth inning. In fact, Suns relievers Scott Lyman, Tyler Kinley and Sean Donatello combined to pitch 5.2 innings of no-hit, no-run ball until Wallach’s hit.
Pensacola pitcher Jackson Stephens, who got the Suns side out four times in six innings, pitched 5.2 innings and allowed one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out seven.
Kenneth Ray Barnett
April 16, 2016
Kenneth Ray Barnett, 83 of Atmore, passed away Tuesday, April 14, 2016, in Atmore. He was a pharmacist and was owner and operator of Escambia Drug Store. He was born in Wallace, AL on March 18, 1933, to the late Henry and Stella Trawick Barnett. He was a graduate of Auburn University. He also enjoyed his farm.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy Jones Barnett; two sons, James Michael Barnett and Wayne Barnett; one daughter, Kim (Ron) Tatum, all of Atmore; one brother, James (Beverly) Barnett of Barnett’s Crossroads; grandchildren, Audra Tatum, Olivia Tatum, Evan Tatum, and Carson Barnett.
Graveside services were held Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 2 p.m. from Oak Hill Cemetery, with Bro. Jimmy Dukes officiating.
Interment was in Oak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.