Ryan Awarded Nursing Scholarship
July 20, 2016
Mallory Ryan of Bratt was awarded a $1,000 scholarship Tuesday by the Atmore Community Hospital Auxiliary to continue her education in nursing. Ryan, a 2015 honors graduate of Northview High School, is currently enrolled in the Jefferson Davis Community College nursing program. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atmore’s Mayor, Three Council Members Face No Election Opposition
July 20, 2016
Atmore’s mayor and three incumbent council members are headed back into office for another term, while one incumbent council member faces opposition and a fifth is not seek re-election.
Qualifying ended Tuesday for Atmore’s municipal elections.
Four people are seeing the District 2 council seat held by Cornell Torrence, who did not qualify to seek another term. Hopefuls to replace him are Michael Arnold, Johnnie Jones, Russell Robinson and Jerome Webster.
Incumbent council member Chris Harrison will face Sandra Gray for the District 5 council seat.
Mayor Jim Staff, District 1 Councilman Web Nall, District 3 Councilman Chris Walker and District 4 Councilwoman Susan Smith are running without opposition and will return to office next term.
“I appreciate the people standing behind me and I look forward to the next four years serving the public,” Staff told NorthEscambia.com Tuesday night.
Pictured: Atmore Mayor Jim Staff, seen speaking to a crowd of Amtrak supporters last February, will serve another four years. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Powerball Jackpot Grows To $361 Million
July 20, 2016
The Powerball has climbed to an estimated $361 million for Wednesday night’s drawing. The Powerball jackpot has rolled over 20 times since the May 11 drawing.
Jackpot prizes are paid in 30 annual installments or as a one-time, lump-sum payment. Jackpot prizes must be claimed within 60 days after the draw to receive the cash option of an estimated $250.3 million. Winners have 180 days from the applicable drawing to claim their prize.
The Powerball drawing will be held at 9:59 tonight; tickets must be purchased by 9 p.m. to be eligible.
Putnam Breakfast Services Up Big Helping Of Politics
July 20, 2016
[CLEVELAND, OH] Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam hosted a “Florida Grown Breakfast” for the state’s Republican National Convention delegates Tuesday and sought to highlight some of the products he oversees.
But political futures and hot-button issues got most of the attention.
While the immediate focus at the convention is furthering real-estate mogul Donald Trump’s presidential bid in 2016, other political ambitions are often served or advanced during the four-day gathering held once every four years.
Former Republican Congressman Allen West addressed the largest elephant in the room when he stepped to the podium for the opening prayer. West began by talking about how Putnam got him an opportunity to speak before the U.S. House GOP caucus when West was considering a run for Congress.
“I want to tell you right now, when you decide to run for governor, I’ll be right there supporting you,” West told Putnam, setting off applause from the crowd.
Putnam is the front-runner for the GOP nomination for governor in 2018, when Gov. Rick Scott is forced out of office by term limits.
If, of course, Putnam runs.
After the breakfast, Putnam dodged a question about whether he would run, saying instead that he’s “having a ball as commissioner of agriculture.” But Putnam left little doubt he was considering a bid for governor.
“Florida’s a special place, and it’s special to me,” he said. “I’m a fifth-generation Floridian. I’m honored to have the ability to serve the state that I love and where I’m raising my family. We’ll have some decisions to make after this election.”
Putnam is hardly the only GOP official weighing his future. Scott is reportedly thinking about a campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in 2018. And potential down-ballot candidates are also starting to consider what to do.
Outgoing House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said Tuesday he would make a decision “over the next several months” about what his future in public office might be — with one likely option being a run to replace Putnam. Crisafulli comes from a family with deep roots in the state’s citrus industry.
For now, Crisafulli said he’s looking to finish his administrative duties as speaker before leaving office in November.
“I’ll have that opportunity to go home and speak more with my family about it,” he said of a future run. “There’s no secret that the commissioner of agriculture position is something that I’ve taken some interest in just because of my family background and history.”
But talk of political futures wasn’t the only thing that joined orange juice on the menu. Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon who lives in Florida and ran for the GOP presidential nomination this year, gave a speech aimed straight at the party loyalists gathered at the breakfast.
Carson slammed attacks on Trump that suggest the businessman’s outspoken style has gone too far. Carson labeled those complaints as part of a case of “political correctness” run amok. And he suggested those who believe in Islamic Sharia law have no place in America.
“If they want Sharia, then they need to stay in a country where Sharia is the law,” he said. “They do not need to bring Sharia into this country. Now, some people say that that’s being bigoted and that’s being Islamophobic — no. That’s being logical. That’s having common sense.”
Carson also criticized a push for greater rights for transgender people, comparing it to someone who read a book or watched a movie about Afghanistan and then decided to say they were from the area.
“For thousands of years, mankind has known what a man is and what a woman is,” he said. “And now, all of a sudden we don’t know.”
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican who is seen as a potential presidential contender in 2020, spoke to the breakfast on several topics, including national security issues that dominated the convention Monday night.
Cotton blasted the Obama administration’s nuclear pact with Iran, which the White House says will limit the theocracy’s drive for a nuclear weapon but critics argue is too weak.
“If you want to know the future of Iran and their nuclear program, just look to North Korea,” Cotton said. “Because the last time a Clinton was in the White House, cut the same kind of deal with North Korea, and it took them only 12 years until they detonated a nuclear weapon.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam held a Fresh from Florida breakfast in Cleveland Tuesday mornng for state’s Republican National Convention delegates. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Authorities Searching For Escaped Teen In Escambia County
July 20, 2016
Authorities are searching for a teen male who escaped from police Tuesday afternoon while be transported to a juvenile correctional facility.
Jajuan Millender managed to escape from a Pensacola Police officer about 1:40 p.m. as he was being taken inside the Department of Juvenile Justice on St. Mary Avenue. He was last seen wearing a red shirt and gray underwear but no pants or shoes.
Millender is described as a black male, about five feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds.
He is wanted on multiple charges, including battery on a law enforcement officer, grand theft of a vehicle, resisting with violence and escape.
Anyone with information on Millender’s whereabouts is asked to call the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1900 or their local law enforcement agency.
Lowery Marks 10 Years As Panhandle Equine Rescue President
July 20, 2016
Tuesday, Panhandle Equine Rescue celebrated 10 years under the leadership of Diane Lowery of Cantonment as the group’s president.
The only horse rescue in Escambia County, Panhandle Equine Rescue was founded in 2005 by a small group of concerned citizens with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate and provide adoption services for abused, neglected and abandoned equines. PER is authorized by the court system to investigate equine cruelty in Escambia County.
“I am honored that God has called me to do this. I’m hoping it is a long chapter of my life. And I appreciate everyone who stands behind and supports me. Without all of you this rescue would not have gone this far. Everyone plays a part and brings a certain something to the table and it all comes together to make this work. I am hoping that we can save many more lives in the future,” Lowery said.
For more information on Panhandle Equine Rescue, visit www.panhandleequinerescue.org.
Video: Ernest Ward’s Deputy Gill Named State SRO Of The Year
July 19, 2016
The school resource officer at Ernest Ward Middle School, Senior Deputy Ronnie Gill, was named Florida’s School Resource Officer of the Year by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
For more, click here for an earlier story.
The following video, produced by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, takes a look at Deputy Gill:
If you do not see the video above, it is because your home, work or school firewall is blocking YouTube videos.
Firefighters Save Cantonment Home
July 19, 2016
Quick work by Escambia Fire Rescue limited the damage from a Cantonment house fire Tuesday morning.
The Cantonment and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue arrived to a working fire in the home in the 1800 block of Peaches Lane just before 7:30 a.m.. They were able to swiftly knock the fire down and save the remainder of the home.
There were no injuries reported. There was not immediate word on the cause of the fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward’s Ronnie Gill Named Florida SRO Of The Year; Escambia SRO Unit Also Honored
July 19, 2016
Senior Deputy Ronnie Gill, school resource officer at Ernest Ward Middle School, has been name the top SRO in Florida, and the Escambia County’s SRO Unit has been named the best in the state.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Association of School Resource Officers Monday named Gill the 2016 School Resource Officer of the Year. Gill is a 14-year veteran of the office.
For a video featuring Gill, click here.
“Deputy Gill goes above and beyond to not only ensure the safety of students at the school he serves, but to also provide guidance to the youth in his community,” said Bondi. “Resource officers play a vital role in the lives of students on a daily basis, and I am honored to name Deputy Gill the 2016 School Resource Officer of the Year.”
Attorney General Bondi and FASRO present the School Resource Officer of the Year award annually to a Florida officer who demonstrates dedication and tireless work ethic to enhance the lives of the students they serve.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SRO unit was honored as the “Unit of the Year” by Bondi and the FASRO.
The awards were presented Monday at a Sheriff’s Youth Camp in Naples, FL.
In 1985, the Attorney General’s Office developed the first 40-hour Basic Training Course adopted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to train school resource officers with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to implement crime prevention programming in a school setting. Together, the Attorney General’s Office, the Florida Association of School Resource Officers, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Education jointly provided a number of trainings throughout the years to develop effective prevention programs and strategies for students and campuses. Each year, applications for the School Resource Officer of the Year are submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for review.
Pictured top: Senior Deputy Ronnie Gill (center) from Ernest Ward Middle School was named the School Resource Officer of the Year by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Pictured inset: Gill’s award and certificate. Pictured below: The Escambia County SRO Unit was named “Unit of the Year” in Florida. Pictured second below: Gill and his children, Tyler and Haley. Pictured third down: Gill and his granddaughter. Pictured fourth down: Gill at a youth camp. Pictured bottom: Gill at this year’s youth camp. Photos for NorthEscambia.co, click to enlarge.
Heat Index 105 Today; 50 Percent Chance Of Rain
July 19, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 105. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 105. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.