Cantonment Man Wanted For Rape Busted With Weapons And Drugs
October 13, 2016
A Cantonment man wanted out of Mississippi on a rape charge was arrested in Molino armed and in possession of drugs, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Robert Shane Boyette, age 34 of Williams Ditch Road, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamines and possession of crack cocaine. He is also awaiting extradition back to Lauderdale County, MS, to face the rape charge. Bond on the local charges was set at $38,000.
An Escambia County deputy on patrol reported finding Boyette in a small green car with the driver’s door open parked next to a closed business on Molino Road near Jahaza Road. He was immediately detained after a records check returned the outstanding rape warrant.
When deputies searched Boyette, they reported finding a glass smoking pipe in his pants pocket, a .380 live round in a front pocket, and a small clear plastic bag with marijuana in his sock. He also had two knives, one of which was an automatic switch blade, clipped to his pocket.
Boyette gave consent to search the vehicle, and a K-9 was called and alert positively on the vehicle, according to an arrest report. Deputies searched the vehicle and reported finding eight .22 caliber live rounds in the floorboard. At the jail, deputies located two clear plastic bags in Boyette’s wallet one of which tested positive for methamphetamine and the other contained crack cocaine.
Gulf Power Seeks $106 Million Rate Hike
October 13, 2016
Gulf Power, which provides electricity to about 450,000 customers in Northwest Florida, will seek a $106.78 million increase in base rates, according to a filing Wednesday with the state Public Service Commission.
Gulf Power gave notice in August that it planned to request a rate hike, but the new filing provides details and sets the stage for what is expected to be a months-long regulatory process. The Pensacola-based utility is requesting that the new rates take effect July 1.
The average residential customer’s total monthly bill will increase by $10.22 per month or 7 percent — from $148.64 to $158.86, according to the utility. Gulf Power’s residential customers’ prices are less than they were in 2015, and the energy provider expects prices will be even lower in January mainly because of fuel cost reductions brought about by careful planning to take advantage of lower prices in natural gas and coal used to generate electricity.
“As the primary provider of retail electric service to the people of Northwest Florida, Gulf is obligated by statute to provide such service in a reasonable, ’sufficient, adequate, and efficient’ manner,” the filing said. “In order to continue to attract the capital required to provide that service to customers, Gulf must also offer a reasonable and fair return to shareholders. Without the revenue increase requested, Gulf cannot meet its obligations to either its customers or investors in the long run. If Gulf is rendered unable to meet its obligations to its customers and investors due to inadequate rates, both stakeholder groups will suffer. Customers will suffer from less reliable service and eventually higher costs of electricity, while the investors will suffer from an inadequate and confiscatory return on investment and will seek other places to invest their money.”
Stan Connally, Gulf Power Chairman, President & CEO, said the energy provider works hard to control costs while planning for the future and delivering the reliable services their customers expect.
“We have worked hard to manage our costs and have lowered prices over the past two years,” said Connally. “In fact, we plan to do that again in January where the average residential customer will see a decrease of $4.63.”
The last time Gulf Power customers saw an increase was in January 2015. In comparing 2015 prices to the proposed prices, the average residential customer’s monthly bill will increase by only $2.50 per month, or less than 2 percent.
“Securing our customers’ energy future requires a balanced energy mix that includes renewables and 24/7 energy sources like natural gas and low-cost, cleaner-than-ever coal,” said Connally. “Energy security also includes long-term reliability. Since 2010, Gulf Power has improved its reliability by 40 percent and we must continue that trend of improvement. This means our customers are having fewer and shorter power outages — continuous improvement in this area is critical.”
Along with the request, Gulf Power is also seeking approval of new rate options for residential customers.
“Studies show that our customers are happier when their energy bills are more predictable and when they have choices. These options are designed to give customers more predictability in monthly bills reducing the increases associated with extreme weather months. In addition, two new options will offer residential customers more rate plan choices based on the way they use energy.”
The energy provider is also putting into place new options for greater customer convenience, including an improved online experience, additional payment locations at popular stores, and payment kiosks in their customer offices.
by The News Service of Florida and NorthEscambia.com
Sunny And Warm
October 13, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 59. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 85. East wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Mike Pence To Campaign In Pensacola On Friday
October 13, 2016
Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence will make an appearance Friday in Pensacola before heading to Miami and Tampa. Pence’s trip will follow a four-city campaign swing in Florida by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, as the GOP ticket tries to rally support in the critical state.
Pence is scheduled to take part in a rally at 2 p.m. Friday at the Palafox Wharf in Pensacola. Gates will open at noon. Two tickets per mobile number may be requested by clicking here. Tickets and entry are on a first come, first serve basis.
Trump campaigned Tuesday night in Panama City Beach, Wednesday in Ocala and Lakeland, and is scheduled to appear Thursday in West Palm Beach.The Republican nominee has made two previous appearances in Pensacola.
Northview Names Homecoming Court; Plans Parade And Friday Meal
October 13, 2016
Northview High School has named their homecoming court, and there are several big events planned for homecoming.
Homecoming court members are: freshmen Briana White, Payton Jackson, Teriana Redmond; sophomores Ashtyn Carnley, Madison Sherouse, Shelby Bashore, Olivia Seals; juniors Natasha Walker, Celeste North, Madison White; and seniors Peighton Dortch, Autumn Albritton, Brittany McLemore, Mallory Gibson, Morgan Myrick and Zipporah Harris.
The parade will line up on the campus of Bratt Elementary School beginning at noon Friday. The parade will begin at Bratt Elementary at 1 p.m. and end with a pep rally in the Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium at Northview High. (The general public should not enter the Bratt Elementary campus.)
Additional parade entries will be accepted today (Thursday) by calling the school at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248. The parade will be followed by a pep rally in Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
A homecoming meal will available Friday from 10 a.m. until from the football concession stand to support the Tommy Weaver Scholarship Fund. The $7 meal will include a BBQ pulled pork sandwich, chips, cookies and drink. To reserve lunch, call (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 or tickets are available in the Northview front office. Checks should be made payable to the NHS FFA Alumni.
Pre-game festivities will begin at 6:00 Friday night, including the presentation of the homecoming court and the naming of the queen.
The homecoming game against Jay High School will kickoff at 7:00.
Scroll down for all photos.
Pictured top: Homecoming court seniors Peighton Dortch, Autumn Albritton, Brittany McLemore, Mallory Gibson and Morgan Myrick. Not pictured: Zipporah Harris.
Pictured above: Homecoming court members are (L-R) sophomores Ashtyn Carnley, Madison Sherouse, Shelby Bashore, Olivia Seals; seniors Peighton Dortch, Autumn Albritton, Brittany McLemore, Mallory Gibson, Morgan Myrick; juniors Natasha Walker, Celeste North, Madison White; freshmen Briana White, Payton Jackson and Teriana Redmond. Not pictured: Senior Zipporah Harris.
Pictured above: Juniors Natasha Walker, Celeste North and Madison White.
Pictured above: Sophomores Ashtyn Carnley, Madison Sherouse, Shelby Bashore and Olivia Seals.
Pictured above: Teriana Redmond, Payton Jackson and Briana White.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview To Host Dig Pink Volleyball Today For Breast Cancer Research
October 13, 2016
Northview volleyball will host a Dig Pink Tournament beginning at 4:00 this afternoon along with Flomaton, W.S. Neal and Escambia County High (Atmore).
The tournament will be a two court set up with junior varsity and varsity participating.
All proceeds from the gate will go to the Side-Out Foundation for cancer research. Northview is also selling shirts for the event and all those proceeds will also be donated to the Side-Out Foundation. The schools will also host a hospitality room for survivors, referees, and coaches. Survivors present at the game will get in free and receive a special treat from the volleyball players.
The Side-Out Foundation funds breast cancer research and support with “cutting-edge clinical trials at renowned medical institutions. . . which has extended the lives of people with Stage 4 breast cancer.” In addition to cancer research, the Side-Out Foundation also provides support services for cancer patients and their families.
Pictured: Ready to “Dig Pink” are Northview volleyball players (L-R) Courtney Grim, Brittanie McLemore, Jamia Newton andd Ashtyn Carnley. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fields Of Faith: Community Worship Service Held (With Gallery)
October 13, 2016
The Northview High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) sponsored a student led worship event “Fields of Faith” Wednesday night in the Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
The service included music, testimonies and more.
For photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Faye Gahlenbeck Agee
October 13, 2016
It is with deep and heavy sadness that we announce the death of Faye Gahlenbeck Agee, 87, of Molino, FL, who went home to be with her Lord and Savior on October 3, 2016. She was a devoted wife, beloved mother, a dearly loved grandmother and great-grandmother. She was born to the late William Alfred and Grace Hall Gahlenbeck of Pensacola, FL.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her loving husband, Victor C. Agee of El Dorado, AK.
Faye was a native Pensacolian who dearly loved God, her family, playing golf, bowling and crabbing on the beach. She was known for her beautiful ability to whistle her favorite tunes wherever she went and had many people comment on how beautiful the songs sounded. In fact, that was the only way her children and grandchildren could locate her wherever she was.
Faye is survived by her daughters, Michelle McKee and Vickie (Matt, Sr.) Bell; grandchildren, Dana (Jeff) Chilcutt (Kayla, Trenton and Hunter Bedell) and Tricia McKee (Maddie and Macie).
A special thank you to Covenant Hospice in Pensacola for their loving care and support.
Funeral services were held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North in Cantonment on Friday, October 7, 2016.
Graveside services were held at St. John’s Cemetery in Pensacola.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Joseph Allen Walker
October 13, 2016
Joseph Allen Walker, 69 of Atmore, AL, passed away Thursday, October 6, 2016, in Pensacola, FL. He was born on January 30, 1947, in McCullough, AL to the late Roy and Perry Lee Walker. He served in the United States Air force during Vietnam, retired from The Army National Guard, and from Pensacola Naval Air Station. He was a member of Atmore V.F.W. and Presley Street Baptist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Leroy Walker.
He is survived by his wife, Arieta Bell Walker of Atmore; one son, Tim (Carrie) Walker of Atmore; one daughter, Anita (Randy) Lucas of Bratt, FL; one brother, Cecil (Sue) Walker of Waynesville, N.C; one sister, Jean (Mack) Myrick of Little Rock, AL; sister-in-law, Ethel Walker of Atmore; six grandchildren, Carrie Marie, Jason, Brittney, Colton, MacKenzie, and Jonathon.
Services were held Sunday October 9, 2016, from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Mike Grindle officiating.
Interment was in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Wayne Walker, Jerry Walker, Michael Myrick, Derek Bell, Blake Bell, and Kevin Bell.
Honorary pallbearers were Atmore V.F.W.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Judge Extends Voter Registration Deadline Until Tuesday
October 13, 2016
Florida residents will have until next Tuesday to register to vote, after a federal judge ordered an extension of the registration deadline because of Hurricane Matthew.
With lawyers for Gov. Rick Scott and Secretary of State Ken Detzner voicing no opposition to the extension, which was requested by the Florida Democratic Party in a lawsuit filed over the weekend, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker approved the move during a brief hearing Wednesday.
The hearing came a day after the state’s original deadline for registering to vote. Walker had already issued an emergency order extending that deadline to Wednesday while he considered the further extension to help potential voters who fled Hurricane Matthew as it lashed the eastern side of the state late last week.
“We are thrilled the court agreed to extend the voter registration deadline a full week (from the original deadline) following Hurricane Matthew,” Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a statement Wednesday. “While we wish it had not taken a lawsuit to get the Scott administration to do the right thing, today’s ruling is a major victory for all Floridians and for the democratic process in the Sunshine State.”
Scott had initially resisted moving the date, saying “(e)verybody has had a lot of time to register.” But critics said that the 1.5 million Floridians who were under evacuation orders due to the storm deserved to have more time to return home, get their affairs in order and register — particularly after Scott urged residents to follow those orders.
“It came from him,” Cecile Scoon, second vice president of the League of Women Voters of Florida, said after the hearing. “It should have come from him to allow people to have the extension to register.”
Scott’s office issued a statement Tuesday that signaled he might back down and also suggested that the Legislature consider changes to the state’s voter registration law during the 2017 session. Florida has one of the earliest registration deadlines in the nation, and the law has no provision for what happens if a disaster strikes near the deadline.
Walker, while stressing that he wasn’t telling state lawmakers what to do, emphasized those points about Florida’s deadlines during the hearing — saying they contributed to his initial decision Monday to order an additional day for registration. That ruling also argued the state law was unconstitutional.
“That’s the entire point of this court’s (earlier) ruling — namely, it is that gap that creates the problem that brings us here today,” he said.
Arguing for continuing the extension through Tuesday, a lawyer for the Democratic Party said the additional time would make up for the weekend lost to Hurricane Matthew. That could help replace some of the voter registration drives lost to the storm.
“It’s terribly important to have a weekend. … Candidates and political parties take advantage of the weekend,” said Kevin Hamilton, the attorney.
Voting-rights groups that joined the Democratic Party’s lawsuit were already gearing up to push for changes in Florida law after Walker’s decision.
“The reality of Florida is that there are going to be natural disasters, and Florida needs to have plans and policies in place that account for this,” said Myrna Perez, a deputy director with the New York-based Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, which represented the League of Women Voters. “I hope that this is an opportunity for the Legislature to revisit Florida’s election practices.”
Ion Sancho, the outgoing supervisor of elections in Leon County, suggested that the problem could be at least partially addressed when the state moves to allow voters to register online following this year’s presidential election.
Walker also agreed to the Democratic Party’s request to allow counties to submit or change their plans for early voting by Monday. Those plans were originally supposed to be in Sunday — shortly after Matthew pushed past Florida for good.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida