Cantonment Man Charged With Tom Thumb Robbery
September 22, 2016
A Cantonment man has been arrested for the September 10 armed robbery of a local convenience store.
Jonathan Mark Vito, 44, was charged with robbery with a firearm, a first degree felony. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $50,000.
Vito allegedly entered the Tom Thumb on Highway 29 and Woodbury Court about 12:20 a.m. on September 10 and brought a pack of beer to the counter, where he told the clerk that he forgot his wallet and that he would be back. Vito returned to the store about 12:40 a.m. and asked for a pack of cigarettes in addition to the beer. Vito then allegedly demanded the clerk open the register, showing a gun in his waistband. He then grabbed the cigarettes and beer and fled the store in an unknown direction.
Vito was later identified from surveillance images and by his clothing, according to an arrest report. The report states he lives with a his mother a short distance from the store, and she told deputies that he was not at a home at the time of the robbery.
In early August, Sheriff’s investigators said they believe two previous robberies at the store were committed by the same suspect. The store was robbed on July 4 and again on July 29. In both robberies, the suspect walked behind the counter and took cash from the register without producing a weapon. Vito has not been named a suspect in the July robberies.
Pictured above and below: The Tom Thumb at Highway 29 and Woodbury Circle was robbed during the early morning hours on September 10. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Tate Cheerleaders To Hold Lil’ Aggies Fall Cheer Clinic
September 22, 2016
The Tate High School cheerleaders will be holding a Cheer Clinic for kids age 5-2.
The clinic on October 1 will be held in the new gym from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m. Participants will be taught proper stretch techniques, sideline cheers and chants, dances and more. Each athlete will receive a t-shirt and take part in a pre-game cheer and the run-through for the game on October 7.
Click here to print a registration form.
Lipscomb Elementary Art Teacher Named Best in State
September 22, 2016
Sally Miller of R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School has been named the 2016 Florida Art Education Association’s “Elementary Teacher of the Year”.
She has a degree in art for the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s in education from the University of West Florida. She has taught at the elementary level for 19 years, and f0r 10 years she taught the art education classes at UWF. Miller has received the Best in Show award for art educators at the Pensacola Museum of Art several times, and she has been awarded first, second and third place awards at the Artel Gallery in Pensacola.
Miller was recognized Tuesday night by the Escambia County School Board and Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.
Northview Football Names Players Of The Week
September 22, 2016
The Northview Chiefs have named Players of the Week from their game last Friday night against Chipley.
They are:
OFFENSE
Luke Ward – Passing: 11-25, 219 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; Rushing: 11 att., 258 yards, 3 TD
DEFENSE
Neikel Robinson – 1 tackle, 53 yard interception return for TD
Ohijie Elliott – 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks
SPECIAL TEAMS
Seth Killam — 3-4 PAT, Onside kick recovered by Northview
DOMINATOR
Luke Ward — Hit on #4 on Chipley sideline
Hunter Cofield — Hit on #4 middle of field AND block on #53
Pictured top: An onside kick from Seth Killam. Pictured inset: An interception from Northview’s Neikel Robinson. Pictured below: Ohijie Elliot with a tackle. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Man Passes Away From Wreck Injuries
September 21, 2016
A Molino man has died from injuries he received in a single vehicle crash near Molino early Saturday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 26-year old Raymond O. Mastrangelo lost control of his 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier, left the roadway and slammed into a utility pole about 1:10 a.m. Saturday on Highway 95A near Chipper Road. Mastrangelo was transported by ambulance as a “trauma alert” to Sacred Heart Hospital where he later passed away.
Mastrangelo was wearing his seat belt, and the crash was not alcohol related, according to the FHP.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Approves $434 Million Budget, Fire Tax Increase
September 21, 2016
The Escambia County Commission voted Tuesday night to approve a $434 million budget, while holding out part of an economic development group’s funding and raising the county tax.
The budget is $22 million higher than last year and up $78 million over 2013.
About one-fourth of the budget will go toward crime — $55.5 million to the Sheriff’s Office and $46.5 million to the county’s corrections department. Public Safety will receive $43 million, $26 million to public works, $25.4 million to human resources, $19.5 million to the landfill and solid waste, $19 million to Neighborhood and Human Services, and $12.7 million to ECAT.
Escambia County’s property tax, or millage rate, is unchanged 6.6165 The county fire tax increases from $100 to $125 to staff additional fire stations south of Nine Mile Road with paid personnel.
The commission voted to hold back 75 percent of their $550,000 allocation to the economic development group FloridaWest. Commissioner Doug Underhill has expressed concerns about how the group spends public money and the number of jobs that it has created.
Sunny, Low 90’s Today
September 21, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. North wind around 5 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
FDLE Seeks Statewide Anti-Terrorism Squads
September 21, 2016
Intent on preventing another mass nightclub shooting or a repeat of incidents this past weekend in New York and New Jersey, Florida’s top cop wants to bulk up the state’s anti-terrorism efforts.
As state lawmakers face the prospect of a lean budget for the upcoming fiscal year, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday rolled out a proposed 7 percent increase in spending, a $20 million hike, along with a desire to extend federal terrorism statutes to state law enforcement.
FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen told Gov. Rick Scott and Cabinet members that legislative proposals from the agency include a measure to criminalize “certain terrorism-related activities” at the state level.
After the meeting, Swearingen said additional details about changes to state laws would be available as the legislation is drafted and advanced. The annual legislative session starts in March, with the fiscal 2017-2018 budget taking effect July 1.
“These laws will give the state the same authority that currently only federal agencies can pursue,” he said.
About $6 million of the requested funding hike would cover the cost of seven anti-terrorism squads, including an agent-in-charge, 37 specialists and eight analysts.
One of the squads would be assigned to work with federal agencies in Miami, Swearingen said after the presentation.
“I attended funerals with the governor,” Swearingen said in recalling the aftermath of the June mass murder inside the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. “I went to the morgue. We can never let that happen again here in Florida. … I think these positions will help us to do that.”
The proposal was welcomed by Scott and Cabinet members.
“I am pleased to see you taking elements of anti-terrorism legislation that has historically been left to federal statute and rolling it into state (law),” Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said. “I’m a little surprised it hadn’t already been done.”
Scott, who abstained from a vote to accept the agency’s budget proposal, will use the input to help craft his own budget proposal for lawmakers to consider in the 2017 session. FDLE’s budget this year totals $293 million.
After the meeting, Scott said the state needs to be ready to spend more to combat terrorism.
“We know what happened in Pulse, where 49 individuals lost their lives and then we had all those people injured,” Scott said. “So we all have to understand that we live in a time where people want to do harm to our country.”
In addition to the funding request, of which about $9.5 million would come from trust funds rather than the general revenue, Swearingen said the agency is reinvigorating the “See something, say something” program. He pointed to this weekend’s bomb-related incidents in New York and New Jersey.
“The incidents in New York and New Jersey, had it not been for someone calling in a suspicious item, those bombs would have gone off during the race, which would have been similar to the Boston Marathon,” Swearingen said. “The same when he (the suspect) was captured. Someone called it in.”
A single suspect has reportedly been arrested in the New Jersey and New York incidents. One of the pipe bombs tied to the suspect went off without causing injuries before runners were to participate in a charity 5K race in Seaside Park, N.J.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Cross Country Meet Goes Gold For Childhood Cancer
September 21, 2016
The Northview Chiefs hosted a three-school cross country meet on Thursday with a focus on not only beating best finish times, but also on beating childhood cancer.
Members of the Northview and Ernest Ward cross country teams wore gold bandanas during the meet in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
For a photo gallery, click here.
(Results are below photo, scroll down)
Meet results were as follows:
Fastest Girl- Kristin Coleman from Flomaton 27:09
Fastest boy- Brandon Korinchak from Northview 19:09
Girls
- Northview
- Flomaton
- Ernest Ward
Boys
- Northview
- Flomaton
- Ernest Ward
Top 5 Runners for each School
Northview
- Marissa Rothrock 29:00
- Jasmine Elliott 29:11
- Lexxi Baggett 32:02
- Rebekah Amerson 32:12
- Hannah McGahan 32:14
- Brandon Korinchak 19:09
- Tanner Levins 21:39
- Oscar Rodriguez 22:07
- Adrian King 25:04
- Josiah Stilwell 25:05
Ernest Ward
- Leah Anderson 34:06
- Autumn Williams 36:56
- Shelby Godwin 37:30
- Emily Levins 37:52
- Kacy Knable 39:37
- Dakota Bryan 30:04.o5
- Levi Kirkpatrick 30:04.66
- Kole Stewart 30:05.0
- Braedan McGhee 30.05.25
- Eric Amerson 35:08
Flomaton
- Kristin Coleman 27:09
- Charley Boutwell 31:39
- Patricia Rogers 34:32
- Cheris Rogers 34:56
- Makenzie Morrison 35:10
- Dwayne Hamby 19:37
- Dustin Reaves 21:37
- Dylan Patterson 22:02
- Will Rolin 27:06
- Dustin Martin 31:44
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Charged With Setting His Girlfriend On Fire
September 21, 2016
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man that they say threw gasoline on his girlfriend and then lit her on fire.
The incident happened early Tuesday morning in the 1600 block of Blackwell Lane. Deputies said 39-year old Tavares Antwan Lewis got into an argument before he set her on fire. She was transported to a local hospital; her condition has not been released.
Lewis has been charged with aggravated battery and is being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $250,000.