Corrections Captain Receives Hero Medal After Holman Prison Uprising
July 15, 2017
Alabama Department of Corrections Captain, Kevin J. Bishop, was presented the Soldier’s Medal by Governor Kay Ivey during a ceremony at the State Capitol.
Bishop, who is a staff sergeant in the Alabama Army National Guard, received the award for his heroic actions on March 11, 2016, when inmates gained control of a dorm at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore.
The award’s citation credits Bishop for rescuing the prison warden from imminent danger without regard for his own personal safety, and preventing the violence from spreading to other parts of the facility.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. on March 11, 2016, correctional officers at Holman Prison were called to a disturbance in one of the prison dorms. In the process of breaking up a fight among several inmates, a correctional officer was stabbed.
On receiving the report of the stabbing, the warden, Bishop, and a corrections captain entered the dorm. While assessing the situation, a lone inmate attacked and stabbed the warden multiple times in the back and head. Bishop responded to the attack by deflecting the inmate’s follow-on attempts to stab the warden; shielding him and applying pressure to the warden’s wounds. Bishop was able to hold off the inmate and successfully lead the warden and the other officers out of the dorm to safety.
In addition, Bishop assured emergency medical services and the corrections emergency response team were mobilized in response to the incident.
Despite being injured in the attack, Bishop remained on duty and initiated measures to ensure the disturbance was contained.
“It is always a dangerous situation when violence erupts,” said Bishop. “I did not hesitate to respond to the aid of another in this situation. This is not something someone plans on doing when they wake up each day. I would hope my fellow officers would take the same actions in my time of need.”
Bishop added that he was prepared to handle the incident because of his military training and years of experience in corrections.
The Soldier’s Medal is the highest non-combat award for heroism for a member of the United States Army, or Reserve Component who performs a heroic act while not serving in a military duty status.
“With extraordinary courage and selflessness, Captain Bishop safeguarded his warden and fellow officers while taking appropriate action to resolve a very dangerous situation,” said Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn. “Captain Bishop is an exceptional leader and we are grateful for his service to the Department of Corrections.”
Bishop said he never set out in his career in the National Guard or Department of Corrections to receive awards or accolades and has always tried to serve his state and country by following the Army values.
“Receiving the Soldier’s Medal is an overwhelming honor, and I accept the award on behalf of all the men and women who place themselves in harm’s way each and every day without reward or recognition,” Bishop said.
Bishop, a 1997 graduate of the Alabama Corrections Academy, rose through the ranks and received a promotion to captain in 2013. He is assigned to the G.K. Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore where he serves as a senior corrections supervisor.
In 2004, Bishop enlisted in the Alabama Army National Guard and is trained as a combat medic and healthcare NCO with the Medical Detachment – Alabama based in Birmingham. Bishop’s military service includes multiple tours to Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Captain Bishop is a fine example of the men and women who serve in the Department of Corrections,” Governor Ivey said. “Captain Bishop is a hero for both our country and our state, and I am honored to have played a role in honoring him for his efforts.”
Pictured top: Governor Kay Ivey Presents the Soldier’s Medal to Staff Sgt. Kevin J. Bishop Adjutant General Perry Smith is pictured right. Pictured below: (L-R) Jimmy Kilcrease (grandfather), Mearlene Bishop (grandmother), Ashlee Bishop (daughter), Staff Sgt. Kevin Bishop, Governor Kay Ivey, Vicki Bishop (mother), Watson Bishop (father), Back row: Joe Moseley (grandfather), Elaine Moseley (grandmother). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Nelson Pitches Plan To Ease Student Debt
July 15, 2017
Meeting with college students and recent graduates dealing with the burden of student debt, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Friday outlined legislation that would cap rates on federal undergraduate loans at 4 percent and allow the refinancing of older loans at lower rates.
In describing his bill on the Senate floor earlier this week, Nelson said the class of 2016 graduated with a national average of $37,000 in student loans.
“Instead of sending our graduates off to be creative and conquer the world, we’re sending them with a tremendous amount of debt that they are struggling to afford,” Nelson said.
The Democratic senator also noted the federal government raised the interest rate on undergraduate loans from 3.76 percent to 4.45 percent on July 1 for loans issued in the coming academic year.
Under Nelson’s bill, interest rates on undergraduate loans would be capped at 4 percent. Graduate loans would be capped at 5 percent. And loans arranged by parents would be at 6 percent.
The legislation would also lift a prohibition against refinancing older loans, allowing students who have high-interest loans to refinance them under the caps. The bill would also eliminate a loan origination fee that the federal government charges.
“What we are trying to do is to make this more affordable and uniform,” Nelson said. “Now, if somebody says, `Well, that means that the government is going to subsidize when the rate goes higher than 4 percent,’ then that’s right. Why? Because to have an educated workforce is in the interest of the country.”
Nelson’s remarks came during a meeting in Tallahassee with six students who attend or recently graduated from Florida State University or Florida A&M University.
The students all described facing debt loads of more than $30,000, with interest rates as high as 6.8 percent.
Louis Baptiste, who graduated from Florida A&M and earned a law degree from Florida State, said he is employed at a Tallahassee law firm but faces more than $100,000 in loan repayments.
“The student loan debt, it’s real for me because right now I’m in the process of buying a home,” Baptiste said. “But the loan debt is actually preventing me at the current time from buying a home.”
Nelson said student loan debt, which tripled from $531 billion in 2006 to $1.3 trillion a decade later, is second only to home mortgage debt.
“You can take all the credit card loans in the entire country and it’s not as much debt as student loan debt,” Nelson said. “It tells you the enormity of the situation.”
Nelson isn’t the only Florida lawmaker interested in helping ease the loan burden on students. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., have filed a bill that would limit loan repayments to 10 percent of the student’s annual income, with a $10,000 offset.
For instance, a graduate who had a job paying $40,000 a year, would not have to make more than $3,000 in loan repayments, which represents 10 percent of $30,000.
Nelson called the Rubio-Warner legislation “a good idea” and said it could be incorporated in the loan reform package.
On other topics Friday, Nelson predicted the latest U.S. Senate health-care legislation, which seeks to repeal and replace Obamacare, is not likely to pass the chamber.
“I think it’s dead,” Nelson said. “I think there are going to be some broken Senate Republican arms, but they’ve got two (senators) against. They can’t afford another senator (to oppose the plan).”
Citing Medicaid cuts and the elimination of health-care coverage for “millions of people,” Nelson called the measure “just as bad” as earlier versions of the legislation advanced in Congress.
Nelson also said President Donald Trump should disband a “voter-integrity” commission after most states refused to turn over voter information to the federal panel.
“Why should the federal government collect every state’s information in one place so anybody that wants to go and hack that information, it makes it so easy for Vladimir (Putin) to suddenly go in and find out all kinds of personal things,” Nelson said.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida
July Gardening Tips
July 15, 2017
The heat, humidity and frequent rains of July are great for tropical plants. Gardeners, however, take a bit of a beating. Remember to keep the sunscreen, insect repellant and iced tea handy as you venture out into your garden to perform some needed summer maintenance.
A midsummer application of fertilizer is usually required, especially on annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens. This is a supplemental application, so don’t overdo it. A 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Major pruning jobs should have been done earlier, but there is still some maintenance pruning that should be done. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to help insure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, hydrangeas and althea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Flowering annuals also respond well to deadheading. Snip off old flowers and flower spikes before they have an opportunity to form seed. Allowing annual flowers to set seed can shorten their blooming season considerably.
Inspect your lawn and shrub plantings frequently in order to identify pest problems as early as possible. The most severe damage from pest insects normally begins in July. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass; spittlebugs in centipede grass; sod webworm in all lawns-especially new ones; lacebug and caterpillars on azaleas; whiteflies on gardenia and spider mites on lots of different types of shrubs.
Sod webworms often attack lawns in the summer. They eat the grass blades producing areas that look as if they have been mowed too short. Close inspection will reveal that the blades have not been cleanly cut as with a mower blade but have been chewed along their edges and tips. These caterpillars feed at night and rest during the day down among the runners and in the thatch.
Once an insect pest is found, evaluate the damage and determine if control is necessary. If it is, choose the least toxic option. If only a few caterpillars are found, hand picking might be the choice. Aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. Chemical insecticides are sometimes required. Before choosing one be sure that the insect pest has been properly identified and that the insecticide is labeled for that purpose For vegetable gardeners that have problems with nematodes, soil borne diseases and extensive weed problems, July is a great time to try soil solarization.
Prepare the soil as you normally would for a vegetable garden including adding organic matter. Moisten the area and cover with clear plastic, not black plastic. Clear plastic will produce the highest temperatures. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the plastic so that it doesn’t blow up. Allow the soil to bake in the sun for four to six weeks. The sun will raise the soil temperature high enough to kill many soil borne problems.
Tip of the Week: The nice thing about tomatoes is that you have the option of harvesting when the fruit is green if needed. Tomatoes will ripen indoors at room temperature. To ensure even ripening, place the tomato with the stem up. The ideal time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully colored but still firm.
In general, it is best to harvest vegetables early in the mornings while the moisture content is higher. The overall quality will quickly diminish as vegetables are exposed to hotter temperatures later in the day.
Dale Ray Riddick
July 15, 2017
Dale R. Riddick (59) of Baker, FL passed away on Friday, July 14, 2017. He was born on August 22, 1957, in Orlando, FL, raised in Ocean Springs, MS. Dale was the general manager of WOW 90.9 and WOW 101.1 (Pensacola).
He is preceded in death by his father, Billy Ray Riddick.
Dale is survived by his wife, Sandra Riddick; daughters, Anna Riddick and Amy (Richard) Groover; son, Daniel (Jennifer) Riddick; and grandchildren, Henry, Oliver and Ivy Groover and Braden and Laney Riddick; mother, Joan Riddick; sisters, Lisa (Tony) Karnes and Anita (Randy) Champagne; nieces, Kayla (Dalton) Parker, Julianna and Chloe Champagne; and nephew, Colton Karnes.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church with Pastor Tommy Thompson and Pastor Tony Karnes officiating.
Burial will follow in Pensacola Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
The visitation will be held one hour prior to services.
Pallbearers will be Michael Stuart, Buddy Maynard, Kevin Peterson, Mark Giles, Russell Maynard and Colton Karnes.
Honorary pallbearers will be Samuel and Nathan Junkins and Aaron and Clayton Maynard.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home South, 100 Beverly Parkway, is in charge of arrangements.
High Humidity, Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
July 15, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Wahoos Top Braves
July 15, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder Tyler Goeddel smacked a double into the left field corner to score shortstop Blake Trahan for the first walk-off hit in his six-year professional career.
The run gave Pensacola a 2-1 victory Friday over the Mississippi Braves in front of 4,221 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The five-game series is tied, 1-1.
“That was nice,” Goeddel admitted, as his teammates mobbed him at second base. ”My previous at bat, he attacked me with a lot of fastballs. I wanted to be aggressive early in the count.”
Goeddel ripped the ball into the left field corner where Mississippi’s Tyler Neslony picked it up and rocketed it to the cutoff man who dropped the ball allowing Trahan to score from first base. It was the Blue Wahoos fourth walk-off this season.
Goeddel has been the batter Pensacola wants at the plate with the game on the line. He drilled a double to center field Tuesday against the Chattanooga Lookouts that propelled the Blue Wahoos to victory. The next day the 24-year-old smoked a line drive over the left field wall to tie the score, 3-3, to lead off the seventh inning. It was his fifth homer of the season.
He has seen his batting average plummet from a high of .292 to a low of .247 in the opener of the five-game series Thursday against Mississippi. Despite going 9-45 in July and 5-33 in his last 10 games, Goeddel said he feels comfortable at the plate. That would explain his two home runs and seven RBIs this month.
“This is the first slump in my life where I still feel good at the plate,” Goeddel said. “I’m just missing pitches. I hope to get a nice streak to finish (the season) off.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Goeddel was one of the best hitters in the Southern League two years ago when he played for the Montgomery Biscuits, hitting 12 homers, driving in 72 RBIs and batting .279. Last year, Goeddel played 92 games with the Philadelphia Phillies and hit .192 in 213 at bats.
“Tyler is a good hitter,” Kelly said. “He’s been going through a tough stretch…but got that big hit tonight.”
Pensacola right-hander Jesus Reyes also came through for the Blue Wahoos Friday in his first Double-A start. The 24-year-old Dominican worked five scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out five.
In 15 starts this season for the High-A Daytona Tortugas, he compiled a 6-5 record and 3.78 ERA. This month, Reyes was 0-2 for the Tortugas but posted a 2.13 ERA.
“I was really impressed,” Kelly said. “His first time out in Double-A, I thought he would be a little anxious and nervous. But he had a good three-pitch mix.”
Mississippi threatened to blow the game wide open in the eighth inning when it loaded the bases with no outs against Pensacola middle reliever Robert Stock. However, Stock got Braves third baseman Austin Riley to ground out into a double play. Mississippi center fielder Steven Gaylor, who lead off the inning with a ground ball past the second baseman into center field, scored to knot the game, 1-1. Stock then struck out first baseman Joey Meneses, who entered the game hitting .298, to end the inning.
“To get out with one run, that was super,” Kelly said.
Pensacola went ahead, 1-0, in the fifth inning when catcher Joe Hudson scored on third baseman Nick Senzel’s chopper to third base that didn’t draw a throw and was ruled a single. Senzel, that MLBPipeline.com ranks as the Cincinnati Reds top prospect, extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
Although Mississippi left-handed starter Tyler Pike walked seven batters, he had not allowed a base hit until Trahan laced a single to left field in the fifth inning. Pike walked a career-high eight in 2.1 innings against the Chattanooga Lookouts in his June 28 start.
Trahan went 3-4 in the game and scored the winning run. Kelly said Trahan has worked hard on his hitting with Cincinnati Reds roving instructors Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. The 23-year-old is batting a career-low .218.
“Blake did a really good job,” Kelly said. “I’m pleased he took what he learned into the game.”
Pensacola evened its record at 11-11 in the second half. The South Division first half champions are 51-41 overall. Mississippi is 5-16 in the second half and 39-52 overall.
Found: Woman Mysteriously Disappears Near Century
July 14, 2017
UPDATE: A woman missing in the woods near Century was found Friday morning in “good” physical condition.
Tiffaney Brooke Daugherty suffered cuts and scrapes. She was found by searchers very near where she was last seen entering the wooded area, according to the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office. She was being transported to an Alabama hospital for evaluation.
There was no word on why she exited her vehicle and entered the heavily wooded area Thursday night;
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Authorities in two states are searching for a woman they say left her vehicle and ran into a wooded area and disappeared Thursday night near Century.
Tiffaney Brooke Daugherty, age 33 of Flomaton, jumped out of her vehicle, leaving behind her two small children, near the intersection of Fannie Road and Carnley Road Thursday night. That’s just northeast of Century in Florida, less than a half mile south of the Alabama/Florida State line.
She had pulled up at a pipeline construction site. A construction worker watched as she entered the wooded area and alerted authorities about 30 minutes later when he realized she had not returned.
Authorities from Alabama and Florida searched the area, described as heavily wooded and swampy, for hours Thursday night. They were still on scene at 1 a.m. Friday, with plans to break for a few hours and return after sunrise. The search included a K-9 Unit from the Century Correctional Institution and a helicopter equipped with a night-vision system. All of the searches were unsuccessful in locating anything but her flip-flops, according to Mike Lambert, chief deputy of the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office.
Daughtery is described as a white female, 5-foot 5-inches tall, about 115 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing black shorts with a pink-flowered shirt and is believed to now be barefoot.
Lambert said there was no indication whey Daughtery would have acted in such a manner. He said she is popular hair stylist with no criminal history and no history of drug or substance abuse.
Anyone with any information on her whereabouts or any tip as why the incident might have occurred is asked to call their law enforcement agency, the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office at (251) 809-0741 or 911.
K-9 Catches Armed Robbery Suspect Red Handed
July 14, 2017
An armed robbery suspect was caught red-handed Wednesday by an Escambia County K-9.
According to investigators, 28-year old Nicholas Anthony Imperial walked into the Smart Fill convenience store about 8:30 p.m. He was wearing a scarf around his face as he pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. When deputies arrived on scene, they used K-9 Django to help track the suspect.
The K-9 found Imperial hiding behind the Maxwell Apartments, they also found the gun he used and the stolen cash. Imperial was arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm or other deadly weapon, use or display of weapon during a felony, and wearing a mask or hood during an armed robbery. He was being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $55,000.
Chiefs End ‘Turbulent Thursday’ With Trip To NAS Museum
July 14, 2017
The Northview Chiefs capped off a great week of workouts with “Turbulent Thursday” with a trip to the Naval Air Museum. The players learned about the history of aviation and the military, the Blue Angels and more. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pensacola Airport Shows Record Traffic
July 14, 2017
Pensacola International Airport had an all-time monthly record number of passengers in June, with a total of 162,618 individuals arriving and departing the facility.
“We appreciate the record number of travelers who made Pensacola International Airport their airport of choice last month,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “We continue to elevate the airport experience for our guests, with new routes, and exciting amenities,” Hayward said. “As a gateway that connects our diverse City to the rest of the world, Pensacola International is a powerful economic engine for our City and the region.”
June passenger totals for the past five years are as follows:
2017: 162,618
2016: 151,450
2015: 155,045
2014: 149,402
2013: 145,632
2012: 143,655