Warm Today, But Turning Cooler On Friday
December 14, 2017
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 65.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 61.
Search Warrant Uncovers Drugs, Woman Charged With Drug Trafficking
December 14, 2017
An Escambia County woman was arrested for drug trafficking after narcotics investigators served a search warrant at her arrest.
Jennifer Lynn Thomann, 38, was charged with cocaine trafficking, hydrocodone trafficking, possession of marijuana with the intent to sell manufacture or deliver, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office recently executed a search warrant at a home on Country Place Circle, just off East Kingsfield Road.
According to an arrest report, investigators found a total of 28.5 grams of of cocaine, 730.6 grams of marijuana and 150 hydrocodone pills. Several firearms and ammunition and nearly $18,000 in cash were also seized.
Thomann remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $205,500.
14 Escambia Road Division Employees Honored For Work During Snow Event
December 14, 2017
Over a dozen Escambia County Roads and Bridges employees spent many hours last weekend working to keep North Escambia’s bridges open during our rare snow event.
They kept county bridges sanded for safety as ice formed on them. Crews also worked to keep the dirt portion of Jakes Road passable — which is a detour for an emergency bridge closure on Nokomis Road.
On Wednesday, Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry and Public Works Deputy Director Wes Moreno delivered 20 dozen hot doughnuts to the employees at the Escambia County Road Department in Cantonment. Special recognition was given to the 14 employees that worked throughout weekend to keep North Escambia moving during the snow and ice.
The employees honored were: Jackie Godwin, Sam Davis, Clifford Amerson, Jonathon Cardwell, Leslie Barnes and Allen Holland for their work on Jakes and Pineville Roads; and Randy Brasch, Aubrey Winslow, Mike Troche, Mike Ford, Blake Scruggs, Ernest Anderson, Adam Smith and Kenny Phillips for their work sanding bridges. Matt Avery was the supervisor on call for both events.
Pictured: These 14 Escambia County Road Division employees worked to keep North Escambia moving during last weekend’s snow and ice event. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured below: Sand on icy bridges (top to bottom) Highway4 at Canoe Creek, North Highway 99 in Bratt and Highway 164 near Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Thursday: Lane And Ramp Closures Planned On I-10 Near Hwy 29
December 14, 2017
Drivers will encounter the following traffic impacts on I-10 near Highway 29 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday as crews perform striping work.
- Alternating lane closures on I-10 eastbound near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B).
- The on-ramps from U.S. 29 to I-10 eastbound will be intermittently closed. U.S. 29 southbound traffic will be detoured to Diamond Dairy Road to make a U-turn and access I-10. U.S. 29 northbound traffic will be detoured to Broad Street to make a U-turn and access I-10. The ramps will not be closed at the same time.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather
First Aviation Maintenance Class Graduating From George Stone
December 14, 2017
The first Aviation Maintenance Class at George Stone Technical Center is graduating the FFA certified two-year program this week. Photos by Andrew McKay, NewsRadio 1620, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scott Orders Steps To Prevent Sexual Harrassment In State Government
December 14, 2017
In the midst of a scandal jolting the Florida Senate, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday ordered state agency heads to adopt a sexual harassment policy that requires training for workers and spells out procedures for reporting and investigating complaints.
Scott issued an executive order detailing the steps agency heads must immediately take to address the issue of sexual harassment, as the Senate conducts twin investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by Sen. Jack Latvala.
“Every agency was doing it a little bit differently. What this does is set up a process where we have clear expectations of what the training would be and what the reporting process would be. It’s all just to make sure that we have a process that works,” the governor told reporters after a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.
Scott’s order applies to agencies under his control, which does not include the Legislature. But it comes as the Senate deals with allegations by a Senate aide, Rachel Perrin Rogers, who accused Latvala of groping her on several occasions and making unwelcome comments about her body.
Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who in August announced his candidacy for governor, has steadfastly maintained that he did not touch Perrin Rogers or any other woman inappropriately.
As the probes continue, the fallout from the allegations has continued to escalate. Perrin Rogers, who serves as Senate Majority Leader Wilton Simpson’s chief district aide, hired an armed security guard to accompany her in the Capitol last week. Lily Tysinger, who once worked alongside Perrin Rogers in the Senate Majority Office and who accused her former colleague of creating a “hostile” work environment, filed a defamation lawsuit against her one-time friend.
Perrin Rogers and her lawyers have accused Latvala and his supporters of waging a retaliation campaign against Perrin Rogers and her husband, Republican political consultant Brian Hughes. Latvala has complained that the process is stacked against him and that he is being targeted by his political foes, including Hughes. Lawyers on both sides have leaked text-message exchanges to the press that they believe bolster their cases.
Scott hasn’t expressly joined a handful of senators who have called on Latvala to resign, but he has called the veteran lawmaker a “distraction” in the Senate and said Latvala should step down if the allegations are true.
Under the order issued Wednesday, which builds on state and federal law, agency heads must provide sexual harassment training for all employees, as well as additional instruction for managers and supervisors.
Also, each agency must designate someone other than workers’ immediate supervisors — possibly the director of human resources or the general counsel — to receive complaints regarding sexual harassment.
The agencies must conduct a “prompt review” of all complaints, and “take steps to protect the privacy of those involved” during the reviews and investigations and “protect against the disclosure of personal identifying information of a victim in an allegation of sexual harassment.”
Perrin Rogers stepped forward and identified herself as one of six unnamed women in a Politico Florida story last month that first detailed the allegations against Latvala. Perrin Rogers said she went public after Latvala essentially revealed her identity to the media.
Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, filed a complaint against Latvala with the Senate Rules Committee, accusing him of improperly taking steps to “out” Perrin Rogers.
Scott’s new policy also requires state agencies, to the extent possible, to eliminate contact between complainants and the subjects of the complaints until the investigations are resolved.
“Basically, for all of our executive agencies, it has a reporting process, an investigation process and a training process. All of it is to do everything we can to protect the people that work in state government,” he said Wednesday.
The governor’s action is “a step in the right direction,” according to Tiffany Cruz, a lawyer representing Perrin Rogers.
“Every employer should have a process in place for people to safely come forward without fear of retribution. The process should require that confidentiality be adhered to and there should be consequences if it is violated,” she said.
The training procedures outlined in Scott’s policy are especially significant, Cruz said.
“It is important that those who an employee is to report such harassment to are properly trained in how to accept those complaints and appropriately address the employee’s concerns,” she said.
The Senate has come under fire for revamping its sexual harassment reporting procedure after Sen. Jeff Clemens — a Lake Worth Democrat who was slated to take over as head of the Senate Minority Office next year — resigned. Clemens stepped down in late October after admitting he had an extramarital affair with a lobbyist.
Under the Senate’s current policy, employees can make complaints to “anyone they feel comfortable speaking with,” according to a memo distributed by Senate President Joe Negron in late October. Senate rules also allow anyone to file a sworn complaint against a senator with the Rules Committee.
The Senate is now updating its policy, a task being managed by Rules Chairwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers.
Responding to Scott’s order, Negron reiterated that the Senate has “zero tolerance” for sexual harassment or misconduct.
“State government should lead by example in instituting policies that ensure employees feel safe when they come to work and comfortable to confidentially report inappropriate behavior by any person. I appreciate Governor Scott’s initiative on this important issue. As public and private entities around the country review their own policies related to sexual and workplace harassment, the Senate is also participating in this important dialogue,” Negron said, pointing to Benacquisto’s work to update the chamber’s policy on harassment and the dual investigations into the allegations against Latvala.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
The Polar Express: Big Day For Camp Fire VPK Kids
December 14, 2017
The VPK class at the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center had a fun day Wednesday watching The Polar Express, drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies. The children wore their pajamas to school, like the children in the movie. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia School Choice Open Enrollment Deadline Is Friday
December 14, 2017
Parents and families of all 5th through 9th grade students in Escambia County are reminded that the deadline for middle and high school open enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is December 15th.
The online application is available on the School Choice website, http://www.ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/SchoolChoice.
Anyone needing assistance can call 850-469-5580 for help or come by the School Choice office in the J.E. Hall Center located at 30 East Texar Drive.
Man Gets Life In Prison For Murdering His Girlfriend Near Jay
December 14, 2017
A Jay man will spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering his girlfriend in Santa Rosa County last year.
Christopher Warrick has been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for second degree murder, aggravated battery and aggravated assault.
His conviction stemmed from a domestic dispute resulting in a shooting that occurred on July 11, 2016 off Tractor Trail Road in Jay, Florida. Warrick shot his girlfriend, Barbara Wolfe, and her daughter, Kimberly Horne. Wolfe died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Horne suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and survived.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Stock Broker Convicted In ‘Complex” Scam That Took $1 Million From Widow
December 14, 2017
An Escambia County stock broker was convicted Tuesday of a complex white collar crime that defrauded multiple people, including a widow that lost over $1 million.
In a jury trail that lasted over a week, Ronald Clark Ball was convicted of nine felony charges, including three counts of grand theft, two counts of money laundering, two counts of racketeering, and one count of criminal solicitation. He faces a minimum of 16.7 years with a maximum of 160 years in state prison when sentenced next month by Circuit Judge Thomas Dannheisser.
The prosecutor, Assistant State Attorney Russell Edgar, said the case was a complex white collar crime matter involving multiple victims and thousands of financial transactions.
The case was investigated by the Office of State Attorney based on a complaint referred by the FBI that Ball had defrauded a physician’s widow of more than $1 million of life insurance proceeds.
Prosecutors presented testimony and evidence that showed Ball, a suspended stock broker, obtained the widow’s money under the pretense he would invest life insurance proceeds for her benefit. Instead he used sham companies, to misappropriate the victim’s money, laundered it through multiple brokerage and bank accounts and then used more than $800 thousand for himself.
Using the same sham companies, Ball obtained more than $300 thousand from credit card companies, an auto finance company, a bank, and a mortgage loan company under false pretenses.
After his arrest, Ball sent a threatening text to the physician’s widow and tried to hide evidence of his actions from investigators. Ball solicited his brother to remove a laptop, e-drive, cell phone and papers from Ball’s house. Investigators discovered Ball’s plan, obtained a warrant, and seized items before they could be removed. Investigators testified they found multiple incriminating items of evidence in Ball’s house, including forged and altered business documents and computer images of the widow’s signature.