Century Man Charged With Stealing Lunch, Steak Knife From Restaurant
October 13, 2017
A Century man is facing multiple charges after allegedly failing to pay for a meal and stealing a steak knife from a local restaurant.
Na’Keetric Devonte Davison, 25, was charged with committing a third degree felony with a weapon, possession of cocaine, retail theft and petit theft for the incident Wednesday.
The Southern Panhandle restaurant reported that Davison left the restaurant without paying for his $21.48 lunch and was walking north on North Century Boulevard. Responding Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies caught up with Davison near Zion Street.
After being instructed to keep his hands out of his pockets, Davison reached back into his pockets, prompting a deputy to draw his weapon and order Davison to remove his hands, according to an arrest report. After he was placed in handcuffs, deputies reported finding a restaurant steak knife in his pocket. When it was removed, a small plastic bag containing what was later identified as crack cocaine fell to the ground.
A restaurant staff member was able to positively identify Davison as the person who did not pay for lunch and identify the steak knife as belonging to the business.
Davison was remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $3,000.
Two Days Of Record Highs, Sunny Again Today
October 13, 2017
For the second time in a row, the Pensacola hit a new record high on Thursday. The mercury hit 92 on Thursday, breaking the old record of 90 set in 1991 for October 12.
On Wednesday, the old record of 89 set in 1985 for October 11 was broken with a new record high of 91.
Here is your official National Weather Service Forecast:
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
International Women’s Group Visits Molino Farm
October 13, 2017
Escambia County Extension hosted an international women’s group at the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino.
The group included a bank manager from the Bahrain Development Bank, founding director and owner of Belize National Paper Converters, a professor from Escuela Superior de Economia y Negocios (ESEN) in El Salvador, the executive director from Maple Trading Co. in Burma, proprietor of TiGA Swimwear in Gambia, the founder and director general of Red oint Kazakhstan LLP, the co-founder and director of Lemur Legal Limited, Slovenia, and a Ph.D. researcher and consultant from Sudan.
Pictured top: Debbie Gilmore (far left) of the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino joined Escambia County Extension in hosting an international women’s group Thursday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Pine Meadow Elementary Carnival, Basket Auction Is Saturday
October 13, 2017
The annual Pine Meadow Elementary School Carnival will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the school, 10001 Omar Avenue. Pictured are just few of the baskets available in the basket auction. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Offering Free Smoke Detectors To Local Residents
October 13, 2017
Escambia Fire Rescue is offering to install a new smoke detector with a 10-year battery at no charge for local residents.
Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained play a vital role in reducing fire deaths and injuries. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a working smoke alarm cuts the chances of dying in a reported fire in half. Almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
For information about obtaining a home smoke detector, call 850-595-HERO (4376).
October 8-14 is National Fire Prevention Week.
Tonight’s High School Football Schedule
October 13, 2017
Here’s a schedule of high school football games in the North Escambia area tonight.
For live scores from select games tonight, like our Facebook page or follow @northescambia on Twitter.
FLORIDA
Catholic at Northview 7 p.m.
Tate at Escambia 7 p.m.
Pine Forest at Washington 7 p.m.
West Florida at Panama City Bay 7 p.m.
Panama City Arnold at Pensacola High 7 p.m.
Navarre at Milton 7:30 p.m.
Gulf Breeze at Pace 7:30 p.m.
OPEN: Jay
ALABAMA
Thomasville at Escambia County (Atmore) 7 p.m.
Lighthouse Christian at Escambia Academy 7 p.m.
T.R. Miller at Flomaton 7 p.m.
UMS-Wright at W.S. Neal 7 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Ernest Ward Middle Defeats Gulf Shores 14-12
October 13, 2017
The Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles defeated Gulf Shores Middle School 14-12 Thursday night in Walnut Hill.
The Eagles will round out their season with two games against Flomaton. Ernest Ward will play at Flomaton at 6 p.m. Monday, while Flomaton will be at Ernest Ward on October 23.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Molino Park Elementary School Students Learn Fire Safety
October 13, 2017
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue visited Molino Park Elementary School for National Fire Prevention Week. Students learned about fire safety, smoke detectors, safe meeting locations and “stop, drop and roll”. They also learned what to do and what might happen if they are in a car accident and saw an extrication demonstration. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Johnnie Wilson Davis
October 13, 2017
Johnnie Wilson Davis, age 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Grand Bay, Alabama on Monday afternoon, October 9, 2017.
Johnnie was born on September 5, 1934, in Davisville, Florida to the late Homer J. and Nellie Dove Davis. He was married to Gladys Smith Davis for almost 40 years. He lived in Cantonment, Florida and was a member of the First Baptist Church, prior to moving to Grand Bay. Johnnie was the Payroll Supervisor for St. Regis/Champion Paper Company, and retired with over 39 years of service. He was a willing employee that took pride in his work and made sure the job got done. He was a member of the Cantonment Volunteer Fire Department. Johnnie served in many capacities with Harvesters Federal Credit Union and Central Credit Union of Florida in the Tri-County Area, even after he retired. He was an avid fisherman, and an expert at sculling a boat and fly-fishing. He loved his family, and had a wonderful sense of humor.
Johnnie was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers; three sisters; and his loving mother-in-law, Daisy Bray, who he dearly missed.
He is survived by his wife, Gladys Smith Davis of Grand Bay, Alabama; four daughters, Denise (Ed) Tisdale of Pace, Florida, Donna (Andy) Helms Thomason of Pensacola, Florida, Jeanie (Charlie) Tolbert of Grand Bay, Alabama, Janet (Monte) Necaise of Harlston, Mississippi; an adopted daughter, Debbie (Harry) Turner of Theodore, Alabama; as well as two brothers, Bobbie Davis of Stockton, Alabama and Jimmie (Sharon) Davis of Davisville, Florida; his sister, Eleanor (Tete) Stabler, of Greenville, Alabama; nine grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Active pallbearers were grandsons, Kyle Jernigan, Billy Helms, Mike Bradley, Jonathan Tisdale, Eric Raley, Daniel Necaise and Casey Necaise.
Services were held held Thursday, October 12, 2017, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel in Atmore, Alabama, with Bro. Harry Turner officiating.
Burial was in Pine Barren Baptist Church Cemetery in Davisville, Florida.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Grand Bay Library, P.O. Box 274, Grand Bay, Alabama 36541.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Hurricane Costs Taking Toll On State Budget
October 13, 2017
Hurricane recovery efforts have already cost the state budget more than $141 million and are likely to increase, the Senate Appropriations Committee was told Thursday.
“The news isn’t good,” Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, said. “And I don’t think it’s fake news either.”
The extra spending has been authorized by Gov. Rick Scott in a series of budget amendments, using his emergency powers invoked because of Hurricane Irma last month.
A new tally of the amendments on Thursday included: $25 million for the Florida National Guard; $12 million for food, ice, water and transportation; $36 million for debris removal; $6 million for mosquito control; and $27.6 million related to the operation of the state Division of Emergency Management.
Additionally, Scott has authorized a $25 million interest-free loan program for citrus farmers, whose crops were devastated by the storm, and another $10 million “bridge” loan program.
Citing Florida’s experience during the record hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research, said other major costs loom, including a state match for federal emergency funding, affordable-housing funding and beach-restoration costs.
In the aftermaths of the 2004 and 2005 storms, Florida had to come up with more than $400 million each year to match funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Baker said the prior match was 25 percent from the state, with 75 percent from the federal government, although it could be modified this year by the federal government.
The state spent some $358 million in affordable-housing projects over the last two major hurricane seasons. And Baker said lawmakers should “pencil in” a potential $80 million beach-restoration effort based on preliminary estimates.
For context, the 2004 storms cost the state $791 million and the 2005 storms cost $626 million, according to Baker’s report.
The storm costs also come as the hurricane season has disrupted the state’s economy. Baker said in the short term the storms are expected to reduce state revenue, including sales taxes. In the longer term, state revenue may increase as insurance payments are spent and storm-recovery construction occurs.
But Baker and other state analysts who studied the prior hurricane seasons expect the net financial impact of the 2017 season to be negative. In the 2005 season, the state spent $626 million, while reaping only $422 million in increased revenue.
“What you have at this moment in time is just a snapshot,” Baker told the senators. “There will a lot more positive and negative happening over the next few months.”
After the meeting, Latvala told reporters the outlook for the next budget year, which begins July 1, is “pretty dim.”
“We don’t really have any extra money,” he said.
Latvala and other senators also raised concerns about Scott using his emergency authority to spend money without legislative involvement.
The state has a formal process where the Joint Legislative Budget Commission can amend the budget when the Legislature is not in session.
“I’m hopeful that we will be able to get back into a regular (budget) process,” Latvala said.
The Senate committee also heard about the extensive storm damage in the Florida Keys from Rep. Holly Raschein, R-Key Largo, and Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami.
“The Keys are slowly coming back and are open again,” Flores said. “They are going to need our help, not just in the short term but certainly in the long term.”
Raschein talked about “mountains” of storm debris, a Marathon hospital that will have to be rebuilt and a county emergency operations center that had to be abandoned during the storm.
Latvala said helping the Keys with issues like workforce housing and rebuilding projects will be one of his priorities.
“In the past hurricanes, we have had legislation that has gone into direct capital efforts like that to restore communities and I am hopeful we will be able to do that this time as well,” he said.
by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida