Escambia Sex Offender Sentenced To 40 Years For Receipt Of Child Pornography
September 12, 2018
A registered sex offender living in Escambia County will spend what will likely be the rest of life in prison on child porn charges.
John William Hall, 61, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography.
In 2017, Homeland Security Investigations interviewed a teenage girl whose image had appeared in child pornography recovered in Canada. The girl identified herself in the pornographic pictures and told investigators they were taken when she was around 13 or 14 years old. She said some of the photographs had been taken at Hall’s residence in Pensacola.
In June 2017, law enforcement officers seized Hall’s computers and cellular telephones. A review of Hall’s computer revealed numerous images of child pornography, including pornographic images of children under the age of 12. The investigation showed that Hall had also searched for child pornography on a Russian website known for the distribution of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Canova said: “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, this predator will never be able to hurt another child. This 40-year sentence should serve as a warning to those who would victimize vulnerable children.”
“Justice was served in this case, as this predator received what is essentially a life sentence in prison for his crimes against children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
The case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, Mobile and Pensacola Offices.
Cantonment Man Charged With Battery With A Deadly Weapon After Chair Attack
September 12, 2018
A Cantonment man was arrested after allegedly striking his cousin with a chair.
Eric Lashon Strong, 44, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon for the assault and criminal mischief with property damage for breaking the chair.
The cousin told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that Strong entered his residence, asked him about money and then struck him in the face with the chair. After he fell to the floor, Strong allegedly punch him with his fist. The victim was evaluated and treated by Escambia County EMS for facial injuries and additional pain in the back of his head.
Strong was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $55,000 bond.
Road Shoulder Collapse At Molino Bridge To Be Fixed Under Warranty
September 12, 2018
A road shoulder collapse at a Molino bridge will be repaired under warranty, according to local officials.
A portion of the asphalt shoulder on Molino Road near Sunshine Hill Road collapsed before Tropical Storm Gordon. It did not cause the roadway to collapse and did not impact the bridge itself.
The bridge over Penasula Creek opened in December, replacing a 60-year bridge. The $1.13 million project was funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
PCA, Tate And Northview Teams Place In Cross Country Meet (With Gallery)
September 12, 2018
Pensacola Christian Academy took the top spot among male and female teams during a cross county meet at Northview High School in Bratt.
In addition to PCA and Northview, Tate, Central and Flomaton high schools also took part.
Team results were as follows:
Boys
1st. – Pensacola Christian Academy
2nd – Tate High School
3rd – Northview High School
Central ran individual male runners but not a team.
Girls
1st – Pensacola Christian
2nd – Northview High Schoo
Tate, Flomaton and Central ran individual female male runners but not a team.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Marijuana, Cash Found In Visitors’ Vehicles At Century Prison
September 12, 2018
For the second time in recent days, the Century Correctional Institution K-9 team has found contraband in a visitors’ vehicles on the prison grounds.
The K-9 team alerted on two separate vehicles, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Staff discovered marijuana residue in each vehicle and a large amount of cash inside one vehicle.
No arrests were made; however, warrants were issued for both individuals and their visitations were terminated.
Earlier this month, arrest warrants were issued for two other people that allegedly attempted to sneak cellphones and drugs into CCI after the prison’s K-9 alerted on a vehicle shared by two visitors.
CCI staff reported finding a cellphone, eight chargers and nine SIM cards inside the vehicle. The FDOC said further investigation revealed both visitors to also be in possession of additional contraband on their person including eight cell phones, nine SIM cards, eight chargers and marijuana.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Northview to Host Volleyball Camp (With Scores, Photo Gallery)
September 12, 2018
The Northview Lady Chiefs will host a volleyball camp on Saturday from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. in the school gym for ages third grade and up. The cost is $35.
Participants will receive a t-shirt, free into into a “Gold Digger” event and refreshments. Awards can also be earned.
In junior varsity action Tuesday at Northview, Miller defeated the Lady Chiefs 25-17, 12-25, 15-11. In varsity play, Miller topped Northview 25-15, 25-10, 25-15.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: The Northview JV Lady Chiefs take on T.R. Miller Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Our View: Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2018
We publish this piece on an annual basis, and we encourage you to comment below, answering the question ‘Where Were You That September Morning?
September 11, 2001. It’s been 15 years.
Life, at least when that morning began, seemed good. I’ve always been a work at home dad, so I was home with my two girls. The youngest was almost four months old, and the oldest was approaching her fourth birthday. It was a normal morning. The little one was asleep, “fat and happy” as we used to say, after a morning bottle. The oldest was in the living room just a few feet from my office watching PBS Kids on the TV as I worked on a project for a client.
Then this arrived in my inbox:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 08:52am– World trade center damaged; unconfirmed reports say a plane has
crashed into tower. Details to come.
I got up, walked to the living room and flipped the TV to CNN. They were talking about how a pilot could make such an error, hitting such a large building. They were speculating that it was just a small plane. But then as the TV news helicopters zoomed their cameras in closer, the anchors were beginning to notice what I had already thought….those holes the tower were to big to have been a small plane.
(continues below photo)
I called my wife at work in Atmore. She had seen the breaking news email, and had tried to visit the CNN website to see the story. If you remember trying to use the internet that morning, it was near impossible to get a news website to load; they were all overloaded. She was unable to see the pictures. I was describing what I saw on the TV to her.
I managed to grab a picture from CNN via my web server and then download and email it to her. We were speculating about how it could happen when the second one hit.
I remember saying “wait, hold on, wait…”. I told her what I just watched on the TV. The second plane had hit the other tower. We quickly decided that we were at war as the anchors on TV speculated again that perhaps there was a problem with some navigational system, causing jetliners on a beautiful, clear morning in New York to fly into some of the tallest structures in the world.
Another breaking news email arrived:
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:21am– Second plane crashes into World Trade Center.
She and I began to speculate ourselves that we were at war. What would we do? What should we do? What about the kids? It was not panic, understand, but just that protective momma and daddy instinct, I suppose. Prayer. That was a good idea. Maybe go to the bank and get out a little cash. That seemed like a good idea. How would you prep for a war on American soil? We were not sure.
I continued to relay information about what I was seeing on TV to my wife at work, who, in turn, would relay the information to her coworkers. They had a TV, but no cable service or antenna. They ended up fashioning a homemade antenna to see a fuzzy picture.
Meanwhile, the breaking news emails kept arriving…
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:32am– Sources tell CNN one of two planes that crashed into World Trade
Center was an American Airlines 767.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:42am– President Bush calls plane crashes at World Trade Center a
terrorist act.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:45am– Significant fire at the Pentagon. Details to come.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:46am– White House evactuated. Details to come.
The Pentagon on fire? The White House evacuated? Notice that in CNN’s email they were in such a hurry that they misspelled “evacuated”. One sentence at a time, the situation became more grave.
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 09:55am– CNN confirms a plane hit the Pentagon
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:03am– One of World Trade Center towers collapses; fire forces
evacuation of State Department
Subject: CNN Breaking News
From: BreakingNews@CNN.COM
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 10:30am– Second World Trade Center tower collapses in Manhattan
Over and over, we watched those towers collapse on TV, and we watched our Pentagon burn.
Our almost four year old asked a lot of questions. “Were people hurt? Did they need a Band-aid?” The magnitude of the event was lost on a four year old. Looking back at those first few hours, I think the magnitude of the event was lost on all of us.
Like many Americans, I sat glued to the TV that day, continuing to watch the video of the towers falling. Our almost four year old asked if another building fell down or if it was the same one. It was time to change the channel on the TV.
You might remember that many of the entertainment TV stations ran network news feeds. Others just simply ran screens about the day’s events. There was no USA network, no ESPN, no MTV. But on PBS, we found children’s programming at a time it was not normally on. For a little while, sitting in the living room floor holding my kids, the world stopped turning that September day, as we watched Big Bird and the Cookie Monster.
Country artist Alan Jackson later wrote a song “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?”.
Some of those lyrics:
Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cryDid you weep for the children
Who lost their dear loved ones
And pray for the ones who don’t know
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left belowBut I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith hope and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Where where you when the world stopped turning that September day? Your comments are welcome below.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany Reynolds, click to enlarge.
One Injured In School Zone Crash
September 11, 2018
One person was injured in a traffic accident Tuesday morning in the Northview High school zone.
The crash occurred at Highway 4 and Pine Barren Road. One driver was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview JV Defeats Escambia County High
September 11, 2018
The Northview Chiefs junior varisty football team defeated the Escambia County High School (Atmore) JV team 8-6 on Monday night.
The Blue Devils scored early in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead into the half.The JV Chiefs improve their record to 2-1 and will play next Thursday at Escambia High School in Pensacola at 6:00.
State Attorney’s Investigation Continues In Century; Mayor Seeks To Quiet Council President
September 11, 2018
The State Attorney’s Office inquiry into actions by the Town of Century is continuing, and the mayor is seeking to stop the town council president from talking to others on behalf of the town, according a letter from the mayor.
The letter was distributed to council members at a 5 p.m. budget meeting Monday afternoon. Hawkins attended the 5 p.m. meeting but did not attend a regular council meeting at 7 p.m. The letter was not publicly discussed at either meeting.
Hawkins began the letter with an apparent quote of an email from town attorney Matt Dannheisser.
Dannheisser stated he had spoken to Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille and answered questions concerning possible improprieties regarding the town’s payment of employee wages without sufficient funds in the town’s bank account, possible ethical issues concerning loans to, or failure to replay loans by, current or past members of the town council and possible Sunshine Law violations over a recent meeting with the town’s auditor at which one or more council members may have been present.
The attorney said he has not been asked by the town to provide any legal services, and “other than what has been printed in the media, I am not aware of any particular information” on the insufficient fund and loan issues. NorthEscambia.com has reported on each item questioned.
As for the audit meeting, Dannheisser said he “relayed the substance of the information that I received from (the auditor) as well as my general understanding of the situation”.
“I do not know that there is any action that you need to take at this time; rather I simply wanted you to be aware that the State Attorney’s office is apparently looking into matters involving the Town of Century,” Dannheisser said, according to the mayor’s letter to the council..
On July 25, NorthEscambia.com reported that the council approved a $12,000 loan refinance for council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson, but few details were provided on the loan program. NorthEscambia.com public records requests for loan documentation has gone partially unanswered since July.
On July 27, we reported that Town of Century wrote 41 payroll checks without funds to cover them and missed legally required payroll deposits with the IRS, according to statements by town council President Ann Brooks. [Read story...]
On August 7, NorthEscambia.com first reported that the State Attorney’s Office was reviewing items involving the town of Century. Three council members reportedly attended at least some portion of a closed door meeting with CPA Robert Hudson, Town Clerk Kim Godwin and the town’s auditors. The meeting was not advertised as a public meeting, which would forbid more than one council member from taking part under Florida’s Sunshine Laws.
After the conclusion of the apparent copy of text of Dannheisser’s email, the mayor’s letter continued with concerns about the actions of Council President Ann Brooks.
(Story continues below image, scroll down)
The Mayor’s Problem With The Council President On TV
“Who gave Ms. Brooks the authorization to represent the town via TV or any other public broadcast without Council approval,” Hawkins wrote in his letter presented Monday.
In a WEAR 3 followup to a NorthEscambia.com story, Brooks told the TV station that she learned about the town’s financial problems through public records. She told WEAR in an on-camera interview that “We need to tighten our belts and we need to cut expenses but instead we have department heads asking for more…We have a gas department that is losing money and is bleeding.”
WEAR 3 and NorthEscambia.com are media partners, often sharing news, photos and videos. WEAR 3 and NorthEcambia.com do not share ownership.
In a story about a week later about the State Attorney’s Office review of financial matters and possible Sunshine Law violations in Century, Hawkins blamed problems on the fact that he is black and poor spending by the town council.
“Bottom line now is, you can put on record or off the record I don’t care, bottom line now is that’s a black man taking care of business,” Hawkins said in a recorded interview with WEAR 3 in August.
The Mayor’s Problem With The Council President Talking To The Town Attorney
“Ms. Brooks has made numerous requests to Mr. Dannheisser concerning several issues, some which should have been directed through me, thus costing the Town $720.00,” Hawkins wrote.
The Mayor’s Concerns About The Council President Providing Other Info
In his letter Monday, Hawkins said Brooks had provided information about the gas department to a consultant.
“My concern again is who directed Ms. Brooks to provide any information to anyone without our staff being made aware of it,” he wrote.
Mayor: Hold Others Responsible
Hawkins requested, via his letter, than the town “hold everyone in check as to what they do for this Town. If the Council has not given Ms. Brooks the authorization to by pass [SIC} me and take matters into her own hands without the knowledge of the Town or our staff then I think that it’s fair that we do no pay any unauthorized charges due, we hold the responsible person(s) responsible and that we do not act on the behalf of the Town without consent from the Town and the knowledge of the Mayor. I need this in a motion (please)”.
The council did not discuss or take any action on the mayor’s letter.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.