Woman Writes Bad Checks, Embezzles Rent, Buys $81K In Goods
October 26, 2018
An Escambia County woman is headed to prison for allegedly writing bad checks and embezzling money to purchase items that included a vehicle.
Jessica Harring was sentenced to seven years in state prison after pleading guilty to organized fraud and grand theft.
Greyhound Racing Ban Goes To Florida Voters
October 26, 2018
This is part of a series of stories in advance of the November 6 general election.
Amid a sharply partisan backdrop overshadowing nearly everything else on the ballot, Florida voters are being asked this year to settle a long-running dispute that could result in the elimination of dog racing in the state.
Among a long list of proposed constitutional amendments is a measure that, if passed, would end greyhound races at dog tracks by the end of 2020. Florida is one of a handful of places in the country with dog racing, and passage of the amendment would be a serious blow for an industry that has been in the state for decades.
The proposed ban, placed on the ballot by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission, has drawn support from Democrats and Republicans.
“So many things these days are partisan,” said Kate MacFall, state director of The Humane Society of the United States and co-chair of the Yes on 13 campaign. “This is really refreshing because it’s bipartisan.”
But bipartisan support doesn’t mean universal support for what is known as Amendment 13.
The measure is opposed by the Florida Greyhound Association, which represents owners and breeders in the racing industry. It is also opposed by a coalition of farmers and sportsmen who contend the proposal is broader than banning dog racing because it includes language that declares, “The humane treatment of animals is a fundamental value of the people of the state of Florida.”
Groups opposed to the amendment sued to try to get the measure stricken from the Nov. 6 ballot. And while a lower court judge sided with them, the Florida Supreme Court ordered that Amendment 13 be placed back on the ballot. The measure would require approval from 60 percent of the voters to pass.
The battle over the amendment has drawn fierce debate from people on both sides, with advocates arguing that racing dogs are often injured or mistreated.
Sonia Stratemann, 46, a supporter of the amendment, started taking in injured greyhounds in 2003. She first worked with friends but eventually launched her own adoption agency called Elite Greyhound Adoption in Palm Beach County.
In the 15 years since initially getting involved, Stratemann estimates that she has saved about 2,300 dogs. She said she has seen health conditions that run the gamut and dogs covered with fleas and usually missing patches of fur.
Stratemann said she initially chose not to publicly share the condition of the dogs or how she contends they were treated. But she said she was “outed” by her daughter, Maya Stratemann, who on her 18th birthday turned to social media to help raise funds for a greyhound who needed surgery.
“The industry went crazy,” she recalled.
A prominent spokesman for the industry is Jack Cory, a lobbyist for the Florida Greyhound Association.
Cory maintains that Grey2K USA Worldwide — one of the groups backing the amendment — is using the ballot initiative as a fundraising tool. Grey2K works to eliminate greyhound racing and promote the rescue and adoption of greyhounds.
“They are the same groups that put the sad puppy commercials on TV, this false information for fundraising,’’ Cory said. “But they don’t take care any of any animals in Florida.”
Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA, disputed Cory’s arguments.
“He is desperately trying to change the subject because he has lost the debate over greyhound confinement and racetrack deaths,” Theil said in an email to The News Service of Florida
As an alternative to banning greyhound racing in Florida, Cory said the groups and others should direct their efforts to help all dogs.
“We could move the state of Florida to no kill,” said Cory, who spends many weekends in Tallahassee volunteering for Florida Pets Alive!, which works to get dogs and cats adopted.
Joining Cory in opposition to Amendment 13 is prominent National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer, who is leading a coalition of Florida farmers, ranchers and sportsmen.
Hammer, a former national president of the NRA, issued a prepared statement calling Amendment 13 a “Trojan horse.” In part, Hammer contends that “extreme animal rights groups” could use the amendment to do such things as try to ban hunting and fishing.
“We cannot be fooled. This is an attack on our rights as Floridians and as Americans,” she said.
But Theil, in a recent memo to reporters, said the Florida Supreme Court “debunked” such arguments when it allowed the amendment to go on the November ballot.
“It’s now clear that opponents of Amendment 13 are incapable of debating the merits of commercial dog racing,” Theil wrote in the Sept. 25 memo. “In recent days, they have started to circulate a series of falsehoods. You don’t have to take our word that these claims are false. Every single one was debunked by the Florida Supreme Court in its ruling in favor of Amendment 13.”
The Constitution Revision Commission, which was mostly appointed by Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislative leaders, meets every 20 years and has the power to place proposed amendments before voters.
Commission members, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushed for the proposed racing ban even though dog racing could be addressed by legislators.
For several years, lawmakers have considered proposals that would allow dog tracks to drop greyhound racing but continue offering other types gambling such as poker. But the proposals have been blocked amid a larger debate on whether gambling should be expanded.
Greyhound tracks that run a full schedule of live racing are authorized to operate cardrooms, as well as take bets on races going on elsewhere. Facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties that run full schedules of live racing can also offer access to slot machines.
There’s no guarantee, however, that voters will resolve the dog-racing issue with the ballot proposal. Amendment 13 will be at the end of a lengthy ballot. Susan MacManus, a retired political science professor at the University of South Florida, said that could result in many voters skipping the amendment altogether.
“The longer-than-usual ballot plus the large number of amendments is likely to result in a higher rolloff (drop off) rate than normal,” she said in an email to The News Service of Florida. “That said, the amendment would pass if 60 percent of those who chose to vote on it voted yes.”
MacFall worries that voter fatigue could adversely impact Amendment 13 but remains optimistic that the measure will pass.
“We’re hoping it’s lucky 13 this November,” she said.
by Christine Sexton, The News Service of Florida
Georgia Earline Burkett
October 26, 2018
Georgia Earline Burkett, 81 of Atmore, died Monday, October 22, 2018, at her home in Atmore, surrounded by family.
She is the daughter of the late Grace and Stiner Weaver. She is also preceded in death by a son, Gary Burkett, of Alexander City; three brothers, Cecil Weaver, Claude (Frances) Weaver; and Clarence (Elizabeth) Weaver, all of Atmore; and a sister, Louise (Earl) Wilson, of Bay Minette.
She is survived by her husband of 64 years, James Burkett; a daughter, Gail Bell, both of Atmore; a sister, Alice (Richard) Walsh, of Pensacola; a brother, Donald Ray (Peggy) Weaver; a grandson, Blake (Stephanie) Bell; two great-grandchildren, Sawyer and Colin Bell, all of Atmore; a daughter-in-law, Donna Burkett, of Spanish Fort; a sister-in-law, Connie Weaver, of Bay Minette and numerous nieces and nephews.
Georgia was born January 8, 1937, in Atmore, where she raised two children. She was a long-time member of Presley Street Baptist Church.
Funeral services were held Thursday, October 25, 2018, at 11 a.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home with the Rev. Joseph Simpson and the Rev. Dempsey Bell officiating.
Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore.
Pallbearers will be James Bell, Mickey Parker, Wendell Wearren, Ken Tomas, Don Smith and Lonnie Turberville.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Patsy Anita Odom Helton
October 26, 2018
Patsy Anita Odom Helton, 82, joined her husband Donald Ray on Wednesday, October 25, 2018, passing from the arms of her son to those of her devoted husband of 57 years.
Patsy was a native of McKenzie, AL, and had resided in Cantonment, FL, since 1965. She was a member of the Remnant Church of Latter-Day Saints and a graduate of Troy State University (BA) and the University of Alabama (MA).
She is survived by her son, Michael Helton and son-in-law Eric O’Briant; brother-in-law, Gary Helton (Lola); sister-in-law, Glenda (Alan); nieces and nephews, Wanda Dour (Dick), Phyllis Watford (Robert), Pansy Tillman (Dick), Tommy Carnathan (Sai), Judy Kramer (Will), Charlene Frater, Ray Adams (Sidna), Shannon Odom, and Sheron Rundall.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Pansy Odom and her father, Aubrey Odom, as well as by her four siblings, Rogene (Mylan), Gaston (Ruby), Lyla Carnathan and Lula Adams (Lloyd).
Patsy was born the youngest child of five during the Depression in rural Alabama. Weighing only two pounds at birth, she was special from the start. Her father would place her on a pillow beside him in the seat of his milk truck as he made rounds through the community. She grew up lively, talkative and beautiful, winning Queen of the Strawberry Festival and Homecoming Queen, complete with hand-made tin-foil crown. She met her husband, Donald Ray, at a Reorganized Latter Day Saints church camp, where he told his friends that she was the girl he was going to marry. Marry they did, spending the rest of their lives together in service to others through education, counsel, and love. Patsy retired from teaching at Molino Elementary school, where she spent most of her 30-year career. The last 20 years of her life she enjoying by traveling, shopping and spending time with her husband, son and son-in-law. The family feels sadness, not only for its own loss, but for all those that will never be able to meet the person who could literally light up a room with a single smile.
Visitation will be Sunday, October 28, 2018, with private family visitation at 12 p.m. and public visitation from 12:30 p.m. until service time at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Diane Ward and Dick Dour officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Crimson Tide Foundation at www.crimsontidefoundation.org
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Sally Bell Jerkins
October 26, 2018
Sally Bell Jerkins of Cantonment, Florida passed away on Monday, October 22, 2018, at the age of 82. She was born on September 6, 1936, in Evergreen, Alabama to the late Claude Dean and Velma Fuller Dean. She was a member of Allen Memorial United Methodist Church. Sally was very family oriented. She spent lots of time loving her sweet grandchildren and great-granddaughter.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Frank Wheeler Jerkins; granddaughter, Amy Danielle Jerkins; two sisters, and two brothers.
Sally is survived by her three daughters, Hazel Jerkins, Rebecca Jerkins, and Patricia (Howard) Lovins; three grandsons, Geoffrey (Kharrie) Jerkins, Dakota (Kim) Jerkins, and Aaron Lovins; one great-granddaughter, Evelyn Grace Jerkins; and one brother, Ray Dean.
Sally will be missed by all who knew her.
Graveside services were held Thursday, October 25, 2018, at Brushy Creek Methodist Church Cemetery Range, Alabama with Pastor John Edwards, officiating.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Allen Memorial United Methodist Church, 206 Pace Parkway, Cantonment, Florida 32533.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with arrangements.
Effort Underway Rename Part Of Highway 29 For Highway Worker
October 25, 2018
An effort is underway to rename a portion of Highway 29 near McDavid for a highway worker struck and killed by a vehicle earlier this year.
The Escambia County Commission requesting the Florida Department of Transportation rename Highway 29 from Cox Road to Sigler Road as the “Maceo Perkins Parkway”.
Maceo A. Perkins, 41, was with a group of workers employed by Broad Spectrum working on Highway 29 near Sigler Road. Just after noon on April 6, he was hit by a vehicle driven by 60-year old Sharon Odom of Century. The Florida Highway Patrol said Odom’s 2006 Ford Mustang traveled off the roadway onto the west shoulder, colliding with Perkins and the workers’ unoccupied Dodge Ram truck.. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“That was my best friend. That was everything I had. It’s like a part of me is gone,” Perkins’ wife Laquinda Perkins said.
The couple moved to Escambia County in 2017 to be near their parents. Maceo had a distinct passion for cooking and also enjoyed football and traveling. He awoke early every morning to work out, read scripture, and occasionally worked on his plan to open a local Wing Spot franchise. Everyone who knew Maceo always had wonderful things to say about his positive and upbeat character and his respectful and friendly nature, according to an Escambia County resolution.
Odom passed away at her Century home four days after the crash.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Rain Likely With A Few Thunderstorms Today
October 25, 2018
Clouds moved in Wednesday night (pictured) ahead of Thursday rain. One to two inches of rain is expected across most of the area.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 67. East wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Thursday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 60. East wind around 10 mph becoming south after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50. West wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 42.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 44.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Halloween Activities Planned At Molino Library
October 25, 2018
“It Happened One Night at the Molino Library” will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Molino Branch Library. Come dressed in a costume, trick-or-treat throughout the library and tour the spooky Molino Museum.
Pictured: Last year’s “It Happened One Night at the Molino Library”. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Raw Sewage Spills Into North Century Boulevard Area Ditch
October 25, 2018
Hundreds of gallons of raw sewage spilled into a ditch off North Century Boulevard Tuesday and Wednesday.
The spill was discovered on Alger Road north of North Century Boulevard during a daily check of a sewage lift station. Town employees found an electrical failure caused by a blown fuse which prevented an alarm that would have alerted workers earlier.
Century Water/Wastewater Superintendent Alicia Jernigan reported that an estimated 500 gallons of wastewater spilled into the ditch, according to a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, between 12:40 p.m. Tuesday and noon Wednesday.
Map courtesy Florida Department of Environmental Protection for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Students Receive Free Dictionaries
October 25, 2018
About 400 students at Jim Allen Elementary School have new dictionaries today, thanks to the national Dictionary Project.
The dictionaries were presented by members of St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Cantonment.
The goal of The Dictionary Project is to assist all students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary.
Pictured: Free dictionaries were handed out to students Wednesday at Jim Allen Elementary School in Cantonment. Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
