Sunny Weekend, Slightly Warmer Than Normal
January 5, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 70. Calm wind.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 43. Calm wind.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. Calm wind.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 53.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 34.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Convicted Felons In Escambia County Can Register To Vote Starting Tuesday
January 5, 2019
Convicted felons in Escambia County can register to vote beginning Tuesday.
The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections will begin processing applications from previously ineligible voters beginning Tuesday, the effective date of the Voting Restoration Amendment approved by voters in the 2018 general election.
According to the ballot summary, the amendment to Florida’s Constitution “restores the voting rights of Floridians with felony convictions after they complete all terms of their sentence including parole or probation. The amendment would not apply to those convicted of murder or sexual offenses, who would continue to be permanently barred from voting unless the Governor and Cabinet vote to restore their voting rights on a case by case basis.”
Voters who have previously lost their voting rights due to a felony conviction but are now eligible must submit a new voter registration application. Individuals who are unsure of their status should contact the Florida Office of Executive Clemency, the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where they were sentenced, the Florida Department of Corrections where they were supervised or incarcerated, or the U.S. Probation Office if in the federal court system.
Voters may register to vote online at EscambiaVotes.com, in person at the Supervisor of Elections office at 213 Palafox Place, 2nd Floor, in downtown Pensacola, at any Florida Driver License office, and several other governmental offices and public assistance centers. Registration applications are also available for pick up at many locations countywide and can be returned to the Supervisor of Elections office by mail or in person.
Century Little League Registration Underway Now
January 5, 2019
Century Little League registration for 2019 is happening now.
Registration fees are as follows:
- Now to January 14 – First Child $50; $45 each additional
- January 15 to 14 February 14: First Child $60; $55 each additional
- February 15 to March 2: First Child $70; $65 each additional
Register online here, or in person registration dates will be held on the following Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon at the Showalter Park press box:
- January 19
- February 9
- February 16
- March 2
All fees are due at the time of registration. Credit and debit cards are accepted online. In person registration is cash or check only.
Escambia Man Sentenced For Robbery, Kidnapping
January 5, 2019
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to state prison for kidnapping a woman.
Ontorius Larrell Turner was sentenced to 30 years in state prison as a habitual felony offender by Circuit Judge Scott Duncan. On November 20, 2018, Turner was convicted by an Escambia County jury of burglary of a dwelling while armed with a dangerous weapon, two counts of robbery with a firearm; carjacking with a firearm; armed kidnapping; and false imprisonment with a weapon.
On October 20, 2017, Turner and his co-defendant Avery Lamont Goss kidnapped a Pensacola woman from her home after carjacking her fiancé at gunpoint and forcing him to take them to their home. The defendants demanded money and forced the victim to drive them around Pensacola for almost two hours before she was rescued.
Turner was identified in a photo lineup and was later arrested in Alabama.
Co-defendant Avery Lamont Goss was tried and convicted by the same jury of sexual battery with a weapon and battery in addition to burglary of a dwelling while armed with a dangerous weapon, two counts of robbery with a firearm; carjacking with a firearm; armed kidnapping; and false imprisonment with a weapon. The sentencing of Avery Lamont Goss is still pending.
Flood Warning Continues For The Escambia River
January 5, 2019
A flood warning is in effect until Tuesday for the Escambia River near Century.
Midday Saturday, the river was at 18.6 feet, above flood stage of 17 feet. The river is forecast to continue to fall below floods stage by midnight Monday.
At 17 feet, there is considerable flooding of lowlands. At 19 feet, low lying pasture will flood, forcing the movement of cattle to higher ground.
January Is ‘Move Over’ Month In Florida
January 5, 2019
January is Move Over month and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) urges all motorists to move over for emergency and service vehicles stopped along the roadway. Preliminarily in 2018, there were 231 crashes and almost 17,000 citations issued for motorists failing to move over. DHSMV and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Police Chiefs Association, Florida Sheriffs Association and AAA – The Auto Club Group to ensure all law enforcement, first responders, service and utility workers and Road Rangers Arrive Alive in 2019.
“When a crash occurs, law enforcement and first responders are there. When a disabled vehicle needs assistance, Road Rangers or tow truck drivers are there. When power lines need repairs, utility and service workers are there,” said DHSMV Executive Director, Terry L. Rhodes. “The Move Over Law is in place to protect those who serve all of us on the roadways, giving them a safe space to do their jobs. Move Over, Florida, and help ensure that these public servants come home safely each day.”
The Move Over Law was added to section 316.126, Florida Statutes, in 2002. The statute, which was originally introduced in 1971, requires motorists to move or yield right-of-way to emergency vehicles and in 2014, utility and sanitation vehicles were added to the Move Over Law. The Move Over Law states that drivers must move over as soon as it is safe to do so for any authorized law enforcement, emergency or service vehicles displaying any visible signals while stopped on the roadside, including Road Rangers, sanitation vehicles and tow trucks.
“Troopers, first responders and utility workers put their lives on the line every day on our roadways,” said Colonel Gene S. Spaulding, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Protect the men and women that answer the call for service in Florida and Move Over, so they can return home to their families.”
When motorists cannot vacate the lane closest to the emergency or service vehicle, they must slow to a speed that is 20 miles per hour less than the posted speed limit. Failure to yield or move over puts law enforcement officers, emergency first responders and public service workers in danger while they are on the job protecting and serving the citizens and visitors of Florida.
Florida Department of Transportation Interim Secretary Erik R. Fenniman said, “The Department’s Road Rangers provide important assistance to motorists, lessen delays and support the Florida Highway Patrol on Florida’s roadways. We want each of our Road Rangers, and all responders, to remain safe while maintaining Florida roads and encourage all drivers to Move Over for service and emergency vehicles.”
“Police chiefs around the state of Florida work hard to ensure that their officers return home safely at the end of each shift. However, the Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) knows that we can’t do it alone. Law enforcement needs our citizens help to ensure the safety of each and every officer and first responder out on our roadways,” said FPCA President and Florida State University Police Chief David Perry. “The FPCA reminds you to always slow down and move over so that law enforcement can quickly and safely assist Florida’s drivers so they can return home to their loved ones.”
“Our deputy sheriffs, along with other first responders, willingly place themselves in harm’s way daily to proudly protect the citizens we serve. Our Florida sheriffs fully support the ‘Move Over, Florida!’ campaign to protect those who protect us,” said Sheriff Mark Hunter, President of the Florida Sheriffs Association.
“This law is in place to protect the ones who protect us,” said Matt Nasworthy, Florida Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Not focusing on the road puts your life and others at risk. To help ensure everyone’s safety, drivers should also move over if a motorist is stranded on the side of the road.”
To comply with the Move Over Law drivers must:
Multi-Lane Roadway:
- Vacate the lane closest to the stationary emergency vehicle, sanitation vehicle, utility service vehicle, Road Ranger or wrecker and always signal the intention to change lanes.
- Slow down to a speed of 20 mph below the posted speed limit if a driver cannot move over safely.
- Be prepared to allow those who are attempting to move over into the next lane.
Two-Lane Roadway:
- Slow down to a speed of 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
- Travel at 5 mph if the speed limit is 20 mph or less.
The public is encouraged to report aggressive drivers by dialing *FHP (*347). For more information on the Move Over Law, visit: https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/move-over/.
Barn, Greenhouse Destroyed During Early Morning Storm Near Jay
January 4, 2019
A pole barn and a greenhouse were destroyed during an early morning storm near Jay.
A resident said it “sounded like a tornado” on Watermill Road, and the winds lasted for about a minute to a minute and a half. The storm hit sometime between 1:30 and 1:45 a.m.
There were no injuries reported.
The Jay Fire Department responded to a report of a tornado on Pine Level Church Road near Highway 178, but nothing was found.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury To Review Century Town Operations; Council Members Charged With Sunshine Law Violations
January 4, 2019
A grand jury will investigate operations of the Town of Century, and three council members have been charged with violating the Sunshine Law.
“A number of issues have been brought to the attention of the State Attorney’s Office regarding the manner in which the town has operated, and these are the issues that may brought before the grand jury,” Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille said Thursday afternoon. The issues, he said, span a period of several months.
He said a grand jury is always in place in Escambia County, and a new grand jury is convened twice per year. The Century issues will be presented to a new grand jury that will begin their term before the end of January.
“Under Florida law, not only can they (the grand jury) charge a crime, they can investigate how a city or county is being operated and make a report to the general public of their findings that will be educational to the general public and hopefully helpful to the city of Century,” State Attorney Bill Eddins said.
Town council President Ann Cofield Brooks and council members Sandra McMurray Jackson and Luis Gomez, Jr. were charged Thursday with noncriminal violations of the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege the three council members “did unlawfully engage in a discussion or exchange of information with other members of the Century Town Council regarding a matter which foreseeably could come before said board or commission for action, outside of a public meeting, in violation of … Florida statues,” according to the charging documents.
Last summer, three council members allegedly 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.
They are due at an arraignment hearing on January 24 at 8:30 a.m. “They will enter a plea before a judge,” Marcille said, “then set for trial unless their plea is not guilty.” Each faces a maximum fine of $500.
Noncriminal Sunshine Law charges were filed against four individuals accused of violating Florida’s Sunshine Law in 2016. The former members of a Citizens Advisory Task Force were charged with having a public meeting that was not properly advertised. A July 26, 2016, meeting was advertised in a legal notice to begin at 4 p.m. The meeting was actually held at 2:00 p.m., preventing the public from attending. Each defendant signed a deferred prosecution agreement and charges were dropped.
The State Attorney’s Office put the town on notice in 2016 that future Sunshine Law violations would be taken seriously.
Marcille said Thursday prosecutors will not be looking for tenancy against the town council members charged with violating the Sunshine Law, but would instead hold them accountable as elected officials.
“That case was different in that it was a citizens’ board, not elected officials. In this case, we would ask for the maximum fine,” he said.
Pictured top: Century Council members (L-R) Luis Gomez, Jr., Ann Cofield Brooks and Sandra McMurray Jackson at the council’s most recent meeting on December 17, 2018. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Residents Left Without A Home After Atmore Apartment Fire
January 4, 2019
Fire heavily damaged one apartment in a multi-unit building Thursday night at the McRae Apartments in Atmore.
The blaze in a downstairs apartment caused fire, smoke and water damage. The origin of the fire was traced to a kitchen electrical outlet, according to Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles.
The American Red Cross is assisting the apartment residents left without a home. There were no injuries reported.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue was also dispatched to assist the Atmore Fire Department with the 6:30 p.m. blaze.
NorthEsambia.com photos click to enlarge.
Sunshine Returns; Temperatures Fall
January 4, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Becoming mostly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 52 by 5pm. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Calm wind.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph after midnight.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64.