Escambia Man Face 30 Years For DUI Manslaughter
June 21, 2019
An Escambia County man has been convicted of DUI manslaughter for the death of two passengers in his vehicle last year not far the the Walmart in Ensley.
Jamie Ty Hamrick, now 29, was driving south on North Palafox Street at Sharmon Street when his Honda Civic ran off the road, collided with a ditch, became airborne, hit a fence and overturned into a large oak tree about 2:50 a.m.on September 27, 2018.
Passengers La’Phontae DeWayne Lewis, 25, and Antion Wade Lindsay, 32, were ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased. Hamrick was not injured.
Prosecutors said Hamrick was under the influence of alcohol, Xanax and marijuana. He had a blood alcohol level of .155, nearly twice the legal limit. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison when he sentenced on August 12.
Crestview Man Killed In Escambia County Wreck
June 21, 2019
A Crestview man was killed on Sorrento Road in Escambia County Wednesday night.
Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol identified the victim as 59-year old Michael Pietrzykowski.
The FHP said Pietrzykowski was traveling west on Sorrento Road when he crossed into the eastbound lane and collided with a Jeep driven by 59-year old Watler Peden of Pensacola. Pietrzykowski’s vehicle continued off the roadway, collided with trees and caught fire.
A third driver, 23-year old Jack Hoehn of Gulf Breeze, did not see the collision in time to avoid striking the Jeep.
Peden was critically injured, while Hoehn suffered minor injuries.
Inmate Charged With Bomb Threats On Government Offices ‘For The Cause Of The Islamic State’
June 21, 2019
A former state inmate in Santa Rosa County is charged with threatening to blow up several state and federal agencies, including the Social Security Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Escambia County.
Noah D. Stirn, 24, formerly housed at the Blackwater River Correctional Facility in Milton, was indicted on federal charges related to issuing threatening communications involving explosives and mailing threatening communications to injure others. The charges were announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. Stirn is now in federal custody.
The indictment alleges that in April and May 2019, while incarcerated at Blackwater, Stirn mailed multiple letters to federal and state agencies that threatened the use of explosive devices to harm those in the local buildings. The indictment alleges that Stirn asserted that the attacks were “for the cause of the Islamic State.” It is also alleged that Stirn threatened the use of “C4″ and “car bombs.”
This case resulted from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Capitol Police, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Tallahassee Police Department.
Tate Aggies Youth Football Camp
June 21, 2019
The Tate High School Aggies Youth Football Camp is June 24-26 from 5-8 p.m. daily.
The cost is $75 for each attendee in grades 2-8. Registration includes the three day camp, event t-shirt and a pizza party on the last day of camp.
Register online at tatehighfootball.com or on the first day of camp.
Muscogee Road Area Boil Water Notice Lifted
June 21, 2019
A boil water notice that was issued Monday night for many Farm Hill Utilities customers has been lifted.
Water service was turned off Monday night for several hours along Muscogee Road from Hicks Street to Stinnis Street for an Escambia County project, leading to the boil water notice.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville In Second Half Opener
June 21, 2019
The Blue Wahoos revamped their roster for the second half schedule, then reproduced elements which brought so much early-season success in a 4-3 road win Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
They received a strong pitching performance from Bryan Sammons, a late addition in the first half, played flawless defense, and got all their runs in the fifth inning from home run blasts.
Just as the Blue Wahoos opened the season in April with a road win, they started the Southern League’s second half division race in a desired way.
A crowd of 7,704 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, watched the Blue Wahoos beat the Jumbo Shrimp for the ninth time in 11 games. It’s the first time the Blue Wahoos have played this season in Jacksonville, the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate.
Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos made 11 roster moves during the league’s all-star break, including reactivating Alex Kirilloff, the Minnesota Twins No. 2 overall prospect and top 10-rated player by MLB.Pipeline, after he was on the injured list for the final two weeks of the first half.
Among the newcomers welcomed was first baseman Lewin Diaz, 22, a 6-foot-4 native of the Dominican Republic, who made his Double-A debut Thursday by going 2-for-4 in the game.
Diaz, the No. 9 rated first baseman prospects by MLB.Pipeline, batted .294 in the first half for the Fort Myers Miracle (High-A), smashing 13 homers and 36 RBI in being named to the Florida State League All-Star team.
Also joining the Blue Wahoos was relief pitcher Hector Lujan, who had six saves and a 2.18 for Fort Myers. He did not pitch Thursday.
The Blue Wahoos started Thursday’s game with Twins reliever Adalberto Mejia working a scoreless first inning on his injury rehab assignment. Sammons followed and earned his first Blue Wahoos win by going six innings, allowing four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.
Jeff Ames pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Sam Clay got his six save in the ninth, after allowing a run. Clay got out of a two on, none out jam in the ninth by getting J.C. Millan to hit into a double-play, scoring a run. He then struck out Stone Garrett to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos run support was supplied in three swings, after two outs. Trailing 1-0 into the fifth, Brian Navarreto homered over the left field wall for the team’s first run. Travis Blankenhorn followed with a home run to right field.
After Kirilloff drew a walk, Ben Rortvedt hit a two-run, two-out homer to right center for the decisive runs.
Those three shots were three of the team’s seven hits. Rortvedt went 2-for-3 in the game. Blankenhorn went 2-for-4. Centerfielder Aaron Whitefield, an Australia native, who was signed by the Twins in 2015, made his Double-A debut and was 0-for-4 in the game.
The Blue Wahoos and Jumbo Shrimp will play four more times in the series. The Blue Wahoos will then return home Monday night to begin a five-game series on Tuesday against the first-half South Division winner Biloxi Shuckers.
Juvenile Charged With Opening Fire In Cantonment Street
June 20, 2019
A juvenile was arrested after allegedly shooting into the air while in a Cantonment street Thursday evening.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shots fire call in the 1200 block of Lake Drive about 6:15 p.m.. Witnesses told deputies that a teenage male fired shots into the air after an argument with people on the street.
The 16-year old male was later located by deputies with the reported weapon, according to ECSO spokesperson Deb Henley. The juvenile was arrested for discharge of a weapon in public and possession of a weapon by a juvenile.
The juvenile’s name has not yet been released. There were no injuries reported.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Police Say Missing, Endangered Adult Female Has Been Found
June 20, 2019
**UPDATE** Pensacola Police tell us Howard has been located in Douglas County Georgia, and is safe. She left Pensacola on her own. Her family has been contacted, and is aware that she has been located.
Marilyn Adrain Howard, 21, was last seen at the Pensacola fishing pier on Monday, June 17 at about 10 p.m. According to Pensacola Police, she has the mental capacity of a 10-12 year old and is unable to take care of her essential needs such as medical, transportation and shopping. Marilyn is very trusting and may not realize the danger she is in.
She was last seen wearing a red blouse, gray leggings with black stripes, green flip flogs, and she had a black purse. She has black hair with pink streaks in it, and has a faded dolphin tattoo on her right leg. She stands 5’1 and weighs 160 pounds.
The photograph was taken in 2015.
If you have and information about the whereabouts of Marilyn Howard, please contact the Pensacola Police Department at (850) 435-1901 or local law enforcement.
Jay Water System Notice
June 20, 2019
UPDATE: The Town of Jay was unable to complete the maintenance and there was no disruption in water pressure. The Precautionary Boil Notice was not needed.
About 50 Jay residents were scheduled to have their water service cut off Thursday night for the replacement of a defective fire hydrant.
Service was to be interrupted in the area of Highway 4, Highway 89 and Commerce Street.
For more information, contact the Town of Jay at (850) 675-4556.
Century Employee Letter Raises Allegations; Words Fly Between Mayor And Town Planner
June 20, 2019
Words and allegations flew at a recent Century Town Council meeting between Mayor Henry Hawkins and Town Planner Debbie Nickles, and Hawkins refused at the time to say which town employee wrote a letter with the allegations he brought to light.
Hawkins told the council he that was reading from a letter from a town employee. Copies of the letter he distributed to council members had the name of the author redacted (see bottom of story). When NorthEscambia.com asked for an unredacted copy of the letter, Hawkins replied “You won’t get it…until I give it to the ethics commission you will not get it.”
Update: After publication of this story, the town provided the unredacted version of the letter.
In the letter dated June 17, window clerk Tammy Amerson wrote that Nickles asked to be contacted after work, and a discussion about filling problems ensued.
“Mrs. Nickles asked me to gather up information regarding our Town billing clerk,” Amerson stated in the letter. “Information that included getting copies of all the customers’ documents that have yet to be into the system and were receiving free services for long periods of time because of her not doing her job. I agreed with a lot of the things she was saying. I told her I would call her back. I called her back and told her that I would not do that. I told her that it wasn’t ethical and I thought it was probably against the law. She said that she was gathering this information for Ann Brooks to bring up at the council meeting. Again I said ‘NO’.
“I should’ve never been put in this situation. My job and this community are very important to me,” Amerson concluded.
“That is a board of ethics violation,” Hawkins said. “I’d like to remind us that I am the mayor, and do not want people calling and trying to get dirt on somebody else cause you put everybody in a bad distrust issue. I had several people that was ready to quite on Friday.”
“That is not true. I was told that information was here, that was available, that someone was not doing their job. I don’t appreciate you saying that I’m violating ethics,” Nickles responded to Hawkins. “I don’t care what that letter says. That letter is not correct.”
“I don’t appreciate you Mayor Hawkins of accusing me…It’s not true, and I don’t appreciate it,” she said, also adding that she was told Hawkins threatened to fire anyone “on the spot” or their paycheck would be withheld for providing information about what was happening at town hall.
Hawkins said he became aware of the issue during a staff meeting last Friday, and he had the employee put it writing and had the letter notarized.
“I’m tired of you Mr. Hawkins,” Nickles said.
“You have been showing that you are tired of me because I understand that you have a petition trying to get me impeached,” Hawkins said shortly before Nickles walked out of the meeting.
Nickles issued a written letter of her own emailed to NorthEscambia.com after the meeting with the subject line “Tammy Amerson’s letter”.
“I feel sorry for the employees of the Town as they must work under conditions of intimidation and the threat of losing their jobs if they air the Town’s dirty laundry with outsiders. Apparently, Town Hall has something to hide,” Nickles wrote. “On another note, I want to set the record straight in that Council President Ann Brooks had NOTHING to do with my request for any documentation nor was any information provided to me ever going to be brought to the Century Town Council meeting(s).”
The mayor claimed the letter to be notarized, and it does appear to include the notary seal of Kimberly Godwin, the town clerk. However, the letter is missing Godwin’s signature and certification statement as required by Florida Statute 117.05.
Godwin originally provided a redacted copy in response to a NorthEscambia.com email requesting the letter read by Hawkins. “I am forwarding a copy of this email to Mayor Hawkins as I do not hold the original,” she wrote. As of Wednesday night, Hawkins had not responded to our original request or to any email forward from Godwin. Thursday morning, Godwin had obtained and emailed the unredacted letter to council members and NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com image, click to enlarge.
