14 Tons Of Debris Collected During Cantonment Neighborhood Cleanup
July 24, 2019
Escambia County collected and disposed of more than 14 tons of debris during the Cantonment Neighborhood Cleanup in July, as part of the county’s ongoing effort to help keep local neighborhoods and communities clean and safe. The events allowed residents to leave items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by the county and partnering agencies.
The Cantonment Neighborhood Cleanup on July 17 saw great participation from residents, with about 22,380 pounds of yard waste, 7,640 pounds of bulk waste, 150 tires and 720 pounds of household hazardous waste placed at curbside for pickup — for a total of 28,180 pounds.
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive clean-up effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items. Since 2016, more than 1,943 tons (3,888,020 pounds) of debris have collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
The county’s neighborhood cleanup program is hosted by the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. Local partners include Escambia County Waste Services, Environmental Code Enforcement, Public Works, Animal Services and Road Prison, along with the City of Pensacola Sanitation Department.
Trial Postponed For Private Investigator Murder Suspect
July 23, 2019
Trial was set to begin Monday in the case of a woman accused of killing private investigator and burying her body in Cantonment.
Ashley Britt McArthur, now 41, is facing a first-degree murder charge for the death of 33-year old Taylor Wright, a private investigator and former police officer. Wright’s body was found in 2017 off Britt Road, just west of County Road 97 near Muscogee Road in Cantonment. She also allegedly stole $34,000 from Wright.
Monday’s trial date was continued until August 26 due to new evidence in the case.
Earlier this year, McArthur received seven years in state prison for racketeering and organized fraud While employed by Pensacola Automatic Amusement, from 2015 to 2017, McArthur embezzled thousands of dollars from two clients, the Azalea Cocktail Lounge and Seville Quarter.
Pensacola Automatic Amusement serviced entertainment machines and jukeboxes for various clients in the Pensacola area for 40 years. McArthur falsified collection reports for jukeboxes at the Azalea Lounge and Seville Quarter while keeping the unreported proceeds.
Escambia Approves Brownfield Designation For Cantonment, Three Other CRAs
July 23, 2019
The Escambia County Commission has designated four Community Development Areas in Cantonment and north Pensacola as Brownfield Areas.
In 2011 the county designated the Palafox, Englewood, Brownsville, Barrancas and Warrington CRAs as Brownfields. Between 2010 and 2015 the county added four additional CRAs – Atwood, Ensley, Oakfield and Cantonment.
The four newer CRAs were designated as brownfields for the purposes of economic development and environmental rehabilitation incentives offered through state programs. The project will be consistent with the land use plan and will reduce slum and blight, stimulate commercial development, and create new jobs.
To qualify for the incentives offered through the Brownfield Redevelopment Act, a property must be officially designated a Brownfield by resolution by commission.
There are about two dozen brownfield areas in Escambia County. The only one north of I-10 is the entire town of Century.
Nine Mile Road Closed At Highway 29 Overnights Through Thursday
July 23, 2019
Nine Mile Road will be closed at Highway 29 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily through Thursday, July 25 as crews drive piles for a new southbound bridge deck.
Traffic control officers will be onsite to help direct motorists. The following detour will be in place:
- Eastbound Nine Mile Road will be reduced to one lane, directed to Highway 29 southbound, U-turn at West Hood Drive, and return to Nine Mile Road.
- Westbound traffic will perform the same operation at West 9 1/2 Mile Road.
Highway 29 traffic between Interstate 10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road may experience alternating lane closures as crews continue drainage and paving operations.
All work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled due to inclement weather.
Escambia Man Indicted On Charges Of Trying To Sell Equipment To Iran
July 23, 2019
An Escambia County man has been indicted in federal court for trying to sell equipment to Iran.
James P. Meharg, 59, CEO and president of Turbine Resources International, was indicted for conspiring to sell and export power generating equipment to a recipient in Iran, and concealing the scheme, as well as having payments routed to him via another foreign country. The five-count indictment alleges Meharg, 59 conspired with citizens of the United Kingdom and Iran to export a large turbine and parts from the United States to an Iranian recipient, in violation of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations as well as federal criminal law.
According to the indictment, Meharg, a citizen of the United States, conspired from October 1, 2017, to June 12, 2019, to violate the embargo by attempting to export a Solar Mars 90 S turbine core engine and parts from the United States, for delivery to an end user in Iran. On April 25, 2018, the indictment alleges, Meharg sent an invoice for $500,000 to a conspirator in the United Kingdom and received two partial payments of $124,950 each, on May 7 and May 24, 2018, at least one of which was routed through a company in Dubai.
“The security of the United States depends on protecting our nation from threats, whether those threats originate with foreign nationals or with American citizens who put their own profits ahead of the national interest,” U.S. Attorney Keefe said. “For decades, American presidents have declared the government of Iran to be a threat to our national security and thereby imposed sanctions, and this office is deeply committed to protecting the integrity of the United States in all ways.”
Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg, who is a National Security Cyber Specialist, is prosecuting the case following a joint investigation by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Meharg is charged with conspiring to export the turbine and its parts to Iran, submitting false and misleading export information, and defrauding the federal government by deceitfully obstructing the enforcement of laws against the export of goods to Iran. He is also charged with substantive offenses involving exporting items to Iran, filing false Electronic Export Information paperwork, and transporting funds from the United Arab Emirates with the intent to conduct the illegal activity. The defendant faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment each for the charges related to violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and money laundering, and he faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment each for the conspiracy and filing false paperwork charges. A trial date has been set for September 3,
Rain Today, Better Weather Thanks To A Cold Front Wednesday
July 23, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 4am, then a slight chance of showers. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 87. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. North wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
District 5 Commissioner Holding Town Hall Next Month In Walnut Hill
July 23, 2019
Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry will hold a public town hall meeting next month in Walnut Hill.
The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, August 12 at the Walnut Hill Community Center at 7850 Highway 97.
Northview Football Youth Football Camp This Evening
July 23, 2019
The Northview Quarterback Club’s youth football camp will continue this evening, and it’s not too late to register.
The camp will be held from 5-7 p.m. Registrations will be accepted just prior to camp.
The cost of the camp is $50 and includes a camp t-shirt. The camp is open for any child entering Kindergarten through 8th grade. The participants will receive instruction from the Northview High School coaches and players in offensive and defensive positions, as well as agilities and speed training.
Click here to download a required registration form and waiver.
For more information, email Coach Derek Marshman at DMarshman@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Pictured: The Northview youth football camp got underway on Monday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Attorney Launches Formal Campaign To Raise Florida’s Minimum Wage To $15 Per Hour
July 23, 2019
Orlando attorney John Morgan has announced the launch of formal campaign for a new constitutional amendment to raise the minimum wage in Florida to $15 per hour.
The Fair Wage Amendment backed by Morgan would increase the minimum wage by slightly over $1 an hour to $10 per hour in 2021, then increases the hourly pay by $1 per hour each year until it gradually reaches $15 per hour in 2026. After 2026, Florida’s minimum wage would increase with the rate of inflation, just as the state’s constitution currently requires. Florida’s current minimum wage is $8.46 per hour.
On Monday, Morgan announced the launch of a new website to advocate for the amendment.
“There is no doubt in my mind that is an uphill battle. But just like there were hundreds of thousands of families with sick children or parents that needed medical marijuana, there are hundreds of thousands of Floridians earning the minimum wage that cannot afford to live in Florida. We must fight so that all Floridians can have the dignity of earning a fair wage for a hard day’s work,” Morgan said.
In order to appear on the 2020 ballot, Florida for a Fair Wage needs to collect and verify 766,200 petitions from registered Florida voters. According to the Division of Elections, 363,157 petitions have been verified so far.
If the amendment appears on the ballot in 2020, it would need a 60 percent approval from Floridians to go into effect.
Cantonment Man Charged With Felony Child Abuse After 2-Year Old Found Alone In Local Street
July 22, 2019
A Cantonment man is facing a child neglect charge after a 2-year old boy was found alone in a Cantonment street Sunday night.
Tyler Ashton Nellums, 25, was charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $2,500 bond.
About 10:20 p.m. Sunday, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was responded to Brookhills Drive off Well Line Road, according to dispatch logs. A woman told deputies she was inside her nearby residence when she heard a child screaming and and crying on her neighbor’s front porch. She told deputies that the child was there alone for about 45 minutes with no adult supervision before running and screaming down the roadway, an arrest report says.
The woman picked the child up from the street, called law enforcement and knocked on the door of Nellums’ residence with no answer.
Nellums told the Sheriff’s Office that he was sleeping before the deputy knocked on his door and did not know the child had left the residence. He said the child had exited the unlocked front door of the residence in the past, but this was the first time the child had gone into the roadway, the report states.
According to the arrest report, Nellums said that no steps had been taken to prevent the boy from escaping the residence.
The Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident.