Bratt’s Donut Boy Visits Hawaii, His 50th State To Serve Up Sweet Thanks To Law Enforcement

August 6, 2019

Tyler Carach of Bratt, better known as The Donut Boy, reached a major milestone Monday as he delivered doughnuts to law enforcement officer in Hawaii — the 50th state in which he has thanked law enforcement with the sweet treats.

The Donut Boy first gained notoriety after being featured on NorthEscambia.com in 2016 as a superhero that’s on a mission to thank law enforcement officers personally with doughnuts.

Tyler and his mother Sheena, who is a former police officer, created the “I DONUT need a reason to THANK a cop” program  after an encounter with Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies at Gilley’s Store in Bratt during the summer of 2016. He asked if he could use some of his own money to buy doughnuts for the officers. He purchased four packs of chocolate doughnuts to share with the deputies.

He learned that there are  just over 400 sworn officers in the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and he composed a letter to the Krispy Kreme on 9th Avenue asking for a discounted bulk price. The store manager instead donated 420 doughnuts to the project. Tyler, dressed in a superhero doughnut cape, delivered the doughnuts to Sheriff David Morgan and his department.

“It was really cool and fun I love getting to meet one of the dogs and one of the horses and I also found a lizard outside the Sheriff’s Office,” Tyler said at the time. “The sheriff gave me a really cool coin and said it was very special. It was called a challenge coin. I got to go on the command center and also sit in the SWAT mobile — that’s like the Batmobile but way cooler.”

And his superhero mission to thank every cop in America just kept on going and growing as he delivered doughnuts to law enforcement agencies large and small across the nation.

On Monday, his visit to the Honolulu Police Department marked his 50th state. He also has doughnut deliveries scheduled this week to Hawaii Police, Maui Police and Kauai Police as he visits four of the Hawaii Islands.

Pictured top and below: Tyler Carach of Bratt, know as The Donut Boy, delivered doughnuts in Honolulu, Hawaii, his 50th state, on Monday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Century Names 10 To Charter Review Committee; Adds One Non-Applicant At The Last Minute

August 6, 2019

The Town of Century has named a charter review committee that includes 10 individuals that submitted applications before an advertised deadline, plus one additional person added at the last minute.

Ten people submitted their written applications during the legally-noticed period of July 18 to July 25. Monday night, the council named those 10 people to the committee.

They also decided that the committee needed an odd number of members to break any possible tie votes, and added Helen Mincy to the committee as the 11th member. Mincy did not submit an application but was present at Monday night’s council meeting.

Mincy was one of four member of a Century  Citizens Advisory Task Force accused by the State Attorney’s Office of violating Florida’s Sunshine Law in 2016 for holding a meeting two hours before the advertised time. The charges were later dropped against all four under a deferred prosecution agreement, but the State Attorney’s Office maintained there was a clear violation of the Sunshine Law.

Other members appointed to the charter review committee Monday night were: Shelisa McCall Abraham, Mary H. Bourgeois, Cheryl Boutwell, Michelle Cunningham, Evelyn Hammond, Janice M. Jennings, Dynette Lewis, Eunice McKinney, Delores Wright Miley and Jennifer Read.

The committee will be tasked with exploring the town charter – the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The current Century charter has not been updated in almost 40 years.

NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Today Is The Final Day Of The Back To School Sales Tax Holiday

August 6, 2019

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Tuesday is the finaal day of Florida’s five-day Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday.

During this sales tax holiday period, qualifying items will be exempt from tax including:

  • Certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item
  • Clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item
  • Computers and certain accessories selling for $1,000 or less per item

For a detailed list of items included, click here.

Walnut Hill Man Sentenced In Church Theft Case

August 6, 2019

A Walnut Hill man has sentenced in a case involving the theft and pawning of audio equipment from a church.

Judge Stephen Pitre withheld adjudication as he sentenced Aaron Lucas Davis, 24, to five years probation for dealing in stolen property. He was also ordered to make restitution.

The Cokesbury United Methodist Church on North 9th Avenue reported two subwoofers, two monitor speakers and an amplifier were taken during two incidents two weeks apart. The total value of the items was about $2,400. Davis, a church employee, was caught on surveillance video removing the equipment, according to a Pensacola Police Department report.

The five pieces of equipment were pawned for $75 each, the report states.

The PNJ, Other Daily Printed Papers From Pensacola To Tallahassee To Have One Owner

August 6, 2019

The daily printed newspapers from Pensacola to Tallahassee will have the same owner under a media merger announced Monday.

New Media Investment Group has reached a $1.4 billion merger agreement with Gannett for cash and stock.

Gannett owns the Pensacola News Journal and Tallahassee Democrat, while New Media owns the Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach) and Panama City News Herald.

Gatehouse also owns multiple weeklies in the Panhandle — The Apalachicola Times, Homes County Advertiser ( Bonifay), Washington County News (Chipley), The Destin Log, Santa Rosa’s Press Gazette (Milton), The Star (Port St. Joe), and the Walson Sun (Santa Rosa Beach).

Editor’s Note: NorthEscambia.com remains locally owned and operated.

Summertime Pattern Scattered Showers

August 6, 2019

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. West wind around 5 mph.

Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph.

Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. West wind around 5 mph.

Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 92.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.

Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.

EREC Warns Members Of Telephone Scam

August 6, 2019

Escambia River Electric Cooperative is warning members of a telephone scam.

The utility says customers have received calls warning that they must a make a credit card payment over the phone to avoid a power interruption.

EREC said they never ask for credit card information over the phone. Customers can verify their account information by calling (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848.

Gulf Power has warned customers of similar scams in the past.

Honeysuckle Garden Club Seeks New Members

August 6, 2019

The Honeysuckle Garden Club is looking for new members.

Club members can learn more about planting flowers, trees and shrubs, along with making decorative items.

The Honeysuckle Garden Club meets on the fourth Sunday of the month from 2-4 p.m. at the Barrineau Park Community Center at 6055 Barrineau School Road. The next meeting is August 25.

Warrington Fatal Double Shooting Victims Identified As Father And Son

August 5, 2019

A father and son are dead after a double shooting Saturday in Warrington.

About 6:30 p.m., the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the shooting in the 800 block of North Corry Field Road and found two people shot in their heads. Scott Towers, 30, was pronounced deceased at the scene from apparent gunshots. His father,  58-year old, Alan Scott Towers was transported to a local hospital with apparent gunshot wounds but later succumbed to his injuries.

The Sheriff’s Office is looking for information on a vehicle of interest (pictured), described only as white, four-door 2000-2007 Ford Taurus.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.

Two Charged With Murder In Atmore Party Shooting That Claimed One Life, Injured Eight

August 5, 2019

Two Atmore men have been charged with murder in connection with a shooting incident that left one man dead and eight others injured at a party.

Michael Lashan Weaver Jr., 21, and Michael Bernard Pettway, 22, have each been charged with one count of murder for the death of Chirshawn Jermaine Westry.

About 2 a.m. on May 18, Atmore Police responded to a shots fired report in the 100 block of Martin Luther King Drive in Atmore. “The location was formally the Escambia County Middle School but had recently served as a community center for after school students,” according to Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks in a written statement.

Brooks said police arrived to hear gunshots around the property as they worked to assist the victims and restore order. Westry was found deceased in the building’s cafeteria.

The arrests have not closed the case as Atmore Police are continuing to investigate the eight injuries.

“They (Weaver and Pettway) are the only two charged right now. But we are continuing to investigate the other shootings in the case,” Brooks said.

Weaver and Pettway were being held in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton.

Weaver’s mugshot was not immediately available.

NorthEscambia.com photos.

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