Walnut Hill Man Gets 25 Years For Felony Sexual Battery Of Teen Girl
July 2, 2021
A Walnut Hill man has been sentenced for the sexually battery of a teen girl prosecutors said he impregnated.
William Isaiah Dunsford, 42, was sentenced by Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Lee Robinson to 25 years in state prison.
He previously entered no contest pleas to two counts of sexual battery while in a position of custodial authority, one count of lewd or lascivious molestation, and one count of battery of a child by expelling certain fluids. He was sentenced to serve lifetime sexual offender probation upon his release from prison and was also designated as a sexual predator.
The investigation began in June 2019 after the victim went to her work supervisor and asked for more hours and a later shift. When the supervisor asked why, she admitted Dunsford had been sexually assaulting her since she was 13, according to an arrest report.
She was medically examined and a sexual battery kit was performed on her. Analysis was performed on the DNA collected during her examination, and it was confirmed to be Dunsford’s DNA. As a result, he was arrested and charged in January of 2020.
The victim told investigators that Dunsford had sex with her one or two times a week. She said Dunsford told her that he would take care of her, and when she turns 18 they would be together, according to an arrest report. The victim said multiple times that she did not want anything bad to happen to Dunsford “because she feels as though they are in a loving relationship” and she allowed him to have sex with her.
“He says that he loves me and I tell it to him back,” the victim stated, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
The victim was confirmed to be pregnant at the time of the report last June by the Department of Children and Families. She said her mother first refused to believe her when she said she was pregnant.
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely Friday Night
July 2, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Independence Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 88.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Pace Man Charged With Child Porn Possession And Transmission
July 2, 2021
A Santa Rosa County man is facing multiple child pornography related charges.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the North Florida Internet Crime Against Children Task Force, arrested James Allen Harper, 45, of Pace, on one count of transmission and 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
In May of 2021, an investigation began into a target who was sharing child sexual abuse material on a peer to peer network.
Thursday, agents served a search warrant at Harper’s residence on Wallace Lake Road, just north of Quintette Road. Agents found that Harper downloaded and possessed several videos and images of child sexual abuse material, many featuring toddlers and some featuring infants, on a thumb drive found hidden in a master bedroom closet. They also found he had deleted child pornography images from his cellphone Thursday morning, FDLE said.
Harper was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on no bond. Additional charges are dependent upon completion of forensics exams. The case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit.
Man Accused Of Firing Shotgun Outside Century Bar
July 2, 2021
A Century man was arrested this week on outstanding warrants for allegedly firing a shotgun outside a Century bar and fleeing from deputies last New Year’s Eve.
Antonio Marcello Lett, 35, was charged with discharging a firearm in public, improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon and resisting an officer without violence.
At about 2 a.m. on December 31, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Odom’s Bar on North Century Boulevard after receiving a report that a man armed with a shotgun had fired twice into the air and was threatening to shoot people. When deputies arrived, Lett immediately took off running from the north side of the bar, according to an arrest report. Lett ran south on Ivey Lane behind the bar and then west toward NAPA Auto Parts on Century Boulevard. He was eventually detained behind a trailer in the 100 block of East Cottage Street.
Two spent shotgun shells were found on the north side of the bar, and a shotgun was located next to NAPA Auto Parts, the report states.
A witness told deputes that he heard five or six gunshots behind the bar. He stated that he heard it was “Bana” Lett that had a gun, but he did not actually see him.
Surveillance video from the bar showed Lett appearing to be arguing with individuals in the parking lot before firing the shotgun into the air twice, the ECSO report states.
Lett was also charged for failing to appear in court for a misdemeanor offense of driving with a suspended or canceled license. He remained jailed Friday without bond.
Groundbreaking Held For $210 Million ST Engineering Aircraft Maintenance Hangar At Pensacola Airport
July 2, 2021
The City of Pensacola and ST Engineering North America celebrated the groundbreaking for a new aircraft maintenance hangar at the Pensacola International Airport on Thursday.
The construction of the new hangar is the first phase in the development of a 655,000 square foot airframe Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul, or MRO, complex that was originally announced in October 2018. The project expands on an existing two-bay widebody hangar operated by ST Engineering. When fully completed, the expansion will add three large state-of-the-art hangars and associated support shops, and around 1.5 million labor hours to ST Engineering’s annual capacity in Pensacola.
The total development cost for the airframe MRO complex is budgeted at $210 million, funding for which comes from ST Engineering, Triumph Gulf Coast, Inc., the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, the State of Florida and other state and federal organizations. The complex is expected to bring about 1,300 jobs to Pensacola. When combined with the first hangar, the total number of jobs at the facility will reach about 1,700. To meet the future demand for talent expected at the facility, ST Engineering is exploring the creation of an Aviation Training Academy that would add an additional 150 graduates a year to the local aviation maintenance programs.
“We are excited to see construction begin on Project Titan, and we look forward to the opportunities it will bring to the City of Pensacola and our entire region,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said. “This project will allow Pensacola to become a regional center for excellence for the MRO industry, bringing 1,700 high-paying jobs and expanding educational programming, which will continue to build a brighter future for Pensacola. This project will also indirectly create significant economic spinoffs in the Pensacola and the region’s economy in terms of demand for goods and services that will be generated as a result of this development.”
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to strengthen our existing partnership with the City of Pensacola and play a major role in its post-pandemic recovery and growth,” shared Tom Vecchiolla, ST Engineering North America president and CEO. “We are driven by our commitment to help customers be better prepared, better protected and better connected for a more sustainable future. Through Project Titan, we pledge to do just that.”
Biloxi Beats The Blue Wahoos 3-0
July 2, 2021
Two trends went in a wrong direction Thursday night in the Blue Wahoos 3-0 loss against the Biloxi Shuckers.
The comeback offense, the late-inning thrills the Blue Wahoos have produced so often at home, were absent as four Biloxi pitchers combined on a 1-hitter to quiet the crowd of 4,002 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
And the Shuckers, mired in a nine-game losing streak, won for the first time since June 18 when they pounded the Rocket City Trash Pandas 13-1. It was their first shutout win since May 15.
The loss fell on a night when Blue Wahoos starter Jake Eder became the leader in lowest earned run average through all levels of Minor League Baseball, following his five shutout innings.
“I was just told that,” he said after the game. “Yeah, that’s cool. But it doesn’t really matter to me right now. The only thing that is important to me is the next start.
Eder’s ERA fell to 1.03, but it also happened through a high-wire act he pulled off.
The game began with Biloxi’s first two batters reaching on walks, then Eder recording a pair of strikeouts to end that threat. In the second inning, the Shuckers loaded the bases with a leadoff walk, a single and Eder hitting the third batter.
But he got a nifty double-play on a hard-hit ball to Blue Wahoos’ third baseman Demetrius Sims, who stepped on the bag, then threw to the plate to get the second out. Eder than got the next batter to pop out.
After inducing another double-play in the third inning, he retired the final seven batters he faced. He threw 74 pitches, but only 44 for strikes, which led to the bullpen being summoned after the fifth inning.
“I definitely was not in rhythm early, but I think after the third, my slider started landing for a strike and that got me back in rhythm and I started going from there,” said Eder, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft out of Vanderbilt where he primarily was used as a reliever.
The Blue Wahoos only hit occurred on first baseman J.D. Osborne’s leadoff single in the third inning. The only time the Blue Wahoos had multiple base runners was in the ninth.
Trailing 3-0, J.J. Bleday and Jerar Encarnacion followed a double-play by reaching on walks. Nick Fortes got a pitch he liked and sent it to right field, but not quite deep enough for dramatics and the game ended with a putout.
The Shuckers gained insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer from Lucas Erceg. Prior to that, the game’s only run was scored in the sixth inning. when Blue Wahoos center fielder Victor Victor Mesa misplayed a fly ball, falling down and leading to a run-scoring play.
The teams will continue their six-game series Friday.
by Bill Vilona, Blue Wahoos senior writer
Update: Over 50 Shots Fired Into Vehicle As Former Pine Forest High Quarterback Killed; Sheriff Pleads For Information
July 1, 2021
A former standout Pine Forest High School quarterback was shot and found dead in a vehicle crash early Thursday morning.
A vehicle was found with over 50 bullet holes in a ravine at Hollywood Avenue and Fairfield Drive about 1 a.m. First responders discovered two adult males with gunshot wounds inside the vehicle.
Ladarius Clardy was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger was transported to an area hospital suffering from gunshot wounds; an update on his condition was not available.
Sheriff Chip Simmons said Thursday afternoon that over 50 shots were fired into the vehicle, most through the driver’s door.
During an afternoon news conference, Simmons was joined by Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May, Pensacola Councilman Delarian Wiggins and Pastor Joseph Marshall of St. John Divine Missionary Baptist Church.
“This is not just a statistic. This is a son. This is a friend. This is a teammate, and enough is enough, Simmons said. “We cannot sit here and just keep saying another senseless act of violence.”
“We need your help. We want to know what you know,” Simmons continued, imploring for anyone with information of surveillance video from the area to come forward. He said Clardy’s vehicle was a 2016 black four-door Honda that might appear on someone’s surveillance video. “There are enough people around this town that know what happened.”
“This is not someone who is a loose kid out there running the streets,” Pastor Marshall said. “His family is very active. He attends our church, youth department, singing, participating in our entire youth department. I can’t express enough.”
“This is one of our children in Escambia County,” the sheriff said.
Simmons said the agency “has all major crimes units and numerous other units actively investigating this homicide”.
Clardy was 2020 graduate of Pine Forest High School where was a standout quarterback. He holds the Pine Forest Eagles’ all-time passing record, and he went on to play quarterback at Kennesaw State University.
Anyone with information or video is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (850) 433-STOP. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest of the suspect.
ExxonMobil Sells Chemstrand Road Plant, Employees Expected To Transfer To New Owner
July 1, 2021
ExxonMobil Chemical Company has sold its plant on Chemstrand Road.
ExxonMobil signed an agreement with Celanese for the sale of its global Santoprene business for $1.15 billion, subject to working capital and other adjustments. Employees impacted by the sale are expected to transfer to positions when the new owner takes control.
The sale includes two world-scale manufacturing sites in Cantonment and Newport, Wales, along with associated product, process development and laboratory equipment, operating and administration buildings, control systems and documentation, and intellectual property.
Reaching this agreement with Celanese is consistent with our strategy and allows us to focus on serving the growing market for primary olefin derivatives, where we can leverage our competitive advantages of industry leading scale, integration and proprietary technology,” said Jack Williams, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
ExxonMobil’s Santoprene brand is a global leader in a specialized market. The company will continue to serve elastomers customers with specialty products, including Butyl rubber and Vistalon, which are used in a variety of applications.
The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory, information and consultation processes, and third-party approvals.
Man Found Beaten In Century Bar Parking Lot Has Died
July 1, 2021
Authorities say a man found beaten outside a Century bar has died.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Odom’s Bar on North Century Boulevard about 10 p.m. on June 19 to find the victim beaten and down in the parking lot.
Witnesses told deputies that Hunter was seen involved in a “shoving match” in the parking lot, but he did not appeared injured. The witnesses went inside the bar, and when they went back outside, they found Hunter unconscious and bleeding, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A family member told NorthEscambia.com that Hunter remained in a coma and never regained consciousness.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday Begins Today; Here’s What You Can Buy Tax Free
July 1, 2021
Today is the first day of the new Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday in Florida for outdoor recreation, live events, museums and more.
Through July 7, purchases of admissions to music events, sporting events, cultural events, specified performances, movies, museums, state park annual passes, and fitness facilities for events held from July 1 – December 31, 2021, will be tax free. Additionally, purchases of season tickets are also exempted. (For a complete list, click here for a printable pdf.)
The Freedom Week Sales Tax Holiday also applies to sales of boating and water activity supplies, camping supplies, fishing supplies, general outdoor supplies, and sports equipment.
Boating and Water Supplies: The tax holiday applies to the first $75 of the sales price of life jackets and coolers; the first $50 of the sales price of safety flares; the first $150 of the sales price of water skis, wakeboards, kneeboards, and recreational inflatable water tubes or floats capable of being towed; the first $300 of the sales price of paddleboards and surfboards; the first $500 of the sales price of canoes and kayaks; the first $75 of the sales price of paddles and oars; and the first $25 of the sales price of snorkels, goggles, and swimming masks.
Camping Supplies: The tax holiday applies to the first $200 of the sales price of tents; the first $50 of the sales price of sleeping bags, portable hammocks, camping stoves, and collapsible camping chairs; and the first $30 of the sales price of camping lanterns and flashlights.
Fishing Supplies: The tax holiday applies to the first $75 of the sales price of rods and reels, if sold individually, or the first $150 of the sales price if sold as a set; the first $30 of the sales price of tackle boxes or bags; and the first $5 of the sale price of bait or fishing tackle, if sold individually, or the first $10 of the sales price if multiple items are sold together.
General Outdoor Supplies: The tax holiday applies to the first $15 of the sales price of sunscreen or insect repellant; the first $100 of the sales price of sunglasses; the first $200 of the sales price of binoculars; the first $30 of the sales price of water bottles; the first $50 of the sales price of hydration packs; the first $250 of the sales price of outdoor gas or charcoal grills; the first $50 of the sales price of bicycle helmets; and the first $250 of the sales price of bicycles.
Sports Equipment: The tax holiday applies any item used in individual or team sports, not including clothing or footwear, selling for $40 or less.