Updated: Escambia County Teacher Wanted On Child Abuse Charge Turns Himself In
April 22, 2022
An Escambia County teacher wanted on a child abuse charge turned himself in Friday afternoon, according to authorities.
On February 24, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies were made aware of a possible child abuse case involving teacher 41-year old Richard Jay Harris and student at Oakcrest Elementary School.
Harris was released from jail on a $5,000 bond shortly after his surrender Friday afternoon.
According to the ECSO:
“During the investigation, it was reported the teacher called the student to his desk and asked the student why she was so bad. The student told the teacher that she didn’t know why. The teacher then told the student to go sit down and shut up ‘you punk b***h’. The student then hit the teacher and returned to her desk.
“The teacher walked over to where the student was sitting, leaned down face to face, and allegedly said ‘now it’s my turn’. He then picked up the chair the student was sitting in, tilted the chair dropping the student, causing the child to hit their head on the floor.”
ECSO investigators said they have made numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact Harris.
Century Charter Review Committee Missing Public Records From Three Months Of Work
April 22, 2022
Public records from three months of work by the Century Charter Review Committee are missing.
Chairperson Mary Bourgeois told the committee Thursday night that they can’t find minutes and charter revisions made during the period.
“I would like to say this. November, and December, and January — the two months of last year and the month of January — we lost a lot of our minutes and a lot of our discussion,” she said early in a committee meeting Thursday afternoon. “You couldn’t find any of the paperwork for this charter from our notes and all, and I went and dug through a bunch of stuff today to find a charter that we black-lined.”
The committee is tasked with updating the charter — the document that legally establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The committee has met periodically since October 2019.
Thursday afternoon, the committee made tweaks to a draft charter. They will meet again in June, in hopes of sending a final draft to the Century Town Council for approval. With the council’s blessings, the new charter will appear on the November ballot for voter consideration.
Bourgeois addressed the committee again at the end of the end about the missing records.
“I want to say this again, November, December, January. We lost a lot that we had voted on and a lot of language from not having minutes and just stuff disappeared. I went back and look at a lot of things that we had discussed and lost. We’ve tried. I went over a bunch of it with Buz (consultant Buz Eddy) to try to just let you know. That was part of some notes….They can’t find it.”
She then appealed to committee members not only for recommended changes to the draft charter, but anything they can recollect from the three-month period.
“So is there anything that you can remember or that you’re not happy with that we have left out?”
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee chairperson Mary Bourgeois explains missing documents as consultant Buz Eddy listens Thursday evening. Pictured below: Committee member Kathryn Fleming reviews a draft charter. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECSO Recognizes Sgt. Scott Mashburn For 25 Years Of Service
April 22, 2022
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Scott Mashburn is celebrating 25 years of service at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Mashburn continues to work in the Century and Walnut Hill precincts. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Stan Telatovich Multipurpose Room Designated At Tate High For Local Wrestling Legend
April 22, 2022
The multipurpose room in the Tate High School gym has been officially named the Stan Telatovich Multipurpose Room..
Stan cis a legendary wrestling coach in Escambia County.
He started the wrestling program at Washington High School and served as head coach from 1971-1975.
Telatovich also started the wrestling program at Tate High School in 1987 and served as head coach from 1987-2003.
He also served as a wrestling coach at Tate from 2006-2012, and from 2018 to the present — a total of 26 years as wrestling coach at Tate. During those years, he coached 25 state qualifiers, three of which were state place finishers, and a two-time state runner-up.
Telatovich spent 31 years teaching in the Escambia County School District.
“Stan Telatovich has dedicated his life and career to education and athletics, even post retirement. He has instilled the importance of dedication, character, good sportsmanship, and discipline in his students and the athletes he has coached,” a resolution approved this week by the Escambia County School Board states.
The new name took effect immediately upon adoption by the school board.
Pictured: Stan Telatovich (left) and Escambia School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
First Baptist Church of Bratt Hosting Annual Deer Supper Saturday
April 22, 2022
The First Baptist Church of Bratt will host their Annual Deer Supper this Saturday at 6 p.m.
Bro. Matt Kelly, with Equip Ministries, will be the guest speaker again this year. The event is free.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt is located at 4570 Highway 4 in Bratt, just under a mile west of Northview High School.
Escambia Man Caught Cooking Crack Cocaine In Hotel Room
April 22, 2022
An Escambia County man has been arrested for allegedly cooking crack cocaine in a hotel room.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a hotel in the 7000 block of Pensacola Boulevard on Wednesday.
Once inside the hotel room, deputies said they found methamphetamine, cocaine, Alprazolam, drug paraphernalia and a MP5-style gun.
Demetrius “Meat” Johnson was a charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, manufacture or deliver, distribution of cocaine within a thousand feet of a place of worship, two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
He was booked into the Escambia County jail with bond set at $25,500.
Sunny Days, High In The Low 80s Through The Weekend
April 22, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Fiiday: Sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 55.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Freshmen Tate Aggies Drop Double Header To Pace (With Gallery)
April 22, 2022
The freshmen Tate Aggies dropped both games of a double header to Pace Thursday.
Pace 6, Tate 4 (Freshmen)
Nathan Ozuna went three innings for the Aggies, allowing six runs on three hits while striking out four. Brodie Rhodes went for two innings, allowing three hits, no runs and striking out one.
Ozuna went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the team in hits. Trevor Land and Brayden Beck added one hit each.
Pace 3, Tate 2 (Freshmen)
In the second game of the freshman double header, Pace topped Tate 3-2.
Sheppard Edgar took the loss for Tate, allowing one hit and three runs over five innings, while striking out seven.
Taite Davis led the Aggies at 2-3. Nathan Ozuna, Kaydon Biggs, Bayden Walker and Zane Walker each had a hit for Tate.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Laura Glodfelter, click to enlarge.
Stewart Sparkles In Wahoos 7-0 Shutout Win Over Biscuits
April 22, 2022
Will Stewart scattered three singles over 5.0 scoreless innings as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos defeated the Montgomery Biscuits on Thursday by a score of 7-0.
Stewart and Montgomery starter Taj Bradley traded zeroes through five innings before the Blue Wahoos finally broke through against the Biscuits bullpen in the seventh. After loading the bases against Nathan Witt (L, 0-1), an RBI walk to Griffin Conine was followed by a two-run double from Cobie Fletcher-Vance to put Pensacola ahead 3-0.
In the eighth, Montgomery reliever Evan Reifert lost command of the strike zone and the Blue Wahoos scored four more, forcing Biscuits catcher Erik Ostberg to finish the game on the mound.
Anthony Maldonado (W, 1-1) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief of Stewart to earn the win, and Andrew Nardi (S, 1) got the final six outs for the save.
Thursday’s game was played in 2:20, the fastest contest of the season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Montgomery Biscuits on Friday night
Byrneville Man, 74, Charged With Shooting At His Live-in Girlfriend
April 21, 2022
A 74-year old Byrneville man is accused of firing a gun at his longtime girlfriend.
George Alanson Hoffman, 74, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Hoffman allegedly fired a gun at his live-in girlfriend of 20 years at a residence in Byrneville. The victim told deputies that he had been drinking, and they had been arguing.
The victim “stated she was sitting in her chair when she heard a shot go across her head and that her ears began ringing due to the gunshot”, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report states. She said Hoffman said “you are going to die today”, along with other threats.
The woman fled outside the residence and found herself locked out, the report continues. She was waiting for some period of time and flagged someone down to call the Sheriff’s Office.
When deputies arrived, they found Hoffman still inside the locked residence. A neighbor was able to talk Hoffman out.
Hoffman told deputies that he was tired of his girlfriend and had been trying to get her out of his residence. He stated he had been drinking and got irate with her, causing him to grab his Ruger .380 and fire it toward her, according to the arrest report.
Deputies reported finding a bullet hole in the wall just above the girlfriend’s chair and the handgun next to the chair Hoffman was sitting in, the report states. An empty .380 caliber shell casing was located just in front of Hoffman’s chair.
Hoffman remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $5,000.