Woman Allegedly Stole Pickup From Her Ex In Florida Before Running Out of Gas In Alabama
March 13, 2023
An Atmore woman allegedly stole her ex-husband’s truck near Walnut Hill and ran out of gas on an Alabama interstate before stealing a good Samaritan’s vehicle, according to authorities.
Toni Marie Gibson, 27, was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle for a 2017 Ford F250 reported stolen on March 4 from the 6000 block of West Highway 4 near Walnut Hill.
The following day, she returned to the residence in a Kia Soul and said the truck ran out of gas somewhere along I-65, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Another individual reported he was traveling southbound on I–65 in his Kia Soul when he noticed the truck sitting in the middle of the interstate. He stopped to assist Gibson and called the Alabama State Troopers. When the trooper arrived, Gibson jumped into the Kia Soul and fled, according to the report. The Kia Soul was then reported stolen.
The stolen truck was towed to Atmore and later recovered by the owner.
Gibson remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $7,500. She was also charged with battery by a person detained in a jail for an unspecified incident after she was booked.
To date, she has not been charged with the alleged vehicle theft in Alabama.
Chilly Nights Return
March 13, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 41. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 72. East wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 10 mph.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 42.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59.
PTA Provides Bratt Elementary Students With A Free Book For Spring Break
March 13, 2023
Each Bratt Elementary School student has a new book to enjoy over spring break this week.
The Bratt Elementary PTA gave students a chance to pick out a free book from the school’s book fair.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Michael (Squirrel) Holland
March 13, 2023
Michael (Squirrel) Holland, 78, of Molino, FL, passed away Saturday, March 11, 2023. He was born in Pensacola, FL, on December 8, 1945, to David and Definel Holland. He was married to Sherry for 34 years. Mike was in Corrections for Escambia County Road Prison for 33 years. He was a member of Highland Church. Mike had a passion for hunting and fishing.
Mike is preceded in death by his father, David Holland and his mother, Definel Holland.
Mike is survived by his wife, Sherry Holland; daughter, Irish Houlihan; grandson, Zachary Rink; grandson, Noah Rink; granddaughter, Marissa Rink; brother Edward (Maude) Holland; sister, Edna Jean (Lee) Pollitt, and a host of nieces and nephews, and many lifelong friends.
Visitation will be Wednesday, March 15, 2023, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM. A Celebration of Life will follow at 3:00 PM. Ron Gilley will be officiating.
Florida Gas Prices Rise Slightly Over Last Week
March 13, 2023
Florida gas prices were up nine cents over the last week, according to AAA.
The average statewide price per gallon Sunday was $3.31. In Escambia County, the average price per gallon was lower at $3.24.
In North Escambia, the low price Sunday night was $3.18 at stations on Highway 29 and on Muscogee Road. In Pensacola, the warehouse clubs were at $3.01.
“Despite last week’s jump at the pump, Florida gas prices are still 27 cents per gallon less than this year’s high, which was recorded at the end of January,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Price hikes like these are common this time of year as spring vacations drive-up gasoline demand, while refineries conduct seasonal maintenance due and switch to Summer gasoline.”
Hazmat Team Responds To Reported Rail Car Leak In Molino; Incident Determined To Be ‘Normal Operations’
March 12, 2023
Escambia County Fire Rescue and their Hazmat team responded to a reported train incident in Molino Sunday afternoon.
According to Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore, it was determined that two rail tanker cars were venting as part of “normal operations” due to atmospheric pressure.
Two CSX tank cars containing liquid carbon dioxide had an obvious vapor venting from the top. According to online government databases, it is non-flammable, non-poisonous gas that is not dangerous outside of immediate physical contact that can cause severe frostbite.
The cars were located on a side track south of the Fairground Road crossing, adjacent to River Bend Road. Multiple railroad crossings in the area were closed due to the stopped train.
There were no evacuations, and no injuries were reported.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Food Distribution Benefits Hundreds Of Families (With Photo Gallery)
March 12, 2023
Hundreds of people received a helping hand Saturday during a food distribution in Gonzalez.
Rep. Michelle Salzman, Farm Share, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Commissioner Steven Barry, Congressman Matt Gaetz, Kevin Stephens with ECUA District 5, International Paper, the Marine Corps League, Gonzalez United Methodist Church, Aaron Erskine, Thompson Trucking, and other community partners made the event possible.
The food distributions are held in North Escambia on a quarterly basis.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed getting out into the community and being able to help our friends in District 1 get what they need”, said Rep. Michelle Salzman. “Along with Farm Share and the Gonzalez United Methodist Church, these events have become an amazing asset to help us provide food once every quarter to this part of the county that needs it so much. Especially with prices rising as they have been, it’s comforting to know that we’ve helped ensure some food on their tables every few months.”
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
‘“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.’,” said Gonzalez United Methodist Church Pastor Andy Perry, quoting Matthew 25:40. “As a Church, we cannot live isolated from our community. Rather, what Jesus and even the season of Lent reminds us of is that we are to be truly engaged in caring for those who do not have the means that many others have. Being involved in this food distribution allows us to engage and connect with the people in North Escambia county in a very real and tangible way, as the hands and feet of Jesus to help our neighbor. This is truly an opportunity to fulfill the commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Rain And Thunderstorms Continue Sunday Night
March 12, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 4am. Low around 48. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming north in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday: Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 64. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 41. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 72. East wind 5 to 15 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.
Escambia County 4-H Wins 2023 State 4-H Insectathon State Championship
March 12, 2023
Several Escambia County 4-H teams placed in the Florida 4-H State Insectathon Contest at the University of Florida, including a state championship team.
The contest at the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology consisted of insect identification, insect damage identification, a special topic quiz about the Asian citrus psyllid, and insect collection judging.
Escambia County 4-H teams that placed were as follows:
Junior Team 1 – second place
Junior Team 2 – third place
Intermediate Team 1; first place, state champions
Intermediate Team 2 – second place
Senior Team 1 – second place
Senior Team 2 – third place
During the project, Escambia County 4-H members developed life skills through activities related to insects and entomology. 4-H members in the project learned life skills such as effective decision-making, critical thinking, goal setting, and teamwork.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
March 12, 2023
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement recently reported the following activity from January:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Specialist Allgood responded to a complaint of someone shooting from the roadway at night. The officer found several deer feeding in a field and waited. A vehicle approached and using the vehicle’s headlights, one of the occupants shot at a deer from the roadway. Officer Allgood attempted to stop the suspects, who fled the area. Officer Allgood used the vehicle’s tag information to locate and visit the registered owner’s home. The registered owner of the vehicle said her son had borrowed the car and was accompanied by a friend. Both suspects admitted to shooting at the deer and fleeing. Officer Allgood cited both suspects for multiple charges including attempting to take a deer using a gun and light and for shooting from the roadway. A warrant was also obtained for the driver of the vehicle for fleeing and eluding.
Officer Specialist Ramos received information about an illegally killed antlerless deer. He interviewed a suspect, who admitted to harvesting an antlerless deer in Baldwin County, Alabama. Further investigation revealed he dumped the carcass on the side of a highway. The subject was issued a citation for littering and asked to properly dispose of the carcass. The subject also was issued a notice to appear for importing the whole deer from Alabama into Florida. The deer was submitted to FWC biologists to be tested for the presence of chronic wasting disease.
Officer Lugg was conducting a resource patrol focusing on the importation into Florida of bone-in meat from deer harvested out of state when he observed a vehicle suspected was returning from hunting out of state. A traffic stop was conducted and bone-in deer meat was located in the cooler. The subject admitted the meat was from a deer harvested outside of Florida. In addition, evidence of sex was not retained and the meat was not properly labeled for transit. The operator did not possess a driver’s license nor any required paperwork for his vehicle. All violations were documented and addressed accordingly.
While conducting a resource patrol in Pensacola Bay, Officer Lugg observed a vessel with two occupants on board who were fishing. Upon performing a marine fisheries inspection, an oversized red drum was located within the vessel. The violations were addressed accordingly.
While on patrol in Perdido Bay, Officer Lugg observed a commercial blue crabber pulling traps within state waters during a biannual two-week commercial trap closure. Upon closer inspection, Officer Lugg found about 70 traps were being actively fished. Officer Allgood assisted with inspecting the blue crab traps. The officers observed multiple crab safety measures were not put into place on the traps and the traps were not tagged, properly labeled, and the buoys were of improper size and color. The vessel did not have any aerial markings nor commercial safety gear where required. The operator was issued two misdemeanors and eight warnings.
While on patrol in the Escambia River Wildlife Management Area, Officer Lugg heard shots after legal shooting hours. After arriving at the nearest boat ramp, Officer Lugg and Officer Allgood contacted the vessel, which had five subjects on board who had been hunting. Two of the occupants did not possess required hunting licenses or federal duck stamps. One of the hunters was using lead shot while hunting waterfowl and one of the hunters was using an unplugged shotgun. The vessel did not have life jackets for the occupants on board, registration, a sound producing device, or navigation lights. All violations were cited accordingly.
While working enhanced patrol, Officer Cushing received information regarding illegal baiting and hunting activity in the Perdido Wildlife Management Area. Officer Cushing and Investigator Livesay located a truck containing hunting equipment parked near the main gate. Officer Cushing located a hunter in a treestand hunting over bait with a bow and arrow. The subject did not have the required quota permit to hunt that area. Investigator Livesay located the subject’s adult son nearby who also was hunting over bait and did not have a quota permit or a valid hunting license. The investigation revealed they had been hunting the area for a couple of weeks. Citations were issued to both subjects for multiple violations.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Bower and Wilkenson were on patrol and observed a vehicle with an antlered deer in the bed of the truck that did not appear to meet antler point regulations for that deer management unit. A vehicle stop was conducted and the subject stated he was hunting in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The officers determined the deer did not meet antler point regulations. They seized the deer and issued the hunter a notice to appear.
Officer Tison inspected a portion of property that contained numerous gopher tortoise burrows after observing the property was being cleared with heavy equipment. The property was well posted that burrows were present and the owner of the company clearing the property was aware of them. During Officer Tison’s inspection of the property, he observed two burrows run over with the clearing equipment. The owner of the company was cited for the destruction of the gopher tortoise burrows.
Officer Corbin observed a subject fishing near a bridge in the Santa Rosa Sound and conducted a resource inspection. The subject did not have a fishing license or any identification. While the subject provided a false name, Officer Corbin was able to identify the subject, who had an active felony warrant for his arrest out of Louisiana. The subject was arrested and charged with providing a false name to law enforcement and cited for no fishing license.
Officer Lewis was on patrol in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area when he heard a rifle shot. The officer located the origin of the shot and observed a hunter dragging an antlered deer he had harvested. The deer did not meet the antler point regulations for the area (antlered deer must have at least one antler with three or more points or one antler with a main beam of 10” or more in length). The hunter also failed to log his harvest. The officer issued the hunter a warning for the harvest log violation and a notice to appear citation for the antler point regulation violation. Officer Burkhead assisted with the case.
Officer Burkhead conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Blackwater Wildlife Management Area for traffic violations. Officer Burkhead found several coolers in the back of the vehicle. The subject had been hunting and admitted to having deer meat in one of the coolers without evidence of sex. Officer Burkhead interviewed the subject and concluded the meat was from a legal deer. The subject was written a warning for being in possession of deer meat without sex identification.
Officer Burkhead received a complaint from a subject regarding an individual trespassing on his property. Officer Burkhead located an individual at the area driving an all-terrain vehicle that matched the provided description. Officer Burkhead conducted a traffic stop and found the individual had a suspended driver’s license. The subject admitted to trespassing while hunting. Upon further investigation, Officer Burkhead found the man was a convicted felon and found shotgun shells in the man’s backpack labeled with his initials. The man also said he hid a shotgun in the woods before fleeing the area. Officers Burkhead and Roberson as well as two deputies from Santa Rosa
County Sheriff’s Office located the shotgun. Officer Burkhead arrested the subject and wrote citations for traffic violations as well as Blackwater WMA violations. The subject was transported and booked into the Santa Rosa County jail.
Officer Bower received information about alligator snapping turtles taken from the wild and kept as pets. Officers Roberson and Bower observed an alligator snapping turtle in a small man-made pond at the residence in question. The homeowner stated he caught the turtle in a creek near his house and that a second turtle he had, crawled out of the aquarium inside of the home. The homeowner also stated he was keeping a juvenile cottonmouth in a small aquarium on the front porch and was not feeding it. The snake was identified as a banded water snake. The subject was issued a notice to appear for possessing an alligator snapping turtle and animal cruelty for failing to feed the snake.
Officers Bower and Bragg were patrolling the Santa Rosa Sound during duck season. The officers observed subjects at a boat ramp that had shot three ducks. A resource and boating safety inspection was conducted. One of the subject’s shotguns was unplugged and capable of holding more than three shotgun shells. The subject admitted to shooting the ducks. The subject was issued a notice to appear and issued two warnings for boating safety violations.
Officer Roberson was on patrol at Quintette Boat Ramp on Escambia River. Officer Roberson observed a vessel that had just been pulled out of the water. Upon further inspection, Officer Roberson found out two individuals had been hunting and had harvested two wood ducks. Officer Roberson checked their shotguns and discovered one was not plugged and could hold more than three rounds. Also, it was determined the same individual did not possess a valid federal duck stamp. Officer Roberson issued a misdemeanor notice to appear for not plugging the shotgun and a warning for not having a federal duck stamp.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.