Man Charged With Causing Highway 97 Wreck, Robbing Victim Of $8,000 In Casino Winnings
March 30, 2023
An Escambia County man has been charged with allegedly causing a wreck and then robbing a victim at gunpoint on Highway 97 in Davisville in December.
Edward Jerome Butler, Jr., 45, was booked into the Escambia County Jail this week on charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault on a person over age 65, grand theft, grand theft of a firearm, battery and fraudulent use of a credit card.
The victim left the casino in Atmore and traveled south into Florida. On Highway 97 near the Piggly Wiggly in Davisville, Butler deliberately rear-ended the victim’s vehicle, causing just minor damage, according to an arrest report. The victim stopped on the side of the road. Butler then approached the vehicle wearing a red hoodie and red shoes, opened the passenger door, pointed a gun at the victim, and told him to give him the money or he would shoot him, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said.
The victim attempted to draw his personal firearm to defend himself, but deputies said Butler took the victim’s gun away. Butler then forcefully grabbed the victim’s leg and pulled at his boot, which is where he was hiding his winnings from the Wind Creek Casino. Deputies said Butler took about $8,000 from the boot before fleeing with another unknown suspect in their vehicle.
About an hour later, Butler was seen entering a convenience store on Chemstrand Road in Pensacola and withdrawing $600 in three separate transactions from an ATM, the report states, along with $64 from another one of the victim’s other cards. Surveillance video showed the person withdrawing the money to be wearing a red hoodie.
The vehicle that left the convenience store was located in early January, and an ATM receipt was located inside that matched the victim’s account and the amount withdrawn, plus a $3 transaction fee. The owner of the vehicle said he picked up Butler, who paid him $20 for transportation.
Butler was arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on March 17 and extradited to Escambia County where he remained in jail Thursday morning with bond set at $117,500.
Tree Planted At Northview High In Honor Of Senior Who Lost Her Life In Highway 29 Wreck
March 30, 2023
A tree was planted Wednesday after school at Northview High in memory of senior Kara Santorelli.
Santorelli was killed in a collision with a wrong-way driver early the morning of March 17 on Highway 29 just south of Quintette Road.
Northview’s senior class organized the event to honor their classmate.
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Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charge With Stealing Trailer, Selling It On Facebook
March 30, 2023
A Cantonment man is accused of stealing a trailer valued at $5,400 then selling it for $1,000.
Nicholas Dale Colbert, 34, was charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of dealing in stolen property.
The 14-foot trailer was stolen from the 9500 block of Pensacola Boulevard and recovered the following day from a residence on Bellview Pines Place after an Apple Airtag pinged at that location.
A man at the residence told deputies that he purchased the trailer for $1,000 from a man on Facebook Marketplace. The seller, later identified as Colbert, provided a written “bill of sale”, according to an arrest report.
Colbert was charged with a count of grand theft for the trailer and a second count of grand theft for the $1,000 lost by the buyer, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $9,000.
Low Around 60 Tonight
March 30, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 58. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 79. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 80.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84.
Local Assistant U.S. Attorney Pleads Guilty To Illegally Steering Contracts To Her Spouse
March 30, 2023
An Assistant U.S. Attorney in Pensacola has pleaded guilty to illegally steering contracts to her spouse, in violation of the federal criminal conflict of interest statute.
According to court documents, 55-year old Kathryn Drey, 55 directed contracts from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida to companies in which her spouse had a financial interest, including while she served as chief of the office’s Civil Division. Drey concealed her spouse’s financial interest in contracts to conduct title searches in litigation defended by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Kathryn Drey committed a federal crime by enriching her family at the expense of her duty to the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable public servants who act with unlawful conflicts of interest, prioritizing financial gain over their ethical duties.”
Drey pleaded guilty to one count of acting with a conflict of interest. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The public trusts Department of Justice employees to act with the highest integrity. Instead, Drey acted in her own self-interest to improperly profit from her official position,” said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Miami Field Office. “DOJ-OIG is committed to rooting out this kind of egregious misconduct and bringing perpetrators to justice.”
Tate High Tennis Tops Navarre
March 30, 2023
Tate High Aggies boys and girls tennis defeated Navarre High Wednesday. The Tate boys beat NHS 6-1, and the girls won 7-0. Up next, Tate tennis will host Pace High on Thursday.
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Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
First Candidate Prefiles For Escambia Commission District 5 In 2024
March 30, 2023
The first candidate has prefiled for Escambia County Commission District 5 race in the 2024 election.
James Hilburn of Millet Circle filed his paperwork as a Republican Wednesday morning with the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
In 2022, Hilburn prefiled for Pensacola mayor using his Cantonment address and listed his occupation as security guard. He did not finish the process to appear on the ballot.
Charles Kenneth Crawley
March 30, 2023
Charles Kenneth Crawley, age 87, of Molino, FL, passed away on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Charles was born in Century, Florida on June 8, 1935, to Joseph Glenn and Ruby Dee Crawley.
Charles is survived by his wife of 65 years, Grace Brown Crawley; children, Hope (Hollis aka Randy) Cole and Chris (Angela) Crawley; grandchildren, Curtis Cole, Heath Cole, Ethan Cole, and Kristen Crawley; 11 great-grandchildren; brother, Fred (Vickie) Crawley; a very dedicated niece, Ann Crawley Hendrix; 3 nephews, Randy Crawley, Greg Crawley, and Tommy Crawley.
Funeral Service will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home on Friday, March 31, 2023, at 2:00 PM with visitation an hour prior. Pastor Ed Hicks of the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Molino, FL will be officiating. Burial will follow at Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery.
Boil Water Notice Issued For Entire Nature Trail Subdivision
March 29, 2023
A precautionary boil water notice has been issued by ECUA for the entire Nature Trail Subdivision.
This precautionary notice was issued due to localized water taste and color issues after a well was placed back in service from routine maintenance. PWBN are issued as a part of the standard protocol following any loss of water pressure or concerns, whether as a result of planned maintenance activities or unscheduled repairs. There was no loss of pressure and all sample results showed chlorine residuals within normal ranges.
Residents located in the specified area are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use eight drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water, for water to be used for drinking or cooking purposes. Two independent bacteriological samples have been initiated and the advisory will be lifted as soon as possible. This process routinely takes 48 hours and the notice will be rescinded at that time.
ECUA staff resolved the issue at the well and have flushed out the lines. Residents within the PBWN area and nearby are advised that there is a possibility of residual discolored water as a result of the flushing, and to flush their home’s plumbing by running their taps for a few minutes. If problems persist, customers are asked to contact ECUA Customer Service at (850) 476-0480 for assistance.
This story will be updated when the boil water notice is lifted.
Rare Supersized Hail Destroys Crops At Local Vegetable Farm
March 29, 2023
Supersized hail lashed a portion of the North Escambia area early Tuesday morning, destroying all of the crops at a Davisville produce farm.
Maeday Farm on Highway 97 in Davisville, about a mile south of Atmore, lost all of their remaining winter vegetables and everything they had planted for spring, according to co-founder Steven Elliot. Hail they estimated to be between golf ball to ping pong ball size beat all of the vegetables into the ground, including lettuce, radicchio, green onions, kale, spinach, cucumbers, squash and zucchini. Their animals and structures like greenhouses were not damaged.
Steven Elliot and his wife Meredith Elliot typically sell their produce at the Palafox Market in Pensacola, but they won’t be there for several weeks and they regroup and plan how to move forward.
“It was a big loss with everything gone in just a few minutes,” Steven Elliot said.
The supersized for Florida hail fell in an area along and within a few miles of the Alabama/Florida line just after 2 a.m. Tuesday. Some of the hail was documented to be about 2.5 inches, which the weather service calls tennis ball sized.
“I’d say that hail size is crazy big for here. Not sure I’ve seen it that big in 20 years,” WEAR 3 meteorologist Allen Strum said. He said a typical severe thunderstorm with large hail would have hail of one inch or larger.
Escambia County, Florida, officials said no damage was reported to the county or emergency services.
Pictured: Radishes (top photo), radicchio (first below) along with Swiss chard and kale (second below) were among the produce destroyed early Tuesday morning by large hail and Maedae Farms on Highway 97 in Davisville. Pictured inset and bottom: Some of the rare supersized hail that fell in the North Escambia area. Photos for NorhEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
