Man Charged With Opening Fire, Shooting Bicyclist In Cantonment Street
June 2, 2020
A Cantonment man has been arrested after allegedly shooting a man in a local street last week.
Carnell Levon Williams, 23, was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a “deadly missiles” weapons offense for firing into a building, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, using a firearm during the commission of a felony, discharging a firearm in public and criminal mischief.
Deputies arrived at the intersection of Washington and Sheppard streets about 6:30 p.m. on May 28 to find a man in the street suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital; an update on his condition was not available.
Witnesses told investigators that the victim was riding his bicycle when someone, later identified as Williams, opened fire in the street.
Deputies located five spent shell casings on the ground in the 200 block of Sheppard Street, and they also discovered that the chimney of a home on Washington Street was hit by gunfire.
The victim told the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office he was riding his bicycle when a car came speeding up. He said someone started shooting at the car, and he was hit.
Williams was taken into custody in the area of Kingsfield and Beulah roads. According to an arrest report, he stated, “I didn’t have no gun; I didn’t shoot nobody” and denied the allegations against him.
Williams remained in the Escambia County Jail Tuesday morning with bond set at $197,000.
High School Sports, Band To Resume In Escambia County. Here’s The Schedule.
June 2, 2020
The Escambia County School District has announced plans for resuming athletic and band participation for students.
Through June 15, student athletes should obtain updated physicals (EL2) and Parent Consent and Release Forms (EL3,) which must be submitted prior to participation in district sports. On Saturday, June 6, the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, will offer free student athlete physicals. Parents and students must coordinate with their coaches to set appointments for these free physicals.
On Monday, June 15, coaches will resume conditioning for those student athletes with current physicals and release forms. Conditioning will include use of weight rooms, gymnasiums, and athletic fields, while utilizing social distancing protocols and proper sanitation measures for training equipment.
“Students who have been inactive over the past 60 days or so due to COVID-19 requirements will need proper conditioning and training in order to participate in school sports,’ stated Superintendent Malcom Thomas. “Social distancing protocols will be followed, as well as the proper sanitation steps by district personnel. This will be a team effort by all participants.”
High school band students may begin on campus activities starting Monday, June 15. Band camps will begin Monday, July 6. Parents and students should refer to their school band director for band camp schedules and guidelines. There will be no middle school band activities this summer.
Pictured: “Midnight Madness” — last season’s first full contact practice that began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 3, 2019, at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Facing The Inability To Pay Some Bills On Time, Century Shuffles Fund Balances
June 2, 2020
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to move funds between accounts in order to pay bills before they become past due.
The council voted to move Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) dollars in the amount of $78,880.92 to the water fund to pay bills that are generally due by mid-June. The bills are for materials or labor related to a water interconnect and water well repair at Century Correctional Institution after a well failure in early May.
Interim Town Manager Vernon Prather said the water fund had a bank balance just under $11,000 as of last week, and the Florida Department of Corrections currently owes the town $36,742.
LOST provides discretionary funding for local governments in Escambia County for infrastructure projects that have a lifespan greater than five years.
Prather also asked for the transfer of LOST funds to cover a $36,057 water fund truck purchase in 2018 and $57,969 to cover current year capital outlay projects. The council tabled action on the request until they see a LOST fund balance sheet. The fund has a balance that is somewhere about the $900,000 and receives sale tax funds monthly.
The council also voted Monday night to:
- Make a monthly $5,000 transfer from the garbage fund to the gas fund through September 2020;
- Close an old tornado relief fund and transfer $11,583.46 from an insurance payment not used for relief to the general fund;
- Request a $7.200 payment for a September 2019 audit from a consultant. The money will go into the general fund.
Prather wrote in a memo that the recommended transfers would enable the town to “sustain payroll and current bill thus helping any cash crunch that may arise”. He wrote that if need, the town could transfer up to $31,829.86 from an account that receives rent for town facilities and $50,35.81 in water fund reserve funds.
Escambia County (AL) Covid 19 Cases Jump By 34 In Two Weeks
June 2, 2020
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Escambia County, Alabama, has suddenly jumped.
There are now 73 cases in the county, up by 34 in the past two weeks. There have been 314 tests administered in the county in the last 14 days.
There have been three COVID-19 cases in the county.
As of Monday night, there were 18,246 cases across the state of Alabama out of 224,892 total tested. There have been 644 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Alabama, with 1,876 cumulative hospitalizations.
The Alabama Department of Health now posts a number of “presumed recoveries”. That number stood at 9,355 Monday night.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Century Council Votes 3-1 To Reopen The Town’s Parks
June 2, 2020
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to reopen the town’s parks, departing from the advice given by Mayor Henry Hawkins. The Century parks are about the last, if not the last, recreation area in Escambia County to be reopened after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hawkins told the council that the parks remained closed because the town does not have the personnel to monitor them for proper social distancing like Escambia County and the City of Pensacola.
The county and city never closed their parks and never instituted any formal monitoring programs.
Councilmen Ben Boutwell and James Smith both expressed that some point people must have personal accountability for the their actions such as proper social distancing the in the parks.
“People can do what they want to do,” Councilman Luis Gomez said. “I’m not trying to stop it, but I’m trying to say if the people start getting sick and people start overwhelming the park, are we going to be willing to close it back?”
The council voted 3-1 to reopen the parks and reinstall the basketball rims that were removed from Marie McMurray Park. Gomez cast the dissenting vote, and council member Sandra McMurray-Jackson did not vote after apparently being disconnected from the telephone meeting.
“I’ll go no with this one,” Gomez said about his vote. “It ain’t going to be on my conscience.”
When Century closed their parks in early April due to COVID-19, they also removed the basketball from the Carver Community Center’s basketball courts on Jefferson Avenue. Monday night, the council voted 4-0 to return the rims to the community group that owns the courts because they are not town property.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
EREC Reopens Lobbies For Member Services
June 2, 2020
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has reopened their business lobbies in Walnut Hill and Jay with recommendations to follow CDC social distancing guidelines.
In response to COVID-19, the lobbies were closed in March and contract post office services were scaled back in Walnut Hill.
EREC is still encouraging members to utilize remote options to do business with the cooperative. EREC accept payments by mail, online, by phone or using a night depository drop. Services such as opening or closing an electric, water or internet account; making changes to services; balance inquiries and service orders can be accomplished b phone or email. Contact memberservices@erec.com or call (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848 for assistance.
Pictured: The Walnut Hill post office. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Northview High Names Valedictorian, Salutatorian
June 2, 2020
Northview High School has named the valedictorian and salutatorian for the Class of 2020.
Valedictorian is Keaton Brown, and salutatorian is Kayla McKillion.
A graduation ceremony for the Northview High School Class of 2020 will held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24 at the Pensacola Bay Center. Seating will be limited.
Click or tap here for more information on planned graduation ceremonies in Escambia County.
UWF COVID-19 Testing Site Reopened Tuesday, One Day After It Was Closed By The State
June 1, 2020
The mobile testing site at the University of West Florida will reopen to the public, Tuesday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Tuesday, it will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
The drive-through test site is located at the SP2 parking lot, which is on the east side of campus, near the East Sports Complex. Individuals are asked to remain in their vehicles, and pre-screening is not required.
On Monday, the state announced the testing site was closed after the National Guard was activated.
The site was first opened to the public May 2 at the request of the Governor’s Office under the direction of the Florida Department of Health in conjunction with both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and assistance from the Florida National Guard.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Highway 29, Highway 97 Rear-End Collision
June 1, 2020
One person was injured in a rear-end type collision at Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino Monday afternoon.
The crash happened 1:45 p.m. when the driver of passenger car rear-ended a Toyota 4Runner. One person was transported to an area hospital by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hurricane Season Begins Today. Going To A Shelter Should Be A Last Resort Due To COVID-19.
June 1, 2020
Monday is the first day of hurricane season, and COVID-19 concerns are a bigpart of this year’s local planning.
Shelters will open in the event a named storm threatens Escambia County, but county officials say public shelters might not be the best first choice.
“This year with COVID-19, we really want to stress that residents have a plan rather than go to a shelter,” said Escambia County Emergency Manager Eric Gilmore. “The county will provide shelters and will do everything possible to sanitize them, but we know that the likelihood of COVID-19 spreading increases when people are in close living conditions.”
“A shelter should be a last resort. We are asking residents to know their evacuation zone, and if they aren’t in an evacuation zone, it may be safer to stay at home and prepare accordingly. Better yet, please reach out to family and friends now to develop a plan to stay somewhere safe if you need to evacuate,” Gilmore said.
While June 1 marks the official start to the hurricane season, there have already been two named storms. And forecasters are calling for an above normal season.
Pictured: Hurricane Michael makes landfall in 2019.