Atmore Police Investigating Murder; Victim Was Found Shot And Stabbed
April 25, 2020
The Atmore Police Department is investigating an early morning murder near a local apartment complex.
Police responded to an apartment complex on Patterson Street just east of Highway 21 about 1:24 a.m. for a reported assault victim outside the apartments. That’s where they found 43-year old Desmond Deshun Dirden of Atmore with what appeared to be a gunshot and a stab wound, according to Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks.
Dirden was pronounced deceased at the scene.
There have been arrests and no suspects publicly named.
Anyone with information on the murder is asked to call the Atmore Police Department at (251) 368-9141.
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COVID-19 Drive-ThruTesting Monday In Cantonment With No Pre-screening Call Needed
April 25, 2020
Community Health Northwest Florida will offer drive-thru COVID-19 testing Monday in Cantonment.
Testing will be from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street in Cantonment. Unlike other test sites, there is no pre-screening phone call required, and the tests are free with or without insurance.
“Our goal is to get testing to all who feel they need it,” said Chandra Smiley, CEO and executive director of Community Health.
She said patients will be asked their name, date of birth, address, contact phone number and insurance information, if they have insurance.
Community Health also offers drive-thru testing at Cantonment Pediatrics at 470 South Highway 29 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pre-screening is required for the Cantonment Pediatrics location by calling (850) 746-2684.
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Florida’s Unemployment Website Is Down Until Monday
April 25, 2020
Florida’s troubled unemployment website is down until Monday as the state struggles to catch up with payments to jobless residents.
“In order to maximize payments to claimants, the CONNECT system is offline and currently making payments and processing claims through Monday, April 27 at 8 a.m.,” the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity said in a social media statement.”
Visitors to the site on Friday were met with a message about the downtime and a link to an alternative site.
Paper applications are also still available for printing.
UWF Taking Applications For CARES Act Emergency Student Aid
April 25, 2020
The recently enacted federal CARES Act provided money to colleges and universities for emergency student grants. The purpose of the money is to award emergency financial aid grants to students for specific expenses that are a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
The University of West Florida will distribute CARES Act funding in a way that prioritizes students with the greatest demonstrated need and ensures that funds are distributed as widely as possible.
Students must submit a UWF CARES Act Emergency Aid Application in the UWF Scholarship Portal. Applications will be processed by the UWF Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.
Visit uwf.edu/cares for eligibility criteria, application process and frequently asked questions.
Keaton Brown, Kendall Barrow Named EREC Scholarship Winners
April 25, 2020
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has named the winners of the 2020 Herman D. Johnson Scholarship Awards. They are Keaton Brown from Northview High School in Escambia County and Kendall Barrow from Jay High School in Santa Rosa County.
Each will receive $1,000 each for four years providing they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.
Keaton Brown is the son of Chris and Sandy Brown. He is currently ranked at the top of his class. He plans to major in aerospace engineering and was nominated by Congressman Matt Gaetz to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Brown is an active member of the NJROTC and has served in several positions including orienting team captain, color guard commander, drill team commander and administration officer. Brown is team captain for the cross country team and vice president of the math club. He is also a member of the Beta Club and school advisory council and has volunteered with the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Walnut Hill Club. Brown served as an EREC delegate for the Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., youth tours.
Kendall Barrow is the daughter of Frederick and Jeanna Barrow. She is planning to attend the University of West Florida and major in elementary education. Barrow is an honor student at Jay High School and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Pensacola State College. She plays basketball for the Royals and is a member of the student government association, Beta Club and National Honor Society. Barrow is a K-4 assistant at Faith Christian Academy. Barrow also volunteers at the Jay Pro Rodeo, My Father’s Arrows and Kings Harvest.
Escambia (AL) Reports Additional Virus Positives; Hospitals Detail Their Test Numbers
April 25, 2020
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia County (AL) increased by one on Friday.
There are now 22 positive cases with one recorded death.
The Escambia County Health Care Authority reported that 17 of the confirmed patients were tested at Atmore Community Hospital, and three were confirmed at D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton.
The hospitals have performed 367 total tests with 327 negative results. There are 19 tests pending, and one test was deemed inconclusive. About two-thirds of the tests were performed in Atmore.
The Alabama Department of Health reported 6,026 total positive cases in the state out of 52,641 tests. There have been 209 reported deaths statewide.
Cleaning Up The Yard? Know Florida’s Debris Burning Regulations
April 25, 2020
Officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are reminding residents to make sure they meet the legal requirements before burning debris from this week’s storms or just cleaning up the yard.
There are no burn bans in effect in our area but residents must still follow certain requirements: Burning piles of yard debris less than 8 feet in diameter is allowed if it is 25 feet from and wooded area or combustible structure, 25 feet from your house, 50 feet from a paved public road and 150 feet from other occupied dwellings.
Piles greater than eight feet require a burn authorization from the Florida Forest Service and must meet more stringent standards. For more information about authorizations, call Blackwater Forestry Center headquarters at (850) 957-5701.
Escambia EMS Rolls Out Active Shooter Kits Across County, Three New Ambulances
April 25, 2020
The Escambia County Public Safety Department has introduced three new ambulances to their fleet, along with 60 new pediatric resuscitation system units and 42 active shooter kits.
“We are thrilled to add three new ambulances to our fleet which will replace some older units,” said EMS Manager Jimmy Maddrey. “Each ambulance is upgraded with state-of-the-art equipment and provides safety for our crews and patients with features such as the airbag deployment system. The upgrades to the Handtevy Pediatric System and the active shooter kits provide better resources at our fingertips. The public will greatly benefit from these additions, and we are proud to serve the community with these new resources.”
The implementation of this new life-saving equipment will help the Escambia County Public Safety Department continue to provide a high level of emergency services to the citizens of Escambia County.
Three Ambulances with ZICO O/2 Tank Lift
- Two of the three new ambulances were placed into service at the end of March, with the third truck set to join the fleet next month, bringing the EMS fleet total to 35 numbered trucks.
- The new ambulances will be the first units in the fleet to utilize ZICO O/2 tank lift systems, providing an easier process for loading oxygen cylinders onto the trucks. The ZICO system lifts and lowers an apparatus-mounted gas cylinder for quick and easy replacement, substantially reducing risk of injury to personnel.
- The trucks also have full a air bag system and a Horton Occupant Protection System, also known as a safety restraint system. HOPS combines advanced restraints, multi-density head protection, tubular airbags and head curtain airbags to protect attendants in side-impact rollover crashes. With the addition of the three new trucks, there are now seven trucks total within the fleet utilizing HOPS.
Pediatric Resuscitation System Software and 60 HPRS Units
- The Handtevy Pediatric Resuscitation System allows Escambia County EMS to better serve and treat pediatric patients.
- The Handtevy Pediatric System software gives clinical teams rapid access to lifesaving dosing (medications) information while documenting the incident in real-time. The software allows clinicians to perform real-time verification for medications and ensure accurate scene documentation.
- The software system comes with a lightweight bag that can be used as a backpack. The bag allows for easy identification of the pediatric equipment sizes with seven age-based, color coded pouches.
- The software system and 60 HPRS bags were placed into service in late-March.
42 Active Shooter Kits
- The new active shooter kits containing tourniquets, chest seals and numerous size bandages were placed in all Escambia County ambulances and EMS supervisor SUVs in March.
- The kits allow EMS personnel to quickly treat multiple victims of a mass casualty incident.
The total cost for the three ambulances is $909,525. The cost of each individual unit is $303,175 and includes the power loads and stretchers. The cost was approved on March 7, 2019 during a regular Board of County Commission meeting. The total cost of the Handtevy Pediatric Resuscitation System and 60 lightweight bags is $52,000. An EMS state grant of $39,831 was applied to the cost. The remaining balance of $12,169 was paid utilizing funds from the EMS budget.
Two People Arrested For Escambia County Murder
April 24, 2020
Two people have been charged with an Escambia County murder.
On April 20, Cheryl Cain, 62, was murdered in the 5000 block of Yacht Harbor Drive, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
On April 24, ECSO investigators along with the help of the Tulsa Police Fugitives Warrants Task Force out of Oklahoma arrested Cody Jay Harrimon and Eugina Lynn Martorelli. Both suspects were taken into to custody without incident at a hotel in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Further details were not made a available.
Long-Term Care Resident Is Escambia County’s 11th Total COVID-19 Death; State Deaths Surpass 1,000
April 24, 2020
Another death was reported in Escambia County from COVID-19 Friday as the number of statewide deaths surpassed 1,000.
Escambia County’s eleventh death was a 75 year old female long-term care resident with no travel history and no known contact with a confirmed case. The number of cases in residents or staff of long-term care facilities stands at 145 in Escambia County with eight deaths, and 10 in Santa Rosa County.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties increased by just nine on Friday. Escambia County cases were at 434, and Santa Rosa was at 143.
Statewide, there were 30,533 cases including 29,707 Florida residents. There have been 4,817 hospitalizations and 1,046 deaths.
- Total cases — 434 (+7 since Thursday)
- Long-term care cases — 143 (+0 since Thursday)
- Pensacola — 329
- Cantonment — 36
- Bellview — 6
- Perdido Key — 1
- McDavid/Walnut Hill — 1
- Molino – 1
- Century — 2
- Hospitalizations: 37*
- Deaths — 11
- Male — 173
- Female — 211
- Youngest — 0
- Oldest — 100
Santa Rosa County cases:
- Total cases — 143 (+2 since Thursday)
- Long-term care cases — 10 (+0 since Thursday)
- Milton — 76
- Navarre — 30
- Gulf Breeze — 23
- Pace — 11
- Jay — 2
- Residents: 129
- Nonresidents — 1
- Hospitalizations — 20*
- Deaths — 6
- Male — 99
- Female — 43
- Youngest — 2 months
- Oldest — 94
Florida cases:
- Total cases — 30,533
- Florida residents — 29,707
- Deaths — 1,046
- Hospitalizations — 4,817*
*“Hospitalizations” is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. These people may no longer be hospitalized. This number does not represent the number of COVID-19 positive persons currently hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized.