Overturned Log Truck Trailer Downs Power Lines On Muscogee Road
January 30, 2020
An single vehicle crash involving a log truck brought down power lines and shut down Muscogee Road Thursday night.
The truck traveled off Muscogee Road near Madrid Road about 6:15 p.m. and struck a power pole. The power pole was snapped and power lines came down in the area. The truck driver was not injured.
Muscogee Road was closed while Gulf Power worked to make repairs. Gulf Power reported 15 customers on Rittenberry Road lost power.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Cantonment and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
FHP Names Man Killed In W Street Crash That Critically Injured Century Man, Pensacola Woman
January 30, 2020
Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol identified the Escambia County man killed in a January 23 wreck on W Street at Marcus Pointe Boulevard.
Tyrone Deonta Wilkins, 27, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was a passenger in a Toyota van driven by 36-year old Ava Stoudemire of Pensacola. She attempted to turn her Toyota van onto Marcus Pointe Boulevard but failed to negotiate the turn and collided with a semi-truck before rotating into a box truck, both of which were traveling south on North W Street.
Stoudemire and the front seat passenger, 34-year old Gregory Matthews of Century, were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. The drivers of the trucks were not injured.
Any charges in the crash are pending the outcome of the FHP investigation.
ECSO: Drug Deal Goes Bad; Molino Man Drags Girl With His Pickup Truck
January 30, 2020
A $30 drug deal gone bad ended with a Molino man in jail after he allegedly dragged a girl with his pickup truck.
Trevor Hayes Ross, 20, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of aggravated child abuse and robbery by sudden snatching.
The underage female met with Ross after arranging by phone to purchase marijuana from Ross. After they met, Ross handed her a cigarillo packet that she presumed contained the agreed upon quantity of marijuana. But when she opened the package, she found it to be empty, according to an arrest report.
Ross reached out of his truck and snatched $30 in cash from the girl. She tried get the cash back, but Ross started to drive away as she hung onto his GMC Sierra pickup, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.
She told deputies she was unable to let go and was dragged as he continued to accelerate, the report states. During the incident, she dropped her iPhone inside the cab of the truck. She then lost her grip and rolled on asphalt, sustaining multiple injuries. She was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital for treatment.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was able to locate the truck at the Family Dollar at Blue Angel Parkway and Pine Forest Road by using the Find My Iphone app. The ECSO also received a call about the truck driving erratically. They were able to located the truck and take Ross into custody. The girl’s iPhone was located inside the truck.
Ross remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday with bond set at $52,500.
Molino Man Arrested With 1.5 Pounds Of Meth In Undercover Drug Bust
January 30, 2020
A Molino man was charged after being busted in an undercover drug operation with nearly a pound and a half of meth.
Johnnie Antawn Lee, Jr. was booked into the Escambia County Jail for felony trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Lee arrived at agreed upon location and knocked on the front door of the residence. He was let inside and immediately detained by awaiting members of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team.
During a search of the Gucci bag Lee was wearing across his chest, deputies located 658.8 grams (1.45 pounds) of meth and a digital scale, according to an arrest report. Deputies also seized $1,959 in currency from Lee.
Lee was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $32,250 bond.
Company Files Suit Against Century Over Unpaid $19K Bill
January 30, 2020
A consulting company has filed suit against the Town of Century over an unpaid invoice that totals over $19,000.
In 2008, City Services, Inc. (CSI) entered into a contract with the town to provide consulting, maintenance and repair services to the town’s natural gas system. The town contracted with the company for an annual natural gas leak survey, pipeline evaluations, testing, rate reviews and other services. Without a timely termination notice, the agreement renewed annually.
According to a City Services bill dated January 8, 2020, the town fell behind on their $1,200 per month bill in October 2018 and last made a payment in December 2018. The bill has continued to accrue and with finance charges stands at $19,287.19.
In their lawsuit against the town, CSI claims they provided services to the town, but the town did not pay and did not object to the invoices. CSI is seeking $19,287.19 plus reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.
At a recent meeting, the town council voted to have town attorney Matt Dannheisser attempt to settle the lawsuit for a lesser amount. Council President Ann Brooks said an email from Dannheisser to the council suggested the town might settle if the town was unable to produce “documentation”. Mayor Henry Hawkins told the council that the documentation had not been found.
The town denied a NorthEscambia.com public records request for the email, citing state statute that allows the exemption since the email discussed by the council dealt with the pending litigation. The town did not respond whatsoever to a November 27 public records request for a copy of the “most recent statement and/or past due notice showing amount owed to City Services”, but NorthEscambia.com otherwise obtained a copy of that bill.
Cantonment Man Charged For Fleeing Traffic Stop Before Causing Wreck
January 30, 2020
A Cantonment man is facing several charges after allegedly refusing to stop his vehicle for deputies before causing a wreck Tuesday evening.
Kendrick Lamar Gross, 20, was charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance (Oxycontin) without a prescription, destroying evidence and operating a motor vehicle without a license. According to the ECSO, Gross attempted to hide narcotics in the woodline next to his wrecked car (pictured below).
Gross was released from the Escambia County Jail Wednesday night on a $17,000 bond.
A deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a sedan driven by Gross, but he fled, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy did not directly pursue the vehicle but did locate the crash a short time later.
Four people including two minors in the SUV were injured, along with a passenger in the car. All five were transported by Escambia County EMS to the hospital with injuries that were not considered to be life threatening.
The Florida Highway Patrol has not released further details on the traffic crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia County 2% Real Estate, Tangible Tax Discount Ends Friday
January 30, 2020
A 2% discount on payment of real estate and tangible personal property taxes ends Friday, January 31, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford.
To receive the two percent discount, payments must be:
- made online by midnight, CST, Friday, January 31, at EscambiaTaxCollector.com;
- mailed with a January postmark; or
- left by midnight, CST, Friday, January 31, in a 24-hour drop box available at all locations.
Taxpayers are encouraged to visit EscambiaTaxCollector.com to pay online 24 hours a day. The website allow customers to pay their taxes, search records, print receipts, renew vehicle and vessel registrations and many other services. Customers who decide to visit one of four offices can join the line online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com.
Readers Submitted Beautiful Rainbow Photos. Here Are A Few Of Our Favorites.
January 30, 2020
People across the North Escambia area were treated to a beautiful rainbow as skies begin to clear Wednesday afternoon. Dozens of readers submitted photos or posted them on our social media sites. Here are a few of our favorites.
Pictured top: Rainbow photographed Wednesday afternoon in Flomaton by Katie Fowler.
Above by Katy Jones
Above by Angie Lynn
Above: Flomaton by Dietrich Bondurant
Above: Century by Mae Hildreth
Above: McDavid by April White
Above by Shawn Moye
Above Highway 29 Cantonment by Mikie Johnson
Above by Tiffany White
Above by Dixie Hadley
Above McDavid by Matthew Kennell
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fifth Grade Sign-ups Next Week For The Ransom Middle School Band
January 30, 2020
Ransom Middle School’s band performed at Jim Allen and Kingsfield elementary schools this week in advance of fifth grade sign-ups next week.
Fifth graders can register anytime between 5-7 p.m. on February 4-5 in the Ransom band room. This is open to any current fifth graders planning to attend Ransom Middle School in the fall of 2020.
Students will have a chance to try different instruments with local professionals to see which one is the best fit, including flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, French horn, tuba, trombone, baritone and percussion instruments.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hartung Convicted Of Murdering Three Family Members For Money
January 29, 2020
An Escambia County man has been found guilty of murdering three family members in 2015.
A jury returned the verdict late Wednesday afternoon against 63-year old Donald Hartung on Wednesday on three counts of first degree premeditated murder of his mother, 77-year old V Voncile Smith and two half-brothers, 47-year old John Smith,and 49-year old Richard Smith.
Hartung showed no emotion as the guilty verdicts were read aloud. Sentencing hearings are expected to begin Monday and are expected to take about four days. The state is seeking the death penalty.
All three bodies were found on July 31, 2015, in their home on Deerfield Drive. All three were beaten with a claw hammer and their throats slit, and Richard Smith was also shot in the head.
Prosecutors say Hartung was intentionally left out of his mother’s will with everything set to go to John and Richard Smith. The state says the interhertience was Hartung’s was motivation, and the only way he would collect any cash would be to kill all three.
Hartung allegedly hit John Smith with a hammer and slit his throat, just before his mother met the same fate. He took steps to hide the bodies, according to prosecutors, before brother Richard — a Department of Homeland Security IT professional — came home. Hartung, the state said, shot him in the head and also slit his throat.
The defense disputed the motive and the time of death. The defense also claimed crime scene technicians did not properly change gloves during their investigation, and that could have transferred Hartung’s DNA to the hammer used in the killing.