Alanna Rohling Named Escambia District Teacher Of The Year, Other Top Educators Honored
February 2, 2019
Alanna Rohling, a kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Park Elementary School, was named the Escambia County School District Teacher of the Year Friday night at the annual Golden Apple Awards.
Rohling is now in the running for the Florida Teacher of the Year.
In addition to Rohling the five finalists for the award included Austin Courson, Tate High School; Danielle Fryman, Bown Barge Middle School; Caleb Lovely, Warrington Middle School School; and Erica Minchew, Kingsfield Elementary School.
A teacher from each school in the district was selected by their peers to represent ingenuity, dedication, compassion, organization, other traits shared by teachers in their schools. They teach various subject areas and also teach life skills and employability skills such as teamwork, time management, and social responsibility.
The Golden Apple Awards honored all Teachers of the Year for each school in the district.
Those teachers were:
Jim Allen Elementary — JoLynn Jackson
Alternative Education — Maria Alessandra Cardoso
Bailey Middle — Laura Baney
Bellview Elementary — Jennifer Cowan
Bellview Middle — Ena Floyd-Johnson
Beulah Academy of Science — Wendy Perkins
Beulah Elementary — Allison Rhodes
Beulah Middle — Krysta Wilcox
Blue Angels Elementary — Lisa Marie Jones
Bratt Elementary — Heather Gilman
Brentwood Elementary — Cassandra James
Brown-Barge Middle — Danielle Fryman
Byrneville Elementary — Deana Weaver
Camelot Academy — Kristian Bivins
Hellen Caro Elementary — Amanda Long
N. B. Cook Elementary — Nora Bleam
Cordova Park Elementary — Cheryl Killam
Ensley Elementary — Regina Smolensky
Escambia High — Anne Krothe
Escambia Westgate — Kelly Simmons
Exceptional Student Education — Cathy Williams
Ferry Pass Elementary — Nekeisha Stewart
Ferry Pass Middle — Kirby Bridges
Global Learning Academy — Shenika Johnson
Reinhardt Holm Elementary — Lisa Berkley Jones
Kingsfield Elementary — Erica Minchew
Lakeview School — Ronald Williams
Lincoln Park Elementary — Alanna Rohling
R. C. Lipscomb Elementary — Betsy Eggart
Longleaf Elementary — Sallie Phillips
L.D. McArthur Elementary — Nancy Fiedor
McMillan Pre-K Center Lisa Barrs
Molino Park Elementary — Helen Cristofoletti
Montclair Elementary — Timberly Aymond
Myrtle Grove Elementary — Meaghan Caffelle
Navy Point Elementary — Kanisha White
Northview High — Jeffrey Simpkins
Oakcrest Elementary — Michelle Ware
Pensacola High — Olivia Calloway
Pine Forest High — Shannon Gehrke
Pine Meadow Elementary — Susan Chapman
Pleasant Grove Elementary — Heather Macdonald
Ransom Middle — Lauren Samoszenko
Scenic Heights Elementary — Megan Etheredge
O. J. Semmes Elementary — Felicia Watts
Sherwood Elementary — Ingrid Gamblin
George Stone Technical College Glen Arne
A. K. Suter Elementary — Ashley Seitz
J. M. Tate High — Austin Courson
Title 1 — Joe Guidice
Ernest Ward Middle — Robert Cassevah
Warrington Elementary — Dianne Singletary
Warrington Middle — Caleb Lovely
Booker T. Washington High — Eric Collins
C. A. Weis Elementary — Jamie Okrochkov
West Florida High — Katie Brand
West Pensacola Elementary — Erica Zink
J. H. Workman Middle — Emma Young
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Phifer Leads Century Heat In Victory Over Warriors
February 2, 2019
The Century Heat defeated the Warriors 16-15 Friday night in youth basketball (ages 8-10) at Poarch.
Jakel Phifer scored 14 points to lead the Heat.
With the Heat down 14-15 and with 39 seconds remaining, Phifer made a steal and scored putting the Heat up for good.
Pictured: The Century Heat’s Jakel Phifer. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Spring Ball Registration At NWE, Century And Cantonment
February 2, 2019
Northwest Escambia
Registration concluded Saturday.
Cantonment Ballpark
Registration at the Cantonment Ballpark is Saturday, February 9 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Registration is $80 and includes the team uniform jersey. For more information, email cantonmentsports@gmail.com. First practice will be Tuesday, February 19, and Opening Day is set for Saturday, March 30.
For a registration form, click here.
Century Little League
Century Little League registration for 2019 is happening now.
Registration fees are as follows:
- Now until February 14: First Child $60; $55 each additional
- February 15 to March 2: First Child $70; $65 each additional
Register online here, or in person registration dates will be held on the following Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon at the Showalter Park press box:
- February 16
- March 2
All fees are due at the time of registration. Credit and debit cards are accepted online. In person registration is cash or check only.
Molino Ballpark
Registration has closed.
FDLE: Escambia Woman Lied About Officer Involved Shooting Of Her Son
February 2, 2019
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has charged Sheekina Monique Williams, 36, of Pensacola with providing false information to law enforcement and perjury during an officer use of force investigation.
“In public integrity investigations such as this, FDLE’s role is to determine the facts so prosecutors can make appropriate charging decisions,” said FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Jack Massey. “For this to happen, it is imperative for people to provide truthful information.”
In an interview with FDLE agents, Williams claimed to witness a November officer involved shooting where the suspect was shot in the arm. FDLE was investigating the case at the request of Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after the suspect was shot while trying to run over deputies with his vehicle. Those deputies were recently cleared by the state attorney’s office of criminal wrongdoing.
Williams told officers she was standing on a front porch and saw the shooting. However video obtained from the scene shows Williams was not where she claimed to be. Agents believe Williams did not witness the incident. She is the mother of the suspect.
Williams was arrested Friday and booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $1,500.
The State Attorney’s Office announced January 23 that the shooting was justified.
DeSantis Pitches $91.3 Billion Spending Plan
February 2, 2019
In what would be the largest budget in state history, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday released a proposed $91.3 billion spending plan that would increase school funding, pump money into water-quality projects and trim taxes.
DeSantis’ proposal is a starting point for lawmakers, who will negotiate a 2019-2020 budget during the legislative session that starts March 5. The Legislature typically makes significant changes to spending proposals offered by governors.
But DeSantis, who took office Jan. 8, touted his “bold vision for a brighter future budget.” He touted issues such as cutting taxes, with his proposal including a move to hold down property taxes that otherwise would go to schools and offering popular sales-tax “holidays.”
“I said throughout the campaign, Florida being a low tax state, I think, has been integral to our success and our growth,” DeSantis said during a news conference in the Capitol. “We want people who are working hard here to be able to live without being taxed excessively, and then we want to send a signal to the rest of the country that Florida is a good place to invest and move to because you’re going to be treated fairly.”
The budget proposal includes:
— $21.7 billion for the main public-school funding formula, known as the Florida Education Finance Program, with an increase of $224 in per-student funding.
— No tuition or fee increases for students at state universities and state colleges and $582.8 million for the Bright Futures scholarship program.
— $625 million for Everglades restoration and water-quality efforts to address issues such as red tide and toxic algae.
— $50 million for beach-restoration projects and $100 million for the Florida Forever land-conservation program.
— $85 million to continue the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, an economic-development program, and $76 million for the Visit Florida tourism-marketing agency.
— Making permanent a $98 million cut in the Medicaid program through eliminating a longstanding policy about paying health-care bills that accumulate while people prepare to apply for coverage — a concept known as “retroactivity.”
— Elimination of the Agency for State Technology, with its responsibilities shifted to the Department of Management Services.
— No across-the-board pay raises for state employees.
— $335 million in tax savings, with $289.7 million in the “required local effort,” which are property taxes that go to schools, and $45.3 million in sales-tax holidays for back-to-school shoppers and purchases of disaster-preparedness supplies.
The proposed budget, which outlines potential spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1, would be an increase from the current year’s $89.3 billion budget.
DeSantis said the state is projected to have an additional $1 billion in general-revenue taxes, which are a key source of money for schools, health programs and prisons. Also, the proposed budget is larger because it includes federal and state money for responding to disasters such as Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Irma.
“I think that, all told, this is not a budget that is spending money unnecessarily,” DeSantis said.
House and Senate committees have scheduled a series of meetings next week to receive presentations on DeSantis’ proposal and to begin drilling into the details. It likely will not be clear until late April how much of DeSantis’ proposals will wind up in the final spending plan.
Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, issued a statement Friday saying he appreciated DeSantis’ recommendations, which he indicated “reflect many of our shared priorities.” Also, Galvano said senators are looking forward to receiving a new estimate of general-revenue taxes. That revised estimate, which state analysts are expected to issue later this month, could affect the amount of money lawmakers will have available when they negotiate the budget.
“Developing a comprehensive budget recommendation within the limited time following the election was certainly not an easy task, and I commend the governor and his staff for completing this critical component of our state budget process,” Galvano said.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
ECSO: Attempted Kidnapping Of 14-Year Old Girl Never Happened
February 2, 2019
Authorities now say the attempted kidnapping of a 14-year old girl on January 26 never happened.
The victim told deputies that a white male about 30-40 years old with green eyes and gray hair got out of a white van in the 1800 block of Atwood Drive. She said the male attempted to grab her while walking, but she was able to break free.
After an extensive investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said the crime did not occur, and the victim has completely recanted her statement.
“The ECSO handles any allegation of attempted abductions seriously and investigate them to the fullest,” the agency said in a statement. “We are coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office to determine if any criminal charges will be pursued for the false reporting of a felony.”
Molino Man Dies In Baldwin County Crash
February 1, 2019
A Baldwin County crash claimed the life of a Molino man Thursday evening.
Terry Lynn Skinner, 51, was westbound about 5:30 p.m. in a 1998 Chevrolet 2500 truck when for unknown reasons the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree on Highway 112 near Thunder Road, according to Alabama State Troopers. The crash in the Clear Springs community was about three miles from the Alabama-Florida state line where Muscogee Road becomes Highway 112 in Alabama.
Skinner was wearing his seat belt. He was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash. Alabama State Troopers are continuing their investigation.
The Gateswood Volunteer Fire Department and the Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue were among the other responding agencies.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
ECSO: Century Man Busted With Nearly 1.5 Pounds Of Meth And Marijuana
February 1, 2019
A Century man was arrested on multiple drug charges after he was found with nearly 1.5 pounds of marijuana and methamphetamine, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Tajah Derriontaé Calhoun, 20, was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, resisting an officer and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $127,000 bond.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was conducting a “High Intensity Patrol” in the area of Kemp Road and Fields Lane, which they described as a known drug area. As deputies approached in marked patrol units, Calhoun ran. He jumped into a gated front yard on Fields Lane and threw a backpack and cellphone. A deputy caught up with Calhoun in a vacant field and placed him under arrest.
A search of Calhoun’s person reveled 8.5 Oxycodone pills, other unidentifiable pills, two phones and $1,320 in currency, according to an arrest report. A search of his backpack resulted in the discovery of 211 grams (7.44 ounces) of methamphetamine, almost 451 grams (about one pound) of marijuana, two rounds of ammunition, a box of clear baggies, and two digital scales.
The cellphones and cash were seized.
The report states that in-car video form deputies showed Calhoun throwing the backpack.
Argument Over Cooking Supper Ends With Woman Jailed For Pushing Deputy
February 1, 2019
A Cantonment woman was arrested after she allegedly argued with her adult son over cooking supper and later pushed a deputy.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance in the 1400 block of Lake Drive. Someone had called 911, and dispatchers could hear a male and female screaming, and a female yelling and crying in the background.
Jamillah Monique Sheffield, 36, stood in a doorway and obstructed deputies from entering the kitchen of the home, according to her arrest report. Deputies removed her from the doorway after she refused multiple commands to move. As a deputy placed her in handcuffs, she pushed the deputy in the chest.
Sheffield told deputies that she had gotten into a verbal argument with her son because she did not feel like cooking for the second night in a row. She was charged with felony resisting an officer with violence and obstruction of justice.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
February 1, 2019
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the period ending January 17 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Cushing was on patrol in the Perdido Wildlife Management Area. He entered a gated area and smelled a strong odor of marijuana. Officer Cushing located a vehicle nearby and contacted two subjects who admitted to smoking marijuana and later discovered more marijuana in a plastic bag. Officer Cushing issued a citation for possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.
Officer Cushing was on patrol in the Perdido Wildlife Management Area. He saw an unoccupied truck parked in an obscure place after dark. He saw hunting equipment in the front seat and a few kernels of corn in the bed of the truck. Officer Cushing waited for the operator to return to the vehicle. He contacted the owner walking down the road toward the truck. The individual denied hunting but admitted to placing corn in the management area. He took Officer Cushing back to the baited site and to a location where he hid the bag of corn. He admitted to baiting the area multiple times over the past weeks anticipating hunting deer there. The appropriate citation was issued.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
K-9 Officer Hutchinson and Officer Schmitt were on land patrol conducting resource protection in the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. The officers saw a truck being operated with the driver and passenger not wearing their seat belts. The truck’s right passenger side taillight was inoperative. During the vehicle stop, the officers saw two 12-gauge shotguns in the truck, one next to the driver and the other next to the passenger. FWC Tallahassee Regional Communication Center confirmed that the passenger was a convicted felon. The passenger was arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The passenger was transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail where the intake process was completed. K-9 Officer Hutchinson recognized the driver as the individual he was currently investigating for violating the antlerless deer possession limit. After his Miranda Rights were read, the driver admitted to killing two does and led the officers to the location of the deer carcasses. K-9 Officer Hutchinson later secured an arrest warrant.
Officer Ramos received multiple complaints regarding Jeeps and four-wheel-drive vehicles off-roading in Blackwater River State Forest. The complainants alleged that the vehicles were intentionally damaging state lands, driving carelessly and disrupting legal hunting. Over the course of a couple hours, Officer Ramos tracked and located three vehicles in two separate locations and issued the appropriate citations and warnings for the violations.
K-9 Officer Hutchinson along with K-9 Zara and Officer Schmitt were patrolling the Blackwater State Forest when they saw a vehicle parked on a closed forest road. Officer Hutchinson recognized the vehicle as belonging to a suspect of an illegal bait site in the Blackwater State Forest. He deployed K-9 Zara who tracked the suspect to his hunting blind. While interviewing the subject, Officer Schmitt discovered the subject was hunting without a valid hunting license, deer permit and management area permit. The subject also admitted to placing bait in the management area and hunting over it. The subject was issued the appropriate citations for the hunting violations.
Officer Hutchinson received a call from a property owner who informed him that he saw a truck with a subject standing in the bed of it shoot into his property. Officer Hutchinson obtained a description of the vehicle from the property owner. He recognized the vehicle description as belonging to several subjects that he contacted earlier while enroute to the complaint. K-9 Zara was deployed and conducted an area search for more evidence. During the search, they located several trees that were struck by bullets along with other evidence. After collecting all the evidence, Officer Hutchinson drove to the suspect’s residence and interviewed them. All three subjects admitted to shooting at deer from the right of way and onto the private property. The following day, the property owner located a dead deer with buckshot in it on his property. The driver was cited for road hunting. The passenger who had recently gotten off probation for night hunting was charged for using an illegal method to take deer, discharging a firearm from a right of way and a felony charge for trespass by projectile.
Officer Hutchinson and K-9 Zara responded to a complaint of road hunting and trespassing. Upon arrival, Officer Hutchinson saw fresh boot tracks leading into the private property. He deployed K-9 Zara to conduct a search of the area. During the search, K-9 Zara located where the suspect shot into the private property, several pools of fresh blood and a wounded deer. Officer Hutchinson interviewed the suspect who admitted to shooting an antlerless deer from the right of way. Warrants were issued for the violation.
Officer Ramos was in south Santa Rosa County checking local landings when he saw two men fishing. He conducted a fisheries inspection of the two men and found them in possession of several mullet and two red drum. One of the red drum measured 30 inches, three inches over size. One citation was issued to the individual who caught the fish for possession of oversize red drum.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
NorthEscambia.com photo.