Cantonment Man Tased During Traffic Stop, Charged With Two Felonies
January 24, 2019
A Cantonment man tased by Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies during a traffic stop is facing two felony charges.
Dalan Lamar Beasley, 29, was charged with felony trafficking in methamphetamine, resisting an officer with violence and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Deputies in an unmarked vehicle conducted a traffic stop January 18 on a Dodge Dart driven by a female on West Hope Drive, near I-10 and Highway 29, due to a tint violation.
When Beasley exited the passenger side of the vehicle, he did not comply with multiple orders from the deputies, according to an arrest report. Instead, he struggled against deputies and placed his hand down his pants. As he continued to “violently resist” he was tased before being taken into custody.
During a search, deputies found a bag containing methamphetamine in Beasley’s groin area. Inside they car, they found a marijuana cigarette.
Beasley was booking into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $66,000.
The female driver received warnings for a window tint violation and improperly wearing a seat belt.
Century Prison Visitors Caught With Contraband
January 24, 2019
The Florida Department of Corrections continues their zero tolerance policy for any type of contraband.
On January 19, staff conducted a pat search of a visitor and discovered two concealed bundles of marijuana. During a subsequent search of their vehicle, additional packaged bundles of marijuana were located. The visitor was arrested for introduction of contraband and possession. The suspect’s name was not released by the FDOC.
On January 20, the institution’s K-9 team alerted on two separate visitors. The first visitor admitted to having consumed narcotics, prior to their arrival. Their visit was terminated. The second visitor was found to have marijuana, located in their vehicle. Their visitation was also terminated.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
ECAT Holds Workshop On North Escambia Community Transportation Service
January 24, 2019
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) held their first in a series of workshops Wednesday night on expanded local service in North Escambia.
The North Escambia Transportation Service Pilot Project will roll on February 20.
The community meeting was held in Byrneville, and there is another meeting on calendar Thursday, January 31 at the Molino Community Center at 5 p.m. ECAT officials say at least one other meeting in Century will be scheduled.
The North Escambia Transportation Service Pilot Project is a door-to-door on demand transportation project that is funded through a $50,000 Transportation Disadvantaged Mobility Enhancement Grant. The project will service Walnut Hill, Davisville and Bratt on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Century, Molino and McDavid on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
ECAT Division Manager Tonya Ellis announced that the service hours had been updated to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. to allow connections to the ECAT Route 60 bus that connects Century, Molino and Cantonment to the rest of the ECAT system.
To qualify for the program, participants must live north of Quintette Road within Escambia County and complete a short application (click to download). All trips will require a 24-hour advance reservation by calling (850) 595-0501 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. The participant’s fare will be $1 for each trip.
The service is available for anyone living in the service area that completes the application and meets one or more of the following conditions:
- Persons with no other means of transportation that do not live on a bus route
- Persons age 60 or older
- Persons with disabilities
- Persons that have an economic hardship
Pictured: ECAT Division Manager Tonya Ellis explains the North Escambia Transportation Service Pilot Project during a public workshop Wednesday night at the Byrneville Community Center. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Beulah Road Closure At Nine Mile Begins Friday
January 24, 2019
Beulah Road at the intersection with Nine Mile Road will be closed beginning Friday, January 25 at 8 p.m. Traffic will be detoured from Nine Mile Road to Rebel Road onto Beulah Church Road, back to Beulah Road.
The road closure is expected to remain in effect for approximately three nights from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Every effort will be made to expedite construction to reopen the road before Monday, January 28 at 5 a.m.
Construction will consist of upgrading and installing new pipe.
If other lane or roadway closures are necessary beyond the anticipated time periods, another notice will be issued.
Click the detour map to enlarge.
Jay Weightlifters Advance To Regionals
January 24, 2019
Six Jay High School girls weightlifters advanced to the regional finals this week at Baker.
Royals earning advancement at last week’s district meet at Baker, along with their weight class and district rank, were:
Carsen Arrant — 119 lb.class, 2nd
Ella Nelson — 101 lb. class, 2nd
Carlyn Watson — 154 lb. class, 3rd
Hailey Grenier — 154 lb. class, 4th
Bailey Lopez – 110 lb.class, 5th
Alexa Pabo – 110 lb.class, 6h
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hurricane Michael Insured Losses Top $5.26 Billion
January 24, 2019
More than 142,000 insurance claims have been filed from Hurricane Michael, with estimated insured losses topping $5.26 billion, according to information posted on the state Office of Insurance Regulation website.
The number of claims and estimated losses have steadily climbed since the Category 4 hurricane slammed into Northwest Florida on October 10.
The latest figures, reflecting claims as of Friday, showed total estimated insured losses of $5,266,239,147.
An overall total of 142,057 claims had been filed, with 85,508 claims in Bay County. The next-highest number of claims, 13,805, was in Jackson County, followed by Leon County with 9,668 claims; Gulf County with 8,064 claims; Gadsden County with 5,917 claims; Calhoun County with 4,016 claims; and Franklin County with 2,205 claims.
Hurricane Michael made landfall in Mexico Beach in southeastern Bay County and caused widespread damage in Northwest Florida before moving into Georgia.
by The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Cantonment Couple Charged With Smuggling Meth Into Road Prison
January 23, 2019
A Cantonment couple with a history of crime together is facing more charges — this time for allegedly smuggling meth into the county road prison.
Robert Clinton Wooten, 37, and Camie Denean Linton, 36, were charged with smuggling methamphetamine into a detention facility.
The Escambia County Road Prison and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit teamed up to arrest the couple. Wooten was an inmate at the Escambia County Road Prison in Cantonment and was ” orchestrating the delivery of methamphetamines to other inmates” with the help of Linton according to a statement released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Both are now being held without bond.
December Child Neglect Arrest
In December, both Wooten and Linton were each charged with two counts of felony child abuse after the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a welfare check on their residence at the request of the Department of Children and Families.
Deputies found “a deplorable residence with black mold on the ceiling and walls,” according to a Sheriff’s Office report. They also found cans of rotting food with insects, floors completely covered with piles of clothing and trash, food containers with flying insects inside, and a syringe in a Styrofoam cup that was covered with spider webs, according to the report. The electricity did not work in parts of the residence.
The children’s grandmother told deputies that the children did not have any food and would beg her to bring them food.
DCF took custody of the children and placed them with another family member.
Wooten and Linton are awaiting trial on the child neglect charges.
December Traffic Stop
On December 12, deputies were patrolling the area of Pace Parkway and Mintz Lane when they spotted a vehicle driven by Wooten who was known not to possess a driver’s license. Linton was also in the vehicle, according to an arrest report, and her book bag was found to contain four syringes with an unknown red liquid, a plastic bag with a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine and a bowl that contained methamphetamine.
Linton was charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Wooten was charged with habitual driving with a suspended license. They are awaiting trial on the charges.
Jim Allen Elementary Meth Charges
In 2017, Wooten and Linton were charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after they were spotted by a deputy turning into Jim Allen Elementary School to drop off a child. After the child was dropped off and they exited the campus, the deputy conducted a traffic stop.
A search of the vehicle revealed drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine and other items in the center console. Wooten received 36 months probation in the case. Charges against Linton were later dropped.
Wooten is now facing an additional violation of probation charge in the case.
Weather Stations Installed At All Escambia District High Schools
January 23, 2019
Weather observations are now available in real-time from each high school in Escambia County.
Recent tragedies involving students participating in outdoor sports and activities in harsh weather conditions have led to an increased focus on finding ways to predict conditions which may be hazardous to students. Advance knowledge of extreme temperatures and humidity levels is important, especially for students and staff members participating in outdoor activities or events, according to the Escambia County School District.
Visit escambia.weatherstem.com to see the weather observations.
The traditional system of measuring temperature and humidity, known as the heat index, has been improved by adding measurements of radiation from the sun and wind to provide a new metric known as a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT).
“Using a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature to gauge the heat and humidity is far more accurate because it also considers wind speed and solar radiation. However, conditions can change quickly and getting updated readings every half-hour takes the proper equipment and dedicated manpower. Many schools around the state do not have the equipment or an extra trained, responsible person to dedicate to this, so athletic directors across Florida are very happy to have weather stations from WeatherSTEM to rely on instead,” explained Escambia County School District’s Director of Athletics Roger Mayo.
“We are pleased to announce that all Escambia County public high schools now have access to real-time, WBGT information and predictions provided by WeatherSTEM,” added Mayo.
Each WeatherSTEM unit has a variety of sensors that collect data including solar radiation, ultraviolet radiation, amounts and the rate of rainfall, wind speed and wind direction. They are powered by a solar panel and they transmit the data collected to WeatherSTEM where the data can be compiled into a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature which provides guidance to principals, coaches, band directors as well as other instructors and student leaders. Each station includes placement of sensors in two locations, one high and one at field level. The height of the first location also allows a camera to transmit a view of the sky above the school’s field.
Escambia County’s Superintendent Malcolm Thomas explained that installing the stations at the high schools will be beneficial to all ECSD schools. “The information available to us will reduce the chance of our students experiencing heat stroke by giving us information about increasing water breaks, having ice available or canceling outdoor activities all together. Installing the WeatherSTEM equipment is a great investment, especially if even one student is prevented from experiencing hazardous conditions.
“When you look at the data available at Escambia.WeatherSTEM.com, such as the temperature and humidity levels, you will see that our elementary and middle school administrators will be able to use the results from the high schools closest to their campus to get information to adjust plans for outdoor activities,” said Thomas.
Principals, coaches and teachers will be able to receive alerts when conditions reach a set level, or when predictions warn of dangerous levels. These predictions will give coaches and other instructors the ability to plan when they may need to adjust their schedules, practice in the morning, start practice later, stay inside or bring extra water and ice.
Pictured top: The WeatherSTEM station on the press box above Northview High School’s football stadium. Pictured below: The weather station at Tate High School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Push Underway To Raise Florida’s Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour
January 23, 2019
After spearheading efforts to pass a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana, Orlando attorney John Morgan said Tuesday he is moving ahead with a ballot drive aimed at gradually raising Florida’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Morgan said a group he leads has collected more than 120,000 petition signatures, far more than needed to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review of the proposed ballot wording. If the court approves the wording, backers of the proposal would ultimately need to submit 766,200 valid petition signatures to take the issue to voters in November 2020.
Morgan, the head of the firm Morgan & Morgan, said increasing the minimum wage would give people the right to “work with dignity” as he pointed to vast income inequality.
“Our belief is the single greatest issue for America and Florida today is a living wage,” he said during a news conference in Orlando.
But as in other parts of the country that have considered a $15 minimum wage, Morgan likely will run into opposition from business groups if the proposal goes on the 2020 ballot. The Florida Retail Federation and the Florida Chamber of Commerce, for example, said they do not favor placing such a mandate on businesses.
James Miller, a spokesman of the Florida Retail Federation, said a higher minimum wage could lead to “difficult decisions” for business owners, including the possibility of reducing jobs.
“Businesses, focusing mainly on small businesses which make up around 95 percent of our membership, only have a finite amount of money they can allocate to salaries and still make a profit,” Miller said in an email Tuesday. “By forcing a retailer to pay an employee(s) more, you’re going to force that retailer to do one of two things to protect their bottom line, either pay the increased wages and pass those increased costs onto customers in the form of higher prices or pay select employees that wage and let others go altogether.”
Morgan last year formed a political committee, known as Florida for a Fair Wage, which had received about $478,000 from his law firm as of Dec. 31, finance reports show. The committee had spent nearly $476,000, with almost all of that money going to petition-related expenses.
Under the proposal, the state’s minimum wage would go to $10 an hour on Sept. 30, 2021 and increase by $1 each year until it hits $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026. The state’s minimum wage this year is $8.46 an hour.
“I think in the quiet of the night, fair people go, ‘There’s no way to live on $8 an hour,’ ” Morgan said.
Florida voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment that increases the minimum wage each year based on inflation. By comparison, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
But the Morgan proposal would go much further. The state Division of Elections website Tuesday did not list any petition signatures submitted by Florida for a Fair Wage, but Morgan said signatures will be mailed this week. A Supreme Court review is triggered by submission of 76,632 valid signatures.
During the news conference Tuesday, Morgan noted his experience with passing the medical-marijuana amendment, which narrowly failed in 2014 before getting overwhelming approval in 2016. He said it is better to propose such measures in presidential-election years, instead of in off-year elections.
“The good news is, I understand how to do this,” Morgan said.
Morgan said phasing in the higher minimum wage will help small businesses adjust, but he also said larger paychecks will help businesses retain employees longer. But business groups do not want employers to be required to pay higher wages.
“Nothing is more important to Florida’s business community than economic prosperity for all Floridians,” Edie Ousley, a spokeswoman for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said in an email Tuesday. “Rather than adding another new mandate on local businesses, we should come together to ensure there’s a universal path to prosperity through job training that creates $50,000 careers for the less than 4 percent of Floridians earning a minimum wage full time.”
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
New Schedule: Escambia Commission Will Hold Morning Meeting On Thursday
January 23, 2019
Thursday will mark the first morning meeting of the Escambia County Commission since the board made changes to their meeting schedule and public forum.
The public forum will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the regular commission meeting at 9 a.m.
The commission voted to make the changes to allow county staff more time to devote to their regular job duties rather than spending hours in meetings, and “better meet their duty to residents of offering open, efficient and accessible commission meetings,” according to a county statement.
The commission changes include
- The elimination of one agenda review session.
- Moving one regular meeting a month to the morning to accommodate residents who do not wish or are unable to attend night meetings. One meeting a month will still be held in the evening.
- During the public forum, citizens will have three minutes to address the board, with additional time for questions and input for commissioners. Minutes can no longer be donated to another person to extend their time.
For a 2019 meeting schedule, click here.