Escambia Deputy Injured In Highway 29 Traffic Crash
August 28, 2018
[Updated] An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy was injured in traffic crash Tuesday afternoon on Highway 29 at Well Line Road in Cantonment.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 79-year old Rose Coval of Cantonment was stopped on Well Line Road when she pulled her 2014 Chevrolet directly into the path of an ECSO Tahoe that was southbound on Highway 29. The deputy, 32-year old Jerome Zaid, received minor injuries and was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital.
Coval and her 17-year old passenger were not injured.
Coval was cited by the FHP for violation of right of way.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Three Injured In Nine Mile Road Crash
August 28, 2018
Three people were injured in a two vehicle crash about 10:50 Tuesday morning on Nine Mile Road at I-10. Further details have not been released as the Florida Highway Patrol continued their investigation.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Residents, Businesses Want Solutions After Cantonment Railroad Crossing Blocked For Hours
August 28, 2018
Residents and business owners are continuing to call for solutions after a stopped train blocked a Cantonment crossing for over two hours Tuesday morning.
They said blocking the Becks Lake Road crossing, just east of Highway 29, leaves residents and business employees no other way in or out, creating a potential public safety issue by blocking emergency services from entering the area. A local business representative said it also impacts their business because employees can’t get to work.
An Escambia County spokesperson said 911 dispatchers were not notified by the railroad that the crossing was blocked.
We reached out to CSX, but have not received a response.
Pictured: A train blocking the Beck’s Lake Road Tuesday morning. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thousands Vote Before Election Day
August 28, 2018
More Floridians have voted before Tuesday’s elections than in past primaries.
In Escambia County, 29,880 votes were cast before the polls opened on a Tuesday, a 14.28 percent turnout already. Of those, 17,779 votes were cast by mail and 12,100 were cast early. There aer 209,031 registered voters in Escambia County.
Nearly 1.86 million votes had been cast statewide as of Monday, with almost 1.2 million vote-by-mail ballots returned and another 658,800 ballots cast at early-voting sites, according to the Florida Department of State. Florida has 13 million registered voters.
Volunteer Firefighters Practice Water Shuttles – Something That Saves You Money
August 28, 2018
Volunteer firefighters from four North Escambia fire stations practiced moving a lot of water quickly Monday night at the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Rescue.
The firefighters from Century, McDavid, Molino and Walnut Hill learned about tanker truck and drop tank set up procedures…a process that is part of keeping fire insurance ratings and insurance costs lower for local residents.
Tanker trucks and a “drop tank” holding thousands of gallons are used to shuttle and supply water to firefighters when there is no or an inadequate water supply from a nearby fire hydrant.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
$646K Grant To Stabilize Gully Threatening Local Neighborhood
August 28, 2018
Escambia County will use a grant to stabilize a gully that is threatening homes and property in local neighborhood.
The $646,930 USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program Grant will be used to stabilize the Motley Court Clear Creek Gully, which begins at the end of Motley Court north of East 10 Mile Road.
The drainage way is located within a 30-foot right of way starting at the north end of Motley Court and extending about 1,700 feet to Clear Creek. An open ditch has eroded into a meandering gully, ranging from 10 to 40 feet wide, 3-20 feet deep and extending to University of West Florida property.
At one location along the gullet an almost vertical slope has been identified adjacent to a property owner’s privacy fence on Crooked Oak Drive. Should this gully be left unattended, Escambia County officials said damage to private properties, homes and and continued degradation of eroded sediment in Clear Creek is eminent.
Escambia County has awarded a $75,265 contract to HDR Engineering, Inc. for design services for the project.
Weapons Stolen From Escambia Sheriff’s SWAT Vehicle
August 28, 2018
Three teens are accused of stealing weapons from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, and those weapons are still missing.
About 11 p.m. Saturday night, several items including a fully automatic .223 caliber M4 and several magazines of ammunition and a Taser were stolen from an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT sergeant’s vehicle. Three juveniles – Tahier Harper, 16, Torrance Sumler, 17, and Erick Smith, 17 – were charged in connection with the vehicle burglary.
A silver Ford Escape were seen fleeing the area following the burglary.
The ECSO High Intensity Patrol Unit located the vehicle, and after a brief pursuit Smith and Harper were apprehended. Several items belonging to the Sheriff’s Office were found in the vehicle, according to investigators.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for the weapons and other items.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 433-STOP or Crime Stoppers at (850) 436-9620.
The investigation is in connection with several other vehicle burglaries in the same area, the ECSO said.
New Hours For Splash Pad In Atmore
August 28, 2018
New hours have been announced for the City of Atmore splash pad. It will now be open daily from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. The splash pad is located at South Trammel Street and West Craig Street, just behind Heritage Park on South Main Street. It will close for the season on September 30. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Teen Charged After Threatening Students On School Bus With BB Gun
August 27, 2018
A middle school student was charged Monday after he threatened another student with a BB gun.
Christopher Neal, 13, pulled a firearm on a school bus and threatened other students if they told, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Neal was immediately detained.
During a search of Neal’s belongings a BB gun was discovered, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Neal was charged with possession of a weapon on school property and aggravated assault.
Tate High School Band Director Placed On Administrative Leave
August 27, 2018
Tate High School Showband of the South director Roy King has been been placed on administrative leave and is under investigation, according to the local authorities.
Escambia County School District Deputy Superintendent Norm Ross confirmed Monday that King is on administrative leave, but he would not elaborate further.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon that an investigation has been opened involving King after unspecified allegations were made to the ECSO, but he did not provide further details.
“We have a received a complaint, and we are actively investigating,” Hobbs told NorthEscambia.com. “We cannot disclose more because it is an active investigation.”
King has not been charged with any crime.
King was named director of the Showband of the South in July 2017. King served for 18-years at Louisiana State University, most recently as director of LSU’s Tiger Marching Band. King also worked as a high school band director in Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.
The Advcoate, a newspaper in Baton Rouge, LA, reported that King was terminated in 2016 from LSU over allegations of “circumventing management directives by awarding scholarships to members of the Golden Girls dance team and flag girls of the color guard without proper approval”.
“LSU also alleged King couldn’t account for more than $5,000 in missing school funds, according an internal audit report released several days after he filed his suit,” the newspaper reported.
In a lawsuit against LSU, King alleged he was fired for not redirecting contributions from the band program to the school’s School of Music.
The lawsuit was later settled.
This story was updated to clarify that the school district’s statement was made by Norm Ross.