Alabama Executes Mail-Bomber For Killing Federal Judge
April 19, 2018
Alabama death row inmate Walter Leroy Moody, 83, was executed Thursday night by lethal injection at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore.
The execution was carried out at 8:17 p.m. Moody was pronounced dead at 8:42 p.m.
Moody was sentenced to death for the 1989 capital murder of U.S. 11th Circuit Judge Robert Vance, Sr. in Jefferson County. Vance was killed when he opened a package mailed to his home that contained a bomb.
Moody did not give a final statement.
Flomaton Police Seek Man On Child Endangerment, Drug Charges
April 19, 2018
The Flomaton Police Department is searching for a fugitive wanted for child endangerment and multiple drug offenses.
Kelly Lavon Bryan, 54, has arrest warrants outstanding for chemical endangerment of a child, possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine, possession of Alprazolam, possession of marijuana second degree, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of prescription medication without a prescription, according to Flomaton Police.
Bryan may be driving a red 2002 Ford Explorer with Alabama tag #9924AY3. He described as being six feet tall, 180 pounds with red hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call the Flomaton Police Department at (251) 296-5811 or their local law enforcement agency.
Two Wanted For Questioning In Home Invasion, Robbery
April 19, 2018
Update 4/24: John Linley and Tara Cook have contacted investigators.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is seeking two people in connection with a robbery home invasion last Friday.
John Linley and Tara Cook are wanted for questioning only.
On April 13 at 1:33 a.m. ECSO deputies were called to the 4000-block of Ashland Avenue for a reported home invasion.
John Linley told deputies that three white males came into his home, held him at gunpoint, stole his money, kidnapped his girlfriend Tara Cook and left in a silver Ford Edge.
During the investigation it was determined that his girlfriend’s ex-husband, Justin Cook, along with two accomplices, Jonathan Coffey and Joshua Miskimens took Tara Cook to Seminole, AL, where they hid the money and guns on property that belonged to one of Coffey’s family members.
Cook then drove back to Florida and was spotted in the parking lot of the Circle K at 2205 West Nine Mile Road. Tara Cook was found to be unharmed.
Justin Cook was arrested and charged with robbery home invasion with a firearm, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, grand theft and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Coffey and Miskimens were also arrested and charged with robbery home invasion with a firearm, false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, and grand theft.
Anyone that knows the whereabouts of John Linley or Tara Cook is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or call CrimeStoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
ECSO: Molino Woman Shot At Husband After He Came Home With Divorce Papers
April 19, 2018
A Molino woman was jailed Tuesday after allegedly shooting at her husband several times after he came home with divorce papers, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Wendy Maureen Dennis, 41, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. She remained in the Escambia County Jail Wednesday with bond set at $10,000.
Her husband called 911 and stated that his wife had shot a gun at him multiple times before leaving their residence on North Highway 95A and heading toward Molino Road. Responding deputies conducted a felony traffic stop on her vehicle and recovered a .22 caliber rifle that was in plain view on the backseat of the vehicle, according to an arrest report. She was taken into custody without incident.
The husband told deputies that he brought home divorce paperwork to his wife of eight years, and everything was fine as they started to leave their residence to go to the Tax Collector’s office to have the papers notarized. According to the husband’s statement to deputies, she then walked to her car, retrieved the rifle, yelled at him and fired several shots in his direction.
Dennis left the residence as the husband locked himself inside and called 911, according to the arrest report. The report states the husband said he feared for his life and believed that Dennis was going to shoot him. He was not injured.
Mayor: Century’s Gas Department Might Be For Sale – If The Price Is Right
April 19, 2018
Century’s Mayor said Wednesday that the town’s gas department might be for sale — if the price is right.
The Escambia County Commission voted Tuesday night to renew the town’s exclusive gas franchise area until 2047 amid protest from Pensacola Energy, which says it received a franchise in the same area from ECUA back in the early 1990’s. Pensacola Energy serves about 50 customers withing the disputed Century natural gas franchise area, and has offered to sell those customers to Century for a half million dollars, according to Century’s attorney Matt Dannheisser.
“We are working both ends. If they buy it, we’ve got to come up with a nominal price that is beneficial for the town. We’ve got to look at 20-30 years down the road and the revenue that we could have been getting,” Hawkins said Wednesday of any possible sale to Pensacola Energy.
Hawkins said the town’s gas consultant, Florida Gas Utility (FGU), will be working on determining a fair price for the gas system.
“He (Dannheisser) and I have kicked a number around, but we’ve got to see what FGU says. Their number may be higher than ours,” Hawkins said.
The franchise ordinance approved by the county commission gives Century 120 days to accept.
For a previous story with more details, click here.
Pictured top: Century Correctional Institution is the Town of Century’s larger natural gas customer. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Students Explore Water Science During ‘STEM In The Gym”
April 19, 2018
The entire gym at Ernest Ward Middle School was turned into a huge science lab Wednesday for “STEM in the Gym: Clean Water Survival Series”. STEM is an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
Seventh grade students explored the science of clean water, using kits to filter dirty water, explore distillation and more.
The program was made possible through a grant from the Grants for Excellence program from the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence.
Pictured: STEM in the Gym Wednesday at Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Selects New Medical Director For Public Safety, Corrections
April 19, 2018
Escambia County has selected Dr. Rayme Edler as the new Medical Services Director for the Escambia County Corrections and Public Safety departments, responsible for overseeing all county medical staff under emergency medical services and the county jail. Her target start date is Monday, May 7.
Edler is an emergency medicine board certified physician at Baptist Hospital, previously serving as an emergency medicine resident at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Edler has called Pensacola home for about seven years, when she began working as a physician at Baptist Hospital.
Edler graduated from Ross University School of Medicine with a Doctor of Medicine and from Tulane University with a Master of Science in Public Health, also earning a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of New Orleans. Her certifications include Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Trauma Life Support.
“Getting this position is just such an honor,” Edler said. “I’m excited to take on the challenge, and I’m really looking forward to working with Escambia County and bringing the best care to the county that we possibly can.”
Edler began her medical career as an emergency medical technician and paramedic and later worked as an EMT/paramedic supervisor, providing valuable insight into the operations she will be overseeing in Escambia County Emergency Medical Services.
Edler said being in the field and knowing firsthand what EMTs and paramedics encounter on a daily basis will help her better relate to staff and know what challenges they face.
“I think it’s really important that even as a medical director, you know what they’re going through,” Edler said. “You can read a book and you can learn something, but until you really do it and experience it, it’s a whole different story.”
Along with supervising and assuming direct responsibility for all EMTs, paramedics and medical staff of the Escambia County Corrections Department, Edler will be responsible for providing care to individuals incarcerated in the Escambia County Jail.
Before accepting the position, Edler toured the Escambia County Jail and participated in an ambulance ride along, giving her an opportunity to meet county medical staff and experience some of the day-to-day operations.
Edler said one of her goals in the new position is to continue to build a strong sense of teamwork with staff, along with ensuring departments remain up to date with emergency medicine protocols and are provided with the training needed to best perform their jobs.
“It’s that teamwork, that camaraderie that you never lose – making sure that everybody knows how important their position is, no matter where you are in the medical field,” Edler said.
Scott, Tribe Reach Deal On Gambling Money
April 19, 2018
As legislative leaders hold behind-the-scenes talks about revamping the gambling industry, Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday announced a deal that will lead to the Seminole Tribe continuing to pay more than $300 million a year in casino money to the state.
The tribe would continue making the payments, which are rooted in a 2010 gambling agreement, through the 2019 legislative session. In exchange, the tribe would continue to have exclusive rights to offer games such as blackjack at its casinos and would continue to be the state’s only slot-machine operator outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
“Today, I am proud to announce that the state of Florida has reached an agreement with the Seminole Tribe which ensures the tribe’s current commitment remains intact,” Scott, who will leave office in January after eight years, said in a prepared statement. “Since I took office, the Seminole compact (the 2010 agreement) has generated more than $1.75 billion which has helped our state make historic investments in things like Florida’s education and environment.”
Wednesday’s announcement did little to scuttle negotiations between House and Senate leaders as they try to craft a sweeping gambling bill before the November election, when voters will decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to expand gambling. The proposed amendment, if approved, would give voters control of future gambling expansions, something now largely controlled by the Legislature.
Rep. Jose Oliva and Sen. Bill Galvano, who will take over as House speaker and Senate president after the fall elections, have been in talks for weeks — without the Seminoles at the table — about a possible special session on the gambling issue.
The two leaders are reportedly close to agreement but have not closed out a deal that likely would encompass slot machines, controversial “designated player” card games and myriad other gambling-related issues. Efforts by lawmakers to reach agreement on major gambling issues have repeatedly failed over the years.
“It’s a positive development but does not rule out a special. There are still many questions regarding the statewide framework of gaming,” Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, said in a text message, referring to the agreement that Scott announced Wednesday with the tribe.
The ongoing discussions between the Republican legislative leaders are “more of a conversation than a negotiation,” according to Oliva.
The agreement announced Wednesday would guarantee until May 2019 the continued flow of Seminole cash to the state budget — ostensibly one of the reasons legislative leaders have been floating the idea of holding a special session. But the agreement also could be part of an effort to head off attempts by lawmakers to expand gambling through steps such as allowing slot machines outside of Broward and Miami-Dade.
“It certainly is a positive step. However, we are continuing discussions regarding special session,” Galvano, a Bradenton Republican who has been instrumental in negotiating agreements with the Seminoles over the past several years.
The announcement from Scott’s office came after a series of developments that began with the 2015 expiration of one of the critical provisions of the 2010 compact. That provision gave the tribe exclusivity in being able to offer banked card games, such as blackjack.
While the tribe continued making payments to the state after the provision expired, the money was put in jeopardy because of a dispute about lucrative designated-player games at state-regulated pari-mutuel facilities.
A federal judge sided with the tribe in a dispute over whether designated-player games breached the Seminoles’ exclusivity over offering banked card games. The tribe agreed to continue making payments to the state, and gambling regulators promised to “aggressively enforce” the manner in which cardrooms conduct the designated player games.
But a temporary deal between the state and the Seminoles, in which the tribe agreed to continue making the payments, expired late in March, sparking the push for a new round of negotiations.
The Seminoles have never threatened to stop making payments to the state, although their Tallahassee lawyer, Barry Richard, has repeatedly said that is something they could do, given the federal judge’s ruling.
The new agreement “was intended as a level of comfort to anybody in the Legislature or the governor’s office or anywhere else that had any concerns that the tribe was intending to end the payments, which we never intended to do,” Richard told The News Service of Florida on Wednesday evening.
“So we gave people comfort,” he said.
by Jim Saunders and Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Part Of Sentencing Law Found Unconstitutional In Escambia Inmate’s Appeal
April 19, 2018
An appeals court Wednesday sided with an inmate in an Escambia county case who argued that part of a 2009 state law was unconstitutional because it gave too much authority to a judge, rather than a jury, to impose a tougher sentence.
A panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal ordered resentencing for Reginald Lee Booker III, who pleaded no contest in Escambia County to fleeing or attempting to elude a law-enforcement officer and driving without a valid license.
The appeal focused on a 2009 law that deals with scoresheets used in sentencing defendants. The law said non-violent offenders who receive less than 22 points under the scoresheet process would receive maximum sentences of up to one year in county jail, rather than being sent to state prisons for longer periods.
The law also included a provision that allowed judges to sentence defendants to prison if they made written findings that a lighter sentence could “present a danger to the public,” according to the appeals-court ruling.
Using that provision, Circuit Judge J. Scott Duncan sentenced Booker to four years in prison.
But the appeals court said the increase in Booker’s sentence was a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Sixth Amendment, which requires juries, not judges, to find facts that could justify increasing sentences. The ruling, written by appeals-court Judge Scott Makar, said the Legislature could have allowed sentences to be increased for Booker and similar defendants based on factors such as prior convictions — but did not do so.
“Here, the trial judge had no statutory authority to elevate Booker’s sentence to state prison simply because Booker had prior conviction,” Makar wrote in a decision that was joined fully by Judge Clay Roberts and partially by Judge Harvey Jay. “And he considered matters other than prior convictions as well, such as whether Booker was working, lacked a driver’s license, failed to show up for his trial date, wore camouflage overalls to court, and so on, in assessing his future dangerousness. And the sole witness, the investigator from whom Booker had fled, merely recounted the details of Booker eluding her in a motor vehicle, which are only the facts inherent in the crime.”
Makar and Roberts ruled that Booker should be resentenced under a law that was in effect before the 2009 change.
Jay dissented on ordering a new sentencing hearing, saying Booker also would likely be sentenced to four years in prison under the old law.
by The News Service of Florida
Photos: Century Sawmill Pageant Winners Announced
April 19, 2018
The Century Lions Club sponsored the annual Century Sawmill Pageant recently. All proceeds are used to benefit vision services for needy children in the Tri-County area.
Pictured above are Overall Queens Leah Smith (left) and scholarship winner Ansley LaSala (Scholarship winner). Not pictured is Mallory Marn.
Other winners were (scroll down):
Teen Miss (14 years old to 12th grade) L to R: 1st–Randi Avery; Queen–Ansley LaSala; 2nd–Whitney Kimbler.
Junior Miss (11 to 13 years old) L to R: 2nd–Nevaeh King; 3rd–Andrea LaSala; Queen–McKenna Simmons; 1st–Ashley Boutwell.
Young Junior Miss (8 to 10 years old) L to R: 3rd–Lyla Calloway; 2nd–Leah Smith; Queen–Lanie Stephens; 1st–Madlyne Saye.
Young Miss (5 to 7 years old) L to R: 1st-Alison Grant; Queen–Layla Schoonover; 2nd–Laurel Wadkins; 3rd Kadahlyn Salter.
Little Miss (2-4 years old) L to R: 1st–Marley Schoonover; Queen-Mallory Marn; 2nd-Raylin Brown; 3rd-Gracelynn Grant.
Baby Miss (0-23 months) L to R: 1st-Jordan Seales; Queen-Tatum Harper Boutwell; 2nd-Annalee Faulk; 3rd-Megan Marn.