Molino Woman Charged With Stealing Wedding Rings, Coins From Grandfather
December 20, 2016
A Molino woman is accused of stealing wedding rings and collectible coins from her grandfather and then pawning them.
Valerie Leigh Sanderson, 29, was charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property, both felonies.
Investigators said she unlawfully entered her grandfather’s home on Molino Road to take the jewelry and coins. An arrest report notes that she would normally have access to her grandfather’s home, but did not reside there and had no permission to remove any property.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said she stole and later pawned or sold two 14K yellow gold wedding rings, 230 silver war nickels and one American Gold Eagle Coin.
The wedding rings were not recovered; they were pawned for their weight in gold. The grandfather was able to remover the coins after they were sold to another dealer in Louisiana.
FWC: Go ‘Wild’ With Your Christmas Shopping
December 20, 2016
It’s fun and easy to help Florida fish and wildlife, and the wild places they live, when you shop this holiday season. Did you know the proceeds from some gifts directly fund conservation? There are gifts to show your support of wildlife, and gifts that help you carry on the tradition of spending time with family and friends on Florida’s beautiful beaches, waterways and wildlife management areas. Check out our shopping list, because the holidays are almost here!
- Purchase a Florida fishing or hunting license (you can even buy a gift card!) by visiting GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, calling 888-347-4356 or stopping by a participating retailer. There are licenses for residents and visitors including a Youth Gold Sportsman’s License, which is good until a child turns 17. This license locks in the price, and gives a young person bragging rights as a card-carrying sportsman. Hunters and those who enjoy target shooting continue to be an important force in funding wildlife restoration and management. Through the super successful Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, which was passed in 1937, every time hunters and target shooters buy firearms, ammunition and archery equipment, a percentage of that money is designated for conservation. Wildlife Restoration Program dollars are then allocated to state fish and wildlife agencies (such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) for projects that restore, conserve and improve wildlife and their habitats. Giving a license as a gift is a great way to support conservation while putting a smile on the face of an outdoor lover.
- Fishing and boating gifts will not only please anglers on your list, but contribute to fisheries conservation as well! Funds from the purchases of fishing equipment and some boating items are collected and apportioned by the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and help manage America’s fishery resources.
- Florida wildlife T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, art and other gifts are available at WildlifeFlorida.com. Strut apparel featuring your favorite species while supporting the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida at the same time!
- If there’s a hunter in your life who uses a tree stand or other elevated stand, give the gift of safety. Put a big red bow on a full-body fall arrest harness system to protect that hunter from a fall. Learn about tree stand safety and more by taking a Florida hunter safety course.
- For the bird watcher or bird watcher-to-be, check out binoculars, Florida birding guides, T-shirts and the patch which promotes native birds and the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
- If you give or get a kayak, canoe or paddleboard, make it look extra cool with colorful FWC manatee decals and sea turtle decals. The decals also look great on bikes, backpacks, guitar cases or computers. Available for a $5 donation at county tax collectors’ offices, with more options to order at MyFWC.com/Manatee or MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle.
- Vehicle license plates supporting Florida wildlife and habitats, including “Protect the Panther,” “Conserve Wildlife,” “Helping Sea Turtles Survive,” “Save the Manatee,” “Go Fishing” and “IHUNT” are available at county tax collectors’ offices or at BuyaPlate.com.
- Buy “Planting a Refuge for Wildlife,” the beautifully illustrated booklet that helps people entice butterflies, hummingbirds and other animals into their backyards.
- A personal floatation device, also known as a life jacket, can give someone you care about a safe boating experience. A newer model, such as an inflatable belt pack or suspender-style life jacket, could replace an older, bulkier life jacket.
- Registration of a family member or friend with TrophyCatchFlorida.com, along with the gift of a scale to weigh fish, makes that person eligible for a drawing for a bass boat. And any time a photo of an 8 pound or larger bass is submitted it to TrophyCatch following the rules, the angler contributes valuable conservation information and could be eligible for other prizes.
The purchase of most of these gifts contributes to the research, conservation, management and educational efforts that support Florida fish and wildlife as well as the wild places they live, including wildlife management areas throughout the state. WMAs are great places to visit for wildlife viewing and other recreational activities, including fishing, hunting and hiking, during the holidays and all year-round.
New Councilman Sworn In; Mayor And Council President Out In Century
December 20, 2016
There are changes underway in the face of government in Century.
Monday night, Kevin Stead was sworn in as the newest member of the Century Town council as the temporary replacement for Annie Savage, who passed away in late October.
Stead, a resident of Pine Street for about a year and half, is a Marine Corp veteran, a married father of four and grandfather of three. He has served for six years as a firefighter and fire chaplain for the Jay Volunteer Fire Department, and serves as pianist and childrens pastor as Tabernacle Baptist Church in Century. The 50-year old is an electrician and has been employed at CEREX Advanced Fabrics in Cantonment for the past four years.
Monday night’s meeting was the last for outgoing two-term Mayor Freddie McCall and Council President Ben Boutwell. Both men ran unsuccessful campaigns for mayor.
McCall’s nine years comes to a close, with newly elected Mayor Henry Hawkins set to to be sworn in on January 2.
Boutwell was forced to resign his council seat effective January 2 when he opted to run for mayor. The council will appoint a temporary successor to the seat on January 2. According to town officials, Boutwell could be appointed as his own successor, if the council so desired.
A special election will be held February 14, 2017, for the council seat currently held by Stead and the seat being vacated by Boutwell. Any necessary runoff will be on February 28.
Pictured top: Kevin Stead (center) is sworn in as a member of the Century Town Council Monday night by Mayor Freddie McCall and Town Clerk Leslie Howington. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Rejects Man’s Plan To Keep Sheep On His Property
December 20, 2016
The Century Town Council has denied a new resident’s request to keep sheep on his seven acre lot.
Wayne Prescott went before the council Monday night with a variance request for his newly purchased property at 7505 North Century Boulevard, which is located across from the county courthouse. An ordinance enacted by the town in late 2013 prohibits sheep, horses and other barnyard animals any property in the town, unless it is zoned agricultural or rural residential. Prescott’s property is zoned as “environmentally sensitive” due to a creek.
Prescott told the council that he has moved to Century from Chesapeake, VA. He said he wanted to import competition sheep from his native Barbados and enjoy his culture. He promised the council that he would keep the sheep away from property lines and the environmentally sensitive creek.
“I want to use the land for its best purpose, not just trees,” Prescott said.
The council voted unanimously to deny Prescott’s variance request.
Pictured top: Wayne Prescott (standing top right) addresses the Century Town Council. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Pictured inset and below: Escambia County Property Appraiser information on Prescott’s property.
Cantonment Woman Busted After Fleeing From Deputy
December 20, 2016
A Cantonment woman is facing charges after allegedly fleeing from deputies attempting a traffic stop.
An Escambia County deputy observed a vehicle driven by 25-year old Erica Shavanne Raily at the intersection of Booker and Robinson Streets. The deputy attempted a traffic stop with lights and siren for seat belt and window tint violations. Raily refused to stop, but did slow her vehicle down long enough for a black male to jump out and run. The deputy pursued the black male on foot, but was unable to apprehend him.
Another deputy caught up with Raily at the Raceway gas station at the corner of Highway 29 and Muscogee Road. There, she refused to tell deputies that name of the man that ran from her car, but deputies were able to find his identification card in the vehicle. They determined that he has an active felony warrant for violation of probation, and they are still looking for him.
Raily was charged with fleeing and eluding and obstructing justice without violence. She was also ticketed for not wearing a seat belt, illegal window tint and no proof of insurance. She was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $6,000 bond.
Raily’s vehicle was seized by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Electors Go For Trump Amid Protests
December 20, 2016
With more attention than usual — following the most-unusual presidential campaign in recent memory — Florida’s 29 electors met Monday to formally cast their votes to send Republican Donald Trump to the White House.
A last-ditch effort in Florida, and across the nation, tried to get members of the Electoral College to bolt from Trump and throw the election into the U.S. House, where supporters hoped that a more mainstream Republican could prevail.
But the effort largely fizzled, with only four defections reported Monday in Washington state and two in Texas. Three of the Washington electors voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and another voted for Native American leader Faith Spotted Eagle. One Texas elector voted for former Republican Congressman Ron Paul, while another voted for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
In Florida, the votes for Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, were never really in doubt. The slate of electors was made up of GOP stalwarts, from fundraisers to activists to elected officials.
None of them voiced any doubt about voting for Trump, despite the fact that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won the popular vote nationally by more than 2.5 million votes. That, Trump’s supporters pointed out, is not how presidential elections are decided.
“The strategy was to spend all of your money in these truly swing states that decide the presidency,” said state House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, a Miami Republican and elector. “That was the strategy that both sides invoked. Obviously, one was successful and one wasn’t.”
Outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol, where the electors gathered, about 100 protesters asked Trump’s supporters to look elsewhere for a president. Signs referred to Trump as racist, sexist or xenophobic.
“Trump Has No Conscience. Do You?” read one poster. Another, alluding to Florida’s role in the disputed 2000 election that saw Republican George W. Bush elected despite losing the popular vote, said: “I can’t believe I have to protest this again.” As the electors voted, protesters chanted “Love Trumps Hate.”
In addition to the argument that Clinton won the popular vote, some protesters portrayed Trump as the kind of dangerous demagogue that the Electoral College was meant to prevent.
“This is the time,” said Anne Timoner, a self-described liberal Democrat who said she would join a movement against the Electoral College if Trump won. “And I’ll say another thing to them: If (the electors) don’t do it now, they do not deserve to exist. … I think this is their life-or-death moment.”
Some electors said they didn’t hear or didn’t pay attention to the chants of the protesters outside the chamber. But it was hard to ignore a torrent of messages leading up to the votes. Some of them were belligerent and included death threats.
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Blaise Ingoglia said he received about 55,000 emails, pieces of mail and Facebook messages asking him to change his vote.
Ingoglia, who is also a state representative from Spring Hill, thanked electors after the vote for persevering.
“I know it was a long, hard haul and I know over the past couple of months you have been inundated with a lot of sometimes harassing messages asking you to switch your vote,” Ingoglia said. “And I know that for many of you, if it was like me, it was an intrusion on your privacy, and it took away some family time.”
Others didn’t seem to mind. Senate President Joe Negron, a Stuart Republican who served as an elector, said he also heard from thousands of people inside and outside of Florida wanting him to back another candidate.
“I viewed the public input a little differently, as redress of grievances,” Negron said. “And so I didn’t really object to the vast majority of people that wrote or contacted us (who) were reasonable.”
He also shrugged off the less-tolerant messages.
“It was such a small percentage that I don’t think it’s worth noting,” Negron said.
Ingoglia said he believed that the protests would lead to a wider movement, of the sort described by Timoner.
“I think that this is a start of a narrative that the left wants to have from now up until the next election cycle and the election cycle after that for a push for a national popular vote, which obviously our government was never intended to do that,” he said. “We’re a constitutional republic; we’re not a democracy.”
The opponents made clear they want to have such a discussion.
“We’re here to say we don’t want that system anymore,” said Maxwell Frost, state organizer for Democracy Spring, which planned demonstrations against the electoral vote in all 50 states. “And we’re here to tell those electors that they should vote with the United States of America, which is against Trump.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Obama Commutes Sentences, Two Northwest Florida Men Included
December 20, 2016
President Barack Obama pardoned 78 people and shortened the sentence of 153 others convicted of federal crimes Monday. It’s the most number of individual clemencies in a single day by any president.
The sentences of two Northwest Florida men were reduced:
Willie Brazile – Pensacola, FL
Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base; possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (two counts); Northern District of Florida
Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years’ supervised release (September 10, 1996)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment.
Maurice Davon Cawthon – Milton, FL
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base; possession of a shotgun in relation to a drug trafficking offense; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession of an unregistered firearm with an overall length of less than 26 inches, including a barrel of less than 18 inches; Northern District of Florida
Sentence: 240 months’ imprisonment; eight years’ supervised release; $600 fine (December 17, 2004)
Commutation Grant: Prison sentence commuted to expire on December 19, 2018, conditioned upon enrollment in residential drug treatment.
Obama has now pardoned a total of 148 people during his presidency and has shortened the sentences of 1,176 people, including 395 serving life sentences.
Vehicle Fire Threatens Home
December 20, 2016
Firefighters were able to extinguish a vehicle fire Monday in Cantonment with minimal damage to a home just feet away. The fire on Millet Circle off West Roberts Road melted some vinyl siding on a garage. There were no injuries. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Fourth Graders Donate Pet Food
December 20, 2016
Cheryl Massey’s fourth grade students at Jim Allen Elementary School collected pet food for the Pensacola Humane Society. This was the 10th year Massey has sponsored a pet food donation. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sixth Red Bulb Added In Wreath Fire Safety Campaign
December 19, 2016
A fire on the 8300 block of Gardenia Circle represents the sixth red bulb on the “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety wreath. Escambia County Emergency Communications received a call for a multi-residential structure fire Friday, Dec. 16 at 9:32 p.m.
Crews arrived on scene to find light smoke showing from a kitchen fire in the single-story duplex. The fire was called under control at 9:55 p.m., with severe fire damage to the kitchen and some damage leading to the attic. No one was injured in the fire, but two adults were displaced. Escambia Fire Rescue Stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, NAS Pensacola Fire Truck 34 and EMS responded.
The “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign is a collaborative initiative with the city of Pensacola to promote fire safety during the month of December. During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths are on display at 18 county fire stations and five city fire stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building, Pensacola City Hall and Cordova Mall near the food court entrance. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential home.