Deidra’s Gift Provides Christmas Gifts For Sick, Shut-Ins In Century
December 2, 2022
With help from St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Century, Deidra’s Gift was able to present a donation to the Century Center for Rehabilitation & Healing.
The funds will be used by staff to purchase Christmas gifts for sick and shut-in residents.
Deidra’s gift was established in memory of Dedria Robinson, who was killed in 2005 in an automobile accident at age 11.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Food Distribution For 500 Families Saturday At Jubilee Church
December 2, 2022
Jubilee Church and Farm Share are partnering to feed 500 or more families with a food distribution on Saturday.
The drive-thru food distribution will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. while supplies last at Jubilee Church at 5910 North W Street.
“The need in our community continues to grow. With this year’s food prices hitting an all-time high along with gas and rising housing costs, our community is struggling to pay bills and put food on the table. We are honored to give back to those in need in our local community especially during the Holiday season,” said Lead Pastor Tim Fox of Jubilee Church.
Clinic To Assist Participants In Restoring Driving Privileges; Registration Now Open
December 2, 2022
The First Judicial Circuit will host a Driver License Clinic on Friday, March 24, 2023, to assist individuals whose licenses have been revoked, suspended, or cancelled. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building located at 190 Governmental Center in Pensacola.
Registration is now open to the first 150 registered participants. Registration will be available at escambiacountydriverlicenseclinic2023.eventbrite.com.
Registered participants should closely monitor the email address provided at registration, as email will be the primary form of communication between participants and the clinic staff. Additional information may also be requested by email. Failure to provide requested information may result in cancelled registration.
Individuals who registered for previous clinics and failed to appear will be automatically placed on the waiting list until all eligible participants have had an opportunity to register. The waiting list does not transfer to future clinics; therefore, participants will be required to re-register in order to participate in the future. Walk-ins will not be able to participate.
Staff from the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Office, Florida Department of Revenue, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Escambia County Clerk of Court, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Office of the State Attorney, and the Office of the Public Defender, along with judges and court staff, will work together to assist registrants and provide individualized information relevant to each participant’s personal circumstances.
The goal of the clinic is to provide “one-stop shopping” for citizens to interact with the appropriate state agencies and/or the court so they can determine how to regain their driving privileges.
The clinic will not be able to assist individuals with licenses revoked, suspended, or cancelled due to out-of-state matters. Additionally, the clinic will not waive outstanding financial obligations or address pending criminal charges or charges for which an individual is currently on probation.
Tate High School Placed On Precautionary ‘Code Yellow’ Status, All Clear Given
December 1, 2022
Tate High School was placed on “totally precautionary” code yellow security status early Thursday afternoon, according to the school district.
Someone reported hearing a possible gunshot in the neighborhood around the campus, but nothing was found.
Tate High has since returned to an ordinary operating status.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Man Broke Into Cantonment Home, Made A Meal, Took A Nap, Took A Truck And A Gun: ECSO Says
December 1, 2022
A Michigan man’s crime spree ended in Escambia County after he broke into a Cantonment home, fixed himself a meal, and stole a pickup truck.
James Lee Mitchell, 50, of Flint, Michigan, is charged with burglary, vehicle theft and grand theft of a firearm. He will likely face additional charges in other jurisdictions.
Mitchell was caught on camera as he entered a home Sunday on Sunnydale Road in Cantonment. He took keys to a Toyota Tundra truck, a small semi-automatic .380 caliber firearm and a pair of electrical pliers.
“He even has the audacity to cook a meal and take a nap during his unwelcomed exploit. The hooligan leaves with a stolen gun (bet you don’t feel sorry for him now) and the stolen truck,” the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Deputies found the stolen truck the following day on Ensley Street, and the firearm was recovered.
The ECSO said Mitchell stole a vehicle in Marion County, Florida, and stopped in Santa Rosa County and burglarized two homes before heading to Escambia County. He ran out of gas in Cantonment where deputies said he broke into a couple of houses, a motorhome and a shed.
“Word on the street is that he stopped in Santa Rosa County and broke into two houses there before venturing into our particular harbor,” the ECSO said.
Mitchell remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $25,000.
Cantonment Man Seriously Injured In Pensacola Motorcycle Crash
December 1, 2022
An 18-year old Cantonment man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash midday Wednesday in Pensacola.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 77-year old driver of a GMC SUV failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Gonzalez Street at “T’ Street.
“The driver of the motorcycle attempted to avoid the collision by laying the motorcycle on its left side. As a result, the motorcycle slide under the SUV and collided with the undercarriage of the SUV in the intersection,” FHP said in a crash report.
The Cantonment man was wearing his helmet at the time of the collision and was listed in stable condition at last report.
Troopers cited the SUV driver with failure to yield right of way from a stop sign.
Photos: Al Showers/WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former ECUA Recycling Manager Pleads Guilty To Racketeering In Half Million Dollar Scheme
December 1, 2022
A former recycling manager at the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) pleaded guilty Wednesday to racketeering in connection with selling a half million dollars worth of recyclables through a shell company he owned.
In September of 2018, Jarrell Lamar Reynolds, now 45, was hired by ECUA to manage the recycling operation at the Perdido Landfill.
“He was hired, according to ECUA management, because of his experience in the industry and his personal contacts with potential new vendors and customers,” an arrest report states. “ECUA believed that hiring Reynolds would increase the efficiency of the the recycling operation and increase their revenues through the introduction of new customers for their recyclable material.”
On December 5, 2018, Reynolds created a shell company called JAT Recycling in Georgia, and he was the lone officer of the company. He used the shell company to acquire the property from ECUA and sell the recyclables. Once sold to third parties, Reynolds maintained control of about $510,000 in profits and transferred them to multiple accounts he controlled, according to court documents.
The profits were then used by Reynolds to purchase cars, investment properties, and other personal expenses.
Additional charges of racketeering as well as organized fraud, money laundering, and extortion were dropped in exchange for Reynolds’ guilty plea.
Pictured top: The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). File photo.
Escambia County’s Overall Crime Rate Drops
December 1, 2022
The overall crime index in Escambia County dropped 9.8% during 2021 compared to the previous year, according to new data released Wednesday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The total number of murders in the county dropped from 32 in 2020 to 23 in 2021, and robberies decreased from 376 to 282. Two other violent crime categories were up — rapes (225 to 284), aggravated assaults (1,306 to 1,332). Other crimes decreased from 2020 to 2021 — burglaries (1,588 to 1,285), larcenies (6,039 to 5,410) and motor vehicle thefts (732 to 689).
The countywide report covers crimes investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department and other agencies like the Florida Highway Patrol, University of West Florida Police Department, and Pensacola State Police Department.
During 2021, 34.3% of crimes in Escambia County were cleared, compared to 32.6% in 2020.
The crime rate per 100,000 population also decreased, from 3,181.2 in 2020 to 2,867.9 in 2021.
Statewide, crime in Florida hit a 50-year low, according to the 2021 Annual Uniform Crime Report. The report covers the calendar year of 2021 and shows . Both violent and property crimes decreased in 2021. Domestic violence was also down.
Keep The Wreath Green Fire Safety Campaign Begins Thursday
December 1, 2022
The annual “Keep the Wreath Green” fire safety campaign begins Thursday in Escambia County.
During the month-long campaign, five-foot wreaths will also be on display at 21 Escambia County Fire Rescue stations and five Pensacola Fire Department stations, with wreaths also placed outside Escambia County’s Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building downtown, the Escambia County Public Safety Building and Pensacola City Hall. Each time firefighters respond to a residential fire with damage during December, a green light bulb will be replaced with a red one to remind citizens of the dangers posed by fires in residential homes.
There were 19 red bulbs placed on the wreaths in 2021 to represent December residential fires. Four of those were in North Escambia: St. Matthews Lane in the Quintette area, Jahaza Street in Molino, Ashcraft Road in Bratt, and Wild Turkey Road off Jacks Branch Road.
The record, set in 2004, was 22 fires during December; the 19 in 2021 was the second highest.
The 19 residential structure fires during December in Escambia County included a fire on Quintette Road (above), a Christmas Day fire on Jahaza Street (first below), a Christmas Eve fire on Wild Turkey Road (second below), and a fire on Ashcraft Road (bottom). NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate’s Drew Reaves Signs To Play Baseball At PSC
December 1, 2022
Tate High School senior Drew Reaves signed Wednesday to play baseball at Pensacola State College.
“I would like to thank God, as He has put me with these abilities to be able to go to PSC and play,” Reaves said. “Also, He has put me with this great family which led to these great friends, teammates, coaches, and ultimately to where I am at today.”
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Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
