Flomaton Man Wanted For 2021 Century Murder Arrested In Atmore
February 15, 2022
A Flomaton man wanted for a July 2021 murder in Century has been arrested in Alabama.
Timothy Lavon Johnson, 34, was arrested without incident as he walked along Howard Street in Atmore, according to Atmore Police.
Johnson is wanted for murder of a man that died less than two weeks after he was found unresponsive with head injuries in Century.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to an aggravated battery report on Hilltop Road at Alger Road at 11:18 a.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2021. The man, identified by family as Chris Hunter, passed away July 28, 2021, 10 days after he was injured.
Family members told NorthEscambia.com that Chris Hunter was the brother of Greg Hunter, who died days after he was found injured outside a Century bar.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to Odom’s Bar on North Century Boulevard about 10 p.m. on June 19, 2021, to find 60-year old Greg Hunter down in the parking lot. At the time, investigators said it was a homicide and that he had been seriously beaten and left unconscious. But the Medical Examiner’s Office later said Greg Hunter died of natural causes (click for an earlier story).
Johnson is in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton awaiting extradition to Florida to face the homicide charge in the death of Chris Hunter.
Editor’s note: The cause of death of Greg Hunter at Odom’s Bar remains as natural causes according to the Medical Examiner’s Office, and Johnson is in no way accused in his death.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Space Heater Sparks Tuesday Morning Fire That Destroyed Molino Home
February 15, 2022
Fire destroyed a home in Molino early Tuesday morning.
The fire was reported just before 8 a.m. in the 5200 block of Pilgrim Trail West off Highway 97. Firefighters arrived on scene to find smoke and flames coming from the 2,300 square foot bick home.
The occupants were able to escape the fire without injury.
The fire was caused by a space heater in the garage, according to ECFR.
The Molino, Walnut Hill, McDavid, Cantonment and Ensley stations of the Escambia County Fire Rescue, the Atmore Fire Department and Escambia County EMS responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Cantonment Woman Drove Vehicle Burglary Getaway Vehicle With Her Baby In The Backseat
February 15, 2022
A Cantonment woman allegedly drove the getaway vehicle in a motel vehicle burglary case — with her baby in the backseat.
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, 21-year old Althea Tanyela Moorer failed to provide proper care for her child as she was committing vehicle burglaries and having deputies draw their guns for a felony takedown on her vehicle”.
Moorer was charged with felony child abuse. She remained in the Escambia County Jail Tuesday morning with bond set at $2,500.
The report states Moorer was driving a SUV seen leaving the Oyo Hotel on Pensacola Boulevard where car burglaries had just occurred about 4:30 a.m. Sunday. Deputies conducted a felony traffic stop on the vehicle at Kenmore Road and Melanie Drive. Moorer’s baby was in the backseat of the vehicle and not in a child safety seat.
Surveillance video showed two males, later identified as Yavyron Otoko Savage and Da’torrance Leanders Hackworth, trying vehicle door handles and entering vehicles in the hotel parking lot, according to the ECSO. They ran and got into Moorer’s SUV before she drove away, the report states.
Savage and Hackworth, both 19, were charged with vehicle burglary and booked into jail with bond set at $5,000 each.
One Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Crash
February 15, 2022
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover crash early Tuesday morning in Walnut Hill.
The crash happened about 1:10 a.m. on Highway 97 about one mile south of North Highway 99. The vehicle came to rest on its side in a driveway.
The Florida Highway patrol is investigating. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Students Make Valentine’s Day Cards For About 200 Seniors
February 15, 2022
Valentine’s Day was a little sweeter for a couple hundred seniors Monday, thanks to the students at Bratt Elementary School.
Bratt Elementary has adopted all of the local nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Century, Atmore and Poarch. The students handmade over 200 cards so each resident would receive a Valentine’s Day card.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ensley North Neighborhood Cleanup Day Is Friday
February 15, 2022
A neighborhood cleanup will be held in Ensley on Friday, February 18.
The District 3 Ensley North Neighborhood Cleanup is a chance for residents to dispose of items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge. Yard debris is eligible for removal during this cleanup.
During neighborhood cleanups, Escambia County departments team up to bring services to residents in an effort to keep local neighborhoods clean and safe. Participating is easy: Residents in the cleanup area simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.
All debris must be at the curb directly in front of residences in the area by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. Tires and paint cans should be separate from all other debris. Debris piles should not be placed under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. All items, including containers, will be collected.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area are able to participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. The collection area is from Pensacola Boulevard to Jernigan Road between East Johnson Avenue/West Detroit Boulevard and East Nine Mile Road.
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
The neighborhood cleanup initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers picking up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture and household items.
Since 2016, more than 3,854 (7,708,900 pounds) of debris have been collected and disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
The county’s neighborhood cleanup program is hosted by the Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program.
Northview FCA, NJROTC Send Care Packages To Overseas Military Families
February 15, 2022
Northview High School’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes and NJROTC sponsored a supply drive to send care packages to troops deployed overseas in conjunction with an Operation Military Parent Group that was founded in 2019.
Six large boxes were prepared Monday to be mailed. A couple of these boxes will reach overseas family of Northview students.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
RV Fire Spreads, Damages Nearby Home
February 15, 2022
Fire destroyed an RV and damaged an adjacent home Monday in Escambia County.
Escambia County Fire Rescue arrived to find the RV fully engulfed in flames and that fire had spread to the attic space of a nearby home in the 4400 block of Cedarbrook Drive off Klondike Road.
The RV was a total loss, but firefighters were able to limit damage to the attic space of the home.
There were no injuries reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal.
Escambia County Motorcyclist Killed In Traffic Crash
February 14, 2022
An Escambia County motorcyclist was killed in crash Sunday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 32-year old man was on a Suzuki GSXR 600 traveling northbound on South Fairfield Drive approaching Pond Valley Drive as a Kia Sorrento was headed southbound.
The 43-year old female driver of the Kia failed to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left turn into a mobile home park, causing the collision.
The motorcyclist was pronounced deceased at the scene by Escambia County EMS. The driver of the Kia was not injured.
FHP no longer released the names of traffic crash victims.
File photo.
New Dollar General Planned For Walnut Hill; Developer Files Plans
February 14, 2022
Developers have filed an initial Escambia County Development Review Committee application for a new Dollar General store in Walnut Hill.
Plans indicate the store will be located at 7100 Highway 97, on the north side of the intersection of South Highway 99. There is currently an unoccupied single family home on the 4.12 acre property, which is across the intersection from a former farm supply retail business.
The development is limited to 2.08 acres, including a 10,769 square-foot store with 43 parking spaces and a new driveway connection to Highway 97 directly across from South Highway 99. There are 35 trees on the site, 19 of which will be removed. There are no wetlands on the property.
Until an update approved unanimously by the Escambia County Commission on August 19, RMU zoning only allowed commercial buildings up to 6,000 square feet with no provision whatsoever to grant any exceptions to construct a larger commercial building.
Now, retail space up to 15,000 square feet is allowed. Properties zoned as RMU in Escambia County are typically located near rural community centers and most are not currently used for agriculture. For a map of RMU zoning in Escambia County, click or tap here (pdf).
The plan is in staff internal review status by the Escambia County Development Review Committee. There is no guarantee that it will ever be constructed after approval.
Last year, Dollar General previously announced a proposal for a store about a mile away at the intersection of Highway 97 and Highway 99A in Walnut Hill, next to Ernest Ward Middle School. The proposed size of the store did not meet zoning requirements at the time (but now would after the BOCC vote). Additionally, there was some minor public backlash against the store due to its location in a curve on Highway 97 and its proximity to the middle school. Plans for this store did not move forward.
