Army Vet And Purple Heart Recipient, Age 104, Receives COVID-19 Vaccination
February 12, 2021
World War II veteran Duane Brewton, age 104, received the COVID-19 vaccine Thursday at Olive Baptist Church.
While serving in the Army infantry, Brewton was awarded the Purple Heart after an artillery shell exploded near him and caused critical injuries from multiple shrapnel wounds.
State Sen. Doug Broxson praised Brewton for serving again in a different kind of war — to stop the sickness and death caused by the coronavirus.
“Let’s get this thing knocked out altogether,” Brewton said after getting his vaccine shot. He said he hopes to inspire other seniors to receive the vaccine.
He was vaccinated during a clinic organized by Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart and Olive Baptist.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury Indicts Two On Murder Charges In Cantonment Shooting Death
February 11, 2021
A man and woman have been indicted on murder charges by an Escambia County grand jury for a February 1 shooting on Lawson Lane in Cantonment.
Jonathan Taylor Hobbs was indicted on one count of first degree premeditated murder with a firearm, and Dawn Lucille Sluder was indicted on one count of first degree premeditated murder. Both remain in jail without bond and are set for arraignment later this month.
Danny Blackmon, Jr., 35, was shot and killed as his 19-year old girlfriend watched in horror, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.
“We had a crazy and deadly series of events that unfolded in North Escambia,” Simmons told NorthEscambia.com.
Sluder is the mother of Blackmon’s 19-year old girlfriend.
On the Saturday before the shooting, Sluder reported her 19-year daughter as either a runaway or as being held against her will.
“We made contact with the daughter, and she told us, ‘I am happy where I am at and with my boyfriend’,” Simmons said.
Investigators found Blackmon deceased with numerous gunshot wounds, including two on his upper torso, one in his neck and at least two in his head. After Blackmon fell to the ground, Hobbs reportedly leaned over his body and fired at least two more rounds before running away. Blackmon’s girlfriend witnessed the entire incident and attempted to perform CPR until she beaten and pulled away by her hair by Dawn Sluder, an arrest report states.
“You read about this kind of craziness in other places or see it on television, but unfortunately this time it happened here,” Simmons said. “It’s just crazy. We have a lady whose boyfriend is dead, and her mother and grandmother are in jail. It was a wild weekend.”
Sluder was apprehended at a convenience store on Muscogee Road near Jacks Branch Road. There was extensive damage to her SUV (pictured below) consistent with having collided with the Ford F-150 as stated by the witness. Hobbs walked up to a resident on Country Hills Road and asked to use the phone. The resident called 911, and deputies responded to take Hobbs into custody without further incident.
Hobbs and Sluder requested attorneys and refused to make any statement in the hours after their arrests.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to a call of an armed home invasion at Blackmon’s residence in the days before his death. The girlfriend’s grandmother, 57-year old Holly Marie Sluder, and the grandmother’s boyfriend, 63-year old Charles Burnell Parker, were both charged with first degree armed burglary . Parker allegedly pointed a gun at Blackmon while Holly Marie Sluder kept her hand on a holstered weapon as they took two cellphones. Blackmon tracked the phones to an area near their residence, and he phones were located when a search warrant was executed on Greymont Lane.
Pictured; A female suspect was taken into custody on Muscogee Road following a shooting Monday afternoon in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century To Attempt Charter Review Again, Seeking Volunteers For Committee
February 11, 2021
Century will try again to rewrite the town’s charter and is seeking volunteers to help.
The previously appointed 11-member Century Charter Review Committee is now down to just six people.
The Century Town Council appointed the committee in August 2019 to explore the town charter — the document that establishes the town, outlines its powers and spells out how it should operate. The charter has not been updated in almost 40 years, and that often creates problems in the operation of the town.
The committee held their first meeting in October 2019, two months after it was established. The early meetings were spent learning about the Sunshine Law, orderly meetings and background information. Most of the discussion at the committee’s sporadic meetings then centered around one central topic — the form of government and the possible addition of a permanent city manager.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed regular meetings for the charter committee and any chance of moving forward in 2020, preventing any charter change from making the ballot.
The Century Town Council is accepting applications for volunteers for their Charter Review Committee until March 4, 2021. All applicants must reside with the town limits.
To download an applications, click or tap here. Applications are also available at the Century Town Hall. The deadline to apply is March 4.
Pictured top: Century Charter Review Committee Chairperson Mary Hudson Bourgeois (right) and member Evelyn Hammond at a 2019 meeting. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Northview High School Names Students Of The Month
February 11, 2021
Northview High School has named their January Students of the Month. They are Elianna Morales and Dallon Rackard. They are pictured with Northview Principal Michael Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UWF Graduate To Pitch His Business On Next ‘Shark Tank’ Episode
February 11, 2021
University of West Florida graduate Wenceslaus “Wen” Muenyi will showcase his company’s odor-resistant fabrics on the reality TV series “Shark Tank” Friday night..
Muenyi, who graduated from UWF in 2016 with a BSBA in Marketing, will try persuading the panel of investors to invest in his company, HercLéon, a line of products, including bed sheets and clothing items, that uses manufactured sustainable and odor-resistant materials.
“I was lucky enough to discover the fantastic world of materials many years back after a trip to Iceland, where my clothes started to smell horrible, and I didn’t know where to find a laundry machine,” Muenyi said. “After that experience, I decided to find a way to develop products that would allow me to travel the world without any luggage and still be clean and comfortable. I did a lot of research and discovered HercFiber, a material that can be worn for days, weeks and months without having to be washed.”
Muenyi applied to be on “Shark Tank” early last year and received a call from producers over the summer. He flew to Las Vegas in September to make his pitch to investors. Not all tapings are aired so he was excited to learn last month that his presentation on the show would be broadcast. While he’s not able to disclose what happened on the show or if the Sharks invested in HercLéon, he said he most of all had fun.
“No matter what happens, you have to think ‘I’m doing this for the fun of it,’” Muenyi said. “You need to go in with a positive attitude and get excited about it. It’s an opportunity to do something that interests your curiosity, something that you get excited telling people what you’ve learned while doing it and that will take you far in life.”
Muenyi chose the name for his company because of his interest in Greek mythology and African history. Hercules is a symbol of faith, hope and service. He is from Cameroon, so he chose the word lion in French to represent persistence and determination. Fellow colleague and UWF graduate, Daniel Robar, is the main actor in HercLéon’s Jax Sheets commercials and assists with the developing and fulfillment of the company’s products. Muenyi credits his professors for preparing him for the pressure of the real world.
“Professor C. Scott Satterwhite is probably the single most important teacher I had at UWF, his
class’s focus on the Beat Generation characters like Alan Watts is the reason I live such a peaceful life, and in business it’s critical to find internal peace because you’ll always be putting out external fires,” Muenyi said. “If you can’t handle constant stress, then you’re going to hate being an entrepreneur.”
Whatever the outcome on the show, Muenyi is ready for the extra business that may come from his appearance on national TV.
“My fulfillment company had another client on the show, and they said they had over six thousand orders by the next day,” Muenyi said.
Muenyi’s episode will air locally at 7 p.m. Friday on WEAR ABC 3.
Federal Mask Mandate Includes ECAT Buses
February 11, 2021
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) is reminding residents that face masks are required to ride public transportation.
Face masks have been required to ride ECAT since December 21, 2020.
On January 21, 2021, President Joe Biden issued an executive order requiring mask wearing on all modes of public transportation including intercity buses and trains. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order which requires people to wear masks while on all public transportation and conveyances (trains, airplanes, ferries, etc.) and at transportation hubs.
ECAT has provided free face masks since June 1, 2020, and will continue to do so.
“Although ECAT will have face masks available, riders are urged to plan ahead and bring their own face coverings before boarding any public transit,” said ECAT Mass Transit Director Tonya Ellis. “We would like to thank our ridership for following these federal orders, making the ride enjoyable and safe for our customers and operators.”
ECAT operators will also continue to wear masks. All ECAT employees are subject to temperature checks when they arrive to work as a precaution.
According to these orders, operators must use best efforts to ensure that any person on the conveyance wears a mask when boarding, disembarking, and for the duration of travel or while entering or on the premises of the transportation hub. Depending on the circumstances, operators must take the following actions:
- Board/allow entry only people who wear masks;
- instruct people that wearing a mask on the conveyance/premises is a requirement of federal law and that not complying with the requirement is a violation of federal law;
- monitor the conveyance/premises for any person who is not wearing a mask and seek compliance from such a person;
- at the earliest safe opportunity, disembark/remove from premises any person who refuses to comply; and
- notify people of the requirement to make sure they aware of and comply with the requirement to wear a mask. Examples of such notifications are messaging in apps, on websites or through email; posters in multiple languages with illustrations; and printing the information on tickets.
Riders also are required to properly wear the face covering according to CDC guidelines for their entire trip, including covering the face and nose.
People are not required to wear a mask under the following circumstances:
- while eating, drinking, or taking medication for brief periods of time;
- while communicating, for brief periods of time, with a person who is hearing impaired when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication;
- if unconscious (for reasons other than sleeping), incapacitated, unable to be awakened, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance; or
- when necessary to temporarily remove the mask to verify one’s identity such as during Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening or when asked to do so by the ticket or gate agent or any law enforcement official.
The following categories of people are exempt from the requirement to wear a mask:
- A child under the age of 2 years;
- A person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, for reasons related to the disability;
- A person for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty as determined by the relevant workplace safety guidelines or federal regulations.
Winners Announced In 67th Youth Art Focus (With Photos, Virtual Tour)
February 11, 2021
Winners have been announced from the 67th Youth Art Focus for the Escambia County School District with the Pensacola Museum of Art is now available.
Since 1954, Youth Art Focus has created an opportunity to expose students to the fine art world in a professional museum environment while giving the public a chance to experience and appreciate the accomplishments of Escambia County’s fine art education programs.
(Tip: To skip ahead to the student art in the virtual video tour, go to 27:55 in the video on the page linked above.)
Escambia County COVID-19 Hospitalizations Continue Downward Trend
February 11, 2021
The number of Escambia County COVID-19 daily hospitalizations is continuing to fall.
There were 152 people currently hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Escambia County on Wednesday.
“COVID-19 hospitalizations between the three local hospital systems are starting to slowly go down, but we still want to get back to the 50-75 range,” Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson said. “It’s important that we continue to work together to bring these numbers down for our community and for our hospitals. Please be vigilant and take preventative actions, including wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands often.”
The numbers in the graph indicate daily hospitalizations in Escambia County and are provided daily by Ascension Sacred Heart Hospital, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital. The daily numbers are not cumulative.
Data source: Escambia County, City of Pensacola. Graphics: City of Pensacola, Escambia County.
Pensacola, Biloxi VA Facilities Offering COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments
February 10, 2021
The Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System’s (GCVHCS) Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in Pensacola and Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Biloxi are scheduled to host drive-thru COVID-19 vaccinations on February 13.
Veterans interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccination during the appointment-only Pensacola and Biloxi VA facility events are encouraged to register by calling 1-800-296-8872.
\Using the mass vaccination model used by numerous public health organizations, both the Pensacola and Biloxi facilities will offer COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment only from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. based on availability, according to Dr. M. Christopher Saslo, the GCVHCS associate director for patient care services and nurse executive.
“This effort will help to boost the number of vaccines being delivered to our Veteran population with the support of the VA Network Office and VA Central Office efforts,” he said. “With more than 75,000 registered Veterans throughout the Gulf Coast, it is vital to maximize these efforts in order to minimize risk to our Veterans at risk for exposure.”
Saslo added that GCVHCS COVID-19 vaccination prioritization falls in line with CDC recommendations and VA guidelines, which include Veterans over the age of 65, Veterans in residential behavioral health facilities, caregiver support recipients, Veterans with spinal cord issues and Veterans in long-term care facilities.
He also said that other high-risk populations that are being added as deemed available through vaccine delivery.
FWC Charges Cantonment Man With Deer Hunting Out Of Season On Someone Else’s Land
February 10, 2021
A Cantonment man has been charged with a long list of offenses after allegedly hunting deer out of season while trespassing on someone else’s land.
Brandon Lee Cobb, 31, was charged with three counts of felony armed trespassing on private property, three counts of possession of an antlerless deer in a closed season, three counts of willful wanton waste of wildlife, and one count of being over the daily bag limit of deer. He was also given numerous citations for offenses including no hunting license, no deer permit, no hunter safety card, failure to complete a harvest report and littering. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $14,500 bond.
Cobb was driving around concrete barricades with a large “No Trespassing” sign and entering two private parcels in Cantonment and property owned by Escambia County in order to hunt out of season, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC).
FWC officers said they located Cobb on one of the private parcels with three dead deer in the bed of his truck, an arrest report states. The truck was parked near a tree stand, and a .30-30 rifle was in the front seat along with two dogs. Officers determined that the deer had been killed about 20 hours earlier and were spoiled. Cobb told officers he was looking for a fourth deer he had shot.
Cobb claimed he had permission of the landowner to hunt on the property, but the person he named is deceased, the report states. The actual landowner told FWC he not given Cobb permission to hunt on the property.
The exact location of the properties was not provided in the FWC report.