UWF Professors Offering Free Workshops To Help Parents Support Their Students
February 4, 2021
The Escambia County Public Schools Foundation is partnering with the University of West Florida to offer six workshops beginning next week to help parents support their student and their teachers.
“We are excited to partner with the University of West Florida,” said Kristie Kelly, executive director at the Foundation. “Their faculty will share strategies to support your student’s success in face-to-face, virtual and blended learning environments.
The virtual sessions in this series, entitled “Supporting Your Student,” will be on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in February through April. Each session begins at 5 p.m. with a 30-minute workshop followed by 15 minutes for questions from parents. UWF faculty from the departments of teacher education and educational leadership and instructional design and technology are presenting the workshops.
“As a result of the pandemic, parents have suddenly found themselves thrust in the role of teacher without any formal training,” said Dr. John Pecore, professor and associate chair of teacher education and educational leadership. “It has created a tremendous need that our faculty expertise can support. We are excited to offer this service to the community.”
Preregistration is required. Email foundation@ecsdfl.us for more information and to sign up for one or more workshops.
The dates, topics and presenters are listed below. A ZOOM link will be sent to those who have preregistered. A reminder will also be emailed on the day of each workshop.
Feb. 9 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Communicating Regularly with Teachers
Presenters: Dr. Aneta Walker, Dr. James Dickson and Dr. Amany Habib
Feb. 23 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Setting Clear Expectations and Goals
Presenters: Dr. Elizabeth Bemiss and Dr. Kathleen Heubach
March 9 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Establishing Routines and Systems to Stay Organized
Presenter: Dr. Tim Morse and Dr. Holley Handley
March 23 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Encouraging and Motivating for Success
Presenters: Dr. Nguyen Nguyen and Dr. Jennifer Mesa
April 13 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Creating a Positive Environment for At-home Learning
Presenters: Dr. John Pecore, Dr. Melanie DiLoreto and Dr. Minkyoung Kim
April 27 from 5—5:45 p.m.
Addressing the Unique Challenges of Children with Special Needs
Presenters: Dr. Keri Fogle and Dr. Shim Lew
Escambia County Starting Over In Search For Fire Chief, Rejecting Four Finalists
February 3, 2021
Escambia County is starting over in its search for a fire chief, scrapping a list of finalists for the position.
Four finalists were announced in late January, culled from a list of 60 applicants from a nationwide search. They have been notified the search is starting over.
“We will be reposting the Fire Chief position to be open until filled,” Escambia County spokesperson Laura Coale told NorthEscambia.com in an email. “We appreciate the candidates’ time and while we had several good candidates, it’s important to find the right fit for Escambia County.”
During the last week of January, the four finalists were set to meet individually with Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley and the department directors in Public Safety. At that time, Coale said County Administrator Janice Gilley would possibly make a choice and a new fire chief could be on the job by March.
The finalists for Escambia Fire Rescue chief were, in alphabetical order:
- William Beaty, Jr. has served as the fire chief at the Garden City Fire Department in Kansas since December 2019. He previously worked as the program coordinator at Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois) from 2007 to 2019. He also worked with the Springfield (Illinois) Fire Department from 1996, to 2019, leaving as a captain.
- Roger Burton served in the Ohio Air National Guard from 2010 until 2020, retiring as installation fire chief.
- Clinton Cooke served with the South Monroe County Fire Department in Conroe, Texas, from 2009 to 2020 when he departed as Assistant Fire Chief. On his application he stated he reason for leaving as “agreement between the fire chief and I. Will discuss further in interview”.
- Christopher Hatch has worked with the NAS Pensacola Fire Department since 1986. He was a supervisory firefighter from 1986 to 2005 and has served as assistant fire chief of operations since 2005. He has also volunteered for Escambia Fire Rescue since 1982, serving in positions ranging from volunteer firefighter to assistant district chief and district chief. He is currently district chief of the Bellview Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and serves as president of the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters Association.
The job has been open for well over a year. Escambia County’s last fire chief, Rusty Nail, was hired in April 2018 and submitted his resignation about a year later.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Teen Seriously Injured When Struck By Vehicle In Cantonment
February 3, 2021
A teen was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle Tuesday afternoon in Cantonment.
It happened shortly after 5 p.m. in the area of South Highway 95A and East Kingsfield Road. The 15-year old male was transported to an area hospital as a trauma alert by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further information.
File photo.
Sheriff Says ‘Crazy And Deadly” Events Led Up To Monday Murder, Four Arrests
February 3, 2021
“We had a crazy and deadly series of events that unfolded in North Escambia.”
That is how Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons describes incidents over several days that ended with the shooting death of a Cantonment man on Monday.
Danny Blackmon, Jr., 35, was shot and killed on Lawson Lane Monday afternoon as his 19-year old girlfriend watched in horror.
The girlfriend’s mother is one of two people charged in his death, and her grandmother was also jailed. Dawn Sluder is charged with principal to first degree murder, and her boyfriend, Jonathon Taylor Hobbs of Cantonment, is charged with first degree premeditated murder.
On Saturday, 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.
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 (pictured left). 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 Tuesday on Greymont Lane.
Hobbs allegedly shot Blackmon multiple times Monday afternoon. 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.
Hobbs and Dawn Sluder remained are being held without bond. Holly Sluder and Parker were released from the Escambia County Jail Tuesday on $50,000 bond each.
“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.”
RELATED STORY: Arrest Reports Detail Cantonment Shooting That Left One Dead, Two Jailed
Website, Local Phone Number Launched To Register For COVID-19 Vaccine In Escambia County
February 3, 2021
The statewide preregistration system for COVID-19 appointments is now available to Escambia County residents.
Individuals 65 and older and front line health care workers in Escambia County can call the toll free line at (866) 201-1025 or register online at myvaccine.fl.gov. The state has established a help line at (833) 959-0217 for those who need to make changes to their original preregistration.
The registration system will proactively contact vaccine-eligible individuals to schedule appointments when they are available in the county. On the website, residents can select Escambia County and submit their contact information. Once appointments are available, individuals will be contacted by phone call, text or email and will be assisted in scheduling an appointment.
Vaccine supply remains limited and appointments may not be available for several weeks.
On February 5, FDOH-Escambia will sync the information from the previous online interest form with the new system managed by the Florida Department of Emergency Management. Residents who have completed FDOH-Escambia’s online interest form do not need to call or email to confirm their registration.
FDOH said it is important to note that registering multiple times does not increase your chances of getting an appointment. Attempts to register in multiple counties is not allowed. Duplicate registrations will be removed and the system will keep the most recent county registration for the person with multiple entries.
NAS Pensacola Takes Part In Security Exercise
February 3, 2021
Naval Air Station Pensacola and Whiting Field are taking part in annual force protection exercises through February 12.
As part of Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2021 on Tuesday, Navy Security Forces on NAS Pensacola engaged with a barricaded suspect with a hostage, an active shooter and discovered a suspicious package.
Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain is an annual two-week exercise conducted on all Navy installations in the continental U.S. The exercise is designed to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security personnel and better prepare Department of the Navy personnel for potential force protection situations. It is a regularly scheduled exercise and is not a response to any specific threat.
Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around bases or delays in base access. Area residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise. Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders
ECSO: Cantonment Woman Punched And Spit On ‘Frail’ Elderly Woman After Parking Lot Wreck
February 3, 2021
A Cantonment woman is facing charges after allegedly punching a “frail” elderly woman in the face and spitting on her after a minor vehicle collision in a local Dollar General Parking lot.
Allisha Dawn Jarvis, 25, was charged with battery on a person 65 years old or older.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the Dollar General at Highway 29 and North Tate School Road to find a 72-year old woman in the parking lot bleeding from her nose. She told deputies she was turning around in the parking lot when she accidently hit a Ford Expedition that was leaving the parking lot.
The victim stated she was still in her vehicle when Jarvis approached and “violently punched” her in the face through a rolled-down window before spitting on her, according to an arrest report.
Jarvis told deputies that she walked up to the victim’s vehicle window and cussed at the elderly woman, but she stated she never punched her in the face, the report states.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote in his report that the victim was “extremely frail” at 5-foot, three-inches tall and weighing only about 90 pounds. Jarvis, the report states, is about the same height and weighs 147 pounds.
The deputy stated the elderly woman had a slight cut on her nose that was bleeding and “you could clearly see dried spit on her collar.”
A witness confirmed the victim’s statements.
Jarvis was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $7,500 bond.
Search Continues For Cantonment Man Missing For Months
February 3, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to search for a Cantonment man that has been missing since September 2019.
Lemuel Hall, 77, was last seen in the 1400 block of Chippendale Road.
He was reported missing on September 18, 2019.
ECSO Cold Case investigators say they have exhausted leads on this case and are asking the for the public’s help with any information that may bring Lemuel home.
If you have any information about Lemuel’s whereabouts, call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Six More Weeks Of Winter? North Escambia Weather Ducks See Shadow
February 2, 2021
On this Groundhog Day, Puxatony Phil, the world famous groundhog, and the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks have both predicted six more weeks of winter.
Folklore says that if the groundhog sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, it means six more weeks of winter. We did not have a groundhog handy for a photo, but we did have the NorthEscambia.com Weather Ducks. And just like their more famous Pennsylvania weather buddy, our weather ducks also saw their shadow this morning at our office.
This was one of the few times our weather ducks have predicted more winter. For those that might be a little unsure as to the weather ducks’ ability of prognostication, we offer the two photographs below showing the weather ducks predicting six more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day 2010 and 10 days later with their snowman.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Arrest Reports Detail Cantonment Shooting That Left One Dead, Two Jailed
February 2, 2021
Arrest reports provide more details about a fatal shooting in Cantonment Monday afternoon and the arrest of two suspects.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim as 35-year-old Danny Blackmon, Jr.
Investigators said Blackmon was shot by Jonathon Taylor Hobbs of Cantonment. Hobbs was charged with first degree premeditated murder. Dawn Sluder of Pensacola was charged with principal to first degree homicide.
The shooting happened about 2:10 p.m. in the 2900 block of Lawson Lane off Jacks Branch Road.
Sluder was taken into custody at a convenience store on Muscogee Road near Jacks Branch Road (pictured). Hobbs later surrendered to deputies on Country Hills Road, just east of Schifko Road. Both remain in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
According to arrest reports obtained Tuesday by NorthEscambia.com:
There were “ongoing issues” involving Sluder and Blackmon. Sluder is the mother of Blackmon’s 19-year old girlfriend.
Blackmon and his girlfriend locked themselves in their home and call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived, Sluder and Hobbs were gone.
After deputies left the residence on Lawson Lane, Blackmon and his girlfriend left the residence and began driving toward Jacks Branch Road in a Ford F-150 pickup truck. After becoming concerned that Sluder and Hobbs may do something to their house, they turned around to return home.
While driving, they saw Sluder’s black GMC SUV come around the corner. The woman stopped her Ford F-150 and Blackmon got out and stood on the side of Lawson Lane, telling his girlfriend that they had to “do things by the books” and call police. Blackmon told Sluder and Hobbs they were trespassing and needed to leave. As Sluder started to drive away, Sluder passed her and stopped her SUV near Blackmon. Sluder ran up to Blackmon, shaking her arms and appearing to yell while Blackmon did nothing.
In her rearview mirror, the girlfriend watched as Hobbs got out of the SUV and walked toward Blackmon with a gun his hand. She stated he fired several shots while standing just a few feet away from Blackmon. After Blackmon fell to the ground, Hobbs leaned over his body and fired at least two more rounds before running away.
Sluder then jumped into her SUV, put it in reverse and slammed into the girlfriend’s Ford F-150. Blackmon’s girlfriend attempted to perform CPR, but Sluder began to beat her before being pulled away by her hair.
A male arrived on scene and pulled Sluder off Blackmon’s girlfriend. He checked Blackmon for a pulse and did not find one.
Sluder drove away.
Deputies arrived to find the Ford F150 with extensive front end damage. There were numerous shell casings in the roadway.
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.
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.
Pictured; A female suspect was taken into custody on Muscogee Road following a shooting Monday afternoon in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
