Two Teen Boys Rescued From Human Traffickers, Two Arrests Made
January 1, 2021
Two teenage boys are safe from human traffickers after a traffic stop and arrest in Santa Rosa County. The boys, ages 17 and 14, are citizens of Guatemala who were recently smuggled into the country from Mexico into Texas.
The investigation began when a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’sdeputy stopped a vehicle for a moving violation on I-10 and noted indicators of possible human trafficking. The Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for assistance with the investigation.
“A deputy’s keen eye and immediate multiagency cooperation were instrumental in rescuing two children,” said Chris Williams, chief of Investigations for FDLE Pensacola Regional Operations Center. “I’m proud of the deputies and agents who teamed to bring two human traffickers to justice.”
Investigators believe the boys were trafficked into the United States for forced labor. According to the victims, their families each paid more than $1,000 to be smuggled into the U.S. Each teen was told they had to work to pay off additional travel debt. Agents believe the men were taking the boys to different cities in Central and South Florida.
Agents arrested Frank Moreno, 39, Odessa, Texas, and Jackson Perez-Godinez, 21, Guatemala. Each are charged with two counts of human trafficking and two counts of human smuggling.
Moreno and Perez-Godinez were booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on no bond, pending first appearance.
Northwest Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz Gets Engaged
December 31, 2020
Northwest Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz is now engaged.
Gaetz, 38, got engaged Wednesday night to his 26-year old girlfriend, Ginger Luckey.
The moment (pictured above) was captured by Carly Ortiz-Lytl of the Washington Examiner.
Luckey is a financial analyst based in California for food company Apeel, which describes itself as reducing food waste. The company makes an edible “barrier” that reduce food spoilage. She is the sister of former Facebook executive Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR.
Rep.Matt Gaetz is newly engaged. pic.twitter.com/E2MgiLurNJ
— Carly Ortiz-Lytle (@intlcarly) December 31, 2020
Escambia Family Cares Grant Program Has Distributed Final Check Payments
December 31, 2020
Escambia County says the Escambia CARES Family Assistance Grant program has ended with the last of the $3,000 checks issued to qualified residents.
In total, the grant program sent 5,500 payments of $3,000 directly to county residents. In all, the county directed $16.5 million to its citizens through Escambia CARES Family Assistance Grant program. Dozens of county employees worked hard to review nearly 10,000 applications.
In addition to the Family CARES grant, the county also delivered $7,500 to 428 businesses as a part of the Escambia CARES Business Grant program. A total of $3.2 million was distributed to area businesses through this program.
The county also assisted households impacted by COVID-19 who were late on rent, mortgage and utility bills through the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) offered through Florida Housing Finance Corporation. The county made 803 payments directly to accounts in arrears totaling $1.3 million for 389 income eligible households through the Rent and Mortgage assistance program.
With the conclusion of these programs, staff will no longer be responding to phone calls or emails in regard to the grants. To check the status of any Escambia CARES grant payments, view the county’s check registry online.
The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program is part of a larger federally funded stimulus package that was required to be spent by the Dec. 30, 2020 deadline. In total, there was a $57.3 million allocation for Escambia County.
Cantonment Man Charged With Shooting Man In The Head At Christmas Party
December 31, 2020
A Cantonment man is accused of shooting another man in the head during a Christmas Eve party at an Escambia County Home.
Terrell DeAngelo Hunter, 34, was charged with felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief with property damage.
A woman at the party told deputies that Hunter got into an argument with one of her old boyfriends on the porch. As the argument escalated, she tried to break it up. She said the former boyfriend pulled a handgun, and she went inside.
After hearing two gunshots, she went back outside to find the former boyfriend face down with a gunshot wound to his head. She said Hunter was the only other person on the porch.
Deputies responded to the Baptist Hospital emergency room on Christmas Day after Hunter arrived with a gunshot wound to the leg. He told deputies he was at the party, but he had no idea who shot him, an arrest report states.
Hunter was charged with criminal mischief after allegedly throwing a small child’s tricycle through the window of another ex-girlfriend’s apartment window during an unrelated incident December 6.
Hunter remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday with bond set at $201,000.
By The Numbers: Escambia County COVID-19 Hospitalizations Nearly Double In Last Month
December 31, 2020
The number of daily COVID-19 hospitalizations has nearly doubled in the past month in Escambia County.
On November 30, there were 130 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the county; that number was 205 on December 30.
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/graphic: City of Pensacola.
Frontier Customers In Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino Atmore Without Phone Service For Days
December 31, 2020
Frontier Communications customers in Escambia counties in Florida and Alabama have been without telephone service for days.
Most, if not all, Frontier landline customers in the Walnut Hill, Bratt, Molino and Atmore exchanges lost phone service on Saturday. Some have had service restored, but most remained out Wednesday.
“We are aware of a service outage affecting customers in the area of Escambia County in Alabama and Florida,” Bob Elek, Frontier director of public relations for the south region, told NorthEscambia.com. “Frontier’s engineering and tech teams are working non-stop to resolve the issue and restore service as quickly as possible. We thank our customers for their patience.”
Elek said it was possible that a Christmas Day explosion outside a major AT&T hub in Nashville was to blame, but that he had not received any confirmation to that effect.
The Nashville explosion on Christmas day led to service disruptions across parts of Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky as battery backups failed. AT&T said Tuesday that almost all service had been restored.
Officials said 911 service continued to operate during the period for Frontier customers in both states.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Pedestrian Killed While Trying To Cross I-10 Near Pine Forest Road
December 31, 2020
An Escambia County man trying to walk across I-10 was killed Wednesday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 59-year old man was attempting to cross the portion of I-10 just west of Pine Forest Road near the end of the entrance ramp.
The driver of a silver sedan was attempting to merge onto I-10 when he struck the pedestrian. After rendering aid, the driver contacted EMS and police, FHP said.
No names were released.
File photo.
Escambia Health Department Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments To Residents 65+
December 30, 2020
The health department in Escambia County now has an online form for people age 65 and older to request an appointment to received the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County is one of several Florida counties taking part in COVID-19 vaccination efforts that will prioritize Moderna immunizations for medical providers at high-risk for COVID-19 exposure and persons 65 years of age or older.
FDOH-Escambia received 2,500 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 840 doses have either been provided to community partners for administration or administered at FDOH-Escambia Clinic.
FDOH-Escambia continues to coordinate vaccine administration with local health care providers and independent living facilities. Clinic appointments are also available for health care workers and Escambia County residents 65 years of age and older.
The health department is requesting individuals 65 years of age and older who are interested in getting vaccinated request an appointment. For the appointment request form, click or tap here. Residents are asked not to call or walk into the health department for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The form only asks for a name and phone number. The health department has not said when they will contact interested individuals 65 and older, or how an appointment can be requested without internet access.
“The arrival of the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Escambia County gives us an extraordinary opportunity to protect older adults and health care workers who are at an especially high-risk for COVID-19 exposure,” said Marie Mott, health officer and administrator for FDOH-Escambia.
As vaccination events and details are finalized, FDOH-Escambia will release more information on the vaccination plan. COVID-19 vaccines from other manufacturers will be available for use at later dates as supplies reach the state.
$600 Stimulus Payments Are Now Being Delivered
December 30, 2020
YouR $600 economic stimulus check may already be in your bank account.
The IRS and Treasury Department began delivering the second round of stimulus payments directly to bank accounts Tuesday night, and the direct deposits will continue into next week. The first paper checks will hit the mail on Wednesday.
The IRS emphasizes that there is no action required by eligible individuals to receive this second payment. Some Americans may see the direct deposit payments as pending or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment date of January 4, 2021. The IRS reminds taxpayers that the payments are automatic, and they should not contact their financial institutions or the IRS with payment timing questions.
As with the first round of payments under the CARES Act, most recipients will receive these payments by direct deposit. For Social Security and other beneficiaries who received the first round of payments via Direct Express, they will receive this second payment the same way.
Anyone who received the first round of payments earlier this year but doesn’t receive a payment via direct deposit will generally receive a check or, in some instances, a debit card. For those in this category, the payments will conclude in January. If additional legislation is enacted to provide for an additional amount, the Economic Impact Payments that have been issued will be topped up as quickly as possible.
Eligible individuals who did not receive an Economic Impact Payment this year – either the first or the second payment – will be able to claim it when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021. The IRS urges taxpayers who didn’t receive a payment this year to review the eligibility criteria when they file their 2020 taxes; many people, including recent college graduates, may be eligible to claim it. People will see the Economic Impact Payments (EIP) referred to as the Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) on Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR since the EIPs are an advance payment of the RRC.
Authorized by the newly enacted COVID-relief legislation, the second round of payments is generally $600 for singles and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return. In addition, those with qualifying children will also receive $600 for each qualifying child. Dependents who are 17 and older are not eligible for the child payment.
U.S. citizens and resident aliens who are not eligible to be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s income tax return are eligible for this second payment. Eligible individuals will automatically receive an Economic Impact Payment of up to $600 for individuals or $1,200 for married couples and up to $600 for each qualifying child. Generally, if you have adjusted gross income for 2019 up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns and surviving spouses, you will receive the full amount of the second payment. For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced.
State Rep. Salzman Commits To Become More In Tune With Century’s Needs
December 30, 2020
At a recent Century Town Council meeting, newly elected Florida Rep. Michelle Salzman (pictured standing) committed to become more in tune with Century’s needs. She said she will attend as many council meetings as possible, or send her assistant, to understand what is happening in the town. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.