Former Fire Chief Murdered Saturday Morning In Molino; Suspect Arrested After Manhunt
December 26, 2020
A longtime firefighter was shot and killed early Saturday morning in Molino, and a suspect has been arrested.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 400 block of Molino Road about 3:30 a.m. and arrived to find the adult with multiple gunshot wounds. Gary Diamond was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The suspect, 30-year old Jared Cordel Clakley, was taken into custody shortly before sunrise Saturday. He was charged with murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery causing bodily harm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
The shooting appeared to be the result of a domestic situation, according to ECSO Sgt. Melanie Peterson.
Relatives said Diamond stepped in front of the gun to save the lives of his family.
“What was to be a family spending the holiday together turned tragic. It’s incredibly sad it would happen at Christmas’,” Escambia County Sheriff-elect Chip Simmons said. “The fact that he was committed to public service his entire life makes it an even greater tragedy.”
“An arrest has been made, and we will continue to work with the State Attorney’s Office on prosecution,” Simmons added.
Related Story: Communities Mourn After Murder Of Former Molino Fire Chief Gary Diamond
Peterson said deputies quickly developed Clakley as a suspect, and a K-9 unit was called to the scene to assist in the manhunt.
The investigation is continuing.
Pictured: The scene of an early Saturday morning murder in the 400 block of Molino Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Escambia Completes Hurricane Sally Debris Removal; Anything Left Behind Is On You
December 26, 2020
Escambia County has completed Hurricane Sally debris removal; anything left behind now will be the responsibly of the property owner.
Contractors hauled 80,485 loads, collecting 4,221,633 cubic yards of Hurricane Sally generated debris. This equals 660 football fields with debris stacked 3 feet high, or enough debris to fill 91% of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Any remaining debris or bulk items should be prepared for collection by the resident’s respective waste hauler or residents may dispose items at the Perdido Landfill. The Perdido Landfill will be closed on Friday, January 1 in observance of the New Year’s holiday.
Escambia County will reopen the drop-off recycling site at the Perdido Landfill beginning Tuesday, Dec. 29, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Residents may drop off aluminum and steel cans; plastic bottles and jugs; paper and cardboard for free.
Residents wishing to dispose of organic Christmas trees can do so by simply placing the tree curbside with all decorations, ornaments and any attached tree stands removed. Trees or segments of trees should not be more than six feet in length. Do not place Christmas trees in recycling or garbage containers. For more information, please contact your waste service provider. Christmas trees are typically collected on your normal trash collection day.
Blue Angels License Plate Reaches 3,000 Orders Needed To Put Plate Into Production
December 26, 2020
The Blue Angels specialty license plate will become a reality after the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation received more than the necessary 3,000 voucher presales in less than three months.
In September 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law approving the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation’s Blue Angels specialty license plate. On October 1. he Escambia County Tax Collector, in partnership with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, began accepting online voucher orders to collect the 3,000 commitments needed for production to being.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles should place the plate into production sometime after the first of the year. The production process will happen over the coming months and then the plates will be distributed to the various county tax collector offices throughout the state.
If you purchased a voucher for the Blue Angel plate, your voucher is being held electronically in the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database under your name and driver license number. If you purchased the voucher for someone else, the voucher is being held under the recipient’s name and driver license number.
Until the physical plates are available, Florida drivers can still purchase a voucher in person at their local tax collector’s office. y. Vouchers are available for cars, trucks, RVs or boat trailers.
Christmas Morning 2020 Was The Coldest In 25 Years. This Is How Cold It Was.
December 26, 2020
Christmas Day 2020 was officially the coldest on record in Pensacola in 25 years.
The official low Christmas morning 2020 was 31 at the Pensacola International Airport – the location of the official National Weather Service thermometer. That’s the lowest low temperature in Pensacola since it bottomed out at 26 degrees on Christmas morning 1995.
While not an “official” recording location, the weather station thermometer at Northview High School dropped to 29 degrees on Christmas morning.
The all-time record low for a Christmas morning in Pensacola was 11 degrees in 1983.
FDOT Still Targeting March To Reopen The Pensacola Bay Bridge. Here’s The Latest Update.
December 26, 2020
As the year comes to a close, the vendors under contract with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) continue to focus on removing debris and driving piles for the reconstruction of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. While these efforts will continue over the next several weeks, most of the debris removal is near the bottom of the bay.
Concurrently, multiple teams are working around the clock to ensure pile driving efforts remain on schedule. Crews are moving the pile driving template ahead and working on pier removal at night to keep ahead of the daytime pile driving crews. An additional pile driving hammer is onsite to increase the ability to drive piles in less time. Beams are also being set at several spans on the Pensacola Bay Bridge and deck work has begun to reconstruct the roadway.
The current numbers on the demolition and repair activities to date include:
- Seven fully damaged spans removed.
- Eight partial damaged spans removed.
- 16 damaged pedestrian path beams removed.
- 61 damaged I-beams removed with eight replaced.
- Four damaged trophy pieces removed.
- 11 replacement piles driven.
In addition to these efforts, FDOT has directed Skanska to review all mooring and/or securing methods to assure the safety and protection of the public and their property in the Pensacola Bay area after a construction barge owned Skanska broke loose this past weekend and became stuck against private docks near the Pensacola Bay Bridge. FDOT is also monitoring Skanska’s investigation with state and local authorities to determine if the line connecting the barge to the sea floor had been severed.
Work to widen 2,000 feet of northbound and southbound S.R. 281 south of the I-10 interchange and the eastbound I-10 off ramp at S.R. 281 to two lanes to improve travel time on the detour route is nearing completion. Commuters can also use the Escambia County Area Transit’s (ECAT) temporary bus route travel between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze free of charge.
Motorists should continue to use all available detour routes, which include the Garcon Point Bridge and State Road 87. At this time, tolls on the Garcon Point Bridge have been suspended through Tuesday, January 12, 2021.
The Pensacola Bay Bridge has a targeted re-opening date of March 2021. Once repairs are complete, all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions. As each repair method is developed, FDOT will be conducting reviews to ensure the contractor is hitting all milestones in the established schedule.
$3K Reward Offered For ‘Armed And Dangerous’ Man Wanted In Santa Rosa County
December 26, 2020
A $3,000 reward is being offered for a wanted man the Santa Rosa County Sherriff’s Office says should be considered armed and dangerous.
Arthur Lee Cheever, 28, has outstanding warrants for:
- grand theft up to $10,000
- reckless driving with damage to person and property
- fleeing/eluding law enforcement
- driving while license suspended – subsequent offense
- vop: obstruct criminal investigation (3 counts)
- possession of controlled substance (3 counts)
- possession of marijuana over 20 grams (3 counts)
- petit theft (3rd conviction) (3 counts)
- use of anti-shoplifting device (3 counts)
Cheever is a white male about 5’10” tall and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
The SRSO said if you know his whereabouts, don’t approach him. Instead, call Santa Rosa Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP (7867) or your law enforcement agency.
First Responders Put On Christmas Light Show For Children’s Hospital Patients
December 25, 2020
“This evening we gathered our friends and family to make sure the kids at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart had a Merry and Bright Christmas. May you each welcome the morning with joy. Merry Christmas Pensacola.” – Pensacola Police Department
The Pensacola Police Department, Pensacola Fire Department, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and others put on a Christmas light show Christmas eve night at Studer Family Children’s Hospital.
Photos courtesy Pensacola Police Department for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Shop With A Cop Makes Christmas A Little Brighter For Local Kids
December 25, 2020
Christmas was a little brighter this year for 38 children across Escambia County, thanks to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office’s Shop with a Cop.
Shop with a Cop looked a little different in 2020. Ordinarily, the children go shopping with the deputies. This year, each child submitted a wish list, and a deputy shopped for them. Their gifts were wrapped and placed in a winter wonderland. The children rode with their deputies to the ECSO where they met Rudolph, the Grinch, the Escambia County Mounted Posse and received their gifts.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Missing Escambia County 4-Year Old Found Safe Near Dallas On Christmas Eve
December 25, 2020
A young young Escambia County boy that was left alone at a bus station in Houston, Texas, has been found safe.
On Thursday, a relative of 4-year old Marceliano Pinkney contacted the Bay County (FL) Sheriff’s Office in Florida to report the child’s mother left Marceliano alone at the Greyhound bus station in Houston on December 15. The boy’s mother then departed to Florida, according to Houston Police.
Florida authorities interviewed the mother and contacted the Houston Police Missing Persons Unit Thursday morning. Through early investigation, it is believed Marceliano boarded a bus with an adult male on December 15.
Marceliano was located unharmed Christmas Eve at his foster parents’ residence in Wylie, TX, near Dallas. The foster parents told Wylie police officers that Marceliano has been at the home since December 18.
Houston Police investigators will continue to work with agencies in Bay County, Florida, and Wylie, Texas, to determine whether any charges will be filed in the case.
Santa Recently Visited Century’s Camp Fire Kids With Help From ECFR’s Engine 519
December 25, 2020
Early this month, Santa Claus had a little help from the crew of Escambia Fire Rescue Engine 519 in Century as he paid a visit to the children at the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click toe enlarge.