From the Newsroom: Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Recent Episodes
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The National Hurricane Center considers a major hurricane as a Category 3 storm or higher. A Category 3 storm has winds between 111 and 129 mph.
A Category 4 storm has winds between 130 and 156 mph.
Fort Walton Beach remains east of the current projected path
There were 28 more deaths reported, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 3,447. The state Department of Health reported that 14,354 coronavirus patients are presently under hospital care.
Tropical Depression 3 formed Monday afternoon, the first day of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The depression is expected to become the third named storm of the young season: Cristobal.
The Florida Department of Health has issued its Wednesday, April 1, moring report containing the number of coronavirus cases in Florida and out local Northwest Florida area.Total cases: 6,955, an increase of 214 since Tuesday night;s reportHospitalized: 890Deaths: 87 deaths, two more since Tuesday nightMost residents continue to stay in an isolated state. Children are doing school work at home and many workers are either out of work or working from home.Bay County reported two more cases overnight in Panama City and Gulf County reported their first case in this pandemic in Wewahitchka. Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties did not have nay new cases overnight.On Monday an 87-year-old man living in Okaloosa County has died of coronavirus.A 3-year-old also tested positive according to the FDOH Tuesday evening report.
The Florida Department of Health has issued the Monday, March 30 morning report with the latest coronavirus numbers in the state and in Northwest Florida.Total cases: 5,473, an increase of 1,227 since Sunday morningFlorida residents: 5,276Non-Florida residents: 197
The Florida Department of Health’s Friday, March 27, morning update said that 416 more coronavirus cases have been confirmed overnight bringing the total number in Florida to 2,900 cases. Six more people died overnight in Florida bringing the statewide total to 35.An infant was diagnosed on Thursday in Santa Rosa County and is the youngest case confirmed in the state.
According to the new data, the number of new Northwest Florida cases continues to increase slowly. — Okaloosa climbed overnight from, 14 to 16. — Walton climbed from 10 to 12. — Santa Rosa increased from 6 to 7.— Bay County has 2 more confirmed cases for a total of 3.Restrictions have been placed on activity across the panhandle, but officials have stopped short of issuing a lockdown.
COVID-19 claimed several more lives in Florida on Tuesday, including Tony-winning writer Terrence McNally, as the number of COVID-19 cases kept rising.The Florida Department of Health reported Tuesday evening that 1,467 people have tested positive for the disease in Florida. The number of deaths from COVID-19 reached 20.
Total florida case of cornovirus are at 1,227 as of Tuesday March 24, 2020 according to the florida department of health
There have been 17 deaths reported by the agency
In local counties - Escambia has 10 cases
Santa Rosa - 4 cases
Okaloosa County has 14 cases
Walton County - 10 cases
and Bay County has 1 case
Renee said Tonya loved Rod Stewart and KISS and was trying to make a better life for herself when she was killed. More than anything, Renee said, Tonya loved her then-18-month-old son, Timothy Davidson Jr., who family members affectionately referred to as “Timbo” when he was a child. "My mom, she never got to raise me, never got to be a part of my life," Davidson said after the arrest. "(Wells) got to live his life the last 35 years. He got to have a family. He got to be around his children ... and all those years he was out there, knowing what he did. He was carrying it around with him and he was never going to tell anyone what he did. He wasn't going to ever just say what he did on his own."
“Nothing could ever make up for losing my mom, but at least now we know what happened to her."
Tonya Ethridge McKinley was 23 years old and had an 18-month-old son waiting for her at home when she was killed in the early-morning hours of Jan. 1, 1985, in Pensacola.She was last seen alive around 1:30 a.m. at Darryl’s Bar & Grille in Pensacola, and in the early-morning hours of New Year’s Day her body was found in an empty lot at the corner of Peacock Drive and Creighton Road, just one block off Scenic Highway. She was half-nude, strangled to death and sexually assaulted.
As of Wednesday March 18, 2020 total number of Florida residents with the virus is 289, Non florida residents test and isolated in Florida is 25 bring the total Florida number to 314.
7 people in Florida have died from the disease
Governor Ron DeSantis March 18 made several announcements to keep Florida’s students, instructional staff and faculty safe. He announced that all remaining assessments for school readiness and voluntary prekindergarten and all testing requirements for K-12 will be cancelled for the 2019-2020 school year.
Private labs have now diagnosed 43 of the state’s coronavirus cases, an indication that testing is ramping up.
The Florida Department of Health has announced 30 new positive cases of coronavirus. Many of the new cases are in Broward County where the Florida National Guard has called up all of it's medical professionals to form Task Force - Medical to help with the virus there.Ages of people infected with the virus range from 19 to 84. The total number of deaths so far is 4.The total number of positive cases as reported by FDOH is 136. No new cases in Northwest Florida have been reported as of Monday, March 16, 2020.
I'm Nick Tomecek in the Newsroom. This is your Sunday March 15, 2020 coronavirus update.
Florida Department of Health confirmed 39 new coronavirus cases in the state, increasing the number of cases to 106. Four Florida residents have died from COVID-19.
Many of the newest cases involved residents in Broward counties. In Southwest Florida, there are two new reports in Collier County and one in Lee County.
The Florida Department of Health said Saturday that the fourth death from Covid-19 was a person who previously tested positive for coronavirus in Lee County. The person was 77. According to the Florida Department of Health, this was not a travel-related case.
Also Saturday, Florida announced Saturday that it has asked the federal government for permission to continue serving free and reduced-cost breakfasts and lunches to 2 million low-income children while schools are closed because of the new coronavirus.
The Florida Department of Health has confirmed 25 new individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida. All are being cared for and isolated. One Orange County resident tested positive for COVID-19 while traveling and has died in California. No new cases have been reported in Northwest Florida.
The USS Alabama is an ideal museum to visit.The 80-year-old ship has interactive exhibits, stunning open views of the water and of course is a giant World War II battleship that can be explored.It is located on the Mobile Bay about a two-hour drive west of the Fort Walton Beach area. It can be seen as you drive on Interstate 10 toward Mobile.Visitors are greeted by static aircraft displays at the entrance to the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.The ship is hard to miss and is securely moored so visitors should not worry about floating away on their tour. A gift shop to purchase souvenirs and tickets is adjacent to the vessel.Some lucky guests can stay overnight, sleeping on the actual bunks used by World War II sailors.The Overnight Adventure is open to Boy Scout troops, Girl Scout troops and church groups.The history of the battleship is as remarkable as its presence on the bay.
On Aug. 22, 2019, employees of the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard spotted a dog in distress inside of a car in the store’s parking lot. The dog was showing signs of overheating.The employees immediately opened the car's doors, but by that point, the dog stopped breathing and died.Investigators later determined the canine had an internal temperature exceeding 109.9 degrees at the time of death and succumbed to heatstroke.
Locally an Okaloosa woman is said to be improving after having contracted the virus. The number of confirmed cases in Florida is at 26 with the number of deaths remaining at 2. No new cases have been confirmed in the panhandle as of Thursday morning.Local school districts are monitoring the spread of the virus as most are headed into spring break beginning today through next week. Districts are warning students who travel outside of the country during the break to quarantine themselves for 14 days upon their return.
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz has tested negative for coronavirus.Gaetz reported the test results Tuesday afternoon, one day after he learned he had been exposed to someone later identified as a carrier of the disease.“I've just been informed that my COVID-19 lab result was negative,” Gaetz reported via Twitter. “In an abundance of caution, I will remain under self-quarantine at the advice of medical professionals through Thursday at 2pm. I continue to feel fine and show no symptoms.”
Oversupply concerns around the world are making a major impact on crude oil, and in turn could mean the lowest gas prices locally since 2016.Just two weeks ago, crude oil was being traded for $53 per barrel - Sunday night that price had dropped to $33 per barrel. The drop in price is a result of concerns regarding outbreaks of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, across the world.Those concerns have led to less demand for jet fuel and gasoline, causing the price of crude oil to plummet.
The affected individual is "elderly with severe underlying conditions," DeSantis said. "He had been doing international travel. He's not in shape to fully answer all the questions, so there's an investigation ongoing, but that is a presumptive positive. It has not been confirmed by the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)."Still, DeSantis said the Department of Health will be releasing more information on the case, but it is assumed the infection will be confirmed by the CDC.
A Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office captain was demoted to a lieutenant following allegations he sexually harassed a subordinate.The Sheriff’s Office launched an internal affairs investigation into the conduct of then-Capt. Scott Haines in late 2019 after a female employee accused Haines of making sexual advances toward her and showing her a sex toy he kept in his office. Haines admitted to the incident involving the sex toy, but denied claims that he made sexual advances toward the subordinate.
MILTON—A 70-year-old Milton woman was killed in a head-on collision Monday afternoon.Nancy Lou Graham was struck by a 2018 Jeep Cherokee as she was traveling east on Berryhill Road, near Preservation Boulevard. Graham was driving a 2014 Kia Sportage
After his 21-year-old daughter, Jolisa, died in a car accident, Joseph Roadcap struggled with his grief . He lived that way for a while until he usedc his daughter's life insurance money to purchase a property on Grove Street in Garcon Pointe, where wildlife like glass lizards, bald eagles and black bears are common sights. For the last year, Roadcap has been living in a house on the land and renting out the back portion of his property, which he turned into a Christian Airbnb campground with two small pre-built cabins, a bathhouse and a tent site. But now what Roadcap calls his daughter's legacy may be in jeopardy. Zoning code for his property, currently designated as residential, only allows for one secondary structure and his request last week to rezone to an active park designation was denied by Santa Rosa County Commissioners. Only one cabin can be reopened after building inspectors ensure it's up to code and Roadcap must wait a year before reapplying for the rezoning again, which could allow the second cabin, bathhouse and tent site to reopen, said Shawn Ward, planning and zoning director.
A popular Santa Rosa County basketball coach permanently lost his Florida educator certificate for having a sexual relationship with a female student 35 years ago.Anthony McDonald’s ability to teach was permanently ended Dec. 31 by the Education Practices Commission. It learned McDonald had sexual intercourse with the student while employed at Milton High School as an athletic director and teacher during the 1983-1984 school year.
A Milton man was captured Monday after stealing a car from the Santa Rosa Mall, leading deputies on a low speed pursuit, and crashing into a yard.He faces nine separate charges, according to a press release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
MILTON—A 41-year-old man sustained serious injuries Wednesday after he was hit by a car, according to a press release from Florida Highway Patrol. At 12:00 a.m. Larry Bass from Milton was struck by a 1994 Ford F-150 while he was walking inside the north fog line of the westbound lane of U.S. Highway 90 near South Airport Road.
Listen to an interview between Nick Tomecek and reporter Annie Blanks about the shootings in NAS Pensacola.
A Hurlburt Field airman charged with mistreating two dogs in his care has been jailed on animal cruelty charges, including a felony count of aggravated animal abuse.Anthony Matthew Ward, 23, appeared for the first time in court Thursday and is being held with no bond pending a mental health evaluation, according to Bill Bishop, the chief assistant state attorney for Okaloosa County.The State Attorney’s Office filed one charge of felony cruelty to animals and one charge of misdemeanor cruelty to animals against Ward on behalf of Okaloosa County’s Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, according to Bishop.
A local mom is pleading with the public to help her find the driver who left her daughter “for dead on the side of the road.”
Nearly one week after Crestview’s Ashley Richards, 30, was seriously injured by a hit and run, the driver is still on the loose.
“I need the community’s help because too many days are passing,” said Suzanne Wilkins, Richards’ mom. “I don’t know what I did yesterday. I can’t imagine people remember what they did last Wednesday.”
Following the Sept. 25 incident, Richards was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, where she remains unresponsive and in critical condition, her mom said.
“I would love to know who made the phone call (to local law enforcement) because I am so grateful for them,” she said.
Overwhelmed by the situation that Wilkins described as “pure hell,” she said that her daughter was a local musician who had “made a lot of friends with her singing.
While Richards’ “vital signs are (now) pretty stable,” her injuries included a broken femur, broken arm and “shattered” pelvic bone. Wilkins added that her daughter also fractured “every bone in her face” and was awaiting reconstructive surgery.
People with information can call Pensacola FHP station at 850 484-5000.
Milton couple Gloria and Edmond Lancaster gained public attention when it was reported that they were involved in an incident at an Iberville Parish truck stop.
According to Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, A 600-pound camel sat on Gloria after the couple entered the animal's cage to retrieve their dog. To get the animal off her, it was reported that she bit the animal's testicles.
An affadavit sadi "After the camel stood up, his wife was able to grab their small dog and get back outside of the fenced in barbed wire fence,"
They were spotted by a Bay County Sheriff's Office helicopter, which was assisting in the search. The helicopter crew then directed Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies to the group.
They were found not far from where they were last seen.
The woman, Marcella Dustin Black, and the children were swimming in the Blackwater River near Sherman Kennedy Road, according to preliminary reports.
Three of the children were hers, while the fourth, 11-year-old Magy Maloy, was a friend.
Black told authorities that they went for a walk and got lost.
An 11-year-old Baker girl, remains missing Monday morning along with three friends and the friends' mother.
The five of them were swimming Sunday afternoon in a creek on Blackwater near Sherman Kennedy Road in Baker, according to friends who have gathered nearby.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office is assisting in the search.
As of about 8 a.m., the family and friends of the missing group has been asked to wait at the Gator Cafe in Baker while law enforcement searches the area.
A helicopter has already flown over the scene and K9s have also been deployed.
Magy Maloy, who is 11, is one of the children missing.
Her father, James, put out a Facebook post early Monday morning asking for help in bringing his daughter home safe.
The group was last heard from at about 2 p.m. when they left the creek and went up the road to call someone to meet them, friends say.
When the person arrived to meet them, they weren't here. No one has seen or heard from them since.
The man, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, “failed to maintain his lane while attempting to negotiate a curve” near the highway’s intersection with Berryhill Oaks Court.
A surprise inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation led to a one-day closure of the Southern Pearl Restaurant, at 3601 U.S. Highway 90 in Pace.
According to the report, the inspector found four dead roaches in the kitchen area and nine rodent droppings in the same area.
Sheila Phillips Mock was arrested Monday afternoon by the Milton Police Department in connection with an accidental shooting that left one juvenile injured and four schools on lockdown as a security measure.
The shooting took place at a Burke Street home Friday morning.
According to earlier reports, six juveniles were involved but only one was injured.
As of 8 a.m. EDT Monday, the fourth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season Dorian, was centered about 205 miles east-southeast of Barbados and moving west at 14 mph (23 kph). Maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph (85 kph). Forecasters said it could brush past southwest Puerto Rico late Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane and then strike the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic early Thursday.
It is still too early to tell how the storm will affect the US mainland and Florida coastal areas
Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa, 31, and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, 35, died as a result of small arms fire in northern Faryab Province.
Meet the nationally ranked Panhandle United Roller Derby league based in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and find out how it empowers these Northwest Florida women to channel their inner athlete.
NAVARRE — A restaurant was temporarily closed Aug. 14 after an inspection found several violations including roaches and a mold-like substance.
According to a report from the Aug. 14 inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, El Patron Mexican Grill was temporarily closed after investigators spotted eight live roaches coming from the warewash area, wood paneling, and under the clean side of a dish machine.
VERNON - A 4-year-old passenger was killed in a car crash Wednesday late afternoon and investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol are treating the case as a DUI manslaughter, according to a press release.
Terri Sheffield, 25, of Vernon and the driver of the 2005 Ford F250, was traveling southbound on State Road 79, near Cook Circle, when the vehicle veered off onto the west shoulder of the road. The right side of the truck struck the dirt embankment of the ditch, causing it to overturn onto its right side and partially ejecting 4-year-old Finley Sheffield.
At approximately 1:00 pm, deputies with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single airplane crash near the end of Oil Plant Road in Jay.
The pilot was taken to a local area hospital. There were no others onboard the aircraft.
When four little boys suffered broken legs on the same day at the same Valparaiso day care center, city police launched an investigation into the matter.
Two months later they have arrested center employee Christina Marie Curtis and charged her with four felony counts of neglect of a child that resulted in great bodily harm.
An arrest report states that all four of the toddlers were fine on the morning of May 21 when they were dropped off at the Kids Discovery Learning Center on John Sims Parkway.
“Upon returning to pick them up in the afternoon, the children were showing signs of distress and could not stand or walk,” the report said. “The children were medically evaluated and each was diagnosed with fractures to their legs, said the report
The toddlers ranged in age from 13 to 21 months old and were assigned to the 1-year-old class at the day care center.
Surveillance footage showed Curtis, 25, walking with one of the victims, an 18-month-old, while holding his hands above his head.
“The defendant stopped and quickly moved her hands to (his) upper arms and rapidly jerked him into the air,” the report said. “When (he) was picked up, his feet and legs were in the air and was dropped feet first into a wagon. Other children were placed in the wagon and it was pulled outside.”
Footage showed that when the child awoke from a nap that followed the wagon ride “the teacher attempted to place him on his feet, however, (he) was unable to bear weight on his legs.”
Congressman Matt Gaetz questions Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday during a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Audio from CSPAN
Hard to believe but a cold front is expected to transition the Florida Panhandle tomorrow, bringing rain and slightly cooler temperatures to the area.
Some parts of the northern counties could see temperatures in the 60s!
A 54-year-old Navarre woman died Monday night following a motorcycle crash on U.S. Highway 98 near Coral Street.
Heidi Lynn Thomas was driving west on U.S. Highway 98 on her motorcycle at 6:15 p.m., according to a press release from Florida Highway Patrol. Traffic ahead of Thomas was stopped at the intersection of Coral Street.
The front of the motorcycle crashed with the rear of a Ford Explorer, driven by 29-year-old Robert John Lewis Orth Jr. of Navarre. The Explorer was forced forward, colliding with a Chevrolet Empala, driven by 25-year-old Brittney McCready of Navarre.
The system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Barry as of the 10 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
The dawdling tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2019 season within the next two days.
A broad low pressure system located over the eastern Florida Panhandle is producing disorganized shower activity. The low is forecast to move southward to southwestward and emerge over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico later today, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Once the system is over water, environmental conditions are expected to be conducive for tropical cyclone formation, and a tropical depression is likely to develop by late Wednesday or Thursday while the system moves westward across the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Regardless of whether or not a tropical cyclone forms, this system has the potential to produce heavy rainfall along portions of the northern and eastern U.S. Gulf Coast later this week.
Listen to an interview with National Weather Service meteorologist Eric Bunker about the upcoming storm moving into the gulf from Georgia.
Inspectors said they saw five live roaches and four dead roaches on the premises. There were also 11 live, small flying insects in the kitchen and food preparation area.
Another high priority violation was raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food. There was raw chicken over cut onions and tomatoes in the walk in cooler. There was also raw burgers over cut lettuce. The violation was corrected on site.
Two area restaurants were forced to temporarily close after health inspectors found multiple violations.
Peking House in Navarre received a follow-up inspection following an inspection May 8 in which 12 violations were cited, including four dead roaches in the kitchen, "no MSG" advertised while a container of MSG was in the kitchen, and chicken in standing water placed on the floor, according to an inspection report from the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
During the follow-up inspection May 10, Peking House was closed after two high priority, two intermediate and nine basic violations were found. Violations included 72 live roaches found in the kitchen, roach feces, a roach egg on the floor and two eggs under the grill.
The inspector also found the wall in the back of the kitchen soiled and "slimy/mold-like build-up" in the walk-in cooler gaskets.
The restaurant re-opened May 11 after health inspectors found issues with prior inspections had been fixed, minus four basic violations.
The inspection had stemmed from a complaint to the state from a customer.
Jin Jin in Crestview was also temporarily closed May 8 after inspectors cited five violations, including finding of 20 live roaches and raw animal foods not separated, according to the inspection report.
The restaurant reopened the next day after health inspectors returned and found no violations.
Listen to a recent interview between Daily News report Tom McLaughlin and Congressman Matt Gaetz.
The individual's identity has not been released pending next of kin notification, according to a press release from Florida Highway Patrol. The driver of a Honda CRV, 63-year-old David Bruce Oiscwa of Navarre, was traveling east in the right lane of U.S. 98 near Overdown Drive while the bicyclist was traveling south and crossing the eastbound lanes at approximately 1:45 a.m.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob John spoke to members of the media following a double stabbing in Gulf Breeze. The suspect, Erich Reitz, a former Niceville POlice officer is believed to have stabbed both of his parents before being shot multiple times during the altercation.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY — A 22-year-old man died Sunday night after being struck by a truck while walking along State Road 10 near U.S. Highway 90.
EGLIN AFB — A hiker found human skeletal remains scattered on the Eglin Air Force reservation Tuesday.
The man was hiking in an area north of U.S. Highway 98 near the Okaloosa-Santa Rosa County line about 5:30 p.m., according to a press release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. It was there he found the bones spread out in the brush.
The Sheriff’s Office is processing the scene, the press release said.
Its almost finished. The long awaited four laning of State Road 87 is nearing completion One of the top priorities of the Navarre Beach Chamber of Commerce as far back as the late 1960s and early 1970s was expansion the road.
Now, almost 45 years later one of the main routes for people in south Santa Rosa to get to I-10 and Milton at the north end, is almost complete.
The final stage of the road project is scheduled for completion in June 2019 after starting in October 2015. Just the 4.2-mile stretch from two miles south of the Yellow River north to Hickory Hammock Road in East Milton cost $29.7 million. It included an additional two-lane bridge over the Yellow River.
Listen to closing remarks by the new commodore at the change of command ceremony at NAS Whiting Field
MILTON— A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a 17-year-old driver Wednesday morning.
According to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol, Christian Clemons of Milton was driving a Dodge pickup truck north on State Road 87 about 8:35 a.m. with Jayden Cooper, 17 of Milton, as a passenger.
MILTON — A Chinese restaurant in Milton was temporarily closed last week after an inspector found 38 hard rodent droppings in the kitchen area.