Gulf breeze news 09 04 14 mat pellegrino
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Calendar 2A Classifieds 7C Talk of the Town 5A Crossword Puzzle 3B Arrests and DUIs 2A September 4, 2014 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 75¢ Mailing Statement on Opinion Page THREE SECTIONS, 20 PAGES VOL. 13, NO. 36 SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com FRI 09/05 T-STORMS hi 89/lo 77 rain: 30% SAT 09/06 T-STORMS hi 89/lo 77 rain: 50% SUN 09/07 T-STORMS hi 89/lo 77 rain: 50% WEEK END Weather-plus $ 49 99 Introductory 1-hour massage session * Craigslist encounter goes awry Resident robbed at home after arranging meeting online A man looking for a female com- panion on Craigslist got more than he bargained for last Wednesday when he was robbed and assaulted at his home on Keystone Drive. According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office report, Gulf Breeze resident Steven Carl Struck had arranged to meet what he thought was a woman off of Craigslist. The meeting was set up on August 26 for them to meet up the next day. When the female arrived at the home, Struck told deputies that the female had an unknown white male with her, but that the three began talking to each other outside on the front porch. At one point, Struck said the female asked to use his bathroom, and he allowed her to go inside to do so. When she returned, the white male then asked to use the restroom. Struck said that he allowed the man to go inside his house, but lat- er observed the man in his kitchen standing near the sink. When the Gulf Breeze man went into the home to confront the man, he was grabbed from behind and put in a choke hold by a black male who asked the victim “where it at”. One of the three suspects then grabbed $300 from the kitchen counter and the victim fell to the floor in the foyer. Struck stated that when he was on the floor and began to move, an- other black male entered the resi- dence and both black men began pummeling Struck in his head and face. Struck stated he saw the white male enter his bedroom and later observed him exiting the bedroom with a suitcase containing several of the victim’s guns. Struck stated the man made him go to his bedroom and they began striking the victim repeatedly again. Struck stated one of the black males told him to stay still as the victim was slumped over his bed. Struck stated that all four accomplices left Utility fees on the rise BY MAT PELLEGRINO Gulf Breeze News [email protected] BY MELANIE KORMONDY Gulf Breeze News [email protected] Coming home Airman surprises four daughters Cyclist seriously injured BY MAT PELLEGRINO Gulf Breeze News [email protected] A Navarre woman is recovering at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola after she was hit by a vehicle while riding her bike on Pensacola Beach last week. The victim, Jackie Kaina, 40, was riding her Alpha-Trek bicycle eastbound on Via De Luna Drive in the roadway when she was struck behind by a Honda Civic last Friday at 6:55 a.m. The driver of the Civic, William Bond, 20, of Pensacola told officers that the sun’s glare temporary got in his eye. The glare, he claimed, made it impossible for him to see the cyclist on the roadway ahead of him. The victim, when struck from behind, was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle and then thrown off the right side of the vehicle after impact. The accident caused a total of $2,750 worth of damage to both the bicycle and the vehicle. Charges are still pending from the accident. See Suspects Page 3A » BY NICK GUNTER Gulf Breeze News [email protected] Customers within the City of Gulf Breeze will see an increase in their storm water fee on their utility bills be- ginning Tuesday, September 30 to help fill an existing operational deficit in storm water maintenance. The City Council passed a resolution to raise the fees from $4.50 to $5.07 to help cover the estimated $234,499 in storm water maintenance expenses in 2015. This will generate an additional $26,300. At a recent City Council Executive Meeting, City Man- ager Edwin “Buz” Eddy said that the city undercharges as compared to similar municipali- ties in Florida, and it has been several years since the last increase. Originally the increase was set to be $.25 with another increase to take place years down the road, but under coun- cil direction staff worked the numbers to fully cover the storm water mainte- nance projects. “I don’t think there’s a person in Gulf Breeze that doesn’t think that fifty more cents a month to help out their neighbors affected by the flooding is going to be a problem,” said Council- man Joe Henderson. The new increase will help the city to “break even” in storm water repair. Eddy Photo by Mat Pellegrino | Gulf Breeze News Senior Master Sgt. Jerry “J” Wright hugs his daughters, Melia (left) and Hailie, for the first time in almost a year inside the Gulf Breeze High School cafeteria Tuesday afternoon. The airman returned from serving three years in Okinawa, Japan. See more photos, 4A, 8A. Eagerly waiting behind closed curtains in Gulf Breeze Middle School’s cafeteria, Senior Master Sgt. Jerry “J” Wright and is wife, Melissa, smiled at each other. The bustling sounds of children’s voices began filling the lunch- room, and the excitement grew. Principal Michael Brandon called twins Kamryn and Katarina Wright, 11, to the stage and told them they’re not in any trouble. The curtain pulled away. A loud “Daddy!” was exclaimed. The two girls ran to their father, and Wright threw his arms around his daughters, embracing them tightly as the entire cafeteria stood in ap- plause. Two down. Two to go. Wright, the father of four girls, is an airman in the United States Air Force. Prior to Monday night, he had been stationed at the Kade- na Air Base in Okinawa, Japan for the past three years. Wright last saw his wife and daughters in De- cember 2013, when he came home briefly for a medical emergency concerning one of his children. “I’m really excited; I haven’t seen them in nine months,” said Wright in Principal Brandon’s office, moments before the big surprise. “Nowadays, you have Facetime and Skype, but neither of them worked during that period of time.” After succeeding in surpris- ing Kamryn and Katarina at the middle school, Wright and his wife stayed to have lunch with the twins. Later, at the high school, he hoped to do it all over again. In the high school cafeteria, the second surprise operation proved to be a little trickier than the first. Without the cover of a stage cur- tain, Wright waited until the third See All Page 8A »
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Transcript of Gulf breeze news 09 04 14 mat pellegrino
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . 2AClassifieds . . . . . . . . . 7CTalk .of .the .Town . . . . 5ACrossword .Puzzle . . . 3BArrests .and .DUIs . . . . 2A
September 4, 2014 YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 75¢
Mailing Statement on Opinion Page
Three SecTionS, 20 PageS
Vol. 13, no. 36SePTember 4, 2014
Gulf Breeze News (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com
frI 09/05 T-sTorms
hi 89/lo 77 rain: 30%
sAT 09/06T-sTorms
hi 89/lo 77 rain: 50%
suN 09/07T-sTorms
hi 89/lo 77 rain: 50%
WEEKEND Weather-plus
$4999 Introductory 1-hour massage session*
Craigslist encounter goes awryResident robbed at home after arranging meeting online
A man looking for a female com-panion on Craigslist got more than he bargained for last Wednesday when he was robbed and assaulted at his home on Keystone Drive.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff ’s Office report, Gulf Breeze resident Steven Carl Struck had arranged to meet what he thought was a woman off of Craigslist. The meeting was set up
on August 26 for them to meet up the next day.
When the female arrived at the home, Struck told deputies that the female had an unknown white male with her, but that the three began talking to each other outside on the front porch. At one point, Struck said the female asked to use his bathroom, and he allowed her to go inside to do so. When she returned, the white male then asked to use the restroom.
Struck said that he allowed the man to go inside his house, but lat-
er observed the man in his kitchen standing near the sink. When the Gulf Breeze man went into the home to confront the man, he was grabbed from behind and put in a choke hold by a black male who asked the victim “where it at”.
One of the three suspects then grabbed $300 from the kitchen counter and the victim fell to the floor in the foyer.
Struck stated that when he was on the floor and began to move, an-other black male entered the resi-dence and both black men began
pummeling Struck in his head and face. Struck stated he saw the white male enter his bedroom and later observed him exiting the bedroom with a suitcase containing several of the victim’s guns.
Struck stated the man made him go to his bedroom and they began striking the victim repeatedly again. Struck stated one of the black males told him to stay still as the victim was slumped over his bed. Struck stated that all four accomplices left
utility fees on the rise
By Mat PellegrinoGulf Breeze News
By Melanie KorMondyGulf Breeze News
Coming home Airman surprises four daughters
Cyclist seriously injured
By Mat PellegrinoGulf Breeze News
A Navarre woman is recovering at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola after she was hit by a vehicle while riding her bike on Pensacola Beach last week.
The victim, Jackie Kaina, 40, was riding her Alpha-Trek bicycle eastbound on Via De Luna Drive in the roadway when she was struck behind by a Honda Civic last Friday at 6:55 a.m. The driver of the Civic, William Bond, 20, of Pensacola told officers that the sun’s glare temporary got in his eye. The glare, he claimed, made it impossible for him to see the cyclist on the roadway ahead of him.
The victim, when struck from behind, was thrown onto the hood of the vehicle and then thrown off the right side of the vehicle after impact.
The accident caused a total of $2,750 worth of damage to both the bicycle and the vehicle.
Charges are still pending from the accident.See Suspects Page 3A »
By nicK gunterGulf Breeze News
Customers within the City of Gulf Breeze will see an increase in their storm water fee on their utility bills be-ginning Tuesday, September 30 to help fill an existing operational deficit in storm water maintenance.
The City Council passed a resolution to raise the fees from $4.50 to $5.07 to help cover the estimated $234,499 in storm water maintenance expenses in 2015. This will generate an additional $26,300.
At a recent City Council Executive Meeting, City Man-ager Edwin “Buz” Eddy said that the city undercharges as compared to similar municipali-ties in Florida, and it has been several years since the last increase.
Originally the increase was set to be $.25 with another increase to take place years down the road, but under coun-cil direction staff worked the numbers to fully cover the storm water mainte-nance projects.
“I don’t think there’s a person in Gulf Breeze that doesn’t think that fifty more cents a month to help out their neighbors affected by the flooding is going to be a problem,” said Council-man Joe Henderson.
The new increase will help the city to “break even” in storm water repair.
eddy
Photo by Mat Pellegrino | Gulf Breeze News
senior Master sgt. Jerry “J” wright hugs his daughters, Melia (left) and Hailie, for the first time in almost a year inside the Gulf Breeze High school cafeteria Tuesday afternoon. The airman returned from serving three years in Okinawa, Japan. see more photos, 4A, 8A.
Eagerly waiting behind closed curtains in Gulf Breeze Middle School’s cafeteria, Senior Master Sgt. Jerry “J” Wright and is wife, Melissa, smiled at each other. The bustling sounds of children’s voices began filling the lunch-room, and the excitement grew.
Principal Michael Brandon called twins Kamryn and Katarina Wright, 11, to the stage and told them they’re not in any trouble. The curtain pulled away. A loud “Daddy!” was exclaimed. The two girls ran to their father, and Wright threw his arms around his daughters, embracing them tightly as the entire cafeteria stood in ap-plause.
Two down. Two to go.Wright, the father of four girls,
is an airman in the United States Air Force. Prior to Monday night, he had been stationed at the Kade-na Air Base in Okinawa, Japan for the past three years. Wright last saw his wife and daughters in De-cember 2013, when he came home briefly for a medical emergency concerning one of his children.
“I’m really excited; I haven’t seen them in nine months,” said Wright in Principal Brandon’s office, moments before the big surprise. “Nowadays, you have Facetime and Skype, but neither of them worked during that period of time.”
After succeeding in surpris-ing Kamryn and Katarina at the middle school, Wright and his wife stayed to have lunch with the twins. Later, at the high school, he hoped to do it all over again.
In the high school cafeteria, the second surprise operation proved to be a little trickier than the first. Without the cover of a stage cur-tain, Wright waited until the third
See All Page 8A »
