Lightning Strike Death: Remembering Dawn Yoder
July 9, 2009
Friends and family members are remembering Dawn Yoder, 51, of Atmore who died Wednesday morning, about 48 hours after she was hit by lightning at the Yoder family home while she was taking out the trash.
They are celebrating her life, and the fact that she will provide life after her death — the family decided to donate her organs so that others might live.
Visitation will be Friday from 4 until 9 p.m. at Mennonite Christian Fellowship in Atmore. Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:00 at the First Assembly of God in Atmore. Funeral services will be streamed live on the Internet at www.streamflood.net.
The family issued the following statement about the death of Dawn Yoder, wife of Atmore doctor Jon Yoder.
Dawn, our amazing mother, wife, daughter has been declared brain dead by 2 doctors, with her EEG showing no activity. We believe that she entered heaven instantaneously 2 days ago, but we are now as a family turning her body over to the organ donation center of Alabama, so that she may share her life with others. That is typical of the life she lived, and it is so much like her. We will miss her, but we know she is in God’s protective care, and we want to praise Him for his faithfulness.
I write with this tears in my eyes, but with joy in my heart as Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints.
And she definitely received “Well done, thou faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of the Lord. She is free at last!
Jon, Robert, Kristin, Amber, and Stephen and all the family
Dawn Yoder was apparently struck by lightning outside of her home Monday morning. LifeFlight was called to the scene but was unable to respond due to weather. She was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then later transferred to Springhill Hospital in Mobile. She had been in a coma during her time at Springhill Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, family members ask that donations be made to Atmore Christian School.
Citizens Raises Rates, Some Locals Could Get Break
July 9, 2009
There is a 10 percent rate increase in store for many of the 1 million customers of Citizens Property Insurance, but some customers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will actually be eligible for a rate decrease.
The state agreed to allow Citizens, the state’s largest property insurer, to end a three year rate freeze in 2010 to allow the company to boost its financial ability to pay in the event of another major hurricane.
Customers in higher risk areas in South Florida are likely to see the full 10 percent increase, while customers in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Sarasota and Duval counties might get up to the full 10 percent rate decrease.
The 10 percent increase should net Citizens another $140 million per year in premiums, while the 10 percent discount will cost about $29 million in revenues. Citizens is reportedly collects about $1.8 billion less than the company needs to be financially sound.
Junior Baseball Tourney Begins Saturday At NWE
July 9, 2009
The Florida District 1 Junior Baseball All Star Tournament begins Saturday at Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill with four teams competing.
At 5:00 Saturday, Shalimar with take on Defuniak Springs. Host team Northwest Escambia begins play at 7:30 Saturday against Niceville-Valparaiso. Round two will be Monday night, with winners playing at 5:00 and losers playing at 7:30.
The Northwest Escambia All-Star Team includes:
- Brannon Freemon
- Alkoda Snyder
- Colton Williams
- Wade Jernigan
- Dalton Tullis
- Reed Bell
- Blake McCall
- Harold Harrison
- Justice Agerton
- Justin Haltemon
- Jerry Barlow
- Manager: Matthew Reynolds
- Coaches: Body Tullis, Trent Freemon, David Bell, Matt Walker
Pensacola Pelicans Extend Winning Streak To Six Games
July 9, 2009
The Pelicans extended their winning streak to six games, claiming victory over the El Paso Diablos in the first two games of the season. The first game lasted two days and 13 innings before the Pels won 11-10. El Paso put up four runs in the top of the thirteenth inning, but Pensacola rallied for five to win it. Game two was a surgical 5-0 win as Kyle Middleton pitched a complete-game, seven-inning shutout, striking out eight.
The Pelicans had a rousing bottom of the thirteenth in game one, as Lester Contreras led off with a single. With one out, Luis Guance singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Contreras scored on the play, and a four run Diablo lead was cut to 10-7. Francisco Leandro followed up with a single of his own, Guance scored, and Leandro advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Antoin Gray came to the plate and singled to score Leandro, then moved to third when Chase Burch got a base knock up the middle. Marcos Rodriguez pounded a hit through the left side, scoring Gray to tie the game at ten and moving Burch to second. Lou Palmisano won the game for the Pelicans on a RBI single between third and second to plate Burch and give the Pelicans their fifth straight win.
Ron Hill earned the win for the Pelicans, improving to 1-0 on the season. Jason Navarro started the game for Pensacola and pitched five innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, with two strikeouts and two walks. Tyler Wilson started the rain-suspended game on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., pitching innings six through nine and allowing one earned run, four hits, and two walks. Ron Hill pitched from the tenth inning on, giving up four runs on six hits with two walks. Hill struck out six batters.
The second game started after nine o’clock, and was a perfect example of Kyle Middleton’s performance on the year. Middleton didn’t allow a run in the full seven-innings (as the game was shortened due to the double-header), struck out eight, and allowed just four hits and a walk. Middleton improved to 4-1 in 2009 while Justin Mallet (1-4) took the loss.
The Pelicans took a 2-0 lead in the first and never looked back. Leandro led off with a single, and Gray followed with one of his own. Chase Burch hit a RBI single to drive in Leandro. Two outs later, Luis Gaunce hit a single and Gray came in as well.
Pensacola added another run in the third: Marcos Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a one-out base hit, then scored when Lou Palmisano hit a double. The last bit of insurance came in the bottom of the sixth as Lester Contreras reached on an error by the third baseman and was awarded second base. Adam Darby hit a single to move Contreras to third, and Kyle LaMotta hit a sacrifice fly to left that brought Contreras in to score. Francisco Leandro walked, and with Darby on second, both runners took off and stole second and third, respectively. When Chase Burch grounded out, Darby touched home and the Pelicans led 5-0, the final score.
Over the two games, Francisco Leandro went 5-8 with his first homer of the year and three stolen bases, Chase Burch went 5-10 with a double, and Marcos Rodriguez went 4-11 with a two-bagger of his own. Lou Palmisano had three RBI, and Luis Guance stole his team-best seventeenth base.
The Pelicans and Diablos play the third game of this six-game series on Thursday with a scheduled 6:35 p.m. first pitch. RHP Dane DeValk (3-1, 3.53 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against El Paso’s LHP Nick Martin (2-4, 4.69 ERA). The Famous San Diego Chicken will entertain fans during the game. Tickets to the contest are still available at www.pensacolapelicans.com, Pensacola-area Circle K locations, and in person at the box office located outside Pelican Park.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning North Santa Rosa
July 8, 2009
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for…
northern Santa Rosa County in northwest Florida…
* until 545 PM CDT
* at 512 PM CDT… National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a
severe thunderstorm capable of producing nickel size hail… and
damaging winds in excess of 60 mph. This storm was located near
Jay… or 15 miles south of Brewton… and moving east at 15 mph.
* The severe thunderstorm will be near…
Berrydale by 535 PM CDT…
7 miles north of Allentown by 540 PM CDT…
7 miles west of Munson by 545 PM CDT…
Molino Man Involved In Two Different Cantonment Crashes
July 8, 2009
A Molino man involved in a domestic dispute in the Cantonment area Tuesday night was involved in two different accidents that reportedly sent four people to the hospital.
Authorities say the incident began when Kirby Smith, 47, and another man got into an argument over a woman in the 2800 block of Kingsfield Road. The second man and the woman got into the back of a 1998 Chevy pickup while Smith drove the truck away on Kingsfield. The other man in the fight reportedly chased the truck, hitting it on Kingsfield near Cabot Street. The man and woman who had been riding in the back of the pickup were injured in the crash. The identities of the second man and the woman have not yet been released.
Smith then fled the scene of the first wreck. That’s when he hit a 2009 Toyota at Cabot Street and Kingsfield Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver of that vehicle, Samantha Barnsdale, 34, of Pensacola, and Smith where injured in that crash.
Smith was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injuries. Barnsdale was transported to West Florida Hospital, also with minor injures.
The FHP said that alcohol was not a factor in the second crash, and that Smith was not wearing a seat belt.
The accidents are still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Deparment.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Will The Well Run Dry? County Looks At North Escambia Water Systems
July 8, 2009
When you turn on the faucet, you expect the water to come out. But just how much water can your local water company provide before the tap runs dry?
That’s an important question in the planning for the future in Escambia County. That’s why the county commission is taking a look at the capacity of the water companies that serve the county, including the smaller franchises in the North Escambia area, as part of their Comprehensive Plan Annual Report. The report takes look at elements such road capacity, mass transit, sanitary sewer, sold waste, drainage, recreation areas and population estimates.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is the primary supplier of drinking water in southern Escambia County, including Pensacola Beach. The northern half of the county is served by eight smaller water companies.
Information that the commission will review on Thursday shows that the eight small water companies have plenty of capacity of meet North Escambia’s water demands. Each of the eight companies can currently provide at least one million gallons more per day than they currently deliver.
The smallest system, the Walnut Hill Water Works, has a design capacity of 1,116,000 gallons per day. Currently, the system is delivering an average of 171,426 gallons of water per day, giving the system a potential 944,574 gallons per day in reserve.
The largest system of the non-ECUA systems, the People’s Water Service, has the capacity to pump 4,860,000 gallons of drinking water per day, but is only delivering 2,747,000 gallons daily. That leaves 2,386,000 gallons of excess daily capacity.
ECUA has a design capacity to deliver 86,180,000 gallons of water per day. ECUA currently delivers 34,113,000 gallons of water daily, leaving an excess capacity of 52,067,000 gallons.
The water capacities for each of the eight water systems in North Escambia are listed below:
Pictured top: The moon sets behind one of the water towers in the Walnut Hill Water Works system. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Atmore Man Arrested On DUI Charges After He Fails To ‘Move Over’
July 8, 2009
An Atmore man was arrested on DUI charges early Sunday morning by Flomaton Police after he failed to “move over’ as he approached a traffic stop.
Flomaton Police Officer Daniel Thompson was conducting a routine traffic stop on Highway 31 in Flomaton at 1:18 a.m. Sunday. Thompson reported that a 1991 Lincoln Town Car driven by Almie Smith, 68, of Atmore, was approaching the traffic stop and driving in the outside lane close to the officer. According to Thompson the vehicle failed to move to the inside lane and a safe distance away from the officer. Thompson then stopped the vehicle for violating the move over law.
As the officer approached the vehicle he reported the odor of an alcoholic beverage which eventually led to Smith’s arrest on charges of driving under the influence, according to Flomaton Police Chief Tim R. Hardage.
Hardage said that an Alabama law called the “Move Over Law” requires drivers on four lane roadways to reduce speed and move over to the inside lane away from emergency vehicles and officers. Hardage said that the law, which went into effect in July 2006, is aimed at preventing injury to emergency workers.
“Sometimes cars are so close you can feel the wind off the vehicle up your pants leg,” Hardage said. “That’s too close.”
Pictured: Almie Smith, 68, of Atmore was arrested on DUI charges by Flomaton Police. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tri-County Loses Championship Softball Game
July 8, 2009
The Tri-County All-Stars fell short of a softball district championship with a loss Tuesday night to Niceville.
Niceville downed Tri-County 18-0 in the finals of the 9-10 Year Old Little League All-Stars District 1 tournament in Niceville.
The Tri-County All-Stars lost their tournament opener against Shalimar 19-9 last week, and they went on to defeat Destin 21-18. Monday night, Shalimar forfeited to Tri-County, advancing them to Tuesday night’s finals against host team Niceville.
One Injured In Collision With Deer
July 8, 2009
One person was injured when they hit a deer Tuesday night on Highway 4 just east of Northview High School.
The driver of a Nissan Altima hit the deer on Highway 4 near Vaughn Road about 9:45 Tuesday night. The male driver was transported by Atmore Ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital with minor injuries. There were no passengers in the car.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Amblance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the accident.
The deer was killed in the collision.
Pictured above: One person was injured on Highway 4 just east of Northview High School Tuesday night when they collided with a deer in this Nissan Altima. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.