Fort Hood Shootings: Local Mom’s Son ‘Was Close’
November 12, 2009
When tragedy struck at Fort Hood last week, one area mother spent several anxious hours waiting to hear from her son.
Bobbie Hobbs of Pollard, a small community east of Flomaton, could not understand how 11 people could be killed and 31 could be wounded by an gunman on an American military base.
She received a phone call from her son-in-law in Ohio. He had seen the events unfolding on television. Her thoughts immediately turned to her son, Sgt. Joseph Johnson, his wife and young child.
“We went around the world trying to get him. We did manage to get his wife and one-year old child,” Hobbs said. They were at a daycare off the base.
“It was scary,” she added. It was four or five hours before she could confirm that her son was uninjured. Sgt. Johnson would not tell his mom exactly where he was or what he was doing during the shootings at the Fort Hood’s “Soldier Readiness Center”.
“All he would say was that he was close,” Hobbs, who works at Alto Products in Atmore, said.
“It was a long scary day,” she said. “He has been to Iraq twice. I can understand that he was in danger over there, not here in the States.”
Pictured top: Jamie Anderson holds a candle for her daughter, Solana, 4, as her grandmother, Jo Ellen Freleigh, of New York, protects her candle from the wind at Fort Hood during candlelight prayer vigil to honor those who were killed and wounded. Pictured inset: Soldiers attend a chemical light vigil held in remembrance of comrades and loved ones who were killed and wounded in the shooting tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas. Photos courtesy U.S. Department of Defense for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Honored For Artistic Abilities
November 12, 2009
Dozens of North Escambia area students were honored for their artistic abilities at the 2009 Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The following students received awards:
Category — Mixed Media
Parish Kelley, third place, Northview High
Parish Kelley, Honorable Mention, Northview High
Cally Hayes, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Rachel Waldroup, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Category — Drawing
Dusty Kennedy, first place, Jay High
Parish Kelley, Honorable Mention, Northview High
Category — Digital Arts
Cody Maxwell, third place, Jay High
Gisele “Bai” Ronquillo, second place, Tate High
Jessica Bennett, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Erica Davis, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Mallory McDonald, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Amy Lacour, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Christa Lee, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Category — Sculpture
Travis Prescott, third place, Jay High
Gloria Ramey, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Myrinda Carver, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Amanda Gilmore, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Emily Smith, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Category — Beginning Arts
Drew Kennedy, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Dylan Nadsady, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Sawyer Gandy, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Jordan Bray, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Ciara Golden, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Dakota Ellis, Honorable Mention, Jay High
Hannah Johnson, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Ian Harrington, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Dylan Smith, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Wendy Stradley, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Erica Davis, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Category — Ceramics
Daniel Morris, second place, Tate High
Joe Fischetti, third place, Tate High
Cheyenne Robinson, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Grace Mingo, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Category — Photography
Spencer Taylor, first place, Tate High
Emily Creahan, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Lindsay Creahan, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Torie Passione, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Tyler Acosta, Honorable Mention, Tate High
Northwest Escambia Mite Cheerleaders Place In Competition
November 12, 2009
The Northwest Escambia Mite cheerleaders recently competed in the Gulf Coast Youth Football Alliance 2009 Cheerleading Competition in Navarre. NWE placed third out of six teams in the small non-mount category.
The competition consisted of one cheer, one chant and a dance routine
Pictured left: (front L-R) Kayla Turner; Memory Peebles; Danielle Stucky; Reagan Harrel; Madison Sherhouse; (middle row) Kylie Brook, cheer captain; Ann Margaret Boothe; Gabby Peebles; (back row) Jennifer Peebles, coach; Ashleigh Skaggs, assistant coach; and Morgan Ward, choreographer. Not pictured: Matt Brock, who mixed the music for the dance routine. Pictured below: The Northwest Escambia Mite cheerleaders perform in Navarre. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Rosa Library Hours Cut
November 12, 2009
Libraries in Santa Rosa County, including the one in Jay, are cutting back hours effective this week because of the economic downturn.
Due to declining county revenues and a reduction of 59 percent in the state’s aid to Santa Rosa County libraries, county commissioners approved the county administrator’s recommendation to reduce library hours by five hours per week. The reduced hours begin at all locations in the county today.
The reduced hours will eliminate two full time jobs and nine student positions.
Libraries in Jay, Milton, Pace and Gulf Breeze will see a reduction of five hours per week. The new hours are:
- Monday, 9 am – 5 pm
- Tuesday 11 am – 7 pm
- Wednesday 11 am – 7 pm
- Thursday 9 am – 1 pm
- Friday 9 am – 5 pm
- Saturday 9 am – 1 pm
The new library hours were based upon user surveys that indicated patterns of library usage by students that use the library for homework that generally depend on working parents to take them to the library after work, typically come between 5 and 7 p.m. from early to mid-week, working adults that typically use the library after 5:30 p.m. and high early morning library usage.
“Many factors must be considered in making changes to library hours. Our foremost library service goal is to provide the highest possible level of library service to the greatest number of our citizens, while also considering the welfare and safety of library employees, schedules for youth programs and community groups who use library space for their meetings,” Linda Hendrix, Santa Rosa county library director, said.
Library usage in Santa Rosa County is actually on the increase, with a 27 percent increase in checkouts during the last year.
Ernest Ward Veterans Program Rescheduled For Friday Morning
November 11, 2009
Ernest Ward Middle School has rescheduled its Veterans Day Program for 9:30 Friday morning.
All veterans, members of the military, and community members are invited to attend the program in the school’s gym as EWMS faculty, staff, and students honor those who have served our country in the past and those who serve presently.
J. H. McCurdy
November 11, 2009
Mr. J. H. McCurdy, age 74, of Century, FL was received into eternal life Saturday, November 7, 2009 at Century Care Center where he was receiving physical therapy. Herbert was born on August 26, 1935 at his family’s home in Century and he resided there his entire life. He was a hard worker and he helped his family run McCurdy Diary for many years while operating the “Dairy Bar Cafe.” Later, he was employed at Container Paper Mill in Brewton, AL as a chemical engineer and retired in 2007 after 42 years. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Barbara Joan vanMerkestyn McCurdy for 54 years. He was a member of Century United Methodist Church for the majority of his life.
Funeral Services will be at Century United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 3pm with the Rev. Janet Lee officiating. Interment will be at McCurdy Cemetery in Century, FL.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara J. McCurdy, of Century, FL; neice, Ericka Register (J.B.) Nelson, of Century, FL; sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Coy Register, of McDavid, FL; other family members, Suzanne McCurdy Pelzer, Bennie (Jennifer) McCurdy, Donnie (Ruby) McCurdy and family; his friend of 26 years, Ms. Janet Lee; special Kentucky friends, Laura Beth Lee, Chad Rogers and family, the James Rushing family; one uncle, two aunts, and many special cousins.
Pallbearers will be Chad Bryant, Robert Engllish, Coy Campbell, Charlie Brown, Ed Horne, Ken McCurdy, Jack Neal and J.R. Jones. Honorary Pallbearers will be Bobby Joe Lee, Mike Barberi, Ray Rydzowski, Larry Jones and John Kimbrough.
Visitation was held Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at the Flomaton Funeral Home.
Flowers are appreciated, but memorials or donations may be made to Century United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 245, Century, FL 32535 or Covenant Hospice, 5907 Berryhill Road, Milton, FL 32570. Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Firefighters Respond To Early Morning International Paper Fire
November 11, 2009
Firefighters from four stations responded to an early morning fire at International Paper in Cantonment.
Tar on a roof over or near the powerhouse was reported to be on fire at about 4 a.m. Firefighters had difficulty accessing the fire location. Just before 5 a.m., they reported they had reached a small smoldering tar fire. About 5:10 a.m., they reported the fire was out. No major damage and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters from the Cantonment, Ensley and Beulah stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the fire, while firefighters from the Molino Station stood by at the Cantonment station to take any additional calls in the area.
Ida Causes Millions In Damage To Cotton, Other North Escambia Crops
November 11, 2009
Preliminary reports show that Tropical Storm Ida caused or heavily contributed to millions of dollars in losses on Escambia County’s farms.
“Agricultural losses are significant for peanuts, soybeans, hay, and cotton,” said Suzette Cooper, Farm Services Agency. The damage, she said, was not from Ida’s winds, but from four to seven inches of rain in a 12 hour period. That rain only served to further the crop losses from heavy rains in October.
Of the county’s 8,218 acres of cotton, there were 6,164 acres affected by Ida, with 20 percent of that acreage considered a loss. Escambia County’s cotton crop is worth an estimated $6 million.
“With all of the rain, there is some terrible looking cotton,” according to Libbie Johnson, Escambia County Extension University of Florida IFAS agent. “There is one field I know of on Highway 97 that was so pretty Saturday and Sunday. Some of it was harvested, and now the rest is basically ruined.”
Losses were also heavy to the peanut crop in Escambia County. There are 4,752 acres of peanuts in the county, with 2,376 acres impacted by Ida. Thirty percent are lost.
“The rain can cause a lot of disease to the peanuts still in the ground, and the peanuts can sprout,” Johnson said. She said the peanuts that were already dug and on top of the ground will be impacted less by the rains, but wet fields will prevent farmers from completing the harvest for several days.
There were also 1,159 acres of hay, 1,470 acres of soybeans and 200 acres of pecans impacted by Ida.
Pictured top: Wet cotton sags to the ground in a Walnut Hill field Tuesday afternoon following Tropical Storm Ida. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Students May Not Be Required To Make Up Days
November 11, 2009
Escambia County public school students may not be required to make up the two days missed because of Tropical Storm Ida.
“The superintendent will ask the commissioner of education to waive these two days based on the fact that we currently exceed the number of hours that students are required to be in class,” said Linda English, spokesperson for the Escambia County School District. Once the commissioner of education makes his final decision, NorthEscambia.com will post an updated story.
Superintendent Malcolm Thomas decided early Sunday night to cancel school for Monday and Tuesday as Ida was spinning as a category two hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. His decision was based upon at least two factors: it is considered unsafe to have school buses on the road in winds greater than 40 mph, and three schools were to be used as evacuation storm shelters.
West Florida Tech Pensacola High and Molino Park Elementary were opened Monday as storm shelters.
Veterans Day: Three North Escambia Memorials Honor Those That Served
November 11, 2009
Three memorial walls in North Escambia — in Century, Barrineau Park and Molino — stand as tributes to veterans from across the area.
Century
About thirty of those that served from the Century area are now honored on the Century Veteran’s Wall of Honor that was unveiled in a 2008 Fourth of July ceremony at Century’s Roadside Park on Highway 29. For more information about adding a name to the wall, call the Town Hall at (850) 256-3208.
Barrineau Park
“In a way, it makes me sad,” Nancy Fillingim, the local resident that proposed the Wall of Honor inside the Barrineau Park Community Center, said. The picture of her husband, Aubie Fillingham, was one of the first photos on the wall. He spent 20 years in the Navy as a boiler technician and a criminal investigator. Pictures of his four brothers are also on the wall.
In all, over 100 Barrineau Park area veterans are honored on the Wall of Honor.
The wall was a project of the Barrineau Park Historical Society. Nita Berry, president of the organization, said the community has been very supportive of the project by providing the pictures. “It was something we could do to honor our veterans,” she said. “It’s a very small thing compared to what they did for us.”
For more information on the Wall of Honor, contact Nancy Fillingim at (850) 587-2266.
For a photo gallery from the Barrineau Park Wall of Honor, click here.
Walnut Hill
The largest such memorial in the North Escambia area, the Veteran’s Honor Wall has stood in front of the Walnut Hill Community Center since its dedication in 2003. There are about 275 names on the wall, including 13 names of soldiers killed in action. The wall honors those from the Walnut Hill area that have served in the nation’s military.
The Walnut Hill Ruritan Club began planning the wall in late 2001, and they decided that it would be a community project at no cost to the veterans listed.
“If you are a veteran, you deserve to be there,” Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Past-President Billy R. Ward said. “You’ve already paid your debt; we wanted this wall to honor the veterans.”
On the Walnut Hill Veteran’s Honor Wall, everyone is equal. It was decided that no service rank would be included on the name plaques, just the branch and years of service.
The Walnut Hill Veteran’s Wall is located in front of the community center at 7850 Highway 97.
If you know a veteran from the Walnut Hill area (including Bratt, Davisville, Oak Grove and Enon) that should be included on the honor wall, call Billy R. Ward at (850) 256-2907. Or mail the veteran’s name, address, city, state, phone, branch of service, dates of service and your name and phone number to: Walnut Hill Ruritan Club, P.O. Box 35, Walnut Hill, FL 32568.
For photographs that include most names on the Walnut Hill Veterans Honor Wall, click here.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.