John Thomas “J.T.” Fowler
January 12, 2010
Mr. John Thomas “J.T.” Fowler, 79, passed away Saturday, January 9, 2010 at a Santa Rosa County hospital.
Mr. Fowler was a native of Perdido, AL; a former resident of Century, FL and a resident of Flomaton, AL for the past 32 years. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, head deacon of the Gospel Light Temple Church for the past 20 years and member for the past 30 years. He was preceded in death by two sons, Ted Fowler and David Fowler, a son-in-law, Keith Bell and a brother, Sam Henry Fowler.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Christine Fowler of Flomaton, AL; three sons, Thomas and Tina Fowler of Flomaton, AL; Jeff Fowler of Atlanta, GA and Chris Fowler of Flomaton, AL; two daughters, Dianne and Curtis Carnley of Flomaton, AL and Deborah and Billy Elder of Flomaton, AL; a daughter-in-law, Debra Louise Fowler of Pensacola, FL; 18 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren; a sister, Earline Leedy of Pensacola, FL; a sister-in-law, Carol Fowler of Summerdale, AL and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 2:00 pm at the Gospel Light Temple Church in Century, FL with Rev. Joe Welch and Rev. James Gay officiating.
Burial was held at Flomaton Cemetery with Petty Funeral Homes, LLC directing.
Visitation was held Monday, January 12, 2010.
Another Freezing Night
January 12, 2010
(Updated) Sunny and 62 — sounds pretty good right now, doesn’t it?
We are looking for temperatures in the 60’s later this week, but we still have a couple more freezing nights in store in the North Escambia area.
We are expecting lows around 20 for Tuesday night and 28 for Wednesday night.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 20. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 54. Wind chill values between 15 and 25 early. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31. East wind around 5 mph.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. East wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Saturday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 58. East wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Northeast wind around 10 mph.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
- M.L.King Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.
North Escambia Would Be Treated Differently Than Most Under Consolidation Plan
January 12, 2010
Most of North Escambia, with perhaps the exception of Century residents, would be treated vastly different from most residents of the county under a consolidated government plan proposed by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission head by former Florida Supreme Court Justice Ken Bell.
According to a draft proposal to be presented to the consolidation committee today, the whole of Escambia County would be divided into general and urban “services districts”.
An urban area would be defined as an area containing a population of at least 1,000 people per square mile and could include contiguous areas with a population of at least 500 people per square mile. Essentially, urban districts would be south of Kingsfield Road, according to population density maps from the Escambia County Planning and Zoning office. The only North Escambia exception, according to the consolidation plan, would be the current Town of Century which would be classified as urban.
Outside the urban districts, the consolidated government would provide basic services — “airport, seaport, agricultural agent, courts, general ire services, emergency medical services, health, library, general law enforcement ervices, recreation and parks, streets and highways, traffic engineering, and welfare services”.
In the urban district, the consolidated government would provide “enhanced fire services, enhanced law enforcement services, street lighting, street cleaning, and other municipal services”.
Persons in the standard services district would, in exchange for receiving reduced services, pay a lower tax rate than those in the urban districts. There is no provision in the consolidated plan that defines how districts are to be drawn, with the exception that three districts must be primarily minority.
An elected council would govern the new entity “The Consolidated Government of Pensacola, Century, and Escambia County”. The council would consist of members from nine district. Nothing in the plan specifically provides that North Escambia would have more than one district; nothing in plan that we can find would prohibit North Escambia from being combined with other more urban districts.
Within 10 days of the consolidated plan becoming effective the Escambia County Commission and the Pensacola City Council would take over the new government, forming a “Joint Commission” to prepare for the transition. The Town of Century would have no input into the new government. Any Century town employees would become employees of the new consolidated government, but the town’s mayor and council would no longer have any authority.
The consolidated government would actually not consolidate several agencies. The following agencies would continue to operate:
- Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board
- City of Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency
- Escambia County Area Housing Commission
- Community Redevelopment Agency of Escambia County
- Escambia County Housing Finance Authority
- Escambia County Law Library
- Escambia County Health Facilities Authority
- Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District
- Santa Rosa Island Authority
- Escambia-Pensacola Human Relations Commission
- Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission
A single utilities authority, the Consolidated Utilities Authority, would govern utilities for the entire consolidated government, replacing the current Emerald Coast Utilities Authority and Energy Services of Pensacola.
To become reality and combine the governments of Pensacola, Century and Escambia County into one, the plan must first be approved by the Florida legislature and by voters. The Town of Century has withdrawn all support for the idea, and the Escambia County Commission has asked the legislature to delay any possible vote on the plan until 2012.
In the event voters in Century did not approve the consolidation plan, Century would remain an independent town. The same holds true for Pensacola; if Century voters approved the plan and Pensacola voters did not, the Town of Century and Escambia County would combine into a consolidated government.
To download the complete draft consolidation proposal as of January 12, 2010, click here(pdf).
Pictured bottom insert: Escambia Consolidation Study Commission Chairman Kenneth Bell addresses the Pensacola City Council Monday afternoon.
Donkey Killer Begins Jail Term
January 12, 2010
The Cantonment juvenile who shot and killed a donkey near Jacks Branch Road has reported to jail to begin serving almost a year behind bars.
Kyle Mason Driver, 17, was charged as an adult with felony animal cruelty or death, using a weapon during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a minor. On November 20, Driver was sentenced to 11 months and 15 days in the Escambia County Jail and three years probation in connection with the case. Driver pleaded nolo contender, and adjudication was withheld.
Judge Kenneth L. Williams gave Driver until last Friday January 8, to report to the county jail to begin his sentence. According to the State Attorney’s office, Driver turned himself in at the Escambia County Jail just before midnight Friday.
Driver must also pay restitution to Panhandle Equine Rescue of $440.38. Under the terms of his probation, he must not own any livestock.
Escambia County deputies said Driver has confessed to shooting a donkey on River Annex Road near Jacks Branch Road late the night of May 2. The female donkey shot by Driver gave birth moments before or after being shot to J.B., a white donkey that became a local media celebrity of sorts. Driver turned himself in at the county jail on May 6, about two hours after NorthEscambia.com published his photo and a plea for the public’s help in locating him from the sheriff’s department.
Pensacola Delays Decision On Consolidation Vote Support
January 12, 2010
The City of Pensacola will not decide until January 25 if they support a vote on government consolidation in Escambia County — ten days after the final document is presented to the Northwest Florida Legislative delegation.
Councilwoman Diane Mack introduced a motion at a council committee meeting Monday afternoon to ask the Florida legislature to delay play a consolidation referendum on the ballot until at least 2012, similar to a move taken last week by the Escambia County Commission. Mayor Mike Wiggins introduced a substitute motion to delay any council action until January 25. The mayor’s motion passed 7-3
The Escambia County Consolidation Committee’s final proposal is due by this Friday, January 15, to the legislative delegation. As of Monday, the group had only produced a draft document and had not approved a final consolidation plan. The Pensacola council had the opportunity to review the draft document only hours prior to their Monday meeting.
“As a council, we have not really had time to discuss it,” Pensacola Deputy Mayor Jewel Cannada-Wynn said. “There are some inherent things I have concerns with.”
Former Florida Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Bell, who heads the consolidation committee, Escambia Consolidation Study Committee member Rick Finch, and Escambia All For One leaders Jason Crawford and Scott Remington pushed for the Mayor’s requested delay.
At one point, Remington even scolded the council for not becoming more involved in the process, asking for a show of hands from council members that attended one of about 50 consolidation committee and subcommittee meetings. Mayor Wiggins refused to have the council comply.
Once the consolidation document is presented to the legislative delegation, Remington said, only the legislators could make changes. He told the council that if they were unhappy with the plan, they could lobby the legislators.
Last week, the Escambia County Commission voted to ask legislative delegation to delay putting consolidation on the ballot until at least 2012.
Pictured: Scott Remington of Escambia All for One lobbies the Pensacola City Council Monday afternoon.
Cold Weather Leaves 651 EREC Customers In The Dark
January 12, 2010
For three consecutive mornings, some Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers in north Escambia lost power.
Only a handful in the Walnut Hill area were without power Saturday morning for up to four hours. By Sunday and Monday mornings, EREC reported up to 651 customers without power, mostly in an area from Oak Grove to Walnut Hill and along South Highway 99 to Enon, Bay Springs to Crabtree Church Road to Barrineau Park.
“EREC takes necessary steps to make certain its power system is prepared for whatever weather may come our way. EREC ensures adequate energy for system peaks is available for high demand in cold weather snaps. However, ice and frigid temperatures can cause power outages for a variety of reasons,” said Sabrina Owens, EREC spokesperson. “For example, power lines contract in cold weather and can sometimes break resulting in a power outage. Temperature drops can cause an extraordinary load on equipment which can, in turn, result in equipment inefficiencies or failure. In addition, wind and ice on tree limbs can cause branches to break and hit power lines which will cause an interruption in power.”
EREC will immediately respond to any power outage on its system 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Owens said, adding that power crews will work non-stop to ensure any disruption in power is restored as quickly and efficiently as possible.
EREC offers the following safety tips to follow during extreme cold temperatures:
- Never touch a fallen power line, and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. Call EREC at 1-877-OUT-EREC or 1-877-688-3732 to report it immediately.
- In the event of an outage, use an alternate heating source—such as a fireplace, propane space heater, or wood stove. Extreme caution should be taken.
- Stay in an area of the home where the alternate heat source is located.
- Fuel- and wood-burning heating sources should be vented. Be sure to follow manufacturer’s directions.
- Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working properly.
- Do not use a gas-powered oven for heating. A gas oven may go out or burn inefficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Do not use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home. Do not use charcoal briquettes in the fireplace.
- If you use a portable generator to power a heating source, be sure the generator is located outside your house for proper ventilation. Do not use a generator in an attached garage. Follow manufacturer’s directions for operating the generator.
- Take special care not to overload a generator. Use appropriately sized extension cords to carry the electric load. Make sure the cords have a grounded, three-pronged plug and are in good condition.
- Never run cords under rugs or carpets.
- Never connect generators to power lines. The reverse flow of electricity can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
Gulf Power Sets Near Record Demand, Experiences Outages
January 12, 2010
A prolonged cold spell has placed near record demand on Gulf Power’s electric system as customers run heating systems overtime to stay warm.
Gulf Power customers’ energy demand reached 2,553 megawatts of power early Monday, which neared the company’s all-time peak demand of 2,634 megawatts set in August, 2007. Gulf Power has sufficient generation to meet the demand, but cold weather can cause equipment problems on the electrical system.
From Bay County to Escambia County, Gulf Power line crews responded in freezing temperatures to restore power outages Monday. A total of about 19,000 customers — less than one-half of one percent of Gulf Power’s total customers — were impacted by the outages.
“We work hard throughout the year, with additional preparation and planning to get us through this record demand,” said Sandy Sims, Gulf Power Public Affairs manager. “Our goal is to maintain our reliability even during these periods of high demand, and our employees work as safely and quickly as possible through the weather to serve our customers. We understand that in these drastic weather conditions, every outage is a potentially serious situation.”
In case of isolated outages, crews restore electricity systematically to ensure that the load stabilizes. Gulf Power recommends that customers follow these guidelines to speed restoration:
- If you lose power in your home, turn off the electric heating system. Heating systems in emergency heat mode can demand two to three times as much current as normal operations in heat pumps.
- Once power is restored, wait about 10 to 15 minutes before turning on your heating system, allowing the electricity load to stabilize.
- Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to Gulf Power employees who are restoring electricity. Instead, plug appliances into the generator. Never use a generator in enclosed or partially-enclosed spaces because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Peak demand is an indicator of how much electricity customers are demanding during any one-hour period. Gulf Power plans ahead by measuring demand in order to have sufficient generating capacity to meet the heaviest loads of the year.
High School Basketball: Northview, Tate, Escambia Academy
January 12, 2010
(Updated) Here’s a look at Monday’s high school basketball action from around the area:
Don’t see you team? Encourage your coach to email stats to news@northescambia.com after each game!
W.S. Neal 52 Northview 39
The Northview Chiefs lost at home to W.S. Neal Monday, 52-39. The Chiefs will be at home against the Jay Royals on Tuesday afternoon.
Tate 52, Navarre 31
Courtney Brown had 17 for the Aggies in their 52-31 win over Navarre Monday. Meghan Briske had 17 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Tate — Courtney Brown 17, Chelsea Hall 10, Cecilia Olsen 9, Kat Tucker 5, Marinna Cobbs 4, Ashley Thompson 4, Meghan Briske 2, Avery Cobb 1.
Tate 4 17 14 17-52 Navarre 7 9 11 4-31
Escambia Academy 56 Sparta Academy 43
Darron McGhee and Keaton Maher scored 14 points each to lead the Escambia Academy Cougars to a 56-43 win over Sparta Academy in Evergreen. Nate Smith added 10 for the Cougars. Escambia Academy will be at home in Canoe against Atmore Christian on Tuesday afternoon.
Escambia Academy – Michael Hippa 5, James White 7, Nate Smith 10, Keaton Maher 14, Darron McGhee 14, Brandon Goddard 6.
Escambia Academy 31 Sparta Academy 28 (JV)
Escambia Academy — Jordan Sasser 11, Paul Arnold 10, Blake Quimby 2, Jacob Dean 6, Garrett Kirk 2.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
W.S. Neal 24 Northview 19
The Lady Northview Chiefs lost at home to W.S. Neal Monday, 24-19. The Lady Chiefs will be at home against the Jay Royals on Tuesday afternoon.
Sparta Academy 65 Escambia Academy 53
Amber Huskey led the Cougars with 26 points in their 65-53 loss to Sparta Academy Tuesday afternoon in Evergreen. Jordan Jaye added 16 points for the Cougars. Escambia Academy’s Lady Cougars will play again Friday against Meadowview.
Escambia — Amber Huskey 26, Jordan Jaye 14, Taylor Helton 8, Lacie Flowers 3, Carlie Broughton 2
Escambia 10 16 10 17-53 Sparta 20 19 20 6-65
More Winter Photos: Ice In A Pear Tree; Really Cold Ride
January 12, 2010
Our readers continue to have photo fun with our cold weather and sprinklers. Today’s photos feature a frozen bicycle and a frozen pear tree on Tumbling Lane outside Atmore. Submitted photos by Virginia Johns for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Do you have winter photos to share? Email them news@northescambia.com
Eddie Lee Ray
January 11, 2010
Ms. Eddie Lee Ray, 91, of Century, Fla. slept away to eternal rest on Jan. 2, 2010 at her residence.
Her mother, Roberta Barnwell; her father, Andy Carstaffney and a daughter, Shirley Beckley preceded her in death.
Those left to cherish her memories are one grandson, Kevin Foster of Century, Fla.; one granddaughter, Sheila Foster of Detroit, Mich.; niece, Barbara Ries of Century, Fla.; two sisters, Gladys Hicks and Dorothy Oliver, both of Century, Fla. and a god child, Mary Jay.
Funeral services were at 11 a.m. , Jan. 9, 2010 at Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church with the Rev. W.H. Carter officiating. Public viewing was held from 2 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home chapel. Interment was held in the Century Cemetery.
Turner Funeral Chapel, LLC of Atmore will be directing.