Mattie Lou Brantley Crook
June 15, 2010
Mattie Lou Brantley Crook, 91, of Atmore died Monday, June 14, 2010 at her residence.
She was born on Dec 7, 1918 in Escambia County to the late Charlie Patrick and Lillie Ella Conway Brantley. She and her late husband were owners of the City Café in Atmore.
Her husband, James Wheeler Crook Jr., preceded her in death.
Survivors are one son, Wheeler Crook III and wife, Carol, of Atmore; two daughters, Patricia Crook Threadgill and husband, Bill, of Pensacola, Fla. and Deborah Crook Ray and husband, Joe, of Montrose; one sister Essie Lee Brantley Noll of Pensacola, Fla.; eight grandchildren, Carey Miller (Jamie), Lindsey Cranford (Alex), James Wheeler Crook IV (Laura), Brantlee Vinson (Matt), Bonnie Farmer (Dean), Emily Ray, Ben Ray and Allen Ray and four great grandchildren.
Services were held at 10 a.m. June 16, 2010 from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Haskel Dunn officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. Family received friends from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the Senior Adult Ministry at the First Baptist Church of Atmore.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc. in charge of all arrangements.
Highway 97 Crash Injures One
June 15, 2010
One person was injured in a two vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Highway 97 south of Walnut Hill.
The accident happened about 2 p.m. just north of Tungoil Road. The driver of a Pontiac Grand Prix apparently rear-ended a Ford Expedition that had slowed or stopped for another car that was turning into a driveway.
The driver of the Grand Prix was transported to Atmore Community Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the Expedition was not injured.
The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Atmore Ambulance and the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash.
The accident is still under investigation by the FHP.
Pictured top: The driver of this Pontiac Grand Prix was injured in a two vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon near Walnut Hill. Pictured below: The driver of this Ford Expedition was not injured. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Full Text: Obama’s Speech At Pensacola Naval Air Station
June 15, 2010
The following is President Barack Obama’s complete speech this morning at Pensacola Naval Air Station:
Well, hello, Pensacola! (Applause.) It is great to be here. I want everybody, first of all, to give a big round of applause to Chief Elison Talabong for leading us in the pledge and singing our National Anthem — (applause) — to Lieutenant Commander Randy Ekstrom for the wonderful invocation. (Applause.)
I want to thank your outstanding local leaders for welcoming me here today, including Captains Chris Plummer, Mike Price and Brad Martin. Give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) And your great senior enlisted leaders, including Master Chief Mike Dollen, give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)
I want to thank all the spouses and families who are joining us here today. You hold our military families together, so we honor your service as well.
It is great to be here in Pensacola — America’s oldest naval air station, “the cradle of naval aviation.” We’ve got Navy — all the students of the Naval Air Technical Training Center. (Applause.) We’ve got Training Wing Six, maybe a few Blue Angels. We’ve got the United States Marines in the house — (applause) — maybe a few Air Force and Army, too. (Applause.)
Now, I don’t know how many could be here, because they’re out there on the water right now, responding to the spill — but I want to thank all the folks at Coast Guard Station Pensacola for their outstanding work. (Applause.) And I know somebody who is especially proud of them, and that’s the former Commandant of the Coast Guard who postponed his retirement to answer his country’s call once more and coordinate the federal response effort to the spill — and that’s Admiral Thad Allen. Please give him a big round of applause. (Applause.)
Now, I was just down at the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier, at the Fish Sandwich Snack Bar. Now, I don’t know if any of you ever checked it out. It’s a nice spot. We were there with some of Florida’s state and local leaders to discuss the situation here. I want to acknowledge the hard work that’s being done by the governor of Florida, Charlie Crist; Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Alex Sink; Senators Bill Nelson, George LeMieux, representatives who are here today — we got Jeff Miller and Corrine Brown and Ted Deutch. Please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)
We’ve got Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson and Pensacola Mayor Mike Wiggins. Thank you very much for your outstanding efforts. (Applause.)
I know all of you join me in thanking these leaders and their communities — because they’re your neighbors — for the incredible support that they give all the men and women and your families here in Pensacola. So we’re grateful to you.
But this is my fourth visit to the Gulf Coast since the start of this spill. Yesterday, I was over in Gulfport, Mississippi; Theodore, Alabama; and now Pensacola — assessing the situation, reviewing the response, seeing what needs to be done better and faster, and talking with folks — whether fishermen or small business people and their families — who are seeing their lives turned upside-down by this disaster.
Here in Pensacola, the beautiful beaches are still open. The sand is white and the water is blue. So folks who are looking for a good vacation, they can still come down to Pensacola. People need to know that Pensacola is still open for business. But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t angry. That doesn’t mean that people aren’t scared. That doesn’t mean that people have concerns about the future — we all have those concerns. And people have every right to be angry.
Those plumes of oil are off the coast. The fishing waters are closed. Tar balls have been coming ashore. And everybody is bracing for more.
So I’ll say today what I’ve been saying up and down the Coast over the last couple of days and over the last month. Yes, this is an unprecedented environmental disaster — it’s the worst in our nation’s history. But we’re going to continue to meet it with an unprecedented federal response and recovery effort — the largest in our nation’s history. This is an assault on our shores, and we’re going to fight back with everything we’ve got.
And that includes mobilizing the resources of the greatest military in the world. (Applause.) Here at Naval Air Station Pensacola, you’ve been one of the major staging areas. You’ve helped to support the response effort. And I thank you for that, and I know the people of Pensacola thank you for that. And all along the Gulf coast, our men and women in uniform — active, Guard, and Reserve — from across the country are stepping up and helping out.
They’re soldiers on the beaches putting out sandbags and building barriers and cleaning up the oil, and helping people process their claims for compensation from BP. They’re sailors and Marines offering their ships and their skimmers and their helicopters and miles of boom. They’re airmen overhead, flying in equipment and spraying dispersant. And, of course, there are Coast Guardsmen and women on the cutters, in the air, working around the clock.
And when I say this is the largest response of its kind in American history, I mean it. We’ve got more than 5,000 vessels on site — skimmers, tugs, barges, dozens of aircraft. More than 27,000 personnel are on the scene, fighting this every day, putting out millions of feet of boom and cleaning the shores.
All told, we’ve authorized the deployment of 17,500 National Guardsmen to respond to this crisis. So far, only about 1,600 have been activated. That leaves a lot of Guardsmen ready to help. And if our governors call on them, I know they’ll be ready, because they’re always ready.
So I want the people of this region to know that my administration is going to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to deal with this disaster. That includes the additional actions I announced yesterday to make sure that seafood from the Gulf is safe to eat. It includes steps we’ve taken to protect the safety of workers involved in the cleanup. It includes the new command structure I announced this morning to make sure states and local communities like Pensacola have the autonomy and the resources that they need to go forward.
And that includes something else — making sure BP pays for the damages that it has caused — (applause) — because this isn’t just an environmental disaster. For many families and communities, it’s an economic disaster. Here in Pensacola and the Panhandle, tourism is everything. And when the tourists stay home, it ripples out and hits folks across these communities — the charter boats, the hotels, the restaurants, the roadside stores, the shops, the suppliers, the dive shops. And if your inland waters are contaminated — if the bays and bayous are contaminated — it could be devastating, changing the way of life down here for years to come.
I’m going to speak to the nation tonight about this. But let me say to the people of Pensacola and the Gulf Coast: I am with you, my administration is with you for the long haul to make sure BP pays for the damage that it has done and to make sure that you are getting the help you need to protect this beautiful coast and to rehabilitate the damaged areas, to revitalize this region, and to make sure that nothing like this happens ever again. That is a commitment I am making to the people of Florida and people all across this Gulf.
Now, that spirit — (applause) — that spirit of resolve and determination and resilience, that’s the same spirit we see in all of you, the men and women in uniform, the spirit we’ll need to meet other challenges of our time. Obviously the news has been dominated lately by the oil spill, but our nation is at war and all of you have stepped forward. You volunteered. You took an oath. You stood tall and you said, “I will serve.”
And here at Pensacola, you’re carrying on the proud tradition of naval aviation that spans a century. Here at the Barrancas National Cemetery, our heroes from yesterday’s wars are still inspiring us. And like generations before you, you’re no strangers to sacrifice. Our prayers are with the families and friends of the crews that you lost in that training exercise two months ago. Today, we send out our thoughts and prayers to all the folks from Pensacola on the frontlines at this very moment, including Iraq and Afghanistan. They are making us incredibly proud.
And so are you. As naval aviators and naval flight officers, you’ll soon earn your “Wings of Gold.” Many of you will prove yourselves as indispensable air crews — the mechanics, the engineers, the electricians, the maintenance crews — people’s lives depending on what you do each and every day.
I know you’re looking ahead to your first operational tours — to join the fleet and your squadrons. And within weeks, some of you may find yourselves serving on a carrier deck in the Arabian Sea or working a busy flight line in Afghanistan. And as you begin your careers, as you look ahead to a life of service, I want you to know — on behalf of the American people — that your nation thanks you, your nation appreciates you, your nation will stand with you every step of the way.
And as your Commander-in-Chief, I want you to know something: I will not hesitate to use force to protect the American people or our vital interests. But I will also never risk your lives unless it’s absolutely necessary. And if it is necessary, we are going to back you up to the hilt with the strategy and the clear mission and the equipment and the support that you need to get the job done right. That’s my promise to every one of you, every man and woman who wears America’s uniform.
That includes the right strategy in Iraq, where we’re partnering with the Iraqi people for their long-term security and prosperity. And thanks to the honor and the heroism of our troops, we are poised to end our combat mission in Iraq this summer — on schedule. (Applause.)
As we end the war in Iraq, we’re pressing forward in Afghanistan. We’re working to break the momentum of the Taliban insurgency and train Afghan security forces, strengthen the capacity of the Afghan government and protect the Afghan people.
We will disrupt and dismantle and ultimately defeat al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates. (Applause.) And we will support the aspirations of people around the world as they seek progress and opportunity and prosperity, because that’s what we do — as Americans.
As you meet the missions we ask of you, we’re going to make sure you’re trained and equipped to succeed. That’s why we halted reductions in the Navy. That’s why we increased the size of the Marine Corps. That’s why we’re investing in the capabilities and technologies of tomorrow. And as we come up on the 100th anniversary of naval aviation next year, we’re committed to the next generation of aircraft. We’re going to keep you the best-trained, best-led, best-equipped military that the world has ever known. (Applause.)
Some of that is about technology. But the most important thing in our military is our people — it’s all of you. And as you advance through the ranks and start families of your own, we want to be there for your loved ones, too. This is one of the defining missions of the First Lady, Michelle Obama. On Sunday, she visited the Navy-Marine Corps team and their families at Camp Pendleton. And they had a tough week, because five outstanding Marines from Pendleton gave their lives last week in Afghanistan. During her visit, Michelle had a message for their families and for all military families: America is going to keep faith with you, too.
When a loved one goes to war, that family goes to war. That’s why we’re working to improve family readiness and increase pay and benefits, working to give you more time between deployments, increasing support to help spouses and families deal with the stresses and the separation of war.
But this can’t be the work of government alone. As Michelle has been saying, 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans need to be supporting our men and women and their families in uniform. You guys shouldn’t be carrying the entire burden. That’s why Michelle is challenging every sector of American society to support our military families — not just now, with our nation at war, but at every stage of your lives.
So we’re improving care for our wounded warriors, especially those with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. We’re funding the Post-9/11 GI Bill — to give you and your families the chance to pursue your dreams. We’ve made a historic commitment to our veterans with one of the largest percentage increases to the VA budget in the past 30 years.
Those are concrete actions we’ve taken to meet the commitment I have to you and that the American people have to you. Because you’ve always taken care of America, America needs to take care of you. And that’s my main message here today. We’re all in this together. In our country, there isn’t a “military world” and a “civilian world.” We’re all Americans. There’s not Democrats and Republicans, when you take the long view — we’re all Americans. We all rise and fall together. And we all need to do our part to get through the challenges we face as a people.
So, yes, we’re emerging from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Too many folks are still out of work here in Florida and around the country. Yes, we’re a nation at war with adversaries who will stop at nothing to strike our homeland and would kill innocent people, women and children, with no compunction. Yes, we’re now battling the worst economic — environmental disaster in American history. Any one of these challenges alone would test our country. Confronting them all at once might overwhelm a lesser nation.
But look around you. Look at the person standing next to you. You look around and you see the strength and resilience that will carry us through.
You look at this installation and the forts that have stood watch over this bay and its people for centuries — through the rise and fall of empires, through a terrible Civil War — and as a nation healed itself, we became a beacon to the world. We’ve endured.
All of these men and women in uniform, all of you represent the same spirit of service and sacrifice as those who’ve gone before — who defeated fascism, defeated tyranny, prevailed in a long Cold War over communism. And now, in our time, you’ve toppled regimes based on terror and dictatorship, and you’ve given new hope to millions of people. You’ve earned your place among the greatest of generations.
And look at the people of this city and this region — fishermen who’ve made their lives on the water, families who’ve lived here for generations, hardworking folks who’ve had to endure more than their share — tough economic times and hurricanes and storms that forced so many families and communities to start over from scratch. But they never gave up. They started over, and they rebuilt stronger than before.
As Americans, we don’t quit. We keep coming. None of these challenges we’re facing are going to be easy. None of them are going to be quick, but make no mistake, the United States of America has gone through tough times before and we always come out stronger. And we will do so again. (Applause.)
And this city and this region will recover. It will thrive again. And America’s military will prevail in the mission to keep our country safe. And our nation will endure from these trials stronger than before. (Applause.) That is the history of the United States of America. That is the legacy of our Armed Forces. And I promise you that we will not falter.
Past generations have passed on this precious gift to us, and future generations are depending on us. And as I look out on each and every one of your faces, I’m absolutely confident that you will meet that challenge.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Full Text: Obama’s Remarks On Pensacola Beach
June 15, 2010
The following are remarks from President Barack Obama after a briefing with Admiral Thad Allen and local officials on the BP Oil Spill at the Fish Sandwich Snack Bar on Pensacola Beach Tuesday morning.
We just had a very useful discussion, and I want to thank Governor Crist and the congressional delegation, as well as our owner here, Mike Pinzone, of this wonderful facility overlooking this beautiful beach. I want to also thank the mayor of Pensacola for his hospitality.
What we’ve done is to try to find out from local business owners, local officials, as well as state officials like Alex Sink and Senator LeMieux and others, how the response can be most effective here specifically in Florida. And when you look out over this unbelievable beach, one of the things that you can see is that so far at least this beach has not been affected.
This is a still place that’s open for business and welcoming so vacationers and people can have a wonderful holiday here. And I know the mayor wants to emphasize that. But there are obviously fears about the oil that is offshore.
And what we emphasized was that we’re going to be doing everything we can — make sure that there are skimmers out, there are booms out, and a response to keep the oil offshore. But even if we do the best possible job on that, what the mayor described, what Mike described as a local business owner here, is that they’re still being affected by perceptions — that business has dropped off as much as 40 percent in this area. And that has an impact on the entire economy. You saw the same thing yesterday when we were in Alabama and Mississippi.
So a couple of things that we’ve done. Number one, to make sure that there is a nimble and effective local response, Thad Allen has now assigned deputy incident commanders to each of the individual states, so Florida will have its own deputy incident commander, as Mississippi and Alabama do.
In addition to the sites in Houma and in Mobile, we’re also going to set up an incident management team in Tallahassee, here in Florida. All this is designed to make sure that on the federal response we are able to work and make decisions at a local level in response to the suggestions of people who know the communities best and know the waters best. And my expectation is, is that we’re going to see a lot of good ideas coming from the local area that we can implement right away, as opposed to waiting until it goes all the way to the top.
But the other thing that we’re hearing here is the same thing we heard yesterday, which is businesses need help right now. I’m going to be addressing this this evening, the issue of how we can make sure that claims to businesses that have been affected are responded to quickly and fairly.
I’ll be meeting with BP chairmen and officials tomorrow to discuss the stories that I’ve heard from people like Mike. Mike has put in all the paperwork. In fact, he has documented more than amply the fact that his business has been deeply affected by this crisis, but he hasn’t received the compensation that he needs to make sure that his business stays open.
And I told Mike — and I want every business person here in Florida to know — that I will be their fierce advocate in making sure that they are getting the compensation they need to get through what is going to be a difficult season. But what I described for them is the fact that if we can get through this season, cap this well, mitigate the damage — we’re not going to eliminate it completely; there’s going to be damage to the shoreline — but if we can reduce it as much as possible, help businesses get through this season, clean it up, by the time we get to next season there’s no reason why this beach behind us is not going to be as beautiful as ever, and Pensacola and other coastline communities across Florida won’t be thriving as they always have.
So the key right now is just to make sure that people like Mike are helped, that they’re able to get through what’s going to be a tough time. And I told him and I told the governor and all the other Florida officials here that we’re not going to go away. We’re just going to keep on at this until we are able to not only get back to normal, but maybe even get better than it was before this crisis.
So I appreciate everybody’s input, and we look forward to continuing to work with you on this enormous challenge.
END
9:53 A.M. CDT
LIVE TONIGHT: Obama Addresses The Nation On Oil Spill
June 15, 2010
Join NorthEscambia.com at 7:00 tonight as we bring you President Barack Obama’s first address from the Oval Office on the ongoing Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.
We will have the complete speech with live video from the Oval Office here on NorthEscambia.com.
LIVE AUDIO: Obama At Pensacola NAS
June 15, 2010
Live audio of President Barack Obama at Pensacola Naval Air Station.
Obama’s Escambia Tour
June 15, 2010
President Barack Obama arrived on Pensacola Beach this morning as a crowd chanted “Save our beach!” before heading to address the military at Pensacola Naval Air Station.
“This city and this region will recover and it will thrive again,” Obama said in a speech at Pensacola Naval Air Station.. “Our nation will endure from these trials stronger than before.”
Obama promised that the unprecedented national disaster will continue to be met with an unprecedented federal response, including from the military. Click here to read the full speech.
Obama walked Pensacola Beach prior to the speech with Gov. Charlie Crist, and met with Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen. There was no sign of oil as Crist and Obama stood near the water’s edge. Click here to read Obama’s full beach remarks.
Along the motorcade’s route, Obama passed a variety of signs, ranging from “Obama Rocks” and “Thanks for your support Mr. President” to “Kick Tony’s ass for us”, “Save our bay” and “Day 55 no skimmers”.
As oil plumes threaten Escambia County’s shoreline, President Barack Obama spent Monday night in Pensacola in preparation for a tour of Pensacola Beach and a national address tonight from the Oval Office in which he is expected to ask BP to set aside billions in cash to pay for future cleanup efforts.
Facing mounting pressure following weeks of frustratingly slow results, Obama is expected to turn up the heat on the oil drilling giant to set up an escrow account to make it easier for business and individuals to collect for damages brought on by the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Obama began a three-state tour Monday in Mississippi (click here for story), the first leg of a trip that also included Mobile and Baldwin counties, to bolster his presence over a disaster that threatens Florida’s coastal environmental and $60 billion a year tourism industry
The visit may be welcome by those who say the president hasn’t been engaged enough in the disaster, but it was a nightmare for morning commuters with several major roadways closed.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Sink rival for governor, is meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Capitol with former attorneys general Jim Smith and Bob Butterworth, who are leading a group looking into the state’s legal options as it considers filing suit against the oil company to pay claims. The meeting begins at 2 p.m. EDT.
LeMieux and several other Republicans are pressing Obama to waive portions of the Jones Act, a federal law that sets maritime rules for shipping within U.S. waters, to make it easier for internationally flagged skimmer ships to begin work in the Gulf.
“We need as much help as we can get in cleaning up the Gulf,” LeMieux said. “There is no reason why every single skimmer vessel should not be heading to the Gulf to skim the oil. Preventing the oil from washing ashore and creating even more damage is what we need to be focused on in the next few weeks.”
Also Monday, Lawton “Bud” Chiles, son of the late governor and himself a no-party gubernatorial candidate, is calling on BP to pay a “bounty” to citizens who recover oil and tar balls on the beaches and in the Gulf.
Chiles said a per-gallon or per-pound cash incentive would give thousands of citizens an opportunity and an incentive to participate in the clean-up efforts.
Florida remains on a heightened emergency response alert as it waits for probable landfall of a large plume of weathered oil that now sits ominously close to Florida’s Panhandle.
Scientists have estimated that between 40 million and 100 million gallons of oil have been released into the Gulf since the BP-operated drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.
Earlier Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission closed a 23-mile stretch of coastline from Pensacola Beach water tower to the Alabama state line to fishing. The ban extends nine miles into the Gulf.
Pictured top: President Barack Obama talks with workers at an oil containment boom repair facility as he tours the Theodore Staging Facility in Theodore, Ala. on Monday. Pictured inset: President Barack Obama, third from left, rides a ferry from Dauphin Island, Ala., to Fort Morgan, Ala., past a natural gas rig, as he visits the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Monday. From left, National Incident Commander Adm. Thad Allen, Mayor of Dauphin Island, Al., Jeff Collier; President Obama, Mayor of Gulf Shores, Al., Robert Craft, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley; and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett. White House photos by Chuck Kennedy for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
News Service Florida contributed to this report.
Dr. Zap: Summer Reading Programs Continue
June 15, 2010
The chance to “Make A Splash” and enjoy summer reading programs continues at the Century, Jay and Atmore libraries — include an electrifying show from “Dr. Zap” today the Century Branch Library.
Schedules are listed below for each.
The Century Branch Library invites children to celebrate with summer library programs each Tuesday at noon.
- June 15 – Dr. Zap, fun and wacky
- June 22 – John Jaramillo, storyteller and dancer
- June 29 – David Stephens, puppetry
- July 6, Ross Mudge, sing patriotic songs
- July 13, Beau Broomall, magician
For more information, contact the Century Branch Library at (850) 256-6217.
The Atmore Public Library, will celebrate summer reading with six weeks of fun and reading. All programs listed below will be at 10 a.m.
- June 18 – Turtle Point visits with their creatures.
- June 25 – Pirate Day
- July 1 – Balloon Artist Day
- July 9: Awards Day
For more information, call the Atmore Public Library at (251) 368-5234.
The Jay Library will present their “Make a Splash – Read” summer programs each Monday (except July 5) continue through July 19 at 11 a.m. for 3-5 years old that are able to attend without a caregiver and at 1 p.m. for students who have completed K-5th grade.
- June 21 - Squeaky Clean for preschoolers; Geddy the Gecko Walks on Water for K-5
- June 28 – Under the Sea for preschoolers; Shark Tales for K-5
- July 5 – Library closed for Independence Day
- July 12 – Surf’s Up for preschoolers; Island Luau for K-5
- July 19 – Rainy Days and Muddy Mischief for preschoolers; The Little Mermaid performed by Jacksonville State Unversity’s Children’s Theater for K-5
For more information, contact the Jay Library at (850) 575-6293.
Deadline Nears To Help With Care Packages For Iraq
June 15, 2010
Time is running out to help a Molino woman that is working to send care packages to American troops serving in Iraq for the Fourth of July.
Katie Hilburn’s fiancee, Spc. Ben Piatt, also of Molino, is about eight months into his tour of duty as a combat engineer in northern Iraq. He is scheduled to be in Iraq until October.
After hearing about the soldiers’ needs, Hilburn decided to send the care packages to Piatt’s unit in Iraq during the Christmas season last year, collecting several boxes of items.
“I received e-mails from different soldiers telling me how much it meant to receive packages from back home, so I want to keep supporting them,” she said. “It’s our job to take care of our soldiers and to remember them.”
The supplies will be collected at veteran-owned Cole’s Barbershop in Molino until Wednesday, June 16. They will then be shipped to Piatt, 21, and his unit in Iraq. Cole’s Barbershop is located next to Fran’s Country Grill on Highway 29.
Items being collected include:
Body Care
Toothpaste
Bottled body soap (for men)
Sunscreen
Germ X
Shampoo
Baby wipes
Q-tips
Shaving cream
Razors
Foot powder
Chap stick
Food
Ramen noodles (in the cup)
Propel powder
Small coffee creamer
Small sugar
Sunflower seeds
Apple sauce
Tuna fish and cracker packages
Beef jerky
Cereal bars
Peanuts
Cookies
Popcorn (microwavable)
Saltine crackers
Peanut butter
Fruit cup
Miscellaneous
Playing cards
DVD’s
Magazine’s (hunting, fishing, guns, sports)
Games
Pictured top: Katie Hilburn and her fiancee Spc. Ben Piatt prior to his deployment to northern Iraq. Pictured inset: Spc. Piatt in Iraq. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Arrested With Stolen Car; Deputy Finds His Dad’s Stolen Stuff
June 15, 2010
In a strange twist, an Escambia County deputy investigating a burglary and vehicle theft reportedly discovered power equipment taken from his own father.
Friday afternoon, deputies responded to an address in the 1400 block of Chippendale Road in Cantonment to investigate a stolen vehicle. A citizen told deputies that she was called by neighbors that reported her fence was open at a vacant home she owned. In the garage of the home, she found a vehicle, a motorcycle and several other items that did not belong to her, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report. She told deputies that she found her son asleep inside the home, and then she called 911.
Responding deputies discovered that the 2005 Cadillac Seville parked in the garage was stolen earlier in the day from 700 block of Jacks Branch Road.
While in the garage, one Escambia deputy reportedly noticed a generator and power washer that appeared from their brand and condition to be like those owned by his father. When the deputy called his father, the father discovered that the items had indeed been stolen.
Jason Ray Welch, 18, of Pensacola, was charged with vehicle theft and felony criminal mischief after he admitted to deputies that he stole the Cadillac, the motorcycle, a generator, tiller, and other items found in the garage, according to an Escambia Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
The Cadillac was damaged on the front, according to the report, but the owner said it was not damaged at the time it was stolen.
Welch is due to appear in court on July 2.