Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: July, August
December 29, 2010
NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2010 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day this week, we will review the biggest stories of 2010. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of July and August.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
JULY
Qualifying ended for three seats on the Century Town Council, with Gary Riley reelected with no opposition. Council member Sharon Scott did not run again for her seat.
Retired Northview High School, and former Century, coach Lorenzo Jones was hired as a teacher at Escambia County Middle School in Atmore.
Former Century resident Buck Showalter was named the new manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
Jay Hospital employees and affiliated physicians recognized C. David Smith, M.D., for 30 years of dedicated service.
Community leader Jack Moran of Century passed away in late July. He was 68.
The end of July was hot — with heat indexes at or just above 110 degrees.
Florida House District 1 candidate Ricky Perritt was arrested on drug trafficking charges by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Accusations were flying between two local candidates over a video that shows one stealing his opponent’s campaign signs. Republican State Congressional District 1 candidate Greg Brown, Jr.and his wife Jennifer were videotaped as they removed campaign signs belonging to opponent Doug Broxson
Rhianna Marie Jones, 30, of California, and Jerry Hover Tinsley, 30, of North Carolina, admitted in federal court that they robbed banks in Flomaton, East Brewton and Florala during a March crime spree.
The Northwest Escambia 11-12 year old softball team ended their season in Fort Myers as the Florida Little League Section 1 Champions.
Tropical Storm Bonnie fizzled south of Pensacola, bringing just a few scattered showers to the Panhandle.
Scott Joseph Thompson was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Cheryl Cain, the Cantonment woman whose body was found in a Pensacola dumpster in March, 2009.
Construction workers, teachers, bankers, business owners, high school students, ordinary people — over 100 people from all walks of life volunteered their time and skills to make Jennifer Dorriety’s dream of home ownership a reality as an Escambia County Habitat for Humanity Home was dedicated in Nokomis.
For the first time since April, BP stopped the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico in mid-July.
An officer-involved shooting in Pensacola claimed the life of Clifton Salter of Cottage Hill.
Northview High School Assistant Principal Michael Sherrill was promoted to assistant principal at Pine Forest High School. Sherri Mims, who was a reading lab teacher at Ernest Ward Middle School, was promoted to assistant principal at Ferry Pass Middle School.
Tens of thousands of people — including many from the North Escambia area — packed the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for a free Jimmy Buffett concert as thousands watched on national television.
In July, Century Town Council member Henry Hawkins has voted against spending $600 so that a $1.1 million grant drainage project could move forward — the second time he had voted against spending a few hundred dollars on the project.
Phillip Arnold, 65, was charged in the murder of Angela Brown, 44, and her unborn child on South Chipper Road.
AUGUST
A Flomaton traffic crash claimed the life of four people — two instantly and two in the following days that died from their injuries.
Royce Ward of Walnut Hill passed away at 78. Ward was a longtime member of the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club and served as the group’s president when the club organized the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department in 1965.
Jay Mayor Kurvin Qualls won re-election by a single vote over challenger Ben Hudson. 72-71.
Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, defeated fellow Republican Mike Hill in the August Republican primary for Senate District 2. There was no Democratic candidate, but Evers would face write-in and Tea Party opponent in November.
Deborah Ray (pictured) was named the new assistant principal at Northview High School.
Former Escambia County Sheriff’s Office employee Cathy Lister, 58, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing $1.3 million from the department.
Paul Edward Black, a former Century Correctional Institution sergeant, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
The Escambia County School Board approved the daily used of drug dogs in the county’s public schools.
Leslie Gonzalez was hired as the new town clerk in Century.
The first day of school was a hot one at Northview High School after the air conditioning failed.
Molino’s new Dollar General store opened in August with over 12,000 square feet of general merchandise.
Donald Freeman, 49, was found dead next to Highway 29 in McDavid. Foul play was not suspected.
T.R. Miller High School Principal Donald Rotch was killed when his vehicle was hit head-on by a man fleeing Brewton Police in a high-speed chase.
Time Running out For Farm Help
December 29, 2010
Florida Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Tim Manning reminds producers that if they want a Market Assistance Loan (MAL) before the end of the year, they should contact the county office immediately.
FSA offices need time to process the loan and prepare the loan documents. MAL’s are marketing tools available to producers to allow for a more orderly marketing of commodities throughout the year.
MALs are available for the crops of wheat, corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, upland cotton, extra-long staple cotton, long grain rice, medium grain rice, soybeans, other oilseeds (including sunflower seed, rapeseed, canola, safflower, flaxseed, mustard seed, crambe and sesame seed), dry peas, lentils, small chickpeas, large chickpeas, graded wool, non graded wool, mohair, honey and peanuts.
Additional information about MALs and LDPs are available at the county office or on line at www.fsa.usda.gov.
Mamie Williamson Norton Church
December 29, 2010
Mrs. Mamie Williamson Norton Church, age 89, passed away Tuesday, December 28, 2010, in the Century Care Center.
Mrs. Church was born in Millry, AL and had been a resident of Byrneville, since 1963, coming from Greensborough, AL. She was a homemaker and was a member of Byrneville United Methodist Church. Mrs. Church was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Percy W. Norton, Sr. and a son, Harold Grady Norton.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Pete & Diane Norton of Byrneville; a brother and sister-in-law, Paul & Jane Williamson of Louisville, KY; three sisters, Lucille Tindle of Semmes, AL, Dottie Fore of Coffeeville, AL, and June Chance of Prentiss, MS.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 30, 2010, at 10 a.m. from the chapel of Flomaton Funeral Home with Rev. Diane Lawson officiating. Interment will follow in Byrneville Methodist Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at Flomaton Funeral Home on Wednesday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Pallbearers will Raybon Knowles, Robert Smith, Bobby Holland, John Koncelik, and Corey Parrish.
Gertrude Bryars Jones
December 29, 2010
Gertrude Bryars Jones, age 95, went to be with her Lord on December 27, 2010. She was born in Bluff Springs, Florida, June 14, 1915, the daughter of Judson R. & Gertrude Evans Bryars. She had four brothers, and two sisters. All preceded her in death.
She married Rhett Jones in 1935 and worked by his side in the Rhett Jones Grocery and Market until his death in 1977. Family and church were the loves of her life. She was a faithful member of the Richards Memorial United Methodist Church, the Doletha Morrison Bible Class, and the United Methodist Women. She attended without fail until her illness made it impossible for her to attend any longer.
Survivors include one son, Rhett Jones, Jr. (Diana), one daughter, Phyllis Eugenia Dickinson (Rev. Dr. John); six grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. She has several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 30, 2010 at Richards Memorial United Methodist Church at 10:00 a.m. with visitation beginning at 9:00 a.m. Rev. Dr. John Dickinson will officiate assisted by grandson, John Rhett Dickinson, grandson. Special music will be by her son, Rhett Jones, her grandchildren, Eddie and Joy Smith, and great grandson, Caleb Smith.
Burial will follow at Crary Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made to Richards Memorial United Methodist Church or Emerald Coast Hospice.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy. 29 South is in charge of arrangements.
Crash Data Shows Hwy 29’s Worst Intersections
December 28, 2010
Crash data from the Florida Department of Transportation provides some interesting insight into how many crashes occur on Highway 29 and which intersections are the worst.
If you guessed the Highway 97 intersection is bad; you would be right. Crash data shows the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection in Molino experienced abnormally high crash rates compared to the statewide average for similar intersections.
Data from the most recently available five year period available shows that there were 1,521 crashes, 907 of which caused injury on Highway 29. The most common crash type on Highway 29 from Pensacola to the Alabama state line was rear-end (39 percent).
The most common crash day was Friday (18 percent), and about 30 percent of wrecks happened between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Nine intersections along Highway 29 were identified as high crash locations — having more than eight crashes per year, or 40 over a five year period:
- Highway 97 — 38 crashes
- Ten Mile Road — 61 crashes
- Nine One Half Mile Road — 34 crashes
- Burgess Road — 68 crashes
- Diamond Dairy Road — 58 crashes
- Broad Street — 68 crashes
- Hannah Street — 49 crashes
- Hood Drive — 43 crashes
- Detroit Boulevard — 68 crashes
Statistics revealed more information about the three most northern high crash locations on Highway 29:
- Highway 97 — The most common crash type at the Highway 97 and Highway 29 intersection was rear-end at 63 percent. About two-thirds of all crashes resulted in at least one injury. About 58 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling east off Highway 97. During the five year period studied, there was one fatal crash in 2005.
- Ten Mile Road — Common crash types were split between rear-end at 36 percent and angle at 34 percent. Crashes most commonly occurred between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., and about one-third of the crashes were at night. About two-thirds of the wrecks at the intersection resulted in an injury.
- Nine One Half Mile Road — About six out of ten wrecks at this intersection were from an angle, while 21 percent were rear-end. About one-third happened after dark. Over 70 percent of the at-fault vehicles were traveling on Nine One Half Mile Road.
Pictured top: Six people were injured in a two-vehicle accident in September, 2008, at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway 97. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Rain Moving Into Forecast
December 28, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 29. Calm wind.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Southeast wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Friday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- New Year’s Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 67. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 58.
- Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
- Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.
Escambia Property Tax Discount Ends Friday
December 28, 2010
If you want a three percent discount when paying your Escambia County real estate and tangible personal property taxes, you must make your payment by December 31.
All four tax collector offices will be open normal business hours on Friday, December 31, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley.
In order to receive the three percent discount and have your tax payment posted with a December date, payment must be:
- received in the tax collector’s office by close of business December 31;
- made on the tax collector’s web site by midnight December 31; or
- made on the after-hours automated telephone (800) 601-1055 by midnight December 31.
In addition, payments mailed with a December 31 postmark or left in the tax collector’s 24‑hour drop boxes after hours on December 31 will receive the three discount but will be dated in January.
You may check the status of your taxes and pay online at www.escambiataxcollector.com. If you have any questions, call the tax collector’s office at 438-6500, ext. 252. (TTY users for the hearing impaired call 850-472-0031.)
Despite No Hurricanes, Floridians Facing $718 Million Insurance Hike
December 28, 2010
More than four million Florida homeowners are about to get hit with $718 million in insurance rate increases — despite five years with no hurricanes in the Sunshine State.
Insurers in Florida claimed they have been losing money. But, for many, their financial filings show profits that were paid to their own affiliated companies, according to an article published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Consumer advocates say the payments from Florida insurance companies to their own affiliates falsely adds hundreds of dollars to each individual homeowner’s property insurance bill.
More than two million homeowners in Florida have been dropped by their carriers, and the average premium in the state is up 44 percent.
Save Money While Staying Warm
December 28, 2010
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is offering some simple, low-cost ways to lower your power bill this winter:
- Lower your thermostat. Each degree you reduce your thermostat in the winter lowers your total bill by up to 4 percent. A five degree reduction could save up to 20 percent on your monthly heating cost. We recommend your thermostat be set at 68 degrees during the winter. Or, try keeping it set at a temperature where you will feel comfortable with a sweater on.
- Lower the temperature when you aren’t home and when you are sleeping. Extra covers on the bed will keep you warm. Helpful tip: Put a hook in the wall beside your thermostat and hang your keys on it. When you get your keys to leave home, you will remember to turn the temperature down.
- Close window shades and drapes at night to conserve heat and keep cold air out. Open them during the day to let the sunshine help heat your home. You can use blinds to block out the cold while still letting light in. Try tilting the slats at a 45 degree angle to the window.
- Add humidity. As we know in the South, humid air feels much warmer than dry air. (Think of those hot, summer days.) You can add a little humidity to your home by keeping plants indoors and by leaving the bathroom door open after a shower.
- Use your bathroom exhaust vent sparingly. It can draw out an entire houseful of heated air in about an hour.
- Keep the doors and vents closed in rooms you’re not using. Why heat an empty room?
- Reverse the spin of your ceiling fan and set it on the slowest speed to help send warm air down into the living area.
- Close your fireplace’s damper when not in use. Keeping it open is like having a full-sized window open all winter long, letting valuable warm air out. Also keep in mind that a fireplace is not an efficient source of heat for your home because heat escapes through the chimney with the smoke. You can minimize this by closing the doors to the room with the fireplace and lowering the thermostat.
- Keep filters clean. A dirty or clogged filter can make your heating unit work harder, costing you more money.
There are also several low-cost investments that can make your home more energy efficient.
- Caulk around windows and doors. By sealing all the gaps around doors and windows, you can keep out cold drafts. Be sure to caulk around your foundation and anywhere pipes pass through the walls.
- Close attic vents or fans during the winter and check the insulation. Much of the heat escaping your home is lost through the attic. Weather-strip and insulate your attic hatch or door.
- Install a programmable thermostat with temperature and time settings to save approximately $100 a year on energy costs.
Remember that you don’t have to spend money to save money. There are many easy, inexpensive things you can do this winter to reduce your energy consumption, and in turn, your power bill. You are the only one who can control how much energy you use.
2010’s Best Photos: May, June
December 28, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from May and June.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
June 23, 2010. It was the day that the World’s Whitest Beaches were no more. It was the day that the oil began to wash onto the shores of Pensacola Beach. It was the day the sands were stained black with oil; it was the day the tears of the locals stained the remaining sugar white sand.
A month after being found unresponsive and floating face down in a North Escambia pool, Maggie Scott, 3, was fully recovered.
Firefighters battle a barn fire near Bratt. The fire was believed to have been started by lightning.
A rare site: A passenger train travels through North Escambia during May as part of a railway group’s tour.
Northview and West Florida met in a Spring football game.
The Ernest Ward Middle School Drama Team reenacted the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima during Atmore’s Veterans Day Parade.
Brothers Victor and Austin Beck remember Billy G. Beck III during a memorial service on Pensacola Beach. Beck was struck by at least three vehicles while walking on Chemstrand Road.
Fishing boats sit idle at Joe Patti Seafood in Pensacola following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
A train caboose in Flomaton was moved from the town’s park to the Flomaton Area Railroad Museum.
The 36th annual Pen Wheels Fishing Rodeo was held in Walnut Hill, providing free fishing for disabled persons.
Joshua Herring, 23, of Pensacola was killed in this single vehicle accident on Pine Barren Road.
President Barack Obama defended his administration’s efforts in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill during a visit to the Florida Panhandle in June.
Dozens of children took part in the Summer Reading Series at the Century Branch Library.
Over 4,000 people braved the sweltering heat to attend the second annual Blueberry Jamboree Saturday at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
Oil boom stretches into Pensacola Bay in June.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit agents question the occupants of a home on Highway 4A after serving a search warrant.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Wes Brown throws a lasso at a horse during the execution of a search warrant at the Highway 97 property.
130 members of the Northview High School Class of 2011 graduated in early June.
A K-9 team searches for a burglary suspect in Molino in early June.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division Investigators Rene Reguindin (left) and Heath Jackson (right) perform field tests on a suspected active meth lab found in Davisville.