Della White Griffis
November 24, 2010
Mrs. Della White Griffis, 83, of North Century Boulevard in Century passed away Wednesday morning November 24, 2010, at her residence after an extended illness.
Mrs. Griffis was a native and former resident of Perdido, Ala., before moving to Century 60 years ago. She was a homemaker and of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include four sons, Billy Griffis, Marty Griffis, Keith Griffis and Rodney Griffis, all of Century; one sister, Estelle Hayes of Robertsdale; seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Saturday November 27, 2010, from 6 until 9 p.m. at Flomaton Funeral Home Inc.
Funeral services for Mrs. Della White Griffis are scheduled for Sunday November 28, 2010, at 2:00 p.m. at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Robert Barrow and Rev. James Peacock officiating. Interment will follow in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Jay with Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Updated Thanksgiving Forecast
November 24, 2010
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight…Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog in the late evening and early morning. Patchy dense fog late in the night. Lows in the mid 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast after midnight.
- Thanksgiving Day…Mostly sunny. Areas of fog in the morning. Isolated rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of showers 20 percent.
- Thursday Night…Warmer. Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers and slight chance of thunderstorms. Near steady temperature in the upper 60s. South winds 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Friday…Cooler…cloudy. Chance of rain showers and slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning…then slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.
- Friday Night…Much colder. Partly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Lows in the lower 30s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
- Saturday Night…Clear. Lows 30 to 35.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
- Sunday Night…Mostly clear. Lows 42 to 47.
- Monday…Mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy. Slight chance of rain showers. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of showers 20 percent.
- Monday Night…Warmer…cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Tuesday…Cloudy. Chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s. Chance of precipitation 40 percent.
- Tuesday Night…Colder…cloudy. Chance of rain. Lows in the lower 40s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
- Wednesday…Cooler…sunny. Highs in the upper 50s.
Police: Man Hit By Truck After Stealing Bottle Of Wine From Store
November 24, 2010
An Atmore man is recovering after being hit by car after allegedly stealing a bottle of wine from a local convenience store.
The Atmore Police Department released more information Tuesday about the accident about 7:15 Friday night that injured Marvin L. Russell, 34. Police said Russell entered the Kangaroo Express store at Main and Howard streets where he attempted to purchase a bottle of wine but did not have enough money. He returned to a cooler and then exited the store with the bottle of wine hanging out of his jacket pocket. Atmore Police said he did not pay for the wine.
Russell then ran east into the path of a 2005 Ford F150 driven by Eric V. Lewis, 38, of Atmore who was traveling south of North Main Street.
Russell was transported by ambulance to Atmore Community Hospital and then transferred by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with serious injuries. He has since been released from the hospital.
Atmore Police did not say if Russell was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
Sports Roundup: High School Basketball And Soccer
November 24, 2010
Here’s a roundup of basketball and soccer action from around the North Escambia area Tuesday.
(Don’t see you team? Make sure your coach or stats person emails us after each of your games!)
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Tate 43 PCA 30
The Lady Aggies of Tate defeated Pensacola Christian Academy Tuesday, 43-30.
Courtney Brown paced the Aggies with a team-high 15 points.
Tate— Courtney Brown 15, Ali O’Brien 2, Alex Loomis 3, Marina Cobbs 8, Jasmine Baldwin 4, Jarden Ward 3, Katie Clark 4, Showni Colony 4.
Tate 17 11 8 7 – 43
Catholic 9 6 3 12 – 30
BOYS BASKETBALL
South Walton 50 Jay 44
The Jay Royals lost their season opener to South Walton, 50-44.
Todd Laney led the Royals with 23 points. The Royals will be in action again on November 30 at Pace.
Jay (0-1) — Chandler Burgess 3, Tate Upton 2, Conner Weekes 9, Tyler Prescott 7, Todd Laney 23.
Catholic 65 Tate 63
It was a close loss for the Tate Aggies Tuesday, 65-63 to Catholic High School
Tate — Rhodes 4, Griffin 3, Jones 18, Gray 14, Wilson 8, Anderson 14.
Tate 13 2 25 23 – 65
Catholic 14 16 12 23 – 63
GIRLS SOCCER
Tate 8 Pine Forest 0
Tate (4-4) — Goals: Ashley Marquer 2, Ashton Mayne 2, Jessica Wiggins 2, Miranda Gonzalez, Madison Leonard. Assists: Gonzalez 2, Leonard 2, Marquer 2. Saves: Kelly Ewing 0, Laura Jennings 0.
Ribbon Cutting Set For $316 Million ECUA Wastewater Plant
November 24, 2010
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority’s new Central Water Reclamation Facility in Cantonment has been in operation since late August, and now a grand opening is planned for the largest public works project in the history of Escambia County.
On December 2, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority will hold a community celebration to mark the completion of the new, $316-million CWRF. The public is invited to join ECUA board members and staff, as well as federal, state and local officials, as the state-of-the-art facility officially begins operations.
The December 2 dedication ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. with an overview of the plant and recognition of the people and organizations responsible for completing the project on time and under budget. It will conclude at 3 p.m. with a ceremonial turning of the “valve” to officially launch the operations. The ceremony will be followed by a public reception in the on-site administration/operations building.
The new plant sits on 2,000 acres on land adjacent to Ascend Performance Materials (formerly Solutia) on Old Chemstrand Road near Cantonment. A full 15 miles north of the existing Main Street Treatment Plant, the facility is well above the flood plain and is built to resist hurricane-force winds. Redundant power and storage systems help to ensure that the facility can remain operational during conditions that crippled the Main Street plant during Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
With the CWRF complete, ECUA plans to demolish the aging Main Street facility, which many believe will help encourage economic development in the area. Another benefit is that reclaimed water from that facility will no longer be discharged into Pensacola Bay. Thanks to innovative partnerships with Gulf Power Company and International Paper, reclaimed water from the CWRF will be reused by those two companies.
The CWRF was funded in large part through grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal sources, the State of Florida, Escambia County and the City of Pensacola. Several local firms, employing hundreds of Northwest Florida employees, participated in the design and construction of the facility and its 25 miles of pipeline.
Photos: Camp Fire Kids Celebrate With Thanksgiving Feast
November 24, 2010
Camp Fire USA Century held a Thanksgiving feast Tuesday for children and their parents. The daycare’s children, many dressed as Pilgrims or Native Americans, enjoyed a full Thanksgiving meal and learned about the Pilgrims and their trip to the New World.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured: Children enjoy a Thanksgiving feast Tuesday at Camp Fire USA in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Chili And Cornbread For Century Employees
November 24, 2010
Town of Century employees were treated to a pre-Thanksgiving lunch Tuesday, enjoying chili, cornbread, homemade desserts and more. Employees donated the items for the lunch; it was not taxpayer funded. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Honors Volleyball Players
November 24, 2010
Several members of the Northview Lady Chiefs volleyball team were honored during the team’s annual banquet this week.
Receiving awards were:
Best Offensive Award
- JV – Lana Clayton
- JV – Paeton Hadley
- Varsity – Ashley Digmon
Best Defensive Award
JV – Danielle Steadham
Most Improved
- JV – Danielle Steadham
- Varsity – Morgan Payne
Coaches Award
- Varsity -Ashley Digmon
Best Attitude Award
- JV – Ali Martin
- JV – Danielle Steadham
- Varsity – Sarah Killam
- Varisty – Katie Wieborg
Effort Award
- JV – Paeton Hadley
- Varsity – Raylin Spence
Special Thanks!
- A special award was given to Kara Hardin for her continuous hard work for the volleyball team.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
East Defeats West In Senior Volleyball All-Star Game
November 24, 2010
The East beat the West in four straight games tonight in the Pensacola Sports Association High School All-Star Volleyball Game at the University of West Florida Field House.
The East team included senior all-stars from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa County, while the West team was comprised of players from Escambia County.
Players for the West team were:
- Ashley Digmon — Northview
- Shawna Montgomery — Northview
- Antoinette Odom — Tate
- Brianna Biggs — Escambia
- Kayla Bowen — Pensacola Christian
- Brooke Brauneis — Pensacola Christian
- Kim Bronkhorst — Escambia
- Anne Marie Coutu — Catholic
- Emma Floyd — Catholic
- Rachel Hanasan — Pine Forest
- Samantha Hazen — Pine Forest
- Taylor Larkin — Escambia
- Kaitlyn Roberts — West Florida
- Jennifer Stephenson — Catholic
- Nikki Thompson — Catholic
- Nyia Underwood — Pine Forest
- Katie White — West Florida
Players for the East team were:
- Danielle Skaggs — Jay
- Lauren Alverson — Gulf Breeze
- Ashton Baker — Milton
- Jane Bartley — Niceville
- Cheyenne Chapman — Gulf Breeze
- Jasmine Crowell — Gulf Breeze
- Kiersten Denny — Choctaw
- Megan Denny — Ft. Walton Beach
- Alicia Dukes — Crestview
- Jennifer Ellis — Baker
- Paige Forrester — Pace
- Sarah Guidry — Niceville
- Carissa Hagberg — Niceville
- Janey Haun — Navarre
- Haley Hyler — Milton
- Kristin Koch — Niceville
- Sallie Papajohn — Gulf Breeze
- Eboni Payton — Ft. Walton Beach
- Alyssa Valdez — Pace
- Danielle Willoughby — Navarre
Increased FHP Enforcement For Thanksgiving Travel Period
November 24, 2010
The Florida Highway Patrol has stepped up enforcement efforts for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The Thanksgiving holiday is a peak travel period for families nationwide. Florida is no exception, with its inviting climate and numerous vacation options. Because Thanksgiving typically produces a high volume of motor vehicle traffic, the Florida Highway Patrol will increase its presence on Nov. 24 – 28. All sworn FHP personnel, including those typically assigned to administrative duties, will patrol Florida’s high volume roadways during the five-day period. Auxiliary and Reserve troopers will volunteer to augment the Patrol.
Troopers will direct their enforcement efforts toward impaired driving, speeding, following too closely and other aggressive driving behavior. In addition, troopers will strictly enforce safety belt and child restraint laws.
“The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to making Florida’s highways safe, and we plan to do that by bolstering our forces to reduce the number and severity of crashes,” said FHP Director, Colonel John Czernis. “During this hectic time, it is easy to lose your temper while driving as evidenced by recent incidents of road rage. Our troopers are prepared to take immediate action to stop others from placing innocent lives at risk, whether the weapon is a gun or a vehicle.”
The Florida Highway Patrol offers safety tips to help you and your family arrive at your destination safely:
- Get plenty of rest before setting out on a long trip
- Observe and obey all speed limits
- Allow plenty of time to reach your destinations
- Drive sober, and only sober
- Buckle up!
- Eliminate distractions: Texting, talking on the phone, eating, adjusting the stereo – these are all examples of things that can take your eyes off the road, which is exactly what you want to avoid.
- Prepare your vehicle: Check fluids for proper levels, i.e. oil, gas and windshield wipers, and ensure your tires have adequate pressure and are in good condition.
The Florida Highway Patrol is also reminding motorists of Florida’s Move Over Law. The law requires drivers who approach an emergency vehicle or tow truck stopped roadside with flashing lights to change lanes away from the emergency vehicles if able to do so safely and if not, slow down to 20 mph below the speed limit.