Gulf Power Preps For Hurricane Season
May 23, 2011
Gulf Power conducted its annual hurricane drill on Monday to test its response system.
The utility has a comprehensive plan for any level of hurricane, and its line crews — among the most experienced and storm tested in the nation — have been recognized for restoration efforts following storms that have made landfall all over the Southeast.
“We prepare year-round for storm restoration,” said Jeff Rogers, Corporate Communications supervisor, “and our crews are among the best in the nation to restore electricity, safely and quickly. This drill enhances our employees’ awareness and sharpens our skills.”
The company follows a detailed plan to rebuild the electrical system following a hurricane and works closely with the county Emergency Management personnel. Every Gulf Power employee has a storm assignment and if needed, the company brings in thousands of outside utility workers to help — often staging them ahead of time to speed response.
A Gulf Power storm team of more than 100 employees recently spent a week in the Tuscaloosa, Ala., area, restoring power to an area devastated by tornadoes. It was the fourth storm team that Gulf Power has sent out since January to help other utilities.
“This type of storm duty helps hone our employees’ skills as we head into hurricane season,” Rogers said. “Everyone knows their assignments and it’s amazing to see our employees come together and implement a restoration plan,” Rogers said. ”
Planning is also important for Gulf Power’s 430,000 customers. Gulf Power’s storm center website offers comprehensive preparation and safety information, as well as general storm tips and information on how to report outages. The storm center can be accessed at GulfPower.com/storm.
Portion Of Alger Road In Century Closed
May 23, 2011
A portion of Alger Road in Century will be closed this week.
Alger Road about 300 feet northwest of North Century Boulevard and will be closed for a culvert replacement. The road is scheduled to reopen at 5 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Overdue Property Taxes Must Be Paid This Month
May 23, 2011
All 2010 overdue real estate taxes must be paid by the end of the month to avoid the issuance of a tax certificate, which is a first lien against the property, according to Escambia County Tax Collector Janet Holley.
Payments must be processed by the close of business on Tuesday, May 31 by one of the following methods:
- in person at one of four branch offices
- on the web site www.escambiataxcollector.com
- through the phone service center (850) 438-6500 x252
- on the automated telephone line (800) 601‑1055
Drive thru service and drop box are available at all locations. All tax collector offices will be closed Monday, May 30 for the Memorial Day holiday.
Pedestrian Dies In Sunday Night Highway 29 Crash
May 23, 2011
A pedestrian was killed in an Escambia County traffic crash Sunday night.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 61-year old Heriberto Ponce of Miami was attempting to cross Highway 29 at Milstead Street when he stepped into the path of a pickup driven by Roy Phillips, 69, of Pensacola. Ponce died as a result of his injuries.
No charges were filed against Phillips.
Editor’s note: This accident happened at Highway 29 and Milstead Street just south of I-10, not at Highway 29 and Milstead Road near the McDavid Volunteer Fire Department.
Shelia Dunsford Mathis
May 23, 2011
Shelia Dunsford Mathis, 56, passed away on Saturday, May 21, 2011, at a Pensacola hospital.
Ms. Mathis was a native and lifelong resident of Jay and attended the Ebenezer Assembly of God Church. She was preceded in death by her father, H.R. Dunsford.
She is survived by her husband, Jerry Wayne “Gator” Mathis of Flomaton; two sons, Marcus Wayne and Cindy Mathis of Century, and James Jeremy and Jennifer Mathis of Pace; two daughters, Gidget and Jeremy Dortch of Flomaton, and Kendra Michelle Bonner of Jay; her mother, Azzelene Dunsford of Jay; five grandchildren; and two brothers, Henry Dunsford of Jay, and Jerry Lee and Barbara Dunsford of East Milton.
Funeral services will be held Monday, May 23, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Bobby Carnley and the Rev. Wayne Plotner officiating.
Burial will follow at Ebenezer Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be James Mathis, Shane Dunsford, Steven Dunsford, Bill Cozart, Chuck Alderidge and Michael McDonald.
Firefighters Battle Large Swift Lumber Blaze (With Photo Gallery)
May 22, 2011
Firefighters from across the area battled a large fire at Swift Lumber in Atmore Sunday afternoon.
Black smoke from the lumber mill fire could be seen from as far away as Walnut Hill just before 3 p.m. Dozens of firefighters from Atmore, Poarch, Nokomis, Flomaton and Walnut Hill battled for hours to completely contain the fire. The major portion of the fire was extinguished within about an hour, but wood chips continued to smolder and burn for hours.
There were no reports of injuries. There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the scene, click here.
This was the second fire in the same area of the facility on Swift Mill Road in less than six months. Another fire broke out at the facility in early January of this year; that fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical problem.
Pictured: A Sunday afternoon fire at Swift Lumber in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Three Injured In Highway 29 Rollover Crash (With Photo Gallery)
May 22, 2011
Two Cantonment residents were trapped in single vehicle rollover accident shortly after 8:00 Sunday morning on Highway 29 at Woodland Avenue in Cantonment.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Kenneth Bedwell, 51, was northbound on Highway 29 at Woodland Avenue when he traveled partially off the roadway onto the northbound shoulder. He then over-corrected and swerved into the median where his 2005 Buick SUV began to overturn. The vehicle came to rest upside down on Highway 29.
Firefighters were forced to use the Jaws of Life to extricate a Bedwell and his passenger, 52-year old Mary Bedwell of Cantonment. Kenneth Bedwell was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Mary Bedwell was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital where she was listed in serious condition.
A toddler properly secured in car seat in the vehicle, three-year old Alphonsa Griffin of Cantonment, received only minor injuries and was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital for evaluation.
Charges are pending in the accident, according to the FHP.
The crash, near the Cantonment firehouse, was witnessed D.W. McMillan Hospital EMS crew from Brewton. The Cantonment, Molino and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the crash, along with Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured top: Three people, including a child, were in this single vehicle crash Sunday morning in Cantonment. Pictured inset: Firefighters use the Jaws of Life to free two people from the vehicle. Pictured inset: Highway 29 was shut down in Cantonment due to the crash. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Suspended Sentence For Man That Killed Elderly Couple In Wreck
May 22, 2011
A Brewton man has received a suspended sentence in connection with a 2007 crash that killed an elderly Atmore couple.
George Hauer, 63, received a one-year suspended sentence in Baldwin County Circuit Court, along with two years probation and was also permanently banned from driving in Alabama.
In the March 20, 2007, wreck, Dwight Eugene Nichols, 74, and his wife Wilma Ellavan Nichols, 77, of Atmore were traveling south in a Mercedes E320 on Highway 31 near Perdido, when they collided with a northbound sports utility vehicle driven by Hauer, according to Alabama State Troopers. Both Nichols died a short time later at an area hospital. Hauer was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of manslaughter in connection with that accident. Hauer later pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in connection with the crash.
Hauer was involved in another accident that injured a family of four on March 22, 2009, on Highway 31 east of Flomaton. At the time of the accident, he had been out on a $300,000 bond for only about two weeks after being charged with the death of the elderly Atmore couple.
No charges were ever filed in the Flomaton crash.
The 2009 accident happened on Highway 31 at Old Fannie Road. Officials say the car, driven by David Smith of Flomaton collided with a truck driven by Hauer. Smith was transported to Baptist Hospital by ambulance were he was treated for a broken jaw. Hauer was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by LifeFlight in serious condition but was soon released from the hospital.
Leigh Smith, a passenger in the car hit by Hauer, was transported by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital in critical condition. Another passenger in the car, Samantha Bryant, then 0a senior at Flomaton High School, was transported to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola with non life threatening injuries. Passenger Curtis Byrant refused treatment the scene. Leigh Smith was hospitalized for a lengthy time with broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a broken knee.
Pictured top: The Smith family vehicle that was involved in a 2009 accident with George Wesley Hauer. Pictured below: Hauer’s truck. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Parade Honors Veterans, Armed Forces
May 22, 2011
Groups from several communities came together in Atmore Saturday morning for a combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade.
A sparse crowd lined the streets of Atmore as the Ernest Ward Middle School Band, the Flomaton High School Band, Northview High School NJROTC, a group from the U.S. Navy and Ernest Ward Middle School Drama Team marched along with area veterans.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the parade, click here.
The gallery also includes reader submitted photos by Leslie Gonzalez and Cheryl Golson.
Pictured top: The U.S. Navy took part in a combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade Saturday morning in Atmore. Pictured inset: Danielle Suggs portrays a military widow during the parade on the Ernest Ward Middle School Drama team float. Pictured below: Veterans carry the flags during the parade. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Takes Part In Vegas Military Band Exhibition
May 22, 2011
The sights and sounds of Las Vegas are generally associated with the casinos, the endless row of hotels on the Strip, and the ads for the new shows being presented.
Somewhere among the organized chaos that has made Las Vegas so famous, the son of a Cantonment couple was adding his own melody to the mix.
Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David L. Morrell, son of Paul and Mary Ann Morrell of N. Highway 95A, Cantonment, was at the Thomas and Mack Center on the UNLV campus with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band for the Las Vegas International Tattoo recently.
The Las Vegas International Tattoo was a musical exhibition to highlight the armed forces and their allies. In addition to the Marine Corps band, the Navy Band Southwest, Air Force Band of the Golden West, and four Canadian and Scottish military and police bagpipe bands played during the performance. The U. S. Army Drill Team also preformed a precision drill routine during the Tattoo.
Morrell, who plays the saxophone, has had a love of music for most of his life.
“I started playing the saxophone at age ten,” said Morrell, a 1996 graduate of Tate High School, Pensacola. “My dad was a big influence on me to appreciate music.”
Playing music, let alone joining the military, was not the first thing on Morrell’s mind when he thought about his future career choices.
“I just wanted a career in music,” said Morrell, who has been a Marine since 1999.
The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band preformed and marched to a medley highlighting the creation of our National Anthem and the War of 1812. Morrell and his fellow Marines have been preparing for their performance for several months.
“We spent a couple of months in preparing including a lot of rehearsals,” said Morrell.
Every band played together in an opening sequence, followed by each band or group, in the case of the Army Drill Team and Irish dancers, performing their own sequences before joining all together again for the finale.
The roar of the crowd and the support for the armed forces was enough for Morrell, and the other military performers, to hope for a call next year to return to the festivities.
Pictured top: The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band performs and marches to a sequence that highlights the War of 1812 and the development of the National Anthem during the 2001 Las Vegas International Tattoo. Pictured inset: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David L. Morrell is a member of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band and recently participated in the Las Vegas International Tattoo, a multi-national military band exhibition that featured not only the Marine Corps band, but other U.S. military and four Canadian and Scottish military and police bagpipe bands. Pictured below: The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band, Pipes and Drums, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, and the U. S. Navy Band Southwest perform at the conclusion. Photos by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sean Worrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
