Brrr! Another Hard Freeze Warning Tonight, Low 18
January 13, 2011
Expect another hard freeze for Thursday night as temperatures are forecast to dip into the upper teens across the inland areas.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Clear, with a low around 18. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 50. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. Calm wind.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 56. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.
- Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Calm wind.
- M.L.King Day: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Pictured above: A frozen-over fountain at Century Care Center this morning. Pictured below: Century Care Center employees brave the cold to pose with the fountain to they can get their picture on NorthEscambia.com. Submitted photos, by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Wins Fantasy 5
January 13, 2011
A Cantonment woman was one of three top prize winners in Monday night’s Fantasy 5 drawing.
Chrystal A. Brooks purchased the winning $69,986.84 ticket at the Budget Discount #2 at 10401 Chemstrand Road. Other winning tickets were sold in Merritt Island and Spring Hill.
The winning numbers were 04-09-12-20-34. There were also 308 tickets that matched four of five numbers for $109.50 each in Monday night’s drawing.
Oil Prices Jump, Gas Prices Follow
January 13, 2011
Crude oil was up over $1 in Wednesday trading as the government reported a larger than expected drop in supply, pushing gas prices higher.
The February benchmark for crude jumped $1.05 to $92 a barrel, while the national average gas price rose to $3.09. And analysts say it’s just a sign of things to come, with oil expected to push to $100 a barrel in coming weeks.
In Escambia County, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was at $3.06, up 12 cents from a month ago. In Molino, that gallon was gas was at $3.09 midday Wednesday.
Pictured above: Regular unleaded was $3.09 a gallon midday Wednesday in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Masland Carpets’ Dixie Group Sales Up 24 Percent
January 13, 2011
The owner of Masland Carpets, Dixie Group, said that the company’s fourth quarter sales were up 24 percent, boosting overall sales for the Tennessee company to more than $65 million during the last quarter of 2010.
The company, which employees 360 people in Atmore and 165 in Saraland estimates that total sales for the year would be up 14 percent to $232 million. Dixie also said it expects to make an operating profit during the fourth quarter, an “encouraging” market trend.
Linda Dianne Howell
January 13, 2011
Linda Dianne Howell, 63, of Jay, passed away Tuesday, January 11, 2011. Other than five years in Pascagoula, MS, she lived her entire life in Jay, Florida. She succumbed to diabetes after a courageous 46 year battle. She was a lifetime member of Cora Baptist Church.
Dianne “Di” graduated from Jay High School in 1965 and went to Larson’s Business College, graduating with a Business Degree in Accounting.
She was preceded in death by her precious son, James Marvin Howell, Jr., who passed away in 2008 at the age of 39 of the same disease. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Oren and Elizabeth Holloway, and brother, Oren Michael “Mike” Holloway.
Dianne is survived by her beloved husband of 44 years, James Marvin “Jim” Howell and a beautiful daughter, Dana (Sammy Jr.) Lowery. She is also survived by her mother-in-law, Eloise Howell of Century, FL. She has three grandchildren, whom she adored, Andrew Howell (U.S. Marine Corp-Camp, Lejeune, NC) and Brandy and Hunter Lowery of Jay; brothers, Eddie (Mary) Holloway of Silver City, New Mexico, and Greg (Dawn) Holloway of Jay; sisters, Charolette (Eddie) Flowers of Jay, Marsha (Vic) Rutherford of Pensacola and Susan (Mark) McGee of Jay; brothers-in-law, Ed (Myrna) Howell and Bob (Diane) Howell and numerous nieces and nephews all who felt like Aunt Di’s favorite; special neighbors, Gina Patterson, Kay and Rita Nevels and families and longtime friends, Helen and Jerry Lowery of South Carolina.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 13, 2011 from 6 to 9 P.M. at Jay Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Friday, January 14, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at Jay Funeral Home with Rev. LaDon Hall and Rev. Robert Gandy officiating services. Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Ryan Bitely, Aaron Farish, Joshua Holloway, Mark McGee, Geno Oliver, and Ricky Patterson.
Honorary pallbearers are David Bush, Terry Bauldree, Billy Hill, Jim Settles, Jerry Burgess, Gary Holloway, and Max Houston.
Di was an Angel who walked this earth and has taken her place in Heaven. She was and is the definition of unconditional love.
The family would like to give a special thanks to The Century Dialysis Center in Century, Florida.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Volunteers Needed For Century Cold Shelter
January 13, 2011
With lows forecast to dip to near 20 the next few nights, the Town of Century is seeking volunteer groups to staff and manage a cold weather shelter.
The town will provide the building and pay the costs of operating the cold weather shelter on an as-needed basis, according to Mayor Freddie McCall. The town, he said, needs a church or other organization willing to manage the shelter and provided volunteers for staffing.
For more information, contact McCall at (850) 256-3208.
Fire Destroys Atmore Psychiatrist’s Office; 22nd Fire Of The Month
January 12, 2011
A late afternoon fire heavily damaged the office of an Atmore doctor — marking almost two dozen fires for the Atmore Fire Department so far this year.
Flames were shooting from the rear of the wood frame office of psychiatrist Dr. Jill Hall on 3rd Avenue near Church Street when the first firefighters arrived on scene just after 5 p.m. No one was in the building at the time of the blaze.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known, and there were no injuries reported.
According to Fire Chief Gerry McGhee, the fire was the 22nd of the year for the Atmore Fire Department and the seventh structure fire since January 1.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Three People Homeless, Several Pets Dead After Molino House Fire (Updated With Photo Gallery)
January 12, 2011
A Wednesday morning house fire in Molino left three adults homeless and took the lives of several family pets.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
The fire, reported just after 11 a.m. in the 6000 block of Jahaza Road, heavily damaged the small wood frame home.
An adult female in the house was evaluated at the scene for minor injuries she received while trying to rescue several pets from the home. A dog, several cats and a gerbil were reported to have died in the blaze. A cat rescued from the fire was severely injured.
The fire was believed to have started with space heater in the living room of the home.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here.
Pictured above: Fire shoots from the windows of the Jahaza Road home Wednesday morning. Pictured inset and below: Firefighters make entry into the home. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Some photos by Kristi Smith for NorthEscambia.com.
Suspect Shot By Escambia Deputy
January 12, 2011
A deputy-involved shooting in Escambia County early this morning is under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Deputy Courtney Clanton fired shots at a suspect’s vehicle as the suspect drove towards him in an aggressive manner, according to Chris Welborn, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office.
Around 12:25 a.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to an officer in trouble call on New Forest Court after 50-year-old Harold Anthony Baggett, of Pensacola, confronted Deputy Clanton.
According to Welborn, Deputy Clanton was standing outside near the roadway when he was approached by Baggett (pictured), who was driving a silver Honda. Baggett asked Deputy Clanton if he was a cop and Deputy Clanton identified himself as a deputy sheriff. Baggett then drove his vehicle towards Deputy Clanton in an aggressive manner.
Fearing for his life, Deputy Clanton fired shots at the vehicle. As a result, Baggett suffered gunshot wounds but was able to flee the area. He was later found at a residence in the 700 block of Deedra Avenue.
Baggett was treatedfor his injuries at Sacred Heart Hospital. After his release he was booked into the Escambia County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and was being held at the Escambia County Jail on a $15,000 bond.
Deputy Clanton, who has worked for the Sheriff’s Office since 2006, has been placed on routine administrative leave pending the results of the on-going investigation.
Pictured: Suspect Harold Anthony Baggett.
Atmore Police Investigate Overnight Armed Robbery
January 12, 2011
Atmore Police were on the scene of an early morning armed robbery of a convenience store in less than a minute, but the suspects managed to escape.
“Two black males, both wearing masks, entered the store and robbed the clerk on duty at gunpoint of an undisclosed amount of money while another remained outside,” according to Atmore Police Investigator Robby Williams. “All three fled on foot and were not on scene when police arrived within the same minute of the call.”
The robbery was reported at 3:25 a.m. Wednesday. Responding officers worked to establish a perimeter around the Kangaroo Express on West Nashville Avenue and tracking dogs were called from Fountain Correctional Facility. The K-9 unit was able to track the suspects to the Rocky Ridge Apartment Complex, according to Williams.
Williams said the Atmore Police Department is “actively investigating the case and will withhold further information pending the outcome of that investigation”.
NorthEscambia.com photo.