Wayne Berry Nall
November 16, 2011
Wayne Berry Nall, 61 of Atmore, died Tuesday November 15, 2011, in Atmore..
He was employed with Frontier Communication’s with 39 years of services. He was born in Atmore, on December 12, 1949, to the late Marshall and Mary Lou Bennett Nall. He was a 1968 graduate of Escambia County High School.
He is survived by a son, Wayne Berry Nall II and wife Natalie of Atmore; daughter; Marlo Nall Webb of Foley; a granddaughter, Perry Ellen Webb of Foley; two sisters; Marsha Whelpley of Atlanta and Marilyn and husband George O’Neil of Orange Beach, AL; and his companion Carolyn Harrison.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 19, 2011, at 10 a.m. from the Atmore Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with Brother Gene King and Brother Wade Clark officiating. Internment will follow at a later date.
Visitation will be held Friday, November 18, 2011, from 6-8 p.m. from the Atmore Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The American Diabetes Association.
Atmore Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
FWC Officer Flips Truck In Single Vehicle Wreck
November 16, 2011
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer escaped injury in a single vehicle rollover accident Tuesday night north of Molino.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, FWC Officer Benjamin Barnard was northbound on Highway 99 north of Crabtree Church Road about 8:50 p.m. when he lost control on the wet roadway as he attempted to negotiate a curve. The vehicle began to spin, left the roadway, struck a guardrail and overturned.
Troopers said that deer or any other wildlife did not contribute to the accident.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded to the call.
Update/Correction: A press release from the Florida Highway Patrol incorrectly indicated that Barnard’s age was 21. His exact age was not available.
Pictured above: A FWC officer lost control and overturned after hitting a guardrail on Highway 99 near Molino Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
New Culinary Arts Academy Cooking Up Success At Ernest Ward
November 16, 2011
Ernest Ward Middle School added a new Culinary Arts Academy this school year, giving students an opportunity to explore a variety of academic and occupation goals in the hospitality and tourism industries.
Students are learning food preparation techniques, food safety, proper equipment use, menu development, food presentation, technology use in the culinary field and more.
Pictured top: Ernest Ward students (L-R) Savanna Roux, Courtney Weekly and Sarah Dutton enjoy lasagna and garlic bread Tuesday as part of a Culinary Arts Academy lesson. Pictured inset: Lasagna and garlic bread prepared by EWMS Culinary Academy students. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Receives Electronic Absentee Voting System Grant
November 16, 2011
Escambia County is among 13 Florida counties sharing a $1.6 million grant to enhance the absentee voting process for military and overseas citizens. The Electronic Absentee Systems for Elections grant was awarded by the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
Absent military voters and those living overseas can request, mark and track their absentee ballots electronically. The system will be designed to provide greater online access, automation of absentee requests and expedite ballot delivery making the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voting process more seamless. Speeding up ballot delivery is expected to increase ballot request and return rates of military and overseas voters.
“We value the vital role our service personnel play in protecting our freedom. This grant provides an innovative way to enhance the elections process so more than 130,000 “military and overseas voters from Florida can more readily participate in future elections,” said David H. Stafford, Escambia County Supervisor of Elections.
Phase one, providing online access to ballots, is expected to roll out in time for the January 31, 2012, Presidential Preference Primary election. Democracy Live and Microsoft are the coalition’s partners in the innovative program.
Members of the Our Mission:Your Vote coalition include Baker, Bay, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Leon, Nassau, Okaloosa, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, and Wakulla Counties—serving nearly every major military installation in Florida. The Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections will administer the grant.
Evers Honored As ‘Defender Of Liberty’ By Conservative Group
November 16, 2011
Sen.Greg Evers (R-Baker) received the 2011 Defender of Liberty Award from the American Conservative Union for his “outstanding support of conservative values and principles throughout 2011″. About two-thirds of the members of the Florida Legislature received the award, which was presented Tuesday during a reception at the State Capitol.
“I am sincerely honored and humbled by this wonderful recognition from the ACU,” said Senator Greg Evers. “The ACU is, and has always been, an unwavering watchdog for our conservative values being enforced and upheld by Lawmakers at every level of government, and I appreciate their recognition and their service to our nation.”
Senator Evers received a perfect 100 percent score on the ACU’s first-ever ratings for the Florida State Legislature, which takes into account a Lawmaker’s conservative rhetoric and expressed philosophical views, and his or her actual voting record on a wide variety of issues and proposed legislation, according to a press release.
“I want to thank the good people at the ACU and Chairman Al Cardenas for this great honor,” said Evers. “It is truly an encouraging recognition as I strive to continue to vote for legislation on the most important issues facing our state that will uphold our founding principles of limited government, individual liberties, Second Amendment rights and free markets.”
There were 14 senators and 52 House members that got a 100 percent score on the nearly 20 bills scored by the ACU, and 11 senators and 29 House members who voted with the group at least 80 percent of the time — high enough to rank as a conservative on the organization’s scale — despite Florida’s reputation as a swing state.
Of the 11 senators who fell short of a perfect score, three did so because of opposition to an immigration bill that narrowly passed the Senate but died in the House
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
College Fair Held
November 16, 2011
Northview High School held a College Fair Tuesday night for NHS seniors and their parents. Information was available from several schools, financial aid, scholarships and more.
Pictured: Northview senior Austin Albritton and his mother, Lisa Albritton, talk to a University of West Florida representative during a College Fair Tuesday night at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
State Rep Pushing For Ban On Texting While Driving
November 16, 2011
A state legislator who has made road safety his main cause in the Legislature urged, and chastised, the House Transportation and Highway Safety Subcommittee on Tuesday to get behind a ban on texting while driving.
But Rep. Irv Slosberg, whose daughter died in a car crash several years ago, heard as he has in the past that getting such a ban passed may be an uphill fight.
During a workshop on the proposed agency bill for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Slosberg repeatedly asked why the bill as currently drafted didn’t include such a ban.
“Why aren’t we discussing distracted driving, particularly texting and driving, when 35 states have laws against it?” asked the Boca Raton Democrat, who is the ranking minority member of the committee and has focused largely on seat belt laws and other highway safety legislation during much of his career.
The lawmaker who will sponsor the Highway Safety bill replied that the issue, frankly, is controversial and should be addressed in a stand-alone bill because there are other provisions in the agency bill that must pass. There is a stand-alone bill banning texting while driving – which is awaiting a hearing in the same committee.
“I have to be interested in trying to pass a bill that will not get caught up in challenging politics,” said Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, who added that he respected Slosberg’s passion on the issue. “What I don’t want to do is put (the highway safety bill) at risk because of some polarizing issues in either the House or Senate.”
Lawmakers last year endorsed a proposal to require that driver education include warnings about texting and driving, but Slosberg said most drivers ed teachers already include that in their curriculum.
The committee chairman, Rep. Brad Drake, R-Eucheeanna, said that just because there is nothing in the draft highway safety legislation, now doesn’t mean the issue can’t be taken up.
“That’s why we’re here,” said Drake. “If it’s decided that’s the direction we’ll go, we’ll go. If there’s not enough support, then you know what happens…. I think any of us would be willing to work on something that might be … feasible, realistic.”
Drake added that Slosberg was welcome to file a stand-alone bill on the issue.
That’s already been done.
Slosberg is the co-sponsor of the bill (HB 299) banning texting while driving, along with Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota. That measure has three House committee assignments, including Drake’s Highway Safety Committee where it must be heard first. It hasn’t been put on the committee’s agenda for a hearing yet.
By David Royse
The News Service of Florida
G. Carlton Stewart
November 16, 2011
G. Carlton Stewart age 83 of Jay passed away on Monday, November 14, 2011. He was a longtime resident of the Walling Community.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Melissa Stewart; wife, Voncille Miller and brother, James Stewart.
He is survived by his brother, Vernon (Lois) Stewart of Kerrvillie, TX; sister, Eva (Curtis) Joyner of Jay and seven nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011, at Jay Funeral Home at 2 p.m.. with Rev. Lee Joyner officiating services. A visitation will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday. Burial will follow at Walling Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Adam Weaver, Brandon Weaver, Bruce Holland, Melvin Holland, Robert Joyner and Jimmy White.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Cleo Rowell Sellers
November 16, 2011
Mrs. Cleo Rowell Sellers, 76, died Tuesday, November 15, 2011, in Atmore.
She was a native of Canoe and a resident of Atmore for most of her life. She attended the Pentecostal church and was preceded in death by a grandson, Cody Brown; her parents, Pete and Lillie Rowell; and two brothers, Mac Rowell and Curtis Rowell.
She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Archie Sellers of Atmore; three daughters, Wanda (Chipper) Staff, Vickie (Buddy) Carrier, and Sandra (Mark) Brown, all of Atmore; five grandchildren, Angela Leachman, Michelle Smith, Scott Fayard, Casey Fayard and Josh Brown; six great-grandchildren; a brother, Edward Rowell of Mobile; and six sisters, Tiny Womack, Ernestine Forte, and Willodean Davis, all of Atmore, Lurea Bailey of Bratt, Jeanette Small of Hanover, PA, and Joyce Fogg of Portale, NM.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held Friday, November 18, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Earl Harrison officiating. Burial will follow at New Home Cemetery with Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home directing.
Hollis R. Bell
November 16, 2011
Mr. Hollis R. Bell, 70, passed away on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, at a Pensacola hospital.
Mr. Bell was a native of Goodway, AL, and a resident of Flomaton for the past 62 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, worked in the oil field service and attended the Holiness church.
He is survived by his wife, Helen Mitchell Bell of Flomaton; his mother, Eunice Silcox Lambeth of Flomaton; a sister, Linda Fay Steadham of Flomaton; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Friday, November 18, 2011, at 10 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Homer Stewart and the Rev. Leo Kent officiating. Burial will follow at Flomaton Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, November 17, 2011, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.