Joan Charlotte Ray
October 9, 2011
Joan Charlotte Ray went home to be with the Lord on October 5, 2011.
Joan was born on February 24, 1924, in Zion, IL; she moved to Cantonment in 1994. She is survived by her children Frank (Sandy) Ray, Sue (Dennis) Halbmaier, and Cheri (Bill) Welter. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. Joan was a member of Gulf Coast Baptist Church.
The viewing will take place at Eastern Gate Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 12, from 5-8 p.m. and the funeral will be on October 13 at 11:30 am.
Joan will be buried at Barrancas National Cemetery with her beloved husband Chester Norris Ray who preceded her in death 1999.
Planned Century Industry Boss Jailed In Alabama For Financial Crimes, Fraud
October 8, 2011
James Leonard Craft — the man behind up to 500 jobs announced last year that never materialized in Century — was extradited Friday to Alabama to face multiple financial and fraud charges.
The indictment against Craft was unsealed as he was booked into the Etowah County Jail in Gadsden, Alabama, on charges stemming from an Alabama Securities Commission investigation. Craft, according to Etowah County Jail Records, is charged with two counts of being an unregistered agent, two counts of selling unregistered securities, four counts of misrepresentation, scheme to defraud, first degree theft and a charge of second degree theft. His bond amount was not immediately available.
The 71-year old Craft was arrested without incident September 23 and booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail where he was held as a fugitive from justice until being picked up Friday by Alabama authorities.
At last report, Craft was the manager of Century Lumber and Land, a company that held a ribbon cutting back in October 2010 for a group of new businesses that planned to locate in Century’s vacant Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property and bring up to 500 jobs to the struggling town. According to Workforce Escarosa, over 3,000 people had applied for those jobs as of earlier this year.
In a public order in late 2010, the Alabama Securities Commission ordered Century Lumber and Land, LLC and James Craft to cease and desist from offering or selling financial securities, within or from the state of Alabama after an alleged attempt to solicit an investment without a license for a wood products business.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the charges against Craft are expected to be released Tuesday — Monday is the Columbus Day holiday with Alabama state and Etowah County offices closed.
Pictured top: The October 22, 2010, ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
West Florida Beats Gulf Breeze
October 8, 2011
The West Florida Jaguars defeated the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 38-35 Friday night. With the win, the Jag improved to 6-0, the best record ever in the history of West Florida High School.
In the first quarter, West Florida scored a 4-yard run from Jalen Jones and Antawn Carter returned an interception 31-yards for a touchdown. The Jaguars rounded out the second half with a 59-yard pass from Kayle Faxlanger to Jonathon Harris for a touchdown.
Faxlanger hit Ty Peasant with a 62-yard touchdown pass in the third and Lawerence Lee with a 59-yard pass in the fourth.
Leroy Beats Flomaton 14-13
October 8, 2011
The trip to Leroy was a heart-breaker for Flomaton Friday night as the Hurricanes saw their hopes of a perfect season dashed, faltering from a 13-0 halftime lead to lose to the Bears 14-13.
Flomaton scored with a 75-yard touchdown on toss from Jacob Newton to Neiko Robinson in the first quarter, and a Ryheem Dixon pass to Austin Patterson for a 15-year touchdown in the second.
Leroy (4-3, 4-1) came back to win, adding 14 in the second half.
The Hurricanes (6-1, 4-1) will host Millry next Friday night in Flomaton
Northview Beats Jay 56-7
October 8, 2011
The Northview Chiefs beat the Jay Royals 56-7 Friday night in Jay in the district-opener for both teams.
For Northview quarterback Brandon Sheets, it was a good six-touchdown kind of night — scoring four touchdowns in the first quarter on runs of 9, 73, 10 and 30 yards. His first TD of the night was set up by LaMikal Kyles with a 55-yard run to Jay’s 9-yard line. Sheets’ 73-yard touchdown was perhaps the play of the night — with Jay closing in behind the line of scrimmage, he recovered his own fumble, and ran a lengthy back and forth tour of the most of the field on the way to the end zone.
“He can obviously make something out of nothing a lot of times, and that’s what he did tonight,” Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley said of Sheets’ performance. “He’s such a threat to run the ball also.”
Sheets scored again on a 14-yard run in the second and found Austin Albritton with a 5-yard pass. In the third Andrew Farrow was in for Northview on a 7-yard touchdown run, and Kyles returned a fourth quarter kickoff 80 yards for the Chiefs’ final touchdown of the night.
Jay’s lone score came with a block punt from the Chiefs’ 19 returned by Justice Garcia in the third quarter.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here. (Editor’s note: The Northview and Jay halftime band performances are featured in a photo gallery here.)
Sheets accumulated 166 yards for Northview, while Jay’s Ricky Cofield picked up 113 yards.
Northview was coming off a touch loss last week to 5A Gulf Breeze, and Wheatley said the focus of practice all week had been district game number one.
“Tonight was a great start for us. I challenged them to play 48 minutes with a lot of hunger, a lot of desire and just a passion for football,” Wheatley said the win for Northview (3-2, 1-0). “I told them what we are playing for — our future — depends on our district schedule.”
The Chiefs will be off next week, and Wheatley said it will be a good week of practice followed by “game mode” the following week as Northview prepares for District 1-1A foe Freeport at home in Bratt on October 21.
“Those guys are going to play hard, they are awfully well coached,” Wheatley said Freeport. “It’s going to be a challenge, but I really thing our kids are going to get up for it.”
The Jay Royals (2-4, 0-1) will travel to Cottondale next Friday night.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here. (Editor’s note: The Northview and Jay halftime band performances are featured in a photo gallery here.)
Pictured top: Northview’s Roderick Woods eludes Royals’ defender Tyler Lowe Friday night in Jay. Pictured top inset: Brandon Sheets gains yardage for the Chiefs. Pictured bottom inset: Ricky Cofield ran for 113 yards Friday night. Pictured below: The Northview Chiefs beat the Jay Royals. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Prep Football Finals
October 8, 2011
Here’s a look at prep football scores from across the area:
Florida
- Northview 56, Jay 7 [Read more...]
- Milton 35, Tate 17 [Read more...]
- West Florida 38, Gulf Breeze 35 [Read more...]
- Pensacola High 36, Pace 13
- Washington 27, Escambia 22
- Florida High 14, Catholic 10
Alabama
- Leroy 14, Flomaton 13 [Read more...]
- Saraland 24, Escambia County (Atmore) 16
- T.R. Miller 21, Washington County 16
- BC Rain 40, W.S. Neal 21
- Escambia Academy 53, Southern Academy 6
Escambia Single Family Home Building Permits Hit Record
October 8, 2011
Escambia County’s Building Inspections Division reached record numbers in September by issuing 89 new single family home permits. That was the most new single family home permits issued in one month since 2007.
On February 4, 2011, the Building Inspections Division (BID) launched a streamlined process for obtaining a new single-family dwelling permit. The process identifies five steps to receive a permit and it includes a guarantee on the turnaround time. The BID has pledged to have a response to the applicant within three business days after the application package is reviewed, logged into the system and a building permit number has been assigned to the application — or the permit is free.
“Escambia County continues to further streamline and modernize our building permitting process,” said Dale Baker, BID division manager. “In partnership with the development community, the Development Services Department has removed the delays in permitting and the inspection process while reducing expenditures and operating at an all time low in staffing levels.”
Milton Beats Tate 35-17
October 8, 2011
The Milton Panthers defeated the Tate Aggies 35-17 Friday night in Milton.
Things got off to a rough start for Tate, as the Aggies fumbled the second play of the game which led to a Milton touchdown an early 6-0 lead.
Tate scored in the second quarter with a 31-yard field goal from Hagen Mancuso with 2:47 to go in the half. The Aggies added a touchdown early in the fourth quarter with a 42-yard pass from David Moorhead to Sameul Lavantai. Tate scored again with 3:34 to go in the game with a touchdown from Jalen Cunningham.
Tate (0-5, 0-3) will host Pensacola High School next Friday night in Cantonment.
For a photo gallery from the game, click here.
Pictured: The Milton Panthers defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night in Milton. NorthEscambia.com photos by Gary Carnley, click to enlarge.
Woman Gets Probation For Shooting At Deputy
October 8, 2011
An Escambia County woman has received three years probation for shooting at a Sheriff’s deputy.
Alucia Dykes, 63, was also ordered to surrender her gun and receive mental health counseling after pleading no contest to a charge of aggravated assault.
Deputies responded to her home on Walters court after she called 911 and mumbled incoherently on Octoboer 13, 2010. Dykes told the responding deputy that she would “blow his brains out” after he knocked at the door. Deputy Stephen Schaff took cover behind a tree and did not return fire as she shot at him from a window.
She surrendered without further incident.
Photos: Bratt Elementary Students Learn Fire Saftey
October 8, 2011
Students at Bratt Elementary School learned all about fire safety Friday morning from members of the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured above: Robert Stewart explains a fire engine and firefighting to a class at Bratt Elementary School Friday morning. Pictured below: Diann Stewart explains fire safety. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
