Little Named New Escambia (Ala.) School Boss
March 23, 2012
The Escambia County (Ala.) School System named Randall Little as their new superintendent Thursday.
Little’s appointment was approved by the school board 6-1, with Chairman William Grissett voting no.
Little has serve as interim superintendent since former Superintendent Billy Hines retired late last year. He previously served the school system as an assistant superintendent.
There was only one other applicant for the position — Zickeyous Byrd, principal at Escambia County High School in Atmore.
Patsy (Pat) Spears
March 23, 2012
Pat Spears (Rocspear) went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, after a full and precious life with those that knew and loved her.
She was preceded in death by her parents Clarence and Brite Spears, a sister, Evelyn Grogan a brother, Bill Spears and K-9’s Zack and Lucky.
Pat leaves to cherish her memory a loving family: Joan Rocco, Doris (Phil) Phillips, Katie (Gardner) Gage, Vickie (Grady) Reeves, Walter (Sheri) Hundley Jr., Vanette (Jim) Webb, Verna Hundley, Yonnie (Jerry) Bosquet, Kay (Jay) Lewis, Cathy Setzer, Caron (Steve) Zampino, Larry (Janet) Spears, Linda (Dale) Smith, Debbie Drozd, 16 great nieces and nephews, numerous great-great nieces and nephews and her special pets Mystic, Magic and Meow-Meow.
Pat was a 29 year veteran of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department where she served under five sheriffs. Pat started with the county as a correctional officer in 1982, transferring to the sheriff’s department as a deputy sheriff in 1986 and rising to the rank of 1st lieutenant. Pat worked in many divisions of the sheriff’s department during her tenure. She worked in investigations, was a K-9 officer for six years, worked in TAC/DIET Section, Street Crimes Unit, was Assistant Officer in Charge of Community Policing, and Community Relations. She also served as Officer in Charge of the Explorer Unit, was a Drug Court Mentor, she was appointed as a U.S. Customs Officer in the Blue Lightening Operation and worked tirelessly to help with Hurricane Katrina cleanup. Pat was an outstanding public servant and a champion of the community. She retired from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in January 2011.
For her dedicated service she received numerous recognitions which included a certificate of appreciation for the fight against drugs for her work with the Lincoln Park Community Drug Watch, several unit citations, a letter from the City of Pensacola congratulations for Unit Citation for Community Policing Unit.
Pat touched the lives of so many and will hold a special place in the hearts of all those who knew her, as a loving aunt, a partner, a friend, a mentor and a protector.
She had a gift of caring and giving and gave continuously to the community and to those around her. She was our rock and will be dearly missed by all.
Services will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. with her nephew Jason Reeves officiating.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Highway 29 South Cantonment is in charge of arrangements.
Tate Beats Hueytown In 10
March 23, 2012
The Tate Aggies beat Hueytown (Ala.) High School in the Acentria Aggie Classic Thursday night.
With the 2-1 win in 10 innings, the Aggies improved to 12-1 on the season.
The Tate Aggies will be in action again next Tuesday with a short road trip to Pensacola High School. Game time is 7:00.
True Giant: Bigfoot Visits Area; Driver Climbing The Ladder
March 23, 2012
Bigfoot — one of the true giants in the monster truck world — made a stop at sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Thursday afternoon.
Bigfoot #10 is a 4-wheel drive behemoth that achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Products transmission clutch plates. It is a methanol-fueled fiberglass truck sitting on eight custom nitrogen charged shocks with 66-inch Firestone tires. Over 700 hours of computer design work went into Bigfoot #10.
COMING SATURDAY: Coming up Saturday morning on NorthEscambia.com, we’ll learn more about the role Atmore’s Alto Products plays in Team Bigfoot and the rest of the monster truck industry.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The truck’s driver is JR Adams, a 32-year old Madison, Indiana, resident and father of one. Adams (pictured left) arrived at the Bigfoot team in February of 2011 as a bit of an unknown variable. He had, for a short while, been a driver for the Paul Shafer Motorsports team out of Portage, Indiana. A handful of former PSM drivers have gravitated to the Bigfoot organization (including current star driver Larry Swim) to take a shot at working towards one of the most desirable positions in the monster truck industry: driving for Team Bigfoot.
This had become the case for Adams as well. His time spent away from the monster truck industry had only fueled his drive to get back on the road, and when he heard through the grapevine that Team BIGFOOT was in need of a new display truck driver for their Firestone Bigfoot #8 display program, Adams made a call to St. Louis.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking being the new guy at a place that’s as well respected as Bigfoot,” said Adams. “This place has a heck of a professional reputation, so you’re thinking to yourself ‘Wow, I better bring my A-game’.”
Adams started off his career at Bigfoot assisting some of the team’s drivers at first-quarter indoor events, before transitioning to the role as the driver of the BIGFOOT #8 display truck, one of the team’s most vital positions.
As Bigfoot VP of Sponsorships & Business Development Bob Trent explained, “Our Firestone display program is the cornerstone of our business, and has been for some time. We depend on our display drivers as much as our race drivers to represent our team and our sponsors all across North America. It’s not a job to be taken lightly!”
Adams’ performance operating Bigfoot #8 continually met the team’s expectations, in addition to pleasing the scores of Firestone retailers that he and the truck visited throughout 2011. As the year began to draw down, a realignment in the team’s race driver roster set the stage for an early opening during the first quarter of 2012. Adams made sure he was in place to make the next great leap forward in his career, particularly as the normal route calls for two or three years of display and car crush experience first.
“When I found out that I might have the opportunity to step into one of the team’s race trucks already, I wanted to be sure I was ready. I finally got to do my first car crush performance (in Bigfoot #10) at a Firestone retailer in San Marcos, Texas, in November. It was a great time, and the truck felt amazing – and I knew I definitely wanted to get back into the driving seat.”
Now in the driver’s seat of Bigfoot #10, Adams is now climbing the driving ladder which typically consists of several months of exhibition car crushing and freestyle performances, a path that numerous championship Bigfoot drivers have traveled. Needless to say, Adams is excited about the opportunity.
“I feel like I’ve worked hard to get here, and it is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity in front of me,” Adams said. “I owe a huge thanks to everyone at Bigfoot for giving me a chance and helping me learn and grow and get to the point I’m at now. I’m enjoying every minute of this, but it’s still kind of hard for me to believe that I’m already here.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: Bigfoot #10 paid a visit to sponsor Alto Products in Atmore on Thursday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
William “Bill” Meadows Jr.
March 23, 2012
William “Bill” Meadows Jr., age 91 of Molino, passed away on Monday, March 19, 2012. He was born on April 21, 1920, in Akron, OH. He was a longtime member of the Masons and the Shriners. Bill attended Allen Memorial Methodist Church. He was a mechanical engineer who worked for NASA and the Veteran’s Administration.
He is preceded in death by his two sons, Paul and Walter Meadows and a daughter, Theresa Meadows.
He is survived by his loving wife, Barbara Meadows; sons, Ralph P. Meadows (Kay), Thomas Meadows, Gerald Meadows (Angie) and Williams Meadows (Candace); daughter, Carol A. Gray (John Uniek); grandchildren, R. Phillip Meadows II, Heather Hayes, Joy Meadows, Crystal Meadows, Ashley Weems, Alex Meadows, Marina Gray, Cheyenne Gray, Mason Meadows, Julia Meadows and Brayden Meadows and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to The Shriners Children’s Burn Center or Allen Memorial United Methodist Church in Cantonment.
Pallbearers will be John Uniek, Phillip Meadows, Harold Hayes, Jeff Crichton, Eric Crichton and Pete Wilson.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, March 23, 2012, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Reverend Andy Gartman officiating. Interment will follow at Aldersgate Methodist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the funeral service.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, FL, is in charge of arrangements.
State Worker Drug Tests To Wait Until Legal Fight Ends
March 23, 2012
After Gov. Rick Scott signed a controversial law that would allow state-worker drug testing, his administration said it will hold off on starting the tests until a legal battle is resolved.
Jesse Panuccio, Scott’s acting general counsel, sent a memo Tuesday to agency heads and lawyers citing a federal lawsuit that opponents filed last year after the governor tried to impose drug tests by executive order.
That lawsuit, which remains pending, led to Scott suspending the tests in June 2010 except for the Department of Corrections. It remains unclear when a judge in Miami will rule on the constitutionality of the tests, but the ruling also would have implications for the new law.
“Because the legal case remains unresolved, the practical and logistical issues involved with implementing drug testing across all agencies remain the same,” Panuccio said in the memo, which was sent to reporters after 6 p.m.
The memo said Scott remains confident in the constitutionality of drug tests and that once “the lawsuit is resolved in the state’s favor, the governor will direct agencies to implement” the executive order and the new law (HB 1205).
Earlier Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida blasted Scott for signing the law. The ACLU has helped lead the challenge to the executive order and made it clear during the recently completed legislative session that the new law also would be challenged.
“(When) this matter lands in the courts, we expect they will make it clear once again that government cannot subject people to suspicionless searches just because it wants to,” ACLU Executive Director Howard Simon said in the statement. “People do not lose their constitutional rights just because they work for the state of Florida.”
The new law, which was overwhelmingly approved by the Legislature, would allow agencies to conduct random testing every three months. Agencies would use a computer system to choose employees to be tested, with the total not exceeding 10 percent of the agency workforce.
Lawmakers did not require drug screening and also would make agencies pay for the tests out of their overall budgets. But Scott made clear Tuesday that agencies under his control would conduct the tests.
“I think it’s the right thing to do for the state,” he said. “Just like a private company, we want to have a productive workforce.”
The law doesn’t take effect until July 1. But Panuccio’s memo said Scott is prepared to defend the executive order and the law at the appellate level, which could signal the possibility of a lengthy fight.\
By The News Service of Florida
Opal Thomas
March 23, 2012
Opal Thomas, age 91, of Cantonment, passed away March 20, 2012. She was born January 7, 1921, in Bush, LA, to the late Vaughn Cowart and Margana Grantham Cowart.
Opal owned and operated Forget Me Not Shop, a florist in Cantonment, for many years. She was also a long time member of Pinehaven Missionary Baptist Church where she was committed not only to her faith in God, but also helping others in time of need. Most of all Opal enjoyed gardening; she loved growing flowers and vegetables.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Warren Thomas.
Survivors include two daughters, Wanna (Don) Caverly of Valparaiso, FL,and Morgana Thomas of Tallahassee, FL; two brothers, Vaughn Cowart Jr. of Bush, LA, and Amos Cowart of Covington, LA; four grandchildren, Korinne Harper, Kristen Caverly, Cate Shannon and Sara Rabon; and 10 great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, March 24, 2012, at 2 p.m. Pinehaven Missionary Baptist Church in Pensacola with Pastor Jimmy Lancaster officiating. Interment will be at Barrancas National Cemetery at a later date.
Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Betty Lou Glass Hinnant
March 23, 2012
Betty Lou Glass Hinnant was born on May 10, 1936, was born again on June 7, 1964, and entered the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 19, 2012. She was born in McDavid to her loving parents, Charlie Clinton Glass and Lottie Cobb Glass, who preceded her in death.
Betty was married to the late Leroy Hinnant and together they parented five adoring children who survive them. Her children are Kathryn Elaine Hinnant, Wanda Hinnant Bell (Ron), Sandra Kaye Hinnant, Phillip Leon Hinnant, all of Pensacola, and Donald Eugene Hinnant (Sherri) of Pleasant City, Ohio. Additionally she is survived by a sister, Dorothy Unger, of Virginia, many nephews and nieces, as well as a host of adoring grandchildren (16) and great grandchildren (17), who will miss their (Ma-Maw) beyond words.
Betty was a conscientious, loyal and hard worker who faithfully served her employers at both Monsanto (11 years) and Armstrong World Industries (21 years).
She was a faithful and loving member of Cornerstone Baptist Church of Pensacola, where she served her Lord passionately. We will miss you Betty but we will never forget you!
The Reverend Bobby Smith, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church, will lead a celebration of Betty’s life on Friday March 23, 2012, at 11 a.m. in The Pensacola Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home Chapel on Pine Forest Road in Pensacola. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. prior to the funeral.
The family would like to thank Baptist Manor and Covenant Hospice of Pensacola for their tender loving care.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
March 22, 2012
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for…
western Escambia County in south central Alabama…
southwestern Conecuh County in south central Alabama…
southwestern Monroe County in south central Alabama…
north central Baldwin County in southwest Alabama…
* until 745 PM CDT
*
In addition to large hail and damaging winds…continuous cloud to
ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors
immediately! Lightning is one of natures number one killers.
Remember…if you can hear thunder…you are close enough to be
struck by lightning.
Aggie Game Moved To Tate
March 22, 2012
Tonight’s Tate High School Aggie game against Hueytown has been moved to Tate.
The game will be played at 7 p.m.