Erma Jean Harrelson Wilson
July 30, 2012
Erma Jean Harrelson Wilson died on July 29, 2012, at a local hospital after a brief battle with lung cancer. She was born on July 10, 1944, in Andalusia.
Erma Jean spent her early years in Fort Walton Beach before eventually moving to Jay. She was a resident of Jay for over 40 years and had spent the last 12 years working in retail sales at Wal-Mart in Brewton. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. Her many hobbies included sewing, roller skating, crocheting, gardening, and going to the Saturday night races.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Bobby Ray Wilson; infant daughter, Tamrya Lynn Wilson; infant son and mother, Doris Marie Harrelson.
Erma Jean is survived by her two daughters, Debra Elaine Wilson of Jay and Diana Jean (Dale) Chavers of Flomaton. She has three grandchildren, Angela Lynn Wilson, Christopher Dale Chavers, and Daniel Edward Chavers, and one great-grandson, Aiden Chavers. She is also survived by her parents, FE and Olene Harrelson of Blackmon, Florida; five sisters, Rose Miller of Waverly, NY, Molly Hughes of Niceville, Jackie Oglesby of Blackmon, Robin LaRouche of Ft. Walton Beach, and Barbara Weeks of Blackmon, and numerous nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, from 6-9 pm at Jay Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 2 pm at Jay Funeral Home on Thursday, August 2, 2012, with Bro. Jesse Rheam officiating. Burial will follow at Cobbtown Mennonite Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Chubby Haveard, Dennis Watson, Ed Clemens, Tom Benner, John Pendleton, and Bruce Godwin. Honorary pallbearers are the employees of Wal-Mart in Brewton and Atmore Ambulance.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
James Henry Morris
July 30, 2012
Mr. James Henry Morris, 75, passed away on Thursday, July 26, 2012, in Century.
Mr. Morris was a native of Repton, AL, and has resided in Wawbeek, AL, for the past 15 years.
Survivors include his three stepsons, Rick Owings, Ronnie Owings and Jeff Owings all of Indianapolis, IN; one daughter, Angela Hicks of Indianapolis; two sisters, Lucille Conway of Flomaton and Luverne Knowles of Flomaton; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild and a host of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be Sunday, July 29, 2012, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel with Rev. Doug Hogg officiating.
Visitation will be Sunday, July 29, 2012, from 12:30 p.m. until funeral time at 2:00 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore.
Pallbearers will be Eddie Conway, Brian Conway, Marcus Knowles, Kevin Knowles, Randell Morris and Larry Knowles.
Mildred Marie “Ree” Buckhaul
July 30, 2012
Mrs. Mildred Marie “Ree” Buckhault, 76, passed away on Saturday, July 28, 2012, in Flomaton.
Mrs. Buckhault was a native of Bratt, a former resident of Stanley Crossroads and a resident of Flomaton for the past year. Mrs. Buckhault attended the Gospel Light Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Jesse Buckhault; a son, Jerry Buckhault; two daughters, Janet Marie Brunson and Carolyn Martin; and her parents, Jenkins Jordan and Onazy Burkett.
Survivors include her son, Perry (Ida Mae) Buckhault of Flomaton; one daughter, Audrey (Jerry) Maddox of Little River, AL; two sisters, Cora Lena Redmon of Flomaton and Nadine Rolin of Brewton; nine grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at the Gospel Light Church with the Rev. Clarence Rolin and Rev. Don Cox officiating.
Burial will follow at Magnolia Cemetery.
Visitation will be Monday, July 30, 2012, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be James Maddox, Perry Joe Buckhault, Thomas Harris, Phillip Maddox, Leonard Conway and Jesse Buckhault Jr.
Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Day, Donny Macks, Sammy Jackson, James Bagwell and Anthony Rolin.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes in Atmore is in charge of all arrangements.
William Franklin Frazier, Jr.
July 30, 2012
William Franklin Frazier, Jr., a former resident of Jay, went to be with the Lord on July 30th. He was preceded in death by his wife Argie M Frazier and son William (Bill) Quinn Frazier.
Survivors include a son Ken (Stephanie) Frazier; two daughters, Tonya (Kenneth) Oakes and Linda (Mason) Carden; two sisters, Bertha (Claude) Weaver and Mary Hicks; two brothers, Danny Earl Frazier and Willard Gene Frazier; six grandchildren, Colby and Kerri Frazier, Katie and Kendall Oakes and Justin and Monique Carden., a host of nieces and nephews that loved him like a father; stepmother Nell Frazier and a true friend, Lavon Boutwell.
Active pallbearers will be Justin Carden, Colby Frazier, Todd Watson, Derek Oakes, Bradley Oakes, and Joseph Frazier. Honorary pallbearers will be Lavon Boutwell, Jerry Hatfield, Larry Hawthorne, and Harold Oakes.
Pastors Mike Wetzel and Jim Lassiter will officiate the service. Visitation will be Tuesday night at Jay Funeral Home from 6-8 p.m. Funeral Service will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Cobbtown Holiness Church. Burial will follow at Hopewell Cemetery.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to all of the caretakers for their dad at Baptist Manor and Covenant Hospice.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Powered By Chocolate Milk: Run Across Four States For Pensacola Lighthouse
July 30, 2012
A New Orleans man — powered by chocolate milk — has completed a run from New Orleans to Pensacola to raise money for the Pensacola Lighthouse.
Billed as the ‘Krewe du Shoe’ Run, long distance runner George Melichar averaged 60 miles per day to cover the 230 mile distance in four days. Along the way, he could be seen refueling with chocolate milk — one of his run sponsors.
In addition to raising money for the restoration of the Pensacola Lighthouse, Melichars run honored the children attending the Salvation Center School in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
“My passion for running in New Orleans has lead me to serve my community by aiding in recovery.” says Melichar, “As I have traveled the world running marathons, I have come to appreciate the city landmarks, the neighborhoods I run through, and the residents’ enthusiasm as I run pass.”
While the final tally was not immediately available, Melichars goal was to raise $800,000 needed to repoint or restore the weathered masonry in this historical lighthouse tower to ensure it is around for future generations.
“I also hope that by helping to preserve this historical landmark with my four-state run I will also generate attention to the beauty and tourism opportunities available to Gulf Coast visitors.”
To donate or learn more about the Pensacola lighthouse, visit www.pensacolalighthouse.org.
Pictured top: Long distance runner George Melichar on Pensacola NAS near the lighthouse. Pictured inset: Melichar’s run was fueled by chocolate milk. Pictured below: Melichar reaches the Pensacola Lighthouse. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enalrge.
Warrington Tax Office Reopens
July 30, 2012
The Escambia County Tax Collector office reopens on Monday on North Navy Boulevard. The branch was closed since June 11 due to flooding.
After the Warrington office closed, the Cantonment tax collector office on Highway 29 was closed and moved to Molino.
The Warrington tax collector office is located at 507 North Navy Boulevard, while the Molino office is located at 6440 Highway 95A. Both offices are open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Man Sentenced For Stealing 54,884 Gallons Of Diesel Fuel
July 30, 2012
A man accused of stealing 54,884 gallons of diesel fuel over a two year period from his employer has been sentenced.
Dennis Lawson pleaded no contest to a charge of grand theft for stealing the fuel, valued at an estimated $179,705. He was sentenced to three years probation, mandatory anti-theft counseling, 100 hours of community service and restitution.
Florida Rock and Tank Lines hired a private investigator after they noticed discrepancies and then turned their information over to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s investigators later observed Lawson pump two 55-gallon drums of diesel fuel that he transported to a self-storage unit to be sold at a lower cost to others.
Lawson was a 26-year employee of the company.
Report: Florida Trailing Most States In Kids’ Health, Education
July 30, 2012
A new report shows Florida trailing most other states in the health and education of its children – with an especially low ranking in economic well-being.
The effects are harmful and could be long-term – not just for the children but for the state, advocates say.
The annual Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Florida 44th in the economic well-being of its children, 38th in their health outcomes and 35th in their educational performance.
The state ranks 38th overall.
The number of Florida children living in poverty is up 28 percent from 2005 to 2010, the last year for which data were included in the study. That measurement considers such factors as whether the parents have secure employment or the ability to cover their housing costs.
Ted Granger, president of the United Way of Florida, said he wasn’t surprised by the ranking given the need local agencies are seeing.
Economic instability is “having a huge and dramatic effect on children,” Granger said. “The largest group of new homeless are single parents with children. These children, whether or not homeless or in poverty, are part of a group that statistically we know have worse health care outcomes [and] lack the educational opportunities to realize their full potential.”
In 2010, 23 percent of Florida children were living in poverty. The parents of 34 percent lacked secure employment, up from 28 percent in 2008. Nearly half of Florida households – 49 percent – saw their housing costs grow to 30 percent or more, up from 42 percent in 2005. The number of teens who were neither in school nor working was 10 percent, the same as in 2008.
In all these categories, Florida’s stats were worse than the national average.
“I think it’s a ticking time bomb,” said Roy Miller, president of the Children’s Campaign in Florida. “Children are exposed now in much larger numbers to poverty and all of its ill effects. So what’s going to happen to those children five years, 10 years, [or] 15 years down the road? We don’t know.”
Susan Weitzel, Florida Kids Count director, said the state’s children are growing up with risk factors that predict they will not succeed in Florida’s future economy.
“When children are going to school hungry and do not know if they have a place to sleep at night, how can they be successful in the classroom?” she asked in a statement about the report.
David Wilkins, secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families, agreed that his agency is seeing poor children at risk for future difficulties.
“When you see children in poverty over time, you may see them in other parts of the system, such as [the Department of Juvenile Justice] system or child welfare system,” he said. “That’s what we always have to be careful about and watch.
“The other thing that’s in our state that a lot of other states aren’t facing to anywhere the same level is the substance abuse and prescription drug problem,” Wilkins added. “That’s also crossing across that same demographic.”
But while Wilkins said he wasn’t surprised by the findings, he pointed out that the report’s 2010 economic data don’t include Gov. Rick Scott’s job-creating efforts. Scott was inaugurated in January 2011.
“The issue of poverty in the state is driven almost entirely by the economic situation of jobs and the housing market,” Wilkins said. “That’s why the citizens elected this governor…In the past year, we’ve reduced unemployment in Florida another two percentage points.
“So I think we’re heading in the right direction.”
And the Kids Count report did have some good news for Florida. The number of uninsured children has dropped slightly, to half a million. Students are doing a bit better in reading and math, although still below the national average.
According to the Kids Count findings, while Florida ranked 44th among the states in terms of economic well-being, it was 38th overall, with better outcomes in four other areas.
The state ranked 35th in education. The number of Florida children not attending preschool in 2008-2010 was 51 percent, compared to 52 percent in 2005-2007. The number of high school students not graduating on time was 31 percent in 2008-2009, an improvement from 36 percent in 2005-2006. In two categories with 2011 data, 65 percent of fourth graders were not proficient in reading, compared to 70 percent in 2005, and 72 percent of eighth graders were not proficient in math, a slight improvement from 74 percent in 2005.
In children’s health, Florida ranked 38th. In 2010, I3 percent of Florida kids lacked health insurance, compared to 18 percent in 2008 – although still below the national average of 8 percent. In 2009, child and teen deaths slowed to 29 per 100,000, down from 37 percent in 2005. The numbers of teens abusing alcohol and drugs dropped from 8 percent in 2005-2006 to 7 percent in 2008-2009. The number of low birth-weight babies stayed at 8.7 percent over the same period, compared to the national average of 8.2 percent.
Florida ranked 35th in the family and community category, with 39 percent of children living in single-parent families in 2010 – up from 36 percent in 2005. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods grew from 7 to 8 percent. Teen births per 1,000 dropped from 42 in 2005 to 39 in 2009. Between 2005 and 2010, the number of children in families where the head of household lacked a high school diploma dropped from 15 to 14 percent.
For children’s advocate Miller, the improvements are welcome but frustrating, since they show where the state has invested money successfully.
“And I think that’s the frustration of the child advocacy community,” he said. “Why don’t we make the investments in all the areas that need help, so that we see investments across the board?…We’re seeing investments save money and improve lives. Why aren’t we making better choices?”
But the United Way’s Granger said the Legislature is “between a rock and a hard place” when it comes to investing in children.
“We’ve underfunded these services for decades – probably forever,” he said. “We’re in a situation where we’ve got these crises, and we have to fund the crises. So it’s really a difficult balance [lawmakers] have to determine, ‘Do we fund the crisis of the moment, or do we fund something that’s going to give us results in five, six, 15, 20 years?’
“And unfortunately, the crises are such that they compel many of us to say we’ve got to fund the crisis.”
By The News Service of Florida
Zarpido C. Angeles
July 30, 2012
Zarpido C. Angeles, 65, a resident of Pensacola and formerly from Atmore, died peacefully at his home with his family by his side on July 24, 2012.
Family and friends knew him as Angel or Chico as some of his former co-workers would call him. Mr. Angeles served his country in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1974. He is a graduate of Faulkner State Community College and Troy University where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. Mr. Angeles worked for the Alabama Department of Corrections for 25 years and retired as a captain in 2002. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather and loved to joke and pick on everyone he knew.
Mr. Angeles was born on May 6, 1942, in Lingayen, Pangasinan Philippines, to the late Felicisimo R. Angeles and Dorotea C. Angeles.
He is preceded in death by one brother. Florenio Angeles.
He leaves behind his loving wife of 35 years Sheila (Debbie) Davis Angeles of Pensacola; one daughter, Angelica Angeles of Pensacola; three very special grandsons, Cruz, Alex and Drew; one brother, Rodolfo Angeles of the Philippines; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 31 from 10-11 a.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South, 100 Beverly Parkway followed by Mass of Christian burial at Little Flower Catholic Church, 6495 Lillian Highway, Pensacola, with Father James Thoyalil presiding. Burial will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Drought Means Pain At The Grocery Checkout
July 29, 2012
Economists say food prices are likely to rise in the coming months in the wake of record-breaking temperatures and drought in the major corn and soybean producing regions of the U.S.
Despite early predictions of a record corn crop, estimates have plummeted after a string of record-high temperature days and dry conditions stretching across the Midwestern farm states.
The USDA is predicting that meat prices will rise, with beef and veal expected to increase in price 3.5 to 4.5 percent during the remainder of the year. Beef prices are currently 6.9 percent higher than this time last year, with steak prices up 8.1 percent and ground beef prices up 7.3 percent. In the short term, beef prices are forecast to actually fall a bit, as increased feed prices force producers to decrease herd sizes and, in turn, increase the beef supply.
The USDA is forecasting an increase of 3.5 to 4.5 percent in chicken and turkey prices, also due to higher feed prices.
Consumers can expect to pay more for cheese and milk, with dairy prices seeing an anticipated 3.5 to 4.5 percent jump. Eggs are forecast to rise about 2 percent in price.
Cooking and vegetable oil, with soybeans as the main ingredient, are forecast by the USDA to rise 4 to 5 percent in price in 2012.
There’s one bright spot in the consumer price forecast from the USDA. Since last year at this time, fresh vegetable prices are down 3.6 percent, with potato prices down 3.4 percent, lettuce prices down 6.4 percent, tomato prices down 6.9 percent, and other fresh vegetable prices down 1.8 percent
“We need rain, and it doesn’t look like we’re going to get it,” says Iowa State University economist Dermot Hayes.
Pork and chicken prices will go up, as well as beef, milk and eggs, because corn and soybeans are key ingredients in animal feed.
Pictured top: Corn in Walnut Hill suffers the effects of drought earlier this year. The area has since received significant rainfall. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.