Molino Lady Astros Take Second In Southern Nationals

August 2, 2012

The Molino Lady Astros finished second in the Southern Nationals recently. The Lady Astros won all  pool and bracket games to head into the championship game at 8-0.

The 16U Astros finished as runner-ups after a 3-2 loss to Mississippi Blast in a grueling game with heat indices well over 100 degrees.

“Our pitching was great from Jessica Briggs, Meagan Green, Heather Thomason and Korina Rosario, who led in strikeouts,” Coach Donnie Nicholson said. “I was very proud of everyone giving it all they had.

Pictured top: The Molino 16U Lady Astros (front, L-R)  Caitlyn Hagan, Gracie Kilcrease, Jessica Briggs, Abby Spivey, Meagan Green, (back row)  Coach Donnie Nicholson, Kat Griffin, Heather Thomason, Kathleen Smile and Terri Andrews. Not pictured are Coach Nick Rosario and Shawn Green. Pictured below: The Lady Astros in action. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.



James O’Neal Black

August 2, 2012

Mr. James O’Neal Black, 75, passed away on Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in Bratt.

Mr. Black was a native of Brewton and a resident of Bratt for the past 21 years. He was a Veteran of the US Navy, Vietnam and was retired from Fountain Correctional Facility. He attended Atmore Baptist Temple.

He is preceded in death by five brothers, Otto Black, H.H. Black, Carl Black, Wilmer Black and Donnie Black.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Faye Black of Bratt; one son, Jamie (Michele) Black of Atmore; two daughters, Vicki Hunt of Atmore and Kristi Crawford of Navarre; two sisters, Doris Wilson of Spanish Fort and Deloris Vance of Wickliffe, KY; four granchildren, Blake McCall, Ashlynn McCall, Chelsea Black and Chirstian Black and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Friday, August 3, 2012, at 11 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Doug Odom officiating.

Visitation will be Friday, August 3, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. until funeral time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.

Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC in charge of all arrangements.

Smokies Take Two From The Pensacola Blue Wahoos

August 2, 2012

The Tennessee Smokies picked up a pair of wins over the Blue Wahoos on Wednesday night at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. Tennessee won the continuation of Tuesday night’s suspended game 4-2 before walking off with a 1-0 win in the second game.

After waiting out a rain delay to start the continuation, the Blue Wahoos quickly tied the score in the top of the fifth. After David Vidal doubled to begin the inning, Billy Hamilton singled him home from second with two outs to even the score at 2-2. Shortly after his single, Hamilton broke for second and dove into the bag safely with his 117th stolen base of the season. He is now just 28 steals shy of Vince Coleman’s 1983 record of 145.

The Smokies were quick to respond in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and a man on, Nate Samson hit a two-run homer to left field off Brian Pearl to give the Smokies a 4-2 lead. Tennessee kept the Wahoos off the scoreboard the rest of the way as the Smokies won 4-2. Pearl (1-2) suffered the loss for Pensacola after working 2.1 innings and allowing just the two runs. Trey McNutt (6-8) worked the first three innings of the resumption and allowed one run on two hits on his way to the win. Kevin Rhoderick (8) worked a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the save.

In the second game, Fish starter Daniel Corcino traded zeros with Smokies starter Dallas Beeler through the first five innings before each team went to their bullpen in the sixth.

Corcino allowed just three hits over five innings. He walked one and fanned four. Dallas Beeler allowed just three base runners over his five shutout innings for the Smokies. Neither starter recorded a decision.

The Smokies broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh when Justin Bour hit the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a walk-off home run giving Tennessee the 1-0 win. After working a 1-2-3 sixth inning, Curtis Partch (4-4) allowed the homer to Bour to suffer the loss. Brian Schlitter (2-2) worked two scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Smokies to earn the win.

The Blue Wahoos have now dropped four straight. It matches the team’s longest losing streak of the season. It is the first time since June 1-3 that the Blue Wahoos have lost four in a row.

Pensacola will try to salvage the final game of the four-game set with the Smokies on Thursday. Right-hander Wirfin Obispo (2-0, 2.63) will get the nod for Pensacola. The Smokies haven’t announced their starter. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. CT at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn.

By Tommy Thrall

Pictured: Daniel Corcino worked five shutout innings in the Blue Wahoos’ 1-0 loss in game 2 against the Smokies Wednesday night. Photo by Chris Nelson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Crediton Eugene Rigby

August 2, 2012

Crediton Eugene Rigby, 65, passed away on July 29, 2012.He was born in Pensacola on November 28, 1946, to Joe Rigby and Mary Louise Rigby Ward. He graduated from Century High School in Century. He was employed with Monsanto Corporation for 35 years. He was retired from the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a member of the Cantonment Church of Christ in Cantonment.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Rigby and Mary Louise (Jack) Rigby Ward; two sisters, Thelma Diane Rigby Brake and Eleanor Marie Ward and one brother, Troy E. Ward.

He is survived by his wife, Connie Charlene Rigby and three children, Cynthia Jean (Nathan) Daniel; Anthony Eugene (Tracy) Rigby and Gena Renee Rigby; one grandson, Dalton Ray Daniel; three brothers, Joe (Debra) Rigby; Bill (Frances) Ward and Ronnie Ward; and two sisters, Gwendolyn (Leonard) Cook and Voncille (Joe) Silcox.

Funeral services will be Friday, August 3, 2012, at Faith Chapel North with Jeffery Orr Minister and Jimmy Blackmon, Minister of the Church of Christ officiating. Interment will follow at Bayview Memorial Park in Pensacola.

The family would like to thank the staff of Homestead Village for their loving care of our husband, father, and brother for the past four and a half years and would also like to thank Covenant Hospice for their kindness, care and love of our loved one.

Thousands Of Supporters Turn Out For Chick-fil-A ‘Appreciation Day’

August 1, 2012

Thousands have turned out Wednesday to support Chick-fil-A at restaurants across the area.

NorthEscambia.com reader submitted photos show lines out the door, packed restaurant lobbies and drive-thru lines filling parking lots and spilling into nearby streets.

For a reader submitted photo gallery, click here.

Wednesday was proclaimed “Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day” by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. A social media campaign on Facebook followed, urging those that support the chicken restaurant to eat at a location near them on Wednesday.

“Let’s affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday,” Huckabee said in a Facebook posting.

Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A told the Baptist Press last month that the company is “guilty as charged” for supporting the “the biblical definition of a family” as marriage being the union of one man and one woman. Those statement drew fire from gay rights groups who have called for boycotts and to block the chain from opening more restaurants.

Pictured: The rush at Chick-fil-A restaurants in the North Escambia area Wednesday. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Flomaton Police Seize Drugs, Over $46,000 In Cash In Traffic Stop

August 1, 2012

Police in Flomaton seized a small quantity of drugs and over $46,000 in cash following a traffic stop Tuesday evening — believed to be the largest cash seizure ever by the department.

Flomaton Police Department Officer Chris Neal conducted a traffic stop on a 2010 Dodge Challenger on Highway 113 for a moving violation. When asked if there was anything in the vehicle that police should know about, Neal said the driver — 21 year old Jarvis Dionte Corry of Atlanta — admitted that there was $35,000 in cash under the driver’s seat.

Neal said after detecting the possible odor of marijuana from the vehicle, he asked for and obtained consent to search the car. The  front seat passenger, Neal said, had small baggie of a substance in his possession that tested positive for cocaine and a small quantity of marijuana.

Police reported finding a total of $46,010 in the vehicle. The money was discovered in several locations, including under the driver’s seat, in a shaving bag and in luggage, sorted into $1,000 bundles.

For a photo gallery, click here.

The men claimed the money was from student loans and that they had driven to Pensacola to buy a truck with the cash, but decided against the purchase and instead were returning to the Atlanta area.

Corry, the driver, was cited for impeding the flow of traffic. The front seat passenger, 35-year old Antwan Deonte Jackson of Atlanta, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance in connection with the cocaine allegedly found on his person and possessions of marijuana. He was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.

Two other people in the vehicle, a 31-year old male  and a 20-year old male, both from the Atlanta area, were not immediately charged with any crime. They were released along with Correy.

The investigation into the traffic stop and the cash continued into Wednesday morning at the Flomaton Police Department. The department will file paperwork to seize the cash due to possible narcotics activity, officers said.  The vehicle remained impounded for further investigation.

Pictured top: Flomaton Police officer Chris Neal with over $46,000 in cash seized during a traffic stop Tuesday evening. Pictured inset: Part of the cash was discovered during this search of luggage belonging to the suspects. Pictured bottom inset: The 2010 Dodge Challengers stopped by the Flomaton Police Department. Pictured below: A portion of the cash, cocaine and marijuana (in foreground) seized. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Man Found Dead After House Explodes

August 1, 2012

The body of a man was found in an Escambia County house following a suspicious explosion and fire early this morning.

Multiple stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the home at near the intersection of Dog Track Road and Brookstone Way about 2:15 a.m. The explosion had blown out windows and the garage door of the home.

Once the fire was out, authorities found the body of 59-year old Richard Dunigan of Pensacola inside.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has joined the State Fire Marshal’s Office in the investigation into the incident.

Pictured: A man was found dead inside this home that exploded early Wednesday morning in Escambia County. Photos courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Molino Man Shot After Driving Into Cantonment House Is Arrested

August 1, 2012

The Molino man that was shot multiple times after driving his vehicle into a house in Cantonment last month was arrested Tuesday afternoon.

John Alex Godwin, age 34 of Molino Road, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on felony charges of aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, criminal mischief property damage and burglary, according to jail records. He was released Tuesday on a $40,000 bond.

During the predawn hours of July 13,  the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Godwin crashed is his car into the home of 25-year old Heather McKamey of Cantonment.  The car literally pushed in the front door, door frame and surrounding bricks.

Godwin was then shot by 25-year old Andrew Lundy of Cantonment. Lundy was not charged.

Godwin reportedly suffered multiple gunshot woulds and was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. Warrants were prepared for his arrest pending his release from the hospital.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Godwin was McKamey’s ex-boyfriend. She has unsuccessfully tried to get a restraining order against him in Escambia County back in June after a domestic violence incident between the pair in Mississippi.

According to a Gulfport Police Department incident report, Godwin was dating McKamey when he allegedly assault her on I-10 in Mississippi at the 33 mile marker by grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground. She suffered minor lacerations to her hand during the incident, according to the report.

Pictured: A man was shot early the morning of July 13 after driving his car into this house in the 900 block of Jacks Branch Road in Cantonment. Deputies say the incident was a domestic violence incident. Photos by WEAR for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Century To Talk Budget, No Property Tax Increase

August 1, 2012

The Century Town Council will hold a second budget workshop Thursday afternoon.

During the workshop, supervisors will present budget proposals for their individual departments for the 2012-2013 fiscal year that begins October 1.

The proposed ad valorem millage rate remains at .9048 for third consecutive year. That’s equal to about $90 per $100,000 in taxable value on a piece of property. One mill is equal to $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed value.

The tax generates less than $30,000 per year for the property tax levy.

Rain Chance Increasing

August 1, 2012

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

  • Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 76. South wind around 5 mph.
  • Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 106. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
  • Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
  • Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
  • Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph.
  • Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
  • Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
  • Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
  • Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
  • Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
  • Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
  • Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.
  • Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74.
  • Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93.

« Previous PageNext Page »