Joseph Edward King
May 17, 2012
Joseph Edward King, 75, of Cantonment, passed into the loving arms of our Lord and Savior on Monday, May 14, 2012, comfortably in his home surrounded by family. Joseph was born in Fitchburg, MA. He served 20 years in the United States Air Force with three tours in Vietnam as a security police, retiring in 1990 after 16 years with E.C. S. D. corrections.
Since retiring, he worked as a security guard with CCI and Wells Fargo; also grounds maintenance at Pensacola Memorial Gardens and Eastern Gate cemeteries. The past nine years, Joe worked part-time as maintenance supervisor with Premier Chemicals. During this time he also did lawn maintenance in several area cemeteries.
Joe was a very loving husband, Dad, grandpaw “POPS” and devoted friend. He was a very hard working man; he loved the outdoors, cutting grass and cleaning head stones. His favorite past time was to find his TV “clicker” and watch the history channel and old classic movies. He enjoyed being a Mason and spending time at the lodge with his “brothers”. He loved singing gospel songs sitting on the bed playing his guitar and harmonica with his grandbabies. Joe loved the Lord, his Savior and really enjoyed singing in many church choirs. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill. In 1977, Joe became a mason at Ensley Lodge #278. He held many offices and served on many committees locally and with Grand Lodge. In 1989, he was Worshipful Master of #278. Joe was also Scottish Rite and Zelica Grotto. He was honorary member of several lodges. Joe spent many nights mentoring his brothers. His lodge brothers are truly part of our family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mitchell and Blanche King and his brother Mitchell King, Jr.
Joe was survived by his loving wife of 25 years, Carolyn King, brother Dickie King and Ronnie (Teresa) King; 10 children; April King Randolph, Edward (Satomi) King, Julia Speed, Edna King, Misty (Carl) Stephens, Tim McGlothren, Shelley (Joe) Brown, Stacey (Chris) Ziglar, Mitchell (Tammy) King, Cammie Wright, 24 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
Family will receive friends Friday, May 18, 2012, from 5-8 p.m. at Faith Chapel North-Cantonment.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 19, 2012, at 1 p.m. at Faith Chapel North-Cantonment. Graveside will follow at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Serving, as pallbearers will be his Masonic brothers from all area lodges. Rev. Drayton Smith and Rev. Mark Torres will be officiating.
A special thank you to Covenant Hospice and to all of his friends “Brothers” who have been so loving and supportive.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Highway 29 South Cantonment is in charge of arrangements.
Thelma Peacock King
May 17, 2012
Mrs. Thelma Peacock King, age 102, passed away on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, at Atmore Community Hospital after a lengthy illness.
Mrs. King was a native of Byrneville and had been a member of the Atmore community since 1944 coming from Byrneville. She attended Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and was a homemaker.
She is survived by her son, Earl D. King of Atmore; daughters, Thelma ‘Tina’ Christine Lowell of Atmore, Marie Jackson of Pensacola, Margaret McCourt of Navarre, Pauline Floyd of Montgomery; sister, Mary Morris of Jay; 22 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Saturday evening, May 19, 2012, from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel.
Funeral services will be held graveside on Sunday, May 20, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Atmore.
Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Alex Bell
May 17, 2012
Alex Bell, 80, resident of Sylva, NC, passed away Monday, May, 14, 2012.
Alex was born in McDavid and grew up in Pensacola. He attended Pensacola High School and later would join the Armed Services. After completion of his enlistment Alex gained employment with the City of Pensacola in their utilities division. He would later go on to become a communications officer with Pensacola Police Department for a combined service of over 31 years. Alex always had a passion for the water and fishing and loved to share it with his family and friends.
As for his family, Alex was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Of those whose life he touched, he will be greatly missed.
He is preceded in death by his father, Noah Bell; mother, Maggie Bell; brother, A.P. (Arthur) Bell and sisters, Agnes Sheppard and Essie Mae Smith.
Survivors include his wife, Emily C. Bell; sons, Alex and Jeff Bell; grandchildren, Lindsey, Luke, Noah and Adam; great grandchildren, Cordelia, Lily and Kylie.
Graveside Service will be held 2 p.m. Friday, May 18, 2012, at St. John’s Cemetery with Rev. Geoffrey Lentz officiating.
We would like to extend a special thanks to all of the selfless and wonderful family and friends who were so gracious to help with these arrangements, and to all those who contacted us with your condolences and prayers. God Bless.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
No Serious Injuries In School Bus Crash
May 16, 2012
There were no serious injuries in a school bus crash this morning on Davis Highway.
The bus, which was transporting 27 students from Pine Forest and West Florida high schools, was “lightly” rear-ended by a Chevrolet Silverado driven by 28-year old Robert James Jenkins of Pensacola, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Four students on bus initially reported that they had minor neck and back pain, but all students refused treatment according to Escambia county School District officials on scene, FHP reported.
Jenkins was cited for careless driving by the Florida Highway Patrol.
ATF: One ‘Tutor’ With Guns, Ammo In SUV Is Convicted Felon
May 16, 2012
Two weeks after men that claimed to be tutors headed to Warrington Middle School with multiple weapons in their vehicle were stopped in Flomaton and Pensacola, there have been no arrests. But the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives now says that one of the men was a convicted felon, leading to the seizure of weapons.
The names of the men, ages 35 and 39, have not been released because they were not charged with any crime. But the ATF now says that the 35-year old has felony conviction on his record, making him ineligible to possess a firearm. Authorities have not said exactly what felony crime the man committed in his past.
But that felony conviction was enough for the ATF to have probable cause to seize the weapons.
April 25: Men And Vehicle Stopped In Flomaton, Ala.
A traffic stop about 5 p.m. April 25 at the Alabama/Florida line turned up stash of weapons and thousands of dollars in cash.
Officer Chris Neal with the Flomaton Police Department conducted a routine traffic stop about 5 p.m. after observing the driver of a 2012 Chevrolet Suburban make an improper lane change on Highway 29. He stopped the vehicle just over the bridge between Flomaton and Century, still inside Alabama but only a few yards from Florida.
For more photos from the Flomaton traffic stop, click here.
Neal asked for and was granted consent to search. After finding several guns in the vehicle, the he immediately called for backup from the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
A search of the vehicle by Neal and another officer from the Flomaton Police Department uncovered multiple handguns, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, multiple ammunition clips, tasers, police handcuffs, brass knuckles and “suspicious” solid black clothing, gloves and hoodies. The passenger claimed the guns belonged to him, and he produced a valid weapons permit.
Officers also located a paper bag containing $8,400 in $100 bills inside the vehicle. One of the men told a story about having IRS troubles and dealing in cash to avoid problems with the agency. The cash was not in the vehicle when it was stopped in Pensacola.
Multiple SIM cards — memory chips that allow cell phones to switch numbers and identifiable information instantly — were visible in the vehicle stopped in Flomaton, along with a laptop computer and multiple wireless internet modems.
The vehicle was also searched for drugs by an Escambia County (Fla.) K-9, but no illegal drugs were located.
The driver and passenger, both adult males, said they were on their way from the Birmingham area to tutor students the following day at Warrington Middle School. One of the men was dressed in a t-shirt with a tutoring company’s logo on the front and the words “Free Tutoring” on the back. They produced business cards and other items from a tutoring company in New Jersey.
The men said they had the arsenal of weapons for their own protection because they sometimes tutor students in “bad areas”.
Officers spent about two hours searching the vehicle, questioning the men as they stood handcuffed by a police car and running various computer records checks on the vehicle, the firearms and the men. All of the weapons were legally possessed, according to officers. Both men were released from Flomaton without any criminal charges or traffic citations.
April 26: Federal Agents Take Over
On April 26, the two men were reportedly spotted by law enforcement at a motel on New Warrington Road, about a mile from Warrington Middle School. When they pulled out of the motel parking lot onto New Warrington Road just before 9 a.m., deputies conducted an “investigative stop”, according to Sgt. Mike Ward, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. When they found multiple weapons in the vehicle, Escambia deputies called the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
ATF agents took over the investigation and seized the weapons, including four guns, from the men. They also found computer printed maps with directions to Warrington Middle School.
After a lengthy search of their rental 2012 Chevrolet Suburban, the men were allowed to continue on their way.
Tutoring Company CEO “Flabbergasted” By Incident
Both men were confirmed to be employees of Innovative Educational Programs (IEP) in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. One of the men, according to his business card (pictured), is the company’s “Southeast Regional Director”.
Tony O’Donell, CEO of the company, learned of the incidents involving his employees from a NorthEscambia.com phone call.
“I am just flabbergasted by the suspicions,” O’Donnell said from his New Jersey office. He said the company immediately suspended both men and launched an internal investigation. “We will be asking them a lot of questions.” He said IEP will likely terminate both men.
All IEP employees undergo background screenings, and the company does not allow employees to carry guns, the CEO said.
According to Escambia County School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, IEP is not contracted to provide any services whatsoever in Escambia County. Thomas said IEP is not a licensed tutoring provider in Florida. NorthEscambia.com independently confirmed that IEP is not an authorized tutoring service recognized by the Florida Department of Education; however, the company is a legitimate tutoring provider in several states, including Alabama and Mississippi.
O’Donnell said the men were in the Pensacola area to “scout” schools for market research.
“We’ve never had an incident like this before,” he said. “This is just beyond belief. I regret that our company has indirectly caused so many people to be upset there (in Escambia County).”
School District Responds
When Escambia County Superintendent Malcom Thomas learned about the Flomaton traffic stop, the weapons and the claims that the men were headed to Warrington Middle, immediate steps were taken to ensure the safety of students at Warrington and every other school in the district.
School resource officers, principals and other key district employees were quickly made aware of the situation. They were provided with information from law enforcement, as well as unpublished NorthEscambia.com photographs showing additional details about the vehicle, including a tag number, and photographs of the men.
Thomas said a school district protective services employee responded to the New Warrington Road traffic stop, and a trespass order was issued against the men forbidding them from visiting any public school in the district.
“If they so much as set foot on any one of our campuses, they will be arrested for trespassing,” he said.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bay Minette Man Killed In Wreck Near Atmore Prison
May 16, 2012
A Bay Minette man was killed in a two vehicle accident near Fountain Prison north of Atmore this morning.
Kenneth Moore, 41, was pronounced deceased at the scene of the 6 a.m. wreck. Moore was reportedly a corrections officer, only about a half mile from arriving at his morning shift.
Moore’s Dodge Avenger and a Ford pickup driven by William Henry Wiggins of Perdido collided nearly head-on. Wiggins was not seriously injured.
The accident remains under investigation by Alabama State Troopers. Further details have not been released.
Fire Destroys House In Atmore
May 16, 2012
An early morning fire destroyed a house in Atmore.
The fire was reported just after 2:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Third Street. The house was fully involved when the first firefighters arrived on scene.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the residents left homeless by the blaze.
The Atmore Fire Department, Poarch Creek Fire Department, Atmore Ambulance and Atmore Police Department responded to the call.
Northview, Tate, Jay Release Football Schedules
May 16, 2012
Northview, Tate and Jay high schools have released their 2012 football schedules, and all three teams will have spring games this month.
Northview will have a full 11-game season this year, including seven home games. The Northview Spring Game will be this Thursday at 7 p.m. as the Chiefs host the Jaguars of West Florida High School. General admission is $6.
The Tate Aggies will begin their season at home against Pensacola High School on August 24. Tate will have a Crimson and Gray intersquad game at home this Friday at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to Washington High for a Spring Game on May 28 at 7 p.m.
The Jay Royals will travel just over half of the 2012 season, with their first three games on the road. The Royals will host Rocky Bayou Christian School in a Spring Game on May 24 at 6 p.m.
Schedules for the Northview Chiefs, Tate Aggies and Jay Royals are below.
Man Charged With Shooting, Killing Two Horses
May 16, 2012
An Escambia County man was arrested Tuesday for shooting and killing two of his horses.
Richard Wayne Owen was charged after deputies responded to his property on Baronne Street in West Pensacola where Animal Control and Code Enforcement had discovered two dead horses that appeared to have been shot in the head. The skeletal remains of a third horse were also discovered.
Owen arrived on scene and was questioned by deputies about the dead horses. After taking witness statements and physical evidence, deputies arrested Owen.
Owen was charged with two counts of animal cruelty and carrying a concealed firearm. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $11,000.
BOE Lowers FCAT Writing Test Passing Score
May 16, 2012
To avoid a steep drop in student scores the Florida Board of Education on Tuesday lowered the passing grade on a statewide writing test in an effort to insulate schools from a decline that would affect school funding.
Meeting in an emergency session, the board agreed to lower the passing grade from 4.0 to 3.0 on the FCAT writing assessment for the current school year after statewide numbers showed the passing rate fell through the floor, dropping in fourth grade from 81 percent to 27 percent.
Eighth and 10th graders experienced similar drops in writing grades.
The emergency rule will be in effect for 90 days. The board will address permanent rules within that time
But even with the lower standards, more students this year will not receive a satisfactory score, a drop in success that state education officials say is prompted by tougher testing criteria and the fact that each test was scored by two people.
The Department of Education took some responsibility for the drop, saying it did not adequately prepare schools and teachers for more rigorous standards that were put in place this year, which included an increased focus on grammar and punctuation.
Instead the new standard appears to have been rushed, which led to the dramatic increase in unsatisfactory scores.
“This conversation should have come up earlier,” DOE Secretary Gerard Robinson acknowledged. “We’ll do better going forward.”
School specific writing scores will not be out until at least the end of the week, leaving many districts in limbo as they wait to see if their schools will garner the necessary scores to keep the overall school grade from dropping, which has financial implications for already cash-strapped districts.
Passing scores on the FCAT writing assessment for fourth graders plummeted from 81 percent to 27 percent. Passing scores in eighth grade fell from 82 percent to 33 percent.
Tenth graders taking the test saw a similar drop in success. While 80 percent passed the test last year, only 38 percent scored a 4 or above on a 6-point scale this time around.
At the 3.0 threshold, 81 percent of fourth graders, 77 percent of eighth graders and 84 percent of 10th graders passed the test.
Some board members reluctantly supported the lower standards, but made it clear they would not continue to do so. School scores are expected to be out by the end of the week.
“The change from 4.0 to 3.0 looks like we are lowering standards,” said John Padget. “I’m only voting on this so we can hold (schools) harmless for this year only:”
Other board members, however, said the lower scores are not a reflection of student aptitude, but a change in scoring that has raised the bar.
“This is absolutely not a retreat,” said vice chairman Roberto Martinez. “It is maintaining the equivalence with last year, we’re just using a much more rigorous application of the scoring rubric.”
The test score drop became the vehicle for parents, teachers and local administrators to vent on the FCAT writing test and testing in general. The board took numerous calls from parents who said the high stakes tests are stressing out their kids.
Teachers said they were not given an adequate heads up on what the new criteria would mean.
“We literally didn’t receive much information at all,” said Holly Wallace, a writing teacher. “We were a little out of touch as far as what exactly the expectations were.”
Leon County Superintendent Jackie Pons, worried that contrary to the board’s assertion that school districts would not be penalized by the new standards, many school districts would still see their school grades fall based on the results of the writing assessment.
Despite the lower standard, some districts will still be adversely affected. School grades are partially determined by FCAT scores. Schools that perform poorly must divert resources to fixing the problem, which takes funds away from other areas.
The low scores brought concern from the top as well. Gov. Rick Scott, in a sharply worded statement Monday, said the lower scores were of great concern.
“The significant contrast in this year’s writing scores is an obvious indication that the Department of Education needs to review the issue and recommend an action plan so that our schools, parents, teachers and students have a clear understanding of the results,” Scott said.
Critics of FCAT testing also used the opportunity to take their shots.
“Florida’s overemphasis on testing is insane,” said former state Sen. Dan Gelber. “We have become a school system whose entire purpose seems to be to prepare kids for minimal competence tests.”
The Board plans to get updates at it June meeting.