Authorities Looking For DCF Impersonator
January 24, 2012
Authorities are looking for a man they say is pretending to be a Department of Children and Families employee.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a white male identifying himself as DCF employee Craig Johnson entered a home, claiming to be conducting an investigation of child neglect. DCF said the agency does not have an employee of that name, nor are they conducting an investigation of the family in question.
The white male was described as being approximately 5’10” tall, 170 pounds, dirty blond hair, full goatee, wearing khaki pants and white dress shirt. He was described as being approximately 30-35 years of age and was driving a white 2011 model Chevy Malibu.
Investigators encourage anyone who has information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or CrimeStoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Pictured: An sketch artist rendering of a DCF impersonator. Courtesy Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jerril “Pud” Baker
January 24, 2012
Mr. Jerril “Pud” Baker, 73, passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2012, in Atmore.
Mr. Baker was a native of Walnut Hill and a resident of Atmore since 1960. He was a member and board member of the Bream Fisherman Association, retired from the National Guard, a retired employee of Monsanto, and attended the Protestant church.
Survivors include his wife, Martha Baker of Atmore; two sons, Randall Baker of Atmore and Richard Baker of Byrneville; his daughter, Kimberly Baker Smith of Century; three grandchildren, Samantha Baker, Erin Smith and Raychell Baker; and two great-grandchildren, Brody Baker and Jackson Smith; a brother, the Rev. Milledge Baker of Walnut Hill; and a sister, Frances Hernden of Houston, TX.
Graveside services will be Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. at the Walnut Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Allen Harp officiating.
Visitation will be Tuesday, January 24, 2012, from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Gilbert McGhee, T.L. Chunn, Charles Lowery, Alan Lowery, Robert McCall and Delbert Clemmons.
Honorary pallbearers will be Freddie Godwin, Randy Dorriety, Gene Lambert and Dr. Bill Hixson .
Sandra Elizabeth Quimby
January 24, 2012
Sandra Elizabeth Quimby, 61 of Atmore, died Sunday January 22, 2012, in Atmore. She was retired after 38 years with Escambia County (Ala.) School System. She was born in Pensacola on August 10, 1951, to Wilson Dempsey and Frances Crabtree Lovelace. She was a member of Judson Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her father, Wilson Dempsey Lovelace.
She is survived by her husband Stan Quimby of Atmore; mother, Frances Lovelace of Pensacola; five sons, Stanley Benjamin Quimby, Jon Burke (Heidi) Quimby, David Brian Quimby, Joey Blaine Quimby, Matthew Bradley Quimby, all of Atmore; a brother, Gary (Bronwyn) Lovelace of Pensacola; and a grandson, Jonathan Burke Quimby of Poulsbo, Washington.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 25, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. from Judson Baptist Church with Rev. Henry Wilson and Rev. Larry Banks officiating. Burial will follow in McCullough Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Daniel Lovelace, Drew Lovelace, Sean Taylor, Brandon Bailey, Chris Terry and Jeremy Hall.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 24, 2012, from 5:30 until 8:00 p.m. from the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Hazel Joiner Gooch
January 24, 2012
Ms. Hazel Joiner Gooch passed away on Sunday, January 22, 2012, in Atmore.
Ms. Gooch was born March 1, 1926, to the late James A. and Rachel Stewart Joiner in Pineville. She made friends wherever she was. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy C. Gooch; four brothers, Arthur Joiner, Albert Joiner, Emmitt Joiner and Grady Joiner; and four sisters, Agnes Allen, Bessie Hollingsworth, Minnie Lee Foster and Nancy Chavers.
Survivors include her son, James Otis “Jim” and Connie Joiner of Cairo, GA ; two grandsons, Kevin Joiner of Cairo, GA, and, Rodney and Amy Joiner of Deltona, FL; four great-grandchildren; a brother, Hoyt and Polly Joiner of Bristol, FL; two sisters, Ola Cavens of Millington, TN, and Delois Kimmons of Davisville; many loving nieces and nephews; and a host of friends.
Funeral services will be Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 10 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Robert Thrower officiating..
Burial will follow at the Dry Springs Cemetery.
Visitation will be Wednesday, January 25, 2012. from 6-9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home
It’s Celebrate Literacy Week At Jim Allen, Bratt, Byrneville, Molino Park
January 23, 2012
It’s “Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!”, and North Escambia elementary schools will celebrate will a variety of activities this week.
The goal of the week is to promote literacy by raising awareness of programs and projects offered by the Florida Department of Education and partner groups, and to promote the enjoyment of reading for adults and children of all ages.
The following events are planned at North Escambia elementary schools this week:
Jim Allen Elementary
- All students will read for an additional 20 minutes each day as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
Bratt Elementary
- All students will read as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
- Students will create story character puppets from the Jan Brett books The Mitten and The Hat.
- On Wednesday, it’s Buddy Reading as students from the upper level grades read to students in the lower grades.
- Thursday is book character dress up day.
- During the week, book report posters will be presented by fourth grade students. Mrs. Cassady’s fifth grade students will present shoe box reports.
- Daily announcements will include information about Sunshine State readers each day.
Byrneville Elementary
- Students will read as part of the Million Minute Marathon.
- On Tuesday, upper grade students will read to younger students.
- Wednesday is Teacher Swap Day — teachers will read to a different class than the one they teach.
- Thursday is Parent Literacy Day with programs at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.
- Guest readers will read to students on Friday.
Molino Park Elementary
- “Reading, Writing and Rover” presentation on Monday.
- Additional activities and reading throughout the week.
Larry Lee Butler
January 23, 2012
Larry Lee Butler, musician, songwriter and award-winning music producer, peacefully passed away in his sleep at his Pensacola home on Friday, January 20, 2012. He was 69 years old.
A native of Pensacola, Florida, he was born on March 26, 1942. By the age of six he was singing with the Harry James Orchestra. At nine years old he had his own show on Pensacola’s WEAR-TV3. When he was thirteen years old he won a five-state talent contest in classical music by memorizing a thirty-six page piano concerto.
Larry became a sought-after Nashville session musician in his twenties, playing the piano on many of the biggest hit records by Nashville recording artists. He became a member of the 60’s hit group, Ronny and the Daytonas, whose hits included Little GTO. He later joined another top rock group, The Gentry’s, whose hits included Keep On Dancing. His career eventually turned to producing many of the top recording stars, including Johnny Cash, Sammy Davis Junior, Julie Andrews and Kenny Rogers, who Larry successfully transformed from a rock artist to a Country Music legend.
Earning over 100 gold and platinum record awards, Larry also won a Grammy Award for co-writing the 1975 Song of the Year, (Hey, Won’t you Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song. In 1979 he won a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, the only Nashville producer to ever win the award. For his many accomplishments in the field of music, Larry was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Performing Arts from the University of West Florida.
When Hurricane Ivan devastated the Florida and Alabama Gulf Coast in September 2004, Larry called upon friends like Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson and Will Hedgecock, producing three sold-out concerts that brought more than half a million dollars into the community for rebuilding efforts.
In addition to his music career, Larry was proud to be a Master Mason, York Rite Mason and Shriner.
Larry is survived by his wife of 26 years, Peggy Maultsby Butler; daughter, Schanda Butler Olsson, son-in-law, Nigel, and grandson, Justin; sister, Alva Chop; mother and father-in-law, Roy and Allene Maultsby; brother-in-law, Andy and Anita Maultsby and countless family, friends and adoring fans.
Prior to Larry’s passing, BJ Thomas, five-time Grammy-winning recording artist, including Larry’s 1975 Grammy-winning Song of the Year, had this to say about Larry: “Larry has been a part of, and has made, some of the greatest music of our generation. And he has remained one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet.”
Larry touched the lives of many not only with his music, but also with his warm smile and kind heart.
Family and friends are invited to attend Memorial Services to be held on Tuesday, January 24th at 11:11 am at the Perdido Bay Community Center, 13660 Innerarity Point Drive, Pensacola, FL 32507.
Town Of Century Honors Northview Chiefs Football Team
January 23, 2012
During their regular meeting Monday night, the Century Town Council officially recognized the Northview High School football team with the reading of a proclamation.
Mayor Freddie McCall issued the proclamation honoring the regional championship team. The proclamation was presented to Chiefs Head Coach Sid Wheatley during the team’s annual banquet last week.
To read the full proclamation, click the image.
More Rain Possible
January 23, 2012
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy this evening becoming partly cloudy. Isolated showers and thunderstorms all night. Lows 53 to 58. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of rain 20%.
- Tuesday: Cloudy. Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
- Tuesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 52. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. East wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
- Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 72. East wind around 10 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Thursday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. West wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Northwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65.
Jeff Miller: We Need The Jobs, It’s That Simple
January 23, 2012
In his latest newsletter, U.S. Rep Jeff Miller discusses the jobs and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
The following was submitted by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla for NorthEscambia.com:
Last week, President Obama took the extraordinary action of denying the application for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. In a move that would cost thousands of jobs by any measure, this Administration’s decision to block the pipeline shows they are out of touch with the message Americans have been delivering for more than a year – where are the jobs?
The Keystone XL project is a proposed 1,700 mile extension of an existing energy pipeline. It would provide a critical link from abundant petroleum supplies in Canada to U.S. refineries. When finished, Keystone is estimated to carry 1.4 million barrels of petroleum every day, significantly expanding the refining capacity of North American energy companies.
However, Keystone XL is more than an energy issue. It is a jobs issue. The Keystone XL Pipeline project is estimated to inject $20 billion of private sector investment into our economy. It would create 20,000 direct jobs and 118,000 more jobs from increased economic activity. These are not Republican talking points – these numbers were provided by 22 members of the President’s own party in an October 19, 2011 letter to the President asking him to approve the pipeline. It is undisputed the Keystone XL Pipeline would create jobs. For a President who mentions the importance of American jobs in almost every speech he gives, I am astounded that his words are not followed by action.
The President was clear about his reasons for denying the Keystone XL permit. He tried to put the blame on Republicans for rushing his decision. However, the Keystone XL project has already undergone an extensive, three-year review led by the State Department. A multi-agency process, the review studied the pipeline’s environmental, economic, and energy impacts. More than 25 meetings were held with interested parties on both sides of the issue. The State Department’s own Environmental Impact Statement found that Keystone XL would have no significant impact on the environment. So why would the President push his decision on the pipeline until 2013 and after the November 2012 election?
The Administration should not play politics with job creation and economic recovery. So, as part of the end of the year discussion on the payroll tax holiday, House Republicans were successful in passing legislation that required the President to make a decision on Keystone XL within 60 days. Three years is too long to wait for this important project, and pushing the decision off for more than a year is unacceptable. On Wednesday, the President made his decision. Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision.
The Administration had an opportunity to create jobs – not through trillion-dollar government stimulus, but through private sector investment. They had an opportunity to increase American energy independence. They had an opportunity to show they were willing to put economic recovery above politics. But they rejected it. The Administration is no longer just failing to act on job creation, it is actively preventing it. Incredibly, the President said during debate over Keystone XL that extending unemployment benefits would create more jobs than the pipeline project. Jobless benefits creating jobs? I don’t think so.
The President would be wise to listen to the advice given by the citizens who would be affected by construction of Keystone XL, advice highlighted in Democrats’ October letter: “We need the jobs, it’s that simple.”
Book Fair This Week At EWMS; Parents Shop Tuesday Night
January 23, 2012
A Book Fair will be held this week at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Students will visit the event during pre-scheduled times during the week. Students will also have the opportunity to shop before school and during lunch.
Parents and students can shop the Book Fair from 6-8 p.m on Tuesday. In compliance with school policy, only cash will be accepted.