Leila Junette Smith Coleman
January 19, 2013
Mrs. Leila Junette Smith Coleman “June,” 88, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Wednesday, January16, 2013.
Born in Gonzalez in 1924 to parents, Jesse and Bernice Smith, she grew up in the Pensacola area as a child of the Depression and the Second World War. After graduation from Tate High School, she worked in Pensacola at Armor and Company providing secretarial service before heading to Washington, DC to work at the Pentagon. There she spent time with her brother, Harris Smith, SGT, USMC who was recently returned from the war in the Pacific. In 1947, now back in Pensacola, she met and married the love of her life, Malcolm V. Coleman, a Chief Petty Officer stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Station. For the next few years she lived the military lifestyle, raising a family of three sons at a succession of postings. In 1961, “Mac” retired from the Navy and the young family moved back to Gonzalez to enjoy being close to family. June found employment at Chemstrand in the yarn plant but soon was able to transition back to secretarial services at what was now known as Monsanto in the engineering department. She worked there until her retirement in 1989. Following the untimely death of her husband in 1979, she devoted herself to her family, volunteer work, golf and travel. She was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church of Pensacola. After suffering a stroke in 2005, which left her without the power of speech, she could no longer live independently and spent her remaining years with the caring staff of Homestead Village on Pine Forest Road.
She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Scott and Sandra Coleman of Atlanta, Curtis Coleman of Edgewater, FL, and Kevin and Joan Coleman of Pensacola; grandsons, Austin and Beth Coleman of Annapolis, MD, Blake Coleman of Atlanta, GA, and Bryce Coleman of Pensacola; three great grandchildren, Jackson, Grant and Jane Coleman of Annapolis, MD; and brother, Joseph Q. Smith of Lihue, Kauai, HI.
Visitation will be Tuesday, January 22, 2013 from 10 AM till the service time of 11 AM at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. Pastor Jim Locke will officiate.
Interment will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery on board NAS Pensacola,.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society; the Alzheimer’s Association or Hillcrest Baptist Church.
Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Toddler Severely Burned, Two Charged With Abuse
January 19, 2013
An Escambia County toddler is recovering from severe burns at Shands Hospital for Children in Gainesville, and two people are being charged for her abuse in Escambia County.
The child’s father, 25-year old Andrew Gonzalez, and his girlfriend, 23-year old Kristine Belanger, are both charged with child cruelty and neglect. Both remain in the Escambia County Jail.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Fairfield Drive Thursday after receiving a tip that a child had been abused. Deputies discovered the three-year old girl had severe burns on her back, chest, arms, head and face. Deputies said she was burned by hot water in a shower on Tuesday, but Gonzalez and Belanger failed to take the child to the hospital.
Two other children in the home are now in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Residents Learn About Composting
January 19, 2013
Area residents learned Friday how to turn landscape and vegetable scraps into black gold during an program offered by the Escambia County Master Gardeners. The “Garden Talks: Composting” program was held at the Escambia County Extension Office Cantonment. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Early Morning Fire Claims One Life
January 18, 2013
One person was killed as fire destroyed their home near Beulah early this morning.
Fire ripped through the double-wide mobile home on Western Way Drive, just south of Mobile Highway, about 2:15 a.m. Neighbors reported hearing some type of explosion before seeing flames shooting from the home.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office. The victim was identified by neighbors as Mary Jean Adkison, a longtime resident.
The Bellview, Beulah, Ensley and Osceola stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the blaze.
Pictured: One person was killed in this early morning fire on Western Way Drive in Escambia County. Photos submitted by Kristi Smith for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Permit Approved For New Molino Land Clearing Debris Disposal Facility
January 18, 2013
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission unanimously approved a new permit for a land clearing debris disposal facility near Molino.
Sand & Dirt, Inc., doing business as the Brickton Borrow Pit, is located on a 33.04 acre site at 8800 North Highway 29, in a wooded area just northeast of Morgan Cemetery Road. The sand and dirt borrow pit has existed at the location for numerous years. The new permit will allow the facility to use land clearing debris fill-in around the perimeter of the pit while excavation continues in the middle.
The disposal facility will be allowed to operate from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday-Friday and 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Cover material will be added on working faces at least bi-weekly to deprive the debris of oxygen, minimize the risk of fire and prevent the emission of objectionable odors.
Supreme Court Upholds State Employee 3-Percent Pension Law
January 18, 2013
In a victory for Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislative leaders, a deeply divided Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 2011 law that requires government workers to chip in 3 percent of their salaries to the state pension system.
Justices, in a 4-3 decision, overturned a Leon County circuit judge who found that the law violated the constitutional rights of government workers hired before July 1, 2011. Legislative leaders had feared that a loss at the Supreme Court would blow a hole in the state budget.
Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said he thinks the state could have been required to repay more than $1 billion to workers if it had lost the case. He and other supporters of the 2011 law say government employees should help pay for their retirement packages, as private-sector workers do.
“I think the ruling reaffirms the wisdom of having all state employees, including legislators and judges, contribute something toward their retirement benefits,” Negron said. “People in the private sector do that. I think that our constituents want us to live by the same rules that exist in their workplace. We can now move forward with crafting our budget.”
But opponents described the required contributions as a tax on hundreds of thousands of public employees, ranging from prison guards to teachers. Ron Meyer, an attorney who argued the case for the Florida Education Association, said the law was passed to balance a cash-strapped state budget “on the backs” of government workers, and he dismissed arguments that it was needed to keep the retirement system financially sound.
“That argument is bogus,” Meyer told reporters at the teachers union headquarters. “It was bogus from the day it was first uttered.”
The case primarily centered on whether a 1974 retirement law created contractual rights that shielded public employees from having to contribute money into the pension system. The FEA said the law prevented the state from collecting money from workers hired before July 1, 2011, the date that the 3 percent requirement took effect. The union acknowledged that people hired after that date could be subject to the contributions.
But a majority of the court rejected the union’s interpretation of the 1974 law and also turned back an argument that such changes to the pension system needed to be subject to collective bargaining. In a concurring opinion, Justice Barbara Pariente said nothing in the 1974 law indicates that the Legislature intended to “bind itself for all time to preclude future legislatures from ever altering the future benefits” in the retirement system.
“Ultimately, I recognize the frustration of state employees who have in effect experienced a 3 percent reduction in their net pay as a result of the Legislature’s changes to the retirement plan,” Pariente wrote. “Indeed, those changes affect judges and all judicial branch employees as well. However, this case is not a referendum on the Legislature’s policy decision. It is not this court’s role to express any position on that issue. Instead, as the majority has ably done, it is this court’s task to carefully analyze and determine whether the Legislature has acted within its constitutional limits.”
But Justice R. Fred Lewis, in a dissenting opinion, wrote that the court could not ignore the contractual rights given to workers in 1974 and go along with the conflicting 2011 law.
“This conflict impacts a significantly important category of Florida workers, our first responders, those who provide safety and security for all citizens, those who provide education and safety for our children, and thousands of other Floridians who provide essential services for all Floridians each and every day,” Lewis wrote. “These governmental employees are not second-class citizens but are entitled to the full protection of the law just as all other Floridians enjoy.”
Justice Jorge Labarga wrote the majority opinion and was joined by Pariente, Justice Charles Canady and Chief Justice Ricky Polston. Along with Lewis, the dissenters were justices James E.C. Perry and Peggy Quince.
Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford struck down the law in March 2012, and the state’s appeal was fast-tracked to the Supreme Court. Though Fulford ruled against the state, it was able to continue collecting the pension contributions during the appeal.
The 2011 law, which also involved revamping a cost-of-living adjustment in the retirement system, touched off a political battle in the Legislature. Critics argued that government workers should not see their paychecks shrink by 3 percent when many also have not received raises in recent years.
But after Thursday’s ruling, Scott issued a statement saying it “supports our efforts to lower the cost of living for Florida families. This means even more businesses will locate and grow in our state, which creates even more opportunities for Floridians to live their version of the American dream.”
Scott’s statement drew a sharp response from FEA President Andy Ford, who said the multimillionaire governor does not understand what it is like to live on a salary of $50,000 or less — as Ford said most of his members do. Ford also vowed to try to unseat Scott and other supporters of the pension law during next year’s elections.
“The 2014 campaign begins today,” Ford said. “We’re going to have to have a focus on changing the politicians in Tallahassee who don’t care about working Floridians and making sure the people who come back here in January of (2015) actually care about the working men and women of this state.”
By The News Service of Florida
Woman Dies In Escambia, Ala., Fire; Third Fatality In Past Month
January 18, 2013
An Escambia County, Ala., woman died in a house fire Thursday morning, the third fire fatality in the county in the past month.
Family members identified the victim as Sonya Nacole Johnson of Brewton. She died in a mobile home fire on Highway 41 north of Brewton in the Wallace Community. There were no other injuries reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office. The Wallace, Appleton and McCall volunteer fire departments and the Brewton Fire Department responded to the blaze.
An early morning fire back on December 22 claimed the lives of Perry Buckhault and Leanna Redmond on Sycamore Road in Canoe, Ala. Buckhault was loading or lighting a wood-burning heater when he somehow set himself on fire. Buckhault’s wife was able to escape the fire with minor injuries.
Pictured: Two people died in this fire on December 22 in the Canoe community of Escambia County, Ala. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Longtime Central Water Works Board Member Glenn Grant Steps Down
January 18, 2013
A longtime member of the Central Water Works board of directors was honored recently during the water provider’s annual meeting at Byrneville Elementary School.
Glenn Grant stepped down from the seven member volunteer board after more than 21 years of service. He was presented a plaque on behalf of the remainder of the board and the membership of Central Water Works in appreciation of his faithful years of dedicated service to the water system and the community.
Pictured top: Central Water Works Board President Gary Welch (left) presents a plaque to retiring board member Glenn Grant. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Winter Storm Brings Snow To Deep South; Cold To North Escambia
January 18, 2013
A winter storm brought several inches of snow to parts of the deep South on Thursday, while the North Escambia area experienced a blustery winds, a cold rain and just a very few snowflakes.
Parts of Mississippi and Alabama received 2 to 4 inches of snow in the storm, which is being blamed for the death of a West Point, Mississippi, man who died when his car hit a downed tree.
A few very brief snow flurries were reported Thursday morning by residents of Atmore, Canoe, Flomaton, Bratt and Walnut Hill. At the NorthEscambia.com office in Walnut Hill, a very small number of snowflakes were observed for just a few moments. There were no accumulations anywhere in the North Escambia area.
Gusty winds were reported as a cold front made its way across the area. Gusts of 30 mph were recorded in Bratt, 29 mph in Molino, 28 mph in Cantonment, 33 mph in Atmore and 36 mph in Pensacola.
Locally, Friday night will be clear and cold with a low around 31, while Saturday will be sunny and warmer with a high of 64.
Pictured: Snow covered the campus Thursday at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. Photos by Molino native Allie Vidak for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Gives Customers A New Way To Pay Bills
January 18, 2013
Gulf Power customers now have a new way to pay their bill — special payment kiosks that accept cash have been installed at 12 Circle K stores in Escambia County.
The kiosks accept cash only and require a $2 convenience fee. The machines offer easy instructions for paying with cash. The kiosks do not give change, so any change will be credited to the customer’s next bill statement. Customers will receive a time-stamped receipt when the payment is made.
Payment kiosks are located at the following Circle K locations:
- 4233 E. Creighton Road
- 1900 E. Nine Mile Road
- 2205 W. Nine Mile Road
- 330 Kenmore Road
- 3109 Pace Blvd.
- 2350 Michigan Ave.
- 4450 Bayou Blvd.
- 3013 E. Cervantes St.
- 601 N. New Warrington Road
- 2700 Gulf Beach Highway
- 2020 W. Cervantes Road
- 4501 North W Street
Gulf Power customers can also pay electricity bills by mail, at GulfPower.com, through their smartphones or in person at company customer service offices.