Okahashi, Cousin To Wed
April 12, 2013
Al and Jessica and Stephen Porter of Pensacola announce the engagement of their daughter, Kiani Okahashi, to Cody Cousin, son of Jennifer and Keith Winters of Atmore.
Kiani is a 2012 graduate of Northview High School and currently teaches with Heather Leonard’s Danceworks.
Cody is a 2010 graduate of Northview High School. He joined the Army after graduation and was recently discharged.
The wedding will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at the Museum of Commerce at 115 East Zarragossa Street in downtown Pensacola.
Escambia Westgate To Hold 5K Fun Run, Walk And Wheel
April 12, 2013
The Escambia Westgate School will host a 5K Fun Run, Walk, and Wheel this Saturday.
The first 200 racers to register will receive a t-shirt. All proceeds will be used to expand the Lacey A. Collier Sensory Complex. This expansion will include a fully accessible gymnasium.
The race begins 8:00 a.m. The race fee is $20 in advance registration or $25 the day of the race.
For more information and a registration form visit the Escambia Westgate School website or contact Ashley McCombs, (850) 494-5700 Ext. 231, lrhodes@escambia.k12.fl.us; or Laren Leptrone, (850) 494-5700 Ext. 227, LLeptrone@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Gaylen Lee Phillips
April 12, 2013
Gaylen Lee Phillips, 66, passed away April 8, 2013 from complications as a result of back surgery. Although he had several previous back surgeries, he thought this one would cure his pain. He is now free from the pain that had been his constant companion for decades.
Gaylen was born in Century, Florida and resided most of his life in Pensacola. His career started in the transportation industry where he was in management. Later he became a successful mortgage banker holding top production awards for the State of Florida with Norwest Mortgage. He had a winning personality and made everyone he talked to feel special. He graduated from Escambia High School and PJC. He also attended UWF and the University of Houston.
Gaylen was married to Kathy for over 30 years. He was predeceased by his father, Willard Phillips and his mother, Eunivay Grant.
Survivors include Jason Phillips of New York, Lori Christianson (Ben) of Gulf Breeze, Laura Young (Scott) of Lillian, AL; grandsons, Cody Luker and Jack Christianson; sisters, Glenda Gamez (Danny) and Gwynn Barbour.
Gaylen was raised in the Assemblies of God Church, but when he and Kathy married, he converted to Methodist. They were members of Pine Forest Methodist Church for 20 years before moving membership to First United Methodist Church.
Special thanks is given to his sister-in-law, Annette Fortney for her devotion and assistance during his last days.
Funeral service will be Friday, April 12, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, FL. Visitation will be Thursday, April 11, 2013 at the funeral home from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Although Gaylen loved plants and flowers, he would welcome instead donations to First United Methodist Church, 80 East Wright Street, Pensacola, FL 32502 for the Youth Choir Tour or the Youth Wilderness Trail Scholarship Fund.
Neighbors: Explosion Heard Before Alabama Home Burns
April 11, 2013
An explosion led to a fire that destroyed a home in northwestern Escambia County, Ala., Thursday afternoon.
The explosion and fire were reported during the 2 o’clock hour near the end of Jacks Springs Road near McCullough, Ala. One neighbor said, “I heard a big explosion and then my grandson called and said it just exploded. I am not sure on what happened. Just heard a very loud boom”.
The owner of the home, John Brewton, received minor burn injuries on his arms as he attempted to rescue two family pets. His wife was not at home at the time.
An investigation is underway at this time by the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office to determine the cause of the fire and explosion.
Pictured: A home burns Thursday afternoon in McCullough, Ala. Reader submitted photo by Tyler Combs for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Schools Cancel All Outdoor Activities Due To Weather
April 11, 2013
Due to the impending chance of bad weather, all outside activities have been canceled this evening in the Escambia County School District.
Almost 1600 Customers Lose Power In Cantonment
April 11, 2013
A large number of Gulf Power business and residential customers lost power in Cantonment Thursday morning due to a fallen tree.
The tree fell onto the line at 809 Highway 95A just after 8 a.m., causing 1,593 Gulf Power customers to lose power, according to Jeff Rogers, spokesman for Gulf Power. Repair crews were almost immediately dispatched to the area to make repairs.
The outage included Jim Allen Elementary School, and the power outage caused traffic problems due to non-function traffic signals at several intersections on Highway 29.
Two Injured In Hwy 95A Wreck That Trapped Driver
April 11, 2013
Two people were seriously injured in Wednesday night accident that left a man trapped in his vehicle for an extended period of time.
The accident happened about 9:10 p.m. on Highway 95A near Quintette Road. The Florida Highway Patrol said 52-year old Rex Hassell of Evergreen, AL, was northbound on Highway 95A in a 2005 Ford F150 when he attempted to pass another vehicle in a curve. James Tipton, 32, of Cantonment, swerved to onto the shoulder in an attempt to avoid a collision, but Hassell also swerved, causing the front of his pickup to collide with the side of Tipton’s truck on the shoulder.
Tipton was trapped for over 20 minutes as firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free him. He was transported by ambulance to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. His passenger, 8-year old Jamie Tipton of Cantonment, was taken to Sacred Heart with minor injuries.
Charges against pending in the crash, according to FHP.
The Cantonment, Molino and Ensley stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Pictured: Two people were injured in this crash on Highway 95A near Quintette Road Wednesday night. Pictured inset: Firefighters use the Jaws of Life to free one driver from his vehicle. Pictured below: The accident scene. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Bill Would Allow Escambia To Use School Construction Funds For New Buses
April 11, 2013
Escambia County and other school districts would be allowed to shift sales tax money voters have approved for school construction towards the purchase of new school buses, under a bill moving in the House.
The Finance and Tax Subcommittee backed a proposal on Wednesday that would allow school districts to use the School Capital Outlay Surtax, also known as the “school half-cent sales tax,” to purchase new buses. Currently, Escambia, Santa Rosa and 13 other districts use the voter approved sales tax that is expected to generate $351 million this school year.
Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said the intent of his proposal is to have the new school buses run on alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas rather than the more expensive diesel. But the bill doesn’t specify the fuel requirement for the new buses.
There are 18,574 school buses in use by Florida’s public schools, of which nearly one-third are 11 years or older. An average 65-passenger bus cost $93,400 a year ago, according to a state staff analysis.
While the House effort must still go before the Appropriations Committee, the Senate companion bill) has yet to reach its first of three scheduled committee stops.
Escambia County currently has two major half-cent sales tax construction projects in the works — a new $16.5 million Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill and a newly rebuilt A.K. Suter Elementary in Pensacola for $21.5 million .
Slight Chance Of Rain Tonight, Sunny Friday
April 11, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 76. North wind around 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. East wind around 5 mph.
- Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 79. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light south after midnight.
- Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Ernest Ward Names March Students Of The Month
April 11, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for March. They are (left to right) Desmone Knight, 8th grade; Sierra Slay, 6th grade; Hannah Godwin, 7th grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.