Letha Carnley
April 8, 2013
Letha Carnley, age 78, went to be with the Lord on Monday, April 8, 2013. She was born September 24, 1934, at home in Wardville, Florida (near Davisville), where she lived on or near the family home place most of her life.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Arnie and Doris Graham Baker; sister, Muriel Milstead; and grandson, Arnie Scott Hardy.
She is survived by her husband of over 50 years, Franklin D. “Shorty” Carnley; sons, Ricky (Karen) Hardy, Mark Carnley and Darren (Judy) Carnley; grandchildren, Shane Hardy, Dewayne (Tricia) Carnley, Rachael Carnley, Alyssa Williams, Julie (Josh) Moyer and Cody (Jennifer) Qualls; 11 great-grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews; and some very special cousins.
Services will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at 10 a.m. from the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore with Reverend Paul Enfinger officiating.
Visitation will be Tuesday, April 9, 2013, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will include Ricky Hardy, Darren Carnley, Shane Hardy, Dewayne Carnley, Bryan Nisewonger and Brandon Mayo.
Burial will follow in Pine Barren Baptist Church Cemetery in Davisville.
Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
One Killed In Escambia Crash
April 7, 2013
One person was killed in a two vehicle accident late Saturday night in southwestern Escambia County.
The accident happened about 11:45 p.m. on Sorrento Road near Choctaw Avenue. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year old Kristen Michelle Laguardia of Jacksonville was eastbound on Sorrento Road in a 2001 Ford Forcus when she crossed the center line in a curve and collided with a 2004 Kia Rio driven by Stacy Peter Viquelia of Pensacola.
Laguardia was ejected from her Ford Focus as the vehicle overturned multiple times. She was pronounced deceased on the scene. Stacy Peter Viquelia and a passenger, 45-year old Lisa Renee Viquelia, were not seriously injured.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Grand Champions Named In Annual Livestock Show (With Photo Gallery)
April 7, 2013
The 20th annual Gulf Coast Agricultural & Natural Resources Association Livestock Spring Show was held Saturday at the Langley Bell 4-H Center on West Nine Mile Road.
The show provided an opportunity for local 4-H and FFA members to show their steers, swine, goats, lambs, heifers, rabbits and poultry. In addition, many of the steers and swine in the program were auctioned off.
Coming Monday: Saturday’s 20th anniversary livestock show will be the last at the Langley Bell 4-H Center after the property was sold to Navy Federal Credit Union. We’ll update you on the search for a new 4-H facility.
This year’s Grand Champion Steer was exhibited by Donald Cunningham. Donald, age 15, is a member of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club. In addition to showing steers, he enjoys swimming, NJROTC, basketball, football, working and being a Boy Scout. He is the son of Lewe and Beth Cunningham. He attends Pace High School. His Grand Champion Steer sold at auction to Dr. Tom Lampone for $3.50 per pound.
The Reserve Grand Champion was exhibited by Ashley Cunningham, a 17-year old Northview High School Student and member of the Northview FFA. Ashley is the daughter of Andy and Christina Cunningham. She is a Northview High cheerleader and a member of the Northview Dance Teams. Her hobbies include bowling, playing tennis, showing cattle, and volunteering at the Century Care Center.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Other winners Saturday included:
Beef Breeding Registered:
- Grand Champion: Willow Foxworth
- Reserve Grand Champion: Tyler Simmons
Beef Breeding Commercial:
- Grand Champion: Austin Cunningham
Beef Breeding Registered and Commercial
- Supreme Grand Champion: Willow Foxworth
- Reserve Supreme Grand Champion: Tyler Simmons
Swine:
- Grand Champion: Patra Miller
- Reserve Grand Champion: Whitney Patterson
Patra Miller’s Grand Champion Swine sold to Mike Johnson for $5 per pound.
Meat Breeding Goats:
- Grand Champion: Izzy Kent
Dairy Goats
- Grand Champion: Virginia Montgomery
- Reserve: Madison Fendley
Lamb:
- Grand Champion: Jessica Baldwin
Rabbits:
- Best in Show: Donnie Dixon
- Reserve Best in Show: Ethan Thorne
Poultry:
- Best in Show: Joshua McLamb
- Reserve Best in Show: Ami Rodgers
The 20th annual Gulf Coast Agricultural & Natural Resources Association Livestock Spring Show was sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Complete results were not available Saturday night. NorthEscambia.com anticipates receiving complete results for publication later this week.
Pictured top: Donald Cunningham. Pictured top inset: Ashley Cunningham. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sun Dogs Signal Sunny Skies
April 7, 2013
Pictured: Colorful “sun dogs” appear over Walnut Hill Saturday morning. Reader submitted photo by Sandi Boone for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flag Football Tourney Benefits NWE Football, Cheerleading Programs
April 7, 2013
The Second Annual NWE Adult Flag Football Tournament was held Saturday at Ernest Ward Middle School. Proceeds from the event will benefit Northwest Escambia football and cheerleading this fall.
Pictured: Action Saturday morning at Ernest Ward Middle School during the Second Annual NWE Adult Flag Football Tournament. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Riley, Lee Win Northview Hit-A-Thon (With Gallery)
April 7, 2013
The Northview Chiefs baseball program held a Hit-a-thon Saturday morning.
Each player was allowed 10 hits, with the longest hits belonging to Winston Riley for the varsity at 335 feet and Mark Lee for junior varsity with a 269 foot hit. A silent auction was also held to raise additional funds for the teams.
Pictured top: Northview Hit-a-thon winners Winston Riley and Mark Lee. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.
Play Ball! Opening Day For Molino Ballpark (With Photo Gallery)
April 7, 2013
Saturday was Opening Day for Molino Recreation Association and the Molino Ballpark.
For photo galleries, click the links below:
Pictured: Opening Day action Saturday at the Molino Ballpark. NorthEscambia.com photos by Bethany Reynolds, click to enlarge.
Lloyd And Annie Savage Renew Wedding Vows
April 7, 2013
Lloyd and Annie Savage of Century recently renewed their wedding vows. The ceremony was held at the First Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, with a reception following at the Century Community Center.
Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Internet Cafes Unplugged
April 7, 2013
A month ago, Internet cafes were like countless other issues floating around the Capitol. They were important to some people, but hardly a top priority.
Then came raids on Internet cafes across the state, charges of racketeering and illegal gambling and — most jarring — the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll because of her past ties to the industry.
Suddenly, ridding the state of Internet cafes became a big issue. And Thursday, little more than three weeks after the investigation became public, the Senate gave final approval to a bill that likely will shutter hundreds of what critics call “storefront casinos.”
“There is nothing in this bill that is going to close legitimate businesses,” said Senate Rules Chairman John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, who has helped spearhead the issue. “This is about closing down unscrupulous operators who have found loopholes in the statutes.”
The Senate voted 36-4 to pass the measure (HB 155), which came after the House earlier voted 108-7 to approve it. Gov. Rick Scott’s office has already said he will sign the bill.
Internet cafes have opened in strip malls across the state in recent years, raking in money and trying to fend off criticism that they offer computerized versions of slot machines. But until now, lawmakers could not agree on how to deal with the industry, with some seeking to ban the businesses and others pushing for regulation.
The move this year to shut down the cafes happened at relative warp speed — at least in the legislative world. And that played a part in criticism from some lawmakers, who argued that the bill was too broad and would affect arcades that are popular with seniors.
All four senators who voted against the bill — Joe Abruzzo, D-Royal Palm Beach, Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, and Jeremy Ring, D-Margate — represent Palm Beach and Broward counties, where many seniors congregate and play games at such arcades.
“The seniors, as long as they believe they (arcades) could get shut down and they’re worried about it, I can’t support it,” Ring said of the bill.
But supporters of the measure said it is designed to stop illegal gambling and that shutting down Internet cafes will be good for the state.
“For far too long, strip mall casinos have deteriorated Florida’s quality of life,” David Hart, executive vice president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement emailed to reporters after the Senate vote.
BACK TO SCHOOL: While lawmakers rushed to get rid of Internet cafes, most major legislation is a harder slog. And Thursday, the House approved an education bill (HB 867) that has created deep divisions.
The proposal, which has become known as the “parent trigger” bill, would give parents more power to determine what happens with failing public schools. It has drawn fierce opposition from Democrats and groups such as the Florida Education Association, which contend it is designed to help for-profit operators of charter schools.
But the more immediately important question, at least politically, is how Republican lawmakers view the issue. A similar bill died last year in the Senate, amid opposition from some Republicans. And though the House voted 68-51 to approve this year’s version, seven members of the GOP majority crossed party lines to oppose it.
The Senate version (SB 862) cleared its first committee Monday and is expected to go to two more committees before heading to the floor. President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, indicated that changes in the makeup of the Senate and changes in the bill could lead to its passage.
“So the fact that we have 15 new senators and the fact that the bill is not the same means that I think last year’s vote is not necessarily a telltale of how the vote will come out this year,” Gaetz said.
But senators can expect fierce pressure from groups such the Florida Education Association, which released a statement after the House vote saying “every credible parent group in Florida has been outraged by this bill.”
“This doesn’t empower parents, it doesn’t provide better education for students, but will line the pockets of the charter operators,” Andy Ford, president of the statewide teachers union, said in the statement.
But the proposal has influential support from groups such as the Foundation for Florida’s Future, which is chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush. They say it would empower parents.
Under the proposal, parents would be allowed to petition school districts to consider specific turnaround options for schools that receive “F” grades for two consecutive years. If districts reject parents’ plans in favor of other ideas, the state Board of Education would choose the plans that would be implemented.
“Let’s recognize that while failing schools abandon children, parents never do. … And so, if schools are unwilling to change, we have a moral obligation to force that change,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican and son of the Senate president.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN (WELL, SORT OF): While lawmakers will have to resolve tough policy issues during the coming weeks, a brightening economic picture should make everybody a little happier.
Sure, the House and Senate have to resolve myriad budget details for the upcoming 2013-14 fiscal year. But a better economy means more tax dollars. And that makes it easier to pump money into popular programs such as education — and avoid painful spending cuts.
“The bottom line is, there’s nothing like having some money,” Thrasher said.
House and Senate appropriations committees Wednesday approved $74 billion budget proposals that will go to the full chambers next week. The Senate committee unanimously approved its spending plan, while the House panel split along party lines because of a disagreement about expanding Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act.
The Medicaid expansion is sort of a budget issue — accepting federal money to expand Medicaid would show up in the budget. But the legislative debate about Medicaid expansion isn’t really about next year’s budget. It’s about Democrats wanting expansion, and Republicans blocking it.
“My main concern is not so much about what’s in the budget, it’s about what’s not in the budget,” House Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, said during the appropriations committee.
House Republicans criticized Democrats for voting against a budget that, thanks to the better times, is addressing needs such as more money for education.
“We’re here to pass a budget and this, members, is a good budget,” said Rep. Matt Hudson, a Naples Republican who is chairman of the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Florida Senate gave final approval to a bill aimed at permanently turning out the lights at Internet cafes.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “There’s nothing a little prosperity won’t help.” — Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, about the budget.
By The News Service of Florida
Three Arrested For Homicide In Beating, Burning Death
April 7, 2013
This is an archived story. Click here for an updated story.
Three Escambia County residents have been arrested in connection with the March 31 homicide of Melinda McCormick.
The body of a 33-year old white female, Melinda McCormick, was found shortly after 2:00 am Sunday, March 31 in a burning apartment at the Melei Apartments in the 3000 block of Mobile Highway.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released any further information about the circumstances leading up to McCormick’s death.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has planned a Monday news conference to release more details about the homicide arrests.