Nathan Nall

March 17, 2014

Nathan Nall, 82, of Nokomis, Ala., passed away Sunday, March 16, 2014, at his residence. He owned and operated the Nokomis Trailer Park for many years. He was born in Bratt to the late John Henry and Letitia Conway Nall. He was the State Constable for 16 years in the Nokomis area, served in the U.S. Airforce during 1950-1954, retired from Monsanto 1955-1987, and was a member of the Nokomis Baptist Church. He was a avid fishermen, loved flowers and yard work.

He is preceded in death by his sister, Donnie Ree Nall.

Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Dorothy Albritton Nall of Atmore;  two sons, Norman (Jewell) Lambert, Sr. of Perdido, and Stephen (Lucille) Nall of Lebanon, TN;  one daughter, Rhonda (Joey) Kelmer of Nokomis, Ala.; four brothers, Felix Nall of Perry, FL,  Dewey Nall and Donald Nall, both of Huxford and Narvez Nall of Washington; three sisters, Juanita Williams of Pensacola, Martez Brockman of Virginia, and Jeanette Markham of Connecticut; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be Thursday, March 20, 2014, at 11 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor George W. Marlowe officiating.

Interment will follow in Sardis Primitive Baptist Cemetery.

Active pallbearers are Norman C. Lambert, Jr., Audie Coleman, Ronnie Coleman, Leroy Knowles, Tim Albritton and Barney Tyree.

Family will receive friends, Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.

Montez “Stacey” Dreadin

March 17, 2014

Mrs. Montez “Stacey” Dreadin, 76, passed away on Sunday, March 16, 2014, in Flomaton.

Mrs. Dreadin was a native of Range, Alabama and a resident of Flomaton since 1987. Mrs. Dreadin was a former Vanity Fair employee, was a great cook and attended the Atmore Baptist Temple. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Arthur & Nathalee Stacey; one brother, Arthur A. Buck Stacey; and seven sisters, Aline Crutchfield, Sallie Howington, Marjorie Woods, Irene Raines, Cricket Stacey, Alice Gorum and Berba Stacey.

She is survived by her husband, Fairrel Dreadin of Flomaton; two sons, Wayne Burnett of Mobile and Keith (Linda) Dreadin of Dothan, AL; four daughters, Theresea (Johnny) Allen of Flomaton, Linda (David) Hadley of Atmore, Wanda Burnett of Dothan, AL and Kathy (William) Ross of Elgin, Scotland; one sister, Ethel Padgett Long of Flomaton; 11 grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Doug Odom officiating.

Burial will follow at the Flomaton Cemetery.

Visitation will be Tuesday, March 18, 2014, from 6 p.m.  until 8 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Joe Chandler, Alvin Brown, Roy Williams, Kenny Stuckey, Cooper Quinn and Jerry McElhaney.

Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.

James “Jimmy” Slack, Jr.

March 17, 2014

Mr. James “Jimmy” Slack, Jr., 61, passed away on Thursday, March 13, 2014, in Perdido.

Mr. Slack was a native of Austin, Texas and a resident of Perdido forr the past 10 years. Mr. Slack was a religious man, kind-hearted and loved everyone.

He is survived by his six sons, Robert Landrum of Perdido, Michael Slack of Pensacola, Kevin Slack of Poarch, Steven Ray Slack of Pensacola, J.D. Powers of Perdido and Oscar Powers of Perdido; one daughter, Tricia Powers of Perdido; three sisters, Joann Fenton of Atmore, Cindy Landrum of Austin, TX and Claudine Powers of Perdido; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be Friday, March 21, 2014, at 12:30 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Stoney Daw officiating.

Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. at the Alabama State Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery.

Visitation will be Thursday, March 20, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be J.D. Powers, Oscar Powers, Billy Rice, Charles Rice, Cecil Thompson and Calvin Thompson.

Honorary pallbearers will be the military.

Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.

Spring Break Gas Prices Cheaper Than Last Year

March 16, 2014

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Spring Break travel will be a little easier on the pocketbook this year for those hitting the highway.

The average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded in the Pensacola area is $3.39, down from $3.62 a year ago. Gas prices in the North Escambia area Saturday ranged from $3.36 in Cantonment to $3.44 in Davisville.

The lowest price in the Pensacola area Saturday night was $3.29 at a Circle K on Mobile Highway.

The national average price at the pump is $3.42 per gallon. This price is six cents more expensive than one week ago and 13 cents more than one month ago; however national prices remain 36 cents per gallon less than the same date last year.

Pictured: A gas delivery in Century. Pictured inset: A gallon of regular unleaded was $3.36 Saturday in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Ransom Bands, Orchestra Earn Superior Ratings

March 16, 2014

The Ransom Middle School music program has recently earned several superior ratings.

The Ransom Middle School Symphonic and Concert bands received superiors at a band competition last week at Pensacola High School.   And the Ransom Middle Orchestra III recently earned an overall superior rating in the annual Music Performance Assessment at Lawton Chiles High School in Tallahassee.

Wearing Gold: The Blue Angels Return To The Skies

March 16, 2014

The Blue Angels — wearing “throwback” gold flight suits — commence their pre-flight walkdown at the first Blue Angel flight demonstration of the 2014 air show season Saturday at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif.  Throughout the Blue Angels’ history, the gold flight suit has been worn to commemorate special milestones for the Navy and Marine Corps’ premiere flight demonstration squadron. Today, the Blue Angels pilots and officers are wearing the commemorative gold flight suit to celebrate the team’s return to America’s skies. Photo by MC2 Andrea Perez for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Weather For the Ducks: Showers And Thunderstorms Continue

March 16, 2014

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

  • Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 55. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
  • Monday Showers likely, mainly before 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
  • Monday Night Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 39. North wind around 5 mph.
  • Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
  • Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 44. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
  • Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind.
  • Wednesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
  • Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
  • Thursday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 50.
  • Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 76.
  • Friday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.
  • Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75.

Ramp Closure Tonight, Early Monday From Highway 29 To I-10

March 16, 2014

The on-ramp from southbound Highway 29 to westbound I-10 in Escambia County will be closed from 10 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday as crews continue installing a barrier wall.

Motorists will be directed to use the northbound U.S. 29 on ramp during the temporary closure. Drivers are reminded to use extreme caution when traveling through the work zone by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The work is part of the I-10 resurfacing project which extends from U.S. 29 to east of Palafox Street. The project also includes the milling and resurfacing of all ramps and ramp shoulders associated with the U.S. 29/I-10 interchange, shoulder widening, guardrail upgrades, crash cushion replacement, removal of portable traffic monitoring sites (PTMS), installation of new signs, pavement markings and sodding. The entire project is slated for completion during the summer 2014.

During construction drivers will encounter overnight lane restrictions on both I-10 and the U.S. 29/ I-10 interchange. Lane closures on I-10 and intermittent closures or restrictions on the interchange will be limited to 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Weekend Gardening: Daffodils Signal Spring

March 16, 2014

Few plants seem to signify the freshness of spring quite as well as daffodils. The name “daffodils” is derived from “addodell” a variant of Asphodel (a plant of the Asphodelus genus.) In historical documents and the common language of 16th century Europe, the term “daffodil” referred specifically to the wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus.

The derivation of the Latin narcissus is unknown.  It is frequently linked to the Greek myth of Narcissus, who was rumored to be so obsessed with his own reflection that he died while gazing at himself in a pool of water.  From the location of his death sprang the narcissus plant.  Another Greek myth finds Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter, lured to her doom by the God Hades while picking a narcissus.  Therefore the plant is perceived as a symbol of vanity in some Western culture.

Others attribute the plants’ name to its narcotic properties.  One translation of the Greek name is “I grow numb!”  All narcissus species contain the alkaloid poison lycorine, mostly in the bulb but also in the leaves.  Members of the Amaryllidaceae family contain unique types of alkaloids.  They are responsible for the poisonous properties of a number of the species.  Of the 200 different chemical compounds found in this plant family, at least 79 of them can be found in narcissus.

Daffodils are a popular potted plant for cut flowers, but also make attractive naturalized ground covers in gardens and around trees, providing color from the end of winter through late spring.  If the narcissus blooms on Chinese New Year, it is said to bring wealth and good fortune throughout the year.  The flower color varies from white through pinks and yellows to deep reddish-orange with multiple petal forms. Hundreds of cultivars are available.

Planting dates vary according to geographical location, but bulbs are usually planted in the fall when the soil is cool.  Daffodils grow well in full sun or light shade, with the blooms lasting longer when protected from the noon day sun.  When selecting a location for planting, it should be noted that the individual flowers will face the sun.

Pre-chilled bulbs should be planted in 6-8” deep holes with a tablespoon of slow release fertilizer added to the soil directly under the bulb and with 4-5” of soil covering the bulb.  Watering throughout the winter will be necessary if rains are infrequent.  After flowering, the daffodils need to be fertilized and watering should continue.  The foliage will naturally turn yellow and die as stored food is restored to the bulb.

Division, transplanting and collection for forcing potted plants can be done after all the foliage has declined.  To force Daffodils to bloom at varied times in a container the dried bulbs will need to be stored at a 45° F temperature for 4-6 weeks prior to being placed in the sun to grow.

The bright, cheery Daffodil flowers are beginning to bloom now and will continue as Easter approaches, reminding us that spring really is coming.

Email Sheila Dunning at sdunning@ufl.edu.

Photos by Matthew Orwat for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

ST Aerospace Job Recruitment Session This Week

March 16, 2014

Community partners, Career Source Escarosa, NAS Pensacola Fleet and Family Support Center and the Greater Pensacola Chamber will co-host a Recruitment and Information Session for ST Aerospace on Thursday, March 20, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Pensacola State College’s Main Campus, 1000 College Boulevard in Pensacola.

ST Aerospace representatives will be onsite to discuss available employment opportunities regarding potential jobs in Pensacola for its future facility. ST Aerospace is seeking information on qualified candidates to determine viability for their workforce in the Pensacola vicinity.

Detailed job descriptions and requirements for each position are available on the Employ Florida Marketplace at www.employflorida.com.

ST Aerospace primarily engages in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. Their current location in Mobile employs more than 1,300 people. Plans to construct a satellite operation inside the Pensacola International Airport Commerce Park may produce as many as 300 jobs for the area.

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