Sanders Courtney
February 14, 2014
Sanders Courtney, age 73, of the New York community in Chumuckla, passed on February 10, 2014. He was a plumber most of his life until he retired. He loved fishing, driving around, going to see friends and sitting around the campfire with everyone. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ivory and Woodrow Courtney; sisters, Sady (Arnold) Enfinger Maxine Courtney, Evelyn Lowery, and Juanita Bush; brothers, Gene (Virtis) Courtney, Wilson Courtney and Alton Adkisson.
He is survived by his loving, devoted wife of 40 years, Joyce Courtney; son, Lamanuel (Kandy) Courtney; daughter, Elizabeth (Tim) Harrelson; grandchildren, Ashley, Sara, Makayla, Cordale and Jackson; one great-grandchild on the way, Lucas Barber; sister, Emmagene and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Funeral services were held Thursday, February 13, 2014m, with Brother Bobby Carnley officiating services.
Burial was held at Pine Level Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Jonathan Scott, George Tedder, Bobby Adkisson, Mike Adkisson, Daniel Madden, and Jerome Lail.
Honorary pallbearers are Jonathan Holland and Wayne Hawthorne.
The family would like to thank Roxanne Dunsford and all the hospice nurses. They were very sweet and informative. They did a remarkable job. They would also like to thank Dr. David Smith; he has been there for us through everything. A special thanks to Angela, one of the nurses, she went beyond the means of a nurse. Angela loved listening to stories about him and the family. She always made sure he was comfortable and she would make us laugh to keep us more at ease about the situation.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
John Lee Branson, Sr.
February 14, 2014
John Lee Branson Sr., age 66 of Jay, passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, at his daughter’s home in Century. He was a lifelong resident of Jay. He enjoyed going to Farmer’s Market every morning to drink his coffee and talk to his friends. John enjoyed riding his motorcycle and going fishing with his family. He also enjoyed eating Jan’s “tater” soup. He was a loving husband, father, grandpaw and great-grandpaw.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Sr. and Thelma Lee Branson; two sisters, Mary Ann Carnley and Ella Mae Branson; one brother, Major Branson; two nieces; one nephew and daughter-in-law, Annette Branson.
John is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Branson; five children, Betty Ann (Jeffery) Kiser of Century, Danny Lee (Chris) Branson of Brewton, John Branson Jr. (Donna) of Jay, Michelle (Roy) Johnson of Jay, and Verlena (Brian) Kennedy of Spanish Fort; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; three brothers, Walter, Paul and Bascomb Branson and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Jay Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 16, 2014, at Jay Funeral Home with Brother Howard officiating services.
Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Brendon Dannelley, Jeffery Kiser, Roy Johnson, Betty Kiser, Brian Kennedy, John Branson Jr. and Danny Branson.
Honorary pallbearers will be Pam Bauldree, Jeff Potoczek, Kip Nowling, Cory Fuston, Stewart Tidwell, and Shane Frayley.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Phariba Myra Norris Sampson Rogers
February 14, 2014
Phariba Myra Norris Sampson Rogers, 88, of Atmore, passed away Tuesday, February 11, 2014, in Atmore. She was a homemaker born in Lyman, MS on December 19, 1925, to the late Kelon A. and Buna E. Hardee Norris.
Survivors include five brothers, A.J. Norris of San Antonio, TX, Howard B. Norris of Phoenixville, PA, W.H. “Bill” Norris of Ontario, Canada, Edgar D. Norris of Atmore and David L. Norris of Salisbury, NC; two sisters, Edna Emmons of Century and Martha Miller of Mobile; and numerous nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
Graveside services will be Saturday, February 15, 2014, at 11 a.m. in Oak Hill Cemetery with Bro. Edgar D. Norris officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers are, Terry Norris, Steve McGill, Carl Emmons, Roger Emmons, Chris Miller and Webb Nall.
Family will receive friends, Saturday, February 15, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc., is in charge of all arrangements.
Bennie William Godwin
February 14, 2014
Mr. Bennie William Godwin, Sr., 70, passed away on Friday, February 14, 2014, in Atmore.
Mr. Godwin was a native of Wawbeek and a lifelong resident of Atmore. Mr. Godwin was a loving father and grandfather. He attended the Sardis Baptist Church. His parents, kids and grandkids precede him in death.
He is survived by his two sons, Bennie W. (Melissa) Godwin, Jr. of Atmore and Benji (Stephanie) Godwin of Goodway; two daughters, Robin (Jason) Wilson of Stapleton and Belinda (Kenneth) Hester of Lawton, OK; two sisters, Bobbie Jean Gunn of Atmore and Mary Francis Richburg of Greenville, AL; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Sunday, February 16, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Earle Greene officiating.
Burial will follow at the Sardis Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday, February 16, 2014 from 11 a.m. until service time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Matt Crawford, Mark Crawford, Kristofor Laird, Randall Morris, Scott Barrow and Koty Morgan.
Honorary pallbearer will be Derick Golden.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Northview Softball, Baseball Rescheduled
February 13, 2014
Due to field conditions, today’s Northview baseball and softball games have been rescheduled.
Tonight’s baseball games against Escambia Academy will be played Saturday. Junior varsity will play at 11 a.m., and the varsity will take the field at 1 p.m.
Tonight’s NHS softball games at Chipley have been been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 18.
Woman Convicted Of Child Neglect After Toddler Found Wandering In Road, Living In Squalor
February 13, 2014
A Cantonment woman was convicted this week on child neglect charges in connection with an October 2013 case in which her 3-year old was found wandering in a busy roadhundreds of feet from the home where he lived in squalor.
Cynthia Faye Godwin,36, was convicted of three counts of felony child neglect without bodily harm. She was sentenced by Judge Linda Nobles to three years probation, ordered to undergo mental health evaluation and complete a parenting class. She must also abide by a Department of Children and Families case plan, the details of which have not been made public. Godwin, who had been jailed since the October 28 incident, was released from jail following her sentencing.
Michael Roy Godwin has pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony child neglect without bodily harm in the case. His trial is set to begin next week.
Bus driver Daisy Robinson, her bus 1-12 loaded with Ransom Middle School students, found the child in Kingsfield Road in the area of Pauline Street and the railroad tracks, just off Highway 95A. She managed to safely coach the 3-year old onto her bus and radio bus dispatch for help, according to Rob Doss, the Escambia County School District’s director of transportation.
After waiting for a short time period, she moved her bus to the parking lot of a nearby gas station to wait for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to arrive. The young boy was not injured.
At the child’s home, deputies found the Godwins outside searching for him, stating that he had walking about about 30 minutes before. Once inside the trailer, a responding deputy reported, “the smell was horrible and the conditions appeared even worse”, according to arrest report.
The deputy reported there were roaches crawling on the floor and counters. There were no drinks or food in the refrigerator or freezer. The refrigerator contained dead roaches, according to the arrest report. The house was in a mess with clothing covering the floors. The three mattresses in the house for the child were very dirty and stained; one of these had dog feces on it.
Finally Some Sun
February 13, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Light southwest wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 42. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 37. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 69. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Washington’s Birthday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
- Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 52. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Florida Executes Child Killer; Victim’s Dad Says Execution Is A Warning
February 13, 2014
As state lawmakers work to toughen laws against sexually violent predators, Juan Carlos Chavez, who committed the notorious 1995 murder of 9-year-old Jimmy Ryce in Miami-Dade County, was executed Wednesday at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Chavez, 46, who was visited only by a “spiritual adviser” on Wednesday, was pronounced dead at 8:17 p.m. The death came despite a last-minute appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
After the execution, Don Ryce, the father of Jimmy Ryce, said hopefully Chavez’ death will serve as a warning to sexual predators who find themselves on the verge of decisions similar to the one Chavez made nearly 19 years ago.
“I hope they will remember, it will be burned in their mind, four words, ‘Don’t kill the child,’ ” Ryce said during a brief televised press conference. “Because if you do, people will not forget, they will not forgive, we will hunt you down and we will put you to death.”
Chavez was convicted in 1998 of kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of Jimmy Ryce. The brutal crime spurred the Legislature to pass the Jimmy Ryce Involuntary Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators’ Treatment and Care Act, known simply as the Jimmy Ryce Act.
The 1998 law lets the state indefinitely keep violent sexual predators behind bars by requiring them to undergo reviews for the risk of re-offending and to be committed at a secured treatment facility after completing their sentences.
“I doubt that there is anything I can say that would satisfy everybody, even less those who see in me nothing more than someone deserving of punishment,” Chavez wrote in his final statement that also expressed his belief in Christ.
Ryce’s dismembered body was found near an avocado grove three months after being abducted at gunpoint near his Redland school bus stop on Sept. 11, 1995. Ryce’s book bag was found in Chavez’ trailer.
The execution came on a day the state House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a slate of bills aimed at cracking down on sexually violent predators.
The measures (HB 7013, HB 7017, HB 7019, HB 7021, HB 7025 and HB 7027) would, in part, increase the mandatory minimum sentence for “dangerous sexual felony offenders” from 25 to 50 years; bar sexually violent predators from having their community supervision run at the same time that they are under civil commitment; and increase the amount of personal information that registered sexual predators and offenders must provide to authorities.
The bills were crafted following reports in the South Florida Sun Sentinel that nearly 600 sexually violent predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.
The companion measures (SB 522, SB 524, SB 526, and SB 528) are scheduled to appear before the Senate Appropriations committee on Feb. 20.
Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has repeatedly said the intention of the legislation will be to make Florida “scorched earth” for sexually violent predators.
“Tonight ends a horrible chapter in the short life of Jimmy Ryce, but his legacy lives on through the lives saved and the children protected by the Jimmy Ryce Act,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a prepared statement.
The execution, initially scheduled for 6 p.m., was delayed for more than an hour as the U.S. Supreme Court reviewed and ultimately rejected a final appeal.
The U.S. Supreme Court action came hours after the Florida Supreme Court unanimously rejected a last-minute request for a stay based on a challenge to a new three-drug cocktail used in executions.
A brief order from the state court described the challenge as a “delaying tactic.”
Chavez also lost an appeal Monday at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ernest Ward Registration Night; Ransom Middle Spirit Night
February 13, 2014
There will be Registration Night tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School, while Ransom Middle School sixth graders will host a Spirit Night to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Ernest Ward Registration Night
Ernest Ward Middle School will host a registration night from 5:30 – 7 p.m. Students and parents will have the opportunity to meet teachers, explore course offerings for next school year, and complete their registration card.
Ransom Spirit Night
Ransom Middle School sixth graders will host a Chick-fil-A Spirit Night at the Nine Mile Road location from 5-8 p.m. Proceeds from this event will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Anyone interested should visit Chick-fil-A between 5-8 p.m. and ask the cashier to donate their receipt. There will be a tip jar located at the event as well.
Perdido Dollar General Robbed At Gunpoint
February 13, 2014
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an armed robbery at the Dollar General store in Perdido, AL.
About 9:30 p.m. Monday night, two men — one armed with large pistol and the other armed with a large rod, stick or pipe — held up the store.
The suspects demanded money and cigarettes before ordering the two store clerks into a restroom. They fled on foot after taking approximately $1,000 in cash and about 11 packs of Newport cigarettes, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Both men were described as wearing black pants and jackets, bandannas cover their faces and hair and gray gloves. One suspect was wearing a light blue ball cap.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office at (251) 937-0202.
Perdido, AL, is located just a couple of miles northwest of Nokomis, FL, or about six miles west of Atmore.
Pictured: Surveillance video from the Perdido, AL, Dollar General shows armed bandits holding a clerk at gunpoint Monday night. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
