George Wesley Hauer
October 8, 2014
Mr. George Wesley Hauer, 66, passed away on Saturday, October 4, 2014, in Flomaton,
Mr. Hauer was a native of Natchez, MS and a lifelong resident of Flomaton. Mr. Hauer was a master mason. He was a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army as a Combat Medic in Vietnam, where he received the Silver Star. His parents precede him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Vicki M. Hauer of Flomaton; one son, Justin Craft of Jackson, MS; three daughters, Shay (Kenneth) Willamson of Ridgeland, MS, Dana (Mike) Byrd of Brandon, MS and Nicki (Alan) Balentine of Sterling, VA; three grandchildren, Zachary Byrd, Kenneth Hauer Williamson and Charlotte Reese Balentine.
Funeral services will be Thursday, October 9, 2014, at 11 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Father Cook officiating.
Burial will follow at the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort.
Visitation will be held Thursday, October 9, 2014, from 10 a.m. until service time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Ann Hardy Sims
October 8, 2014
Mrs. Ann Hardy Sims, 72, passed away on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, in Pensacola.
Mrs. Sims was a native of Bratt and a resident of Century for most of her life. Mrs. Sims was a loving wife, beloved mother, precious granny and generous friend to all. She was known by her big heart. She was member of the Century First Baptist Church. Her parents, Jim and Vera Hardy and brother, Buddy Hardy precede her in death.
Survivors include her husband of 44 years, Ronnie Sims of Century; one son, Randy Sims of Century; three daughters, Ronda (Hutch) Hutchison of Pensacola, Paula (Greg) Fabbro of Pensacola and Donna (Michael) Ishee of Pace; and seven grandchildren, Hannah Fabbro, Colton Sims, Dylan Sims, Hayden Sims, Madeleine Hutchison and Emily and Caleb Ishee.
Funeral services will be Friday, October 10, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Father Ron Browning officiating.
Burial will follow at the Godwin Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, October 9, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Randy Sims, Colton Sims, Dylan Sims, Hayden Sims, Caleb Sims, Greg Fabbro, Hutch Hutchison, Michael Ishee and Greg “Eggy” Therrell.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Check Out A Lunar Eclipse Early Tomorrow Morning
October 7, 2014
If you are up Wednesday morning, you will have a chance to see a lunar eclipse. However, patchy fog and low clouds may obstruct the view for some.
Here is the information you need to see the eclipse, courtesy of the National Weather Service in Mobile:
(Click to enlarge.)
Deputy Injured In Early Morning Traffic Crash
October 7, 2014
An Escambia County deputy was injured in an early Tuesday morning traffic crash.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 32-year old Michael J. Wohlers was traveling westbound on West Jackson Street in marked police cruiser while responding to a disturbance call when he drove through the intersection, into a ditch, and into trees and shrubs.
Wohlers was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
No charges were filed in the crash by the FHP.
Man Jailed After Molino Carjacking, FHP Chase Into Cantonment
October 7, 2014
A carjacking at a Molino bar landed an Escambia County man behind bars.
William Madison Arrant, 41, was charged with carjacking, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or eluding police and driving with a suspended license after the incident Saturday night at Louie’s Bar on Molino Road.
The victim, described as Arrant’s ex-girlfriend, told deputies that she and Arrant were in her Jeep outside the bar when they got into an argument. She reported that Arrant physically twisted her arm and took her keys. She reported the vehicle stolen after he drove away.
A short time later, Arrant was clocked at about 20 mph over the speed limit on Highway 29 by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper. When he failed to stop, Arrant was pursued by the trooper to Countri Lane in Cantonment where he rain into a wooded area on foot. Arrant was located and taken into custody by a K-9 unit from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Arrant remained in the Escambia County Jail late early Tuesday with bond set at $65,000.
Deep Trouble: Century Must Hire Wastewater Treatment Operator ASAP
October 7, 2014
The Century Town Council was informed Monday night by Mayor Freddie McCall that the town is headed for “deep trouble” with its wastewater treatment facility because there may not a certified operator available enough hours per day.
State regulations require Century’s wasterwater treatment facility to have a certified “Class C” operator six hours per day. The town had a qualified operator, but he’s often unable to work to ongoing health issues. So far, the town has been able to cover all the required hours with a backup operator.
The town recently advertised a job opening for a temporary operator, but there were no qualified applicants willing to accept a part time job. Two current town employees have expressed interest in the position, the mayor said, but they would first be required to undergo training.
“I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring for us,” McCall said as he asked the council to approve hiring a full time operator with a “Class C” permit. “This is critical,” he said.
The council approved the position and authorized a salary of $14 per hour, with a guaranteed $1 per hour raise after one successful year on the job.
Without a certified wasterwater treatment plant operator on duty six hours per day, Century could face fines and other sanctions from the state.
The job will be posted in the NorthEscambia.com classifieds in the next few days.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Telephone Scammer Poses As Sheriff’s Office Employee
October 7, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office says someone claiming to work for their agency tried to scam a woman out of $1,000 over the phone.
The scammer called the potential victim and claimed to be a member of the Sheriff’s Office, and the calling phone number had been altered so that it appeared on the victim’s caller ID to have originated from the Escambia Sheriff’s Office Administration Building.
The caller claimed to be an employee of the Sheriff’s Office and told the recipient that if she did not send $1,000 by electronic payment right away, he would issue a warrant for her arrest for failure to appear for jury duty.The recipient became suspicious and contacted the Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed that the call was not legitimate.
Multiple versions of this telephone scam are being reported, with the caller claiming to be from a law enforcement agency, a utility, or the IRS.
The Sheriff’s Office, in a new release, offered the following tip to prevent becoming a victim of telephone fraud:
- Always be suspicious of any threatening calls claiming to be from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office or any other business-especially if it is coming from a business that you do not normally patronize.
- A legitimate business will not resort to threats as a first response to a late or missed payment.
- Always be suspicious when asked to send an electronic payment, “Green Dot” or other money card payment, or wire transfer
- Trust your instincts. If you feel that something “just isn’t right, call your local law enforcement agency and report it. It is much easier to prevent fraud in the first place than to recover your money after the fact.
Ernest Ward High Alumni: Final Walk Through Set For Thursday
October 7, 2014
All Ernest Ward High School graduates are invited to a final walk through the old school on Thursday afternoon beginning at 4:15. Participants will meet in the Media Center, mingle and roam the halls — a stroll down memory lane.
Some of the classrooms will be dedicated to the different decades of the school with sight and sounds from the 40s and 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. Digital memory books on DVD’s with lots of old pictures will be available. The price is $10 per decade, or $50 for the set.
Participants are invited to attend an Ernest Ward Middle School football game at 6 p.m., with a special reserved section on the 50-yard line, after the walk through event.
The old Ernest Ward Middle School will be demolished early next year as students move into an entirely new facility.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
ACLU: Supreme Court Decision Could Boost Gay Marriage In Florida
October 7, 2014
With the U.S. Supreme Court clearing the way for same-sex marriages in other states, gay-rights supporters said Monday they will ask a federal judge to follow suit in Florida.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle in August struck down Florida’s ban on same-sex marriages, but he also placed a stay on the ruling while cases from Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah were pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. Justices declined Monday to hear those cases and similar cases from Indiana and Wisconsin, giving victories to gay-marriage supporters who had won in lower courts.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which represents plaintiffs in the challenge to Florida’s ban, quickly said it will ask Hinkle to lift the stay on his August decision. In a 
prepared statement, ACLU attorney Daniel Tilley said “we are now one step closer to the day when every Florida family can have the respect, protection and responsibilities that come with marriage.”
“We are preparing now to take the necessary steps to ask the court in our case to lift the stay and allow Florida couples who are married out of state or who wish to be married to have those marriages respected by their home state as soon as possible,” Tilley said.
Hinkle’s decision finding Florida’s voter-approved ban unconstitutional was similar to rulings by state circuit-court judges in South Florida. Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office is defending the gay-marriage ban, has pointed to the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of cases as a reason to put on hold at least some of the Florida legal battles.
Whitney Ray, a Bondi spokesman, gave little indication Monday how the attorney general might respond to the justices’ decision against hearing the cases.
“We are reviewing the impact of these decisions, as well as other cases around the country,” Ray said in an email.
But John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, which helped lead efforts to pass a 2008 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, disputed arguments that the Supreme Court’s decision resolves the issue in Florida. Stemberger said it “has no legal effect in Florida and is only legally binding in the five states where the appeal was brought.”
“Unless and until a federal appeals court over Florida issues an adverse ruling, then Florida’s current valid marriage laws should continue to be upheld by the attorney general and Florida judges alike,” Stemberger said. “Further, no same-sex marriage licenses should be issued, and any decision otherwise by a Florida court or a clerk of court, would be irresponsible and illegitimate.”
Hinkle, who hears cases in Tallahassee, issued a strongly worded ruling Aug. 21 in favor of plaintiffs in two combined lawsuits challenging the gay-marriage ban. The plaintiffs included Florida couples who were married in other states where same-sex marriage is legal, a couple seeking to get married and the surviving spouse of a same-sex couple married in New York.
But while Hinkle found that the ban interfered with the couples’ constitutional rights, he also issued a stay that at least temporarily blocked same-sex marriages from taking place.
“There is a substantial public interest in implementing this decision just once — in not having, as some states have had, a decision that is on-again, off-again,” Hinkle wrote at the time. “This is so for marriages already entered elsewhere, and it is more clearly so for new marriages. There is a substantial public interest in stable marriage laws.”
In the order, Hinkle tied the length of the stay to the Virginia, Oklahoma and Utah cases, which had been filed in the Supreme Court.
Justices on Monday did not explain the reasons for not hearing those cases. But the decision could have ramifications for other states, along with Florida. In his statement, Tilley, the ACLU attorney, described legal same-sex marriage as a “clear historical inevitability.”
“We said that marriage equality is coming to Florida,” Tilley said. “After today’s message from the nation’s highest court, we know that it is coming even sooner.”
by Jim Saunders and Dara Kim, The News Service of Florida
Paul Martin Upton
October 7, 2014
Mr. Paul Martin Upton, age 26 of Century, passed away suddenly on Sunday, October 5, 2014, at Jay Hospital after a tragic accident.
Mr. Upton was a native of Milton, and a long time resident of the Century community where he was a member and usher of Pilgrim’s Lodge Baptist Church in Century.
He is survived by his mother and step-father, Sandra (Frank)Rich of Pensacola; his father and step-mother, Marty (Sharabeth) Upton of Texas; maternal grandmother, Kate Bondurant of Century; step-grandmother, Beth Rich of Pensacola; brother, John Curtis Upton; step-brother, Chris Rich; nieces, Maria Sears Upton and Asa Sharrif of Orlando; uncle, John G. Upton of Farmers Branch, TX; and numerous relatives and friends.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2014, at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014, at 10 a.m. at the Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Cary Gilbert and Rev. Robert Barrow officiating.
Interment will follow in Pollard Cemetery in Flomaton.