Marilyn Dianne Davis Rice
January 21, 2014
Marilyn Dianne Davis Rice, 57, passed away January 20, 2014, in Gainesville, FL. She was a lifetime resident of Century and a charter member of Faith Bible Baptist Church in Century. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband James L. (Jim) Rice; her godly parents, Willie and Geraldine Davis; grandparents, John and Katie Henderson, Thelma Weaver; and niece, Jeri Dense Davis. She had a special love for children and babysat from her home. She always put others first and would help someone in need. We will miss her and we will never forget her beautiful face.
She is survived by her children, Derek (Casey) Rice and Whitney (Timothy) Dunsford all of Century; grandchildren, Zoey Dunsford, Chandler, Braiden, Mary Grace, Adam, Madison and Cooper Rice; sisters, Jackie (Jason) Thomas of Jay and Susan (Daniel) Macks of McKenzie, AL; brothers, Billy (Karen) Davis and Keith Davis both of Century; nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and special friends.
Marilyn was a loving mother, wonderful sister, a great daughter and a caring friend.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 25, 2014, at 11 a.m. from the Faith Bible Baptist Church with Rev. Ricky Dunsford officiating.
Burial will follow in Byrneville Methodist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, January 25, 2014, from 9:30 a.m. until service time at Faith Bible Baptist Church.
Donations can be made to the Marilyn Rice memorial fund at United Bank in Flomaton.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore is in charge of arrangements.
Northview’s Football Stadium To Be Named For Tommy Weaver
January 21, 2014
The Escambia County School Board is set to consider a resolution to name the stadium at Northview High School as the “Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium”.
Today, the board is set to approve advertising a public hearing on the proposal to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 during the board’s regular meeting the Hall Center on Texar Drive. The name change will be official after being approved at the March meeting.
Weaver was a longtime DCT and Ag instructor and assistant coach who passed away suddenly at the age of 61 in March 2012. The Chiefs’ entire 2012 state championship football season was dedicated to Weaver.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Nicholas “Nick” Aaron Rolin
January 21, 2014
Mr. Nicholas “Nick” Aaron Rolin, 22, passed away on Monday, January 20, 2014, in Atmore.
Mr. Rolin was a native and lifelong resident of Perdido. Mr. Rolin was happy and he never met a stranger. His grandparents, Carlis & Beulah Johnson and Charles Rolin precede him in death.
He is survived by his father and mother, Danny & Pat Rolin of Perdido; one daughter, Autum Hastings of Nokomis, AL; two brothers, Brandon (Donyel) Rolin of Perdido and Patrick Rolin, all of Perdido; one sister, Kimberly (Kevin) Douglas of Lake City, FL; grandmother, Betty Rolin of Atmore; one aunt, Melinda (Dennis) Ferrell of Rabun; three uncles, Mickey (Gena) Johnson of Perdido, John Paul (Chea) Johnson of Bay Minette and Charles Edward Rolin of Monroeville; special great-aunt, Annette McCreary of Daphne; one niece, Madyson Rolin of Perdido; three nephews, Peyton Rolin, Hunter Ganey and Cameron Ganey all of Perdido; Jodi Vinson Stewart and very special cousins, Jessica Ferrell, Logan Ferrell, Hunter Johnson, John Taylor Johnson, Haley Johnson Dillon Johnson and Teri Tolbert.
Funeral services will be Thursday, January 23, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Reo Pugh and Sis. Helen Stewart officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Brandon Rolin, Patrick Rolin, Dywayne Hadley, Justin Johnson, Willie Hall, Charles Thomas Rolin, Josh Plant and Rolando Martinez.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Residents Celebrate MLK Day With Parades, Ceremonies, Music
January 20, 2014
Crowds turned out across the area Monday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Century-Flomaton Improvement Association held their annual motorcade, ending with a program and celebration at the Ag Building. Songs, essays and speeches honored King’s memory, looked forward to the future and honored local community leaders that have passed away. Guest speaker Russell Fountain of the Bethel AFM Church of God in Century addressed the group before a community lunch.
In Atmore, the 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade rolled through town to a memorial program and lunch at Escambia County High School on Monday.
Pensacola honored Dr. King with a parade, while a Walk on MLK and program featuring Irma Wilson of Atmore was held in Flomaton.
For a photo gallery from the Century events, click here.
For a photo gallery from the Atmore events, click here.
Pictured top: The Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church Youth Choir performs during the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Program Monday morning in Century. Pictured inset: Hundreds lined the streets of Atmore for the annual MLK Day Parade. Pictured below: The parade rolls through Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wildfires Keep Four Fire Stations Busy; About A Dozen Acres Burned
January 20, 2014
Two wildfires burned through about a dozen acres Monday near Walnut Hill.
The first fire, reported about 11:20 a.m., was on Garrett Road just off Pine Forest Road. The fire burned about 10 acres and threatened an abandoned home. The second fire was reported about 12:10 p.m. on Goodale Lane off Highway 97A in Enon. That fire burned about two acres.
Dozens of firefighters from the Walnut Hill, Century, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue battled the fires, along with the Florida Division of Forestry.
Pictured: A wildfire consumed about 10 acres off Garrett and Pine Forest roads Monday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sunny Week Forecast
January 20, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a northwest wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 24. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 48. North wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 29. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54. North wind 5 to 15 mph.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.
- Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Resident Meeting To Provide Input For Century Economic Development Plan
January 20, 2014
Century is turning to its residents for input into the town’s future economic development plan.
Town residents are invited to a meeting Tuesday night at 6:00 at the Ag Building on West Highway 4 to offer their input into the plan.
When Century updated its Comprehensive Plan in March 2012, the need for an economic development strategy was identified as one of the critical issues facing the Town.
Last July, Century was awarded a $25,000 a Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The grant provided the Town the opportunity to contract with the University of West Florida’s Haas Center to develop the plan.
One of the main components for developing the plan is to solicit public input. The Haas Center recommended hosting several focus group meetings to include Century business owners, residents, and regional economic development organizations to solicit input into the creation of the plan. The first meeting on January 13 was geared toward local businesses, and was designed to identify local economic issues and opportunities, providing a “wish list” of priorities for the Town of Century and Haas Center staff to incorporate into the final strategic plan.
A final meeting will be held on January 27 for regional economic development organizations.
Century’s Economic Development Strategic and Implementation Plan must be submitted to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity by May 30.
Pictured top: Rod Lewes of the Haas Center (the research and consulting arm of the University of West Florida) makes a presentation last September to the Century Town Council. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Two Charged With Shooting Behind Escambia Grocery Store
January 20, 2014
Two people were arrested late Sunday night following a shooting outside a Pensacola Grocery Outlet store.
A male victim was shot in the leg behind the Grocery Outlet on Fairfield Drive nearLillian Highway in an attempted robbery about 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released.
Aubry Allen Freeman and Jocelyn Nicole Mercer, both 19, were taken into custody and charged with aggravated battery with a firearm and attempted armed robbery. Both remained in the Escambia County Jail Monday afternoon with bond set at $60,000.
The victim’s name has not yet been released.
Ensley Road Closures, Detours Begin Tuesday
January 20, 2014
As part of the Ensley Area Improvements/Detroit Boulevard and Johnson Avenue Realignment project, the following roads will be closed with detours beginning Tuesday, January 21, until Monday, January 27, from the hours of 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.:
- Road work at West Johnson Avenue on the north end and Jones Street on the south end will be implemented beginning January 21, 2014 at 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. with the roadway reopening each morning
- Northbound traffic on North Palafox Street will be detoured west onto Jones Street and southbound traffic on North Palafox Street will be detoured west onto West Johnson Avenue
- From West Johnson Avenue on the south end and West Ensley Street on the north end will be implemented beginning January 24, 2014 at 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. with the roadway reopening each morning after 6 a. m.
- Northbound traffic on North Palafox Street will be detoured west onto West Johnson Avenue and southbound traffic on North Palafox Street will be detoured onto West Ensley Street
Improvements are due to Roadway Realignment Construction per the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
Playground Smoking Ban Swings Through Senate Committee
January 20, 2014
A proposal that could snuff out smoking in parks where children play moved easily through its first Senate test .
The Senate Regulated Industries Committee backed without opposition a measure (SB 342) that would allow local governments to prohibit smoking on public park land that includes children’s areas with at least one piece of playground equipment.
The proposal, by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, would be an expansion of the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act, which was approved by voters in 2002 and prohibits smoking in most enclosed indoor workplaces.
“This bill does not create a blanket ban on anything,” Bradley said after the meeting. “It just simply gives local government the ability to tailor regulations to meet their needs.”
No announced opposition stepped forward during the committee meeting. However, Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, cautioned that complaints will come.
“Every time we attempted a smoking thing, like we did in the restaurants, the first complaints we get are from our military folks, who say, ‘I fought and died, and got shot in World War II, and I can’t have a cigarette at the VFW,’ ” Detert warned. “So be prepared to hear from your veterans.”
Veterans of Foreign Wars posts are considered membership clubs, which under state law are exempt from the tobacco-free standards imposed on restaurants and most bars.
Bradley tried to pass a broader bill (SB 258) during the 2013 legislative session that was intended to restrict smoking on all municipal or county properties, including beaches. The measure, which died in the Senate Community Affairs Committee, also faced opposition in the House before its demise.
Bradley said this year’s “narrowly tailored” bill is more realistic.
“I wanted to try to craft a piece of legislation that has an opportunity for passage,” Bradley said.. “I feel good about our prospects in the Senate, but there is still some concerns from our friends in the House.”
The House version (HB 309), sponsored by Rep. Katie Edwards, D-Plantation, has yet to be scheduled to appear before any of its planned committees.
The proposal has the support of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities, the Florida Association of Counties, the Sierra Club and the American Lung Association of Florida.
Bradley’s proposal must still go before the Senate Community Affairs and Criminal Justice committees before reaching the full Senate.
Across the nation, numerous municipalities and cities already ban smoking at government parks, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque, N.M. Pequannock, New Jersey has banned smoking at public parks with ball fields or playgrounds.
Bradley defended his proposal as not being part of a “grand conspiracy” to further expand the ban on smoking to private outdoor areas across the state.
“I think that it’s appropriate for our children to enjoy playgrounds without having to deal with smoking,” Bradley said. “I’m not interested in banning smoking outdoors on private property.”
Under Bradley’s proposal, a citation could only be issued for those who refuse to stop smoking after being advised of the restriction and refusing to leave the area. The bill limits local ordinances to set fines up to $100 for a first offense and $300 for repeat offenders.
Pictured: Showalter Park in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos.
by The News Service of Florida
