Kenneth Earl Higdon, Jr.
January 24, 2014
Kenny Higdon, age 59, a lifelong resident of Beulah, entered Heaven’s Gate Tuesday, January 21, 2014. He was born January 17, 1955, the first born son of the late Kenneth Earl and Peggy Higdon. He is survived by his brother, Jamey Higdon and Jamey’s wife Sue Higdon; nephew Jeremy Higdon (Bullfrog), and niece Emily Higdon (Princess Emily/ Moe, the apple of his eye); and many relatives and friends. He was a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.
Kenny will be remembered by many and forgotten by few. He was a highly respected deep sea boat captain and fisherman. He knew where they were, and how to find where they hid. He was a giant of a man. To borrow one of Kenny’s unlimited reserve of sayings, he was “tougher than four kinds of nails”! But he had a heart so big it would be difficult to find someone who knew Kenny and did not love him.
Kenny lived an incredibly full life. His greatest loves were his family, fishing, boating, and serving as a cook extraordinaire for gatherings in Beulah, or wherever his boat was anchored. He was content sipping on a beverage, frying mullet, snapper, and shrimp and watching grateful diners enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Kenny’s friends from far and wide are so many they would overflow most auditoriums. If they all gathered in one spot and began recounting “Kenny” stories (most of which are suitable for mixed company), the tales would never end. Embellishment would not be necessary.
A visitation and memorial service celebrating Kenny’s life will be held Saturday, January 25th at Faith Chapel, 1000 S. Highway 29, Cantonment, Florida. Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m.. The Service will begin at 2p.m.. Burial will follow at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery. A fellowship will follow at “Kenyea’s on the Lake” on Beulah School Road. Messages of condolence may be posted at Higdonracing@aol.com.
FAITH CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME NORTH, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, FL is in charge of arrangements.
Several Recent Escambia , Santa Rosa Wildfires Linked To Arson
January 24, 2014
Officials say several wildfires in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that past few days were likely arson. Firefighters with Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center have responded to 20 wildfire calls in the past week.
“Indicators at the scene of wildfires in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties point to human causes,” said David Smith, operations administrator for Blackwater. “Natural causes, such as lightning, have been ruled out as a possibility, and there is no evidence to suggest the fires were caused by equipment. These will be investigated as arson cases.”
The suspected arson cases are not thought to be linked and have been found throughout the district. Authorities will not release a specific number or location of the suspicious fires because of ongoing investigations but are asking residents to be vigilant and report any suspected arson activity to the Florida Forestry Association’s Arson Alert Hotline at 1-800-342-5869.
Callers can remain anonymous and information about an arson-caused wildland fire could be worth up to a $5,000 reward. When reporting suspected woods arson activity, callers should include the following information:
- Descriptions of vehicles and license plates (make, model, color, etc.)
- Physical descriptions of individuals (approximate height, weight, hair, clothing, etc.)
- Be watchful for suspicious behavior and pinpoint the area to assist law enforcement in their response
- Call 9-1-1 immediately if you see suspicious behavior
- Do not approach the suspect. Safety comes first.
Pictured: A grass fire late last week along Highway 97 just north of Dogwood Park. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Failed Armed Robbery Suspect Arrested
January 24, 2014
A suspect has been arrested in an armed robbery attempt that the victim stopped by pulling out his own firearm.
Sean Robert Dvorak, 18, was charged with first degree felony armed robbery. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond Thursday afternoon.
About 6:40 Monday evening, deputies responded to a residence on Air Blanc Circle in reference to a shots fired complaint. Deputies said Dvorak, who was known to the victim, came over to the home and attempted to rob the victim at gunpoint.
The victim pulled his firearm in self-defense and was able to prevent the robbery.
Ball Registrations Continue For NWE, Molino
January 24, 2014
Here is baseball and softball registration information for NWE’s Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill and the Molino Ballpark:
Northwest Escambia’s Bradberry Park will hold open registration for ages 3-18 on Saturday, January 25 from 10 a.m. until noon. Registration fees vary and a payment plan is available. A birth certificate is needed at the time of registration. For complete information, click here.
The Molino Ballpark is accepted all age groups from 3-16 year old. Registration will be held at the Don Sutton Ballpark on Crabtree Chuch Road on Saturday, January 25 and Saturday, February 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Registration is $55 for the first child, $50 for the second child and $45 for the third child. A birth certificate is needed at the time of registration. For more information, click here.
Miss EWMS Pageant Tonight
January 24, 2014
The Jr. Miss EWMS pageant will be held tonight at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The pageant will begin at 7:00. Admission is $5 for adults or middle school students, and $3 for elementary students.
Pictured: Jr. Miss EWMS contestants (front, L-R) Bailey Seibert, Ashlan Harigel, Cloe Smith, Kally White, Jayda Crabtree, (middle) Gabbie Peebles, Allison Rice, Shelby Bashore, Hannah Ellis, Nikoal Creamer, Madison Sherouse, Gabrielle Kline, Emma Fennell, (back) Bailee Hinote, and Jerni Crabtree. Not pictured: Lauren Sapp, Raeleigh Woodfin, and Cailee Wilburn. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Takes Two From Rocky Bayou; Friday’s Game Canceled
January 24, 2014
The Northview Chiefs beat Rocky Bayou in boys and girls basketball action Thursday night.
Northview 93, Rocky Bayou 61
The Northview varsity boys beat Rocky Bayou 93-61 Thursday night in Bratt.
Leading scorers for the Chiefs were Neino Robinson with 30 and Tony Mcaroy with 23 points. Also scoring for the Chiefs were Eric Williams with 16, Cameron Newson 10, Tydre Bradley 6, Trent Howard 3, Brodie Amos 2, Nick Lambert 2, and Jeffery Taylor 1.
The Northview varsity boys game against Escambia Charter scheduled for Friday night has been canceled.
Northview 41, Rocky Bayou 20 (Girls)
The Northview varsity girls beat Rocky Bayou 41-20 Thursday night in Bratt.
The Chiefs led 25-6 at the half and held the Knights to just six earned field goals. The NHS Chiefs were led by E’Layzha Bates with 12 points, Danielle Steadham with 11 and Lana Clayton with 11. Jada Tucker had 3, and Zacarra Davis and Mallarie Rigby added 2 points each.
West Florida has canceled girls games for Friday; the girls will play next Tuesday versus Jay at Jay in the district tournament at 6:00.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Molino Museum To Open Saturday
January 24, 2014
Grand opening for the Molino Museum be held at 10:00 this Saturday morning inside the Molino Community Complex.
At 2 p.m., Lil King, president of the Molino Mid-County Historical Society will host a presentation on “The History of Molino”. A special tour of the museum will be given following the event at 3 p.m.
With its location just 25 miles north of Pensacola, the Molino area, including the old town of Molino, played a vital role in the area’s settlement and development. From its start as a Spanish mission in the 1700s, an important mill town during the Industrial Revolution and into the modern era, Molino’s history is the story of life in rural Florida and how it has changed over the years.
The Molino Community Complex — the former Molino School — is located at 6450 Highway 95A.
Garbage Rates Rising In Century
January 24, 2014
Century residents will soon see a slight increase on their garbage bills.
The rate for residential service will increase 41-cents, from $15.70 to $16.11 per month for household waste. The town is passing along a 2.6 percent rate increase from Allied Waste, the town’s service provider. Under their contract with Century, Allied is allowed to periodically adjust rates based upon increases in the Consumer Price Index.
Commercial garbage customers in Century that utilize Allied Waste will see an increase of 2.76 percent.
Voting Rights Changes Would Not Impact Florida
January 24, 2014
A proposed overhaul of the Voting Rights Act that would essentially revive the process of “preclearance” would leave Florida out of the list of states that would have to get federal approval for changes to elections procedures, a scenario that concerns some voting-rights advocates.
Voting-rights groups, many of which have been involved in recent legal battles over elections issues in Florida, largely support the bill, introduced by a bipartisan group of U.S. House and Senate members. But they note that the process in the bill for selecting which states are required to gain preclearance would not include Florida or several other jurisdictions that were included under an old formula.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as antiquated the formula Congress established in the 2006 version of the law to single out so-called “covered jurisdictions.” That formula, based on data from the 1960s and 1970s, was used to decide which parts of the country must submit almost any changes in voting laws or practices to the federal government for approval — the process known as preclearance.
Before the ruling, five Florida counties were among the “covered jurisdictions,” which in effect required the state to submit any rules or new laws affecting those areas. That allowed the U.S. Department of Justice or a three-judge federal panel to review essentially any statewide voting law as well.
Florida officials, who had challenged the preclearance section of the Voting Rights Act in a separate case, applauded the decision.
“Any time we have the opportunity to make our own decisions, I think that’s great for our state,” Gov. Rick Scott said at the time.
Under the new proposal, any state where governments were found to have violated the Voting Rights Act five times in a 15-year period would be subject to preclearance. While at least one of the violations would have to be committed by the state itself, others could be committed by local governments.
There would also be separate procedures for requiring that cities or counties be subject to preclearance.
“This bill modernizes the Voting Rights Act and will restore those protections that were gutted by the court, and will ensure that every citizen has an equal opportunity to participate in our democracy,” said House Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., at an event unveiling the change.
According to supporters of the legislation, it would sweep up four states: Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Under the old Voting Rights Act, Virginia, Arizona, Alaska and parts of California, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and South Dakota were covered, along with Florida’s five counties.
That disappointed some groups involved in battles with the state of Florida over the last several years on everything from a massive rewriting of the state’s elections laws to efforts to remove the names of suspected non-citizens from the voting rolls.
“We’re very concerned on behalf of the voters of Florida and the groups we work with on the ground there,” said Katherine Culliton-González, director of voter protection for Advancement Project, a Washington, D.C.-based group involved in some of the legal fights in Florida.
One shortcoming of the preclearance formula, Culliton-González said, is that only a judge’s ruling or a denial of preclearance for a covered jurisdiction counts as a violation. If legal settlements or consent decrees were also included in the definition, she said, Florida would be eligible for coverage.
The new standard could actually encourage voting-rights groups and others to continue legal fights in hopes of getting a court order that would count toward preclearance, she said.
But advocates also note that the state would still be eligible for preclearance if there are problems in the future.
“We have concerns that Florida is not on the initial list, but because the proposal contains a rolling trigger, it will enable Florida … should it be necessary, to be on the protected list” again, said Deirdre Macnab, president of the League of Women Voters of Florida.
Other provisions of the bill, including one requiring 180 days’ notice for changes that would affect federal elections and another making it easier to get voting changes blocked, would be implemented nationwide.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Single Vehicle Jacks Branch Wreck Injures Multiple People
January 23, 2014
Serveral people were injured in a single vehicle rollover accident Thursday morning on Jacks Branch Road.
The accident was reported about 11:30 a.m. in a curve on Jacks Branch Road, just off Muscogee Road. One of the patients was trapped in the vehicle for a brief time until extricated by firefighters.
Three patients were transported by ambulance to West Florida and Baptist hospitals. None of the injuries were considered to be life threatening.
Further details have not yet been released; the accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
