Julia Elizabeth Vincent Welker
September 29, 2014
Julia Elizabeth Vincent Welker, 89, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 28, 2014.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Missouri Elizabeth Williams Vincent and Clifford Jefferson Vincent, Sr.; her son, Roger Larry Thrasher; and her husband, Warren “Buddy” Thomas Welker.
Julia is survived by her six children, Claudia Wynne, Carolyn Sirmon, Hugh Welker, Terry Welker, Judy Creighton, Thomas Welker, Paul Welker and Gina Asters; 19 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; and her two brothers, Clifford Vincent, Jr. and Johnnie Vincent.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 3, 2014, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North in Cantonment with Bro. Bill Flannigan officiating.
Burial will follow in Bayview Memorial Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, 2014, at the funeral home.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.
Jac Cote
September 29, 2014
Jac Cote, age 43 of Pace, passed away on Saturday, September 27, 2014. He was born on January 26, 1971, in Portsmouth, VA, the son of Gilbert and Glenda Cote.
In 1998, Jac married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Nerlene Lacsamana. Jac and Nerlene remained happily married and together lived a life full of love, laughter, and happiness. Jac graduated from Escambia High School in 1989. After high school, Jac worked several years as a manager in music and video retail. Surviving cancer at a young age, Jac sought to help others diagnosed with cancer. In 2010, he received his Bachelor’s Science of Nursing degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. In 2012, Jac and Nerlene moved from Birmingham and returned to Pace to be closer to friends and family. He served as Nursing Clinical Manager of Oncology at Baptist Hospital.
People automatically gravitated to Jac’s sincere fun-loving personality. He loved music, singing, and classic movies. His intelligence, quick-wit, thoughtfulness, and nontraditional originality immediately made Jac a friend to everyone he encountered. To his family and close friends, he provided a love and trust that both nurtured and bonded undying relationships. He loved his nieces and nephews and helped instill within them values of compassion, respect, and honesty.
Jac is survived by his spouse, Nerlene Cote; father, Gilbert Cote; mother-in-law, Judy Cote; mother, Glenda Cote; brothers, Jason and Joey; seven nieces, Kyleigh, Lauren, Christine, Katelyn, Brooke, Bella and Mya; and three nephews, Brandon, Andrew, and Zander.
The family wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Baptist Hospital and Emerald Coast Hospice Care.
Funeral services will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North on October 1, 2014, at 10 a.m. followed by graveside services at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Flood Watch Canceled, Rain Still Possible
September 28, 2014
A flash flood watch that was in effect for today has been canceled. An area of rain in the Gulf of Mexico did not move inland as expected. However, there is still a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts are not expected to be enough to produce flooding.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Sunday Night A 50 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 68. East wind around 5 mph.
- Monday A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 85. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
- Monday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Calm wind.
- Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Calm wind.
- Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 88. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. Calm wind.
- Thursday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
- Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
- Friday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85.
- Friday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
- Saturday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Suspect Sketch Released In Cantonment Carjacking, Attempted Sexual Assault
September 28, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is continuing their efforts to find a man believed to have carjacked a woman in Cantonment shortly before attacking and attempting to sexually assault a female jogger.
The Sheriff’s Office has released a sketch based upon the description of the man. He was described by the victims as a dark skinned black male in is mid 30’s approximately 5-feet 8-inches to 5-feet 10-inches tall. He was described as being of a medium build, with rough textured facial skin, possibly acne scars, short black hair, bright white teeth, deep voice, and possibly a mustache. He was last seen wearing a faded black shirt with white writing and blue jeans.
CARJACKING
At approximately 8:15 a.m. on September 18, a carjacking was reported at the Raceway gas station at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road. The victim had pumped gasoline and entered the store when an unknown black male suspect entered her unlocked vehicle and concealed himself in the backseat. The victim did not see the suspect and drove away from the store, according to information released Thursday afternoon by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect confronted the victim once the vehicle was moving. He told her that he had a knife and to keep driving or he would “stick” her. She drove around randomly and eventually drove to a neighbor’s residence. Once there she honked the car’s horn in distress to get someone’s attention. The suspect struck her and pushed her from the vehicle.
He left in the car, heading back towards Highway 29. The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Shortly afterward, the vehicle was located on Pine Street.
ATTEMPTED SEXUAL ASSAULT
About 8:35 a.m the same day. deputies received a call about the attempted sexual battery of a female jogger on Rocky Avenue.
The victim reported that as she was jogging when an unknown black male suspect grabbed her from behind and dragged her into a wooded lot. Once there he struck her in the face and attempted to remove her clothing but the victim fought back and was able to escape. The suspect fled deeper into the wooded lot while the victim contacted authorities. The victim was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released.
Due to the time and location of the incident, description of the suspect and the vehicle found at the location, investigators believe this incident may be connected to the carjacking.
CALL CRIMESTOPPERS
Anyone having information on this incident is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at (850) 433-STOP. Callers never have to provide their name and may receive a cash reward.
No Injuries In Bratt Hit And Run Accident
September 28, 2014
There were no injuries in a hit and run accident reported about 7:30 Saturday night at the intersection of West Highway 4 and Pine Barren Road, near Northview High School. The vehicle pictured sustained minor damage and came to rest in ditch next to West Highway 4 after the crash. A description of the second vehicle that left the scene was not available. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Don’t Want A $456 Ticket? Slow Down In School Zones
September 28, 2014
Zoom through the Ernest Ward Middle or Molino Park Elementary, or any other school zone at 45 mph and it will cost you … $456 to be exact. Make it 50 miles an hour, and you’ll be talking to a judge.
School has been in session for over month now, and each day drivers continue to forget to slow down in school zones. And whether it is Ernest Ward, Molino Park or one of dozens of other schools, law enforcement is out often enforcing school zone speed limits.
If you are caught speeding in a school zone, be prepared for a big hit on your wallet, not mention your vehicle insurance rates.
Here is a list of fines if motorists are caught speeding in school zones in Escambia County:
- 1 – 9 mph over the speed limit: $156.
- 10 – 14 mph over the speed limit: $306.
- 15 to 19 mph over the speed limit: $406.
- 20 – 29 mph over the speed limit: $456.
- 30 plus mph over the speed limit: Mandatory court appearance.
And if you fail to stop for a school bus that is loading or unloading students, that a $271 fine.
Pictured: An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy makes a traffic stop near Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill after the driver was clocked speeding in the school zone. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: It’s Fall, But The Politics Are Only Getting Hotter
September 28, 2014
Summer officially ended Monday, and the temperature seemed to drop in Tallahassee. It wasn’t cool, per se, but at least going outside wasn’t walking into a skin-melting blast furnace.
But even as the weather cooled, two long-running dramas heated up. At Florida State University, a controversial and at times bumbling presidential search finally settled on the man many assumed would get the job all along: Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine.
And in the governor’s race, supporters of incumbent Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic candidate Charlie Crist traded charges of dirty tricks in one of the nation’s most closely-watched contests. Crist’s campaign and its Democratic allies slammed the Republican Party of Florida for allegedly spying on a fundraiser, while Scott and the state GOP accused Democratic National Committee Chairwoman and Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of crossing the line with comments that seemed to compare Republican policies to domestic abuse.
Neither story is likely to die down anytime soon. Thrasher is still technically running for re-election — his appointment doesn’t become official until it’s approved by the state university system’s Board of Governors — and the election that will end the governor’s race remains more than a month away.
PRESIDENT THRASHER (FINALLY)
In 2012, Thrasher, a former House speaker, took part in what amounted to a palace coup that would have moved up his potential presidency of the Senate. The effort failed, though, and Thrasher faced the prospect of serving out the last four years of his tenure with little to no chance of leading the chamber.
But the influential senator will still get the title of president, this time as the head of his alma mater. The Florida State University Board of Trustees voted 11-2 on Tuesday to give the job to Thrasher, who had long been seen as the front-runner for the position. In addition to the perks of the job — like free admission to football games played by his beloved Seminoles — Thrasher now faces the challenge of moving the institution forward while winning the support of large portions of the faculty and student body who opposed him.
“This is the scary choice, not the safe choice,” Faculty Senate President Gary Tyson, who sits on the board, told his fellow trustees Tuesday.
Others also expressed concerns that Thrasher wouldn’t live up to the expectations that he could increase the Legislature’s support for the school or that his political fundraising skills wouldn’t translate to the need to raise money for academia. One opponent called the search process “sketchy,” one labeled Thrasher an “overlord,” another said the trustees were announcing support for athletics over academics, and one even threatened, “We will make John Thrasher’s life here at Florida State a living hell.”
Thrasher stayed away from any premature celebrations, given that the Board of Governors has to approve his candidacy — though that is largely expected to be a formality. He was also beginning to reach out to those who opposed him or ran against him for the presidency, from Tyson to FSU Provost Garnett Stokes, who has served as interim president.
EXIT FROM POLITICS
Following the suggestion of trustees, Thrasher resigned Wednesday from his role as chairman of Scott’s re-election effort. But he declined to give up his own bid for another term in the Senate, pointing to the fact that he wasn’t officially the president of FSU yet.
The decision also avoids a process that would allow local Republican leaders to choose a replacement candidate for Thrasher, as would have been the case if Thrasher stepped down immediately. Instead, a special election will be held next year to fill the seat, assuming Thrasher wins in November.
“I think I probably ought to prevail in the (November) campaign, and then if I’m successful the day after with the Board of Governors, then I can submit my resignation and allow the governor to call a special election,” Thrasher said. “That way the person, whoever it is, can be vetted by the voters. This is for a four-year term in the Florida Senate. It’s a big deal in my opinion.”
In the opinion of a few House members as well, who will be able to run in the special election but wouldn’t have been eligible under state law to run for the Senate seat in November if Thrasher had left right away.
Some legislators are already saying they would be interested in running in a special election.
“If that happens, I would certainly be considering it strongly,” said Rep. Ronald “Doc” Renuart, a three-term Republican from Ponte Vedra Beach.
Rep. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, said he would also take a look at running.
“I would like to get with my community and make sure it’s the right thing,” said Hutson, a House freshman unopposed in his bid for re-election.
And Derek Hankerson, who drew a little less than 30 percent of the vote against Thrasher in this year’s Republican primary, said he would jump into the race as well. Hankerson filed paperwork this week to set up a campaign for the 2018 elections, which could be converted to an account for the special election once it’s announced.
‘NIXONIAN’ VS. ‘WILDLY INSULTING’
There have been times that it seemed unlikely that the race between Scott and Crist could get any nastier — but both campaigns seem to view that kind of thinking as a challenge.
This week, things took another step down and into some bizarre territory. Democrats accused GOP staffers of filming people who arrived at a fundraiser for Crist held at Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant’s home. The allegations, reported by the Associated Press, also included charges that Republicans had taken pictures of the license plates of those in attendance.
It’s not entirely clear what Republicans were hoping to accomplish, given that a list of everyone who contributes to Crist’s campaign is a regularly updated public record.
In a media availability Friday, Tant ripped into the GOP over the incident, calling it “Nixonian” and “Orwellian” and using other, only slightly less colorful adjectives.
“In America, we get to take a stand — with our voices, with our presence and with our dollars — for whom we choose to support without any kind of dictatorial backlash for doing that,” Tant said.
Coincidentally or not (read: probably not), footage soon emerged on the political blog of the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald showing Wasserman Schultz saying that Scott “has given us the back of his hand.” The remarks, made about a month ago, bore a striking resemblance to Wasserman Schultz’s complaint about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, though in that case she said Walker “has given women the back of his hand.”
Wasserman Schultz apologized for the earlier incident. Asked during her Friday availability about the remarks regarding Scott, Tant said she agreed with Wasserman Schultz’s earlier comments during the Walker brouhaha that the national chairwoman wouldn’t use those words again.
Tant addressed the comments a few minutes after her counterpart, Republican Party of Florida Chairwoman Leslie Dougher, called for Tant and Crist to condemn Wasserman Schultz’s “wildly insulting” statement.
“Her comments are especially heartless because Rick Scott’s mother was going through a divorce from an abusive husband when the governor was born. … To suggest that Rick Scott gives women the ‘back of his hand’ not only grossly mischaracterizes the governor, it treats actual domestic violence victims as pawns in a political game,” Dougher said in a statement issued Friday.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, was selected by the Florida State University Board of Trustees to become the school’s next president, all but assuring that he will get the job.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Mr. Scott and Mr. Crist are both looked at, meehhhh, by voters in a less than complimentary way.”– Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll, on a survey showing low personal marks for both major-party candidates for governor.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Friends Of The Library Fall Book Sale Continues Sunday
September 27, 2014
The Friends of West Florida Public Library Big Fall Book Sale and Silent Auction continues today at the downtown Main Library at 239 North Spring Street. Thousands of hardcover, paperback, and collectible books are available for purchase, plus a variety of DVDs, CDs, puzzles, and other items. Proceeds are used to fund programs and enhancements at WFPL branches.
Sunday is the final day of the Book Sale, with free admission and the popular $5 Bag Sale from noon to 3pm.
Book Sale items include thousands of generous donations from the public and some library books retired from circulation, many of them now out-of-print. Novels and mysteries are sorted by author or into genres like Science Fiction and Westerns. Other book categories include arts and entertainment, children’s, cookbooks, history, holidays, home and hobbies, literature, foreign language, military, modern living, nature and gardening, religion, science, sports, technical, and travel.
The Collector’s Corner will feature an assortment of signed books, pre-1950s books, books by local and Florida authors, and other special books that are great for gifts. These items are priced as marked and must be checked out separately, so shoppers paying by check should bring two of them.
Payment by cash or check is preferred. Credit cards are accepted for sales of $20 or more. All profits are used to support the West Florida Public Library branches and programs.
Four Injured In Highway 29 Crash In Molino
September 27, 2014
Four people were injured in a two-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon on Highway 29 in Molino.
The wreck happened about 3:40 p.m. on Highway 29 just north of Molino Road when two northbound vehicles collided. None of the injuries were considered serious. Three people were transported by Escambia County EMS to Atmore Community Hospital, and one was transported to West Florida Hospital.
The resulting crash closed northbound Highway 29 for about an hour as traffic was diverted onto Molino Road and Highway 95A.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details, including names, have not yet been released.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Suspicious Vehicle Fire Under Investigation
September 27, 2014
A suspicious vehicle fire early Saturday morning in Molino is under investigation.
A nearby resident noticed smoke about 2 a.m. from the burned out vehicle on Fairground Road. Arriving firefighters reported the vehicle was on the roadway and had previously been fully involved.
The Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded. Further details were not available.