BOCC Committee Of The Whole Workshop Rescheduled
August 4, 2014
The regularly scheduled August 14 Escambia County Board of County Commissioners’ Committee of the Whole Workshop has been rescheduled to Tuesday, August 12.
The Committee of the Whole Workshop will begin at 9 a.m. and will take place in the Board Chambers, first floor, 221 Palafox Place, Pensacola.
Patricia Ann Kirby Eddins
August 4, 2014
Patricia Kirby Eddins, born September 19, 1949, died in University Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas on July 31, 2014.
Pat, a native of Atmore, was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Rayford Kirby and Ruth Hood Kirby.
She is survived by her husband, John; daughter, Kim Eddins; three grandchildren, Kirby Eddins, Patrick Hammonds and Madison Hammonds; two brothers, David Kirby and Tommy (Aline) Kirby; aunts, Grace McCrory and Hazel Hicks.
Diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 1991, Pat began her long journey of experimental treatments in hopes to find a cure for herself, and those patients coming after her. The first patient from Alabama to begin treatment in Little Rock, Pat pioneered the fight for Alabama insurance companies to cover costs associated with treatment in Little Rock and for the University Hospital to accept payment from Alabama insurance companies. Pat paved the way for hundreds of Alabama residents to receive treatment in Arkansas. Pat was a lover of sports – especially Auburn Football, and tennis. Pat was proud of winning the City Champion award in tennis. A lover of people, Pat joined the staff of The First National Bank of Atmore in 1976, and worked for over 30 years. During that time, Pat organized all bank events, advertising, and led the First National Bank Travel Club, giving many customers the opportunity to travel to places they may not have otherwise had the chance to visit. A lifelong member of First Baptist Church of Atmore, Pat was a Sunday School teacher for the young children for many, many years. She followed these children throughout their life, showering them with love and guidance. Upon retirement from teaching, First Baptist Church awarded Pat the Lifetime Achievement award for her many years of service. Pat was a member of the American Cancer Society and for over ten years was the highest individual fund raiser for Relay for Life. She was a tireless volunteer, and counseled numerous newly-diagnosed cancer patients. Always with a smile and words of encouragement, Pat believed that life was worth living to the fullest, and everyone should take advantage of any opportunity offered to them. A lover of butterflies and flowers, Pat was a member and former president of the Atmore Garden Club, and was instrumental in helping Atmore obtain the beautiful hanging plants located on Main Street. Her latest hobby was raising butterflies in her back yard.
Visitation will be Tuesday, August 5, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Atmore.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, August 6, 2014, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Atmore with Rev. Arnold Hendrix and Rev. Kelly Brown officiating.
Pallbearers will be Patrick Hammonds, Kirby Eddins, Jason Kirby, Wade Kirby, Ricky McCrory, Rusty Hicks, Marcus Hood and Bob Hood.
Honorary pallbearers will be the Atmore Garden Club.
Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore.
Donations in Pat’s memory may be made to American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Checks to either charity may be mailed or hand delivered to First National Bank & Trust, P O Box 27, Atmore, Alabama 36504 and they will be forwarded to the appropriate organization.
Johnson Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements.
Photos: Summer Volleyball
August 4, 2014
T.R. Miller High School in Brewton hosted their annual volleyball play-date recently at Brewton Middle School.
The event featured varsity and junior varsity games from nine high schools, including T.R. Miller, Northview, Flomaton and Jay.
“Both teams competed well and are showing much progress,” Northview Coach Barbara Luker said, adding that scores and stats were not kept because it was summer play.
For a photo gallery with the Northview varsity and JV teams, click here.
Photos by Kayleen Amerson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Warns Of Continuing Scam Targeting Customers
August 4, 2014
In a recent scam, area businesses and residential customers received calls from a person claiming to represent Gulf Power Company and demanding payment — or their electric service will be cut off, according to the company.
Gulf Power is continuing to work with law enforcement in reporting these incidents, but the company has received an escalated number of calls from customers reporting fraudulent calls in the last week. Customers are being told their electric bill is past due and that their electricity will be cut off if the customer does not provide a credit card payment or other forms of immediate payment.
Gulf Power advises customers that:
- Gulf Power employees will never call a customer at home or their business seeking any personal information, including credit card numbers.
- Gulf Power representatives will never ask a customer for money when they visit a residence.
- All Gulf Power representatives carry badges with picture identification that includes the employee’s name and the company’s name and logo.
Customers should call Gulf Power at (800 225-5797 if they have any questions about the identity of anyone representing Gulf Power.
Gulf Power is working with local law enforcement agencies to identify the perpetrators. If anyone has been victimized by one of these schemes, or has any information about suspects, they are asked to call local law enforcement and to contact Gulf Power at (800) 225-5797.
Judge: Draw New Congressional Districts By August 15
August 4, 2014
Florida lawmakers will start a special session Thursday to redraw congressional districts, House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said Sunday in a memo to House members.
The announcement came two days after Leon County Circuit Judge Terry Lewis ordered lawmakers to redraw the districts and submit a map to him by Aug. 15. Lewis last month ruled that the current congressional map, which lawmakers approved in 2012, violated the Florida Constitution because it did not follow anti-gerrymandering rules approved by voters in 2010.
In his memo Sunday, Weatherford continued to object to the possibility that drawing new districts could affect the upcoming elections. Lewis on Friday also ordered Secretary of State Ken Detzner and local elections supervisors to come up with a new voting schedule for any districts that lawmakers would have to redraw.
“We continue to maintain our strong objection to any attempt to disrupt the current election process,” Weatherford wrote. “Florida’s Supervisors of Elections have raised serious concerns over changing the elections process at this late date.”
The primary elections are Aug. 26, and the general election is Nov. 4. Legislative leaders have pointed, at least in part, to overseas and absentee ballots that have already gone out in advance of the primaries.
“Tens of thousands of our service men and women overseas have received their ballots, and over one million absentee ballots have been mailed to Floridians,” Weatherford wrote in the memo. “Members, we intend to vigorously defend the integrity and validity of Floridians’ votes that have already been and will be cast in the upcoming election.”
But the League of Women Voters of Florida, one of the organizations that filed the challenge to the map, praised Lewis’ ruling Friday.
“This is a champagne moment for Florida voters, who have waited too long for fairly drawn congressional districts,” Deirdre Macnab, the group’s president, said in a statement issued after the ruling. ” … We believe that the restoration of legitimate, representative democracy is well worth one extra trip to the polls.”
Weatherford’s memo said staff will provide detailed information Monday to House members about the special session. For many lawmakers, the special session will mean interrupting re-election campaigns to return to Tallahassee.
The speaker made clear in the memo that the session will be held for the “sole and exclusive” purpose of redrawing congressional districts, which would prevent any unrelated issues from being taken up.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Smokies Even Series With 4-1 Win Over The Wahoos
August 4, 2014
Addison Russell blasted a two-run home run in the first inning to help lift the Smokies over the Blue Wahoos 4-1 at Smokies Park Sunday afternoon.
Robert Stephenson (L, 5-8) was on cruise control after Russell’s homer. He went on to retire 14 Smokies batters in a row until he hit Albert Almora with a pitch following a groundout to start the sixth inning. Lars Anderson put the game out of reach later in that inning with a two-run double.
Stephenson was being dueled on the other side by Smokies right-hander and Cubs No. 6 prospect Pierce Johnson (W, 4-4). He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Stephenson broke it up at the plate with a two-out single. Johnson retired the next batter, Yorman Rodriguez, on a line drive to second base. He picked up the win after working 6.0 shutout innings allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
Stephenson was charged with 4 R/ER on just three hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings in the loss.
Pensacola put together a threat in the ninth inning but had to settle for just one run despite bringing the tying run to the plate.
Brodie Greene had the Wahoos only multi-hit game of the afternoon, going 2-for-4. Ross Perez extended his team-high hitting streak to 12 games with an RBI single in the ninth.
The Blue Wahoos will take another shot at the series win on Monday night. RHP Michael Lorenzen (4-5, 2.57) will start against Smokies RHP Eduardo Figueroa. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m. CT at Smokies Park.
by Tommy Thralll
Florida Blue Health Exchange Customers To See Rate Hike
August 4, 2014
Florida Blue plans to increase rates by an average of 17.6 percent next year for customers who buy coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act’s health-insurance exchange, Kaiser Health News reported.
The insurer, formerly known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, pointed to a large number of older adults buying coverage through the exchange. Those adults often have higher medical costs than younger, healthier people.
But the Jacksonville-based insurer also noted that premiums in the individual-insurance market have seen a series of double-digit increases in recent years, regardless of the exchange.
“In the individual market, this type of average rate increase is typical,” Florida Blue CEO Patrick Geraghty told Kaiser Health News. State insurance regulators are expected to release rate information for all companies next week.
Annie R. Bell
August 4, 2014
Annie R. Bell, 81 of Atmore, passed away Sunday August 3, 2014, at her residence.She was retired from A.C. Moore School as a dietitian. She was born on November 27, 1932, in Moyeville, AL to the late Drew Thomas and Catherine Susann Robertson Moye. She was a member of Presley Street Baptist Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Floyd A. Bell; siblings, Oscar Moye, Cleveland Moye, Mary Lambeth, Lee Daw, Allie Daw, Ellen Emmons, Oloa Daw, Lula Wiggins, Belle Kennedy, and Cassie Wooten.
Survivors include three sons, Damon (Glenda) Bell of Atmore, Donald Bell of Furman, AL and Dempsey Bell of Braggs, AL; one daughter, Arieta (Joe) Walker of Atmore; one sister,Pearl Martin of Martinville; nine grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services will be Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 10 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Donald Bell and Bro. Dempsey Bell officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Family will receive friends Monday August 4, 2014, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
John Wesley Sales, Jr.
August 4, 2014
John Wesley Sales Jr., 81, of Monroeville passed away Tuesday, July 31, 2014, at his residence.
He was born on December 29, 1932, and grew up in the Flomaton-Century area of Escambia County. He was married on January 9, 1955, to the former Willean Bondurant. They celebrated 59 years of marriage on January 9, 2014.
He began his career in the automobile business on November 14, 1954, selling Plymouths and Desotos in Mobile. On January 1, 1962, he started JW Sales, Inc., a used car business in Century. In September 1966, he purchased Sales Ford, Inc. in Monroeville and later, in November 2002, purchased a second dealership, Sales Ford Lincoln-Mercury Inc., in Grove Hill.
He believed that selling was an attitude and that you must have the right attitude to achieve success. He sought to incorporate a strong pride in church, family, community and country into his business; this was the foundation in which he built his business on.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John Wesley Sales Sr. and Lula Boutwell Sales; one brother, James Sales; one granddaughter, Emily Claire Brewer; and one grandson, Dillon Keith Jordan.
Mr. Sales is survived by his wife, Willean Bondurant Sales of Monroeville; two sons, John Wesley (Rosalyn) Sales III and James William (Vanessa) Sales Sr., both of Monroeville; two daughters, Janiece Sales (Jeff) Brewer of Huntsville and Diane Sales (Robert) Lindsey of Gulf Breeze; one sister, Dorothy Johnson of Flomaton; three brothers, Barnie (Betty) Sales of Mobile, Donald (Brenda) Sales of Flomaton and Carl (Celia) Dole of Eufaula; 14 grandchildren, James William Sales Jr., Christopher Brandon Sales, Jennifer Irene Sales, Kimberly Nicole Sales, John Wesley Sales IV, Brooke Lindsey Hydrick, Kathryn Brewer Gallaway, Stephanie Sales Pruett, Charles Robert Lindsey Jr., Ashley Marie Brewer Jinright, Brandon James Lindsey, Rebecca Lynn Sales, Lauren Michelle Brewer and Jonathan Lavaughn Sales; six great-grandchildren, Judah Steven Del Gallo, Meredith Elizabeth Sales, Alexa Kinsley Rain Gallaway, Elayne Marie Sales, Sophie Olivia Claire Gallaway and Caleb Mitchell Hydrick; and four step great-grandchildren, Madison Pruett, Houstyn Pruett, Kylie Brown and Gianna Del Gallo.
Funeral services were held Monday, August 4, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Monroeville First Baptist Church with Dr. Thomas Lane Butts, the Rev. Micah Gandy and the Rev. Glen Eubanks officiating.
Interment was at Pineville Cemetery.
Memorial gifts may be made to Kiwanis of Monroeville, Monroeville First Baptist Church or Pilots for Christ of Monroeville.
Deidra’s Gift: Free School Supplies Distributed In Century
August 3, 2014
Free schools supplies were available Saturday in Century for 300 children in need, thanks to a family honoring the memory of one of their own, in a program called “Deidra’s Gift”.
The book bags full of supplies were distributed in memory of Dedria Robinson, who was killed in 2005 in an automobile accident at age 11.
‘We wanted to help as many children as we could in her memory,” Deidra’s mother Rita Robinson said. “It’s good to see them get the supplies they need.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
