Clyde “Al” Griggers
June 21, 2015
Mr. Clyde “Al” Griggers, 69, passed away on Friday, June 19, 2015, in Century, Florida.
Mr. Griggers was a native and lifelong resident of Brewton. He resided in Century for the past 13 years. Mr. Griggers was a mason and member of Loop Lodge 895 and he was of the Church of Christ faith.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Melba Griggers and two nieces, Allison Lowery and Dana Davis.
He is survived by his wife, Shelia Griggers of Century; one son, Clyde Jason Griggers of Atlanta, GA; one stepson, Jae Eslava (Misty Downey) of Mobile; one daughter, Robin Allison Griggers of Brewton; two sisters, Nita (Ricky) Cooley of Waverly, TN and Jean Reed of Valley, AL; three grandchildren, Walker Griggers, Cruz Reed and London Griggers; two step grandchildren, Jillian Eslava and Jaden Eslava; three nephews, Mike (Regina) Davis of Brewton, Chuck Davis of Valley, AL and Ben (Tammy) Davis of Grove Hill, AL; one niece, Lesa (Ralph) Gunter of Andalusia, AL; and a number of great nieces and nephews.
Funeral were held Sunday, June 21, 2015, at 3 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Minister Norman Newberry officiating.
Burial will follow at Serenity Garden Cemetery with Masonic Honors.
Pallbearers will be Jae Eslava, Ricky Cooley, Ralph Gunter, Ben Davis, Chuck Davis and Joe Dozier.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Hershel McGraw and Mark Vickers.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Ronald Wayne Jarman
June 21, 2015
Ronald Wayne Jarman died unexpectedly on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
He was welcomed into Heaven by his parents, Frank and Ruby Jarman; and sister, Nell Moss.
He leaves behind his wife of 39 years, Margaret, who he called his “Love”; two children, Marcus (Jaclyn) Jarman and Maria (Shannon) Yates; six precious grandchildren, Jordan “Little Man”, Kayla “Boo Boo”, Madalyn “Maddy Cakes”, twins Parker and Peyton “The Wild Boys”, and Carter “Buddy”; four sisters, Sheila Hill, Judy (Mike) Gunn, Cindy (Mike) Jarman, Alice (Lomax) Gunn; two brothers, Tommy (Pat) Jarman and Larry (Cara) Jarman; father-in-law and mother-in-law, James and Carlie Whitehead; nieces; nephews; and numerous friends and acquaintances.
Paw Paw loved his family so much. He was an avid Florida Gators fan. He was a big jokester and laughed at the silliest stuff; a kid in an old man’s body. He played and sang good old gospel music for many years. He loved to go fishing and crabbing and he loved eating them too. He also loved getting his “Bubba” cup full of Diet Mountain Dew, eating his nightly sunflower seeds, vanilla ice cream with strawberries and sharing it all with the grandkids!
We will remember him forever as being young at heart, smiling, laughing, teasing, sharing and always being there for us.
He was the BEST!
The struggle with his health is over. He is healed in Heaven and waiting for us all to join him.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Rev. Jeff McKee and Rev. Gene Hudson officiating.
Burial will follow in Eastern Gate Memorial Gardens.
The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2015, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Bishop Clyde Floyd Madden
June 21, 2015
Rev. Bishop Clyde Floyd Madden, age 75, of Old Castleberry Road in Brewton, passed away Thursday, June 18, 2015, in a local hospital after a brief illness. Rev. Madden was a native of Jay, and a former resident of Escambia County, Florida before moving to Brewton in 1974. He was a minister of the Gospel in the Apostolic faith since 1969. Rev. Madden was a carpenter by trade and was former Bishop of the Apostolic Potter’s House Church. He was a United States Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife of 49 years, Carolyn Sterling Madden of Brewton; two sons, Tim (Madonna) Madden of Baton Rouge, LA and Shane (Michel) Gryner of Brewton; four daughters, Marsha (Leonard) Pendleton, Julie (Stephen) Pendleton, Bethani Madden, and Grace Madden of all of Brewton; nine grandchildren, Kristen Michel Gryner, Ashley Danielle Jackson, Andrew Kohl Madden, Mikayla Ashtyn Madden, Phebee Guiliana Pendleton, Pheona Leilani Pendleton, Dewayne Pendleton, Brandon Pendleton, Adam Pendleton; and eight great-grandchildren, Kirsten Elizabeth Gryner, Emiley Jade Gryner, Seth Nolan Gryner, Cameron Floyd Gryner, Gentry Garrett Gryner, Daria Kenya Jackson, Mia Milon Jackson and Liam Drake Jackson.
Rev. Madden was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Katie Madden; and grandson, Timothy Stephen Madden, Jr.
Homegoing services for Rev. Bishop Clyde Floyd Madden are scheduled for Monday, June 22, 2015, at 1 p.m. at the Apostolic Potter’s House Church with Rev. Stephen Pendleton, Rev. Ronnie Baker, Rev. Steve Breceda, and Rev. Scott Meeks officiating.
Interment will follow in Union Cemetery in Brewton with military honors.
Pallbearers will be Russell Clausell Jr., Eddie Ramer, Andre Gillard, George Tolbert, Eddie Madden, Shane Gryner and Traderek Jones.
Honorary pallbearer will be Jimmy Owens.
Molino Man Says He Bought Fake Drugs, But He’s Facing Real Charges
June 20, 2015
A Molino man who told police he thought he was buying fake drugs at the corner store is facing real felony drug charges after a traffic stop in Pensacola.
According to Pensacola Police, 19-year old Edward Hamid Lewis was pulled over after making an improper turn at 9th Avenue and Texar Drive. After an officer smelled the odor of marijuana, a K-9 search found marijuana, several grams of a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, prescription hydrocodone pills and various drug paraphernalia.
According to an arrest report, Lewis told the officer that was “white stuff” in the car that he had just purchased “from a guy”, but he believed it was fake drugs. Lewis told police that an unknown male sold him all the narcotics at a corner store.
Lewis was charged with cocaine possession, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $6,000 bond.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
June 20, 2015
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending June 18 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Land was on patrol in Santa Rosa Sound when he observed an individual fishing in a small vessel near Big Sabine. Officer Land approached the vessel to conduct a vessel safety check and marine fisheries inspection. He asked the fisherman if he had caught any fish. The fisherman replied by asking what the size limit was for speckled trout. He then raised a stringer from the side of his vessel to reveal three undersized spotted sea trout. Officer Land issued the fisherman a notice to appear for possession of undersized trout.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
(No Report)
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Molino Volunteer Fire Open House Today
June 20, 2015
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department will host their second annual open house from 4-8 p.m. Saturday.
The event will feature free food, drinks and festivities, special guest appearances, vendors, fire station tours and more. There will be a demonstration event at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for food plates.
The Molino Hotshots will hold a car wash at the fire station Saturday morning.
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department is actively seeking volunteers for emergency and non-emergency operations. Applications are accepted from persons age 16 and older. The Molino Fire Station is part of Escambia Fire Rescue and provides emergency services to the Molino community.
Positions needed include clerical assistance, medical first responders, apparatus operators and firefighters. Free training is provided and includes junior firefighters 16 to 18 who can earn valuable credit for Bright Futures Scholarships through volunteer service and training.
Pictured: A live burn demonstration during last year’s open house at the Molino Volunteer Fire Department. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Lawmakers Approve Budget – Finally
June 20, 2015
After two sessions, 108 days and one rancorous health-care debate, the final gavels fell Friday in the House and Senate following approval of a $78.7 billion budget that settled few of the issues dividing the Capitol.
The Senate voted 37-0 to approved the spending plan (SB 2500-A) for the year that begins July 1. The House followed suit moments later, passing the bill by a 96-17 margin. Twenty-one of 37 Democrats voting in the House joined Republicans in supporting the measure; Rep. John Tobia of Melbourne Beach was the only GOP member to oppose the plan.
Gov. Rick Scott will now have the opportunity to use his line-item veto power to strike spending that he opposes. He must sign the bill by June 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
The votes came at the end of a special session sparked by a fierce disagreement during the annual spring meeting of the Legislature over expanding health coverage and funding hospitals. In the end, lawmakers essentially split the difference, setting aside a Senate plan that would have used Medicaid expansion funding to help low-income Floridians purchase private insurance while using $400 million of state money to help offset hospitals’ losses from a declining pool of federal funding.
But the road to doing it was long and tortured, with Republicans leaders in the House and Senate trading shots in the media. Senate Democrats at one point sued the House over whether it was unconstitutional for the House to end the regular session early. The Supreme Court ruled that it was, but declined to order lawmakers to return before the special session.
Some of the bitterness clearly lingered Friday, as the Senate debated the budget. Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, blasted the House for resisting some incentives — chiefly for the entertainment industry and sports stadiums — while supporting others.
“If we’re not going to do incentives for anybody, and if that’s your philosophy, then I respect that,” Latvala said. “But when you won’t do incentives for bills that move all the way through the process, that are adopted by overwhelming majorities of both houses of the Legislature, and you, in the dark of night, stick incentives and appropriations in the budget for the same kind of projects owned by millionaires and having large entry fees, large tuitions or whatever, that’s just plain wrong.”
Latvala appeared to be alluding to the House pumping in $2 million in funding for IMG Academy, a sports-centered private academy in Bradenton, as both chambers showered $300 million in taxpayer money on an array of projects during a negotiating session late Monday night. Tuition for high-school students at the academy will run as high as $70,800 next year.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, defended the project on the grounds of economic development and education.
“The appeal to me is the opportunity for more choice in education, an opportunity for a segment of a student population not just from this state but from around the world to come to Florida and take advantage of an opportunity that’s provided nowhere else,” Crisafulli said.
On Friday, Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, slammed the House for stymieing the Senate on the health-care expansion plan; House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, famously vowed never to “dance” with the Senate on the issue. Joyner also blasted a lack of money spent on land conservation and a tax cut for cable-TV and cell-phone services that she said was measly.
“What this all came down to was a singular devotion to a political ideology obedient to the few at the expense of the many — the many Floridians, the 1 million people who need and deserve quality, accessible health care. … Make no mistake: The House did dance,” she said. “But not with the people.”
There were also divisions within the upper chamber. Sen. Thad Altman, R-Rockledge, questioned whether lawmakers were spending enough on land after three-quarters of Florida voters backed a constitutional amendment in November setting aside a portion of real-estate taxes for land and water conservation. Lawmakers have interpreted the amendment broadly, spending money on salaries for some state workers and a raft of environmental projects.
“There’s a fundamental difference between taking money that the people of Florida voted by 75 percent to acquire land (and) to spend money on clean-up programs for other people’s pollution,” Altman said.
But Sen. Alan Hays, the Umatilla Republican who oversees the environmental budget, defended the plan. He also downplayed the significance of the vote on the amendment, noting that those who approved the ballot initiative only added up to about a fifth of the state’s total population.
“Don’t let anybody tell you that 75 percent of the people of this state voted to buy land,” he said. “That’s just not true.”
The House, which debated the budget on Thursday, was largely quiet before the votes.
After the session, relieved lawmakers met in the rotunda between the two chambers to exchange hugs and a few parting moments. They are set to return to the Capitol in 89 days for committee meetings ahead of the 2016 legislative session, scheduled to begin earlier than usual in January. House and Senate leaders have already disagreed about whether the hospital funding approved this session will be on the table again next year.
But Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, said he believed any anger between the two chambers would dissipate before lawmakers return to work.
“This tension is sort of built into the system,” Lee said. “And while it sometimes … bubbles up at moments over particular policy disputes, time is an ally here. And I think, over time, that we’ll reset the clock.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Cotton Lake Railroad Crossing Remains Closed
June 20, 2015
The CSX railroad crossing on Cotton Lake Road remains closed this weekend.
CSX will continue to conduct work on the railroad crossing at Cotton Lake, with the crossing expected to reopen on Monday, June 22. Access to the Cotton Lake landing and campground will remain closed until all work has been completed.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to travel with care through the work zone and to watch for construction equipment and workers entering and exiting the roadway.
Hot Weekend Weather
June 20, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. West wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.
Scott: Area Added 4,000 Jobs Over The Last Year
June 20, 2015
Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the Pensacola metro area again added jobs over the year in May 2015 with 4,000 new jobs. The Pensacola unemployment rate declined by 0.6 percentage point over the year, from 6.0 percent in May 2014 to 5.4 percent in May 2015. Florida businesses have added more than 879,000 private-sector jobs since December 2010.
Governor Scott said, “Pensacola continues to experience positive job growth, with 4,000 new jobs added over the year in May. We are working every day to make Florida the best place for jobs so more families have the opportunity to live the American dream in our state.”
The industries with the largest job gains in the Pensacola metro area over the year were education and health services and trade, transportation, and utilities with 1,000 new jobs each, and leisure and hospitality with 800 new jobs. The Pensacola and Orlando metro areas had the fastest annual job growth rate compared to all metro areas in financial activities at 5.7 percent in May 2015. The Pensacola metro area had 6,033 online job openings in May 2015 and 1,025 openings for high wage, high skill science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) occupations.
Florida created 16,200 private-sector jobs in May 2015, and a total of 879,700 private-sector jobs since December 2010. Florida’s statewide unemployment rate for May 2015 was 5.7 percent. In May, more than 33,200 Floridians were placed in jobs by CareerSource Escarosa and the state’s other 23 Regional Workforce Boards.