Lester Hunt Butsch
June 14, 2015
Lester Hunt Butsch passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2015. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama on December 18, 1933, to the late Milton and Elizabeth Butsch.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Glenda Sue; his son, Alan (Melissa); his daughter, Nancy; step-son Doug; step-daughter, Kaki; granddaughters, Tatiana, Morgan and Emily. He is also survived by his brother, David; and many loved, nephews and nieces.
He is predeceased by his sisters, Molly and Elizabeth; brothers, Milton Jr., Warren, John, and Robert; and step-son, Wallace Harrell.
Lester attended the Marion Military Institute and graduated from Birmingham Southern University. He became a Naval Aviator and served with distinction in Vietnam. He retired as a Captain in 1982. After his military service, Lester found a second calling as a flight simulator instructor and served for over 20 years as a civilian employee on board Pensacola Naval Air Station and Whiting Field.
Lester was an avid fisherman, golfer and football fan. He found comfort in his faith and invariably found the positive in every situation. He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.
Services were held Friday, June 12, 2015 at First Methodist Church.
Burial was at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Lucile Reamer Whitegon
June 14, 2015
Lucile Reamer Whitegon, 91, passed away Tuesday, June 9, 2015. Although she was born in Topeka, Kansas, Molino was her home for almost 60 years. She was a member of the Molino Silver Agers and the Molino Homemakers. She enjoyed knitting, quilting, and crocheting and had won many ribbons at the Pensacola Fair.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” Whitegon (1981) and daughter Patty Lee Whitegon (1976). Coming from a large family of 15 brothers and sisters, she is proceeded in death by Patsy Reamer, Geraldine Reamer, Robert Reamer, Harry Reamer, and Floyd Reamer.
She is survived by her sons, Bobby Whitegon (Patsy) and Jerry Whitegon (Jackie); four grandchildren, Kelly Howard, Bill Whitegon, Robert Whitegon and Jay Whitegon; and six great-grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters, Bertha Regnier, Jean Hull, Beverly Watson, Charlotte Lamb, Donna Ethridge, Arlis Stevenson, Shirley Meyers, Betty Carroll; and brothers, Roy Reamer and Kenneth Reamer.
Special thanks to the employees at Arcadia Health and Rehab who brought a smile to all of us and made it feel like a second home to her.
Services were held at Pensacola Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Saturday, June 13, 2015.
Carlos Clinton “Dusty” Rhodes
June 14, 2015
C. C. “Dusty” Rhodes passed away on June 12, 2015. He started his career with the Florida Highway Patrol in 1961 as a radio operator in Miami then became a state trooper serving in Tallahassee and Milton but mostly in Pensacola until he retired in 1986. He later served with Florida’s State Fire Marshall’s office as an arson investigator.
Since 1973, his favorite hobby was skeet shooting where he loved both the sport and the “skeet family” he met along the way. He was a member of the National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) and proudly represented Florida’s skeet shooters as one of NSSA’s National Directors. His skeet shooting accomplishments included winning state champion three times and being inducted into Florida’s Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Diane Etheredge Rhodes; brother, Ralph Rhodes; sisters-in-law, Sharon Leeds (Steve) and Patsy Manning; brothers-in-law, Charlie Etheredge (Terry); nephews, Dusty Rhodes (Gena), Jo Manning (Karin), and Vance Creighton (Fazana); nieces, Gayla Edwards (Rodney), Cherie Stone and Sheila Cox (Jeff); 17 great-nephews and nieces; five great-great nephews and one great-great niece.
The family extends gratitude to the memory care staff at the Broadview Assisted Living Facility and Emerald Coast Hospice for their compassionate care.
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. on June 15, 2015, at St. Luke United Methodist Church, 1394 E. Nine Mile Road in Pensacola. The celebration of life service will follow at 11 a.m. and will be officiated by Rev. Dan Nigolian and Rev. Ted Bowne.
Burial will follow at the Gonzalez United Methodist Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church where Dusty was a member (1394 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola, FL 32514).
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Biscuits Beat Wahoos
June 14, 2015
Jacob Johnson earned his first Double-A start in three seasons for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos and looked like he never moved to the bullpen.
The big right-hander gave up two hits, one walk and one earned run in five innings and struck out two, as Pensacola entered the bottom of the seventh inning ahead, 3-1.
However, the Montgomery Biscuits ended up sweeping the seven-inning doubleheaders against Pensacola at Riverwalk Stadium. Montgomery won, 4-3, in the eighth inning of the second game when third baseman Patrick Leonard scored on a two-out, wild pitch by Blue Wahoos reliever Kyle McMyne. The Blue Wahoos lost the first game, 3-2, on a walk-off home run by second baseman Thomas Coyle in the seventh.
In the second game, Johnson got the spot start after Blue Wahoos Keyvius Sampson earned a promotion to the Triple-A Louisville Bats earlier this week. In his past five games out of the bullpen, Johnson had given seven runs on 13 hits and five walks in 10 innings.
But Pensacola blew Johnson’s one-run effort by allowing Montgomery to send the game into extra innings by scoring two in the seventh inning to tie it, 3-3. Biscuits right fielder Boog Powell drove in Leonard, who had walked. Then pinch runner Juniel Querecuto scored on a two-out walk to Biscuits first baseman Cameron Seitzer.
Pensacola had gone ahead, 3-1, in the fourth inning when third baseman Marquez Smith hit a solo homer to left field. Blue Wahoos center fielder Juan Perez then scored on a single by left fielder Juan Silva after knocking his fourth triple of the season.
The first game of the doubleheader was delayed by an hour, 19 minutes because of rain.
Montgomery won, 3-2, on the walk-off homer by Coyle off Pensacola reliever Zach Weiss to start the seventh inning.
Weiss fell to 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA and ruined a quality start by Tim Adleman (2-6) who threw six innings and allowed only two runs on five hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Adleman, who had the third best ERA in the Southern League entering the game, was chosen to his first All-Star game earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Biscuits reliever Ryan Garton got his first Double-A win to improve to 1-0 when he came in to pitch the final 1.1 innings. Garton has struck out 17 batters in 14.1 innings after fanning left fielder Jesse Winker, first baseman Ray Chang and Smith in the final inning. He did allowed a single on a soft liner by right fielder Kyle Waldrop.
In the top of the fifth of the first game of the doubleheader, Pensacola went ahead, 2-1, when Chang hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in second baseman Ryan Wright.
But Montgomery came right back in the bottom of the inning to tie the game, 2-2, when right fielder Joey Rickard grounded out to third to score Coyle from third. Coyle lead off the inning when he was hit by a pitch.
Montgomery tied the game at one in the third, when Powell doubled to left field to score shortstop Juniel Querecuto, who had an infield single to shortstop.
Pensacola took the lead, 1-0, when Smith singled in Chang, who singled on a line drive to left field.
Montgomery improved its record to 32-30 in the Southern League North Division. Meanwhile, Pensacola dropped to 23-38 and last place in the South Division. The Blue Wahoos now have the worst record in one-run games in the Southern League at 7-19 for a .269 winning percentage.
Five Flags Honors Marty White: From Principal’s Office At Tate High To Radio Icon
June 13, 2015
Five Flags Speedway held a special sendoff Friday night for Marty White, longtime Pensacola radio personality. He was honored by Sen. Greg Evers and Escambia Commissioner Wilson Robertson, awarded a trophy (with an upside-down car that was on fire), and given a Yeti cooler. His remarkable radio career can be traced back to his days at Tate High School.
By Chuck Corder
Would you be shocked to learn the man, who has entertained Pensacola radio listeners for four decades with his blue-collar comedy and homespun delivery, started out in the principal’s office?
If we’re going to blame somebody, Burma Davis is a kind and decent soul to begin with. It was 1972 and Davis, the youngest principal’s secretary ever hired at Tate High School, had her plate full of responsibilities.
One of those was overseeing the office assistants — a group of student workers, seniors mostly, who served as de facto ambassadors for the sprawling, 80-acre school.
Davis, then just 25 years old, had to find tasks to keep the teenagers’ idle hands busy. After all, they were receiving course credits for answering phones, greeting visitors, providing directions for lost deliverymen. It wasn’t like they were going to skip out on such an easy “A.”
Like a hive of worker bees, students parked themselves at Davis’ desk and awaited further instructions.
She plucked one young man, a senior with an engaging and effervescent personality, to boom the morning announcements through the school’s speakers. “He had a lot of personality, full of confidence and was real creative,” Davis remembers.
Nearly 45 years after Marty White got his high school “break,” the longtime and popular disc jockey at NASH 102.7 FM can still be described as full of personality, confident and creative.
And on days, when Davis was forced to tap other students to meekly perform the same announcements, she got peppered with the same question in the school’s hallways.
“Where’s Marty?” classmates asked Davis. “We love it when he does ’em.”
A Chapter Worth Celebrating
To this day, Pensacolians still love the sound of 59-year-old Marty White’s voice. They’ll only get to enjoy that privilege a little while longer before he officially retires later this month.
And for a few years, Pensacolians loved to watch him race at Five Flags Speedway.
Those are just two of the many reasons why White was honored at the famed half-mile asphalt Friday night — Marty White Appreciation Night. Two from now, on June 26, Marty will hang up his microphone for good and broadcast his last show before heading into a glorious sunset of rocking chairs, golfing, hunting, fishing and honey-doing.
“We’re so proud of him,” said Donna White, Marty’s (much) better half for 27 years. “He’d give you the shirt off his back without knowing you. I appreciate (Five Flags general manager) Tim (Bryant) and all of y’all for thinking to do this. (Marty) wanted no hullabaloo, just something short and sweet, so I’m tickled to death about this.”
It was a busy Marty White Appreciation Night thanks to its annual children’s bicycle races, a 50-lap Modifieds of Mayhem feature in addition to Super Stocks, Sportsman and Bombers heats and features.
For more than 20 years in Pensacola and across the Florida Panhandle, Marty White became a prominent fixture on radio dials thanks to the “Hometown Morning Show.”
“Radio has been good to us,” Donna said. “We’ve had a lotta good times; he’s done stuff you normally wouldn’t get to do.
“He flew with the Blue Angels. He was in a blimp. He played a lotta golf. And he’s done a lot for this community — that’s a gimme. When (hurricanes) come around, we don’t see Marty until it’s over and everything is secure. He loves that part of radio, keeping the people informed, as much as anything else.”
He celebrated 40 years in radio earlier this year, most of those coming in Pensacola. Marty also did radio work while he served in the United States Air Force, despite it not being his official job.
The military sent him to Italy, although Donna remains suspicious to this day.
“He thinks he can speak Italian,” she said. “We went back over once on a trip, but his Italian was not good. He tried.”
Finding Love Over Spilled Drinks
A native of Pensacola, Marty’s down-home cadence and folksy candor made him a fan favorite of commuters, especially when he playfully sparred with sidekicks.
Davis remembers Marty’s appreciation for life at a young age. One morning she flipped on the intercom system at Tate, handed Marty the mike and let destiny take its course.
“He loved it,” Davis said. “Even then, he put so much energy into it — so much personality. You might think a young person would be bashful if you handed them a microphone, but he was very confident from the very beginning.”
Soon, Davis was recommending Marty to be the public address announcer at Tate football games every Friday night.
The rest is history.
“For a kid calling football games with so much energy, (White) stood out,” Davis said.
“It was very powerful. And he, himself, was a very driven young man. Not all kids are (driven) at that age.”
A senior, Marty called the action on the field, unbeknownst that his blissful future was on the sidelines, too.
Donna (nee Edwards) was a cheerleader, two years Marty’s junior. Love at first sight it was not.
“We didn’t hang around much together,” Donna said. “I didn’t pay much attention to him.”
A few years later at Five Flags, though, Marty took matters into his own hands. Unintentionally? You make the call.
“I was at Five Flags Speedway with some friends,” Donna continued. “He was out there, sitting behind us. He spilled a beer down my back. That was the first time I saw him after high school.”
It wouldn’t be the last.
Their first date came at a New Year’s Eve party with a bunch of couples ringing in 1984 in Navarre. Marty, perhaps with the help of some liquid courage, decided it was perfect weather for a dip in the Gulf.
If his plan was to get back to Donna’s house, it worked. Marty got pneumonia from his polar bear adventure and Donna nursed him back to health.
“He never moved out after that first date,” said Donna, who it should be noted has just as sharp a sense of humor as her husband does. “He wanted me for my washer and dryer.”
The pair married in 1987 and had their only child, son Cody, two years later.
Itchin’ to Race
After dominating the celebrity/media races in a Bomber car for a few years at Five Flags, Marty convinced Donna to let him try the real thing in 2010.
“He always teased me that he wanted to race,” Donna said. “I said whatever. He qualified for the (Sportsman Snowball) Derby one year, but it was illegal.
“After that, he started driving routinely. I wasn’t sure what he was getting us into.”
White and his trademarked No. 102.7 Sportsman, an appropriate number if you’ve ever seen one, raced for three seasons.
He won one heat race — “You would’ve thought it was a feature,” Donna joked — but it never seemed to be all about collecting checkered flags for Marty White.
“He hit the wall about 7,000 times,” Donna exaggerated. “He caught fire a bunch of times before finally realizing his time was done. But he loves it. He’d go back right now in a hard second.”
Asked if she thought Marty would consider a return for the track’s annual Demolition Derby later this summer, Donna was quick with a quip, “He’s a Demolition Derby on his own.”
How will the man fill his time without a mike in his hand or a short-track in front of his fender?
Fishing, hunting and swimming at the family camp in Florala, Ala., will fill the void. But Donna promises to keep him busy until she decides Marty don’t need no rockin’ chair, as George Jones (a Marty favorite) would say.
“I have stuff that’s just ready to be fixed around the house,” she said. “He wants to chill out, but, eventually, and he doesn’t know this yet, but I’m going to have to send him back to work.”
Perhaps Tate needs a voice for its morning announcements.
Photos courtesy Nash 102.7 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
June 13, 2015
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending June 11 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
The FWC Offshore vessel FinCat was on patrol multiple days conducting 27 boarding’s and making one public assist. Several state and federal violations were made including, two federal citations for no federal reef fish permit, one federal citation for over the bag limit of red snapper, one state citation for undersized cobia, one state citation for possession of gray triggerfish during closed season, and one state citation for possession of gag grouper during closed season. Several other federal and state warnings were issued.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
The FWC Offshore vessel FinCat was on patrol over the weekend. Officers Cushing, Land, Manning, and US Coast Guard (USCG) Boarding Officer Dziama helped to conduct 40 fisheries and safety inspections over the two day period. Many vessels were in violation for being in possession of red snapper in federal waters. Five warnings and six resource citations were issued. Also, the USCG issued seven safety violations, three warnings, and terminated two vessels voyages. FWC Pilot Fields helped direct the crew to two separate resource violations.
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.
Chris Jones Seeks Sixth Term As Property Appraiser
June 13, 2015
Incumbent Chris Jones prefiled Friday for his sixth term as Escambia County Property Appraiser. Jones, a Democrat, was first elected to the position in 1996.
No other candidate has prefiled to date for the position.
Register For Football, Cheer At NWE And Cantonment
June 13, 2015
Registration is underway for the 2015 football and cheerleading seasons for Northwest Escambia and the Cantonment Cowboys.
Registration for the 2015 Cantonment Cowboys football and cheer will be held each Saturday until August 1 from 9 a.m. until noon in the board room at the Cantonment football field. Registration is $135 for football or cheer. For more information, contact Heather Lowery at (850) 380-1505 or visit the Cowboys’ Facebook page. Registration also available online anytime at www.cantonmentcowboys.org or Facebook.
NWE Football and Cheer 2015 registration will be held June 13 and June 20, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Gilley’s Country Store in Bratt. Football age divisions (age as of August 1, 2015) and costs are as follows: freshmen (5/6) $55; sophomore (7/8) $65; juniors (9/10) $75; seniors (11/12) $85. Cheerleading age divisions (age as of August 1, 2015) and costs are $15 plus cost of uniform: freshmen (5/6); sophomore (7/8); juniors (9/10); seniors (11/12). For more information about football registration contact Greg Gibson at (251) 234-4716. For more information about cheerleading registration contact Kim Lambert at (850) 380-4716.
Summer Ball: Tate Takes Three From Escambia
June 13, 2015
The Tate Aggies took three from the Escambia Gators in summer ball Friday.
The Tate “A” Team swept the Gators in a double header 7-4 and 3-2. The Aggies next game is Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Auburn, AL.
The Tate “B” Team split its summer league double header with Escambia. Tate won the first game 8-0, while Escambia won the second 11-3.
Pensacola Police Chief Retiring
June 13, 2015
Pensacola Chief of Police Chip Simmons plans to retire in August after 29 years of service with the Pensacola Police Department.
Simmons will reportedly become an assistant county administrator for Escambia County.
Simmons joined the Pensacola Police Department in 1986. He was promoted to sergeant in 1995, lieutenant in 1998, captain in 2002, and assistant chief in January 2005, before being appointed as Chief of Police in June 2010. During his time with the department, Simmons has been assigned to Uniform Patrol, Vice & Narcotics, and Investigations, and has served as a SWAT commander, field training officer, and media spokesman. In addition to the Mayor’s Leadership Award, Simmons has received several departmental awards in recognition of his service to the community, including a Bronze Cross and the Gold Medal of Valor, which is the department’s highest award for heroism. He has served on the Statewide Terrorist Network Group, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, U.S. Customs Blue Lightning Strike Force, and was integral in establishing the Gun Crime Response Team with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and other regional law enforcement partners.
“Chip shares my belief that public safety is the single most important responsibility of any city government,” said Mayor Ashton Hayward. “His community-oriented and results-centric approach has made him an invaluable partner in our effort to keep our neighborhoods and citizens safe. Chip and I have a very active partnership, and I’m proud of the results we’ve been able to deliver through that close collaboration and teamwork.”
As Chief, Simmons has delivered significant reductions in crime year-over-year, resulting in the lowest crime rate on record. He also initiated the two-year effort which culminated last year with accreditation by the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation, a highly-prized recognition of law enforcement professional excellence. Earlier this year, the Pensacola Police Department became the first department in the region to deploy body cameras. Simmons credits the gains to the hard work of the department’s officers and his strong working relationship with Mayor Ashton Hayward.
“I am extremely proud of the work we have done in my time as Chief,” said Simmons. “Thanks to the hard work of our officers and the leadership of Mayor Hayward, we have been able to make tremendous progress in reducing crime, realizing an 8% reduction last year on top of the double-digit reduction we achieved in 2013. I want to thank Mayor Hayward for his friendship as well as his constant support and advocacy, which has been a critical factor in the progress we’ve been able to make. It has been an incredible honor to serve the citizens of Pensacola as their Chief of Police.”
Hayward also announced today that he will nominate David Alexander III to serve as Pensacola’s next Chief of Police. As a department head, Alexander’s appointment is subject to the approval of the City Council. Alexander will become the first African-American Chief of Police in the 194-year history of the Pensacola Police Department.
Alexander began as a cadet with the Pensacola Police Department in 1983, and has served as Assistant Chief since September 2014. Alexander holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice as well as a master’s degree in human resources management from Troy State University. Alexander is deeply involved in the community, serving as an assistant pastor and youth leader at Jesus Holy Tabernacle Church and volunteering his time with Northwest Florida Congregations in Action, Northwest Florida Prevention Coalition, and the JHT (Justice, Hope and Training) Safe Haven Development Center.
Captain Tommi Lyter will also be promoted to Assistant Chief. Captain Lyter was hired as a police officer in August 1990. Lyter received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in public administration from Troy State University. Lyter is on the board of directors for the Community Drug and Alcohol Coalition, volunteers with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and works closely with neighborhood associations and Crime Watch groups. Both Alexander and Lyter are graduates of the FBI National Academy program in Quantico, VA.
“As I’ve said many times, I believe that Pensacola is blessed to have one of the finest police forces not just in the region, but in the nation,” said Hayward. “David Alexander and Tommi Lyter are both men of tremendous experience and professionalism who are well-respected in our community and well-suited to continue the great work our Police Department has done under Chief Simmons. Together, we will continue to provide the safe neighborhoods and first class service our citizens expect and deserve.”