Tate’s Perkins Named Florida’s 7A Player Of Year; Wyatt Coach Of Year
May 28, 2015
Tate High School’s Tori Perkins has been named the Class 7A softball player of the year, and Tate coach Melinda Wyatt has been named the 7A coach of the year by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
Perkins was a member of this year’s Class 7A state championship team. She has committed to the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Wyatt coached that Class 7A state championship team. She had been at Tate for 11 years.
Pictured: Tori Perkins (L) shortly after Tate won the Class 7A softball championship, and Coach Melinda Wyatt (right) tosses a ceremonial first pitch for the Blue Wahoos Monday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Azzelene Dunsford Ratliff
May 28, 2015
Azzelene Dunsford Ratliff age 81 of Jay, passed away on May 26, 2015. She was a retired school bus driver. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and a friend to many. She will be missed by all that knew and loved her.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Norris and Jennie Attaway; several brothers and sisters; husband, Hillary (Hill) Dunsford; son, Henry Dunsford and daughter, Shelia Mathis.
Azzelene is survived by one son, Jerry Lee (Barbara) Dunsford; son-in-law, Jerry Mathis; brother, Joe Ivey Attaway; sister, Alice Campbell; eight grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
A visitation will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2015, from 6-8 p.m. at Jay Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 1, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Jay Funeral Home with Bro. Bobby Carnley officiating services.
Burial will follow at Ebenezer Church of God Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Cody Mathis, Ryan Reaves, Chance Thompson, Sebren Etheridge, Raybon Knowles and Duane Dortch.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Crafton Pete Holt
May 28, 2015
Crafton Pete Holt, 86, entered eternity in Heaven on May 22, 2015, passing at home with family at his side.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ira and Velma Holt; and brothers, Everitt, Donnie, Richard, and Leon.
He leaves his wife Patricia (Pat) of 57 years; his children; Charlotte Holt Tucker (husband Richard), Gary Holt (wife Barbara) and Teresa Holt Corkill (husband Bill). Also, leaving in body but not in heart, his grandchildren the love and joy of his life, Rick Tucker, Tiffany Tucker Price (husband Shane), Patrick Corkill, (wife Mellisa), Kimberly Corkill, Samantha Holt, Joanna Holt and Miranda Holt; and great-grandchildren; Richie Tucker, Katie Tucker and Delaney Boroden. Pete also leaves a brother, Wayman Holt; and sister, Doris Carden, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. His family was his greatest joy and thought of them as his greatest accomplishment.
He lived in Pensacola most of his life. He and his wife were the owners of Holt Construction for 45 years. He was a member of St. Luke Methodist Church and Pine Forest Methodist Church prior to that. Pete served on many committees and was active in building projects at both churches. He was blessed to have many loving friends and called both churches home.
He and Pat traveled to Costa Rica on 13 mission trips where they built many homes and churches, taught bible school, and shared God’s love as well as their talents in construction. They were happiest when serving others in this way.
Pete was a devoted husband, father, a very proud grandfather, and great-grandfather. Pete truly loved camping, fishing, traveling in their RV, and enjoying many trips across the country and overseas.
Pete hosted a men’s prayer and fellowship group of special friends who met in his home for 15 years. These wonderful friends will serve as honorary pallbearers: Rev. Rual Morris, Winston Gilmore, George Norsworthey, Don Daughtery, Warren Thompson Jr., Keith Gaultney, Bill Krantz, Jimmy Stiller, Ralph McCullers, John Mason and Stan Brown
The family would also like to express their gratitude to Shanna Gatlin for the loving care she gave to Pete and the family during this difficult time.
Services were held on May 27, 2015, at St. Luke United Methodist Church on 9 Mile Road. Interment was at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Donations can be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church or Hospice Regency who have so lovingly cared for him and his family in his final days.
Pallbearers will be Rick Tucker, Patrick Corkill, Richie Tucker, Rickey Holt, David Fitzpatrick, Melvis Holt, David Fitzpatrick, Paul Bryan and Sammy Lucker.
Thank God for my soul’s resting
Thank God for I’ve been blessed
Thank God for all who loved me,
Praise God who loves me best.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Obbie Hadley
May 28, 2015
Mr. Obbie Hadley, 82, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2015, in Fairhope, Alabama.
Mr. Hadley was a native and lifelong resident of Perdido. Mr. Hadley was retired from the Alabama State Dock with 38 years of service. He was a member of the Fretwell Tabernacle Holiness Church. His wife, Louise Hadley; son-in-law, Glen Thomas; and grandsons, Bubba Hastings and Christopher Hadley precede him in death.
He is survived by his three sons, Obbie Hadley Jr., Robert Danny Hadley and Randy Hadley all of Perdido; two daughters, Mary Evon Hastings of Whitehouse Fork, AL and Elaine Hadley Thomas of Perdido; one brother, Bob Hadley of Perdido; three sisters, Allie V. Odom of Atmore, Inez Nassar of Mobile and Evie T. Welch of Perdido; six grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild and one great-great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services will be Monday, June 1, 2015, at 10 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Sis. Helen Stewart officiating.
Burial will follow at the Bryars-McGill Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday, May 31, 2015, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Danny Hadley, Randy Hadley, Bill Hadley, Aaron Hadley, Boy Hadley and Rustin Foster.
Honorary pallbearers will be Jeremy White, Glen Hastings and Bruce Jackson.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
George Vernon Hallford
May 28, 2015
Mr. George Vernon Hallford, 53, passed away on Tuesday, May 26, 2015, in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
Mr. Hallford was a native of Mobile and a resident of Flomaton for the past 24 years. Mr. Hallford was a member of the Local 568, loved his family, loved to hunt and fish. He was a member of the New Life Church of Atmore. His son, George Caleb Hallford, precedes him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Sandra Howell Hallford of Flomaton; one daughter, Mallory “BabyGirl” Hallford of Flomaton; and three sisters, Diane Mason of Pensacola, Marelle Jackson of Brewton, and Paula Billingsley of Brewton.
Funeral services will be Saturday, May 30, 2015, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Justin Morse officiating.
Burial will follow at the Lambeth-Boutwell Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday, May 29, 2015, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Will Chavers, Paul Howell, Ethan Howell, Joey Croley, Marshall Mason, Hollis Hallford, Danny Hallford and David Baggett.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Dixie Carole DeWeese Carlton
May 28, 2015
Dixie Carole DeWeese Carlton, 78, died May 24, 2015, after a long illness. She was born October 30, 1936, in Taylorville, IL, to the late Forest and Wilma DeWeese.
She, her husband, and family sold their farm and dairy in Illinois and moved to Jay in 1962 where they purchased the Ted May Farm/Dairy and became active members of the Jay community. She was a long time member of the Joy Circle and the choir at Jay United Methodist Church. Dixie enjoyed crafts of all types, but was especially fond of quilting and was a member of several quilting guilds. Dixie and her husband moved to Jacksonville in 2010 to be closer to the grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Richard H. Carlton; son, Mark Carlton (Dawn) of Gainesville, FL; daughter, Anneliese Robbins (Alan) of Jacksonville; grandchildren, Drew Carlton, Alex and Ashton Robbins; one sister, Thelia Ann Anastasia (Fran) of Champaign, IL; one brother, Eric DeWeese (Chris) Los Angeles, CA; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 30, 2015, at Jay United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Fellowship and visitation to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jay United Methodist Church or Highlands United Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, FL.
Judge Clears Legal Web For Florida Medical Marijuana By Year’s End
May 28, 2015
Patients could have access to long-awaited, non-euphoric pot products by the end of the year, after a judge on Wednesday rejected a challenge to a proposed rule setting up the medical marijuana industry in Florida.
Department of Health officials could begin processing applications for the low-THC cannabis within 41 days of Wednesday’s decision by Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins, according to an agency spokeswoman.
Watkins pointedly began his 68-page ruling with an excerpt from “Charlotte’s Web,” by E.B. White.
“Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or hatch,” Watkins quoted from the children’s book.
The name “Charlotte’s Web,” a type of cannabis cultivated in Colorado, has become nearly synonymous with marijuana that is low in euphoria-inducing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and high in cannabadiol, or CBD.
Parents of children with a severe form of epilepsy pushed the Legislature last year to approve the low-THC cannabis, believing it can end or dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures.
But their joy over the passage the law, and Gov. Rick Scott’s support of it, ceded to frustration as delays — including Watkins’ November invalidation of health officials’ initial attempt at a rule — kept pot operators from getting started. Regulations for the industry were supposed to go into effect on Jan. 1.
“We don’t know whether to laugh, cry, dance, or do back flips,” said Ryan Wiggins, spokeswoman for Payton and Holley Moseley, who advocated for the law on behalf of their daughter RayAnn. “There were times over the past year we truly didn’t believe this day would ever come. We are grateful to DOH and their attorneys for all of the work they have put in to getting this right. Today is an outstanding day for Florida’s families who battle epilepsy.”
Under Florida’s first-in-the-nation low-THC law, health officials will select five nurseries in different regions of the state to cultivate, process and distribute the non-euphoric cannabis to patients with epilepsy, severe muscle spasms or cancer, if doctors order it.
Watkins’ decision allows the department to begin implementing the law, agency officials said in a statement.
“The department remains committed to ensuring safe and efficient access to this product for children with refractory epilepsy and patients with advanced cancer. We are moving swiftly to facilitate access to the product before the end of the year,” the agency said.
Watkins last year tossed health officials’ first stab at a rule, finding fault with the use of a lottery system to select five “dispensing organizations” to grow, extract and distribute the non-euphoric cannabis.
But on Wednesday, the administrative law judge rejected all of the objections in a challenge filed by Baywood Nurseries, which contended, among other things, that the rule was tilted in favor of large nurseries.
“While the department’s first attempt to do so was unsuccessful, the fruit of its second effort, which was well-reasoned, deliberative, and thorough, represents a rational and coherent regulatory framework,” Watkins wrote.
Baywood Nurseries could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.
The Apopka -based nursery challenged the omission of some definitions in the rule; a $63,063 non-refundable application fee and certified financial statements that have to accompany it; an application scoring and evaluation process; license revocation and testing procedures; and the way the rule dealt with a $5 million bond required in the law.
Watkins found no basis for any of Baywood’s complaints, including that the application fee was too high. A committee settled on the fee by dividing the anticipated total regulatory costs — about $990,000 — by 15 nurseries that growers said could be expected to apply for the licenses.
The fee “is a reasonable, rational estimate based on sound input and should allow the department to recover its costs of administering the statute” as required by law, Watkins wrote.
“Baywood presented no evidence to support its theory that grower members of the committee had nefarious intent in estimating the number of potential applicants in order to inflate the application fee,” he wrote.
Watkins also rejected complaints about the selection of the members of the rare “negotiated rulemaking” committee — which spent 26 hours over two days hashing out the rule earlier this year — selected by the health department’s Office of Compassionate Use Executive Director Patricia Nelson.
“No stakeholder group represented by any committee member, the department included, got everything it wanted in the proposed rules — which underscores that the committee was balanced, that the negotiated rulemaking process worked properly, and that the developed rules reflect the interests of all represented groups,” Watkins wrote.
Watkins rejected health officials’ request to dismiss the complaint because Baywood did not have 400,000 plants, required for nurseries to be eligible to apply for a license, at the time the grower filed the complaint in March. Because the nursery soon after was certified as growing more than 400,000 plants, Watkins found that Baywood would be “substantially impacted” by the rule and thus could maintain the complaint.
Health officials expect to adopt the rule on Thursday, which starts a 20-day period before applications can be accepted. Nurseries will have 21 days after the rule goes into effect to submit applications. Even if Baywood appeals Wednesday’s order, the department can continue moving forward with the selection process.
Proponents of the low-THC cannabis are now worried about possible challenges by nurseries that aren’t chosen.
“I am thrilled. I am one happy legislator,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Fort Walton Beach Republican who was instrumental in the law’s passage last year. “My only hope moving forward is that we don’t see more special-interest litigation when licenses are awarded.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Blue Wahoos Beat Mississippi Braves In 14 Innings
May 28, 2015
Ray Chang was rewarded for his hot hitting for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos by batting third in the lineup on the road against the Mississippi Braves Wednesday.
The 31-year-old, who has played 11 years in the minors, rewarded Pensacola manager Pat Kelly’s confidence with a double in the top of the 14th inning that scored second baseman Ryan Wright and led to a three-run rally.
Pensacola held on for the victory, 7-5, at Trustmark Park after Mississippi added a run in the bottom of the 14th inning and the Blue Wahoos came from behind for its second straight win.
Chang made a case for staying third in the Pensacola lineup tomorrow, after Wednesday’s performance against Mississippi, going 3-6, with a double, walk, two runs scored and two RBIs.
Chang, who is playing first base, is now hitting .383 in May (18-47) for the Blue Wahoos and .339 this season to lead all Pensacola hitters. He now has seven RBIs on the season.
Pensacola gained a game on Mississippi in the Southern League South Division, improving to 21-25 on the year. The Braves fell to 24-21 in the South.
Blue Wahoos center fielder Beau Amaral drove a sacrifice fly to deep center in the eighth inning with the bases loaded that scored Seth Mejias-Brean from third to tie the game at, 4-4, and send it to extra innings.
Pensacola has also scored one in the seventh to pull within, 4-3, when Chang singled to right field to score Amaral. Amaral reached first on an infield single to third and then stole second base, his fifth steal of the season.
Mississippi went ahead, 4-2, in the sixth inning when shortstop Eric Garcia tripled to drive in third baseman Rio Ruiz with the first run and then pinch hitter David Rohm singled to right to score Garcia.
Wright also has continued his hot hitting extending his hitting streak to 10 games, going 2-6 with a walk and a run. Wright is batting .326 (15-46) with eight RBIs and two doubles during the streak.
Mejias-Brean is hitting .368 (21-57) the past 15 games after going 2-5, scoring a run and knocking in a run, his 19th of the year. Right fielder Kyle Waldrop (2-5) also knocked in two runs and is tied for seventh in the Southern League with 28 RBIs.
William “Wilson” Morris
May 28, 2015
Wilson was born January 18, 1931, in Jay. On May 25, 2015, after a long hard battle with cancer, he went home to be with the Lord. Wilson retired from Chemstrand/Monsanto after 30 years. He was a wonderful husband, daddy, and pa-pa. He loved his fishing and being a master gardener.
He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Myrtle Morris; son, Ronnie and special daughter-in-law Cathy; daughter, Rhonda (Ronnie) Brannon; two special sisters, Wavolene Kelly and Mary (Bob) Taggart; grandchildren, Chandra (Tim) Rigby, Mike (Shanna) Morris and Jeff (Yajaira) Morris; five step-grandchildren, Danae, Chris, Crystal, Marcus and Genia; 13 great-grandchildren, Tori, Taylor, Hunter, Jenna, Jared, Kiana, Annalyssee, Landon, Berkley, Zachry, Tristin, McKenna, and Jacob and two special great-great-grandchildren, Keaton and Emersyn. Wilson was preceded in death by his parents, Lottie and Lee Morris; stepfather, Willie Dykes and two brothers, Ezra and Archie Morris.
The family will receive friends from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Friday, May 29,2015, at Cora Baptist Church. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. with Rev. LaDon Hall and Bro. Bobby Carnley officiating.
Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be grandsons, Mike, Jeff, Hunter and Tim and very special friends Ray Morris and Glenn Gavin. The family would like to give a special thanks to Covenant Hospice. We Love You Daddy!
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Man Charged With Burglarizing Home, Attacking Three People
May 27, 2015
A Walnut Hill man is facing multiple felony charges for allegedly burglarizing an occupied home and attacking three people inside.
Thomas Zacheriah Mason, 26, is accused of entering the home of his ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of his child. Once inside, he reportedly attacked three people with a golf club. One person inside the home tried to defend himself with a baseball bat, but Mason hit him in the arm with the golf club, causing him to drop the bat, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. Mason then allegedly began attacking the victim with the bat.
When deputies responded to the home, the three victims had visible injuries, including one that had the outline of a golf club head and grooves on his ribcage, the report states. All three refused medical treatment.
According to the ex-girlfriend, Mason had moved out of the home over a month before the incident had no belongings inside and no right to enter.
Mason was taken into custody after a deputy on patrol spotted his vehicle at Muscogee Road and Pace Parkway with an inoperable tag light. During the traffic stop, deputies reported finding marijuana inside the wrapper of a cigarette pack.
Mason was charged with armed burglary of an occupied dwelling, three felony counts of a aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief property damage, possession of marijuana less tan 20 grams and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. He remained in the Escambia County Jail early Wednesday morning with bond set at $111,500.