Freddie Thomas Hadley
April 9, 2015
Mr. Freddie Thomas Hadley, 78, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Monroeville, AL.
Mr. Hadley was a native and lifelong resident of Atmore. Mr. Hadley attended the Church of the Living God.
Survivors include his daughter, Corrie Hadley of Atmore; brother, Robert Hadley of Uriah, AL; and three grandchildren, Tyler Vickery, Loren Jordan and Anthony Jordan.
Funeral services will be Saturday, April 11, 2015, at 10 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Riley Ferney officiating.
Visitation will be Saturday, April 11, 2015, from 9 a.m. until service time at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Cancer Society.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC, is in charge of all arrangements.
Wanda Ruth Brown Biggs
April 9, 2015
Wanda Ruth Brown Biggs 90, of Bay Minette, passed away April 9, 2015, at her residence. She was born August 28, 1924, in Beaumont, TX. to the late Gane Hamilton and Libby Louise Byerly Brown. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Bay Minette. She was a nurse for 26 years and worked 25 years with a print shop in Bay Minette and was currently working up until her sickness.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jessie L. Biggs; one son, Jessie Allen Biggs; and her siblings, Floyd Allen Brown, Alfred Brown, Keel Brown, Willard Brown, Dale Brown, Elma Hall and Grace Lanell Brown.
She is survived by her two sons, Joseph L. Biggs and John W. Biggs, both of Bay Minette; daughter, Barbara McElveen of Bay Minette; siblings, Charles (Sandra) Brown of Pensacola, Louise Byerly of Beaumont, TX, Betty Mooney of McDavid, Margaret (Allen) Jones, Patsy Morgan, Gail (Ebb) Ebbesen, all of Pensacola; Shirley Black of McDavid, Charles (Sandra) Brown, June (William) Turner and Joy (Richard) Calhoun, all of Pensacola; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, April 12, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. from the First Assembly of God Church in Bay Minette with Bro. Brian Calhoun and Bro. William Lutz officiating.
Burial will follow in Bay Minette Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Daniel Biggs, Greg Biggs, Korey Biggs, Russell Black, Donnie Bell, David Bell and Keegan Biggs.
Visitation will be held Sunday, April 12, 2015, from 2:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. from the First Assembly of God Church in Bay Minette.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Dorothy Ann Harrison Milstead
April 9, 2015
Dorothy Ann Harrison Milstead, 61 of Atmore, passed away Wednesday, April 8, 2015, at her residence. She was born in Atmore on November 9, 1953, to the late Elzie Lee and Luverne Rutherford Harrison. She was a sales associate with Kmart. She was a fun loving, creative, with great sense of humor and a people person that truly loved the Lord. She attended Atmore First Assembly of God Church and was a huge Alabama fan.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Scott Milstead; siblings, Harold Harrison, Alice Ruth Harrison, Verna Mae Harris and Sarah Frances O’Leary.
Survivors are one daughter, Brandy Nicole (James Kevin) Dunlap of Atmore; four brothers, Earl Harrison and Robert (Faye) Harrison, both of Atmore, Donald (Barbara) Harrison of Martinville, AL and David (Vialva) Harrison of Brewton; three sisters, Mary Helen (Charlie) Jones of McCullough, Faye (Eddie) Odom of Nokomis and Kaye (Kenny) Robinson of Atmore; two grandsons, Noah Jackson Dunlap and Dylan James Dunlap; numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be Saturday, April 11,2015, at 10 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Earl Harrison, Bro. Robert Harrison and Bro. David Harrison officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Matthew Robinson, Brent Culwell, Derek Smith, Billy Wayne Harrison, Eddie Dunlap and Jim Crawford.
Family will receive friends on Friday, April 10, 2015, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc is in charge of all arrangements.
John Wesley Graham
April 9, 2015
John Wesley Graham passed away on April 7, 2015, after a brief illness. He was born June 11, 1934, to the late Paul Taylor Graham and Gladys Lee Graham.
He was preceded in death by grandchildren, Margery Elizabeth Graham and John Barry Graham.
John is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Helen Bowab Graham of Atmore; three sons, John Wesley Graham, Jr. (Jennifer), Anthony Scott Graham (Jose) and Paul Thomas Graham (Evelyn); seven grandchildren, Andrew Julian Graham, Anne Cadman Graham, Carl Thomas Graham, and Samuel Taylor Graham all of Mountain Brook, AL, and George Gonzalez Graham, Jack Martin Graham and Thomas Bowab Graham all of Atlanta, GA. He is also survived by a sister, Evelyn Graham Woodson of Magnolia Springs, AL.
An Atmore native, John graduated from Escambia County High School in 1952 and the University of Alabama in 1956 with a degree in Civil Engineering. He served in the United States Army and Army Reserves prior to embarking on a career in the construction business as owner of Graham Contractors, Inc. He retired in 2008.
A memorial service will be held at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel in Atmore on Friday, April 10, 2015, at 3 p.m. with Monsignor Timothy Deasy officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the favorite charity of the donor’s choice.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Deputy Arrested On Additional Charge
April 8, 2015
A former Escambia County senior deputy has been arrested on an additional charge.
Mark Smith was arrested last month and charged with felony sexual assault and misdemeanor battery. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that an additional victim was identified, and Smith was arrested on an additional charge of battery.
Deputy Walter Michael Thomas, Jr., was also arrested last month and charged with felony sexual assault.
Douglas Albert Manning, 47, and Leah Giannotti Manning, 40, (pictured left) were arrested and charged on outstanding warrants for sexual battery and child neglect.
The original case, investigators said, involved sexual offenses with subjects under the age of 18.
Package Thief Arrested
April 8, 2015
An Escambia County man has been charged with stealing packages from doorsteps after they were dropped off by a delivery man.
John Clifford Wilson IV was charged with grand theft and multiple burglary counts.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office investigators obtained surveillance video from two of these thefts that showed a dark blue SUV pulling up to the residence and two males removing packages that was posted on social media. Another citizen recognized the vehicle driving through his neighborhood, captured the vehicle on video and wrote down the tag number before contacting deputies. Wilson was identified from the information and arrested
Additional arrests are expected, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Careless Driving Causes Four Vehicle Crash Involving Two Semi Trucks, Dump Truck
April 8, 2015
There were no serious injuries in a four vehicle accident Wednesday morning at Highway 97 and Meadows Road.
The accident involved two semi-trucks, a dump truck and a pickup truck. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 31-year old Brian K. Smith of Bay Minette was northbound on Highway 97 in a 2014 Kenworth tractor-trailer approaching Greenland Road when he failed to stop behind a northbound 2007 dump truck waiting to turn left.
Smith swerved, with the left wheels and front of his trailer striking the dump truck driven by 59-year old David Chavers of Cantonment. The dump truck was pushed into a northbound Ford F350 driven by 59-year old David Forbes of Uriah, AL.
Meanwhile, 42-year old Christopher G. Robbins of McDavid swerved his northbound 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer, striking the right side of dump truck.
The four vehicles involved in the crash came to rest mostly off Highway 97 in three corners of the intersection. Both Meadows and Greenland Roads were blocked by the crash, while Highway 97 remained opened.
Chavers and Forbes received minor injures but refused transport to the hospital. Smith and and Robbins were uninjured.
Smith was cited by the FHP for careless driving.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Museum In Molino To Be Renamed In Honor Of Lillian King
April 8, 2015
The Escambia County Commission is set to rename Molino’s museum after Lillian Fillingim King.
Lillian King was instrumental in the establishment of the Molino Community Complex — housing the Molino Mid-County Historical Society Museum, the Molino Branch of the West Florida Public Library, multiple meeting rooms, and an auditorium — in the former Molino Elementary School.
She also established the Molino Mid-County Historical Society in 1999, of which she served as president from the museum’s inception in 2013 until her passing in 2015.
On April 9, the Escambia County Commission is expected to approve a resolution official renaming the Molino Mid-County Historical Society Museum as the “Lillian F. King Museum”.
King passed away February 27, 2015, at the age of 73.
Pictured top: Lil King holds ribbon for the ribbon cutting of the Molino Community Complex in October 2012. Pictured below: West FLorida Library Administrator Darlene Howell presents a certificate of appreciation to Lil King and the Molino Mid County Historical Society for the groups efforts at the Molino Branch Library in April 2014. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Charged In School Bus Hit And Run
April 8, 2015
A Cantonment woman is facing multiple charges for fleeing the scene of a school bus crash on Mobile Highway Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 18-year old Danielle Jocelyn Lee was charged with third degree felony leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, and cited for failure to exhibit a driver’s license on demand, no proof of registration, no insurance and violation of right of way.
Lee is accused of turning her blue Volkswagen left in front of a school bus driven by 43-year old Angela Jordan at Bellview Avenue and Mobile Highway. Following the crash, troopers said Lee fled the scene, later telling them that she was afraid. Lee was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $5,000.
There were 28 children on the bus at the time of the crash. Two reported minor injuries, one transported to the hospital by EMS and the second removed from the scene by parents.
Senate Looks To Policies On Police Body Cameras Like Those In Pensacola
April 8, 2015
A Senate panel on Tuesday approved a bill that would require law-enforcement agencies to establish policies for the proper use of body cameras if the agencies allow officers to wear the devices. The City of Pensacola is one of just 13 Florida police departments currently using the cameras, with nine other departments testing their use.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee unanimously passed the measure (SPB 7080), which would require law-enforcement agencies to establish policies and procedures addressing the proper use, maintenance and storage of body cameras and the data they record.
That includes training officers who use the cameras and performing “a periodic review of actual agency body-camera practices to ensure conformity with the agency’s policies and procedures.”
Currently, Florida law does not require police agencies to have policies governing the use of such technology.
“We’re saying to law enforcement: ‘OK, if you want to use ‘em, this is what they have to be,’ ” committee chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker, said.
But senators also emphasized their concern that the measure should not violate part of state law that makes it a third-degree felony to “intercept an oral communication.” Under the bill, that provision would not apply to police wearing body cameras.
“If I stop to get a cup of coffee as a law-enforcement officer and I capture other conversations that are occurring behind me or in front of me … we’re essentially listening in on conversations that are occurring in public,” said Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg. “And there is no consent provided for listening in on those conversations.”
But Evers said the recordings would only be used when officers are performing their duties.
“It’s only for law-enforcement activities,” he said after the meeting. “If by chance they happened to overhear another conversation … it’s erased, there’s no record of it, and it didn’t happen. Because there is a privacy concern that’s located in the bill and located here in this chamber that will see that that’s the way it is.”
Evers predicted the Senate would back the committee bill, which does not have a House companion.
Supporters of the measure include the Florida Sheriffs Association, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the Florida Public Defender Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
There could be additional funding for such programs. In December, President Obama proposed a three-year, $263 million legislative package to increase the use of body-worn cameras and expand such training for law-enforcement agencies. Part of the federal initiative would provide a 50 percent match to states and local entities that purchase body-worn cameras and requisite storage.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida