Elizabeth Ann Hobbs Prater
October 9, 2015
Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Hobbs Prater, 70, passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2015, in Pensacola.
Mrs. Prater was a native of Atmore, and a resident of Robinsonville most of her life. Mrs. Prater was a PCI Clinical Nurse for 20 years. She used her excellent nurse saved a lady’s life in a restaurant. She was a loving wife, greatest mother in the world, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. She is preceded in death by her parents, Clifton and Alice Hobbs; and a son, Ronald Lynn “Ronnie” Prater.
Survivors include her husband, Oliver Prater of Robinsville; two sons, Donnie (Mary) Prater of Opelika, AL and Keith Prater of Montgomery; one daughter, Kimberly “Kim” Ann Vance (Jimmy Ashley) of Atmore; two sisters, Gayle (Buddy) Byrd of Davisville and Barbara (Charles) Dorriety of Robinsonville; three grandchildren, Derek Vance, Caroline Prater and Kyle Ashley; and one great-grandchild, Landon Ashley.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 3 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Doug Odom officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Mark Dorriety, Matt Dorriety, Joshua Dorriety, Derek Vance, Ken Milstead and Scott Milstead.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Santa Rosa Makes Largest Ever Heroin Bust
October 8, 2015
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has made the largest heroin bust in the history of the county.
Detectives and the SRSO SWAT team executed a search warrant about 6 a.m. Thursday following a two month investigation.
Monica Nicole-Gonzalez Jones was arrested at 6583 Arlingwood Drive in Milton. Inside the home, deputies found 50 grams of heroin, cocaine and 50 grams of meth. Along with the drugs, detectives seized a vehicle and a handgun.
Jones was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail with bond set at $115,500. Deputies said additional arrests are expected in the case.
Man Shot Inside Vehicle In Century, Suspect Search Continues
October 8, 2015
THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED. CLICK HERE.
One person was shot inside a vehicle somewhere in Century Wednesday night, and the search for the suspect is continuing.
A female driver pulled into the Whataburger parking lot on North Century Boulevard with multiple bullet holes in her Dodge Charger. A male passenger who been shot fled the from the scene before authorities arrived, according to Sgt. Andrew Hobbs, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The male gunshot victim reportedly called emergency officials to say that he had been shot and that he was headed to the Raceway store at Highway 29 and Muscogee Road in Cantonment (pictured left), and then called back to say he was on his way to the Walmart on Pensacola Boulevard in Ensley. He never arrived at either location. The victim eventually arrived for treatment at West Florida Hospital, reportedly in critical condition.
The female driver of the vehicle was not injured.
Deputies have not released where the shooting occurred, but they said that it did not occur at the Whataburger.
The vehicle in the restaurant parking lot had numerous bullet holes visible in the trunk and in the rear passenger door area. The back driver’s side passenger window and the rear window of the vehicle were blown mostly out of the vehicle. Trajectory rods place by a crime scene investigator seemed to indicate that the shots were fired from behind the Dodge Charger.
A spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said their investigation is active and continuing. More details will be posted as they become available on NorthEscambia.com.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: A vehicle with multiple bullet holes arrived at the Whataburger in Century Wednesday night. Picture top inset: Deputies await the arrival of a shooting victim at the Raceway on Highway 29 at Muscogee Road in Cantonment. Pictured bottom inset: An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene technician processed the vehicle. Pictured below: Numbered trajectory rods show the paths of the multiple gunshots into the vehicle. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Four Arrested After Search Warrants Executed In Atmore
October 8, 2015
The 21st Judicial Drug Task Force, assisted by numerous local, state and federal authorities, simultaneously executed numerous search warrants in various locations across Atmore on Wednesday following a lengthy investigation.
Agents found and seized a substantial amount of illegal drugs, including marijuana and methamphetamines, and several firearms.
Four Atmore residents were arrested during the operation:
- Shelton “Chubby” McKenzie, 38, conspiracy to commit controlled substance crime;
- Richard McKenzie, 28, unlawful possession of marijuana first degree, unlawful possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also arrested on outstanding felony warrants from Florida and misdemeanor warrants from Atmore;
- Victor McKenzie, 25, arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant
- Clarence Williams, 24, unlawful possession of marijuana first degree
Officials said more arrests are forthcoming.
The 21st Judicial Drug Task Force was assisted by Atmore Police, Poarch Police, U. S. Marshals, U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection air unit. In K-9 units took part from theEscambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Thomasville Police Department, Citronelle Police Department and Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.
Sunny And Warm Weather Continues
October 8, 2015
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. West wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 81. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
State To Test For Carcinogen Levels At Century Sheriff’s Precinct
October 8, 2015
An upcoming environmental site assessment will determine if benzine, a known human carcinogen, exists in dangerous levels at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office substation in Century.
In 1992, two 6,000 gallon underground storage tanks were removed from the property. At the time of the removal, an assessment revealed a concentration of benzene greater than the state’s target cleanup criteria. The property was entered into a program that would allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to conduct cleanup. As part of that program, the property was given a ranking score with cleanup priority is basked on ranking position.
The Sheriff’s Office Century Precinct score is a “26″, with the DEP currently working to cleanup properties with an assessment score of “30″ or higher. The FDEP is reassessing properties with low scores. If the score remains the same or reduces, the department will have the option of removing the property from the cleanup program list.
The Escambia County Commission is set to approve an agreement allowed FDEP to access the property for the assessment.
The single public building on the property, known also as the Billy G. Ward Courthouse, houses both the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Escambia County Clerk of the Courts.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia School Superintendent Candidate Arrested For Fraud, Identity Theft
October 8, 2015
An investigation by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and the Tallahassee Police Department resulted in recent identity theft charges against Gerald Howard Washington of Escambia County. Washington pre-filed in September to run for Escambia County School District superintendent in 2016.
Washington, 19, was charged with one count of criminal use of personal identification information (20 or more), a first degree felony, and one count of organized communications fraud, a first-degree misdemeanor, after stealing personal information from multiple job seekers in Tallahassee.
The investigation showed that Washington posted online advertisements claiming to be hiring for 1,100 positions in Tallahassee. He traveled by Greyhound Bus from Pensacola to Tallahassee, set up a temporary office, and personally met with many job seekers who believed he was a valid employer with actual job openings.
The job seekers provided personal information, including social security numbers and bank information, for the application. They also provided urine samples and a $25 fee. The individuals were told they were hired and given a start date, but the jobs did not exist.
“Mr. Washington used the hope of would-be job seekers against them. His victims were Tallahassee citizens seeking to better themselves and their families. Those who seek to commit fraud in Tallahassee will be investigated and prosecuted for their actions,” Tallahassee Police Department Chief Michael DeLeo said.
Homecoming Fall Festival Saturday In Cantonment
October 8, 2015
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will present the Cantonment Homecoming Fall Festival this Saturday, October 10.
The 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. event at Carver Park on Webb Street will feature food, family fun and games for the kids. There will also be musical groups, a ballroom dancing demo and much more.
Free Hunter Safety Class Offered In Molino
October 8, 2015
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is offering a free hunter safety courses in Molino next month.
The class will be held at the Molino Community Center, 6450 Hwy. 95A, Molino. Instruction is from 6 to 10 p.m. October 15. The range portion of the class will be October 17 from 7 to 10 a.m. Directions to the range will be handed out in class.
For the Internet-completion courses, students must complete the Internet course before coming to class and bring a copy of the final report from the online portion of the course. The final report form does not have to be notarized.
An adult must accompany children under the age of 16 at all times. Students should bring a pencil and paper with them to take notes.
Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975, must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone (unsupervised). The FWC course satisfies hunter-safety training requirements for all other states and Canadian provinces.
People interested in attending these courses can register online and obtain information about future hunter safety classes at MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by calling Hunter Safety Coordinator Will Burnett at the FWC’s regional office in Panama City at (850) 265-3676.
Students Learn Fire Safety
October 8, 2015
The Flomaton Fire Department presented a fire prevention program this week at Flomaton Elementary School. Students were able to learn about fire prevention, learn how to escape from a fire and pose for photos with a fire department engine. Photos by Katie Fowler for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
