Trump Campaigns Next Week In Pensacola
January 7, 2016
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will stop in Pensacola next week, little more than two months before Florida’s presidential primaries.
Trump is slated to hold a campaign rally at 7 p.m. January 13 at the Pensacola Bay Center, according to a schedule released Wednesday. Florida’s primaries will be held March 15.
Free tickets are limited to two per person and are available here. Doors will open at 5 p.m. Pensacola Bay Center offers parking adjacent to the facility. Lots at the Pensacola Bay Center are $10 cash only on the day of the event. Special needs parking and entry is available via the Alcaniz Street entrance.
Important information from the Pensacola Bay Center is listed below:
Prohibited Items
Guests are asked to arrive early and travel light, as you may be subject to search, which includes metal detecting hand wands upon entry. For safety reasons, prohibited items include but are not limited to:
- Alcohol, drugs, illegal substances or any paraphernalia associated with drug use
- Audio/Video recorders, professional cameras, tripods
- Cans, bottles, coolers or other similar containers
- Fireworks
- Flags/Signs with poles
- Umbrellas
- Laser pens/pointers of any type
- Noisemakers such as air horns
- Outside food or drinks
- Oversized bags, backpacks, duffel bags or diaper bags
- Pepper spray/Mace
- Weapons of any type, including chains, knives, firearms and spiked jewelry Any other item deemed unacceptable by event/building management.
Parking
Pensacola Bay Center offers convenient parking adjacent to the facility. Lots at the Pensacola Bay Center are $10.00 CASH ONLY day of event. Special needs parking and entry is available via the Alcaniz Street entrance.
Pictured top: Donald Trump campaigns in Biloxi on January 3. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Talks Time And Goals; Special CRA Exploration Meeting Upcoming
January 7, 2016
The Century Town Council held a goal setting and time management workshop Wednesday, and next week they will hold a workshop to explore the benefits of a Community Redevelopment Agency.
Upon declaration of an area as blighted, the CRA works to improve conditions. As property tax values rise, any increase is funneled back into the redevelopment area for further improvements. Additional ax incentive and redevelopment funds are available within a CRA.
There are currently eight other redevelopment districts in Escambia County — Barrancas, Brownsville, Cantonment, Englewood, Ensley, Oakfield, Palafox and Warrington — and three within the City of Pensacola.
The Century Town Council will hold a special workshop at 5:30 p.m. January 14 to learn more about possibly forming a CRA at the Century Town Hall. The workshop is open to the public.
Wednesday afternoon, the council held a goal setting and time management workshop at the Century Business Center with Johnathan “Jet” Tisdale of the White Paper Marketing company. Three council members — Annie Savage, Ben Boutwell and Gary Riley — attended, along with Mayor Freddie McCall and several town staff members.
[Story updated 7am to reflect CRA meeting is January 14, not today.]
Pictured: The Century Town Council held a goal setting and time management workshop Wednesday afternoon at the Century Business Center on Pond Street. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Kathy Wilson Black
January 7, 2016
Mrs. Kathy Wilson Black, 49, passed away on Monday, January 4, 2016, in Gainesville.
Mrs. Black was a native of Century, former long time resident of Byrneville, and a resident of Flomaton for the past 25 years. Mrs. Black was an avid animal lover, kind loving person, gardener; and she loved to hunt and the outdoors. She was member of the Byrneville Methodist Church. She is preceded in death by her brother, James Michael Wilson; and sister, Teresa Marie Jordan.
She is survived by her parents, James and Barbara Wilson of Byrneville; one daughter, Jessica Ellen Gregg of Burlington, NJ; two sisters, Sharon Denise Odom of Century and Barbara Ellen Beck of Lake Mary; and two grandchildren, Payton Thomas and Brooklyn Smith.
Funeral services will be Saturday, January 9, 2016, at 11 a.m. at the Byrneville United Methodist with Bro. Jesse Bohannon officiating.
Burial will be at the Byrneville Cemetery.
Visitation will be Saturday, January 9, 2016, from 10 a.m. until service time at the Byrneville United Methodist Church.
Pallbearers will be Raybon Knowles, Bobby Holland, Robert Smith, Aaron Sutton, Dusty Carnley and Buster Nalls.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Evelyn P. Watts
January 7, 2016
Evelyn P. Watts, age 85 of Munson, passed away on January 5, 2016. She was a member of Whitfield Pentecostal Fellowship Church. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother. Evelyn loved the Lord.
She was preceded in death by her parents, William Thomas Pierce and Martha Jane Blackmon; siblings, Mary, George, Johnnie, Clyde, Ruth, Rubin, Lillie and twin brother, Melvin.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Clarence Eugene Watts; children, Larry (Dorothy) Watts, Terry “Bo” (Shelia) Watts, Teresa Raines, David Watts and Betty (James) Davis; special grandson she raised, Larry Watts Jr.; 17 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 8, 2016, at 11 a.m. at Whitfield Pentecostal Fellowship Church with Bro. Joe Gilman officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Kevin, Little Ed, Casey, Jacob, Ben, James W., Dave, and Billy.
Honorary pallbearers will be the women of Whitfield Church.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Helen Lavader Cook Willams
January 7, 2016
Helen Lavader Cook Williams went home to be with her beloved David on January 5th 2016. Helen was born September 10, 1925 near Vernon, Florida to John Thomas and Minnie Lee Cook. She attended Vernon School through the eighth grade and helped raise her brothers and sisters at the family farm until the age of 18. She moved from Vernon to Panama City to work in a shirt factory on Highway 98 and lived in a house with Ms. Johnson which was across the street from her future brother and sister-in-law Gene and Myrtle Williams. She met her future husband, David, on one of his visits to his brother Gene’s house.
David and Helen were married on May 10, 1951, in Jackson County, Mississippi and lived in the Panama City area for a year. In 1952 David and Helen moved to the Cantonment area and lived with Uncle John and Aunt Jencie Williams while they both went to work for Chemstrand Corporation. They moved to the Brownsdale Florida area in early 1954 and lived in Clate Diamonds house which was located near the intersection of Ebenezer Church Road and Highway 197. David and Helen’s first child, Larry Michael, was born in 1954 and soon after they purchased a piece of property from Elmer Simmons and started construction of a new home at the intersection of Range Road and Highway 197. Their second child, Roger, was born about the time the house was completed in 1956. Helen quit her job at Chemstrand and became a full time housewife so she could raise her two sons. Helen loved to sew and made several quilts for the family throughout the years until she developed Carpal Tunnel syndrome. In 1970 she went to work for Mrs. Diamond at the Dollar General Store that was located where NAPA Auto Parts are now. After a couple of years, she went to work for Mrs. Spencer at the 5 and 10 store that was located where the Jay Historical Society is now. She attended Cora Baptist Church for over 50 years and was their oldest member. Because of her declining health, she moved in with her son Roger from 2010 until 2015 and during the past year, she was a resident at the Terrace and spent her last month at Century Health and Rehab.
She was preceded in death by her husband, David Williams; parents, John Thomas and Minnie Lee Cook; stepmother, Liza Jane Cook; sisters, Dorothy, Minnie Lee Cook, and Adel Earwood; brothers, Johnny, James Earl, and John Cook and ten nieces and nephews.
She is survived by her sons, Larry (Sue) and Roger (Linda) Williams; grandson, Jeremy Williams; granddaughters, Becky (Ronnie) Moore and Lisa Moore; great-grandsons, Billy, Brian, Brenan Dykes and Damian Williams; great-granddaughter, Brooke Williams; three great-great grandchildren; two brothers, Thomas and Jimmy (Jewel) Cook; two sisters, Martha (Doc) Williams and Lunell (Dave) Hefner and several nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held on Friday, January 8, 2016 from 1-2 pm at Cora Baptist Church. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. with Brother LaDon Hall officiating.
Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Roger Dobson, Leon Jackson, Jerry McGee, Frank Rowell, Merlin Edwards and Mickey Diamond.
The family would like to thank the staff at Century Health and Rehab for the care given to Helen through the past month and the staff of the Terrace for the care given throughout the past year.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Frankie Mosley
January 7, 2016
Mr. Frankie Mosley, 61, passed away on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, in Bay Minette.
Mr. Mosley was a native and lifelong resident of Perdido. He was a loving father, brother and attended the Fretwell Tabernacle Holiness Church. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alton and Helen Mosley; brother, Roy Mosley; uncle, Josh Hadley; granddad, Dan Hadley; grandmother, Thelma Hadley; and a great-niece, Gracie Mosley.
Survivors include his daughter, Jamie Williams of Bay Minette; six sisters, Marie Capers of Castleberry, AL, Sally Reasons of Nokomis (AL), Dell Lambeth and Lottie Porter both of Dyas, AL, Mattie Lawson and Maggie Hayles both of Butler, GA; and four grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, January 8, 2016, at 10 a.m. at the Dean Holiness Church with Sis. Helen Stewart officiating.
Burial will follow at White Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Jimmy Lawson, Michael Lawson, Randy Lawson, Alton “Buddy” Lawson, Henry Stokes and Billy Joe Mosley.
Honorary pallbearer will be Roy Mosley.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
L.B. Minchew
January 7, 2016
Mr. L. B. Minchew, 84, passed away on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, in Jay.
Mr. Minchew was a native of Brewton, former resident of Davisville, and had resided in Atmore the past nine years. Mr. Minchew was retired from NAS with 30 years of service. He loved to pick at people, loved to fish, was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a member of the Calvary Deliverance Church. He is preceded in death by a son, Douglas Gordon Minchew and a brother, Grover Minchew.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Tinie Minchew of Atmore; one son, Joel Daniel (Lavine) Minchew of Booneville, AL; four daughters, Glenda Adams of Davisville, Ruthie (Billy) Dunn of Atmore, Dorothy (Billy) Martin of Davisville and Natalie Minchew of Lakeland; five sisters, Druie Mae Wilson of Atmore, Nicie Freeman of Marlow, AL, Linda Crowder of Dothan, AL, Reatha Heston of Milton, FL and Margaret Roundtree of Munson, FL; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, January 8, 2016, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Don Davis officiating.
Burial will be at the Antioch Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Trey McGhee, Tyler Krippes, Andy McKinney, Devin Dunn, Michael Harrelson and Myles Harrelson.
Honorary pallbearer will be Jonathan Adams.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homesin charge of all arrangements.
Escambia Graduation Rate Up Significantly
January 6, 2016
The graduation rate in Escambia County is up significantly, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education.
The Escambia County School District’s graduation rate for the 2014-15 school year was 72.7 percent, up 6.6 percent from the year and a huge 15 percent from a 57.7 percentage rate in 2010-11.
“This was the single largest increase in the graduation rate in any year in the past 10 years,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said.
During the 2009-2010 school year, Escambia’s schools became very focused on data, Thomas said, and students began to become more focused on a careers and academics, thanks in part to career academies that now number 63 spread throughout every middle and high school in the district.
“Students have come to realize that that high school diploma is that ticket to the next phase in life,” he said.
Every high school in the Escambia School District showed a higher graduation rate from 2013-14 to 2014-15, except a slight decrease at West Florida High School.
Following West Florida at 92.5 percent, the highest graduation rates in the county last year were Washington at 83.9 percent, Tate at 80.2 percent, and Northview at 78.9 percent — all three of which have improved graduation rates by 10 percent or more since 2009-2010.
“I think our better days are still ahead of us,” Thomas said. The district had hired graduation coaches that work with students to develop a plan to make sure they are able to graduate within four years.
Florida’s statewide graduation rate climbed to 77.8 percent, an increase of 7.2% since the 2010-2011 school year, and 1.7 percentage points over last year.
Pictured: Class of 2015 Tate High School Valedictorian Hannah Phillips. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Sunny Today, Rain Thursday
January 6, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 61. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. East wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 66. East wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Sunday: A 10 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 53.
Night Work On Nine Mile Road
January 6, 2016
The eastbound, right turn lane on Nine Mile Road to Holsberry Lane in Escambia County will be closed from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6 and Thursday, Jan. 7 as crews mill and resurface access at Zaxby’s. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone.
Construction activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.