Betty Jane McNeill
March 8, 2016
On the evening of March 6, 2016, Betty passed away at the Joyce Goldenberg Covenant Hospice Facility in Pensacola, surrounded by her family and pastor.
Betty was born in Andalusia, AL on August 12, 1939, and was married to and preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Preston H. McNeill and one child, Jonathan McNeill.
She is survived by her children, grandchildren and great-children as follows: Gregory (Carolyn) McNeill, Carrie Waters and Waylon McNeill; Pam (Carl) Denham, Cory Denham and Lucas Litchfield, Cortney (Kaleb) Bowden; Sean McNeill, Caleb McNeill and Annie McNeill.
Betty was a plant enthusiast and enjoyed the beautiful yard that she and Preston built and planted during their many years together. Their yard has always been admired by family, friends and neighbors and especially enjoyed in the spring when it is full of blooms of all colors. She was a loving and giving mother who always put others first. She also enjoyed cooking and baking for those she loved, her fried chicken will be missed by many. She was a sweet, quiet and kind friend to many and she will be greatly missed.
Visitation will be held at Clear Springs United Methodist Church, Wednesday, March 9, 2016, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Funeral services will be held at the Clear Springs United Methodist Church on Thursday, March 10, 2016, at 10 a.m.
Interment will follow at Clear Spring Cemetery.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Ida Mae Morris
March 8, 2016
Mrs. Ida Mae Morris, 92, passed away on Monday, March 7, 2016, in Jay.
Mrs. Morris was a native of Repton, Alabama and a resident of Century since 1953. She was an employee of the Florida Line Café in South Flomaton, Milky Way, and manager of the first deli of Piggly Wiggly. She managed McCurdy Dairy Bar, Nall’s Grocery Jr. Food, Job Service, Family and Children Service and Chamber of Commerce. She was a member of the Cannan Baptist Church.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Martin L. Morris; parents, Lizzie and Jerry Odom; three brothers; two sisters; and daughter-in-law, Danette Morris.
Survivors include her son, Buddy Morris of Flomaton; two daughters, Sue and Kenneth Hall of Brewton and Voncille and W.L. Tyree of Century; four grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and 15 great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Friday, March 11, 2016, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Doug Odom officiating.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 10, 2016, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will follow at the McCurdy Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Chris Hall, Zane Hall, Brad Morris, Steve Tyree, Michael Tyree and Martin Tyree.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Doris L. Yelverton
March 8, 2016
Doris L. Yelverton, 85, of Pensacola, FL passed away on Thursday, March 3, 2016.
Doris was born in Pensacola on November 25, 1930, to Pleasant H. and Allie Mae (Byrd) Glass.
Seldom is cause of death given in an obituary but we all want to know “what happened”. I feel it helps to bring closure. It was a ruptured brain aneurysm that took Mom, but not without a fight.
Mom lit up a room the moment she walked through the door with her smile and her laughter, her hugs and her “Hey, Darlin’.” If you had the privilege to know her, you are blessed, and if you didn’t, you missed a treasure. She reached out to people, total strangers, everywhere she went and made them feel special. She emulated her Savior, Jesus Christ in all she did.
She was “Mini” to her grandchildren and all of their friends. Her husband, children, grandchildren, sister, nephews, nieces, friends and her cat were the lights of her life. She loved us all so, so deeply. Her home was filled with pictures of all of us since we couldn’t be there all the time she could at least see our faces.
She Owned and Operated Doris Yelverton Interiors. For nearly 45 years she was passionate about her interior decorating business. She loved what she did and all the people she did it for. Some have remained dear friends throughout the years. She never forgot a name or a face.
When Mom retired at age 72 she redirected her passion to her church, Calvary Way Full Gospel. All of these amazing people loved on her and allowed her to love and take care of them. She had the gift of service and she exercised that gift every day, constantly giving of herself to others. She was secretary and treasurer in her Sunday school class for as long as I can remember. She was on the events decorating committee with her closest friends and they all worked in the kitchen together during events. She would help decorate, set up the food, make sure everyone had what they needed and then clean up. Oh, how she enjoyed this part of her life. She took care of Daddy through failing health in his last years and after his passing the church and all she did there gave her fulfilling purpose.
Mom was a whole lot of preciousness in a small package. But never say a bad word or threaten her family or friends or you’d find out that there was a whole lot of feisty in that little package too!
Although there is now an enormous void in every life she touched, Heaven is where she’s lived her life to reach and it’s now a sweeter place. She is safely home leaving a legacy of love.
She is preceded in death by her parents and loving husband of 60 years, Richard L. Yelverton.
Survivors include her daughters, Trezza Linton and Tina Meyers (Cliff); grandson, Aaron Bourgeois; granddaughter, Casi; grandson,Cameron Meyers and sister, Ruth Joseph.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel.
Burial was at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Michael Shawn Joseph, William Joseph, Tim Yelverton, Tim Hamilton, Josh Bates, Chuck Arnold, Mike Beck and Larry Williams.
Honorary pallbearers were Richard Ward and Aubrey Johnson.
A dictionary of words of appreciation, love and kindness couldn’t even express what I would like to relay to the following people and organizations.
I wish I could name every person involved in the TLC of Mom but some names I didn’t get and some I may have forgotten. To those people, you are no less appreciated.
Emergency personnel: Fire Dept. – Mr. Longworth and team; EMS personnel; Sacred Heart Hospital ER personnel; Drs. – Terry A. Neill, MD; Matthew Daniels, MD; Kennon McDonnell, MD; Ronaldo R Patiag MD; John, ARNP; Brent Hazen, MD; Richard Dobhan, MD; Nurses, Aides and Caretakers – Floor 7: Andrea, , Elena, Rachael, Leah, Iris, Carol; Surgical ICU: Kourtenay, Shannon, Laura, Bradley, Scott, Jen, Jessica, Lisa, Lauren, Barbara, Dale, Caleb, Kalli, Meg; Housekeeping: Kimberly and Janice ; Palliative Care personnel: Kerri and team.
Covenant Hospice personnel: Marian, Kathy, Andrea, Kristy, Kristen, Rachel, Steven, Mary.
Friends and family who have been an unyielding support. For your prayers, visits, calls, texts, food, precious time, kindness and love.
God bless you all and unending gratefulness, from our hearts. Trezza, Aaron, Tina, Cliff, Cameron and Casi and Ruth.
In lieu of flowers, make donations to Joyce Goldenberg Hospice Inpatient Residence, Covenant Care, 10075 Hillview Drive, Pensacola, FL 32514 in honor of Doris Yelverton.
Power Outage In Walnut Hill, Including Ernest Ward Midle
March 7, 2016
There was a brief power outage in Walnut Hill Monday afternoon, including Ernest Ward Middle School and an unknown number of residences. EREC is pictured here working on the problem outside Ernest Ward Middle School at dismissal time. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Three Weeks: Century Tornado Cleanup Continues
March 7, 2016
The recovery effort following the EF-3 tornado that struck the Century area three weeks ago is continuing.
Escambia County has issued 84 total permits in the Town of Century. Most of the those permits were for roofing, electrical and building purposes.There have been 17 demolition permits issued to date related to the Century tornado (both in the town and in the unincorporated area).
There are multiple 30 and 40-yard roll-off dumpsters placed in the tornado damaged areas of Century for construction debris. They have been unloaded 90 times by provider Republic Services.
The February 15 tornado, rated as an EF-3 with winds over 150 mph, destroyed 52 structures in unincorporated Escambia County and inside the town limits of Century. There were 60 structures left with major damage, and 49 with minor damage, for a total of 161 structures impacted by the storm.
The assessment number from Escambia County break down as follows:
- Destroyed
- Single Family Home: 28
- Mobile Homes: 21
- Commercial: 3
- Major
- Single Family Home: 48
- Mobile Homes: 10
- Commercial: 2
- Minor
- Single Family Home: 35
- Mobile Homes: 13
- Commercial: 1
The Century tornado was the first EF-3 tornado to hit Escambia County in 45 years. It came just eight days before a second EF-3 tornado struck Pensacola.
Pictured: Roll-off dumpsters like this have been filled with construction debris and emptied 90 times within the town limits of Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sunny Start, Wet End To Week
March 7, 2016
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 78. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 63. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 74.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Firefighters Battle Sunday Brush Fires
March 7, 2016
Firefighters battled a couple of brush fires Sunday in the North Escambia area.
The first was reported about 11:45 a.m. on Pinoak Lane off Highway 29 south of Molino. The second was reported about 4:15 p.m. on Christian Home Drive, just off Pine Barren Road in the Christian Home community.
Both fires were extinguished by Escambia Fire Rescue with damage to other structures and no injuries.
Pictured: A midday brush fire on Pinoak Lane near Molino Sunday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
House, Senate Close In On Budget Deal
March 7, 2016
House and Senate budget chiefs drew closer Sunday to a final agreement on the spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1, striking deals on a slew of local projects and throwing an elbow at the leader of the state’s prisons agency for an aggressive lobbying campaign.
Heading into Sunday evening, the only major outstanding issue between the two sides was the lion’s share of the education budget, which moved to high-level talks after earlier negotiations broke down. Lawmakers have to agree on the roughly $80 billion overall spending plan by Tuesday for the legislative session to end on Friday, as scheduled.
The largest agreement Sunday between House Appropriations Chairman Richard Corcoran, R-Land O’ Lakes, and Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, could be read as a direct challenge to Gov. Rick Scott. The two sides agreed to spend more than $713.5 million on education construction projects, with an unspecified share of the funding coming from bonds.
Scott has strongly opposed bonding in the past, but Corcoran defended the move because of the current rates the state could get on issuing debt to fund needed construction projects at public schools, colleges and universities.
“Any time you have rates that are this low, you’re getting money for much cheaper. … It’s a good opportunity, a good time to do it. And we’re doing it very prudently,” Corcoran said.
Lawmakers agreed to $150 million for public school maintenance, split evenly between traditional public schools and charter schools.
Other big-ticket items on the education list included $20 million to pay for the state share of a downtown Orlando campus for the University of Central Florida. That project — approved by the university system’s Board of Governors last week — is a top priority of Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.
Overall, UCF would receive almost $42.3 million in construction funding under the House-Senate agreement, more than any other university in the 12-school system.
The projects approved on Sunday also showed the influence of House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island. Eastern Florida State College, in Crisafulli’s home county of Brevard, received $24.5 million in construction projects, more than all but one other state college.
And $60 million worth of water projects also agreed to Sunday funded several initiatives in Brevard County, including a $1.2 million drainage project at Merritt Island High School, the second-largest item on the list.
Earlier Sunday, Corcoran and Lee finished up negotiations on pay raises and other administrative areas of the budget. They agreed to salary increases for state firefighters, Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime-lab analysts and on-duty members of the National Guard.
Struck from the budget was a House proposal to spend $7 million to replace radio equipment for law enforcement, an item that has become ensnared in a dispute over procurement for the radios.
Corcoran and Lee also pushed back against the Florida Department of Corrections, which has aggressively lobbied to get 734 additional positions that the agency says are needed to make the state’s prisons more secure.
The new jobs are part of an effort by the department to have corrections officers work eight-hour shifts instead of 12-hour shifts. The department has been reeling from a series of reports about issues such as contraband smuggling and abuse of inmates.
On Saturday, the day after Corcoran and Lee had agreed to a criminal justice budget without the additional positions, Corrections Secretary Julie Jones issued a statement asking lawmakers to reconsider.
“We strongly believe that our request for 734 additional (positions) is an operational imperative that will increase both safety and security in our institutions,” she said. “Since the implementation of 12-hour shifts the department has observed significant increases in several areas that have contributed to increased risk within our facilities.”
On Sunday, Lee and Corcoran hit back, with Lee underscoring the troubles that have roiled the department since before Jones took over.
“What they haven’t told you is that they have 1,500 vacant positions and the reason they’re not able to hire is because of the cultural problems they have in the system, not because they don’t have enough positions authorized under statute. … We’re happy to help them over time try to get where they need to get, but they need to get their house in order,” he said.
The department says it has maintained those open positions to pay for overtime expenses that would drop if it had more officers.
Corcoran also said Jones needs to work with lawmakers to find some way to downsize the prison population — though lawmakers have in past years approved tough-on-crime bills that have extended sentences. The department also pushed for legislation (HB 1149), which lawmakers have sent to Scott, that would allow judges to come up with punishments besides jail time for some probation violations.
The agency issued a terse statement on Sunday in relation to Lee and Corcoran’s criticism.
“The department has clearly communicated the priorities in our legislative budget request,” it said. “We remain hopeful that our critical needs will be addressed by the Legislature this session.”
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
March 7, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
U.S. 29, Escambia County – Intermittent and alternating lane closures within the town of Century and from Champion Drive north continue.
I-10 Widening, Escambia County – Alternating lane closures between Davis Highway (Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (Exit 17) from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of Monday, March 7, as crews perform paving and storm repairs. The speed limit on I-10 between Davis Highway and Scenic Highway is reduced to 60 mph.
S.R. 289 (9th Avenue), Escambia County – Crews continue paving operations between the intersection of Bayou Boulevard and Creighton Road and at Bayou Boulevard (S.R. 296) and Airport Boulevard (S.R. 750). Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Motorists will also encounter intermittent and alternating daytime lane closures between Fairfield Drive and Cervantes Street as crews adjust manholes and valves.
Interstate 10 (I-10) over Eleven Mile Creek Bridge, Escambia County – East and westbound traffic reduced to one lane at the bridge as crews perform construction activities.
U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway) at the intersection of Scenic Highway Circle, Escambia County – Emergency repair work continues. New stormwater pipe will be installed beneath Scenic Highway. Traffic flaggers will be on site to assist with traffic control as construction vehicles enter and exit the work area.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
I-10 Widening, Santa Rosa County – Alternating lane closures between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, March 6 through Thursday, March 10 as crews perform construction activities. In addition, the southbound travel lanes on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange will be closed during this time. One lane of traffic will be open in each direction in the northbound lanes. The closures will allow crews to perform pile driving operations. The speed limit on I-10, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and Avalon Boulevard, is reduced to 60 mph.
U.S. 90 Milton, Santa Rosa County- Alternating lane closures near the Marquis Bayou Bridge, use caution while traveling through the construction zone.
U.S. 98, Santa Rosa County- Alternating lane closures from the Gulf Breeze Zoo to the Okaloosa County line 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform striping operations.
U.S. 98, Santa Rosa County- Alternating lane closures between Central Parkway and the Gulf Breeze Zoo from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday as crews mill and pave crossovers and side streets. This work is anticipated to take place through Thursday, March 10.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
4-H Members Learn From Local Leaders
March 7, 2016
The Escambia County 4-H Leadership Club meets monthly to learn from local leaders and study leadership principles. Recently, the youth invited local leaders that included Commissioner Steven Barry, Chief Deputy Eric Haines and Judge Michael Allen. Each official gave a brief overview of their background and their leadership philosophy. Youth were able to ask questions in a panel discussion format and spend time getting to know local leaders.
4-H is a positive youth development program of the University of Florida, IFAS Extension. New members are welcome to join us on the second Tuesday of each month at the Langley Bell 4-H Center at 3730 Stefani Road in Cantonment. For more information contact Pam Allen at pha@ufl.edu.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.