Michael Glenn Ward
May 19, 2016
Mr. Michael Glenn Ward, 76, of Pensacola went home to be with his Heavenly Father on May 18, 2016. He was born May 1940 in Brewton, Alabama and later moved to Pensacola where he attended and graduated from Pensacola High School before joining the United States Navy. After serving in the military, he went on to work for Liberty National Insurance for 47 years. Mr. Ward was a long time member of East Brent Church where he served as a deacon. He enjoyed watching sports, especially the Florida Gators, and spending time with his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Stella Ward. Survivors include his loving wife of 50 years, Carolyn Ward of Pensacola; son, Mike (Brooke) Ward of Pace; one sister, Thressia (Robert) Parker of Pace; two precious grandchildren, Alexa and Emma Ward; niece, Stacie (Jon) Brady of Falls Church, Virginia; and nephew, Danny Parker of Pensacola.
Visitation will be held Saturday, May 21 from 12:00pm-2:00pm, with funeral service following at 2:00pm, Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, Florida. Graveside service will follow at Pensacola Memorial Gardens, 7433 Pine Forest Road, Pensacola, Florida. Dr. Dale Patterson will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to East Brent Baptist Church.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North has been entrusted with all arrangements
Inmate Assaults Correctional Officer At Century Prison
May 18, 2016
An inmate assaulted a correctional officer Tuesday morning at Century Correctional Institution.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections inmate Willie J Shannon attacked a correctional officer at about 5:45 a.m. at Century Correctional Institution.
Officials said Shannon was being counseled by an officer when he took an aggressive stance and struck the officer several times, refusing to comply to the commands of staff.
Following the initial assault, several officers responded and were able to successfully bring the inmate into compliance. The injured officer was examined by medical staff who suggested that the officer receive treatment at an outside medical facility for a contusion to the left eye and abrasions to the arms.
Shannon will receive a disciplinary report for this assault.
The Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General will investigate this incident.
Shannon is serving a five year sentence for attempted robbery and grand theft on a 2007 conviction out of Palm Beach County, according to DOC records. He was schedule
Deadline Approaching For Tornado Recovery Federal Disaster Loans
May 18, 2016
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, June 6 is the deadline to businesses of all sizes, private nonprofit organizations, homeowners, and renters to submit low-interest disaster loan applications for the physical damages caused by the severe storms and tornadoes in Century and Ferry Pass last February.
Low-interest disaster loans are available in Escambia County, FL, and the adjacent counties of Santa Rosa in Florida; Baldwin and Escambia in Alabama.
Businesses of any size and nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.
For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and private, nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.
Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.
Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.625 percent for nonprofit organizations, and 1.813 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may now include a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
Disaster loan information and applications may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is June 6, 2016. The deadline to return economic injury applications is January 9, 2017.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
May 18, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending May 12 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officer Allgood assisted Naval Air Station (NAS) base police and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office regarding a man who fled. Officer Allgood arrived at the location where the man was about 150 yards from the beach in chest-high water. He refused to turn himself in for allegedly beating his 9‑year‑old daughter. As the sun was starting to set, Officer Allgood immediately went out in the water and apprehended the suspect. Officer Allgood escorted him to land and turned him over to NAS Police.
FWC officers, along with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officers, participated in a joint training day at the USCG Station in Pensacola. This training consisted of search and rescue (SAR) policy and procedure and proper search techniques and patterns commonly used by the USCG on SAR missions. Training was conducted in the classroom and on the water.
Officer Allgood and Investigator Livesay worked several days offshore conducting resource inspections. They issued three notices to appear citations for undersized triggerfish, amberjack, and red snapper. Additionally, FWC Pilot Tolbert observed two vessels returning from federal waters and followed them in to state waters. Officer Allgood and Investigator Livesay conducted a vessel stop at the Pensacola Pass. The operators of both vessels were in possession of red snapper. They were issued federal citations for possession of red snapper in federal waters. Several other related warnings were issued.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
While on patrol in Navarre, Officer Land witnessed an individual fishing from a dock, throwing a cast net. Officer Land watched as the individual pulled the net in from the water and shook a fish out onto the dock. The man hesitated, looked around the area and then picked the fish up and placed it in a five‑gallon bucket. Officer Land made contact to see what the man had caught. The fisherman said that he had not had any luck that day. After inspecting the bucket, the officer found an undersized red drum measuring 14 inches. The fish was released to the water and the fisherman was issued a notice to appear for the violation.
While patrolling the Escambia River by vessel, Officer Hutchinson observed two men pulling their vessel up to a boat ramp. He made contact with them and noticed that they were both acting nervous. He observed several fishing poles and live bait in the boat. After Officer Hutchinson conducted a vessel safety equipment inspection, he asked them if they had caught any fish. The owner of the vessel said that they had caught several bream. After Officer Hutchinson inspected the fish, he asked both subjects if they had anything else that they had caught onboard the vessel and they both said, “No.” After further inspection of the vessel, Officer Hutchinson discovered a large live alligator snapping turtle hidden inside one of the compartments on the vessel. When he asked the subjects why they didn’t tell him about the turtle, the owner of the vessel said, “Because I didn’t know if it was legal to keep or not.” Officer Hutchinson seized the turtle and the owner of the vessel was charged with illegal possession of an alligator snapping turtle. The turtle was released alive back into the Escambia River.
Officer Ramos was working in Blackwater State Park when he was approached by a Park Ranger about two men who camped in the campground and did not pay the fee. When approached by the Park Ranger, one subject refused to identify himself and sped out of the campground, nearly colliding with another vehicle. The man’s license plate number was recorded and matched a vehicle that was also involved in a disturbance at a local convenience store. The subjects circumvented the gate at the park and entered illegally. Officer Ramos determined that the one subject was stationed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. He contacted NAS Police and with their assistance and made contact with the subject, who later admitted his wrongdoing. Both subjects were issued citations for fee evasion.
Officer Land responded with fire/rescue to the report of a wrecked personal watercraft (PWC). Two individuals were on board a PWC when it rolled over. Due to the current, they were unable to get back to the vessel and they held onto a channel marker. A Good Samaritan on shore witnessed and reported the incident. Both individuals were returned to shore unharmed, and the PWC was recovered undamaged.
Officers Pettey, Barnard, FWC Pilot Tolbert and Lieutenant Berryman assisted the National Park Service on the Gulf Islands National Seashore on a report of a missing person. Utilizing FWC aircraft, ATVs and patrol vehicles, officers located the missing subject from the air walking down the beach.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
More Rain The Next Few Days
May 18, 2016
Localized heavy rain along the Alabama/Florida line caused street and lowland flooding Tuesday afternoon. In Atmore, numerous streets were closed by the police and fire departments due to high water being pushed into homes and businesses. Heavy rains also fell in Walnut Hill, Bratt, Byrneville, Flomaton, Century, McDavid and Jay.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84.
Pictured: Flooding in Atmore Monday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Improvement Committee Will Host Small Business Workshop Thursday
May 18, 2016
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will host a small business workshop Thursday at 6 p.m., providing information about starting and growing a small business in Escambia County.
The workshop will take place at the Carver Park Resource Center, located at 208 Webb Street in Cantonment.
Janet Etheridge, an experienced small business counselor, will be presenting. The workshop is for anyone who has always dreamed about starting a small business, needs help with ideas to get started, or for existing small business owners looking to learn new ideas for success.
Escambia Man Gets 31 Years For Attacking Sister, Girlfriend
May 18, 2016
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to three decades in prison for violent attacks on his sister and girlfriend.
Daontae Scott was sentenced by Circuit Judge John Miller to 31 years in state prison as a prison releasee reoffender and habitual felony offender. Scott was convicted of aggravated assault, two counts of felony battery, and violation of a domestic violence injunction.
On October 17, 2014, Scott attacked his girlfriend by repeatedly striking her, shoved her to the ground and threatened her with a knife.
On October 21, 2014, Scott also attacked his sister in violation of a domestic violence injunction. He repeatedly punched her causing her to fall and hit her chin against a brick ledge. He then dragged her across the floor by her hair and ripped out some of her hair. He also threatened her with a pair of scissors.
Traffic Shift On I-10 Near Highway 29
May 18, 2016
Westbound I-10 traffic near Highway 29 (Exits 10A and 10B) in Escambia County was shifted to the outside lane beginning Tuesday night, May 17 as crews prepare to widen the interstate.
Drivers are reminded of the temporary speed limit reduction on I-10 to 50 mph during the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. All planned construction activities are weather dependent and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Tate Seniors Hoffman, Sprague Sign With Marion Military Institute
May 18, 2016
Tate High School seniors Trevor Hoffman and Kolby Sprague signed Monday to play baseball with Marion Military Institute. Hoffman is the son of Jeff and Robyn Hoffman; Sprague is the son of Joe and Jamie Sprague. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
ECUA Sanitation Truck Goes Up In Flames
May 18, 2016
An ECUA sanitation truck was heavily damaged by fire Monday morning on Neal Road, near Hillock Drive in Cantonment. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. There were no injuries reported. Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
