Arentha H. McGhee
September 5, 2016
Arentha H. McGhee, 95 of Atmore, passed away Friday, September 2, 2016, at her residence. She was a homemaker. She was born in Elsnor, AL, on May 30, 1921, to the late George W. and Clara Boyington Hinote. She was a Charter Member of Poarch Community Church, and was of the Mennonite faith.
She is preceded in death by her spouse, Willis M. McGhee, Sr; brothers, Ervin Mitchell, Clarence Mitchell and Floyd Hinote; sisters, Viola Greek, Carrie Reandeau, Elsie Malone and Nell Mitchell; two step-children, Lavan Martin and Ima Jean Sheets.
Survivors include four sons, Willis M. (Tracy) McGhee, Jr., Terry Michael (Yvonne) McGhee, Danny W. McGhee, all of Poarch and George D. (Sharon) McGhee of Atmore; one step-son, Douglas Martin of Zion, Ill; two daughters, Mary Jane (Eddie) Tullis of Poarch; Nancy M. (Eddie) Lowrey of Atmore; one step-daughter, Jeanette (Kell) Beck of McCullough; 16 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Services were held Monday, September 5, 2016, at 11 a.m. from the Poarch Community Church with Bro. David Z. Weaver, Jr. and Bro. Martin Gehman officiating.
Interment was in Judson Indian Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Malcom Troy McGhee, Sr., Chase Wayne McGhee, David Michael McGhee, Andrew Tyler McGhee, Robert Lowrey, and Keith Martin.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Man In Wheelchair Killed In Escambia County Crash
September 4, 2016
A man in a wheelchair was struck and killed Saturday night in Escambia County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 32-year old Gerald Desota was eastbound on Fairfield Drive approaching Pace Boulevard in 2012 Chrysler 200 when a man in a wheelchair, identified as 59-year old Steven Carl Travis of Hardy, AR, entered Fairfield directly in his path.
Travis was transported to Baptist Hospital where he later died from the injuries sustained in the crash. Any charges are pending the outcome of a traffic homicide investigation.
Driver Misses Molino Stop Sign, Hits Distant Tree
September 4, 2016
A driver traveled hundreds of feet and hit a treee after missing a stop sign in Molino Saturday.
About 9:50 p.m., the drive of a pickup truck was westbound on Crabbtree Church Road when he failed to stop at the intersection with Sunshine Hill Road. The vehicle crossed Sunshine Hill Road, ran off the roadway and continued about 350 to 400 feet before striking a tree. The driver refused transport to the hospital.
The homeowner said this is not the first time someone has missed that stop sign and traveled past their home into the tree line.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
UWF Football Rolls To Historic 45-0 Victory In Program Opener
September 4, 2016
The UWF football program got everything it could have asked for on Saturday in its first-ever intercollegiate game – 500 yards of total offense, a defensive shutout that held the opposition to 105 yards and a happy group of close to 200 Argonaut fans, including the university president.
UWF (1-0) got off to a slow start, failing to score on its first three possessions before a pair of 50-plus yard scoring drives to close the half put the Argonauts up for good.
Tim Bellinger scored from a yard out midway through the second quarter before Kaleb Nobles completed a 15-yard pass to Caleb Robinson just before the half ended.
Bellinger rushed 18 times for 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the UWF ground game, which finished with 288 yards and four scores.
The teams were set to start the second half but were sent back to the locker rooms when a lightning storm hovered over the area, forcing a 2 hour 15 minute delay.
When play resumed, the UWF offense went into overdrive, scoring on the team’s opening four possessions. Bellinger added crossed the goal line from two yards out, Austin Peffers drilled a 25-yard field goal, Daviante Sayles made the highlight play of the game when he hurdled an AMU linebacker at the 3-yard line and Ishmel Morrow caught an 8-yard pass from Nobles.
Chris Schwarz completed the scoring in the fourth quarter with a rushing TD from four yards.
Nobles finished the game with 235 yards passing on 21-of-29 and two TDs. He and fellow signal caller Grey Jackson combined for 236 yards passing and connected with nine different targets.
AMU (0-1) managed just 105 yards of offense and just two net yards rushing.
UWF will face Missouri S&T in its inaugural home game next Saturday. Kickoff at Blue Wahoos Stadium in downtown Pensacola is set for 6:00 p.m. Central time.
Special Commission Meeting To Address OLF-8 In Beulah
September 4, 2016
A special Escambia County Board of County Commissioners meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 5:03 p.m. to discuss issues concerning OLF-8, or Outlying Landing Field 8.
OLF-8 is the Navy’s 640-acre helicopter field on Nine Mile Road in Beulah, adjacent to Navy Federal Credit Union. Escambia County has planned to trade land it owns in Santa Rosa County for OLF-8. Several groups want to see OLF=8 developed into a commerce park. Meanwhile, many residents of Beulah have called for the development of a master plan to manage the develop of the area, including OLF-8.
The special BCC meeting will be held in the Board Chambers, room 100, in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, located at 221 Palafox Place in Pensacola.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
September 4, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities. There will be no planned lane closures on the state road system through 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, September 6 due to the Labor Day holiday. All major roads will be open to normal traffic. In emergency situations requiring a lane or road closure, repairs will continue until all safety issues related to the traveling public have been addressed and the lane/roadway is reopened.
Escambia County:
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Widening – Intermittent and alternating lane closures on I-10, between State Road (S.R.) 291 (Davis Highway/Exit 13) and U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Sunday, Sept. 11 as crews place pavement markers.
- I-10 / U.S. 29 Interchange – The U.S. 29 north to I-10 eastbound ramp will be intermittently closed from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Thursday, Sept. 8 as crews work on the shoulder of the roadway. Traffic will be detoured north to make a U-turn at Broad Street and access I-10 eastbound. The closures will continue Sunday through Thursday nights through September.
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening – Alternating lane closures, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Thursday, Sept. 8 as crews continue widening work. In addition, there will be alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange for bridge work.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers 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.
Pictured: The I-10/U.S. 29 construction team removed overhead interstate signs recently. Removing the signs allows crews to continue widening I-10 westbound near exit 10B. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alabama Corrections Officer’s Condition Improving After Holman Stabbing
September 4, 2016
A corrections officer is improving after being stabbed last week a at Holman Prison in Atmore.
The officer was listed in critical condition after the stabbing last Thursday, but his condition was improved to serious condition at last report by the Alabama Department of Corrections. The officer’s name has not yet been released.
The stabbing happened at 12:35 p.m. in the facility’s dining hall during the noon meal.
Prison officials report the inmate assaulted and stabbed the officer in retaliation for being denied an extra tray of food. Correctional officers responded to the incident and were able to restrain the inmate and give aid to the injured officer. The officer was airlifted in critical condition to an area hospital.
Inmate Cleveland Cunningham was detained as a suspect in the stabbing. Cunningham is serving a 20-year sentence on a 2013 first-degree robbery conviction from Baldwin County. Cunningham was segregated from general population without further incident.
No other inmates were involved in the stabbing. The facility was placed on lockdown while ADOC officials investigate the incident.
The ADOC is not releasing the name of the officer pending the ongoing investigation.
Pictured top: NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Score Four In Ninth To Top Birmingham
September 4, 2016
Jackson Stephens last start was, well, very un-Jackson Stephens like.
The Jacksonville Suns knocked him out of the game after 0.2 innings, scoring four runs on three hits and three walks. It was the 22-year-old right hander’s shortest start in his five-year minor league career.
He returned to the old Stephens with a quality start, throwing six innings and allowing two runs, one earned on eight hits, a walk and striking out seven.
Birmingham loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Barons shortstop Trey Michalczewski singled to center, DH Eudy Pina earned an infield single to second base and first baseman Keon Barnum walked.
Birmingham catcher Chris O’Dowd then hit a ground ball to force out Barnum at second base. But Pensacola shortstop Zach Vincej committed a throwing error, his fifth error this season. Both Michalczewski and Pina scored on the play to put the Barons ahead, 2-0.
But Pensacola came right back in its next at bat in the top of the seventh to knot the game, 2-2. Blue Wahoos right fielder Sebastian Elizalde singled to center field with the bases loaded and two outs to score both Pensacola first baseman Eric Jagielo and right fielder Ronald Bueno.
In the eighth inning, Pensacola loaded the bases twice. With one out, Blue Wahoos third baseman Taylor Sparks was forced out at home for the second out. Bueno walked to load the bases again but Pensacola second baseman Alex Blandino grounded out to end the inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, the Blue Wahoos busted out with a four-run inning. Vincej singled to center with one out to drive in Elizalde to put Pensacola on top, 3-2. With the bases loaded, two more runs scored when catcher Chad Wallach grounded to Birmingham third baseman Marcus Lemon, who. threw the ball away. Both center fielder Brandon Dixon and Vincej scored to increase the Blue Wahoos lead to 5-2. Pensacola’s Jagielo then singled on a line drive to right field that drove in Sparks. Bueno then lifted a fly ball to Barons right fielder Keenyn Walker and Wallach tried to score but was thrown out at home.
Meanwhile, Evan Mitchell relieved Stephens and shutdown the Birmingham offense. He threw three hitless innings and struck out six. Mitchell, who was recently selected to represent the Cincinnati Reds in the Arizona Fall League, improved to 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA.
Pensacola benefited from the bats of Elizalde, Vincej and Jagielo. Elizalde was 4-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. He has 50 RBIs on the season and is hitting .296 on the year. He now leads the team with 34 multi-hit games.
Vincej also went 4-5 with one run and one RBI. He has 26 multi-hit games and lifted his average to .279.
Meanwhile, Jagielo got a hit in his fifth consecutive game, going 3-4 with a run scored and he drove in one.
The Mississippi Braves won their fifth straight game and remain in first place in the Southern League South Division. The Braves are 1.5 games in front of the Blue Wahoos in the second half of the season and would have to lose their last two games of the season, while Pensacola won their last two for the Blue Wahoos to add the second half title to its first half title.
Mississippi is 39-28 and 73-63 overall. Meanwhile, Pensacola is 38-30 in the second half and 79-59 overall.
Pensacola and Mississippi will play each other in the first round of the Southern League playoffs on Wednesday at Blue Wahoos Stadium. In the North Division, the playoffs match the Montgomery Biscuits, second half winners, against the Jackson Generals, first half winners.
70 Percent Chance Of Rain For Today
September 4, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tonight: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph.
Labor Day: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Century Ballpark Altercation Lands Woman In Jail
September 3, 2016
An altercation between two women at a Century ballpark landed one of them in jail on felony charges.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Anthony Pleasant Park late Thursday afternoon to find the victim sitting in a car bleeding from her head. The victim told deputies that she was having an ongoing issued with the best friend of her husband’s ex-wife, later identified as Kelsey Lauren Therrell, age 24 of McDavid.
The victim told deputies that when she left her home several miles away, she noticed Therrell following her, and then she pulled alongside the victim “giving her the finger”. When the victim exited her car at Anthony Pleasant Park, she said Therrell attacked her, beating her in the face. Therrell then reportedly fled the area. The story was corroborated by a witness.
When deputies located Therrell at an address on Roberts Road, she stated under oath that she was “not involved in her friend’s drama”, an arrest report states, and that the victim tried to run her and her children off of the roadway.
The victim was treated on the scene and then transported herself to an area hospital for treatment of puncture wounds she believed were caused by keys.
The Department of Children and Families was notified of the incident.
Therrell was arrested for aggravated stalking and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon. She was released from the Escambia County Jail Friday on a $5,000 bond.