Crews Work To Uncover History Of Old Muscogee Cemetery
May 15, 2016
Using trimmers and saws and a lot of brute force yanking on vines, a team of Gulf Power volunteers from Plant Crist and Environmental Affairs carved a path into a patch of densely overgrown woods to uncover a section of the Old Muscogee Cemetery, forgotten by society and families alike.
At the same time, a smaller group fanned out to collect garbage — a whopping one ton of discarded fuel tanks, a broken toilet, paint cans, tires, clothes, a cooking pot, drink cans and pounds and pounds of beer bottles.
“My bachelor’s degree is in environmental, so I feel a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to participating in stewardship events,” she said. “But it’s really sad that people who come here have to look at so much trash when they visit their loved ones. Not only is it sacrilegious to pollute hallowed ground, but it’s also extremely thoughtless and cruel when the Perdido Landfill is literally five minutes away.”
The cleanup was a partnership between Gulf Power Environmental Stewardship and Northwest Florida Water Management District to help begin restoration of the late 1800s cemetery, located a stone’s throw from the Perdido River in west Cantonment.
Steve Brown, senior land manager for the Water Management District, said it would have taken him and his three-member team weeks to do what 18 Gulf Power volunteers did in half a day.
“This has been a project we’ve wanted to do for some time, but it’s very sensitive,” he said of the fragile condition of the historic gravesite. “We can’t go in with large equipment. The only way to do the brushing back and clearing out is to use hand labor. It’s tedious and labor-intensive. We are thrilled that Gulf Power employees came out to help with their expertise.”
Jeff Cole, who leads the Environmental Affairs Stewardship program, said the project was a great opportunity to help out the community.
“Cleaning up the cemetery is key for this area because a lot of historic sites in Northwest Florida are being lost to time and a lack of money and materials to get them restored,” he said. “When we can come out and help, it adds another shining star to the community and historic value of the region.”
By the end of the workday, the team revealed six headstones and numerous indentations that are believed to be unmarked or vandalized graves.
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Among the graves are three marked sites of the Owens family — Elise Owens, 1885-1961; Sam Owens – 1880-1957; and what may be a son or relative, Huston Owens, 1927-1962. Huston’s head stone indicated he served as a steward’s mate 2nd class in the United States Navy Reserve.
When volunteers carefully brushed away layers of decaying leaves from his cracked, concrete tomb, they discovered a weathered U.S. flag, dusted it off and gently draped it over his headstone.
As the cleared circumference expanded, a marble monument was released from saplings and vines. Deeper in the woods the small headstone of John Brown emerged from a thick blanket of decaying leaves with hard-to-read lettering that identifies him as a war veteran.
Monuments and marble headstones that still exist are testaments to the story of Muscogee, a once a thriving timber town-turned-ghost-town. Founded in 1857 it once boasted four mills, a school, post office, train depot and fire station before the lumber industry pulled up stakes and moved on.
Eventually, many of the estimated nearly 500 citizens moved on too, leaving behind their family plots.
About two decades ago, a citizens group began restoring the neglected white section of the cemetery but many of them passed on or become too old to do the work, according to local historian Helen Allen, who has championed the restoration of the cemetery.
At the time, with no apparent family members to tend to the black section, the woods reclaimed that land. And no one had any idea how many graves rested underneath the brush and vines.
Because of its location on the Perdido River, the Water Management District purchased the land encompassing the cemetery from International Paper Company in 2006 and took over maintenance.
FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts
May 15, 2016
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
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– Intermittent and alternating lane closures within the town of Century and from Champion Drive north continue.
- I-10/U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements – Alternating lane closures on I-10 near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B) Sunday, May 15 through Thursday, May 19 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews perform resurfacing and shoulder work. The speed limit on I-10 will be reduced to 50 mph during this time.
- I-10 Widening – Intermittent and alternating lane closures on I-10, near U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway/Exit 17), from 7 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. the week of May 16 as crews perform bridge work.
- I-10 over the Escambia Bay and CSX Railroad- Eastbound lane restrictions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 18 as crews perform a routine bridge inspection.
- U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway) - Lane closure at Scenic Circle from 8 p.m. Friday, May 13 until 2 a.m. Saturday, May 14 for guardrail installation.
- Bayfront Parkway (State Road 196) – Road closed from 8 a.m. until 9 a.m. Saturday, May 14 for a 5K run. Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.
- U.S. 90 in Pace- Westbound outside lane closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14 between Burger King and Pace Patriot Boulevard in front of Dixon Elementary School as crews trim trees.
- Nine Mile Road - East and westbound traffic on Nine Mile Road west of Interstate 10 near Heritage Oaks Drive in Escambia County will encounter intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Thursday, May 19 through Monday, May 23 as crews perform construction activities
Santa Rosa County:
- I-10 Widening – Alternating lane closures on I-10, between the Escambia Bay Bridge and S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard/Exit 22), from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, May 15 through Thursday, May 19 as work continues to widen this section of the interstate. In addition, alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange as crews perform bridge work.
- S.R. 399 over U.S. 98 – Overnight repairs to the S.R. 399 southbound overpass over U.S. 98 will be in place from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. throughout the project. U.S. 98 will be reduced to one lane in each direction from Shoreline Drive to just east of S.R. 399 to allow westbound U.S. 98 traffic to be diverted to eastbound U.S. 98. Westbound U.S. 98 access to S.R. 399 will be closed. An on-site detour will direct traffic to turn left on Daniel Street, left on Shoreline Drive and then right on eastbound U.S. 98 to access S.R. 399 via the at grade on ramp.
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.
Tons Of Food Collected During Annual ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ Drive
May 15, 2016
Saturday was the annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, with letter carriers in Escambia County collecting tons and tons of food to benefit local groups like the Manna Food Pantries.
Manna Food Pantries received 71,120 pounds of food as of Saturday, with several thousand pounds more more expected to trickle in next week. A total of 109 volunteers contributed 440.5 volunteer hours to help Manna sort the food.
Each year the National Association of Letter Carriers holds the “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive, where U.S. Postal Service employees pick up donations of non-perishable food along their routes. In its 23rd year, the annual food drive has grown to be the largest national single-day effort that benefits millions of Americans who struggle to put food on the table.
“This is such an important food drive because it comes at a time when donations are typically low and the need has increased,” said DeDe Flounlacker, Manna Food Pantries’ executive director. “During the school year, many children get a healthy meal through the free or reduced breakfast and lunch programs. During the summer, those programs aren’t available. The donations from Stamp Out Hunger allow us to provide nutritious food to hungry families and children throughout the summer months.”
Pictured: Volunteers, including the Gulf Power Transformers, work to sort local Stamp Out Hunger food drive donations Saturday at the Cantonment Post Office. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Justices Gives Green Light To Traffic Stop Over License Plates
May 15, 2016
In a case that started with a dangling tag light, the Florida Supreme Court made clear Thursday that police officers have broad authority to pull over motorists whose license plates are not fully visible.
Justices, in a 5-2 decision, rejected an appeal from Jermaine D. English, who was stopped by Orlando police because a tag light and wires were hanging down over the license plate on a vehicle he was driving. Evidence found during the stop led to English being charged with possession of cocaine, marijuana and paraphernalia.
In seeking to suppress the evidence, an attorney for English contended that police did not have cause to stop the vehicle. But the Supreme Court upheld a 2014 decision by the 5th District Court of Appeal, which found that state law requires numbers and letters on license plates to be “plainly visible at all times.”
A major part of the dispute centered on whether the law applies only to license plates that have been defaced or covered in substances, such as grease, that would prevent them from being easily read — or whether it also applies to situations such as bulbs and wires hanging down.
“We conclude that the plain language of (the section of state law) is clear and unambiguous, and requires that a license plate be plainly visible and legible at all times without regard to whether the obscuring matter is on or external to the plate,” said Thursday’s ruling, written by Chief Justice Jorge Labarga and joined by justices R. Fred Lewis, Peggy Quince, Charles Canady and Ricky Polston.
But Justice James E.C. Perry, in a dissent joined by Justice Barbara Pariente, wrote that the law was intended to prevent motorists from “physically altering or obscuring the license plate.”
“Under the majority’s view, the licensing statute could lead to potentially outrageous results,” Perry wrote. “For example, families and avid bikers who utilize rear bike racks will now be guilty of unlawful activity if any part of the bicycle or bicycle rack — or the nylon straps which are used to secure the bike to the rack — covers the license plate. The possibilities under which law enforcement may now detain drivers under this statute are limited only by the imagination, potentially placing in the hands of law enforcement unfettered discretion to enforce the statute.”
In going to the Supreme Court, English’s attorney argued that the 2014 ruling by the 5th District Court of Appeal conflicted with an earlier decision by another appeals court. That decision, by the 2nd District Court of Appeal, found that police could not stop a vehicle because a trailer hitch blocked the view of a license plate, according to a brief filed last year by English’s attorney.
The Supreme Court majority, however, sided with the 5th District Court of Appeal and rejected the earlier ruling.
“The plain language of (of the section of law) requires that a license plate be ‘clear and distinct’ and ‘free from defacement, mutilation, grease, and other obscuring matter;’ it does not suggest that matter external to the license plate may constitute a permissible obstruction under the statute,” Labarga wrote.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
No More Extra Tornado Debris Removal In Century
May 15, 2016
Extra tornado debris removal in Century is over, three months after an EF-3 tornado ripped through the town.
Large dumpsters from Republic Services were placed in the hardest hit areas for debris following the tornado ; those dumpsters have now been removed. The town will resume its normal curbside pickup scheduled of the first and third Tuesday of each month. The next pickup will be this Tuesday, May 17.
On February 15, the Town of Century was struck by an EF-3 tornado that had winds estimated to be up to 155 miles per hour that damaged or totally destroyed 109 structures.
Escambia County agree to pick up the tab for the large dumpster rentals and the rentals of equipment the town did not own for a three month cleanup period, up to $75,000.
Pictured: Tornado debris is loaded into a dumpster on Front Street in Century in March. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Two Week Work Stoppage, Lockdown Over At Holman Prison
May 15, 2016
The Alabama Department of Corrections reported that a two-week lockdown at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore is over.
The lockdown was lifted on Thursday when inmates who were participating in a work stoppage there reported to work.
Approximately 30 inmates at Holman worked kitchen detail for each meal shift; 35 inmates reported to the facility’s tag plant that produces the state license plates; and 23 inmates worked in the sewing plant that manufactures bed linens for state prisons. The tag plant remained operational during the work stoppage by inmates from the Atmore Community Work Center. The tag and sewing plant are part of the Alabama Correctional Industries (ACI).
Inmates who work in the Alabama Correctional Industries are paid 25 to 75 cents-an-hour for their work. Inmates assigned to kitchen detail, the recycling plant, and laundry services are not compensated.
Prison officials said Alabama Correctional Industries is primarily a work-training program for inmates that employs approximately 70 state employees and 500 inmates. ACI offers products, custom items such as furniture, and other services to state agencies.
During the work stoppage, staff provided basic services to inmates such as food and medical care while keeping the facilities secure.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Poll: Clinton, Trump Too Close To Call In Florida
May 15, 2016
With voters sharply divided by gender, race and age, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are virtually tied in Florida as the focus of this year’s presidential race shifts from the primaries to the November general election, a new poll shows.
The Quinnipiac University poll showed Clinton at 43 percent in Florida and Trump at 42 percent. While Clinton is widely expected to win the Democratic nomination, poll numbers are nearly identical when her primary opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is matched up against Trump — 44 percent for Sanders, 42 percent for Trump.
The poll shows Clinton and Trump are unpopular with huge swaths of Florida voters. Each is viewed favorably by only 37 percent of voters and is seen unfavorably by 57 percent.
Also striking is the difference in how women and men view the candidates. Clinton, seeking to become the first woman president, leads by a margin of 48 percent to 35 percent among women, while Trump leads by a margin of 49 percent to 36 percent among men.
Trump leads Clinton by a margin of 52 percent to 33 percent among white voters, while Clinton leads 63-20 among non-white voters. White women are virtually split on the candidates, but Trump leads by a huge margin —- 61 percent to 25 percent — among white men, the poll shows.
“Republicans’ weakness among minority voters is well known,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll, said in an analysis accompanying the results. “But the reason this race is so close overall is Clinton’s historic weakness among white men. In Florida, she is getting just 25 percent from white men.”
The Connecticut-based Quinnipiac frequently conducts polls in Florida and other swing states. It also released results Tuesday of polls in Ohio and Pennsylvania that showed Trump and Clinton in similarly tight races in those key states.
“Six months from Election Day, the presidential races between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the three most crucial states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, are too close to call,” Brown said.
The poll was released as Republican leaders in Florida and across the nation debate whether to support Trump, a New York real-estate developer who has run against the party establishment and made controversial remarks about women and minorities. But Trump blazed through the GOP primaries, including winning 66 of 67 counties in Florida — losing only in Miami-Dade County to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who lives in the county.
Along with gender and race, the poll shows huge divides in Florida based on age. Clinton leads by a margin of 49 percent to 27 percent among voters ages 18 to 34 and leads 46 percent to 37 percent among voters ages 35 to 49. But the numbers flip with older voters: Trump is up by a margin of 49 percent to 38 percent among voters ages 50 to 64 and leads by a margin of 50 percent to 37 percent among voters 65 and older.
In the end, however, the poll indicates the race in Florida could come down to independent voters. Clinton and Trump each receive support of 39 percent of those voters.
The poll, conducted from April 27 to Sunday, surveyed registered voters in Florida and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
by Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Walk Off With Win
May 15, 2016
Bottom of the ninth inning, two outs and the bases loaded. It’s a situation every hitter has visualized at least a hundred times: the roar of the crowd, the crack of the bat and the thrill of victory.
The dream became a reality for Chad Wallach, who knocked a bases-clearing double to tie the game in the ninth before Pensacola walked off with a 5-4 win in extra innings.
Wahoos manager Pat Kelly turned to Wallach, his final position player available off the bench, to face the hard-throwing Mississippi Braves closer Mauricio Cabrera. Wallach wasted no time, sending the first pitch into the gap in right center field to erase a three-run deficit.
“When you’re in that situation and you’re trying to get a base hit for the team, you’re just going up there looking for one pitch,” Wallach said. “If the guy throws hard, you’re just trying to be on time. He threw it in a spot where I could hit it and I put a good swing on it.”
Pensacola took advantage of a leadoff walk in the 10th to set the scene for Blandino, whose single bounced past a drawn-in outfield. The team spilled onto the field in celebration and met Blandino behind second base with a baby powder shower.
“Water and baby powder, it’s kind of a disastrous mix,” Blandino joked. “But it’s always exciting when you can help your team walk off, especially the way we came back there, fighting and clawing our way back.”
Saturday’s game in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 looked like a pitcher’s duel from the start as Sal Romano and Andrew Thurman combined for 16 strikeouts. Romano turned in the longest start of his Wahoos career, allowing two runs, one earned, in seven innings with a walk and seven strikeouts.
Romano worked around a two-run fifth inning, allowing a solo home run to Johan Camargo and falling victim to a pair of two-out errors. But the Pensacola starter finished on a strong note, retiring the last seven batters he faced.
“I thought the sixth inning was his best inning,” Kelly said. “He’s one of those guys that gets stronger as he goes on.”
Pensacola got a run back in the home half of the sixth as Joe Hudson doubled and scored on Bryson Smith’s sacrifice fly. But with a pair of insurance runs against El’Hajj Muhammad, Mississippi seemed to have enough insurance to stifle a Wahoos’ rally.
The Pensacola lineup wore down the closer Cabrera and spoiled a strong start from Thurman, who struck out a career-high nine batters. Wallach’s pinch-hit double was the team’s first hit in three innings, and Blandino’s single, just the fifth of the night for Pensacola, was the last one the Wahoos would need.
The Wahoos improved to 22-14 and picked up a half-game on first place in the Southern League South Division with Biloxi’s loss.
Erin Stephanie Lee
May 15, 2016
Ms. Erin Stephanie Lee, age 49 of Flomaton, passed away on Saturday, May 14, 2016, at her home.
Ms. Lee was a lifetime member of the Century and Flomaton areas and she was a homemaker. She was of the Baptist faith.
She is preceded in death by her father, Carl Lee; and brother, Christopher Carl Lee.
She is survived by her mother, Sheila Lee of Century; son, Trey Weekes of Flomaton; daughter, Erin Elizabeth Weekes of Flomaton; sister, Elizabeth Lee of Flomaton; granddaughter, Brailee Hobbs of Flomaton; and lifelong friend, Lisa Nicholls.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel at 10 a.m. with Rev. Nathan Brown officiating.
Interment will follow in Ray’s Chapel Cemetery in Bogia.
Flomaton Funeral Home is directing.
John Kyle Bell
May 15, 2016
Mr. John Kyle Bell, age 30, of Flomaton passed away Thursday, May 12, 2016, after injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was a native and former resident of Orange, Texas before moving to Flomaton in 1990. Mr. Bell had attended the Little Escambia Baptist Church. He was a 2004 graduate of Flomaton High School and was a machinest at Industrial Machines with 10 years of service. He enjoyed playing guitar.
Survivors include his parents, Gary and Jeani Hilderbrand Bell of Flomaton; grandmother, Jean Sprouse of Gulfport, MS; one brother, Curt (Caryn) Bell of Flomaton; half-sister, Patricia Lynn Bell of Hattisburg; and two nephews, Ross Bell and Jeremiah Bell.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Albert and Eunice Bell; grandfather, Philip Hilderbrand; and step-grandfather, Robert Sprouse.
Visitation will be held Monday, May 16, 2016, from 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. at the Little Escambia Baptist Church in Flomaton.
Funeral services will be held Monday, May 16, 2016, at 2 p.m. at the Little Escambia Baptist Church with Rev. Doug Hogg and Rev. Edward Hilderbrand officiating.
Interment will follow in New Bethelhem Cemetery in Flomaton.
Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Brewton is directing.