Kenneth Ray Smith
April 9, 2016
Kenneth Ray Smith, 86, of Cantonment, passed away Friday, April 8, 2016, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
He is survived by his loving wife, Georganna June Smith; two daughters, Debra Raye (Edward) Wells and Janet (John) Reithmiller; son, David (Debra) Smith; sister, Diane (Chester) Burns; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Sunday, April 10, 2016, at First Baptist Church of Cantonment beginning at 1:30 p.m. with funeral services to follow at 3:00 p.m.
Dr. Will Stone and Reverend David Smith will be officiating.
There will be a private graveside service.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Federal Disaster Loans Now Available For Tornado Recovery
April 8, 2016
The federal government is making disaster loans available in Escambia County to assist with tornado recovery.
The loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to business, non-profits, churches an individuals that suffered physical or economic losses as result of the EF-3 tornado on February 15 in the Century area or the Feburary 23 EF-3 tornado in the Pensacola area.
The types of loans available include:
- Business Physical Disaster Loans – Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) – Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
- Home Disaster Loans – Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.
Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to the SBA and the ability to repay all loans. Collateral is required for physical loss or economic injury disaster loans over $25,000. Loan terms range up to 30 years with interest rates from 1.813 to 6.25 percent.
Only uninsured or otherwise uncompensated disaster losses are eligible.
It is anticipated that the SBA will open an application assistance center in Century by the middle of next week. NorthEscambia.com will publish office hours and location once announced. For more information, contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at http://www.sba.gov/disaster.
The deadline to apply for physical damage assistance if June 6; the deadline for economic injury assistance applications is January 9, 2017.
The loans are also available in the contiguous Florida county of Santa Rosa and the contiguous Alabama counties of Escambia and Baldwin.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Free Head Start Community Carnival This Afternoon In Molino
April 8, 2016
The Community Action Head Start Program is hosting a Community Carnival from 4:30 until 6:30 this afternoon at their Molino Center next to the library in the Molino Community Complex.
The carnival is open to the public and staff will be on site registering children under age five for the Head Start pre-K program. Some of our community partners will also be present with more information about what they have to offer the community. There will be food, fun, games and prizes for all. There will be a bounce house and games from prizes during the event for the entire family.
Community Action Program Committee (CAPC) Head Start and Early Head Start is a comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement service for low-income children and their families. For more information, call families annually. For more information please call (850) 438-4021 ext. 112.
Citizens Join Together To Aid Century Tornado Long Term Recovery
April 8, 2016
A group of about 40 people met Thursday night in Century to discuss long term tornado recovery efforts. The group included representatives from a number of churches and non-profits ready to work, to tornado victims still facing desperate times.
“It’s still raining in my bedroom,” said Century resident Helen Mincy. “I need a roof.” She said her tornado recovery had not necessary been limited by money, but by government red tape. Specifically, she pointed to a law that states that unlicensed contracting is a felony.
“All of our lives were have used the a local handyman to do our work. He don’t have a license. Now, the local guys (without a contractor’s license) don’t want to touch it because he don’t want to get locked up. We can’t get nothing done.”
Century Mayor Freddie McCall told the group that many have been hampered by title issues after homes, some 100-years old, have been passed down through generations of family members without property deed changes with the county. Despite the volunteer efforts of Legal Services of North Florida to help, many have had their county permit and aid applications denied, the mayor said, due to improper paperwork.
“It sounds like all of these people are just going to be left out,” McCall said.
Longtime Century area resident Regi Burkett volunteered to coordinate the group’s efforts. Burkett has been chief of the Century Volunteer Fire Department for 29 years.
“I have huge passion of this area,” Burkett said. “I am sick of what I see and hear. It is time for something to make a difference for these people that are being told no. When they hit a brick wall, we need to help them try again and again until the answer is yes.”
Paula Byrd, who facilitated Thursday night’s meeting, said, “Recovery take a long time. This is a long term commitment to help.”
The group divided into different committees and groups to work toward their long term recovery efforts — beginning with an effort to help those such as Mincy with immediate needs. The Town of Century will provide the group with office space at the Century Business Center on Pond Street, and a church group will provide a phone. Information on how to contact the group will be published when available on NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured top: Citizens came together Thursday night in Century to discuss long term tornado recovery. Pictured inset; Regi Burkett, who will serve as the group’s coordinator, listens to victims. Pictured below: Helen Mincy, left, and other citizens attended to the meeting. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Great Sunny Weather Continues
April 8, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 73.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 72.
Convicted Double Killer Found Dead At Holman Prison
April 8, 2016
An inmate at Holman Prison in Atmore was found dead Thursday morning.
Bob Horton, public information manager for the Alabama Department of Corrections, said state inmate William Randall Triplett, 45, was found dead of an apparent suicide.
At 11:10 a.m., two corrections officers found Triplett hanging from a bedsheet in a one-person cell inside the prison’s segregation unit. The inmate was unresponsive and a corrections physician pronounced him deceased 11:35 a.m.
Triplett was convicted of capital murder in 2003 and sentenced to life without parole for killing his father, Billy Triplett, and stepmother, Debbie Triplett, during the course of a robbery in Clay County in 2001.
Triplett’s death remains under investigation.
Bondi, FDLE Warn About Deadly ‘Super Pill’
April 8, 2016
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are warning about a new “super pill” that contains deadly amounts of fentanyl mixed with other drugs. The FDLE said counterfeit drugs have been found in which fentanyl is mixed with otherwise legal prescription drugs such as Oxycodone and Xanax.
When sold illegally on the street, the drugs look like the legal prescriptions, but dangerous amounts of fentanyl can quickly lead to death for users.
Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area are the main locations where the new drugs have been found. But Bondi said the issue needs to be discussed across the state.
“Please, please, please just talk to your kids about it,” she said. “Just don’t take anything if you don’t know what it is, because when they are cutting it with fentanyl some of these kids are dying within seconds. I say kids, but some of them are 20s and older.” When prescribed legally, fentanyl is a pain medication, stronger than morphine, and is given to people dealing with severe, chronic pain. At least 10 deaths in Florida have been linked to the use of fentanyl-cut drugs.
by The News Service of Florida
Scott Honors Local Veterans; Signs Veterans Legislation
April 8, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott honored veterans in Escambia County Thursday morning and signed legislation aimed at saving money for veterans and active-duty military members.
Scott ceremonially signed SB 222 which provides free parking at public airports for disabled veterans and HB 7023 which qualifies additional deployed service members for an ad valorem tax exemption. Governor Scott also awarded 122 veterans in Pensacola with the Governor’s Veterans Service Award for their service to Florida and the nation.
“Beginning now, when any of our fellow Floridians are away from home defending our country in operational theatres they and their families won’t have to pay property taxes. This is yet another way for us to show military families who live, worship and work alongside us that we care about them, we understand the stress of separation during deployments and we want them here strengthening our neighborhoods, schools and communities,” Sen. Don Gaetz, sponsor of the property tax bill, said.
Scott said, “Today, I am proud to join many of Florida’s veterans to ceremonially sign several pieces of legislation to support our nation’s heroes. We can never thank our brave veterans and military members enough for their service, and I hope these important measures we signed into law will show how incredibly grateful we are for the countless sacrifices they have made to defend freedom here and around the world. I want to thank Senator Don Gaetz, Representative Trumbull, Representative Matt Gaetz, and other members of the Florida Legislature for their work on this legislation.”
Major General Michael Calhoun said, “I want to thank Governor Scott for signing military-friendly legislation to help us better support our veterans and military members in Florida. We want Florida to be the best place in the country for our American heroes to live and raise a family.”
While at the National Guard Armory in Pensacola, Scott awarded 122 veterans with his Veterans Service Award.
Pictured: Gov. Rick Scott greets veterans in Pensacola Thursday morning. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Colonial Story Time Saturday At Molino Library
April 8, 2016
The West Florida Public Libraries and the Molino Mid-County Historical Society present a story time about the way Colonials in Pensacola worked. Join reader Sandra Pettis, a retired Ferry Pass Elementary librarian and a costumed member of the UWF Historic Trust for a story, demonstrations and hands-on activities about work in Colonial times. This event, intended for youth and families will be held at multiple locations:
- April 9 at 1 p.m. at the Molino Community Complex, 6450 Highway 95-A North
- April 14 at 6 p.m. at the Pensacola Library, 239 N Spring Street
- April 16 at 1 p.m. at the Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Avenue
- April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Century Branch Library, 7991 N Century Blvd.
Along with the Colonial Story Time, be sure to check out “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition, which celebrates the history of our nation’s diverse workers and industries. This exhibit is on display at the Lillian F. King Museum, located in the Molino Community Complex until April 30. Viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekly, closed Sundays.
Wahoos Earn Season-Opening Win Over Braves
April 8, 2016
Phillip Ervin wanted to prove that getting in shape this offseason would improve his game. He shed 10 pounds to 205 and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder said he could feel a big difference.
Ervin hit a triple and double in four at bats and scored Pensacola’s first run as the Blue Wahoos defeated the Mississippi Braves, 3-1, at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss. The Cincinnati Reds No. 12 prospect according to Baseball America, had two of the team’s four hits.
The victory was Pensacola’s fourth in its five opening season games since its inaugural year in the Southern League in 2012.
The Blue Wahoos took the lead over Mississippi in the fourth when Ervin led off the inning with a triple on a fly ball just left of dead centerfield. Ervin scored when Donald Lutz followed him with a deep fly out to left.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Mississippi loaded the bases with no outs against Pensacola right-hander Nick Travieso. Dustin Peterson doubled, Jacob Schrader walked and Carlos Franco singled to left field. But Travieso struck out Matt Lipka and forced Willians Astudillo to ground out into a double play to end the threat.
Travieso, the Cincinnati Reds No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America, pitched five shutout innings in his Double-A debut with Pensacola. He allowed four hits by walking two and striking out five.
Pensacola scored two more runs in the top of the seventh to go ahead, 3-0, when second baseman Brandon Dixon scored on a ground out into a double play by pinch hitter Pin-Chieh Chen. Blue Wahoos centerfielder Beau Amaral then hit a two-out single to left field that scored right fielder Sebastian Elizalde from third base.
Mississippi got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh when Jordy Lara singled in Johan Comargo to trail Pensacola, 3-1.
The Braves did strike out 13 Pensacola hitters with starter Lucas Sims leading the way with nine in his five innings of one-hit, one-earned-run ball.
Calten Daal started the game at shortstop for Pensacola but the third pitch to him in the first inning by Mississippi’s Sims clocked him in the helmet. Zach Vincej replaced Daal, the No. 23 prospect in the Reds organization.