Courtney Laine Pridgen
April 7, 2016
Miss Courtney Laine Pridgen, age 17 of Coleman Lane, Brewton, passed away Wednesday April 5, 2016, in a Mobile hospital. She was a native of Pensacola and a lifelong resident of Brewton.
Miss Pridgen was a member of the Flomaton First Baptist Church, She attended Flomaton High School where she was a member of the Beta Club and on the Annual/Yearbook Staff. Courtney was very social. She loved her family, friends, and all animals.
She is survived by her father, Jeremy (Daphne) Pridgen of Flomaton; mother Tonya (Jr) Emmons of Brewton; brother Cody Pridgen of Flomaton; stepbrothers Colby Taylor and Deston Taylor of Flomaton; stepsister Tiffany Sullivan of Milton; maternal grandmother Sandra Jackson of Brewton; maternal Pa Pa Larry Spinks of Bratt; aunt Michelle (Justin) Baxter of Castleberry, AL: uncle- Bubba (Rhonda) Pridgen of Flomaton; cousin Ethan Cardwell of Castleberry, AL; and paternal grandparents Glendall and Gracie Pridgen of Flomaton.
Visitation will be held Friday night April 8, 2016, from 6-9 p.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in Brewton. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday morning April 9, 2016, at 11 a.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Nicholas Jones officiating. Interment will follow in Sardis Cemetery Flomaton, AL.
Willie Ray Bonds, Jr.
April 7, 2016
Willie Ray “Chip” Bonds, Jr. died unexpectedly Thursday, March 31, 2016, at the age of 45. He was born February 14, 1971. A lifelong resident of Pensacola, Chip worked for AT&T for over 20 years. This took him to Auburn, AL for a few years which led to him meeting the love of his life, Brandy Brooks, who he was engaged to and set to marry May 14, 2016. He not only fell in love with Brandy, but also her three children, which he considered his own. Chip, Brandy and the kids would often take family camping trips and numerous other family adventures.
Chip was an avid Alabama fan. He also had a love for racing, both driving and helping others who raced, especially his nephew Randy. Chip was well known and liked in the short track racing industry, having started a racing radio company with two of his good friends. Chip also left his mark in R.C. racing, traveling the country to enjoy a hobby he loved. He was a loyal friend to many, often putting others before himself. Chip, being a loving family man and a great friend to many people, will be missed but never forgotten.
Chip is preceded in death by his grandparents, Grady and Ruby Albritton; father, Bill Bonds; brother, Billy Thompson; and his niece, Tasha Thompson.
He is survived by his fiancé, Brandy Brooks and her children, Hannah, Kiley and Brayden Brooks; Brandy’s mother, Fawn and Freddie Hann; mother, Christine Bonds; brothers, Ricky and Joni Thompson and Tim Thompson; sister, Tonya and Mike Brantly; half-brother, Mike Bonds; half-sister, Gail and Bob Falke; nieces and nephews, Randy Thompson and Alisha Lay, Grady Thompson, Dana and Rueben Guy, Dagan, Dawson and Bristol Guy and Joey Tammaro; many other aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Visitation will be held Friday, April 8, 2016, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Funeral services will be Saturday, April 9, 2016, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North at 11 a.m. with Dr. Dale Patterson officiating.
Interment will follow at Eastern Gate Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Tim Thompson, Randy Thompson, Bobby Hinkle, Chad Lovelace, Tim Harris and Steve Neshem.
Honorary pallbearers will be Joey Tammaro, Josh Bundy, Freddie Hann, Justin Huggins, Mark Biles and Brent Royster.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriner’s Hospital for the children in Chip’s memory.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Adult Male Critically Injured In ATV Accident In Bratt
April 6, 2016
A Bratt man remained in critical condition Thursday afternoon after an all-terrain vehicle accident Wednesday in Bratt.
Boyd Sigafoose, 77, was injured in the ATV accident in pasture on Oakshade Road, a short distance behind Northview High School. He was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola as a “trauma alert”.
Atmore Ambulance and the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to the accident.
Further details have not been released.
Pictured top: A 77-year old male was injured in the ATV accident in pasture on Oakshade Road. Pictured below: The victim was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola as a trauma alert. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
School Officials: No Credibility To Threat Against Tate High School
April 6, 2016
Officials say there was no credibility to a rumored threat against Tate High School today.
The rumor began making the rounds a little before 10 p.m. Tuesday as text messages were spread between students. Rumors of those text message threatening a violent act were then posted and spread on social media, often by parents concerned about their children.
But Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said there was no evidence that the threat was credible. He said school district officials and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office worked through the night to track down the source of the alleged threat.
“There was just no credibility to this thing. We would have tracked it down; if it had been credible and the Sheriff’s Office would have been knocking on a door during the middle of the night,” Thomas said, adding that his own granddaughter is in attendance at Tate High today. “It is just too easy to spread false information on social media.”
He encouraged parents to send their children to school and added that there would be an extra law enforcement presence at the campus today out of an abundance of caution.
“It is just going to be a normal day here at Tate High School,” Thomas said from the campus Wednesday morning.
Pictured above: Excerpts from one of the text messages being spread among Tate High School students Tuesday night that was forwarded to NorthEscambia.com. The name of a student mentioned has been redacted. NorthEscambia.com image, click to enlarge.
Another Pharmacy Break-in Linked To Pharmacy Burglary Spree
April 6, 2016
Authorities in Atmore are linking another pharmacy burglary to a string of break-ins at smaller independent pharmacies in Escambia County, FL, and in two other Alabama cities.
According to information released Tuesday by the Atmore Police Department, their agency received a an alarm at the Buy-Rite Pharmacy on Medical Park Drive at 4:28 a.m. Monday. Patrol officers arrived four minutes later to find that the front door and security bars had been pried open.
Police said the surveillance video showed what appeared to be two males in hooded jackets, masks and gloves entered the pharmacy, placed several placed several controlled substance items in a trash bag and exited the store in less than a minute.
Atmore Police said the burglars’ description and method of operation closely matches that of other recent burglaries in Robertsdale, AL, Wetumpka, AL, and Escambia County, FL, as well as a burglary at same Atmore pharmacy in November 2014.
As we previously reported, three other pharmacies were burglarized early Monday morning just hours apart, and the crimes appear to be related.
Kim’s Family Pharmacy in the 700 block of South Highway 29 in Cantonment was the first to be hit about 1:25 a.m., according to owner Kim Cadenhead. The thieves got in through the bottom of the front door and stole narcotics.
Burglars forced their way into the Jackson Pace Pharmacy on Nine Mile Road about 2:30 a.m., according to owner Steve Jackson, clearing shelves and dumping the drugs into trashcans for their getaway.
Then the Lee Drug Drug in Robertsdale, AL, was hit at 3:30 a.m. when two people wearing gloves, masks and long sleeves forced their way in, taking a large amount of pills and narcotics in trash cans. The Robertsdale Police Department confirmed that photos from the Escambia County burglaries showed the same suspects as those in Robertsdale.
The burglaries came about three weeks after similar burglaries in Ensley and Jay, and few months after a similar pharmacy burglary in Molino.
Anyone with information on any of the burglaries is asked to call their local law enforcement agency.
Pictured: A Monday morning burglary at the Buy-Rite Pharmacy in Atmore. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Long Term Tornado Recovery Meeting Set For Today
April 6, 2016
A Century Long-Term Tornado Recovery meeting will be held Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Century Community Center on West Highway 4.
The planning meeting will bring together community members and concerned citizens to formulate a plan to help tornado victims in the long term.
This meeting is for those wishing to help in the recovery effort, not for those needing assistance to apply for any services.
For more information, call Pastor Janet Lee at (850) 256-3503.
Flomaton Mourns Loss Of High School Student In Wreck
April 6, 2016
The Flomaton community is in mourning today following the loss of a local high school student.
Flomaton High School junior Courtney Pridgen passed away Tuesday evening as the result of a traffic crash Tuesday afternoon in Brewton.
Pridgen, 17, was airlifted to the USA Medical Center in Mobile following the 1:30 p.m. crash on Highway 31 near the Southern Pine Electric Cooperative in Brewton. One other person was injured and transported to a Brewton Hospital.
The accident remains under investigation by the Brewton Police Department. They have not yet released any details on the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Flomaton High School was expected to make grief counseling available to students on Wednesday.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Slight Chance Of Rain Tonight
April 6, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 71.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 75.
Power Substation Fire Damage Was Extensive; Repairs To Take Weeks
April 6, 2016
Fire damage to a power substation that serves the Jay area was extensive, Escambia River Electric Cooperative said Tuesday.
A regulator and circuit breakers failed Sunday morning, creating an arc which spread to other equipment causing the fire and power outage for about 2,500 customers. So far, technicians have not been able to determine which piece of equipment failed first and caused the chain reaction.
“The equipment was damaged to the point that it may be impossible to tell which piece of equipment failed first,” Sabrina Owens, marketing manager for EREC said Tuesday.
So far, there is no dollar figure estimate on the amount of damage to the substation owned by PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, which is EREC’s generation and transmission facility. PowerSouth brought in a mobile substation which they installed Sunday along with EREC line crews, restoring power by 5:45 p.m. Sunday. the mobile unit will remain in place until the permanent substation has been repaired, which may take up to six weeks because of the extensive damage.
“Our members will incur no extra cost because of this event. Response to events such as this is part of the business of power delivery to our system,” Owens said. “The mobile substation is fully capable of providing the same reliable electric service to our members as the permanent Jay substation.”
Pictured top: This mobile substation is now providing power to about 2,500 EREC customers in the Jay area following a Sunday morning substation fire, pictured below. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Below: Another photo of the mobile substation:
Northview Beats Jay; Tate Tops West Florida; NHS Softball Rounds Out Season
April 6, 2016
Northview 8, Jay 4
The Northview Chiefs defeated the Jay Royals Tuesday night by a score of 8-4.
The Royals struck first with two runs in the second inning. Northview battled back with a run in the fourth inning and a run in the fifth inning to tie the game at 2-2. The Chiefs exploded for five runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-2 lead, but Jay tacked on two in the bottom half of the sixth for a 7-4 game heading into the final inning, where Northview added one more insurance run for the 8-4 victory.
Leading hitters for the Chiefs were Thomas Moore (3-3, RBI); Jared Aliff (2-4, 2B, RBI); Seth Killam (2-3, 2 runs); Quentin Sampson (1-4, 2 RBI, SB, run); Roman Manning (1-4, 2 RBI); Josh Neese (1-2); Zach Payne (1-4, 2B, RBI); Jacob Dunsford (1-3, run). Luke Ward scored two runs for the Chiefs, while Devin Stabler and M.J. Jones each added one run.
Josh Neese earned the win in relief for Northview, throwing 5 1/3 innings, giving up two unearned runs on only one hit with two strikeouts. Daniel Mascaro pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on one hit and three strikeouts. The duo combined to only allow two hits all night.
Logan Dobson was the losing pitcher for Jay, throwing six innings, giving up seven runs on 11 hits while striking out two batters. Brandon Covan (1-3, run) and Connor Moye (1-4) recorded the only hits for the Royals.
With the win, Northview improves to 6-8 overall and 3-6 in district, while Jay falls to 5-11 and 3-6 in district. Northview plays Wednesday night at home aganst Corbin (KY) High School.
Tate 3, West Florida
The Tate Aggies beat the West Florida Jaguars Tuesday 3-1 .
Hunter Nesmith was 2-3 with a double in the second inning and a single in the fourth as Tate earned the win at home.
Madison Lockman earned the win in relief for the Aggies with two innings on the mound with no runs and striking out two. Trace Penton pitched two for the Aggies, allowing one run and walking one. Jake Davis also pitched two for Tate, striking out three with no hits, no runs and no errors. Logan McGuffey pitched one inning for Tate, striking out three with no hits, no runs and no errors.
The Tate Aggies scored one in the second inning, matching West Florida’s lone score. Josh Kea hit a sacrifice fly for the score. In the fourth inning, Tate scored a couple on a two-run single from Mason Land.
SOFTBALL
Gulf Breeze 10, Northview:
The Northview Lady Chiefs lost their final game of the Regular season at the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 10-4.
Tori Herrington took the loss in 6 innings while striking out 4, walking 2, allowing 8 hits, 10 runs and 7 earned runs.
Batting for the Lady Chiefs were Hannah Ging: 1-2 with a walk and 2 runs. Tori Herrington: 1-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs. Aubree Love: 1-4 with 3 RBI’s, Jamia Newton: 1-4. Kendall Enfinger 1-4.
The Chiefs will begin the district tournament Monday at Northview. Opponent and time TBD.
