Rufus Hamilton Diamond
April 1, 2016
Rufus “Butch” Hamilton Diamond, age 69, of Riverview, Alabama, passed away on March 28, 2016, after a long battle with heart disease. He loved to fish, deer and turkey hunt.
He is preceded in death by his father, Guy H. Diamond Jr. and his mother, Lullene Johnson Diamond.
He is survived by two daughters, Wendy Diamond (Wally) Booker of Jay and Miranda Diamond (Mike) Stansbury of Biloxi, MS; two sons, Kevin (Christy) Diamond of Byrneville and James (Corina) Diamond of Riverview, AL; brother, Johnny Dimaond of Atmore; and numerous family members.
Funeral services were held Friday, April 1, 2016, at 11 a.m. at Jay Funeral Home with Pastor Eric Bryan officiating.
Milford E. Lassitter
April 1, 2016
Milford E. Lassitter, 84 of Atmore, passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Atmore. He was retired from the City of Atmore, as a building inspector. He was born on January 30, 1932, in Escambia County (AL) to the late Robert Jack and Ada Bell Wall Lassitter. He was a member of the First Assembly of God Church of Atmore.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Joyce M. Lassitter; and daughter, Vickie A. Lassitter.
Survivors include one granddaughter, Alece Hadley; three great-grandchildren, Ashley Wilson, Jonathon Dunigan and Brandon Stone, all of Atmore; one brother, Russell (Maxine) Lassitter of Atmore; and one sister, Shirley White of McCullough.
Services will be held Monday April 4, 2016, at 2 p.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Don Davis officiating.
Interment will follow in McCullough Cemetery.
Family will receive friends, Monday April 4, 2016, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 1 p.m. until service time.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Michael Gene Tucker
April 1, 2016
Mr. Michael Gene Tucker age 51, of Sand Flat Road in Flomaton, passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at his residence after a brief illness. He was a native of Milligan, TN and a former resident of Tuscaloosa before moving back to Flomaton. Mr. Tucker was a member of the Catawba Springs Baptist Church where he was active with RPM Ministry and was better known as Brother Goliath. He was a 1983 graduate of W.S. Neal High School and was a retired Marine. He was an avid Alabama fan and enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include his parents, Pat and Marie McRae of Brewton; wife, Lana Nelson Tucker of Flomaton; one son, Matthew (Good Friend Anna) Tucker of Flomaton; Ethan Pickern and Cloie Pickern.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Gary Tucker.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 2, 2016, at 10 a.m. at Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Jeff Edwards officiating.
Interment will follow in Catawba Springs Cemetery in Brewton.
Williams Memorial Chapel Funeral Home directing.
Roger M. Griffey
April 1, 2016
Mr. Roger M. Griffey, 60, passed away on Thursday, March 31, 2016, in Atmore.
Mr. Griffey was a native of Frisco City, Alabama and resided in Atmore most of his life. Mr. Griffey coached baseball for a number of years, worked for All-State Beverage, Gulf Distributing and Martin Construction. He attended the Friendly Holiness Church.
He is preceded in death by his brother, Roy Ladon Griffey; and father, Roy Griffey.
He is survived by his mother and step-father, Imogene and R.J. (Snuffy) Lane of Atmore; wife, Georgia McGhee Griffey of Atmore; four sons, Jason (Shannon) Griffey, Scott Griffey, Mikey (Jennifer) Griffey and Justin (Lulu) Norman, all of Atmore; two brothers, Teddy Wayne Griffey and Johnny Dale Griffey Turk, both of Mobile; three sisters, Betty Jean Griffey Hood of Gulf Breeze, Joanne Griffey Durbin of Atmore and Pamela Sue Griffey Brantley of Atmore; 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be Monday, April 4, 2016, at 11 a.m. at the Friendly Holiness Church with Rev. Ray Ward and Rev. Joe White officiating.
Burial will follow at the Judson Creek Indian Cemetery.
Visitation will be Sunday, April 3, 2016, from 6 p.m. until service time at 11 a.m. at the Friendly Holiness Church.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Century Tornado Assistance Waiting List Opens Monday
March 31, 2016
Escambia County and the town of Century are establishing a waiting list beginning Monday, April 4 for town of Century residents requesting housing repair or reconstruction assistance as a result of the February 15 tornado. Only residents in the incorporated town of Century whose housing units were damaged by the tornado are eligible to apply. Owner occupants of manufactured homes are also eligible to apply if they own the property on which the home is located.
Starting April 4, Century residents may call (850) 595-0872 to be placed on the waiting list. Residents must provide the following information when calling:
- Name
- Street address of impacted residence
- Contact phone number
Calls received before April 4 will not be accepted. Services will be made available to income-eligible owner occupants on a first qualified, first served basis as funding permits. Staff will follow up with applicants within five business days to determine program eligibility and to make appointments to begin the application process.
The following chart shows the maximum gross family household income requirements in Escambia County (effective March 28, 2016) for the housing repair and reconstruction activities through the State Housing Initiatives Partnership program, or SHIP. Household income includes income received from all persons residing in the household and from all sources providing income to the household.
Applications are still being accepted for owner occupants needing housing repair or reconstruction assistance from the February 15 and 23 tornadoes. Owner occupants in unincorporated Escambia County can call the Neighborhood Enterprise Division at (850) 595-0022, and those inside the city of Pensacola limits can call the City of Pensacola Housing Office at (850) 858-0306 to apply.
Federal Charges Filed Against Surviving Suspect In ‘Bonnie And Clyde’ Duo
March 31, 2016
A federal grand jury Wednesday returned conspiracy and armed carjacking charges against the surviving member of the Missouri couple dubbed a modern day “Bonnie and Clyde” that was sought for crimes in four states earlier this year before being apprehended in a hail of gunfire in Santa Rosa County in February.
An eight-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Brittany Nicole Harper, 30, of Joplin, Mo., with one count of conspiracy to transport a stolen vehicle across state lines, two counts of transporting a stolen vehicle across state lines, three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a gun during a crime of violence. Harper remains in the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola on state charges.
The indictment states that the purpose of the conspiracy was for Harper and “her co-conspirator to unlawfully obtain vehicles, by whatever means necessary,” including acts of violence, and then to use the stolen vehicles as transportation between various states. The indictment refers throughout to Harper’s co-conspirator, but does not name him.
Harper was arrested aftera face-off with deputies in which her co-conspirator was shot and killed.
The indictment describes a 10-day, four-state crime spree by Harper and her male companion, Blake Fitzgerald, that began in Webb City, Mo., on Jan. 26, when the couple took a 2009 Cadillac on a test drive from a dealership and never returned. Highlights of the crime spree, as outlined in the indictment, are as follows:
Before arriving in Alabama, the couple burglarized a home in Missouri, where they parked the stolen Cadillac in the garage and stole a 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer parked at the home.
The couple’s first crime in Alabama is listed as a theft at the Walmart in Bessemer on Jan. 30, before the couple drove the Trailblazer to Tuscaloosa, where they forced a motel clerk at gunpoint into the backseat of the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta he had driven to work. Harper and her companion drove the Jetta to Hoover, where they tried, unsuccessfully, on Jan. 31, to take a Camaro from a McDonald’s employee, and then released the motel clerk in Vestavia Hills.
Soon after releasing the clerk, Fitzgerald entered a home on Monte Vista Drive in Vestavia Hills, where he encountered one of the home owners and his minor children. Fitzgerald put a gun to the man’s neck and began forcing him toward the garage, but the man got free and went for help. Fitzgerald then forced the man’s wife at gunpoint into the homeowners’ 2010 Ford Edge and drove away.
Harper and her companion released the woman near the Grandview Medical Center on Cahaba River Road in Birmingham, and then drove the stolen Ford Edge to Perry County, Ga.
The indictment lists other crimes in Georgia and Florida before Harper’s arrest on Feb. 5 following a high-speed chase through neighborhoods in Santa Rosa County after deputies confronted the couple.
The other crimes listed as part of the conspiracy, but not individually charged in the indictment, include the robbery and kidnapping of a convenience store clerk in Perry, Ga., on Feb. 1, the robbery of Alvin’s Island beach shop in Destin, on Feb. 3, and the robbery of a shoe store and a home invasion and carjacking, all in Pensacola, Fla. on Feb. 4.
Pictured top and bottom: The scene on Garcon Point Road at Saragon Lane, a short distance from where gunfire erupted, killing on member of a couple dubbed a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde by federal authorities. Pictured bottom inset: The home were a chase involving the Missouri couple came to an end on Saragon Lane off Garcon Point Road in Santa Rosa County. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Property Taxes Due By Today
March 31, 2016
Real estate and tangible personal property taxes become delinquent on Friday.
After the Thursday, March 31 deadline, a penalty of 3 percent for real estate and 1½ percent for tangible taxes will be assessed. Over $28 million (approximately 10 percent) of the Escambia County tax roll remains unpaid, according to Tax Collector Janet Holley.
To avoid the penalty, payment must be made by midnight, March 31.
Many payment options are available:
- online at www.escambiataxcollector.com
- mailed with a postmark by March 31
- in person at any of four tax collector offices
- phone – please call 438-6500, ext. 3252
Drive thru service and 24-hour drop boxes are available at all locations.
You may check the status of your taxes and pay online at www.escambiataxcollector.com. For more information, contact the tax collector’s office at (850) 438-6500, ext. 3252.
NorthEscambia.com Publisher Named One Of Area’s Most Influential People
March 31, 2016
The Pensacola Independent News has released their 2016 IN Power List — their ranking of the most the most powerful and influential people in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Only two people that work primarily in the North Escambia area were named to the list — NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds of Walnut Hill and Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry of Cantonment.
Topping this year’s list was Bentina Terry, vice president of customer service and sales for Gulf Power.
To read this year’s Inweekly Power List edition, click here.
‘The Way We Worked’ Molino Stories Tonight
March 31, 2016
The Molino Mid-County Historical Society, along with the West Florida Public Libraries, will host video stories of Molino’s rich work history on Thursday, March 31, at 6 p.m. at the Molino Community Complex (6450 Highway 95-A North). At one time Molino had a lumber mill, canning factory, brick yard and its own phone company. Watch video interviews of longtime Molino residents who recount memories of growing up and working in North Escambia. Several of the interviewees will be present for a question and answer session after the presentation.
“Molino’s Story” is hosted in concurrence with “The Way We Worked,” a Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition, which celebrates the history of our nation’s diverse workers and industries. The exhibit is on display in 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, and open during “Molino’s Story” from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Pictured: The original switchboard for the Molino Telephone Company. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jay Tops Northview; Pace Over Tate
March 31, 2016
BASEBALL
Jay 5, Northview 2
The Jay Royals rallied in the eighth inning Wednesday evening to defeat the Northview Chiefs 5-2.
Northview had a two-run second inning. The Chiefs scored on an RBI double from Jacob Dunsford and on a groundout by Seth Killam. Roman Manning went 3-4 with three singles.
Josh Neese pitched seven and third inning for the Chiefs, allowing three earned runs, six hits and three walks while striking out six.
The Chiefs are set to host Hopkinsville, KY, Thursday. JV plays at 4:00 followed by the varsity at 6:00.
Pace 9, Tate 5
The Tate Aggies were up four runs in the fourth inning but Pace rallied late to take a 9-5 win and earn District 1-7A top spot.
Tate’s Jake Davis had two RBIs on one hit. He homered in the second inning. On the mound, Davis allowed one earned run, no walks an six hits in five innings. The loss went to Trace Penton with no walks, no strikeouts while allowing three runs in one-third of an inning.
The Aggies will be at Pace in a district matchup Friday at 6 p.m.
Pictured: Northview’s Jared Aliff splintered a bat during Wednesday evening’s game against Jay. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ramona Preston, click to enlarge.