Kenneth Chad Hanks
March 2, 2016
Mr. Kenneth Chad Hanks, 40, passed away on Friday, February 26, 2016, in Pensacola.
Mr. Hanks was a native of McDavid and a resident of Century for most of his life. Mr. Hanks was an employee of Blackjack Creek and was of the Holiness Faith. He is preceded in death by his father, Ken Hanks; grandmothers, Ruby Griffis and Mazie Hanks; aunt, Annette Lambeth; aunt and uncle, Wayne and Mary Griffis; uncle, Tony Hanks; and cousin, David Griffis.
He is survived by his mother, Brenda Hanks of Century; wife, Shannon Hanks of Flomaton; two sons, Logan Hanks and Dalton Hanks both of Flomaton; one daughter, Destiny Hanks of Flomaton; four step-daughters, Allison Ladner, Emily Ladner, Jessie Marion and Lexie Marion, all of Flomaton; one sister, Shannon Hanks Campbell of Century; one grandchild, Ryland Burnham of Flomaton; nephew, Nick (Lynn) Campbell; great-nieces and nephew, Callie and Collin Campbell; niece, Megan (Chase) Lewis; and great-nephew, Liam Lewis.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 3, 2016, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Bro. Cliff Emmons and Rev. Mike Wetzel officiating.
Burial will be at Mt. Carmel Cemetery.
Visitation will be Wednesday, March 2, 2016, from 6 p.m. until service time at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Jason Findley, Jr. Emmons, Sammy Portwood, Clavin O’Neal, Brian Belle, Wade White and Keith Baker.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Winston F. Fontaine
March 2, 2016
Winston F. Fontaine, 92, passed away Monday, February 29, 2016. Winston was the fourth of 10 children born to Annice Vickers Fontaine and John Penick Fontaine. He was born in Selma, AL and lived most of his childhood in Montgomery. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Ellen; and eight brothers and sisters.
He is survived by one sister, Sarajo Bagley (Montgomery); two daughters, Sandra A. Miller (Ric) and Rebecca F. Garvin (Durrice). He is also survived by three grandchildren, Barton Miller, Jeremy Garvin, and Melanie Gregory; and two great-grandchildren, Katie and Kristen Gregory. He will be missed by numerous nieces and nephews.
Winston enlisted in the United States Marine Corps a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the USMC from 1942-1967, retiring with the rank of Major. He was a decorated veteran of WWII and the Korean War, receiving the Silver Star, a Bronze Star for Valor and a Purple Heart for wounds inflicted at the battle of Pelelieu. After retiring from the Marine Corps, in 1967, he moved his family to Pensacola, where he graduated from the University of West Florida in 1970. He served as Human Resources Director for West Florida Hospital from 1972-74. He taught at Pensacola Junior College from 1973-1975. After retiring from his second career, he enjoyed gardening, reading, and walking daily four to five miles. He is the author of a book about his family’s genealogy.
The family thanks neighbors for watching out for Winston the past few years. A special thank you to Cathy for taking loving care of home the past three years. Thanks also to the wonderful folks at the Dieu De Bhuddist temple, who became loving neighbors and friends. The family is comforted by the knowledge that we will all be together again one day.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 3, 2016, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North from10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Graveside services will be held at Barrancas National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Firefighters Respond To Reported Fire At Grain Elevator In Walnut Hill
March 1, 2016
Firefighters from across the area were dispatched to a reported fire at Escambia Grain Tuesday afternoon. When the first firefighters arrived on scene at the grain elevator on Arthur Brown Road in Walnut Hill, they found a ceiling or attic fire in the front of an office building had already been extinguished by the business. There was no major damage and no injuries reported. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Airlifted After ATV Crash Near Century
March 1, 2016
Two people were injured in an off-road ATV accident late Tuesday morning outside Century.
The two males were both airlifted in two different medical helicopters to area hospitals. One of them, a 27-year old male, was a “trauma alert”, according to EMS. The two were reported thrown from their 4-wheeler in or near field in the area of the 3200 block of Highway 4A.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol; further details, including the names of the victims, have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Molino Mom Enters Plea, Faces Up To 15 Years For Husband’s Murder
March 1, 2016
A Molino mom that once claimed a “stand your ground” defense in the murder of her husband is now facing up to 15 years in state prison.
Rebecca A. Rogers, 45, has pleaded no contest to manslaughter for shooting her husband, 42-year old Jason Lee Rogers in August 2013. According to the State Attorney’s office, sentencing guidelines call for her to receive a sentence of just over nine years when she is sentenced in late April.
Her attorneys previously made a motion to dismiss the case, saying Rogers acted within the parameters of Florida’s self-defense “stand your ground” law. That motion was denied at the local level and by the Florida First District Court of Appeals.
The ruling from the appeals court last June did nott allow her to claim she acted under the “stand you ground” law, but it specifically did not prohibit Rogers from claiming self-defense at trial.
Rebecca Rogers shot her husband twice in the back and once in the head inside the couple’s home in the 3400 block of Highway 29 in Molino. She told a 911 dispatcher that her husband choked her and then she shot him.
Deputies arrived to find Rebecca Rogers standing outside the home. They found Jason Rogers lying unconscious in the back bedroom of the home on his stomach with what appeared to be a gunshot to his head. According to official reports, he also suffered two other gunshot wounds to the back. He died at a local hospital about two days later.
The couple had four daughters, one of which testified at a preliminary hearing that her father had several guns in the home. “As far as I know, he was going to get them and he was…my mom believed he was going to kill her. So, she was protecting herself,” she said.
Rogers remains free on a $300,000 bond as she awaits sentencing.
Free Baby Food, Cereal, Diapers And Wipes At Century Health Start
March 1, 2016
The Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition is grateful for the generous outpouring from community partners who have answered the need for mothers and babies in Century following the devastating February 15 tornado.
Manna Food pantries donated baby food and cereal, and Goodwill and Abundant Life Outreach donated diapers and wipes. Families in need may stop by the Healthy Start office at 511 Church Street, Monday -Thursday between 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on a first come first serve basis while supplies last to receive the items.
WIC service will be at the Century Healthy Start Office on Tuesday, March 8. For more information, call (850) 619-1469.
Pictured: Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition Executive Director Theresa Chmiel (left) and Century Office Manager Laura Nelson. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain, Thunderstorms Possible Tonight
March 1, 2016
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely before midnight, then a slight chance of showers between midnight and 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 63. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 40. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 41. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74.
Blood Drive Today In Century
March 1, 2016
There will be a blood drive today at the Century Correctional Institution on Tedder Road from 1:30 until 5:30 p.m. The public is welcomed, and encouraged to take part and donate.
There is a critical need for “O” and “B” type blood donors, according to OneBlood.
Relay For Life of Greater Escambia Meeting Tonight
March 1, 2016
The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Greater Escambia will meet tonight at 6:oo at Heritage Baptist Church on Highway 297A in Cantonment.
Team Captains, team members, and members of the community are invited to hear guest speaker Larry Warrenfeltz. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a 26-year Navy veteran, a cancer survivor, community volunteer, an author, and retired from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. He holds degrees in meteorology and ocenography.
The 2016 Relay For Life of Greater Escambia will take place on April 30 at the Pensacola Fairgrounds from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Molino Tax Collector Office Reopens After Communications Failure
March 1, 2016
The Escambia County Tax Collector Office in Molino was shut down Monday afternoon after the building lost communications services. It reopened early Tuesday afternoon.
A drop box remained available for payments, but the office was unable to process any transactions Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
All other tax collector offices remained open with business as usual.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.