Laura H. Stacey
February 24, 2016
Laura H. Stacey, 71 of Atmore, passed away Monday, February 15, 2016, at her residence. She was a secretary for Swift Lumber Company for over 20 years. She was born in Atmore on June 28, 1944, to the late Chester and Mabel Martin Helton. She was a member of Brooks Memorial Baptist Church.
She is survived by one son, Stephen Stacey of Gulf Shores; two daughters, Stephanie (Dale) McGhee of Walnut Hill and Shannon (Justin Vibbert) Stacey of New York, NY; two brothers, Don (Linda) Helton and Chet (Kaye) Helton all of Atmore; three sisters, Patricia Smith, Virginia (Earnie) Milbredt, and Mona Woods; five grandchildren, Ashlynn, Andrew, Megan, Aundrea and Cooper; and one great-grandchild, Tracy.
Services were held Wednesday, February 17, 2016, from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Robert Heard officiating.
Interment was in Serenity Gardens.
Active pallbearers were Kevin Woods, Larry Smith, Alex Smith, Chad Helton, Brett Helton, and Gary Hare.
Honorary pallbearers were The Willing Workers Sunday School Class.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Jessie Mae Smith
February 24, 2016
Jessie Mae Smith, 82, of Atmore, passed away Friday, February 19, 2016, in Mobile. She was a homemaker. She was born in Lottie, on September 30, 1933, to the late William Oscar and Myrtle Coker Agerton Brown. She attended Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and also enjoyed attending Huxford Senior Center.
She is preceded in death by her first husband, Buck Smith; daughter, Beth Ray; granddaughter, Lori Simmons; great-grandchildren, Zoey Simmons and A.J. Smith; two brothers, Tommy and Gene Brown; and two sisters, Estelle Parker and Ethel McKinley.
Survivors include her husband, J.D. Ashcraft of Atmore; three sons, Pete (Sue) Martin, Alvin “Pete” (Mary) Smith of Atmore and Jacky (Cathy) Smith of Flomaton; three daughters, Dorothy Parker of Stockton, Jessie (James) Spence of Atmore and Darlene (David) Black of Frisco City; three brothers, Elbert (Brenda) Brown of Flomaton, Albert (Linda) Brown of Union, MS, and Fred Brown of Jay; three sisters, Thelma (Nolan) Watkins of Mississippi, Pearl (Jimmy) Johnson of Flomaton and Carol Jackson of Milton; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren, family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 25, 2016, at the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home with Bro. Rob Arrant officiating.
Interment will be in Huxford Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Kevin Spence, Brian Spence, Heith Smith, Nick Robinson, Bobby Wooten and Jody Gilcrest.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
David Lance Hunley, Jr.
February 24, 2016
David Lance Hunley Jr., 51, of Gulf Breeze, passed away on February 21, 2016, after a 10 month battle with cancer. He was born on December 31, 1964, in Jacksonville, FL, to Diana Jean (Dutra) Hunley and David Lance Hunley Sr. He was oldest of five children.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Diana Jean (Dutra) Faulk.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Brittany and Joshua Hunley, and their mother, Darlene Hunley of Pensacola; brothers, Darren (Kathy) Hunley of Crestview and Daniel (Gina) Hunley of Pensacola; sisters, Dana (Randy) Mason, and Deborah Hunley-Houser of Gulf Breeze; and a father to him, Rick (Ashyea) Gibson of Pensacola.
David also leaves his love, Liza Scott of Gulf Breeze to remember the everlasting love that they shared together, along with her daughters, Shannon and Hannah Scott. He leaves many nephews, nieces, family and friends to remember the good times.
Visitation will be held Friday, February 26, 2016, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North beginning at 1 p.m. with the memorial service following at 2 p.m.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is in charge of arrangements.
Live Weather Updates Twitter And Facebook
February 23, 2016
We will have live weather updates as needed and specific to the North Escambia area tonight on Facebook and Twitter.
https://www.facebook.com/northescambia (“Like” the page and turn on notifications for updates on your phone/computer)
https://twitter.com/northescambia (“Follow” us for updates)
We will also post live storm damage updates to the pages above, if any.
All After School Activities Canceled; Schools To Dismiss At Regular Time
February 23, 2016
CLICK HERE FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY.
All after Escambia County (FL) school extra-curricular activities (indoor and outdoor) have been canceled for tonight. All George Stone Technical School classes have also been canceled and will close at 5 p.m. School dismissal will occur today at the regular time.
Escambia Academy in Atmore will dismiss early at 1:30 p.m.
Today’s Storm Closures, Important Info, Shelter
February 23, 2016
Here is the latest information from NorthEscambia.com on closures and other important information on tonight’s anticipated severe weather:
Storm Information as Forecasted by the National Weather Service
- There is a significant risk of severe weather for our area until midnight.
- Tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail are all likely.
- Strong, long tracked tornadoes are possible.
- Winds will be gusty (30-40 mph) outside of thunderstorms.
- High surf along the coast (5-8 ft. surf heights through Wednesday).
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners:
- All Escambia County Board of County Commissioner offices will close at 3 p.m.
- All BOCC related evening meetings are cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date.
- Local state of emergency is enacted until Monday, Feb. 29.
- Public works crews and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are on standby to respond as needed.
The following offices will close at 3 p.m. today:
- All offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- All Escambia County Property Appraiser offices
- All Escambia County Supervisor of Elections offices
- All Tax Collector offices will be closing today at 3 p.m.
- All West Florida Public Library locations (bookmobile included)
- The MC Blanchard Judicial Center and Juvenile Justice Center
- City Hall and all City of Pensacola administrative offices
Escambia County School District:
- All after school extra-curricular activities (indoor and outdoor) have been canceled
- All George Stone Technical Center classes are canceled and will close at 5 p.m.
- Dismissal for all elementary, middle, and high schools will occur at the regular times
Other Closures
- All offices of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
- All Escambia County Property Appraiser offices
- All Escambia County Supervisor of Elections offices
- All Tax Collector offices
- All West Florida Public Library locations (bookmobile included)
- The MC Blanchard Judicial Center and Juvenile Justice Center
- City Hall and all City of Pensacola administrative offices
- All Pensacola State College classes, events, campus activities, online classes, evening classes and the PSC Board of Trustees meeting were cancelled as of 4 p.m.
- All UWF classes, events, campus activities and online courses were cancelled as of 4 p.m.
- ECUA offices closed at 4 p.m. They will reopen at normal business hours tomorrow morning. Customer service will be open at 8 a.m.
- Fort Pickens is closed until further notice.
Shelters
- At 5 p.m. the American Red Cross is opening an evacuation shelter at the old Century Middle School located at 440 East Hecker Road in Century for residents who do not feel safe in their homes. Shelters are opened to ensure your safety. Please remember shelters can be crowded and uncomfortable.
- The Salvation Army Headquarters (1310 North S Street) is available as a shelter as necessary.
- If you go to a public evacuation shelter, you will need to take the following items:
- Personal identification and any important papers.
- A change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes.
- Toiletries and personal items.
- Blankets or sleeping bags.
- Games or toys for children; books for adults.
- Special items for infants or elderly family members.
- Any special dietary needs and nonperishable foods for snacks.
- Battery operated radio, flashlights and plenty of spare batteries.
- Prescription medications or any over-the-counter medications you normally take.
- Those with special needs must come with their own caregiver.
ECAT Service
- ECAT and Community Transportation will continue to offer service unless the weather intensifies to a point that it is no longer considered safe. Announcements regarding service will be made when available.
Power Outages
- Please do not call 9-1-1 to report power outages. Power outages should be reported to Gulf Power at 1-800-GU-Power (1-800-487-6937) or Escambia River Cooperative, Inc. at 1-877-688-3732.
- An outage map is available at www.MyGulfPower.com
- Never touch a fallen power line and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged.
Alert Escambia
- In times of an emergency, like severe weather, the Escambia County Division of Emergency Management can notify participating residents via text message, email or phone call. When signing up for Alert Escambia, residents can choose their preferred method of notification
- Sign up here.
Century’s Leaders: Thank God, And We’ll Be Back Better Than Before
February 23, 2016
The Town of Century is resilient and will rise again following the destruction of an EF-3 tornado….that was the message relayed during a Century Town Council meeting Monday night.
“Oh God we thank you for sparing the lives of those that have been spared in this catastrophe that we have gone through. We just want to say thank you,” said Councilman Gary Riley has he opened the meeting in prayer.
“I was out there watching it as it went over my house,” Riley said. “(I) thanked God that he sent it over, but at the same time, as the mayor was saying, let us keep praying for the ones that were hit.”
Mayor Freddie McCall, his voice often cracking with emotion, continued during the meeting to offer praise to God for sparing lives during the tornado and offering thanks to the multitudes of people that have lent in helping hand or donated to Century’s hardest hit. Over five dozen homes in the town limits were heavily damaged or destroyed as the tornado swept through town.
“People have brought food, brought clothing, from every direction and it’s still coming. And I just want to thank everybody for what they’ve done in that way,” McCall said. “We are going to stay together, and we are going to come through this. We are going to be better than we were before.”
“I just can’t think everybody enough for what they are doing for this little town,” an emotional McCall said.
“It’s bad what happened to our town,” Council President Ben Boutwell said, “but it could also be a gift from God….Just be there for each other, and be good neighbors.”
Escambia Fire Responds To Smoke At EMS Post
February 23, 2016
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to reported smell of smoke early Monday night at the Escambia County EMS Post 50 on Industrial Boulevard. After a short investigation, firefighters determined that the smoke was from a motor on an ambulance bay door.
There was no major damage reported and no injuries.
Tornado Recovery: The Latest Need To Know
February 23, 2016
Here is the latest tornado repair and recovery information:
Permitting
- No demolition will be allowed in Century town limits until next Monday, February 29, 2016 to allow time for removal of storm related debris. Demolition permits are required.
- All repair work and demolition will require issuance of an approved Town of Century Land Use Certificate and a building permit for Century residents. Only building permits are required outside the town.
- The Escambia County Building Inspections Department Permitting Staff are available at Century Town Hall to process permits between t9 a.m. 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Permitting fees for tornado repair resulting from the February 15 storm have been waived, upon submission of the required permit application documentation, by the Town of Century and Escambia County Board of County Commissioners.
- You may verify any contractor’s license status with the Escambia County Contractor Licensing Section at (850) 595-3509. Licensed contractors are regulated by laws designed to protect the public. If you contract with and/or pay a person who does not have a license, the Construction Industry Licensing Board and Department of Business and Professional Regulation may be unable to assist you with any financial loss that you sustain as a result of a complaint. If you obtain an owner-builder permit and wish to hire a licensed contractor, you will be responsible for verifying whether the contractor is properly licensed and the status of the contractor’s workers’ compensation coverage.
- For further assistance, contact the Building Inspections Department at (850) 595-3550 or buildinginspections@myescambia.com
- Legal Services of North Florida will be at the Century Business Center providing free property related legal assistance on Friday, February 26th from noon – 4:00 p.m. They hope to hold office hours on additional days TBD. Those not able to meet with them while they are in Century can still receive help by calling (850) 432-8222.
- The Small Business Development Center is available to assist local businesses with disaster related issues. Contact (850) 474-2528.The Red Cross is no longer in Century assisting with disaster recovery. Healthy Start will resume WIC services beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday
- The Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) is operating a Volunteer Team Assignment Center (VTAC) at 7811 N Century Blvd (Chamber of Commerce Bldg.) from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Tuesday; Wednesday and beyond TBD. What the VTAC does is register survivor needs (such as tarping roofs and debris cleanup) and deploys affiliated volunteer teams to affected areas to provide relief. If anyone in the community needs assistance with installing tarps (or just the tarp itself) please have them come by the Chamber building to fill out a request for volunteer support. If any groups or organizations would like to be a part of our coordinated response effort please have them email t jondiamond@bereadyalliance.org.
- United Way of Escambia County – Dial 2-1-1 for resource referral.
- Lumber for repairs – Anyone needing wood for repairs due to the destruction of the tornado is encouraged to go to Bondurant Lumber and see Tim or Bubba. TheChurch of Christ is absorbing this cost or the citizens that received damage due to the tornado, according to a release from the Town of Century.
- Displaced residents – If you are displaced and find a place to rent, the Church of Christ is offering to pay the deposit and the rent for one month, according to the Town of Century. Dial 211 for information.
- Bluff Springs Campground – Bluff Springs Campground has free sites available for tornado victims and recovery volunteers. www.bluffsprings.org or (850) 256-2767.
Tornado Watch, High Wind Advisory
February 23, 2016
There is tornado watch in effect for the North Escambia area, along with a high wind advisory. There is an significant threat of severe weather Tuesday night into early Wednesday. Numerous severe storms are likely. Tornadoes are possible, along with wind gusts over 70 mph and quarter to golf ball size hail.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 3am. Some of the storms could be severe. Low around 50. Windy, with a south wind 20 to 25 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a west wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 35. Breezy, with a west wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 62. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 33. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 62. North wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 37.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.