Mercedes Lising Strickland

December 19, 2017

Mercedes Lising Strickland has gone home to her Heavenly Father. She passed away on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 in her home leaving behind her children, Dorothy Fisher, Anthony Strickland, and Liza Strickland-Copeland. She will be missed by her grandchildren, Steve Fisher, Lisa Thompson, and Ashleigh Quinn, as well as her beloved great-grandchildren, Kayla Fisher, Kyle Fisher, Evan Fisher, Jacob Thompson, Amanda Thompson, Allyson Thompson, Ayden Quinn, Anzleigh Quinn, and Presley Quinn.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Alfonso Lising and Amanda Sagmit-Lising, and her siblings, Amelia Lising, Roquinio, Constancio Lising, Antonias Lising, Samson Lising. Her living siblings are
Sisenando Lising, Rosalia Lising Dela Cruz, Potenciana Lising Dela Cruz, and Lolita Lising Pereyra.

Mercedes lived in Pensacola for 39 years, and is remembered for her delicious Philippine cuisine, her work with the Red Cross for 20 years, and always tried to help those in need. She will be sorely missed.

Visitation will be Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North beginning at 12:00 p.m. with a memorial service to begin at 1:00 p.m. Brother Schoonover will be officiating.

One Injured In Highway 95A, Archer Road Crash

December 18, 2017

One person was injured and two refused medical treatment in a two vehicle accident Monday morning on Highway 95A at Archer Road in Cantonment.  The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

Local Woman Celebrates 105th Birthday

December 18, 2017

Myrtle Louise Joiner Peacock Gilmore recently celebrated her 105th birthday, surrounded by family and friends, at Solaris HealthCare on University Parkway.

When asked if she was having a good birthday, she replied, “I’ve had so many Happy Birthdays, I’ve run out of places to keep them.”

Myrtle attributes her long life to being thankful.  She has said that she rarely goes more than a few minutes without thanking the Lord for all He’s done for her and her family.

She is the oldest of six living generations (pictured top).
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

‘Severe Meth Addict’ Gets Jail Time For ‘Viciously Beating’ Small Dog

December 18, 2017

A Cantonment woman who pleaded guilty to”viciously  beating” a small dog while it “cried out in pain” has been sentenced to 90 days in the county jail.

Heidie Creamer, 35, “intentionally and repeatedly” inflicted “unnecessary  pain and suffering on a one-year old, five pound Chiweenie (chihuahua/dachshund mix) dog by picking the dog up by its back leg, raising it in the air, then viciously beating the animal while it screamed out in pain and suffering” on September 19, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report.

Creamer and her boyfriend had been living in a tent on a woman’s property on Frank Ard Road. The woman said Creamer is a “severe meth addict” and her drug abuse had grown out of hand, according to the report. The woman told deputies that Creamer walked over the dog and snatched it up as as it was peacefully sleeping in the shade. After the alleged beating, she carried the dog upside down by one leg about 50 feet back to her tent. The woman said Creamer had beat the dog  four or five times in the past month.

Several witnesses provided deputies with a similar account of the incident.

Creamer was also sentenced to three years probation following her release from jail.

In their report, deputies describer Creamer’s tent and living area as “utterly filthy” with a strong body odor. The report also states Creamer was covered all over her body with festering sores and she appeared to be high on some substance.

The deputy reported that when Creamer stepped out of the tent, the Chiweenie and a Yorkie appeared to cower away and try to move away from her as if in great fear.

Rain Possible Today, High In The Lower 70’s

December 18, 2017

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Monday: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 71. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday Night: Areas of fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Calm wind.

Tuesday: A slight chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Areas of fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Areas of fog. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind around 5 mph.

Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72.

Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.

Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51.

Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.

Inmate Gets Death Penalty For Murdering Cellmate

December 18, 2017

A Santa Rosa Correctional Institution inmate was sentenced Monday morning to death for the murder of a cellmate in 2012.

Shawn Rogers attacked inmate Ricky D. Martin, 24, on March 30, 2012. Martin died from blunt force trauma to his brain on April 8, 2012.

Martin, who was from Collier County, was serving time for 2007 conviction on charges of grand theft, armed burglary, trafficking in stolen property and four counts of grand theft of a firearm.

Rogers was already serving a life sentence for robbery with a deadly weapon and a 15-year sentence for aggravated battery with deadly weapon.

Florida Lawmaker Seeks Year-Round Daylight Savings Time

December 18, 2017

With the measure dubbed the “Sunshine Protection Act,” a House Republican on Friday proposed a bill that calls for Florida to observe daylight-saving time throughout the year.

The bill (HB 1013), filed by Rep. Jeanette Nunez, R-Miami, indicates it would depend on Congress changing a law to authorize states to stay on daylight-saving time year-round. But the Nunez proposal, which says Florida “should be kept sunny year-round,” could clash with a bill (SB 858), filed by Sen. Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, that would lead to the state exempting itself from daylight-saving time and observing standard time.

The bills are filed for consideration during the 2018 legislative session, which starts Jan. 9. Daylight-saving time this year started March 12 and ended Nov. 5.

FDOT: Weekly Traffic Alerts

December 18, 2017

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.  For the upcoming holiday season, there will be no lane closures or other activities which impede traffic on state roads beginning at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2017 and ending at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

Escambia County:

  • U.S. 98 (S.R. 30) Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement- The eastbound, right lane will be closed across the bridge from 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15 to 5 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16 as crews perform concrete work.
  • State Road (S.R.) 742 (Creighton Road) Construction Improvement Project from east of Davis Highway to Scenic Highway – Intermittent and alternating lane closures between Davis Highway and Scenic Highway from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17 through Thursday, Dec. 21 continue as crews perform milling, paving, sidewalk and curb replacement.
  • Interstate 10 (I-10) / U.S. 29 Interchange Improvements Phase I -The following traffic impacts are planned on I-10 and U.S. 29 near the interchange (Exits 10A and 10B) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17 through Thursday, Dec. 21:
    • Alternating east and westbound I-10 and north and southbound U.S. 29 lane closures.
    • The U.S. 29 on-ramps to I-10 eastbound will be intermittently closed. Traffic will be detoured on U.S. 29 to access I-10 eastbound.
    • The exit ramp from I-10 westbound to U.S. 29 south (Exit 10A) will be intermittently closed. Traffic will be detoured to U.S. 29 north (Exit 10B).
    • Alternating lane closures on the I-10 westbound exit ramp to U.S. 29 north (Exit 10B).
  • County Road 182 (Molino Road) over Penasula Creek Bridge Replacement- Motorists can expect intermittent daytime lane closures the week of Monday, Dec. 18 as workers complete minor construction activities on the project.
  • I-10 Widening from Davis Highway to the Escambia Bay Bridge – The following lane restrictions will take place on I-10 and Scenic Highway the week of Monday, Dec. 18 for construction activities.
    • Intermittent and alternating day and nighttime lane closures on I-10 between Davis Highway (Exit 13) and Scenic Highway (Exit 17),
    • Intermittent and alternating day and nighttime lane closures on Scenic Highway, between Whisper Way and Northpointe Parkway.
    • The on-ramp from Scenic Highway to I-10 westbound ramp will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21 as crews pave. Traffic will be detoured on I-10 eastbound to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) to access I-10 westbound.
  • U.S. 29 Widening from I-10 to Nine Mile Road – Alternating lane closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 18 through Thursday, Dec. 21 on U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road as crews continue drainage work.

Santa Rosa County:

  • I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following lane restrictions will take place on I-10 and Avalon Boulevard from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 17 through Friday, Dec. 21 as crews widen the roadway and reconstruct the overpass.
    • Alternating lane closures on I-10 from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of Avalon Boulevard.
    • Alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard near the I-10 interchange.
  • U.S. 90 Roadway Testing over Simpson River- Beginning Monday, Dec. 11 and continuing through Thursday, Dec. 21 east and westbound traffic over Simpson River can expect intermittent lane restrictions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Thursday as crews perform roadway testing.
  • S.R. 87 Pipe Maintenance from Laredo Street to Nevada Street- Drivers can expect intermittent lane restrictions from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 18 through Thursday, Dec. 21 as crews continue to seal and line existing pipes.
  • S.R. 87 Multilane from Eglin AFB boundary to Hickory Hammock Road – Traffic between County Road 184 (Hickory Hammock Road) and the Eglin AFB boundary is restricted to loads less than 11-feet wide. The restriction will be in place until the project is complete.

All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather

Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month

December 18, 2017

The following students were named Students of the Month for December at Bratt Elementary School.

Pre-K
KayLeigh Morris
Michael Flowers

Kindergarten
Jadon Long
Weston Spicer
Houston Smith
Makyla Mason
Brylynn McGhee

1st Grade
Nathan Gilmore
Mason Helton
Pryce Flowers
Parker Marsh

2nd Grade
Sawyer Gilmore
Eli Anthony
Waylon Pardue
Kaylee Wilson

3rd Grade
Wesley Lambeth
Michael Griffs
Annberly Dunn

4th Grade
Reagan Peebles
Aydin Odom
Jasmine Zisa
James Patrick

5th Grade
Hannah Smith
Kaya Mason
JaCee Dortch
Anthony Miller

Houston Smith and Michael Griffs have been chosen to represent Bratt Elementary for Escambia County Students of the Month for December

Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule

December 18, 2017

Here is a schedule of Escambia County public meetings for the week of December 18-22:

Tuesday, Dec. 19

Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission Board of Directors – 10 a.m., 418 W. Garden St., LAB Building Conference Room 307

CANCELED: District 1 Coffee with the Commissioner

CANCELED: Value Adjustment Board

Wednesday, Dec. 20

Board of Adjustment – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place (Agenda)

Sick Leave Pool Committee – 11 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 Palafox Place

Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place

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