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Free Classifieds | Obituaries |

Edmon “Eddie” Isiah King, Jr.

Edmon “Eddie” Isiah King, Jr., of Cantonment, age 70, was called home August 26, 2017. He  was born August 22, 1947, in Rayville, LA, to the late Edmon and Irene King. Eddie was proud of his work with Lee’s Window & Screen, where he was known for his hard work. He was an active volunteer in the 70s and 80s with Escambia Search and Rescue as well as the Hadji Shrine Temple during the annual paper drive. Eddie was a man that didn’t know when to quit.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Julia LaGrone. Eddie is survived by his cherished  wife Brenda; children Alysse (Jimmy) Stein, Jered (Carie) King and Alex (Jessica) Green; Granddaughters Allyson, Hannah, Claire,  Madilynn and Brenda; as well as a host of extended family and good friends.

Visitation will be Monday, August 28, 2017, from 6:00-8:00PM at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North. The service will be Tuesday, August 29, 2017, at 1:00PM at the funeral home. Pastors Ken Johnson and Fred Stallworth will officiate.

Interment will follow at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.

Patricia (Pat) Brown Smith

Pat was born in Pensacola, FL on May 4, 1940 to the late Henry Thomas Wright and Era Brown.  She passed away on August 25, 2017.  She is now rejoicing in heaven with loved ones and claiming the promise of Jesus she is healed.

Pat graduated from Tate High School, class of 1958, and enjoyed many class reunions.  Many of these classmates were lifelong friends.  She retired from the Escambia County School District Payroll Department after 25 years of service.  While she was employed she enjoyed several treasured friendships and continued those friendships after her retirement.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Maxine Gillespie and her brother, Henry (Red) Brown.

She is survived by her three loving sons and their families, John Smith of Bella Vista, AR, Mike Smith (Susan) of Four Oaks, NC and Matthew Smith (Shannon) of Molino, FL; grandchildren, Caleb, Forrest, Lindsey, Anna, Allie, Adam, Lauren, Morgan, Courtney and Jeffery; great-grandchildren, Marc Jacob, Bailey, Kaysen and Anniston; a special niece, Debbie Terry and her husband Bill and several nephews.
The family would like to thank Dr. John Wagner, Dr. Paula Pyle and Dr. Jay Erickson for the many years of care given to Pat.  The family would also like to thank the staff of Regency Hospice for their care.  A special thanks to our “angels” Kristen, Darlene, Lynn and Patty.

Visitation will take place Monday, August 28, 2017, 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. with funeral services to follow at 11:30 a.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.

Christopher Michael Allen

Christopher Michael Allen, 25 of Atmore, AL. passed away August 22, 2017 in Perdido, AL. He was born November 6, 1991 to Michael and Rebecca Moxness Allen.

Christopher was a kind hearted, fun, and adrenalin loving big kid. Growing up Christopher enjoyed spending time with his dad, building, working on bikes and trucks, going on camping trips with his family and riding/racing four wheelers and dirt bikes. He also enjoyed playing with his nieces and nephews. He was the FUN uncle who never sat around with the other adults. He was always in the middle of the floor playing with Emma, Dylan, Canaan and Isaac. They loved to wrestle and play cars and blocks with Christopher at every family get together. He would help his mom and sisters with whatever they needed fixed. There wasn’t anything that he couldn’t fix and they definitely took advantage of his skills. He also enjoyed spending time working on things with his father, Mike (before his passing), Uncle Ron, and his grandfather who he referred to as Pop. He was really good at everything he tried. Christopher was very smart and is the only kid I’ve ever known to be able to build an entire rocket and launcher out of tinker toys at the age of 5.

Recently, Christopher decided to join the Navy and he scored very high on the ASVAB test, which he was VERY proud to share! He was ready to start a new life not knowing that his life would soon come to an abrupt end. Christopher was only 25 years old and had a bright future ahead of him. We are saddened by his passing but find comfort in the fact that he believed in God and he was prayed with just before his passing.

He is preceded in death by his father Michael “Mike” Allen.

He is survived by his Mother Rebecca Moxness Allen, Grand parents Frank and Frances Moxness, Harold Allen, Mary Ann Allen, sisters Chrystal Allen and Cynthia Allen (Josh) Davis, nieces and nephews Canaan, Isaac, Dylan, Emma, Noah, Special Uncle Ron (Charlene) Moxness and Special Aunt Ronda Moxness and many aunts, uncles, cousin, family and friends.

Funeral services were held Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 11 AM from the Atmore First Assembly of God Church with Bro. Don Davis officiating. Burial will follow in Mothershed Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Ron Moxness, Jr., Jonathan Hall, Matthew Hall, Josh Davis, Dylan Purvis and Steven Powell.

Visitation was held Saturday, August 26, 2017 from the 10 AM until service time at 11 AM from the Atmore First Assembly of God Church .

James Thomas “JT” Baker

Mr. James Thomas “JT” Baker, Sr., 85, passed away Friday, August 25, 2017 in Atmore, Alabama.

Mr. Baker was a native and former resident of Hackleburg, AL and has resided in Atmore, AL for the past 50 years. He retired from Diamond Oil with 45 years of service. He was of the Baptist Faith. He is preceded in death by his parents, Kim Buck and Lorene Baker, one brother, Melvin Baker and one sister, Sara Easley.

He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Judy Baker of Atmore, AL; two sons, James Thomas Baker, Jr. of Pensacola, FL and Devon (Wanda) Baker of Pace, FL; five daughters, Sandra (Michael) Sciacca of Pace, FL, Tammie (Thomas) Hardy of LaGrange, GA, Jacey (Phillip) Bowler of Mobile, AL, Melissa Baker of Atmore, AL and Tammy (Tommy) Smith of Atmore, AL; one brother, Tommy Baker of Hackleburg, AL; one sister, Lina Hall; fifteen grandchildren; twenty-one great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services will be Monday, August 28, 2017 at 11:00 AM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Doug Odom officiating.

Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be Monday, August 28, 2017 from 10:00 AM until service time at 11:00 AM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Roy White, Tim White, Lamar White, Matt Martin, Wesley Morrison, David Kirby, Brandon Bowler and Seth Bass.

Attendance Zones Proposed For New Beulah Middle, Kingsfield Elementary (With Maps)

The Escambia County School District has released preliminary school rezoning maps that take effect next year when the new Beulah Middle School and Kingsfield Elementary School open.

The school board is expected to make a final decision on the attendance zones at an October meeting.

Kingsfield Elementary is under construction at 900 West Kingsfield Road next to Ransom Middle School. The 135,000 square foot, $25 million facility will serve 800 students. The school is designed to provide relief to Pine Meadow and Beulah elementary schools and help with the growth coming to mid-Escambia County.

Beulah Middle School is under construction at 6001 West Nine Mile Road on the former Coastal Airport property. The $45 to $48 million dollar school will have a capacity of 1,100 to 1,300 students. Students will be relocated to the new school from Woodham Midde, while hundreds will be rezoned from the overcrowded Ransom Middle.

Both schools are being funded by Local Option Sales Tax dollars and are scheduled to open in the fall of 2018..

Maps are below for the current school year (before the new schools open) and next year (after the schools open). The links are pdf files which can be zoomed for a detailed view.

Partly Sunny Today, No Mention Of Rain

Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 88. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 5 mph.

Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Northeast wind around 5 mph.

Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88.

Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88.

Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.

Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88.

Workers Injured In Construction Zone Structural Collapse At Navy Federal

Three construction workers were injured early Saturday morning in a structural collapse in Beulah.

The three fell about 25 feet when the floor they were working on collapsed  at Navy Federal on Nine Mile Road. They were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital.

One of the workers sustained serious injuries, and is being treated for spinal trauma, officials said.  Ten other construction workers were working in the area during the collapse. They declined medical attention.

Navy Federal released the following statement:

“Just after 5 a.m. an accident occurred in the rooftop structure of Navy Federal Credit Union’s Phase Two expansion project at its Heritage Oaks campus in Pensacola. The accident took place in a construction zone, outside of Navy Federal’s current employee workspace.

“Hensel Phelps Construction employees were working on the project when the accident took place. Three Hensel Phelps employees were taken to a Pensacola hospital. Several others also sought treatment. Construction has been suspended in the immediate area of the accident pending a full comprehensive review of the incident.

“The entire construction team is supporting the well-being of the employees impacted by the accident.”

NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

Hurricane Harvey Expected To Raise Florida Gas Prices

Gasoline prices in Florida are expected to jump in the next week after Hurricane Harvey’s landfall in Texas Friday night.

Oil refineries sit in the  path of the storm, and much of the gas that Florida receives is shipped across the Gulf of Mexico from those refineries.

W.D. Williams, a spokesman for AAA Auto Club, said prices could jump between 10 and 30 cents over the next week, depending on how bad the storm is.

“When the refineries are impacted by a storm such as a hurricane, it shuts them down,” Williams said. “The wind interrupts the power supply. You’ll have flooding that interrupts operations. That means there is going to be no gasoline being produced for a bit of time.”

Williams said  with Harvey making landfall as a Category 4 storm, some refineries could be offline for up to three weeks.

NorthEscambia.com photo.

Pensacola Episode Of ‘The Great Food Truck Race’ Airs Tonight On Food Network

An episode of the Food Network reality TV competition show “The Great Food Truck Race” filmed in Pensacola last May will air tonight on the Food Network.

For lunch aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Commanding Officer Capt. Christopher Martin helped the show’s host, Tyler Florence, announce the winning team as decided by 50 service members who acted as judges in a taste testing.

Then it was off to downtown Pensacola for the competitors,  who are vying to win their food truck plus $50,000.  Several trucks set up at the Pensacola City Hall, while others found vending location along the Palafox Street area.

The Great Food Truck Race episode “Battle for the South: New Marching Orders” airs at 8 p.m. on the Food Network.

Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Wait Is Over For Death Penalty

After more than a year-and-a-half hiatus, Florida carried out an execution this week, putting to death a prisoner convicted of murdering two men in Jacksonville 30 years ago.

The delay was caused by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and subsequent court decisions that forced Florida to overhaul its death-penalty sentencing system. Thursday’s execution also was the first use of a new three-drug lethal injection procedure, which drew a legal challenge.

The execution of Mark James Asay occurred without incident, raising the possibility that the state could resume a more rapid pace of executions. There are still 360 prisoners on Florida’s Death Row, with Dean Kilgore, a prisoner from Polk County, having been there the longest, at more than 46 years.

Meanwhile this week, the debate over Confederate monuments continued, with Gov. Rick Scott contending it will be up to the Legislature to decide whether to remove a memorial from the Capitol grounds.

Also, the Florida Senate lost one of its former members, when Greg Evers died Monday night in a single-vehicle accident near his home in Okaloosa County.

And three Democratic candidates for governor were united in their pledge to support legislation aimed at prohibiting workplace and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

FLORIDA RESUMES EXECUTIONS

Asay was executed Thursday evening after spending nearly three decades on Death Row. He was the state’s first inmate to be put to death in more than 19 months and the first executed under a lethal-injection procedure never used before in Florida or any other state.

Asay’s execution at Florida State Prison was the first since a January 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision, in a case known as Hurst v. Florida, that effectively put the state’s death penalty in limbo. He also was the first white man executed for killing a black victim in Florida.

The lack of complications with the previously untested lethal-injection procedure may have eased concerns about Florida’s new three-drug protocol.

“The execution took place without incident,” Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady told reporters gathered in a staging area beside the prison. “Our objective with this is a humane and dignified process, which was done this evening.”

Asay was convicted in 1988 of the shooting deaths of Robert Booker, who was black, and Robert McDowell.

Asay allegedly shot Booker after calling him a racial epithet. He then killed McDowell, who was dressed as a woman, after agreeing to pay him for oral sex. According to court documents, Asay — who had white supremacist and swastika tattoos — later told a friend that McDowell had previously cheated him out of money in a drug deal.

A MONUMENTAL UPROAR

The debate over Civil War monuments on public property continued, with Scott saying it’s up to the Legislature to decide whether to remove a Confederate soldier memorial from the Capitol grounds.

Democratic gubernatorial candidates and the Florida NAACP are among a chorus of people calling for Scott to relocate the memorial outside the Old Capitol or to hold a special legislative session on the future of Confederate monuments on public property. The demands, at least in part, are a reaction to a white supremacist rally this month in Charlottesville, Va., that turned deadly.

“We’ve got a regular (legislative) session that starts in January, so that’s just a few months away,” Scott told reporters after an Enterprise Florida board meeting in Fort Lauderdale.

The Confederate soldier memorial has stood outside the Old Capitol since 1882.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat expected to face an election challenge from Scott next year, tweeted Tuesday that “Confederate statues belong in a historical museum or cemetery, not in a place of honor.”

The corrective tweet came a day after the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Nelson said, “I think leaving it up to the good sense of the communities involved is the best thing to do.”

And the debate stretched to the U.S. Capitol, with state Sen. Perry Thurston, D-Fort Lauderdale, and state Rep. Patrick Henry, D-Daytona Beach, filing legislation to have the likeness of a civil rights leader and educator replace a Confederate general in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

Thurston and Henry want Mary McLeod Bethune, who founded what is now Bethune-Cookman University, to replace Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby as one of Florida’s two representative statutes in the national Capitol.

The legislation will be considered when lawmakers begin the 2018 session in January.

A PANHANDLE TRAGEDY

Tributes and condolences poured in this week from elected officials and others after reports that Evers had died Monday night.

“Ann and I are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Sen. Greg Evers,” Scott tweeted, referring to his wife, Ann. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.”

The Florida Highway Patrol said Evers, 62, failed to negotiate a curve on a road near Baker, with his pickup truck ending up submerged in a roadside creek where he was found Tuesday. Evers ran a farm that was well known for its strawberries.

“Greg passionately represented his district for many years in both the House and Senate,” Senate President Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said in a statement. “He was especially dedicated to the men and women of his community who were serving or had served in the military, as well as our fellow Floridians across the state who serve as corrections officers.”

A native of Milton, Evers, a Republican, served nine years in the Florida House before his election to the Senate in 2010. Evers left his Senate seat last year to make a bid for the U.S. House but lost the Republican primary to U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Evers’ funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in Milton.

IT’S PERSONAL

Three Democratic candidates for governor pledged to support legislation that would prohibit discrimination in jobs and housing based on sexual orientation.

Despite support from the business community, the legislation, known as the “Competitive Workforce Act,” has stalled in the Legislature in recent years. Also, a call for Scott to use his executive power to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in state agencies has gone unheeded.

“If you elect me governor, you won’t have to wait any longer,” Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum told the LGBTA Democratic Caucus, which represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“Florida is too big, too proud, too diverse a state for our politics to reflect an error of yesteryear, yesterdecade, yestercentury,” Gillum said during a caucus conference Saturday in Tallahassee.

Candidate Chris King, a Winter Park businessman, said passing the anti-discrimination law is morally and economically right for the state.

“I want to make sure everyone is comfortable here, everyone is safe here, everyone is protected here,” King said.

Former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee said she would work to “stop discrimination in its tracks.”

“We’re going to protect every Floridian, no matter what color their skin is, where they come from, or who they love,” Graham said.

All three candidates said, if elected in November 2018, they would sign an executive order banning discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in state agencies.

Two candidates talked about how ending discrimination was personal for them.

King talked about the discrimination faced by his older brother, David, growing up as a gay man in the South. He said his brother, who moved to California, took his own life at age 30 after battling depression and mental illness.

King said his brother’s experience has compelled him to make anti-discrimination initiatives a centerpiece of his campaign and underscored the importance of speaking “with moral clarity on these issues.”

“I promise you I will,” King told the caucus. “I will give it my best shot.”

Gillum said his older brother, Terrance, faced similar discrimination as a young gay man in Gainesville, moving to California as soon as he could “so that he could live and be himself.”

Gillum said throughout his 15-year public career he has spoken out for LGBT issues.

“Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but it was my little way of showing my big brother that I saw him,” he said.

STORY OF THE WEEK: Florida carried out its first execution since January 2016. Mark James Asay, convicted of killing two Jacksonville men in 1987, died by lethal injection Thursday evening.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Despite the university’s sympathy for plaintiff and all of the students, employees and other members of the FSU community who were exposed to the shooting, it respectfully denies that it is liable in any sum or manner for the action of a madman,” Florida State University said in a court document, asking for the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a former student who was paralyzed by a 2014 shooting at the university’s Strozier Library.

by Lloyd Dunkelberger, The News Service of Florida

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