Charlotte Mae Mendenhall-Rich
July 4, 2018
Charlotte Mae Mendenhall-Rich 79, of Pensacola FL, passed away on Saturday, June 23, 2018. Charlotte was loved and known affectionately by many as Mother Rich.
Mother Rich was born on July 8, 1938 to Kitty Wright and Albritton Mendenhall in Camden, Alabama and raised by her Paternal Aunt Ora Lee Mendenhall-McDaniel and was the second oldest of six children. She and her family later moved to Pensacola, FL.
She and her family joined St. James Missionary Baptist Church in 1957. She later joined Oakfield Union Baptist Church where her son Rev. T. Roosevelt Rich serves as Pastor, where she served as the dedicated President of the Mother’s Board.
Mother Rich was prayerful, compassionate, loving and generous.
Her family and dearest friends are left with fond and loving memories.
Mother Rich is preceded in death by her husband, Deacon Will Rich, sons, Nathaniel and Willie Rich, granddaughter Quanteka Rich, a brother, sister, aunts and uncles and her parents.
She leaves to cherish her five children. Sons, Pastor Roosevelt (Lillie) Rich and Minister David (Patricia) Rich of Pensacola, FL and Daughters, Linda Rich of San Diego, CA., Brenda Carey and Charlotte Renee Hughes of Pensacola, FL. A Daughter in-law Bessie Ford, Brother: Leo Mendenhall, Augusta, GA, and her Goddaughter Suronico (Curtis) McIntyre, nineteen grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Services will be held Saturday, July 7, 2018 at 1:00 pm at St. James Missionary Baptist Church, Elder Charles Thomas, Pastor and Rev. T. Roosevelt, Pastor of Oakfield Union Baptist Church officiating.
Cynthia Perdue Hensley
July 4, 2018
Mrs. Cynthia Perdue Hensley, 65, of Molino passed away on Saturday, June 30, 2018. She was born on November 28, 1952, to the late Wyeth and Nellie Perdue in Butler County, Alabama.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Hensley and brother, Micky Perdue. She is survived by her son, Chad (Tabatha) Welch, granddaughter Haley Galloway, sister Sherry (Ray) Chance, and numerous nieces and nephews whom she loved as if they were her own. Her kind, caring, and patient nature earned friendships with anyone she came in contact with, and her friends were always welcomed into her family. She had an amazing talent of making everyone feel special, and those acts will always be treasured.
Pallbearers will be Charles Moyers, Pat Dailey, Kenny Ogwynn, Mike Elliott, Jimmy Elliott and Ray Harrell.
Visitation will be Thursday, July 5, 2018, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, FL. Funeral Service will be at 11:00 AM. Interment will be at Pensacola Memorial Gardens.
Charles Eugene Gilley
July 4, 2018
Mr. Charles Eugene Gilley, age 71, passed away on Saturday, July 1, 2018 at his home in Bratt, Florida.
Mr. Gilley was a native and life long resident of Bratt, FL. He was a retired CSX Conductor with 36 years of service and a member of the Bratt First Baptist Church. He is preceded in death by his parents, Ezra and Algy Mae Gilley and one brother, James Gilley.
Survivors include his wife of 48 ½ years, Rose Gilley of Bratt, FL; one son, Charles Eric (Kerri) Gilley of Bratt, FL; two daughters, Crystal Gilley (Josh) Calvert of Flomaton, AL and Deana Gilley (Jonathan) Edwards of Branson, MI; three sisters, Betty Jean Hall of Bratt, FL, Yvonne Aden of Bratt, FL and Sharron Murell of Byrneville, FL; eight grandchildren; one great grandchild and special son-in-law, Ben Brown of Atmore, AL.
Funeral services will be Friday, July 6, 2018 at 10:00 AM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Otis Thames and Mr. Terry Bryan officiating.
Burial will follow at the Godwin Cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, July 5, 2018 from 6 to 8 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Ben Brown, Josh Calvert, Wade Stoker, Carlee Edwards, David Amerson and Edward Gilman.
George Marion Colbert
July 4, 2018
George Marion Colbert, 57 of Atmore, AL, passed away Monday July 2, 2018, in Atmore, AL. He was an industrial insulator , born in Atmore, AL, on January 20, 1961m to the late Cullen and Iona Elmira “Dot” Woods Colbert. He was a member of Bratt Assembly of God Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Glenda Fay Colbert and Linda Theon Colbert.
Survivors are his wife, Terry Kirby Colbert of Atmore, AL; daughter Delica Rabb of Monroeville, ALl brother, Robbie (Judy) Colbert of Perdido, AL; and two grandchildren Charity and Destinee.
Graveside services will be Thursday July 5, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. in Perdido Baptist Cemetery with Bro. Rick Maharrey officiating. Interment will follow in Perdido Baptist Cemetery.
Family will receive friends Thursday July 5, 2018, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home from 10-11 a.m.
Man Charged With Impersonating A Police Officer
July 3, 2018
The Pensacola Police Department has arrested a man for impersonating a police officer.
Stephen Williams, 39, was charged for the incident after he contacted people in the area of the Pensacola Village apartments in recent days indicating that he was a detective with the Pensacola Police Department, the agency said. He told the residents that he was investigating a missing persons case.
Pensacola Police said he has never been an employee of the department.
Williams was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
Overnight Drive-by Shooting In Molino Under Investigation
July 3, 2018
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect after a drive-by shooting early Tuesday morning in Molino.
At 1:23 a.m., a resident of Cedartown Road near Allen Circle reported that someone in an unknown type vehicle opened fire at a residential trailer and an unoccupied vehicle, according to Amber Southard, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
She said responding deputies did locate shell casings in the roadway.
There were no injuries reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620, Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Two Injured In 297A Crash
July 3, 2018
Two people were injured in a two vehicle crash Tuesday morning on Highway 297A and Ashbury Lane, just south of County Road 97.. Both were transported to area hospitals by Escambia County EMS.
A third person was not injured in the 8:15 a.m. accident. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Collapse At Molino Bridge Project, Work Halted For FDOT Review; Second Similar Failure Weeks Ago
July 3, 2018
[EXCLUSIVE] There was a collapse at a bridge under construction in Molino on Saturday, the second failure incident in less than a month, and construction has been halted while the bridge’s engineering is reassessed, NorthEscambia.com has learned.
Saturday at the Barrineau Park Road (Hwy. 196) bridge over Jacks Branch, concrete for a bridge deck span was being poured into temporary forms when a rod and temporary truss failed, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. That caused two deck spans of concrete that had not hardened to fall into water below.
“Workers in the area noticed a ‘dip’ as they were pouring the concrete and attempted a repair, but the form system collapsed,” FDOT District 3 Public Information Director Ian Satter told NorthEscambia.com. There were no injuries, and the concrete does not pose an environmental hazard.
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About three weeks ago, crews were attempting to place concrete in another deck form that failed, causing the deck and truss under the form to sag, he said. That section of bridge deck was removed by the contractor (photos at page bottom).
Monday, Satter said construction on the $1.97 million FDOT-funded project was halted after Saturday’s collapse while the entire engineering plan for the bridge is evaluated.
“We are assessing everything out there, and we (FDOT) are doing everything to assure this will not happen again,” Satter said. “There are no construction related activities on the bridge right now. They are cleaning up the site and reassessed engineering plans will be submitted to FDOT.”
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He stressed that an independent team monitors the construction of each bridge for FDOT, and each bridge must pass multiple inspections before being opened to the public. “We will have a safe bridge in place,” he said.
GDB-US Constructors, Inc. of Parish, FL, is the contractor on the project, the lowest of four bidders. Satter said to his knowledge, this is their first bridge project in FDOT District 3, which includes the area from Pensacola to Tallahassee.
The original bridge contract specified a fall completion for the project. So far there is no indication that the two incidents will prevent the bridge from being completed on time, according to FDOT.
Barrineau Park Road at Jacks Branch has been closed since January with traffic detoured via Highway 29, Molino Road (Hwy. 182), and Highway 95A.
Photos obtained by NorthEscambia.com and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pictured below: Sections of concrete bridge deck removed from the bridge after it began to sag three weeks ago can be seen to the right of the bridge.
So This Beaver Heads Down To The Liquor Store On Highway 29…
July 3, 2018
A larger beaver was spotted alongside Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road, right in front of a liquor store, and it’s getting a lot of attention (and a lot of bad puns) on social media. Rick Littlefield said he was surprised to see the beaver, and it retreated into the drainage ditch shortly after these photos. Other local residents say they have seen beavers by the busy highway before. Photos courtesy Rick Littlefield for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Gets 20 Years After Road Rage Incident
July 3, 2018
An Escambia County man is headed to prison after a road rage incident.
Daniel Thomas Fountain,27, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Thomas Dannheisser to 20 years in state prison to include a five-year minimum mandatory. This means the defendant will serve the first five years of his sentence day for day and he will serve at least 85 percent of the remaining 15 years.
A road rage incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. on March 5, 2017, when the victim was traveling to work on Rainbow Drive in a residential neighborhood. When he pulled up to a speed bump, he noticed a black Lexus sitting on the opposite side of the road, facing in the opposite direction of his vehicle. The driver’s window of the Lexus was down and the defendant was hanging out of the window. The victim was side by side with Fountain.
When the victim passed Fountain, he looked back and Fountain fired three shots at the victim’s car and sped off. The victim gave law enforcement a detailed description of the suspect and the vehicle.
A few hours later, law enforcement responded to a disturbance involving a firearm at the home of Fountain’s girlfriend. Fountain was present in a black Lexus that matched the description fro the Rainbow Drive shooting. The victim later identified Fountain from a photo lineup.