New Escambia County Annual Report Available Online
January 12, 2018
The Fiscal Year 2016-17 Escambia County Board of County Commissioners’ Annual Report is now available online and in printable PDF form, featuring a variety of county-related information for citizens.
To view the annual report, click here. To download the PDF version, click here.
Escambia County’s annual report is filled with information about county services throughout the community, ongoing county projects and an overview of accomplishments during the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2016 and ended Sept. 30, 2017.
The annual report also allows residents to easily access statistics, review the county’s organizational chart and learn more about the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners and its departments. The statistics and budget pages include data about grant funding, local option sales tax spending and more.
Betty Jean Price
January 12, 2018
Mrs. Betty Jean Price, age 75, of Flomaton, AL passed away on Friday, January 12, 2018 in Pensacola, FL.
Mrs. Price was born in Century, FL and had been a resident of the Flomaton community where she was a homemaker and a member of Little Escambia Baptist Church. She loved to sew, crochet, and playing with her grandbabies. She loved her cat, Little Bob. Mrs. Price was preceded in death by her parents, Lewis and Louise Knowles Carnley; her husband, William ‘Bill’ Price, and son, Warren ‘BoBo’ Burkett.
She is survived by her daughters, Ruby (Mark) Bagley of Jay, FL, Nancy (Joe) Heins of Denver, CO, Neva (Jeff) McQuarrie of Dumfries, VA; son, Jonathan Price of Pensacola, FL; nine grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Monday, January 15, 2018 at Little Escambia Baptist Church from 1 PM until a 2 PM service time with Dr. Larry Patterson and Rev. Jonathan Hill officiating.
Intement will follow in Little Escambia Church Cemetery, Flomaton, AL.
Pallbearer will be Christopher Miller, Mark Bagley, Joe Heins, Levi Findley, Kevin Gray, Tommy Knowles, Billy Ray Watson.
Ronald David Goodman
January 12, 2018
Ronald David Goodman, age 61 of Cantonment, Florida, left his earthly home and went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, January 6, 2018.
He was preceded in death by his father, Rev. Hal T. Goodman, Sr. and his sister, Julie Burnette Goodman.
He is survived by his wife – Karen Williams Goodman, his mother – Nelle Burnette Goodman, sister – Rhetta Goodman, brother, Hal T. “Tim” Goodman, Jr., parents-in-law – Rev. Curtis and Mrs. Dolly Williams, several aunts, uncles and cousins, and many sons, daughters, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Apple of His Eye Ministries, P.O. Box 22, Cantonment, Florida .
There were very few times in Ron’s life when he got in a hurry. The first was at his birth – late on a chilly December night our parents almost did not make it to the hospital before he appeared in the wee hours of December 27. Then, last Saturday night, he left this earth very quickly to go be with His Lord, without even saying good-bye.
Ron was born “the son of a preacher man,” hearing about Jesus from the very beginning. When he was 3 or 4 years old he was riding his tricycle in the back yard while Mama was hanging out clothes. He said, “Mama, Rhetta is saved, isn’t she?” Mama said yes. He then asked, “I’m not saved, am I?” Mama said, “No, do you want to be?” He did, and she led him in asking Jesus to be His Savior. Did he live like Jesus, from that day on? No, like most of the rest of us he hit some rough spots along the way, especially as a young teen. But in his junior or senior year of high school – he had a literal “upper room” experience with the Lord. He was baptized with the Holy Spirit and answered the Lord’s call to serve Him with the many gifts he had been given as guitarist, vocalist, psalmist, teacher. His passion in life was making music to glorify God. He was a gifted musician and psalmist – one of the best guitarists and vocalists around!
After graduating from Anniston High School in Anniston, AL in 1974, he enrolled in Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, GA, and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Ministries in 1978. While there he sang in a Gospel Quartet and helped form and play in what probably was the first Christian Rock Band on campus.
He served in various capacities of ministry after college in the Huntsville, AL/Fayetteville, TN area – where he also had a job as the “slaw chef” at a local KFC. He served as pastor of a small congregation in Enterprise, AL. He came to the Cantonment area and served as a youth leader at Cantonment Pentecostal Holiness Church where his dad was pastor. Several young men testify of his impact on their lives during this time of ministry.
He courted and married Karen “Kay” Williams, he would say one of the best things he ever did. They settled in Pensacola and he took a position as Job Estimator for a commercial paint contractor. He stayed with that career choice. His last boss, Wilson Robertson, once said he was the best job estimator around. He was employed by Robertson-Curtis at the time of his passing.
Ron was privileged to become a part of the Brownsville Revival – singing on the worship team, in the choir and playing his guitar. He and Karen later established Apple of His Eye Ministries which included a fellowship group in their home and ministry to Israel – where he took every opportunity to lead people into the presence of the Lord through music.
Three years ago, last December, Ron suffered a stroke, which greatly affected his ability to express his musical gifts. That, combined with his on-going battle with diabetes and its effects, were very hard on him, physically and emotionally. We were praying for God to completely restore him, and He chose to do just that, just not in the way our minds had pre-conceived. He is now completely made whole and in the Presence of Jesus, our Savior and Lord!
Friends were invited to a visitation with the family on Friday, January 12, 2018 at Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home which was immediately followed by a service.
Arrangements were entrusted to Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home.
Melvin Findley
January 12, 2018
Mr. Melvin Findley, age 85, passed away on Thursday, January 11, 2018 in Pensacola, Florida.
Mr. Findley was a native and life long resident of Century, FL. He was an RN for 35 years with various local hospitals and nursing homes. He was a member of the Poplar Dell Baptist Church. He is preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Sarah Findley, granddaughter, Lori Simmons, great granddaughter, Zoey Simmons and two brothers, Paul Findley and Shorty Findley.
He is survived by his two daughters, Brenda Jernigan of Byrneville, FL and Cathy (Jacky) Smith of Flomaton, AL; one sister, Sharon Hood of Brierfiled, AL; one grandchild, Natasha Crapps of Molino, FL and two great grandchildren, Jaden Simmons of Flomaton, AL and Sarah Crapps of Molino, FL.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 2:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Mitch Herring officiating.
Burial will follow at the Flomaton Cemetery.
Visitation will be Saturday, January 13, 2018 from 6 to 9 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Eugene Findley, Danny Findley, David Findley, Larry Stuckey, Eric Dortch and Jake Wright.
William Lawrence Smith III
January 12, 2018
William Lawrence Smith III, age 76, passed away peacefully January 11, 2018.
He was born and raised in Homestead, Florida. He graduated from South Dade Senior High (Class of ‘59). He retired as a meat market manager for Publix Supermarkets.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary Smith.
He will be forever loved and remembered by his wife, Pauline; daughter, Shannon Grandey; granddaughter, Savannah Grandey; stepdaughter, Susan Stephens; stepson and daughter-in- law, John and Tonya Stephens; step grandchildren, Mallory Stephens, Chance Stephens, and Kaitlyn Stephens; sister, Linda Bonham.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 14, 2018, from 5-7 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held, Monday January 15, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Pensacola Memorial Gardens at 7433 Pine Forest Road.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with arrangements.
Jerry O’Neal Carver
January 12, 2018
Jerry O’Neal Carver, 62, a native of Atmore, AL passed away January 8, 2018. For approximately 18 years he worked as a union insulator as a subcontractor. Jerry was an avid turkey hunter and an outdoorsman. He was always a happy-go- lucky person who never met a stranger. Jerry was an extremely talented artist who built bird houses which looked like log cabins, stained glass art especially angels, and homemade knives. He was very active in Carney Lodge 549, F&AM of
Atmore, AL.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Paul D. and Velma Carver and his wife, June Mathis Carver. Survivors are his children: Bridget (Christopher) Stanley; Leighton (Missy) Spicer David (Rachel) Spicer and Alidia (Ed) Tecon; a brother and two nieces; six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A graveside service with Masonic Honors will be conducted at Oak Hill Cemetery at 2:00 PM Sunday, January 14, 2018.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Firefighters Save Dog From Molino Mobile Home Fire; Two People Displaced
January 11, 2018
Thursday morning, firefighters saved a small dog from a mobile home fire in Molino that displaced two people.
The fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. on Rumford Road off Duxbury Avenue. Firefighters arrived to find light smoke coming from the 2,000 square foot mobile home. The fire reportedly originated in the the laundry room.
During a search of the home, a small dog was located and removed from the structure. Escambia County EMS provided the dog with oxygen and water.
Two adults living in the mobile home were temporarily displaced by the fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park Road To Close For Jacks Branch Bridge Replacement
January 11, 2018
Construction activities are scheduled to begin the week of January 22, 2018 on Barrineau Park Road (Hwy. 196) over Jacks Branch in Escambia County. Crews will remove and replace the bridge over Jacks Branch, add new guardrail, and reconstruct the approach slabs.
Barrineau Park Road will be closed and traffic detoured via Highway 29, Molino Road (Hwy. 182), and Highway 95A. The $1.97 million project is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2018.
FDOT graphics for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Moves In, Then Cold Air Returns
January 11, 2018
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northwest wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 46. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 25. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 26. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
M.L.King Day: Sunny, with a high near 52.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 29.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.
The Story Of A Miracle At Tate High’s Ag Department
January 11, 2018
Tate High School Ag Teacher Leanne Jenkins tells the story of ‘Miracle” a calf born at the school during our extreme January cold. It’s a story of survival, the story of an emergency van ride for the calf, and the story of a miracle.
Do you believe in miracles? I truly have witnessed a miracle this past week.
I am sure some of you have seen or heard about my coworkers and I driving my minivan to the vet with a calf in the back. I would love to share the entire story with you because I feel like the Lord is up to something with this small life.
Last Thursday, I took my 5th period class out to the land lab to check on the animals. Another ag teacher had mentioned one of the cows was showing signs of labor. We walked to the back pasture and got close enough to see that momma had just delivered a baby. We could tell the baby was breathing, but it was not moving and had not lifted its head. This was not alarming to us, since it had just been delivered.
We checked on the momma and baby again the next class period and baby was still not moving. We came out again an hour later and begin to be concerned when we saw the baby shivering and still not lifting its head. My coworkers and I quickly got a truck and brought the calf to the barnyard. It was unusually cold in Florida – the school even cancelled after school activities because of the freezing temperatures and 16 MPH winds. We got the baby under heat lamps and blankets and began rubbing it hoping to get the blood circulating. We thought it would die any second. Being too weak to stand, there was no way for this baby to nurse. We ran to the store, purchased colostrum and fed the calf. Within about an hour, it was trying to stand and seemed to be perking up. We attempted another bottle a few hours later with no success. I said a prayer for the sweet baby and my coworker said, “we’re going to go ahead and name him Miracle.”
The next day, Miracle continued to get weaker. We got the momma-cow in the shoot and milked her. We tried to feed Miracle and he was too weak to suck. I called my husband, Zach, and told him, “will you please bring the minivan to the school with a tarp so we can take Miracle to the vet.” He hurried over and we rushed to the Animal Hospital. By the time we got there, his eyes were rolled back in his head and he had very little pulse. The vet used a piece of equipment to feed a tube down his throat to fill his stomach with his momma’s colostrum we had collected. Within minutes he seemed to be feeling better. We later brought him back to school and locked him in a pen with his momma.
The next morning, with coaching, we were able to get him hooked up to his momma and he has continued to get healthier ever since. Today, I took my class out to check on him and he was acting especially frisky – we talked about how he was truly living up to his name.
THEN, the craziest thing happened. I took out my phone to take a picture of Miracle to send to my mother (she has been worried about him). She responded with “did you cause the brightness around him, or is that just his miracle self?” I thought, “huh??” I looked back at the picture and saw Miracle GLOWING! Y’all, I cannot explain this picture, but I can tell you the Lord has had his hands on this little life. We did not expect this little guy to live, but we refused to give up hope or stop trying to help. I loved sharing his story with all of my students and showing how every life is meaningful and precious. He has put a smile on the face of so many students and I am thankful we have been privileged to have him born on our farm. We typically sell all males born on our farm, but we decided today, Miracle is here to stay!
You’ll hear people say, “Let nature take its course,” but our new motto is, “do everything you can and believe in Miracles.”