Margaret A. Collier
March 13, 2019
Margaret A. Collier, 92, of Century, FL passed away Wednesday, March 13, 2019.
Mrs. Collier was born in Groveland, MA and had resided in Florida since 1930 and Northwest Florida since 1951. She was a long time member of Century United Methodist Church and the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society of Century.
Mrs. Collier was a retired school teacher.
Preceding Mrs. Collier is her husband of 47 years, M.L. Collier.
Survivors include her 2 sons, Neal Collier (Sandy) and A. C. Collier (Sharon); 3 grandchildren Allison Collier Leja (Adam), Katie Collier Plumley (Colton) and Karena McCafferty; 5 great grandchildren, Noah Leja, Ella Leji, Elliott Plumley, Jacob McCafferty and Erin McCafferty.
The family will receive friends at Century United Methodist Church on Monday, March 18, 2019 from 10 AM until the service begins at 11 AM. Pastor Janet Lee will officiate.
A graveside committal service will be held at Pensacola Memorial Gardens on Monday at 2:30 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorial donations be made to Century United Methodist Church P.O. Box 245 Century, FL 32535 or to the Alger-Sullivan Historical Society 610 4th Street Century, FL 32535.
Vera Inez Corley
March 13, 2019
Vera Inez Corley, 79 of Cantonment, Florida passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
Vera was a homemaker for her family and was a member of Farm Hill Baptist Church. She was a great lover of animals, and found comfort collecting them, even the injured ones.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 39 years, Arthur Raymond Corley, daughter, Lori Ann Williams, son Arthur Raymond Corley II, and her parents George E & Maggie Lou Jacobson.
She is survived by her 2 daughters, Kristina Lynn and Rhonda Denise Corley. She is survived by her sisters, Shirley Roberts, Betty Moody, and brother Charles Jacobson. She has 4 grandchildren, Vivian (Chris) Stockwell, Valerie Lowe, Joseph Lowe and Arthur Raymond Corley III, and 5 great-grandchildren, and several fur babies.
A visitation will be held at Pensacola Memorial Gardens on Wednesday, March 13th, 2019, from 1pm until the service begins at 2pm.
The family would like to thank Emerald Coast Hospice for their heartfelt care for her during the past year. Janelle, Ms Evelyn, Jason and David were a great comfort during this journey, as well as family and friends who were with her.
Ruby Janette Burgett
March 13, 2019
Ruby Janette Burgett, 84, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2019. Janette worked at Chemstrand as a machine operator and later at Vanity Fair as a seamstress. She enjoyed fishing and camping with her family along the rivers near her home in Molino. Her favorite pastimes were spending time with her two grandsons, cuddling with her great grandson and playing a game of Canasta around a table with family. She was always quick witted and loved a good laugh. She also loved to tell stories from her childhood adventures with her brother, Everett.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Rosa Lee Eddins and her sister, Lorine DeVore.
She is survived by her husband, Melvin Burgett; daughter Janis (Clarence)Yvette Patterson; grandsons Chad (Sara) Patterson and Casey (Katrina) Patterson; great grandson, Gavin Patterson; brother, Evertt Eddins and her sister, Katherine (Gene) Rowell.
Pallbearers will be, Casey Patterson, Clarence Patterson, Fred Howard Burgett, Kenneth Burgett, Bill Eddins and Trevor Hoffman.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2019 beginning at 10:00AM with the service to follow at 11AM at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North. Burial to follow at Little Pine Barren Cemetery.
William “Billy” Coker, Jr.
March 13, 2019
Mr. William “Billy” Coker, Jr., age 77, passed away on Monday, March 11, 2019 in Atmore, Alabama.
Mr. Coker was a native of Huxford, AL and had resided in Atmore, AL for most of his life. He was of the Baptist Faith. He is preceded in death by his wife of 49 years, Anita Mason Coker; parents, William E. and Jessie Coker; one brother, Elbert Coker and two sisters, Evelyn Thurman and Bobbie Stallworth.
He is survived by his two sons, Rodney (Sharon) Coker of Atmore, AL and Billy Joe (Elyssa) Coker of Largo, FL; two daughters, Deana Coker (Joseph Hubbird) of Nokomis, FL and Brenda Coker of Atmore, AL; two brothers, George Coker of Dothan, AL and Jimmy (Suzie) Coker of Atmore, AL; three sisters, Millie Purvis of Atmore, AL, Peggy (JC) Moye of Atmore, AL and Faye (Mike) Morris of Molino, FL; six grandchildren, Connie Colbert Bartlett, Dustin Colbert, Jordan Coker, Dylan Coker, Madison Coker and Ellison Lee and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, March 17, 2019 at 2:00 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Minister Maurice Square officiating.
Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, March 16, 2019 from 6 to 8 PM at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Colbert, Danny Gorum, Kevin Faircloth, Isiah Carter, Travis Bartlett and Brett Gorum.
Honorary Pallbearer will be Byron Von.
Work Release Inmate Steals Law Enforcement Vehicle And Escapes; Truck Found Near Jay
March 12, 2019
UPDATE: THE INMATE WAS RECAPTURED WEDNESDAY. CLICK FOR UPDATE.
A manhunt is underway for an escaped work release inmate that stole a sheriff’s office vehicle today near Flomaton.
Herbert Randal Adams, 28, took an Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office pickup truck from a work site on Highway 113 north of Flomaton, according to Sheriff Heath Jackson. He was last seen headed south on Highway 113 toward Flomaton.
The pickup was described as a blue Ford F150 with a sheriff’s star logo on both doors. Officers gave chase in a second vehicle that was on the work release site, but they were unable to catch up with Adams. The truck was later located on Morristown Road in Jay, but Adams was not around the vehicle.
Adams was jailed on a drug charges. Law enforcement agencies from Alabama and Florida were involved in the manhunt.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office at (251) 809-0741 or 911.
No Serious Injuries In East Kingsfield Wreck
March 12, 2019
There were no serious injuries in a crash about 3:20 Tuesday afternoon on East Kingsfield Road at Pompano Street in Cantonment, just west of Highway 29. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Grand Jury Indicts Two For Murder Of Beulah Convenience Store Clerk
March 12, 2019
A grand jury has indicted two people for the murder of a convenience store in Beulah.
The grand returned indictments of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery against Efidarius Gemeateus Bryant and Keandra Martez Smith.
The indictments stem from the death of Govardhan “Reddy” Kotha, a clerk at the Quick Fill gas station located at 7144 Mobile Highway on February 19. Bryant and Smith are being held on no bond with an arraignment set for Thursday.
A third person, Crystal Clausell, is being charged with conspiracy to commit robbery. Her arraignment is also set for Thursday.
A customer that entered the store the night of February 19 called authorities because he did not see a clerk in the store and the register drawer was open. Deputies arrived to find that Kotha, 50, was shot in the head and chest.
On the surveillance video, deputies watched as Smith entered the store in a gray hoodie. He purchased sunflower seeds and left the store. Then Bryant entered the store wearing mask, brandishing a 9mm semi-automatic automatic handgun at Kotha. A short time later, he lifted the cash register draw and fired two shots at Kotha, hitting him in the upper chest and head, according to a report.
Smith, according to the report, left the store without taking any cash.
By early morning, surveillance images were posted on social media and news media, including NorthEscambia.com. A tipster came forward an identified one of the suspects as Smith to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, wearing the same hoodie as in the surveillance video. A police report notes he was distraught and crying hysterically.
At no point did Smith attempt to render first aid to Kotha, contact emergency medical services or reach out to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the report revealed.
Smith provided his DNA to autorities, according to the report.
Clausell and Bryant were dating, the investigation revealed.
Identity Released Of Worker Killed In Bulldozer Accident During ECUA Controlled Burn
March 12, 2019
Authorities have identified a man killed Saturday when he was struck a bulldozer during a controlled burn in Cantonment.
Daryl Bradley Holland, 38, was pronounced deceased on the scene deep in a wooded area south of Becks Lake Road. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Holland was the bulldozer operator.
“He got off in an attempt to remove a tree or large limb lodged in the tracks,” Maj. Andrew Hobbs said Monday afternoon. “The bulldozer wasn’t all the way out of gear. When it was un-jammed, the bulldozer lurched forward.”
Holland was working for HHH Construction of NWF, which was a subcontractor of Munroe Forest & Wildlife Management on the burn, according to Nathalie Bowers, public information officer for the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority.
Approximately 900 acres near the ECUA’s Central Water Reclamation Facility were set to be burned in a three day period that ended Saturday as part of ECUA’s management plan for the ecological restoration of forest lands on the property.
Pictured: LifeFlight on standby at a bulldozer accident Saturday in Cantonment. The accident occurred deep in the woods, south of the the pictured location. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggie Freshmen Beat Navarre
March 12, 2019
The Tate Aggies and Navarre played to a 5-5 tie Monday night in Navarre.
Warren Henke, Saxon Hill and Dagan Guy each had two hits for the Aggies. Paul Whitson, Kirk Mosley, Wiley Griffin and Tucker Griffin had one hit. Tucker Griffin, Saxon Hill, Kirk Mosley, Wiley Griffin each had a double.
A Mild Day Without Rain
March 12, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 75. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms. Low around 58. South wind around 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. North wind around 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69.