Larry G. Talmage
March 10, 2019
Larry G. Talmage, 72 of Walnut Hill, FL passed away Thursday, February 28, 2019, at his residence. He was a heavy equipment operator for many years. He was born on January 11, 1947, in Atmore, AL to the late Henry R. and Alyne Sample Talmage.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Janet Talmage.
Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Eddie Jo Thomley Talmage of Walnut Hill, FL; one son, Gerald Chris Luker of Cantonment, FL; one daughter, Christy (Allen) Sande of Pensacola, FL; one brother, Bobby (Pat) Talmage of Atmore, AL; two sisters, Patty (Jerry) McVay of Pensacola, FL and Barbara (Keith) Morgan of Christian Home, FL; three grandchildren, Timothy Luker, Samantha Luker, Christian Sande and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside services were held Monday, March 4, 2019, at Walnut Hill Baptist Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Jeremiah Talmage, Calem Talmage, Shannon Peavy, Brian Hall, Ricky Pierce and Gary Bryan.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
Isolated Severe Storms Possible
March 10, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 10am. Patchy fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 74. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 10 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday: Showers likely, mainly before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 63.
Century Six: ESCO Looking For Walnut Hill Woman Convicted Of Animal Abuse
March 9, 2019
A Walnut Hill woman is wanted for violating her probation in an animal cruelty case.
Amber Danielle Creighton was convicted in October 2017 of eight counts of animal cruelty and seven counts of violating Florida’s animal cruelty contagious disease law. She was sentenced to 12 moths probation and ordered not to own or care for any animals. There is now an outstanding warrant for her arrest for violating probation.
According to arrest report, animal control officers found seven adult dogs and seven puppies at her residence in the 3900 block of Highway 97 in May 2017. Records show dogs had open wounds and were suffering from scabies and “Dermanex” (sic -possible spelling error in arrest report for demodex), a highly contagious and infectious disease. Prior to being charged, Creighton had been cited multiple times and warned by Escambia County Animal Control.
Creighton is the newest member of the “Century Six” – a fugitive list from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that focuses on North Escambia area residents with outstanding warrants. She was added to the list after previous Century Six member Amber Nicole Victor was arrested on two counts of failure to appear. Victor, 29, is jailed without bond.
UWF Students Propose Solutions To Secure, Safeguard Voter Information
March 9, 2019
University of West Florida students are taking steps to create awareness and solutions for registered voter impersonation and misrepresentation, and their proposed solutions are receiving statewide recognition.
Through a sponsorship from the UWF College of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurship, junior mechanical engineering major, Samantha Brown, and senior computer science major, Christian Um Kaman recently participated in the 2019 Future of Florida Summit, where this year’s topic was Technology and Public Policy.
Brown was Tate High School’s 2017 valedictorian.
Students from 20 universities and colleges gathered at the University of Florida to draft a public policy pilot project that utilizes advances in technology and can be implemented in both state and local government election processes.
Brown, Um Kaman and eight students from several other Florida-based universities were placed on a team that worked together to create and present a Voter Identification Privacy Rights proposal. Brown, who believed she might have been susceptible to voter impersonation in last year’s midterm election, proposed the idea during a breakout session.
“Last year, I planned to participate in the midterm election, but I was unable to receive a ballot because my address was listed incorrectly online,” Brown said. “I later learned that in order to update your address you only had to provide a name and birthday.”
Over the course of the two-day competition, the team created a presentation for a panel of judges comprised of policy experts from around the state.
“During our presentation we showed the judges how easy it is to use a Google search and access a person’s address,” Brown said. “We used Sen. Marco Rubio as an example and showed his address and all of his information.”
The team’s proposal suggested making changes to a Florida Statute by preventing other citizens or third-party entities from accessing voter information and protecting anonymity by requiring more extensive authentication to access individuals’ personal voter record.
The proposal earned third place out of ten teams, which came with the reward of judges from the competition making plans to pair the team with voter data experts and other voter-focused organizations to discuss a way to make their proposal a reality.
“After attending this summit, I am excited to enact positive change in my state,” Brown said. “As students, we are are able to turn negative experiences into areas of opportunity that strengthen the election process.”
The UWF Center for Entrepreneurship also sponsored UWF students Carsen Wilber and Jessie Brown who participated in the competition on a different team. UWF student entrepreneur in residence Basil Kuloba was on the organizing committee for the summit.
Brown was recently featured on NorthEscambia as she competed on the television show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Time Change: Spring Forward (And Don’t Forget The Smoke Alarm Batteries)
March 9, 2019
Don’t forget to “spring forward” and set your clocks ahead one hour before heading off to bed Saturday night. Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, making use of longer summer days, allowing people to rise early and spend more of the day working or playing.
The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping, according to Escambia Fire Rescue.
It is also recommended that residents test smoke alarms by pushing the test button, planning “two ways out” and practicing escape routes with the entire family. Families should also prepare a fire safety kit that includes working flashlights and fresh batteries.
Communities nationwide witness tragic home fire deaths each year. An average of three children per day die in home fires and 80 percent of those occur in homes without working smoke alarms. Non-working smoke alarms rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms: worn or missing batteries.
Tragically, fire can kill selectively. Those most at risk include:
- Children — Approximately 1,000 children under the age of 20 die each year in home fires. Children under age five are at twice the risk of dying in a home fire. Eighty percent of fatal home fire victims who were children were killed in homes without working smoke alarms.
- Seniors — Adults over age 75 are three times more likely to die in home fires than the rest of the population; those over 85 are 4.5 times more likely to die in a home fire. Many seniors are unable to escape quickly.
- Low-Income Households — Many low-income families are unable to afford batteries for their smoke alarms. These same households often rely on poorly installed, maintained or misused portable or area heating equipment — a main cause of fatal home fires.
Changing smoke alarm batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke alarms every ten years.
For more information about fire safety, call Escambia County Fire Rescue at 850-475-5530 or visit the web site at www.myescambia.com.
For information about obtaining a free home smoke alarm call 850-595-HERO (4376).
Students Learn About Ag During ‘Fresh From Florida’ Event (With Gallery)
March 9, 2019
Hundreds of elementary school students learned about agriculture first hand Friday morning during the Northview High School FFA “Fresh From Florida” program in Bratt.
The program gave students a chance to make and enjoy eating their own fresh butter, get up close to farm animals and farm equipment and learn more about how food gets from the farm to their table.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Northview Fresh From Florida program has been named the best in the state multiple times by the Florida FFA, and the chapter has been recognized nationally for their efforts.’
As the even started, Northview dedicated the Glenn Key Livestock Handling Facility. Key, who passed away in 2013, taught agriculture at Ernest Ward High School for 27 years. He established numerous scholarships and education funds for agriculture students. Friday’s program was dedicated in his honor.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tough Night For Tate; Good Night For Northview
March 9, 2019
Friday night was tough for the Tate Aggies, but good for the Northview Chiefs.
BASEBALL
Pine Forest 9, Tate 3
The Tate Aggies dropped a Friday night road game to Pine Forest 9-3.
The Aggies took a 1-0 lead in the second before the Eagles pulled away for in the third with three runs and added four in the fourth.
Darrien McDowell gave up three runs on four hits in three innings while striking out three. Sam Shackle, Cole Fryman, and Jace Dunsford pitched relief.
Mason Land, Hunter McLean and McDowell had hits for the Aggies, while Michael Potts had Tate’s lone RBI.
For a Tate photo gallery, click here
(scroll down for more scores)
Northview 6, Excel 3
Northview 2, Excel 0 (JV)
For a Northview photo gallery, click here.
SOFTBALL
Niceville 6, Tate 0
Tate 17, Niceville 0 (JV)
The Niceville Eagles defeated the Tate Aggies Friday night in Niceville. In seven innings Niceville held the Aggies to just one hit from Ryleigh Cawby.
Burks took the loss for the Aggies. In three innings, she allowed three runs and four hits while walking one and striking out two.
Northview 9, Central 0
Northview beat Central Friday night at Central. Kailyn Watson had two homers for the Chiefs, and hit a foul that busted the front windshield of the team bus.
Tate photos by Crystal Tolbert for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Chances Build, Maybe Severe Storms On Sunday
March 9, 2019
Rain chances will increase as the weekend progresses with a chance of strong to severe storms Sunday into Sunday night. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Today: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. Areas of fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after noon. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then a slight chance of showers. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Monday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Chiefs Lifters Take Second In Baker Meet
March 9, 2019
The Northview boys weightlifting team took home 2nd place Friday afternoon at the 4th annual Baker Gator Invitational.
The Chiefs fell to the host Gators, while beating West Florida, Jay, Pensacola Catholic and Rocky Bayou. The Chiefs finished with a team total of 54 points, while 3rd place West Florida only scored 23.
Individually, the Chiefs were led by junior Jacob Hawkins in the 219-lb. class, who finished first.
Also placing for the Chiefs were:
119-lb. class: Gary Clayton – 3rd
129-lb. class: Ashton Ray – 4th
139-lb. class: Logan Bryan – 3rd; Tyler Ray – 6th
154-lb. class: Jarius Moorer – 2nd
169-lb. class: Daniel Merit – 2nd
183-lb. class: Aunterio Minor – 3rd; Rayvon Bush – 5th
199-lb. class: William Swearengin – 3rd; Ah’zavion Gregory – 5th
219-lb. class: Jacob Hawkins – 1st; Lance McLaughlin – 4th
238-lb. class: Jojo Parker – 3rd; Trevor Scott; 4th
HVY-lb. class: Cameron Findley – 4th
The Chiefs return to action next week in the district weightlifting meet at Baker.
Senators Roll Out Hurricane Relief Plan
March 9, 2019
Northwest Florida lawmakers have promoted a $315 million proposal that would make loans available to local governments still reeling from Hurricane Michael and would set up a task force to determine additional state assistance for the storm-battered region.
The wide-ranging Senate bill (SB 1610) comes after numerous other proposals have been filed in the House and Senate to provide relief following the deadly Oct. 10 storm that left a path of devastation after making landfall in Mexico Beach and roaring north into Georgia.
Sen. Bill Montford, a Tallahassee Democrat who represents some of the hardest-hit areas, said the intent is to make sure the region is “not forgotten.” So far, about $1.2 billion has been spent by the state to help with cleanup efforts, and local communities have burned through their budgets.
“The people of North Florida are self-sufficient, they’re independent, but there comes a time when government, rightfully so, should step in and help those who work hard,” Montford said.
Rep. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican who has filed about 70 bills seeking more than $600 million for the region’s recovery, said the Senate bill is a “starting point” for a relief package, with state aid able to be provided faster than federal assistance. Still, with the legislative session in the third day of its scheduled 60-day session, he said lawmakers have time to get it right.
“This is something that we’re going to want to take a lot of time on, and focus a lot of effort, and make sure we have as much community involvement and input as we possibly can,” Trumbull said.
Neither Montford nor Trumbull could put an overall price tag on the storm.
“FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) doesn’t know that number yet,” Trumbull said. “Panama City is a prime example on debris removal. They’re not sure exactly what it’s going to cost. They have an idea that it’s about $75-ish million, but it could be $80 (million.) It could be less than that. … A lot of people haven’t sent in bills yet.”
House members from the Panhandle have filed nearly $1 billion in requests for the storm.
“It’s hard to put a number on what we’ve got,” Montford said. “But what we do know is there is commitment from all of Florida, from the Senate anyway, a total commitment to do what is necessary from a budget standpoint.”
On Tuesday, the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee backed a separate proposal (SB 376) by Montford that would allocate $50 million a year for storm recovery efforts from the Land Acquisition Trust Fund. That trust funds handles money from a 2014 constitutional amendment that designated a portion of revenue from a real estate documentary-stamp tax to go to land and water projects.
The Senate proposal would set aside $300 million for the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to set up the Public Facilities Hurricane Restoration Cash Flow Loan Program for eligible counties, cities and school boards.
Noting that Bay County has lost 5,000 of its 28,000 students, a goal of the proposal is to make sure school districts see “minimal” impacts, said Montford, who also is chief executive of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents.
Montford is sponsoring the bill with Sen. George Gainer, R-Panama City, and Sen. Doug Broxson, R-Gulf Breeze. Gainer said Senate leaders are behind the effort.
“We’ve been assured that if we can come up with a good pathway for recovery, that it’s going to happen,” Gainer said.
“We never had another storm where it took every other house, where it took 90 percent of the pine trees,” Gainer said. “We’ve seen 300-year-old trees from the bottom up. We go to work, we go home, and we’re reminded every day of how terrible the storm has been.”
Another part of the Senate proposal would set aside $15 million for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to help provide loans to the timber industry, which accounted for about $1.3 billion of the $1.5 billion in agricultural damages from the storm.
The bill also would establish a Hurricane Housing Recovery Program for local governments, similar to the state Housing Initiatives Partnership Program. Also, it would establish a task force under the direction of the Division of Emergency Management that would have until Dec. 15 to determine what additional relief is required for the region.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida