Willie Morris Covan
June 24, 2019
Mr. Willie Morris Covan, age 84, passed away Monday, June 17, 2019, in Milton, Florida.
Mr. Covan was a native and lifelong resident of Byrneville, FL. He liked playing his harmonica, liked to travel, loved old country music, outdoors, and liked old western movies, traveling to the Smokey Mountains; afternoon walks, moon pies, honey buns, oatmeal cookies and RC cola’s. He was a member of the Byrneville Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Alva Covan; two sons, Ronnie Hayes and Randy Covan; three sisters, Deloris Shiverly, Virgie Mae Kenney and Annie Ruth Necase and one brother, Theodore Sherman Covan.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Velma Aline Covan of Milton, FL; one son, Radford (Tina) Covan of Pace, FL; one daughter, Recindia (Buck) McCormick of Milton, FL; 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday, June 24, 2019, at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Bro. David Rowan officiating.
Burial was at the Byrneville Methodist Cemetery.
Pallbearers were DL Covan, Matthew Covan, Ashton Covan, Ben Covan, William Covan and Mich Franklin.
Honorary pallbearer was be Buck McCormick.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Escambia EMS Director Hires A Lawyer, And He’s Telling The County Not To Talk To His Client
June 23, 2019
Escambia County’s EMS director has hired a lawyer, and he’s telling the county not to talk to her.
EMS Director Dr. Rayme Edler, M.D. has retained the The Health Law Firm of Altmonte Springs, according to a certified letter sent last week to Escambia County Attorney Alison Rogers. The firm has an office in Pensacola.
“I have the honor and privilege of representing Rayme M. Edler, M.D.,” attorney George F. Indest III wrote in his letter to the county, “…in all aspects of her dispute with Escambia County over her job performance. Please do not to attempt to contact or communicate with Dr. Edler regarding any matters, except through me.”
County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh wrote on his blog Saturday night that he learned from the county attorney that “this is very, very unusual”.
“And then to not show up at the meeting where the vote was to take place on training requested by EMS….? What is up?” Bergosh wrote.
On Thursday, the Escambia County Commissioner delayed a decision on new EMS training until after a new county administrator is in place on July 1.
Last month, Edler asked the commission for an expedited purchase of training services for EMS hands-on training, but she did not attend last Thursday’s meeting.
After advertising for training services, the county only receive two bids. One proposal was from The Rescue Company 1, LLC, in the amount of $144,696.91, and the other from Emergency Educational Training Institute, Inc., in the amount of $243,250.
The Florida Department of Health is currently investigating allegations involving the possible falsification of training certificates by Escambia EMS and Public Safety. The county commission has hired attorney Ann Bittinger of Jacksonville, who specializes in health care law, to represent five county employees in the Florida DOH investigation.
Eight Months After Michael, Small Inland Towns Are Slow To Heal (With Photo Gallery)
June 23, 2019
Many families in Marianna are stuck in a living hell eight months after Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 monster about 60 miles away in Mexico Beach.
While some have started the rebuilding process, much of Marianna still looks much like it did last fall. The picture above? A family still lives there with little protection from summer’s weather. The trailer home pictured below in black and white? FEMA says it’s still livable. It’s just below the picture of the gas station that’s still open in Marianna’s “new normal”. And it’s the new normal for many other small towns well north of Michael’s coastal landfall in Mexico Beach.
These pictures, and many more like them, were taken this month and shared with NorthEscambia.com by U.S. Army combat photographer SPC Scott Hagan. Marianna is his hometown.
For a gallery of photos taken just a few days ago in Marianna, click here.
“I rode around the remnants of a town I called home. My first time being back in the City of Southern Charm since Hurricane Michaels initial landfall and I’m still in disbelief. These little farming communities that dot the landscape of the Panhandle of Florida remain unrecognizable. These pictures were not taken days, nor weeks, or even a couple months after the wrath of God stormed upon land,” Hagan said. “This is how people are living, working, and picking up the pieces of what’s left of not only their lives, but the communities we all call home.”
Hagan documented the destruction in his hometown and other small inland towns in the first few days after Michael.
“And once the storm was over, you don’t remember how you made it through the terror, or how you managed to survive it’s power. You aren’t even sure if in its aftermath, is the nightmare really over? But one thing is certain, when you came out of the hurricane, you were no longer the same the person who greeted the storm. That’s why God sent the storm in the first place; because smooth seas don’t make for skilled sailors,” he said.
Photos by SPC Scott Hagan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Firefighters Respond To Reported Structure Fire In Walnut Hill
June 23, 2019
Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a reported house fire in Walnut Hill Saturday night.
Shortly after 10 p.m. a resident of North Cypress Street awoke to find his house full of smoke. Firefighters discovered the source of the smoke was a pot of chicken on the stove in the small brick home. The fire did not spread to any part of the kitchen.
The adult male resident was evaluated on scene by Escambia County EMS for possible smoke inhalation, but he refused transport to the hospital.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Nokomis (AL) Volunteer Fire Department and Atmore Fire Department were all dispatched to the fire. Many units were canceled prior to arrival.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Heat Index Back Above 100 Today
June 23, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. North wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
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. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Northwest Escambia 12U All-Stars Place In State Championship Tourney
June 23, 2019
The Northwest Escambia All-Stars finished short of the title in the Alabama Cal Ripkin Baseball state championship tournament on Saturday in Sylacauga, AL. Earlier this month, the team won the Cal Ripkin Baseball District 7 championship (pictured). Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Commission Begins Budget Meetings This Week
June 23, 2019
The Escambia County Commission will begin meetings this week on their 2019-2020 fiscal year budget.
The commission will hold Budget Committee of the Whole meetings Tuesday and Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., and they will meet again Thursday morning at 8:30 if needed. All meetings will be held on the first floor of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building at 221 Palafox Place in Pensacola.
The fiscal year for the county begins October 1.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Lewin Diaz Continues To Sizzle As Blue Wahoos Newcomer
June 23, 2019
Six seasons and six teams within the Minnesota Twins organization have provided Lewin Diaz a chance to make a steady progression.
Three games into his level climb with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Diaz has accelerated the impact.
Diaz, 22, a first baseman, signed by the Twins as a teenager in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic, continued showcasing his potential. He went 3-for-4 Saturday night with an RBI, during the Blue Wahoos 3-2 loss against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Diaz, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound player, has been a mid-season all-star the past three years, including the past two with the Fort Myers Miracle in the High-A Florida State League. He has shined since being promoted to the Blue Wahoos.
He’s produced seven hits in 13 at-bats for a .533 average with two doubles and three RBI.
And the one at-bat Diaz had Saturday when he didn’t produce a hit was just as impressive.
In the ninth inning, after Ben Rortvedt led off with a walk, Diaz worked a 3-2 count and fouled off four pitches against reliever Brett Graves before slashing a line drive into second baseman Justin Twine’s glove.
That became a defining moment in the game, especially with Rortvedt on second base after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.
Caleb Hamilton followed Diaz by also working a 3-2 count against Graves before a swinging strikeout. Mark Contreras grounded out to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos (40-33, 2-1 second half) will get their second attempt to clinch the series on Sunday with Jorge Alcala (5-4) going against Jacksonville’s Cody Poteet in a 2:05 p.m. game in Jacksonville.
The teams will close out the series on Monday night (6:05 p.m.) and the Blue Wahoos will travel back to Pensacola to begin a nine-game homestand on Tuesday.
Saturday night, a crowd of 8,261 in Jacksonville watched a crisply-played game with strong pitching on both sides. The Jumbo Shrimp (30-43) had ace pitcher Sixto Sanchez, 20, the top prospect in the Miami Marlins organization and No. 27 overall by MLB Pipeline, deliver another quality outing.
Sanchez worked seven complete innings, yielding seven hits and two runs in the fourth inning. He struck out nine and did not allow a walk.
The Blue Wahoos’ Charlie Barnes worked into the fifth inning, allowing seven hits, two runs, no walks and six strikeouts.
In the fourth inning, the Blue Wahoos had their best at-bats against Sanchez. Travis Blankenhorn led off the inning with a single. Alex Kirilloff followed with a double to put runners on second and third.
With one out, Diaz singled to right field to score Blankenhorn. Hamilton followed with a single to score Kirilloff. But Sanchez ended the damage by striking out Contreras and Joe Cronin.
The Jumbo Shrimp tied the game in the fifth on three consecutive singles. After a wild pitch by Barnes put runners on second and third, Riley Mahan’s one-out single tied the game.
The Jumbo Shrimp scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning when J.C. Milan homered off reliever Anthony Vizcaya.
A pivotal sequence happened in the top of the seventh after Cronin hit a one out triple. Michael Davis hit a fly out to right fielder Stone Garrett, whose throw to the plate nabbed Cronin who was trying to score on a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, Kirilloff hit into an inning-ending double play and Jacksonville sealed the game in the ninth.
It was the first loss for fill-in manager Steve Singleton, the Blue Wahoos hitting coach, who is handling the managing duties this weekend while Ramon Borrego takes an extended vacation with his family in Fort Myers.
Borrego will join the team in Pensacola when the Blue Wahoos open a five-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers, the first half Southern League South Division champs.
Highway 4 Bridge Reduced To One Lane After State Inspection
June 22, 2019
After a state inspection this week, the Highway 4 bridge over Canoe Creek is down to one full lane.
Officials said a problem was found with one piling under the bridge, and it will be about a week before it is repaired. With the lane closure, officials said the bridge is safe for traffic.
The 225-foot long bridge between Bratt and Century averages over 1,000 vehicles per day. The county-owned bridge was constructed in 1942.
Pictured: The Highway 4 bridge over Canoe Creek Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos.
1st Day Of Summer: Century’s Splash Pad Not Working As Advertised
June 22, 2019
We stopped by the Town of Century’s splash pad Friday afternoon and found it was not working as advertised.
Friday was the first official day of summer and, with a heat advisory in effect, the most miserably hot day of the year so far. But at about 5:30 p.m., kids were unable to cool off at the splash pad because the water would not flow. The pad was damp where it had been working about a half hour before.
The town says the splash pad is open each day from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.
But numerous parents have contacted NorthEscambia.com over the last few weeks to say the splash pad cuts off each day without fail at 5 p.m. We have reported it to town officials, and others say they have done the same.
Pictured: The Century splash pad on a very hot Friday, the first day of summer, at about 5:30 p.m. The splash pad was not working. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
