Gracie Mae Gunn
August 2, 2019
Gracie Mae Gunn went to be with the Lord on July 31, 2019, at the age of 89. She was a lifelong resident of Bratt, FL. She was a retired seamstress with Vanity Fair.
She was a mother of two daughters, Debbie (Jeff) Jackson of Brewton, AL and Sandra (Willie) Hughes of Memphis, TN; and three sons, Michael (Joyce) Gunn of Bratt, FL, Steve (Linda) Gunn of Byrneville, FL, and Wayne (Donna) Gunn of Bratt, FL; one brother, George Williamson of Pace, FL; 12 grandchildren, Jason (Erica) Jackson of Brewton, AL, Randy (Allison) Jackson of Brewton, AL, Rodney (Holly) Jackson of Brewton, AL, Lynn Gunn of Byrneville, FL, Gary Gunn of Byrneville, FL, Shonna (Eric) Gilmore of Bratt, FL, Lynae (Nick) Clarke of Tallahassee, FL, Joy (Ryan) Malone of Atmore, AL, Brian Conway of Flomaton, AL, Tracey (Troy) Strength of Navarre, FL, Haley Gunn of Bratt, FL, Kaitlyn (Austin) Strehl of Bratt, FL; and loved by numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Chester Gunn; her parents, ET and Lillie Mae Williamson; three sisters, Mary Denton, Louise Brantley and Ida Bell; and one brother, Pete Williamson.
Special thanks to Century Care, Dr. Smith, and Jay Hospital for taking great care of our mother.
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, August 4, 2019, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Ricky Peebles officiating.
Interment will follow at the Godwin Cemetery in Bratt, FL.
Visitation will be held Saturday, August 3, 2019, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, Randy Jackson, Rodney Jackson, Brian Conway, Gary Gunn, Ryan Malone and Nick Clarke.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
ECSO: Video Shows Suspect Open Fire In Ensley Neighborhood
August 1, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to identify a man captured on video firing a gun in an Ensley neighborhood.
The ECSO released the video Thursday showing the incident about 10:50 a.m. July 22 in the 8800 block of Figland Avenue. The video appears to show the suspect exit a dark colored sedan and walk down the street with a firearm. He walks back and forth on the street, looks around, and fires multiple shots before running back to the vehicle.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Cantonment Man Accused Of Threatening To Shoot Son During Argument
August 1, 2019
A Cantonment man is accused of threatening to shoot his son during an argument.
Douglas Leon Benjamin, Sr., 57, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
During an argument, Benjamin allegedly displayed a firearm in his waistband and stated he was going to shoot his adult son at their trailer on Pettway Circle in Cantonment. The victim said Benjamin pulled out the gun, pointed at him and stated that he (the son) was going to die tonight, according to an arrest report.
Benjamine dropped the revolver during the argument, and the son picked it up and handed it to a cousin who hid it in a field until law enforcement arrived, the report states. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office retrieved the firearm, loaded with four rounds, from the field.
Benjamin told deputies he did get into a verbal argument, but he denied that he ever possessed or displayed a firearm during the altercation. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Escaped Inmate Tracked Through North Escambia Remains On The Run
August 1, 2019
An escaped inmate that was tracked through the North Escambia area remains on the run.
Travis Wyatt Dawson, 41, escaped from Loxley Work Release at about 9 p.m. July 10.
Authorities believe he was in the area of Rockaway Creek Road and Miller Road in Nokomis, FL, on July 12. The US Marshals and officers from the Alabama Department of Corrections were assisted by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Atmore Police Department and other agencies in a manhunt in both Florida and Alabama along and near Rockaway Creek Road. That manhunt turned up empty.
Dawson was reportedly armed with a machete when he carjacked a minivan from a relative on Miller Road on Sunday, July 14. . The vehicle was later found abandoned in Mobile.
Dawson was sentenced to 20 years in 2013 on a possession of a controlled substance conviction in Escambia County, AL.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Alabama Department of Corrections at (800) 831-8825, the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911.
Pictured top: Officers from the Alabama Department of Corrections speak to an Escambia County (FL) deputy and a citizen a roadblock on Miller Road on July 12. Dawson allegedly carjacked a minivan just a few yards from this location two days later. Pictured below: An Escambia County (FL) Road Prison K-9 team searches near a Rockaway Creek Road bridge that spans the Alabama-Florida state line. Pictured bottom: An Escambia County (FL) deputy helps maintain a perimeter around a neighborhood along Rockaway Creek Road at Grubbs Street in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Chance of Afternoon Showers, Middle 90s Today
August 1, 2019
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Three People Suffer Raccoon Bites In Escambia County; Health Dept. Issues Warning
August 1, 2019
The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County is urging residents and visitors to protect themselves from the risk of rabies exposure by avoiding contact with wild and stray animals after three people in Escambia County recently suffered racoon bites.
Kimberly Pace, FDOH-Escambia health educator consultant, declined to specify the geographic area in which the individuals were bitten. She said, “at this time FDOH-Escambia wants to ensure that all county residents are taking the precautions.”
The FDOH-Escambia advises against feeding or attempting to feed all wild and stray animals.
Rabies is a viral disease that infects the central nervous system. Without proper treatment, rabies can cause brain infection and death. Rabies is transmitted by a rabid animal by a bite, a scratch, or by contact with mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, or mouth. A series of “rabies shots” can protect a bite victim from developing the rabies infection, if given soon after the bite occurs.
“Rabies is a fatal infection but is preventable,” notes FDOH-Escambia’s director, Dr. John J. Lanza. “It is important to not feed or pet wild and stray animals, to avoid animals that appear to be acting strangely, and to keep pets vaccinated against rabies. Persons who are bitten by a wild animal or an animal who has not been vaccinated against rabies should seek immediate medical care. Proper medical treatment of an animal bite can be life-saving.”
In Florida, raccoons, foxes, bats, and cats are the animals most frequently diagnosed with rabies. Other animals that are at high risk for rabies include dogs, bobcats, skunks, and otters. Because of their proximity to people, stray and unvaccinated cats and dogs pose a special risk.
You cannot always tell if an animal has rabies by looking at it. To protect yourself and your loved ones against rabies follow these steps:
- · Teach your children not to go near wild and stray animals, and never keep them as pets.
- · Vaccinate your dog, cat, ferret, or horse to protect against rabies. Keep vaccinations up-to-date.
- · Do not feed your pets outside. The food may attract wild animals.
- · Make sure your garbage is securely covered. Open garbage attracts wild and stray animals.
- · Spay or neuter your pet to reduce its tendency to roam or fight.
- · Do not let your pets roam freely or allow them to interact with wild or stray animals. Keep them in a fenced yard or on a leash.
- · Call Escambia County Animal Control, at 850-595-0097, to remove stray animals from your neighborhood.
- · Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools, and other similar areas, where they might come into contact with people and pets.
- · If your pet is bitten by another animal, immediately seek veterinary assistance for your animal and contact Escambia County Animal Control.
- · If you are bitten by a wild animal, or by any animal that is acting strangely, seek medical care as soon as possible so that a physician can evaluate your risk of rabies infection and administer the rabies vaccine if appropriate.
File photo.
Century Man Charged With Burglarizing Century Apartment Twice
August 1, 2019
A Century man is facing four felony counts for allegedly stealing a game system and other items from a local apartment.
Brandon Dewayne Jackson, 33 was charged with two felony counts of grand theft, burglary of an occupied dwelling and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance.
He is accused of stealing a PlayStation 4, a HDMI cable a house keys from a woman’s unit at the Century Woods Apartments on West Highway 4. The items were allegedly taken on two different dates after he got into an argument with the woman.
Jackson remained in the Escambia County Jail Thursday morning with bond set at $25,000.
Medical Examiner Submits Resignation
August 1, 2019
District One Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Andrea Minyard has submitted her resignation effective September 30.
She cited problems the office faces with understaffing and an inadequate, overcrowded facility.
State Attorney Bill Eddins says he has been completely satisfied with Minyard’s work.
Minyard has served the district that includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties for the past 14 years.
Photo courtesy WEAR 3.
Escambia Schools Selected For University of Florida Scientist In Every Florida School Initiative
August 1, 2019
Escambia County science teachers will now have the chance to bring scientists into their classrooms as part of a new initiative led by the UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute called the “Scientist in Every Florida School” program.
In its first three years, the program aims to connect scientists with every K-12 public school in five target counties: Escambia, Alachua, Seminole, Lee and Palm Beach.
“I am very excited about the opportunity to be one of the first counties in Florida to be selected as a pilot county for the Scientist in Every Florida School program,” said Carol Myers, Escambia County’s K-12 science subject area specialist.
“This initiative is addressing a huge need for students in a classroom to explore science through the lens of a scientist where they will be able to examine the questions the scientist is investigating and create their own ideas for solving problems.”
The Scientist in Every Florida School program was one of eight projects selected for UF’s “moonshot” initiative, a $17-million effort to solve some of society’s most urgent problems. Participating scientists must have a research focus related to Earth systems—air, water, land and life — which is in line with TESI’s mission to advance public understanding of environmental issues.
Because Escambia is a coastal county, the program can be a great way to bring issues like sea level change, salt water intrusion, red tide and algae blooms into lesson plans. The idea is simple, says TESI K-12 education and outreach coordinator, Brian Abramowitz.
“Through scientist classroom visits, field trips and hands-on teacher professional development, we hope to better connect teachers to the latest science, improve student achievement and encourage students to explore STEM careers,” Abramowitz said. “We also hope to bridge the gap between the great research coming out of UF and K-12 classrooms.”
Last month, Myers and four Escambia County teachers attended the first Scientist in Every Florida School professional development program at UF. During the workshop, teachers spent four days in a scientist’s lab where they assisted with ongoing research projects and developed lesson plans related to that research to take back to their classrooms this fall. The participating scientists each agreed to at least one classroom visit next semester.
“By collaborating with scientists, our students will be able to see the connections of science in their daily lives. It will spark new passion for science in our teachers who will be the bridge to real world science,” Myers said.
On August 6, Abramowitz and other members of the TESI team will be presenting to 160 Escambia County middle and high school teachers during the district’s next in-service training.
“We are excited to get more Escambia County teachers on board so that they can help us guide the success of this program and be a model for other counties in the future,” Abramowitz said.
The Scientist in Every Florida School program is the vision of TESI director Bruce MacFadden, who believes that hope for Florida’s environment lies in the next generation of scientists and decision makers.
“About 2.6 million Florida schoolchildren could benefit from the world-class science and research at UF. This pilot program is a great step toward achieving this goal,” MacFadden said.
McDavid Man Charged With Stealing His Father’s Lawnmower
August 1, 2019
A McDavid man is facing a felony charge for stealing and pawning his father’s lawnmower.
William Christopher Brown, 21, was charged with felony grand theft. He was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
Brown allegedly stole a zero-turn Cub Cadet lawn mower from his father’s home on Rockaway Creek Road and pawned it for $1,700. He told his father he needed the money and intended to pay him back, an arrest report states.
The mower was not longer at the pawn shop when the father checked.
The father told deputies that his son had developed a problem with narcotics and displaying erratic behavior, according to the arrest report.