Ola Mae Spence Weekly
August 19, 2021
Ola Mae Spence Weekly, 97 of Walnut Hill, FL. passed away August 19, 2021 in Monroeville, AL. She was born in Atmore, AL. on December 17, 1923 to late Ashley and Dora Grimsley Spence. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Floyd Weekly, her son Douglas Hadley, three sisters; Clinnie Joiner, Mary Creasy, Pearly Hollingsworth, five brothers Earnest Spence, Luke Spence, John Spence, Ransom Spence and A.D. Spence. She was a member of New Life Assembly of God Church in Walnut Hill, FL. She was retired from Vanity Fair in Atmore, AL.
She is survived by one son William D. “Billy” (Vicki) Taylor of Frisco City, AL. Seven grandchildren, many great grandchildren, family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Monday, August 23, 2021 at 11 AM at the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Joe Gipson officiating. Burial will follow in Dry Springs Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be T. J. Hadley, Tony Hadley, Bob Welborn, Brandon Johnson, Julian Stafford and Josh Morgan.
Visitation will be held Monday, August 23, 2021 from 10 AM until service time at 11 Am at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Teresa Rene’ Mooney Etheridge
August 19, 2021
Teresa Rene’ Mooney Etheridge, 65, of Walnut Hill, FL. passed away August 16, 2021 in Pensacola, FL. She was born on February 27, 1956 in Atmore, AL. to the late Freddie Leon and Joan Milstead Mooney. She was a member of Atmore First Assembly of God and was a former EMT for Atmore Ambulance Service. She is preceded in death by her parents and husband Michael Lennard Etheridge, Sr. and was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.
She is survived by her children Michael Lennard (Larissa) Etheridge, Jr. of Century, FL; Candace Rene’ (Dennis) Pittman, Jr. of Walnut Hill, FL; Ashley Beatrice Daw (Shaun Qualls) of Atmore, AL. and Haley Anne Etheridge of Walnut Hill, FL. One brother Eddie (Eunice) Mooney of Oak Grove, FL. and two sisters Tina (Frankie) Marsh of Oak Grove, FL. and Teelya Whitehead of Oak Grove, FL. Six grandchildren Dennis, III; Landon, Weston, Madalynn, Braxton; Camden; two special friends Cindy Freeman, Vicki Hardy and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 3 PM at the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Ted Bridges officiating. Interment will follow in Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Harrison Whitehead, Brannon Whitehead, Bradley Whitehead, Dennis Pittman, Jr, Shaun Qualls and James Etheridge.
Visitation will be held Saturday, August 21, 2021 from 2 PM until service time at 3 PM at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Eight Arrested, Two Wanted For Catalytic Converter Thefts In Escambia County
August 18, 2021
Eight people have been arrested, and at least two more are wanted, in connection with the theft of about 50 catalytic converter thefts.
The 10 suspects were identified over the past eight months.
Those arrested are:
– Kevin Duane Opry, 36, Pensacola
– Edward Edward Boyd, 53, Pensacola
– Kerry Eugene Dickerson, 32, Pensacola
– Jared Gabriel Dragon, 21, homeless
– Da’Kurynin Jasean Powers, 27, Pensacola
– Richard George Holt, 52, Milton
– Joseph Wilson, 41, Cantonment
– Charles Kettering, 44, Cantonment
The two suspects still wanted are:
- Ana Marie Redd-Manulat, 30
- Michael Griffin, Jr., 23
“The number of reported catalytic converter thefts is over 300. Thieves crawl under vehicles and cut out the catalytic converter,” the ECSO said. “This has become a serious issue, and with the volume of reports, the ECSO anticipates more arrests and additional charges.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
‘I Died Doing Something Meaningful’ – Gold Star Mom Reflects On 10th Anniversary Of The Death Of LCpl. Travis M. Nelson In Afghanistan
August 18, 2021
Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the death of local LCpl. Travis M. Nelson, who gave his life in Afghanistan on August 18, 2011.
Tuesday evening, Gold Star Mom Beckie Nelson spoke with NorthEscambia.com about the last 10 years, her son’s sacrifice in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s recent takeover.
I Died Doing Something Meaningful.
And she shared with us a short, simple note LCpl Travis Nelson left behind in his field book just in case he did not return.
“Dear friends & family, If your reading this it seems I didn’t get to come home. I love each and every one of you and I want you to know I have no regrets. I died doing something meaningful.”
He died a few short weeks after writing that note.
Beckie Nelson clings to those words that provided her peace and understanding.
“We received Travis’ belongings weeks after the funeral. The emotions we felt as we opened the trunk are unexplainable. Still in disbelief, our hearts still in pieces, it was gut wrenching to say the least. When I saw this page I closed the book, laid down on his bed with it in my arms and I actually slept for the first time in weeks.”
Not For Nothing.
“It was years before I opened it again and even now as I see it, and with the crisis in Afghanistan today, it’s like I know without a doubt his sacrifice, his loyalty to his Marine brothers and their mission, was ‘not for nothing’. It was a huge ’something’ to Travis and those beside him.”
“I have such mixed emotions. We’ve known that we had to bring our troops home; that was inevitable. They had to come home,” she said. “I do feel bad about the administration now and the way it was handled, pulling them out without a plan. It’s just such a hard time right now.”
“It’s not for nothing. They did what they went there to do in training the Afghan people to hold their own. For Travis and others, it was their loyalty to country and service. I felt like his mission, their mission, accomplished so much. I definitely don’t think it was in vain.”
Growing Up With A Promise To His Mother
A young Travis Nelson grew up in Bratt, just two doors down from the modern day Travis M. Nelson Park that was named in his memory about a year after its 2010 opening.
He would play on those very grounds, shooting his BB gun and riding his go cart. His first love in his young life was fishing. At four years old, he would spend hours with relatives fishing on the Escambia River. No matter how old he got, he never gave up the love for a fishing pole and hook. He also loved playing baseball at Northwest Escambia’s Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
On Sept., 11, 2001, Travis Nelson was nine years old when America was attacked. He was not playing; he was fixated on the news.
And he made a promise that day. The kind of promise to a mother than a young man will do anything to uphold.
“I’ll never forget him saying ‘Momma, I will protect you. I will be soldier’,” Beckie Nelson said.
The family last saw Travis on July 13, 2011, as he deployed for Afghanistan. Their last phone conversation was Monday, August, 15, 2011, as he requested items for a care package.
That care package was still sitting by the front door three days later. It never made it to the mail.
August 18, 2011.
It was about noon on Thursday, August 18, 2011, at the Nelson home in Bratt.
An American flag fluttered in the breeze on the porch.
And three men in military uniforms stood at the door. Beckie Nelson knew what that meant.
“I just screamed and said no,” she said. “I just went to my knees and said don’t let them come in. I knew right away that he was gone.”
My Biggest Fear
The next day, Beckie Nelson sat in the middle of her bed with a laptop, reading the scores of reader comments on a NorthEscambia.com story about Travis Nelson’s death.
“He really was our hero,” she said, clutching a 5×7 photo of her son.
“I didn’t think I could see past that day. I felt like it would always be that day. I didn’t imagine that I could ever talk about it,” she said Tuesday evening. “But I can, and it has to do with the support groups, the military support groups, and the community support.”
She was remarkably strong as she talked about the heart wrenching pain of that day.
But during our interview, her voice broke.
“My biggest fear,” she said before pausing. “My biggest fear was that Travis would be forgotten. I was scared I was going to forget.”
A Fallen Marine Returns.
LCpl. Travis M. Nelson was never forgotten.
The rain poured down at Pensacola Naval Air Station August 24, 2011, as Nelson’s body arrived on the final leg of his journey home.
Outside the main gate of Pensacola NAS, people gathered to pay their respects to the young soldier. The rain did not send them running; they stood silently — many holding American flags — as the hearse carrying an American hero departed on a 55-mile journey to Atmore.
Along the way, some of Pensacola’s busiest roadways came to a complete standstill as the motorcade passed. Many motorists stood outside their vehicles and paid their respects.
In Walnut Hill, just a few miles from Nelson’s boyhood home in Bratt, the motorcade slowed as it approached Ernest Ward Middle School. Nelson was a Golden Eagle, attending Ernest Ward in the sixth and seventh grades.
Hundreds of Ernest Ward Middle School students and teachers dressed in red, white and blue lined Highway 97, American flags in hand, waiting for the arrival of the motorcade.
Several of Nelson’s middle school teachers were among the crowd that suddenly grew silent as the first sirens could be heard. As the procession passed, the students stood with their hands over their hearts, waving Old Glory. The thunder of 127 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders vibrated the ground and echoed across the country fields near the school.
Six Florida Highway Patrol trooper vehicles led the hearse past the school. Many students and teachers broke down in tears at the sight of a flag draped coffin. Others cried as they made eye contact with Nelson’s parents and their daughter — who was a sixth grader at Ernest Ward at the time.
“I look back at those pictures now,” Beckie Nelson said Tuesday evening. “Those pictures from the middle school. It meant so much. Those kids are now fathers, mothers, some are now serving in the military.”
My Travis.
“Travis knew at nine years old that nothing was going to hold him back. That was his heart’s desire,” Beckie Nelson said 10 years later. “That’s what he wanted to do with his life.”
“God had a greater plan for my Travis.”
Above: NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Facing Charges After Fleeing Driver Crashes Into Deputy’s Vehicle On West Roberts Road
August 18, 2021
Two people are facing charges after a vehicle fled from deputies Tuesday afternoon and later crashed into an unmarked sheriff’s cruiser.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a vehicle but the driver fled. About 3:45 p.m., the vehicle was located in the area of West Roberts Road. The driver attempted to flee again, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, and struck the unmarked ECSO unit at West Roberts Road and Millet Circle.
“When he came out (of Millet Circle), he ran a stop sign and struck an unmarked,” ECSO Commander Andrew Hobbs said. “A large amount of marijuana was found in the vehicle.”
Driver Shernard Laron Johnson, 23, was charged with fleeing and eluding with willful disregard for public safety, possession of marijuana with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia and numerous other traffic violations. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $23,000.
The passenger, 18-year old Kadrian Deshon Mathis, was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $6,000.
There were no injuries reported.
Pictured top: A suspect is taken into custody after a vehicle crashed into an unmarked Escambia County Sheriff’s Office unit Tuesday afternoon on West Roberts Road. Pictured below: The ECSO said a “large amount” of marijuana was found in the suspect vehicle after the crash. Reader submitted and NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
This Year’s Jay Peanut Festival Has Been Canceled Due To COVID-19 Concerns
August 18, 2021
The Jay Peanut Festival has been canceled again this year due to COVID-19 concerns.
The Gabbert family made the announcement Tuesday due to concerns over the coronavirus.
“It makes us sad. This is a bad time in history and we pray that we all come out of this in one piece, and soon. We pray that we can have the Peanut Festival in October 2022,” the family said in statement.
“There is no way that we can limit how many people come; it being an outside show with free admission and parking. We can’t control whether people wear a mask or not, or if they get the COVID-19 shot or not. We do not know of any other way to handle this problem,” they stated.
The annual festival was also canceled last year due to the pandemic.
The Jay Peanut Festival dates back to 1990 when the Gabberts started the event in memory of their daughter, Melissa, a 19-year-old who died earlier that year from cancer.
The Jay Peanut Festival at the Gabbert Farm has been a fall tradition on the Gulf Coast, showcasing the history, agriculture, food and fun of Santa Rosa County. What started as a chance for local kids and farmers to show off their best of the season has become an annual event covering 15 acres and drawing about 70,000 people to the Gabbert farm.
The event included tours of the 1930s Farm Museum, food booths, dozens of arts and crafts vendors, pony rides, games and fun. The Jay Peanut Festival was also a chance to try all varieties of peanuts – boiled, green, fried, candied and more.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Sunny, With Scattered Afternoon Storms
August 18, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 105. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
Man Tried To Lure Juveniles Into Vehicle At An Escambia County Park
August 18, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said two juveniles reported that a man tried to lure them into a vehicle at a park.
An individual driving a newer model sports car approached the juveniles at a park on Quina Way in the Brentwood area. He told them if they got inside the vehicle, they would receive money, ECSO said. The juveniles declined the offer and ran away from the park.
The individual was described as a black male with a short haircut and no facial hair. He was wearing an orange shirt. Deputies searched the area, but were unable to locate the individual or his vehicle.
Anyone with information or that is approached by this vehicle is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or 911 for an emergency.
File photo.
Escambia, Alabama, Man Charged With Trying To Meet Child For Sex. Deputies Were Waiting Instead.
August 18, 2021
An Escambia County, Alabama, man thought he was going to meet a 16-year old for sex, but he was meet by law enforcement.
Blake Thomas Martin, 45, was charged with electronic solicitation of a child, traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson said investigators assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task force received text messages that were meant for an underage child, leading to the undercover operation.
Martin “sent messages asking for sex and even stated that he knew it was illegal to have sex with someone under 16 years old,” said Jackson. “Investigators, posing as the child, agreed to Martins’ request for sex. Martin came to the agreed location and was arrested by investigators immediately.”
A search of Martin’s pockets found three condoms, a breath mint, one Viagra, one oxycodone pill and marijuana, according to the sheriff’s office. A subsequent search warrant executed at Martin’s residence on Keego Road resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine and electronic devices.
Martin remained in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center with bond set at a half million dollars.
EREC Line Crews Help With Power Restoration After Tropical Storm Fred
August 18, 2021
Line crews from Escambia River Electric Cooperative departed before daybreak Tuesday to assist following Tropical Storm Fred.
They worked to help West Florida Electric Cooperative in Calhoun, Florida, restore power to thousands. West Florida Electric reported 10,000 customers without power Monday night. By 10 p.m. Tuesday, all but 814 had been restored.
EREC crew members are Tony Moody, Gary McCaskill, Jonathon Tutt, Tyler Prescott, Brandon Smith and Kyle Strickling.
West Florida Electric and EREC are both served by the same power supplier, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.