Shamim Gayle Powell
November 22, 2021
Shamim Gayle Powell, age 50, was born and raised in Pensacola, FL on January 30, 1971. She passed away unexpectedly on Friday, November 12, 2021.
Shamim was fortunate enough to meet the love of her life and was married to Dwayne Powell on February 25, 1989. She was a loving wife, mother, daughter, and Mimi. A lover of the sun, sand, and ocean.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Carolyn Elizabeth Workman.
Shamim is survived by her soulmate and husband, Dwayne Powell; her “one and only” son, Cecil Powell; her “joy in life” grandson, Chandler Powell; her father, Roger (Laura) Workman, her twin brother, Shannon (Tawana) Workman; as well as several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Trahan Family Funeral Home will oversee her cremation. Keeping to her love of the sand and water, Shamim will be laid to rest at Bayview Memorial
Park. Inurnment to take place at a later date. No services will be held.
‘A Good Man’ – Gene Gabbert, Jay Peanut Festival Host, Has Passed Away
November 21, 2021
The man that hosted thousands upon thousands of people at his farm each year for the Jay Peanut Festival has passed away.
Eugene Emil Gabbert, known as “Gene”, passed away at the age of 84. Gene and his wife Brenda, saw crowds reaching 75,000 or more visit the Jay Peanut Festival on the first weekend of each October.
“I was fortunate to have spent 61 years of marriage to the most wonderful man and the most loving father to our daughters,” Brenda said. The peanut festival was started in 1990 in memory of their daughter Melissa Caroline Gabbert, who passed away due to cancer.
There were many accolades over the years for the Jay Peanut Festival — including U.S. Congressional recognition.
Gabbert was born in 1937 on a 160 acre farm in Minnesota.
“Gene loved living on his family farm, as he did on ours here on Pine Level Church Road,” Brenda stated.
He joined the Air Force when he was just 19-years old, serving four years active duty plus two years in reserve. He was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base when he married Brenda, shortly after she graduated from Bay High School in Panama City. He worked for a private telephone company in Minnesota and General Dynamics before becoming a supervisor with Western Electric and then Southern Bell.
In 1975, the couple moved from Cantonment to Jay, opening a John Deere dealership that they operated for 11 years. He worked as a salesman and continued farming.
“He then decided to retire from outside jobs to work from his home shop, repairing farm tractors and equipment. He loved restoring old 2-cylinder tractors, wagons, and other farm equipment,” she said. His farm museum and tractor displays were peanut festival favorites.
“There was not much that Gene could not build, repair, or maintain. He built everything on our farm with his own two hands.” Brenda said. “He was a good man with a loving heart and soul.”
Photo Gallery: Northview Falls To Baker
November 21, 2021
The Northview Chiefs football season came to an end with a tough 46-35 loss to defending station champion Baker Friday night in the Class 1A regional semifinals.
For a game action photo gallery, click here.
For a game action story, click here.
For a photo gallery with the band, fans and cheerleaders, click here.
NorthEscmabia.com photos, click to enlarge.
UWF’s Season Ends In Heartbreaking 33-30 Overtime Loss in NCAA First Round
November 21, 2021
by Bill Vilona, UWF Argos Senior Writer
The stadium fell silent. The home crowd stared ahead in shock. The players fell to their knees, many fighting back tears.
A season of high expectations and cresting momentum for the No. 2-ranked University of West Florida football team came to a stunning, heart-breaking end Saturday, after unranked Newberry College pulled off a 33-30 overtime upset in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“I’m sick for our whole team. I’m sick for Pensacola,” said UWF coach Pete Shinnick, following the first time UWF hosted a post-season game. “I thought it was a great day to host a home playoff game. This is a very, very difficult way to end the year.”
On this day, the script was flipped. The tables were turned.
The Argos (9-2) entered 9-0 in non-championship, playoff games. They were the defending national champions from 2019. They had just rung up a 19-point victory against the former No. 1-ranked team, then-unbeaten Valdosta State, on this field a week ago by scoring 61 points.
They had the confidence. But Saturday, the Argos’ two-touchdown lead evaporated in the fourth quarter by continued miscues. The Argos were then forced to kick a field goal with their overtime possession.
That was all Newberry (10-2) needed to reel off eight rushing plays from the 25 – the final being a 1-yard sweep run by Mario Anderson – for the walk-off win. It was Newberry’s third overtime game this season, which helped provide more resolve when it reached that point.
“I’m a little bit in awe of the outcome,” said Newberry coach Todd Knight, in his 14th season at the rural South Carolina school. “I know the young men played their hearts out today and I’m extremely proud of ‘em. We are extremely happy that we got lucky and came out on top.
“This is an unbelievable opportunity that we had, coming to an amazing place. We are from a small, southern town in South Carolina. We don’t have anything that compares to what West Florida has.”
The Wolves, playing in the first post-season game since 2016 and advancing past the first round for only the second time, pulled this off by starting fast, creating turnovers, and making UWF’s high-octane passing game get knocked off-rhythm.
With its offense, Newberry scored on the game’s second play and the final play.
The first sign of trouble for UWF arrived instantly after the opening kickoff. On the game’s second offensive snap, the Wolves turned a five-yard, sideline pass to Bryce Woodruff into a 66-yard touchdown, after he eluded the tackle and outraced UWF defenders.
“At Newberry we teach grit,” said Woodruff, who finished with 11 receptions for 131 yards. “From the start to the finish we always say we’re going to play 60 minutes, so there was never a doubt in my mind.
“There were ups and downs in the football game, but I thought we could win the whole time.”
The Wolves took a 14-0 lead less than six minutes into the first quarter, after a fumbled kickoff return pinned UWF deep and the Argos three pass attempts were incomplete. With field position, Newberry used it to create more positive emotion and force UWF to climb from a two-touchdown deficit.
“We gave them life. We talk all the time, don’t give a team life,” Shinnick said. “They threw a five yard pass and we miss a tackle. We had a couple chances on offense where we just missed on a couple balls.
“In that first five minutes, I felt like we were just kind of running in mud. I don’t know why. It will be something for a very long time we will be thinking about.”
From that point, UWF’s defense rose up. It enabled UWF to trail just 14-10 at halftime, then take 27-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
All seemed right again.
And then it wasn’t.
The Wolves’ Ke’Shoun Williams blocked a punt at the UWF 36 that he returned for a touchdown with 12:09 remaining. On the ensuing possession, after a long kickoff return by UWF’s Marcus Clayton, Argos’ sophomore quarterback Austin Reed threw his third interception on a deflected pass.
Newberry drove in for the tying touchdown. It was a struggling day for Reed, who completed just 11 of 35 passes for 134 yards – the least productive game in his great career at UWF.
“Obviously, I didn’t play well at all,” he said. “I put that on me.”
Time and again, the Argos normally potent passing game wasn’t clicking. Either with overthrown passes or dropped passes. Newberry had two veteran cornerbacks and their pass rush put UWF’s offensive line in a challenging position to help create problems.
“The only thing I can really say at this point is that I’m sorry,” said Reed, who led the Argos to their national title season in 2019 as a redshirt freshman. “I let a lot of seniors down. I let UWF fans down. I should have found a way in this game and I didn’t and I apologize.
“Coach Shinnick did a great job getting us ready, getting us right, and we didn’t perform as players. He shouldn’t take any of the blame whatsoever for this loss. It falls 100 percent on us.
“(Newberry) just had a good gameplan. They came out and executed really well. We’re up 27-14 at one point and really could have ended it. We just didn’t do what we needed to do to end a game.”
An interception by Reed near the goal-line right before halftime thwarted a chance to take the lead earlier.
But he guided the Argos offense into a pair of touchdowns and a field goal with possessions in the third quarter.
Until that blocked punt, everything was going in the right direction.
“(Reed) has been one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Shinnick said. “(Saturday) was just an ugly day offensively. We knew (Newberry) would create some issuesand they probably created more than we anticipated.
“They disrupted what we do. We could not get any rhythm going.”
With time now a factor in the game, Newberry took a early fourth quarter chance with a certain formation UWF was in and sent punt blockers rushing up the middle. That special teams play helped change the game.
“Good tactic by them. Something we’ve been working on and just didn’t perform it the way we were practicing,” Shinnick said. “We knew it was one of the things they were going to do.
“That was the momentum swing that kept them in the game.”
Saturday’s stunning playoff loss occurred in UWF’s third postseason trip in its five-year history, which is a feat itself. And it followed two incredible playoff runs. The Argos reached the national title game in 2017 with four road wins, then won the title in 2019 with five road wins.
It created a special legacy for the Argos senior class, some of whom were involved in all three playoff trips.
“It is sickening that it ends this way,” Shinnick said.
Photo: Morgan Givens/UWF for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chance Of Showers Overnight
November 21, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers likely after 3am. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers before 9am. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 67. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 38. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 64. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. East wind around 5 mph.
Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph after midnight.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 60.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Operation Christmas Child Collections Thru Monday At Highland Baptist, First Baptist Bratt
November 21, 2021
National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child continues through Monday at two North Escambia churches — the First Baptist Church of Bratt and Highland Baptist Church in Molino.
The shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a 12-step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.
Collection week at Highland got underway when the First Baptist Church of Cantonment dropped over 105 boxes. The church’s Kids Klub held a church-wide packing party, packing nearly 250 boxes in one night.
Remaining collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt are:
- Monday, Nov. 22: 8-10 a.m.
And at Highland Baptist Church:
- Monday, Nov. 22: 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Escambia County Unemployment Rate Decreases Slightly
November 21, 2021
The unemployment rate in Escambia County declined by half a percentage point last month, according to newly released data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
The unemployment rate in Escambia County was 4.1% in October, down from 4.2% in September. That represented 6,381 people out of work out of a county workforce of 154,298. One year ago, Escambia County’s unemployment rate was 4.8%, or 7,001 people.
The area’s private sector employment added 7,200 new private-sector jobs over the year, a 4.7% increase. The Pensacola area labor force in October 2021 increased by 15,058 over the year, a 6.6% increase. The industry gaining the most jobs over the year was leisure and hospitality, increasing by 2,100 jobs.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in October 2021, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised September 2021 rate, and down 1.2 percentage points from a year ago
Escambia Reports 94 New COVID-19 Cases In Last Week
November 21, 2021
There were 94 new COVID-19 cases reported Escambia County over the last week by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 53,957 (+94)
Positivity rate last week: 3.5%
People vaccinated: 157,446 (+1,046)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 57.6%
New hospital admissions: 19
Total deaths last 7 days: less than 10 (CDC data)
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 32,593 (+72)
Positivity rate last week: 3.7%
People vaccinated: 91,782 (+576)
Vaccination rate (age 5+): 52%
New hospital admissions: 3
Total deaths last 7 days: less than 10 (CDC data)
Statewide cases:
Florida resident cases: 3,677,968 (+10,828)
Case positivity rate: 2.5%
Deaths: 61,081 (+37)
FDOH has moved from daily to weekly reports and removed the COVID-19 dashboard. The state is now releasing a weekly report with local data limited only to number of cases and positivity rate The number of deaths by county or cases by local cities and communities is no longer provided by FDOH.
Gladine Elizabeth McMillian
November 21, 2021
Gladine Elizabeth McMillian was born on April 21, 1941 and passed on November 18, 2021 at the age of 80. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thelton Lewis McMillian, Sr., and her parents, Marlvin and Elizabeth Boyd Gay. Gladine is survived by her five children, Cindy McMillian Haas (Billy), Karen Gundersen, Dwight McMillian (Terri), Kenneth Gundersen, and Thelton McMillian, Jr. (Christy); 13 grandchildren; and 9 great-grandchildren.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, November 22, 2021 at Faith Chapel Funeral Home in the Florida Room at 2:00PM. The family will receive friends from 1:00PM to 2:00PM prior to the service. Burial will be held in Barrancas National Cemetery on Tuesday November 23, 2021 at 9:00AM. A procession will leave Olive Baptist Church Campus at Warrington at 8:30AM.
In lieu of flowers please donate to American Humane Society or your favorite dog charity.
Arthur Glennon Gunn
November 21, 2021
Mr. Arthur Glennon Gunn, age 74, passed away, Saturday, November 20, 2021 in Fairhope, AL. He was born in Bratt, FL; and has resided most of his life in Walnut Hill, FL. He was a member of Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints Atmore Branch and Mobile, AL. State. He was employed with Escambia County Florida Sheriff’s Office for 25 years. He served in the United States Marine Corps, serving in the Vietnam War.
Mr. Gunn valued the time he got to spend with his family and friends. He enjoyed fishing, cooking and attending church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. AR (Janice Godwin) Gunn, one brother, Jerry Gunn, step-father, Richard Sirmon.
He is survived by his one son, Sean (Stephanie) Gunn, of New Bern, NC; four daughters, Jennifer Gunn, of Virginia Beach, VA; Megan (Tray) Juarez, of Virginia Beach, VA; Jessica Gunn, of Pace, FL; Rebecca Gunn, of Foley, AL; a special niece, Bethany Merchant,, three brothers, Leamond (Judith) Gunn, of Pensacola, FL; Marlin (Angie) Gunn, of Atmore, AL; Jim (Vicky) Reed, of Orange Beach, AL; three sisters, Joyce Coleman, of Enon, FL; Shelia (Pete) Coon, of Atmore, AL; Patricia Gunn, of Decatur, AL; twelve grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, November 27, 2021, at 2 p.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Branch President Tommy Jones at officiating.
Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, November 27, 2021, from 1 p.m. until service time at 2:00 p.m. at Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.