John Willie White, Jr.
May 15, 2023
Mr. John Willie White, Jr; age 80, passed away, Sunday, May 14, 2023, at his home in Century, FL; surrounded by his family. He was born November 11, 1942, in Wallace, AL; and resided most of his life in Century, FL. He was a member of Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church. He retired from Container Corporation with many years of service, a Tree Surgeon for many years, and drove a log truck for several years.
Mr. White enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren. He believed in God, family, and hard work. He served as a deacon at Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church for over 20 years. He enjoyed taking his wife Mary Ann to the Smoky mountains. He also enjoyed tinkering on small engines. He was an avid Alabama Football Fan. His passion was cleaning and manicuring the cemetery at Beulah Chapel Cemetery.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John Willie (Lillian Scott) White, Sr; wife Mary Ann White, and one sister, Eula B. Sullivan.
He is survived by his one son, John Mathew White (Amanda Gifford) of McDavid, FL; two daughters, Teri Angela White, of Century, FL; Kimberly Ann (Craig) Burkett, of Byrneville, FL; three brothers, Bob (Ronnie) White, of Bay Minette, AL; Whitey (Shirley) White, of Century, FL; Ander (Linda) White, of Century, FL; five grandchildren, Daniel Kelley, Trent White, Jill Steadham, Jonathan Burkett, David Burkett, twelve great-grandchildren and a special friend and caretaker Sheila Lee.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church with Rev. Tim Floyd and Rev. Eric Bryan officiating.
Burial will follow at Beulah Chapel Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 10 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. at Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church.
Pallbearers will be Daniel Kelley, Trent White, Jonathan Burkett, David Burkett, Jeffery Steadham, and Zach Carter.
Betty Jean Hall
May 15, 2023
Ms. Betty Jean Hall, age 79, passed away, Sunday, May 14, 2023, in Jay, FL. She has resided most of her life in Bratt, FL. She was a member of Bratt Baptist Church. She was self-employed as a cosmetologist for many years.
Ms. Hall enjoyed spending time with her family, going to church and singing. Her Beauty Shop was her life and her customers was like her family. She was an avid reader. She enjoyed going to Gatlinburg, and she loved her dogs.
Ms. Hall is preceded in death by her parents, Jacob Ezra (Algy Mae Flowers) Gilley, two brothers, James Gilley and Charles Gilley.
She is survived by her two sisters, Yvonne Aden, of Bratt, FL; Sharron Murell, of Bratt, FL; sister-in law, Rose Gilley, of Bratt, FL; five nieces, Melissa Chavers, Deana Edwards, Crystal Calvert, Kimberly Murphy, Theresa Kirk, two nephews, J J Aden, Eric Gilley, numerous great nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Graveside service will be held, Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 12:00 PM at Godwin Cemetery.
Burial will follow at Godwin Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 17, 2023 from 10 until 11:30 a.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Frank Murphy, Hunter Chavers, Shelby Godwin, and Maegan Godwin.
Mesa, Banfield Help Blue Wahoos Complete Birmingham Sweep
May 15, 2023
The Blue Wahoos again return from a road trip as one of the hottest teams in Minor League Baseball.
Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. and catcher Will Banfield combined for seven RBI – each hitting home runs – as the Blue Wahoos rallied from an early deficit for a 9-7 victory to complete a six-game sweep against the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field.
It was Pensacola’s eighth consecutive win, matching a franchise record the Blue Wahoos also tied two weeks ago, and the team’s 16th win in their last 17 games. It also matches the longest streak of any team in MILB.
The win extended the Blue Wahoos’ (22-11) lead in the Southern League South Division to three games ahead of the Biloxi Shuckers.
Mesa Jr. had one of the game’s biggest hits with his 3-run, go-ahead homer in the fifth inning. He finished an outstanding week at the plate with two homers and 11 RBI in the series.
Closer Sean Reynolds recorded his sixth save in seven attempts with a scoreless ninth inning. He gave up a two-out walk, then got Chris Shaw, who had homered earlier, to fly out to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos Joe Rizzo provided a two-run cushion when he smashed a two-out, solo homer in the ninth.
Every Blue Wahoos hitter in the starting lineup reached base. Seven different batters scored runs.
The Barons (11-22), the Chicago White Sox affiliate, sustained their ninth consecutive defeat. They had not been swept at home since 2015 in any series longer than four games. They are now 4-18 at Regions Field this season.
The game started in Birmingham’s favor.
Making his second start of the week, the Blue Wahoos’ Evan Fitterer had his first rough inning in four outings.
The righthander gave up leadoff walk in the second inning that was followed by Adam Hackenberg’s 2-run homer. He then hit a batter with one out and Moises Castillo came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
Fitterer, who joined the Blue Wahoos in late April, won his first three starts, allowing just two runs on eight hits. But Sunday he had thrown 64 pitches with one out into the fourth inning and finished with 72 pitches, 40 for strikes.
He allowed just two hits, but one was the big homer. He walked three, struck out four and had two wild pitches.
But the Blue Wahoos answered with five runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Mesa Jr. hitting a 3-run bomb over the right center wall that chased Barons starter Garrett Davila. On the first pitch from reliever Yoelvin Silven, Blue Wahoos catcher Will Banfield hit a fastball over the left wall.
Dane Myers drove in the first run with a single.
The Barons came back to tie the game in the sixth on a solo homer by Chris Shaw off Christen Charle, followed by Moises Castillo to score Ben Norman, who singled, moved to third on a stolen base and wild pitch.
In the seventh, Nasim Nuñez led off with a single, Troy Johnston was hit by a pitch and Myers walked to load the bases. Mesa followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to score Nunez. Banfield then hit a two-run double off the right-center wall.
Blue Wahoos reliever Dylan Bice pitched out of jams to keep a one-run lead.
The Blue Wahoos return home Sunday night following the game in Birmingham and will have Monday off before beginning a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the Tennessee Smokies, the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A affiliate. It will be the teams’ first meeting since the 2022 Southern League Championship Series.
The Blue Wahoos captured their first outright league title on Sept. 28 against the Smokies in Kodak, Tennessee with consecutive road playoff wins.
Frances ‘Ferryn’ Spann Twarkins
May 15, 2023
Frances “Ferryn” Spann Twarkins, after a lengthy battle finally succumb to the challenge of Parkinson Disease. She passed peacefully in sleep at a local assisted living facility.
After retiring as an elementary principal from the Escambia School System (34 years), Ms. Ferryn enjoyed a full and active life. Knitting, reading, chasing family genealogy, watching baseball, and traveling were her active escapes for relaxation. Through her life, Ms. Ferryn dearly loved and supported her family church, Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church (NorthStone Baptist Church, today). Apparently, God must have needed an elementary teacher…He chose a great one! She will be missed by all who knew her.
Ms. Ferryn is survived by her husband of 52 years, Tom; daughter, Teri (Tyson); grandchildren, Siris and Jett (Phoenix, Arizona); and her four younger brothers, Julius, Lauritz, Frank and Joe.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at NorthStone Baptist Church, 2550 W. 9 Mile Road, Pensacola, Florida 32534, at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a needy cause.
How Fast Is Your Internet? Residents Urged To Take Florida Broadband Speed Test
May 14, 2023
Escambia County and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) are once again encouraging residents to take the Florida Broadband Speed Test to assist in further developing Florida’s Broadband Availability Map. Your participation will help the state of Florida identify gaps in high-speed internet service in order to advance the state’s overall broadband infrastructure expansion goals.
“By taking the Florida Broadband Speed Test, you are providing real-time data to the state of Florida, which will help them develop a plan to eliminate the digital divide,” said Escambia County Information Technology Interim Director Scott MacDonald.
Using your internet connection, the speed test will measure the speed of internet transmission between your device and an outside server. The speed test can be completed using any device that has an internet or cellular connection and takes less than one minute to complete. After taking the speed test, you will receive immediate results from your test. The DEO recommends completing the test again even if you have already participated.
Results will populate the map once you complete the speed test and will include your download, upload, latency and ping speeds. The data collected from your internet’s speed test will be displayed on the Florida Broadband Availability Map in real time.
County Awards Contract For Hurricane Sally Brickyard Road Repairs
May 14, 2023
Using FEMA Hurricane Sally recovery funds, Escambia County has approved an engineering design contract for Brickyard Road repairs and improvements.
The contact was awarded to Sigma Consulting Group for $157,890 to develop the construction plans, including the design to repair existing culvert pipe running underneath Brickyard Road and the existing headwall, and repair and replacement of the existing road and outfall system.
The intent of Escambia County is to replace, in kind, the culvert running underneath Brickyard Road, repair or replace the existing headwall that is the outfall for the pond, reconstruct the existing road, and provide improvements to the drainage of the existing pond and the adjacent drainage system.
The estimated construction contract price for the project is $934,000. The construction contract won’t be put out for bids or awarded until after the engineering work is completed.
Hurricane Sally made landfall near Gulf Shores on September 16, 2020.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Traffic Alert: Road Construction Trouble Spots For This Week
May 14, 2023
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday, May 14 through Saturday, May 20 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform striping work. On Tuesday, May 16, U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) will have lane closures beginning at 10 p.m. due to Bands on the Beach.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) Escambia County Welcome Center – The truck parking lot at the Escambia County Interstate 10 Welcome Center, located at mile marker four, will be temporarily closed until summer when the Welcome Center improvements are complete. The front and middle car parking lots are open.
- East Nine Mile Road (U.S. 90A) Roadway Improvements from Chemstrand Road to East of Baldridge Drive – The bicycle lanes are temporarily closed to allow crews to widen the turn lanes and construct new five-foot bicycle lanes. In addition, the speed limit on this section of East Nine Mile Road has been reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph as vehicles and bicycles will share the roadway. The closure and speed limit reduction will be in place until the project is complete next summer.
- · Pensacola Boulevard (U.S. 29) Resurfacing from Brent Lane (State Road (S.R.) 296) to North of I-10 – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures and intermittent turn lane closures Sunday, May 14 through Thursday, May 18 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as crews place thermoplastic pavement markings on the roadway.
- Lillian Highway (S.R. 298) Resurfacing from North of U.S. 98 to East of Fairfield Drive (S.R. 727) and Lillian Highway at Blue Angel Parkway (S.R. 173) – Drivers will encounter shoulder and lane closures on Lillian Highway, between U.S. 98 and Blue Angel Parkway, Monday, May 15 through Friday, May 19 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Crews will be performing drainage and shoulder construction.
- Navy Boulevard (S.R. 295) Resurfacing from North of the Bayou Grande Bridge to Gulf Beach Highway/Barrancas Avenue (S.R. 292) – Drivers will encounter alternating nightly lane closures, from Barrancas Avenue to the Bayou Grande Bridge, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Friday, May 12 through Friday, May 19. Crews will be milling and resurfacing the roadway.
- U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) Resurfacing between Henry Street and Cottage Street in Century - Drivers on U.S. 29 (North Century Boulevard) will encounter a lane shift and lane closures through May. The two U.S. 29 northbound travel lanes and the center turn lane will be closed between Hatties Boulevard and East Cottage Street. During the closure, one northbound and one southbound lane will remain open using the current southbound travel lanes. Signage will be in place to safely direct drivers through the work zone.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 (S.R. 30/Gulf Breeze Parkway/Navarre Parkway) Resurfacing of select areas from Abercrombie Road to Calle De Palencia Street - Drivers on U.S. 98 (Navarre Parkway), between S.R. 87 and Calle De Palencia Street, may encounter intermittent nightly lane closures from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews perform construction activities.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Drivers will encounter alternating lane closures on the Pensacola Bay Bridge Sunday, May 14 through Saturday, May 20 from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews perform striping work. On Tuesday, May 16, U.S. 98 westbound (Gulf Breeze to Pensacola) will have lane closures beginning at 10 p.m. due to Bands on the Beach.
- U.S. 90 Bridge Replacement over Simpson River – Widening of the westbound bridge over Simpson River has been completed. The westbound structure now supports two westbound lanes, two eastbound lanes, and dedicated bike lanes. Drivers may encounter temporary and intermittent lane closures on the bridge for crews to address any maintenance issues that may arise. Drivers are reminded that the speed limit is 35 mph throughout the work zone.
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
- Median and turn-lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Point Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between S.R. 281 and Bayshore Road Sunday, May 14 through Friday, May 19, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for stormwater drainage improvements and paving operations.
- I-10 Resurfacing from S.R. 281 (Avalon Boulevard) to East of S.R. 87 – Motorists will encounter nighttime east and westbound lane closures Monday, May 15 through Friday, May 19 for paving operations.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Happy Mothers Day! Chance Of Rain, Otherwise 90 And Mostly Sunny
May 14, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly after 1 p.m. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 91. North wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. West wind around 5 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
10,000 Pound Food Giveaway Tuesday Afternoon In Cantonment
May 14, 2023
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will hold a drive-thru 10,000 pound food giveaway Tuesday afternoon, May 16 at Carver Park on Webb Street.
The food distribution will begin at 3 p.m. and continue while supplies last for anyone in need of food. People should line up their vehicles, single file on Webb Street facing north; food will be loaded into vehicles. Identification is required.
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
Jay Falls 9-7 In 1A Regional To Holmes County
May 14, 2023
Holmes County defeated the Jay Royals 9-7 Saturday in eight innings to win the 1A Regional Final in Jay.
The game was tied at seven each after five. After two scoreless innings, Holmes County added two in the bottom of the eighth for the win.
Justin Smarr went for three innings for the Royals, allowing one hit and four runs while striking out four. Landon Golden tossed two innings, allowing one hit and striking out two. Kaden Strength was on the hill for one and a third innings, surrendering five hits and three runs with no strikeouts. Ethan McDonald pitched one and two-thirds innings, giving up three hits and two runs while striking out none.
Justin Smarr led the Royals at the plate, going 3-5. McDonald, Ayden Sowers, Tomas Ravendo and Nahan Smarr added one hit each.
Jay’s season ended at 17-12. Holmes County moves to the 1A Final Four on May 17 against Chipley.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.