Gregory Boyd Blackwell
July 27, 2023
Mr. Gregory Boyd Blackwell, age 62, passed away, Saturday, July 22, 2023, in Atmore, AL. He was born, December 15, 1960, and has resided his whole life in Atmore, AL.
Mr. Blackwell enjoyed spending time with his family, grandchildren and friends. He enjoyed spending time on his lawnmower.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Otto (Barbara Rutherford) Blackwell, grandmother, Lunette Rutherford, and best friend, Lurby Denais.
He is survived by his special friend, Becky Walls Blackwell Denais, of Atmore, AL; two sons, Gilbert Wade Blackwell, of Atmore, AL; one daughter, Hannah Blackwell Conway, of Atmore, AL; one brother, Pernel Blackwell, of Atmore, AL; one sister, Rhonda Stringer, of Atmore, AL; five grandchildren, Baileigh Irene Blackwell, Barrett Nigozi Finney, Jr; Robbie Conway, Kinlee Grace Conway, Ty Gregory Conway, children and grandchildren, by marriage, Tawaka Walls Rolin, Tony Marie Gibson, Antino Walls, Damon Rolin, Brandon Joiner, Ruth Ann Walls, Rugger Aubrey Walls, Riggen Ashley Walls,special aunt, Minney Skaggs, of Atmore, AL; and other relatives.
Visitation will be held Thursday, July 27, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with a kind word from Rev. Brandon Tanner.
Glenn G. Grant
July 27, 2023
Mr. Glenn G. Grant of Elsie Davis Road in Century FL,. passed away Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at the age of 84.
Glenn Grant was born October 23, 1938, in Florence South Carolina to L.B. Grant, and Wilma Matthews Grant. Glenn’s mother died when he was Five Years old. His Father remarried to Edna Polk, and Edna raised Glenn as her own son.
Mr. Grant served in The United States Army, and Foreman of Flomaton Wholesale in Flomaton, AL.
Glenn is preceded in death by his father L.B. Grant, mother Wilma Grant, stepmother Edna Grant, brother Kenneth Grant, and sisters Pat Ham an Janice Carter.
He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Agnes Grant of Century FL; sons Keith Grant of Century, FL, Michael (Tasha) Grant of Century FL; sisters Sharon Wadell, Wanda Hatfield Thigpen, and Carol Hood all of South Carolina and Beth Nastasi of Texas; six grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren; and five great-great grandchildren.
Glenn’s favorite Bible verse was Psalms 23. The reason for this verse is when he was little he would ask his grandmother if his mother was saved when she died? Each time he would ask she would say when you get old enough to understand I will talk to you about this. Time went on and one time before his grandmother died he asked her again, ” Was my mother saved?” She went and got her Bible and turned to Psalms 23, and read it to Glenn. (Read Psalms 23) His grandmother said ” think upon verse number 6 and you will know your mother was saved.” This put peace in his heart to know his mother was saved when the Lord called her home at the age of 21. Glenn was fortunate to have a stepmother to love him and raise him as her own.
Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 29, 2023, at Canoe Freewill Baptist Church Cemetery in Canoe, AL. Speakers will be Martha Sansom and Kenny Rigby.
Pallbearers will be Travis Grant, Hank Grant, Adam Dellacroce, Conner Wolf amd Tim Rigby
Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Wahoos Rally Late, Prevail 4-3 Over Braves
July 27, 2023
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos eked out another one-run win over the Mississippi Braves on Wednesday night, pushing across the winning run in the ninth inning on a Dalvy Rosario sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory.
The Blue Wahoos have now taken four in a row, and the first two games of their weeklong series against the Braves.
Eury Pérez, back in the minors and on a game mound for the first time in 20 days, showed the same stuff that made him the talk of baseball through his first 11 MLB starts. The righty, on a strict pitch count, fanned five batters over 2.1 innings while allowing two runs, one earned.
The Blue Wahoos strung together three hits in the first inning, scoring the game’s first run on a Jacob Berry RBI single. Playing in his second Double-A game, Berry added another RBI single in the sixth in a 2-for-4 night.
After Mississippi scored two runs in the second on RBI singles from Jesse Franklin V and Landon Stephens, the Blue Wahoos got 3.2 scoreless innings of relief from Chandler Jozwiak and Matt Pushard to keep the game in check. An RBI groundout from Victor Mesa Jr. in the sixth was followed by Berry’s second RBI knock of the night to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 3-2.
Zach McCambley (W, 3-0) allowed an unearned run in the seventh on a Cody Milligan double and Griffin Conine fielding error, but bounced back to put up a zero in the eighth. In the ninth, Pensacola loaded the bases against Kyle Wilcox (L, 1-3) before Rosario lifted a fly to left that scored Cody Morissette with the go-ahead run.
Jefry Yan (S, 10), pitching on back-to-back nights, worked a spotless ninth to earn his league-leading 10th save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Braves on Thursday.
Update: FHP Identifies Pedestrian Struck And Killed On I-10
July 26, 2023
The Florida Highway Patrol has identified a pedestrian struck and killed on I-10 Wednesday morning.
The 37-year old Pensacola man was walking adjacent to a travel lane on westbound I-10 east of Highway 29 about 4:55 a.m. He was struck by the front of a pickup truck driven by a 64-year old Pensacola man.
The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene by Escambia County EMS.
FHP worked several hours to positively identify the pedestrian and notify next of kin. While troopers know the man’s identity, FHP no longer releases names to the public.
ECUA Settles On 9.5% Sanitation Rate Increase With ‘Free’ Second Can, 5% Hike For Water And Sewer
July 26, 2023
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authorities Tuesday settled on a 9.5% rate increase for all sanitation customers and 5% for water and sewer.
Facing a potential $1.8 million shortball and big problems with the wrong items being placed in recycling cans, staff had proposed a more modest 3.5% rate increase for sanitation customers plus a $3 a month recycling fee.
“You either raise the base rate (for sanitation services) from which you draw funds, or you put more of that actual recycling cost on those who are using the service by raising the rate,” ECUA Executive Director Bruce Woody told the board during a Tuesday afternoon meeting. He said those who “use recycling as a trash can, then perhaps influencing them financially by having a financial difference so if they are not interested in recycling”.
“Contamination has to come down,” board member Larry Williams said. “If education is not working, if enforcement is not working, and we are not making money, then I don’t why we are doing this unless we are going in the right direction.”
“I don’t think additional education is going to work,” District 5 member Kevin Stephens said.
Board member Dale Perkins made a motion to increase sanitation rates by 9.5% across the board and eliminate the charge for a second garbage can. Residential customers will have the option to receive a second can — their choice of trash or recycling — at no additional charge. The motion was seconded by Stephens and passed 5-0.
“People like more, and people like free,” Perkins said. “ECUA will pick up your recycling can and bring you a garbage can for free. It might seem that we are discouraging recycling, but the people who don’t want to recycle will call in, especially if it’s free. We can promote that and get them off. We don’t want people recycling that don’t want to recycle.”
The 9.5% increase will raise the rate for a 90-gallon container from $27.67 to $29.88 and include an optional additional trash or recycling can at no cost.
District 1 board member Vicki Campbell first said she could not support the 9.5% increase with a “free” additional can because some could not afford it, or those like widows, the elderly and empty-nesters simply don’t need a second can. She made an amendment to Perkins’ motion for the originally proposed 3.5% increase with $3 for a second can whether it be garbage or recycling. She later withdrew her amendment to the motion.
ECUA is also raising rates on seven entities outside Escambia County — like Foley, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa County — from their current $15-$45 per ton for recyclables to a flat $60 per ton due to high contamination levels.
ECUA staff had proposed a 4% rate increase for water and 6% for wastewater. The board voted 5-0 to increase both water and wastewater by 5%.
Both rate increases will return to the ECUA board in August for public hearings and a final vote.
Clear, Low 70s Tonight
July 26, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. North wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 94. North wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 94. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 95.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 77.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
DUI Manslaughter Charge Dropped Against Man In Death Of 19-Year Old Pensacola Christian College Student
July 26, 2023
All charges have been dropped against a man charged earlier this year in a crash that killed a 19-year old Pensacola Christian College student.
Oscar Daniel Martin, Jr. was charged with DUI manslaughter following the March 21 crash on Airport Boulevard.
According to an arrest report, Martin told a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper that he had consumed three beers over the course of three hours before the crash, and the trooper noted in the report that he could “smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from (Martin)”. FHP also said Martin “exhibited multiple clues” of being under the influence during a field sobriety check.
But according to the State Attorney’s Office, lab tests conducted at the state lab showed no alcohol in Martin’s system at the time of the crash. A second laboratory in Pennsylvania also found Martin had no alcohol or drugs in his system.
The State Attorney’s Office also said Martin will not face reckless driving charges because there was no evidence that he was driving recklessly before the crash.
FHP said a pickup truck driven by Martin was eastbound when it “drifted” onto the Airport Boulevard sidewalk west of Memory Lane. The pickup truck collided with Jadon Goins, a PCC student who was cleaning up around a college facility, troopers said.
Goins was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
D.R. Horton Lowers OLF-8 Offer From $42 Million To $24.1 Million As BOCC Holds Back 241 Acres
July 26, 2023
D.R. Horton has lowered their offer for the OLF-8 property from $42 million to $24.1 million, according to Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh.
The homebuilder’s original offer was for 540 acres on Nine Mile Road, but now the Escambia County Commission wants to retain 241 acres for economic development and job growth.
New plans from D.R. Horton show 99 acres for commercial use including restaurants, retail, offices, medical and a town center. The plan also shows 170 acres with 1,133 residential units, including 360 townhomes and 336 apartments.
The BOCC is expected to discuss the $24.1 million offer as early as their next meeting on August 3.
Chosen 10U Wins Montgomery Tournament
July 26, 2023
The Chosen 10U softball team played up and took first place in a weekend tournament in Montgomery.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the team was forced to play as a 12U tournament team and still finished first place in that bracket. The Chosen 10U team plays out of Century and includes athletes from Northwest Escambia, Century, Jay and Pace.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Threatened Two With A Gun, Was Involved In $34,000 Check Fraud: ECSO Says
July 26, 2023
A Cantonment man was booked into the Escambia County Jail this week after allegedly threatening two people with a gun and for outstanding financial crimes related to check for more than $34,000
Alejandro Jairay Roper, 21, was charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill.
He was also arrested on outstanding felony warrants for bank fraud, forgery, uttering a forged instrument, criminal use of personally identifiable information and grand theft.
In 2022, Roper allegedly deposited a $34,027.72 fraudulent check into his local credit union. The check was from an Ohio funeral home. The funeral home told Ohio authorities that the check was stolen and “washed”; it was originally made out to a management company in Ohio.
Roper allegedly threatened two people with a gun in the area of Tennessee Drive and Georgia Drive in Escambia County.
Roper was released on a $37,500 bond.