Deniece Lei Dye
July 29, 2024
, 63, of Cantonment, Florida, passed away on July 27, 2024. She was born in Hawthorne, California on August 14, 2024 to Dale and Ilaree Specht. She was married to Larry Dye for 26 years. She worked as an accountant for Santino’s, and Groovin-Noovin’s Stores. She had a passion for Life, Family and Travels.
She was preceded in death by her parents. Dale and Ilaree Specht, and her sister, Michelle Specht. She is survived by her sons, Brian Hedden, Chris (Brandy) Hedden, Tim Hedden; bonus sons, Joe (Vara) Dye, Chuck (Casey) Hedden; granddaughters, Airiana Hedden, Camryn Hedden and Nora Hedden; brother, Harlan (Glenda) Specht.
Funeral services will be held Monday, August 5, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, Florida 32533. Visitation will be prior to service at 1:30 p.m. Event room will follow visitation from 3-5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers donate to St. Jude’s Children Hospital or The American Cancer Society.
One Person Injured In Crash Near Walnut Hill
July 28, 2024
One person was injured in a single vehicle rollover crash Saturday night near Walnut Hill.
The crash happened at about 9:25 p.m. p.m. on O.C. Phillips Road, off Highway 97A, about seven miles from Walnut Hill.
An adult male lost control and collided with a utility pole. The vehicle came to rest on its roof on the paved portion of the roadway.
The man was transported by ambulance to an area hospital following the wreck.
The crash snapped a utility pole and downed powerlines, causing an outage for about 50 Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers on O.C. Phillips and Pineville roads.
The Walnut Hill, McDavid and Molino stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue were dispatched, along with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Highway 29 Construction Zone Traffic Shift Delayed (Again)
July 28, 2024
An anticipated traffic shift in a Highway 29 construction zone in Century has once again been delayed again.
The Florida Department of Transpiration previously announced the shift would take place on July 15, then July 25. And now, FDOT says the contractor plans to shift traffic to newly constructed lanes on Thursday, August 1.
An unmarked Town of Century water pipe, a damaged water line and weather have all delayed the project.
NorthEscambaia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Update: National Hurricane Center Monitoring Possible Development
July 28, 2024
After quiet period the last few weeks, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a system over the central Atlantic that could become a tropical depression next week around midweek near or over the northern Leeward Islands, Greater Antilles or southwestern Atlantic Ocean.
Formation chance over the next seven days is 40%. It could become the next tropical storm in the next 5-7 days.
It is still too early to forecast what impact the storm might have on he United States, if it develops.
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
July 28, 2024
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Calm wind.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Calm wind.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 94.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 94.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 94.
Chumuckla Highway And Pace Road Lane Closures Begin Monday
July 28, 2024
Lane closures on Chumuckla Highway and Pace Road (at Alyssa’s) in Pace will begin on Monday, July 29 through Wednesday, July 31, to install cross-drains. Installation is part of a project to add turn lanes on Chumuckla Highway and Pace Road. Both lane closures will happen near the roadway intersection.
Detours during installation on Chumuckla Highway include:
- Traffic moving south along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Pace Road and Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Traffic moving north along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Rodella Street.
Once installation shifts to Pace Road, detours will include:
- Traffic moving south along Chumuckla Highway will be detoured to Norris Road and Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Residents of Pace Road will detour to Pace Patriot Boulevard.
- Traffic moving north along Chumuckla Highway will still detour to Rodella Street.
All activities are weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Escambia Man Charged With Repeatedly Abusing Kitten
July 28, 2024
An 18-year-old Escambia County man has been charged with repeatedly abusing a three-week old kitten.
Eli Adrian Lee McIntyre was charged with felony animal cruelty. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $100,000.
McIntyre’s roommate provided the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office with four videos he alleged showed McIntyre abusing the kitten.
The first video reportedly showed McIntyre wrapping a phone charging cord around the neck of the kitten and pulling it up. Another showed the kitten having a seizure on the floor after McIntyre allegedly threw it against a wall. The other videos showed McIntyre grabbing the kitten by the neck and placing it inside a 12-pack box, and taking it in and out of a freezer, according to an arrest report.
The roommate told deputies that these were not the only abuse incidents, and McIntyre became aggressive after attempts to make him stop.
There was no update provided on the kitten’s condition in the arrest report.
Library Book Sale Today: $7 For A Paper Bag Of Books
July 28, 2024
Sunday is the final day of the Friends of the West Florida Public Library HOT Summer Book Sale.
Today is the $7 bag sale — a paper bag of books for just $7 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The Collectors Corner will close at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
The sale will be held at the downtown library, located at 239 North Spring Street. Debit and credit cards will be accepted.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Fall Behind Early, Drop Saturday’s Game To Shuckers
July 28, 2024
written by Bill Vilona
The first three runs the Biloxi Shuckers scored Saturday occurred on a grounder that hit an umpire, a just-missed double play, and a full-swing slow roller that stayed inside the third base line.
That third inning proved an omen of the night for the Blue Wahoos.
The Shuckers ballooned their 3-0 lead into a 8-4 victory, making postgame fireworks the biggest thrill for the usual sellout Saturday crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It was the third time in five games this week against Biloxi with an 8-4 final score. This time, however, the Shuckers stayed on top after taking a 7-1 lead into the seventh inning stretch.
The Blue Wahoos created their one moment of intrigue in that at-bat. They scored runs when Jacob Berry led off with a double. Nathan Martorella walked. Shane Sasaki followed with an RBI double.
A wild pitch scored Martorella. Dalvy Rosario’s sacrifice fly scored Sasaki and suddenly it was a 3-run deficit. The inning ended with Jakob Marsee at third when Zach Zubia struck out.
The Blue Wahoos did not get a baserunner in the final two innings.
But the crowd remained as Blue Wahoos popular emcee “Downtown Dave” Presnell proclaimed, “Blue Wahoos fans, we didn’t win the game, but we’ll win the fireworks.”
The Blue Wahoos (52-42 overall, 14-12 second half) will get a second chance in Sunday’s series finale at 4:05 p.m. to win this homestand series against the Shuckers (46-47, 16-10).
Saturday, besides some unfortunate bounces, they faced a strong outing from Biloxi righthanded starter Logan Henderson, rated the No. 16 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. Henderson (5-2, 3.38 ERA), worked six innings, allowing just three hits, one run, and striking out six.
The Blue Wahoos’ lone run off Henderson was Joe Mack’s 16th home run to lead off the fourth inning. It was his 14th homer since May 28.
Blue Wahoos starter Jeff Lindgren, who lasted just four innings, may have gotten out of the third inning without much damage if not for tough luck. With one out, a hard grounder hit by Brock Wilson hit the base umpire’s leg, causing the play to be ruled a single with a run scored.
It could have been a double play. The next batter, Ernesto Martinez Jr., then beat the relay throw to fend off a double play and score another run. Eric Brown Jr. then had a slow grounder stay fair inside the third base line for another RBI hit.
The Shuckers then blew out the game with Xavier Warren’s two-run homer off Lindgren in the fourth inning and Lamar Sparks’ 2-run homer off Anderson Pilar in the fifth.
Sunday’s game will be the Blue Wahoos’ final game this season against Biloxi. The Blue Wahoos have controlled the series with a 15-7 record, but only hold a 6-5 edge in the second half. A win in the finale would give the Blue Wahoos a tie-breaker advantage should the two teams tie for the second half division win and playoff spot.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos
WHEN: Sunday, 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
Tate Showband Of The South Has A New Director
July 27, 2024
The Tate High School Showband of the South has a new director.
Ronald B. Gray Jr. has been named the director of bands at Tate. Within the Tate Department of Fine Arts, his responsibilities include teaching the wind ensemble, concert band, Showband of the South, and jazz band.
Before his tenure at Tate, Gray served as the director of bands at Pine Forest High School for seven years, where he also held the position of Fine and Performing Arts department chair. At Pine Forest, he taught wind ensemble, instrumental techniques, jazz band, and sound engineering.
Under his leadership and with the support of the administrative faculty, staff, and community, the Pine Forest Super Sound Band became a staple in the community and achieved superior ratings for the first time in over a decade.
Gray also served as an adjunct professor in the College of Education at Florida A&M University, where he taught instrumental methods.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, Gray graduated from Stranahan High School before earning a Bachelor of Science in Music from Florida A&M University. During his time at FAMU, he held positions as a student assistant to the director of bands and university band president. He later obtained a master’s degree in music, with a concentration in brass performance, from the University of South Alabama.
Gray is a proud husband and father who loves fishing and “burning chicken on the grill”.