Funeral Services Held For Former Trooper, Sheriff’s Dept. Employee
October 2, 2008
Funeral services were held Thursday for a former state trooper and sheriff’s department employee that died in a motor vehicle accident early Sunday morning.
Grover Barnes, Jr., 65, of Century died in the accident at 4:35 Sunday morning on Highway 99 at Frank Reeder Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Funeral services were Thursday afternoon at Olive Baptist Church with Dr. Ted Traylor officiating. Interment followed at Pensacola Memorial Gardens. Serving as pallbearers were members of the Masonic Lodge.
Honorary pallbearers were, Ken Robinson, Sheriff Ron McNesby, Martin Sharron, Skippy Edwards, Ed Emmons, Claude Gibbs, Andy McGovern, Pat Stephens, James and Ellison Carter, Paul Crumpler, Don Clevenger, Therrell Roberts, Danny Groves, members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and others throughout the U.S. too numerous to mention.
Grover was born on in Pensacola, Florida, on August 26, 1943. He was a graduate of Escambia High School and served in the United States Army.
Grover was a faithful member of Olive Baptist Church. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a member of the Hadji Shrine Temple and Naval 24 Masonic Lodge.
At the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office he was specialist in the fleet maintenance division and made himself available to all other departments and personnel.
Preceding Grover in death were his parents, Grover Barnes, Sr. and Nettye Ruth Martin Barnes, and his granddaughter, Courtney Cobb.
Survivors include his son, Andrew Barnes; daughter, Valerie “Jeanie” Reed (Eric); brother, David Barnes (Katherine); very special friend, Mary Lou Palmer and her children, Jeffrey and Wendy Palmer, who he loved as his own; his grandsons, Corey Cobb and Christopher Reed; his niece, Shannon Pollock; and nephews, Brian Barnes and Michael Wright (Tracy and Grace).
Flomaton Downs Jay 28-0 In JV Ball
October 1, 2008
The Flomaton JV Canes traveled to Jay Tuesday evening to take on the Jay Royals.
The Canes remained undefeated after shutting out the Royals 28-0.
The next game for the JV Canes is October 7 at Excel.
For more photos from the game, click here.
For even more photos, visit www.mikenewtonphotography.zenfolio.com.
Pictured above and below: The JV Flomaton Hurricanes downed Jay Tuesday night, 28-0. Submitted photos by Mike Newton Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
No More Alabama Kids Allowed In Florida Schools
October 1, 2008
School boards in Alabama and Florida are putting an end to the long standing practice of allowing Alabama students to cross the state line to attend Florida schools.
Since 1999, a written agreement between the school districts of Escambia County, Alabama, and Escambia County, Florida, has allowed up to 100 students per year from Escambia, Alabama, to attend school in Escambia County, Florida.
At a recent meeting of the Escambia County (Alabama) School Board, the board voted to rescind that agreement effective with the next school year. For the agreement to officially end, Escambia County, Florida, must rescind it as well.
The Escambia County (Florida) School Board will vote on revoking the agreement at a future meeting, district spokesperson Ronnie Arnold told NorthEscambia.com.
Once the agreement is gone, Alabama students currently enrolled in Escambia, Florida, schools will be allowed to finish the highest level offered by the school where they are currently enrolled.
“For example, an Alabama student in the third grade at Bratt Elementary would be allowed to attend school here through the fifth grade,” Arnold said. Once that child finished fifth grade, they would not be allowed to move on to middle school in Florida. A student attending Ernest Ward Middle School under the agreement would be allowed to finish the eighth grade but not be allowed to attend Northview High School.
“By and large, the decision to end this agreement had to do more with the Alabama system losing students to Florida,” Arnold said.
“You had parents that lived in say Atmore that worked in Cantonment that enrolled their students in Florida. It was just more feasible for the families,” he said.
Arnold said it is a complicated decision, because many parents wish to send their children to Florida schools because they feel they have more to offer. But the influx of Alabama students into already crowded Florida schools has created problems with Florida’s class size restrictions.
There is still at least one circumstance where a student that lives in Alabama might still be able to attend school in Florida. The student of divorced parents could live with one parent or guardian during the week in Alabama while their legal custodial parent is in Florida.
Escambia County (Alabama) Superintendent of Education Billy Hines did not return NorthEscambia.com’s phone calls after we left messages Tuesday on his voice mail and with a secretary.
Your comments on this story are welcome below. However, do not mention any child or their parent/guardian by name.
Pictured above: Of the 100 students from Alabama allowed to attend school in Escambia County, Florida, 18 of them attend Ernest Ward Middle School. Once an agreement between the districts in the two states is revoked, they will be allowed to continue at Ernest Ward but not move on to Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Jay, PCA Dominate Cross Country At Northview
October 1, 2008
Jay High School and Pensacola Christian Academy took the top two slots in both boys and girls cross country in a meet held Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School.
For a complete photo gallery from the run, click here.
In the boy’s 5K run, PCA’s team placed first, follow by Jay second, Northview High third, Tate fourth, Escambia Academy fifth, Central High sixth and Pensacola High School seventh.
The top five boys runners were:
- Alan Ash, Escambia Academy, 17:19
- Josh Slaughter, PCA, 18:03
- Justin James, PCA, 18:42
- James Whitehead, Jay, 18:43
- Seth Lassiter, EA, 18:52
The top three boys runners for Northview were Cody Chance, Elliot Ross and Joshua Scott.
In the girl’s 5K run, Jay High School placed first, followed by PCA in second and Pensacola High School Third.
Individual results from the girl’s teams were not available.
Pictured above: The race for the finish during a 5K cross country run Tuesday afternoon at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Northview Beats The Blue Devils On The Court
October 1, 2008
The Northview High School Chiefs beat the Blue Devils of Escambia County High School on the volleyball court in Atmore Tuesday afternoon.
The Chiefs took the set from ECHS 25-22, 25-22, 26-28, 25-16.
Sophomore Shawna Montgomery had two digs, four kills and five aces for the Chiefs. Brittney Thompson, a senior, had one ace, eight kills and a dig.
Ashley Digmon, a sophomore, had five digs, and Catilin Hall, a junior, had 17 assists and four aces.
Northview’s varsity and JV teams will be at home Thursday afternoon against Catholic High School. The JV plays at 4:30 and the varsity plays at 6:00.