Glenda Elizabeth Gulsby Hamilton
February 9, 2020
Glenda Elizabeth Hamilton passed peacefully on February 7, 2020 at the age of 79.
Glenda was born on April 29, 1940 to Aubrey Cecil (Peck) and Margaret Elizabeth (Pinky) Gulsby. She grew up in the Pensacola and Molino area and even spent some time in Mobile. In 1956, at the age of 16, she met and fell in love with a handsome young man in an Air Force uniform and later married him becoming Mrs. Charles Hamilton. After Charles became ordained to preach, Glenda served as Pastors wife for over 30 years. Over the years she became a mother to five children and then became Nana to 15 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Glenda loved music, especially anything by Elvis. Her favorite gospel song was “Turn Your Radio On” and her favorite big band song was “In the Mood” by Glenn Miller.
Glenda’s favorite color was purple and of course anything shiny or sparkly. She had a beautiful alto voice and loved to sing. I’m sure she is singing in heaven’s choir as we speak.
Glenda had been a resident at Specialty Health and Rehab on Pine Forest Road, where she was loved and cared for by the wonderful staff who became a part of our family.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Charles Hamilton; parents, Aubrey Cecil Gulsby and Margaret Elizabeth White; and half- brother, Jerry Gulsby. Glenda will be greatly missed by her son, Craig Hamilton (Robin), daughter, Dorinda Nelson (Larry), daughter, Alicia Trevino (Ed), daughter, Regina Hamilton, son, Brian Hamilton (Barbie), and half-brothers, Steve Gulsby and Loy Gulsby; half-sister, Donna Watters; 15 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North from 10:00-11:00 AM. Funeral services will begin at 11:00, with Rev. Charles Mitchell officiating. Burial will be at Morgan Cemetery with Rev. Chip Barbas officiating.
Pallbearers are Nathan Gross, Justin Gross, Loy Gulsby, Kenneth Trevino, Bill Gulsby and Steve Gulsby.
Helen Stacey Houck Courtney
February 9, 2020
Helen Stacey Houck Courtney, 86 of Atmore, AL, passed away February 8, 2020, in Atmore. She was born on February 16, 1933, in Canoe, AL, to the late J.D. Curtis and Nettie Louise Smith Stacey. She worked most of her life as a certified nursing assistant. She was of the Baptist faith. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Lewis Houck, siblings Curtis Stacey, Eloise Ellis, Maedell Bartley.
She is survived by her son Larry (Betty) Houck and daughter Martha Floyd both of Atmore, AL; four brothers Elvin (Carolyn) Stacey of Pensacola, FL, Ronald (Lola) Stacey of North Carolina, John Stacey of Houston, TX, and Doyle (Bonnie) Stacey of Houston, TX; two sisters Vivian Faye Havers of Houston, TX, And Linda (Millard) Peacock of GA; grandchildren LaDonna (Mike) Dervin, Bridgette Houck and Craig (Katie) Kast and four great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, February 11, 2020, from 6-8 p.m. at the Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
A private family graveside service will be held at a later date at Bratt-Godwin Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the staff at Atmore Nursing Home and Comfort Care Hospice for the special care that was given to their mother.
John Dawson Hendricks
February 9, 2020
John Dawson Hendricks, 84, of Jay, Florida, went to his heavenly home on February 5, 2020.
John D was a lifelong resident of Jay. He was a graduate of Jay High School, Class of 1954. After high school, he went to work for Chemstrand and Solutia during his 34 year tenure at Monsanto. When he wasn’t at Fort Morgan fishing, you could find him atop his John Deere tractor, or wielding a weed eater at Mount Carmel Methodist Church where he was a lifelong member and Trustee for many years.
John D is preceded in death by his parents, Hubert and Mamie Hendricks; his former wife, Martha Hawsey Hendricks; a daughter, Ramona Hendricks Rhode; a daughter-in-law, Nell Hendricks; and his sisters, Mabel Campbell, Mildred Golden and Lula Belle Hendricks.
He leaves behind his loving wife, Susan Hendricks; a daughter, Melinda Madison (Paul); a son, Howard Hendricks; and step-daughter; Kristen Sorrells (Phillipp); grandsons, Eric Rhode, Stephen Rhode, Will Madison, Tristen Sorrells, and Tylen Sorrells; granddaughters, Mariah Rollins (Scott) and Brooklyn Sorrells; four great-grandchildren; sisters, Flora Cole, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, and Annie Lord (James) of Chumuckla; and three brothers, James (Mary Frances), Barnett (Mary Evelyn), Donald (Rachael) and Billy (Opal), all of Jay.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 11, 2020, at Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church. Burial will follow services in the church cemetery with Lewis Funeral Home of Milton directing.
Visitation will be held 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., prior to the service.
Active Pallbearers: Eric Rhode, Stephen Rhode, Scott Rollin, Tristen Sorrells, Tylen Sorrells, and Ivan Hendricks.
Honorary Pallbearers: Charlie and Elsie Kimbrell, Bill Patrick, Tony Payne, Dot Davis, and his Sunday School class members.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Debbie Godwin, Terry Shaner, Staff members at Terrace at Ivey Acres, Dr. David Smith and Jay Hospital Staff, Cassandra Staffer with Covenant Hospice, and many family and friends for their love and support.
Morris B. Stone
February 9, 2020
Morris B. Stone, age 49, died peacefully and entered God’s Kingdom called Heaven on Feb 5, 2020 after a courageous battle with cancer.
Morris was born on June 4, 1970 in Pensacola, FL to Marcus Stone and the late Gloria Stone.
Morris was a graduate of Tate High School and worked in management at Walmart until he medically retired in 2010. He loved the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Dallas Cowboys, fishing, bowling and a big dip of Copenhagen.
Morris is preceded in death by his mother, Gloria Stone; and his brother, Kenneth Morgan Stone.
He is survived by his father, Marcus Gene Stone; brothers, Mark (Wendy) Stone and Roy (Joan) Stone; sister, Susie (Dave) Hill; and also a big family that loved him dearly.
Morris passion for life started early for him when his preliminary checkup to start kindergarten revealed that he had a blood disease called leukemia. The fight was on and as he had done his whole life he fought bravely and courageously and after being in and out of remission for several years he was approved for a “experimental procedure” at the time called a bone marrow transplant. We moved our family 3,000 miles away from home to Seattle, Washington and with the odds stacked against him, Morris won his battle with leukemia and in a rare occasion with this deadly disease was diagnosed as cured. Unfortunately, out of the 12 beautiful children there at the same time battling this horrible disease, Morris was the only one to survive. Morris went on with life! Bound by the side-effects of years of chemo he persevered and touched many lives.
He played sports at the Cantonment ballpark, where many lifetime memories and friends were made. Morris went Tate High School where he never let his health become a obstacle in his joy of life and he shared that joy with many, many friends that he loved and who also loved him dearly. In high school Morris took up bowling and became an avid and very good bowler. He enjoyed competing in youth and adult leagues at Deluna lanes. He loved those weekend family bowling nights and especially the nights he got to school his big brothers and Yes, it was often!
Morris also invested in the lives of many young men through coaching football at Ensley ballpark for many years. There is no doubt he made a profound and positive difference in many of the young lives that God put in his path. Morris worked at Winn Dixie for a short time after high school before taking a job at Walmart where he worked his way up into management. After years of working with his Walmart family, who also loved him dearly, scars from the battle for life some 30 years in the past returned. The large amounts of chemo it took to save his life as a child had also caused his organs not to develop fully causing him to have a series of strokes in 2009 that left him unable to speak and paralyzed on his right side. Through all this Morris still never lost his grit and determination for life and he continued to touch the lives of those who loved him. In Oct. of 2016 Morris was diagnosed with colon cancer and stage 4 liver cancer and was giving 2 months to live.
God had a different plan! Morris blessed the lives of family and friends for another 3 yrs. This is the reason his cancer doctor simply called him “Miracle Morris”. Morris fought to the end with the same passion and love for life that he did in the beginning. The strength and resilience that he showed in every battle that life put in his path made him a inspiration to all who knew him. Morris, with his contagious smile and big warm heart that could knock the chill out of the coldest of rooms, will surely be missed by us all.
Funeral services will be held at 4PM on Sun., Feb. 9, 2020 with visitation beginning at 2PM prior to services.
Burial will be held at 11AM on Mon., Feb. 10 at the Andalusia Memorial Cemetery in Andalusia Al. Pastor Wes Alvarez will officiate.
Woman Charged With Stealing Thousands From Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club
February 8, 2020
The former treasurer and president of the Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the organization.
Leslie Marie Davis, 36, is charged with organized scheme to defraud, a second degree felony.
An internal Escambia County School District investigation found $16,519.20 in “regular” purchase believed to be irregular and missing deposits.
The Ransom Middle Chorus planned a trip to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall in late April 2019. Money was collected from students and families to pay for the trip, but it was canceled in early April due to a financial shortfall. Refunds were issued to families using booster club funds supplemented by school district funds.
Davis was treasurer of the booster club from February 2018 to October 2018 when she was named president. The booster club was dissolved at the request of the Escambia County School District in June 2019. As of late January 2020, Davis has not provided any club financial records in her possession as requested by the district, according to court documents.
Debit cards were issued to Davis, and she signed all checks beginning February 9, 2018, the report states.
The school district investigator found $16,519.20 in irregular purchases that were described as more personal in nature, affidavit states. Those transactions included ATM withdrawals, cash withdrawals and purchases made with cash back; Walmart, Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Amazon, Lowes, salon and spa, and Navy Federal Credit Union cafe purchases; gaming app purchases; purchases at Tom Thumb, Shell, Raceway and Murphy Gas; grocery store, restaurant, and other food related purchases; Facebook donations; and pet-related purchases.
The investigator said she purchased food, cosmetics, cigarettes, clothing, pet food, pet items, vehicle oil changes, tires, gift cards and Christmas presents usings Ransom Middle School Choral Booster Club funds. The personal purchases by Davis resulted in the club bank account being overdrawn. There were 28 overdraft charges totalling $1,008, of which $108 was refunded by the bank.
The investigation also found booster club deposits were short of the correct amount. Specifically, a State Attorney’s Office affidavit states:
- In a fall 2018 coupon book fundraiser, the vendor said sales amounted to $10,185, but the amount deposited was $8,378, a difference of $1,807. After a spring 2019 coupon book fundraiser, the vendor documented $3,000 in sales, while the amount deposited was $2,605, a $395 difference.
- An audit of the planned New York City trip found $21,960.65 was reported as collected for the trip but only $17,221.61 was deposited, a discrepancy of $4,739.04. Of that difference, $2,689 was recorded as deposits and posted to student accounts in accounting software used by the club, and $1,936 was reflected as “not posted” in student accounts and not actually deposited in the bank.
- The school district investigator also reported two $500 check payments were recorded for Davis’ son, but the investigator was unable to verify the funds were actually deposited. The accounting software recorded an attempt by Davis to delete the $500 payments. In May 2019, Davis signed a refund request and later deposited a $736.89 check from the school district.
- Court documents indicate a total of $4,000 in refunds using booster club funds were issued to parents , but the district could not identify any checks were issued from the club.
Davis was released from the Escambia County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
Common Core “Officially Eradicated” From Florida, State BOE Says; New Standards Unveiled
February 8, 2020
On Friday, the Florida Department of Education released the proposed Florida B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) Standards for Florida schools, and announced that Common Core has been officially eradicated from Florida classrooms.
Last month, FGov. Ron DeSantis announced the new set of education standards to replace common core, including a requirement that students meet literacy standards based upon their grade level, learn cursive and study the Constitution.
The plan outline includes several major points:
- Eliminate Common Core (Florida Standards) and ensure we return to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic.
- Provide a roadmap to make Florida’s standards number one in the nation.
- Reflect the Commissioner’s consultation with relevant stakeholders to include parents and teachers.
- Deem how to increase the quality of instructional curriculum.
- Suggest innovative ways to streamline testing.
- Equip high school graduates with a sufficient knowledge of America’s civics, particularly as reflected in the Constitution.
- Outline a pathway for Florida to be the most literate state in the nation.
“Florida has officially eliminated Common Core. I truly think this is a great next step for students, teachers, and parents,” DeSantis said Friday. “We’ve developed clear and concise expectations for students at every grade level and allow teachers the opportunity to do what they love most – inspire young Floridians to achieve their greatest potential. These standards create pathways for students that lead to great college and professional outcomes and parents will now be able to reinforce what their children are learn in the classroom every day. Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards were made by Florida teachers for Florida students, and I know they will be a model for the rest of the nation.”
B.E.S.T. will remove “confusing/crazy math”, provide targeted instruction for students who struggle with reading, reinforce the the basics of arithmetic before students enter middle school and develop a plan with the goal of reducing the total amount of time students spend testing as well as reducing the total questions on assessments.
The U.S. Constitution will be introduced in the fifth grade under the B.E.S.T. Standards. All high school students will be required to take the Florida Civics Literacy Test. Financial literacy will taught in high school, unlike Common Core that did not teach the basics like balancing a checkbook.
B.E.S.T. Standards will replace state tests with the SAT or ACT, better aligning testing for college readiness.
“Governor DeSantis made it very clear that we had to reimagine the pathway to young Floridians becoming great citizens, and we’ve done exactly that with the B.E.S.T. Standards,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “Florida will be the first state in the nation with an ELA booklist that spans grades K-12, the first state in the nation with a civics booklist embedded in its ELA standards, and a state that has dropped the crazy math. Florida has completely removed ourselves from the confines of Common Core.”
Corcoran is recommending that the State Board of Education formally adopt these standards February 12.
The Florida B.E.S.T. Standards are posted at fldoe.org/standardsreview.
Middle 40s Saturday Night, Sunny And Nice For Sunday
February 8, 2020
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. North wind around 5 mph becoming east after midnight.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Monday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 7am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 62. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 7pm. Cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms. High near 68. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Man Charged With Vehicular Homicide, DUI Manslaughter March 2019 Fatal Crash
February 8, 2020
After a 11-month investigation, a Santa Rosa County man has been charged with in a fatal crash last year.
Dustin Riley Broxson, 28, lost control on I-1o in Santa Rosa County on March 1, 2019.. His passenger, 21-year old Nykolis Darrin Parodi was ejected and died from his injuries.
Broxson has now been charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter. He was located in Okaloosa County by the FHP’s Contraband Unit and taken into custody.
Flood Warning For The Escambia River
February 8, 2020
A flood warning is in effect for the Escambia River near Century until at least Monday afternoon.
The flood stage was at about 16 feet early Saturday morning. Flood stage is 17 feet, and the river is expected to continue to rise to about 17.5 feet by Sunday morning.
At 17 feet, considerable flooding of lowlands occurs.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Soccer Defeats Navarre 1-0 In Semis, Will Face Niceville Tonight For District Title
February 8, 2020
The Tate Aggies defeated the Navarre Raiders 1-0 Friday night in the semifinals of the District 6A playoffs.
The only score of the match was by senior Matt Johnson.
The Tate Aggies will play again Saturday night at 6:00 Ashton Brosnaham Stadium against Niceville High for the District 6A championship.