George Ross Kearney III
May 31, 2021
George Ross Kearney III, 80, of New Roads, LA and resident of Pensacola, FL since 1979, peacefully left us for heaven, surrounded by family on Thursday, May 27th after battling Alzheimer’s.
A graduate of Marion Military Institute and Louisiana State University with a BA in Political Science, where he was a Sigma Chi. He served as a Captain in the US Army and would later go on to own several businesses including, Feliciana Motor Company (St. Francisville, LA), a GM dealership (Brewton, AL) and Santa Rosa Nissan (Milton, FL), where he was a long-time supporter of youth sports. He married the love of his life in 1964, had four children, lived in 5 states and made 57 years of memories.
As a graduate of LSU he was a big Tiger football fan. He had a love of all things antique and built a vast collection of bar ware. He was a proud veteran, proud American and had a story to share every time you sat next to him. Above all else, he was a family man who loved nothing more than to be surrounded by his wife, kids and grandkids.
He is survived by his wife, Margee Kearney; son, Ross Kearney IV (Katie); daughters, Peggy Tomey (Scott), Julie Donovan (Patrick); Katie Lowe (Eric); and 12 grandchildren: Patrick, Annie, Brendan, Claire, Jack, Trey, Shauna, Conner, Bella, Patrick, Chase and Elisabeth. He is also survived by sisters, Carolyn and Anne; brother, Frank.
He is preceded in death by his father, Judge G. Ross Kearney Jr. and his mother, Eileen Kearney.
Graveside service at Mt. Carmel Cemetery (St. FrancisvilIe, LA) on Saturday, June 5th, 9:00 viewing and 10:00 service. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to The Alzheimer’s Association or The Wounded Warrior’s Project.
Escambia County Tops 108,000 Vaccinated People
May 30, 2021
Escambia County has now topped 108,000 people that have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
As of last Friday, there are 108,239 total people vaccinated in Escambia County — about one-third of eligible residents. That’s an increase of about 7,000 in the last two weeks.
There are 19,061 people that have received only the first dose, and 89,178 that are fully vaccinated. Of those, 8,794 received the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine, and 80,384 received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
Local Scouts Place 51,000 Flags At Barrancas National Cemetery
May 30, 2021
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Saturday, local scouts and other volunteers placed 51,000 American flags at Barrancas National Cemetery on NAS Pensacola.
Each flag honors the men and women who lost their lives while serving our country.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Fire Destroys Chevy Z28 At Cottage Hill Convenience Store
May 30, 2021
Fire destroyed a Chevrolet Z28 Saturday afternoon at a Cottage Hill convenience store.
The fire was reported shortly before 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the First Stop Williams Ditch Road at Highway 95A. The vehicle was in the parking lot, but away from the structure.
There were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Now That The Bridge Is Open, Here’s All The Beach Info To Know About Tolls, Trolleys, Ferries, ECAT And More
May 30, 2021
Now that the Pensacola Bay Bridge is open and Pensacola Beach is once again easily accessible, here’s the info you need to know about tools, free trolleys, ferry rides, ECAT buses and more.
Toll Payments – No Cash
When you drive over the Bob Sikes Bridge to Pensacola Beach there is an electronic toll in place. The method in which the $1 toll is collected changed in March 2020. Cash and coins are no longer collected in person. The county encourages motorists to plan ahead and use electronic toll collection devices (i.e. SunPass®, E-Pass, Annual Pass, NC Quick Pass, Peach Pass, E-ZPass), tolling apps (i.e. PayTollo) or TOLL-BY-PLATE from SunPass.
Free Trolley Service
The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) has launched their free, open-air trolley service along Pensacola Beach. The beach trolley service will run through Labor Day weekend from 4 pm. until
midnight daily.
Ferry
Pensacola Bay Cruises Ferry Service restarted Wednesday, May 19 with daily service, seven days a week, between Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Ferry trips last approximately 50 minutes, and all-day free parking is available at each of the departure sites.
ECAT Bus
Escambia County Area Transit has discontinued service for the Route 61 detour across the Garcon Point Bridge. Normal schedules for Route 61 and Route 64 Beach Jumper have restarted.
Beginning Tuesday, June 1 there will be the following schedule changes.
Regular Service: Routes: 1, 2, 32, 44, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59X, 60, 61 and 64 Beach Jumper
Modified Routes:
Route 31, 43, and 63: Runs Monday through Saturday every two hours (Saturday Schedule)
Route 45: Runs Monday through Saturday only every hour beginning at 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
UWF Trolley: (Summer Schedule) UWF Express Service runs Monday – Saturday
Schedules are located on goecat.com and the ECAT Ride guide.
New Pensacola Beach Traffic Hotline
Residents and visitors can now report beach traffic issues via the Pensacola Beach Traffic Hotline at (850) 595-0862 or email traffic@myescambia.com.
Low Around 60 Tonight, Upper 80s For Memorial Day
May 30, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 58. North wind around 5 mph.
Memorial Day: Sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86.
Monday Night Is Deadline To Pay Property Taxes Before Tax Certificate Sale
May 30, 2021
Monday night is the deadline to pay 2020 delinquent real estate taxes in Escambia County.
In order to prevent a tax certificate from being issued, property owners with delinquent taxes must make payment online at EscambiaTaxCollector.com by 8 p.m Monday, May 31 at EscambiaTaxCollector.com
According to Escambia County Tax Collector Scott Lunsford, the tax certificate sale is an annual online auction where bidders can purchase a delinquent taxpayer’s debt in exchange for an annual interest rate, ensuring the majority of unpaid taxes are collected and distributed to taxing authorities. Last year, more than 7,400 certificates were sold for a total of over $9.7 million, recovering 97.5 percent of delinquent taxes.
Registration for the sale is open at Lienhub.com/Escambia and will continue until the sale ends June 1. The sale is a reverse auction, with interest rates on individual certificates starting at 18 percent. Bidders compete for the lowest rate, and certificates are awarded to those with the lowest bid. All unsold certificates will be issued to Escambia County at 18 percent annual interest.
Encarnacion Homers, But Blue Wahoos Fall 8-3
May 30, 2021
Nick Bennett (W, 1-0) impressed in his Double-A debut, puzzling Pensacola’s bats as the Wahoos lost 8-3 to the Shuckers, Saturday night at MGM Park.
The Shuckers got off to a quick start in the penultimate game of this six-game series, and never looked back. Will Stewart (L, 0-2) surrendered three runs in the bottom of the first inning after David Fry hit a three-run homer, his fourth round-tripper of the year. In the second, Ryan Aguilar and Brice Turang both tallied RBI singles, which brought the deficit up to five for the Wahoos.
It looked like the Wahoos might make it game when they hit a pair of home runs themselves. Devin Hairston uncorked his first home run of the season in the third inning against Bennett before Jerar Encarnacion launched a two-run homer in the sixth inning to make it a 5-3 game. For Encarnacion, it was his first home run since May 12 against the Barons.
Any hope for a Pensacola comeback ended in the bottom of the sixth when Brice Turang hit a three-run home run off Dylan Brice to put Biloxi back up 8-3. For the Brewers top prospect, it was his first homer of the season.
Pensacola still has a shot to clinch a series win tomorrow afternoon when the Wahoos send Marlins top pitching prospect, Max Meyer (2-1, 2.29) to the mound. He will be opposed by Matt Hardy (1-1, 3.46), who is making his eighth appearance of the year, and his first start.
by Chris Garagiola, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
File photo.
Suspended Tate High Yearbook Editor Will Be Allowed To Walk At Graduation
May 29, 2021
Tate High School yearbook editor Samantha Guerrier will be allowed to walk at graduation on June 7.
Guerrier was suspended for the way a photo in the yearbook was altered, and that was going to prevent her from taking part in graduation.
The photo (below) shows the face of expelled student Emily Grover covered with clipart of a horse that resembles the school’s mascot. The horse’s rear-end was used to cover Grover’s face, and that led to the yearbooks being recalled. Grover and her mother were accused by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with hacking hundreds of student accounts to fraudulently cast homecoming queen votes.
Guerrier said she was instructed by her teacher to edit the photo, and the yearbook sponsor and principal were ultimately responsible for reviewing the yearbook pages before publication and distribution.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God for taking control of this entire situation and keeping my head up for the last week and a half,” Guerrier posted on social media Friday night. “I would like to thank my parents and family for being relentless and doing everything in their power to bring awareness to my story. They worked around the clock, morning and night, doing everything they could to right this wrong. I would also like to thank all of those who signed, supported, shared, and advocated on my behalf. I could not be more grateful for all of the unconditional support that my community has shown for me.”
With a GPA over 5.0 Guerrier is an honors graduate, ranked number 18 in the Tate High Class of 2021.
An online petition “Let Samantha graduate” had over 6,200 signatures as of early Saturday morning
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Community Mourns Passing Of Ransom Middle Band Director Janie Walker
May 29, 2021
The community is mourning the loss of Ransom Middle School Band Director Janie Suzanne Walker who passed away Wednesday, May 26 at the age of 47 after complications from a recent surgery.
Walker started her teaching career in the fall of 1997 when she became the band director at UMS Wright Preparatory School in Mobile. While living in Mobile, she played in the Mobile Pops Orchestra.
In the fall of 1999, Walker moved back to Pensacola and became the band director at Ransom Middle School. During her time at Ransom, her symphonic and jazz bands received consistent superior ratings at District Music Performance Assessments, and she had 18 students selected for participation in Florida all state bands. She also served as guest conductor for Middle School Honor Bands in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. She was selected as the Ransom Middle School Teacher of the Year for the 2020-2021 school year.
She was born March 26, 1974, in Pensacola and attended Cordova Park Elementary, Workman Middle School, and Washington High School. Walker and her family were active members of First Baptist Church in Pensacola where she was baptized and married and she served as a Children’s Camp Counselor. She also played the trumpet in the church orchestra.
Following graduation from high school in 1992 with honors, she attended the University of Alabama where she received a Bachelor of Music Education in 1997. While at Alabama she was a member of the Million Dollar Band, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Quota Brass Quintet and Mu Phi Epsilon. Walker and her future husband, Chris Walker, met at Alabama and they were both members of the Million Dollar Band.
“Janie had a tremendous impact on music education in Escambia County,” according to her obituary. “She cared deeply for her students and wanted her students to reach their potential. She served as a mentor to other band directors in our area and she was always appreciative of the directors who guided her in her teaching career. Former students of Janie are serving in teaching positions at various middle school and high school band programs in the Florida panhandle and various former students are professional musicians.”
Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday until a noon funeral service begins at Hillcrest Baptist Church. Burial will be held at Bayview Memorial Park.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions may made to the Ransom Middle School Band Boosters, Inc., 1000 W. Kingsfield Road, Cantonment, FL 32533-4621.