EREC’s Annual Meeting Is Virtual This Year (And Yes, You Can Still Get A Gift Bucket)
April 18, 2021
Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s 82nd Annual Meeting will be held virtually this year as a safety precaution due to COVID-19. And yes, you can still get one of those registration gift buckets.
The meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 24. A link will be provided on www.erec.com, and information will be posted on Facebook prior to the start time for members to access the meeting.
“Safety for our members and employees is top priority at EREC,” said Ryan Campbell, CEO. “We are encouraging members to vote by absentee ballot to minimize their risk of exposure. With vaccines readily available now to the public, I’m hopeful the pandemic will soon be a distant memory.”
Absentee ballots will be available at the EREC offices in Jay and Walnut Hill until end of business on April 23. Members voting by absentee ballot will receive a registration gift bucket when their ballot is submitted in person to an EREC office. Members returning their absentee ballot by mail will be able to pick up their registration gift bucket after EREC has received their ballot.
Members unable to vote by absentee ballot can go to either EREC office Saturday, April 24, between 8 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. only and vote in person in a drive-thru setup. No registration gift buckets will be given to members voting in person April 24. They can be picked up later at either office.
Every member voting by absentee ballot or in person will be registered for prize drawings. Winners will be notified later for prize pickup at their local office. Members can find voting ballot information in their April issue of Florida Currents magazine. Election results will be posted on the EREC website and Facebook immediately after election office personnel complete the vote count.
“EREC’s annual meeting is different this year because of COVID, but I hope our members will join us virtually on the 24th,” said Campbell. “The presentation will include announcement of our scholarship winners and a 2020 hurricane recap video. Even though we can’t meet in person, we’re looking forward to this great opportunity to connect with our membership.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Public Invited To Escambia Consortium HUD Consolidated Plan Meeting On Monday
April 18, 2021
The Escambia Consortium, comprised of Escambia County, the City of Pensacola, Santa Rosa County and the City of Milton, will hold a second public hearing to solicit input on the development of the Consortium’s HUD Five Year Consolidated Plan as well as annual action plans for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 fiscal years.
The public hearing will be held in Room 104 at the Escambia County Central Office Complex, located at 3363 West Park Place, Pensacola at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 19.
The meeting is being sponsored by the Consortium to afford citizens the opportunity to provide input and recommendations regarding assisted housing, housing related needs and priorities, supportive housing needs, and non-housing community development needs within the Consortium. This meeting will assist with planning for the utilization of the Community Development Block Grant Program and HOME Investment Partnerships Act funds. Comments regarding the Escambia Consortium Fair Housing Plan and Analysis of Impediments are also welcome.
The Consortium also generated a needs assessment survey that can be accessed online here. The survey will be available through April 30.
One New Death, 27 Additional COVID-19 Cases Reported In Escambia County
April 18, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
There were 27 new COVID-19 cases reported Saturday in Escambia County by the Florida Department of Health.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 35,419 (+27)
Non-Florida residents: 3,661
Recovered: 34,178*
Total deaths: 675 (+1)
Long-term care facility deaths: 281
Current hospitalizations: 22
Number of tests reported last day: 811
Percent positive reported last day: 3.0%
Percent positive reported last week: 5.8%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 26,454 (+22)
Cantonment: 3,183 (+1)
Century: 1,173
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 488
McDavid: 211
Bellview: 57
Walnut Hill: 53
Perdido Key: 21
Gonzalez: 13
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 17,967 (+10)
Non-Florida residents: 242
Total deaths: 282
Long-term care facility deaths: 81
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 878*
Number of tests reported last day: 258
Percent positive reported last day: 4.0%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 8,566 (+6)
Navarre: 3,708 (+2)
Gulf Breeze: 3,322
Pace: 1,453 (+1)
Jay: 548
Bagdad: 32
Florida cases:
Total cases: 2,162,067
Florida residents: 2,121,387
Deaths: 34,404
Hospitalizations: 88,130
*“Hospitalizations” in the statewide and Santa Rosa County totals is a count of all laboratory confirmed cases in which an inpatient hospitalization occurred at any time during the course of illness. Most of these people are longer be hospitalized. The FDOH does not provide a count of patients currently hospitalized. The Escambia County number is current data compiled each day from the local hospitals.
**On cases by location, the city is based upon zip code and is not always received as part of the initial notification. There may be a delay in reporting locations, and locations will not total the daily case increase as a result.
***The Florida Department of Health does not have a clear standard or definition of “recovered” and does not report a number of recovered individuals. Escambia County is reporting an approximate recovery number defined as the total cases prior to last month, minus deaths. In other words, anyone that tested positive more than a month ago is presumed to have recovered by Escambia County.
**Data Sources: Florida Department of Health, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, local hospitals.
Cecelia Gregson Nobles
April 18, 2021
Ms. Cecelia Gregson Nobles. age 51, passed away on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, in Atmore, AL.
Ms. Nobles was a native of Atmore, AL. She was a member of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. She loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and family. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edward Gregson and Daisy Bell Rolin; brother, Eddie Wayne Gregson; and sister, Sherry Ann Phillips.
She is survived by her one son, Fayv Blain (Hunter) Nobles (Kassadi) of Atmore, AL; one daughter, Daya Nicole (Pookie) Nobles of Atmore, AL; two brothers, Charles Gregson (Cheryl) of Atmore, AL; Timothy Gregson of Semmes, AL; two sisters, Robin Barlow (Larry) of Atmore, AL; Melanie Gregson of Atmore, AL; two beautiful grandchildren, Harmonie Nobles and Bentley Ard.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Friendly Holiness Church.
Burial will follow at New Home Cemetery.
Visitation will be Monday, April 19, 2021, from 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the Friendly Holiness Church.
Pallbearers will be Fayv Nobles, Dakota Barlow, Aaron Gregson, Bryan Gregson, Anthony Phillips, Steven Gregson.
Honorary pallbearers will be Charles Gregson, Keith Griffith, Corey Gregson, Cody Phillips, Michael Wayne McGhee, Jeff Ard and Andy Nobles.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC in Atmore, AL is in charge of all arrangements.
Florida State Forest RV Sites, Campsites Return To Full Operation
April 18, 2021
RV sites, tent campsites and horse stalls in Florida’s state forests are now fully open.
The Florida Forest Service said COVID-19 safety measures are still in effect, including a 10-person maximum at group campsites and a 50-person maximum for outside events and pavilion rentals. Inside events are restricted based upon building size.
For more information, click or tap here. To make reservations, visit floridastateforests.reserveamerica.com.
Pictured: Krul Lake Recreation Area in the Blackwater State Forest. File photo.
Marilyn Denise Wesley
April 18, 2021
Ms. Marilyn Denise Wesley, 65, of Atmore, AL (Canoe Community), entered into eternity on Monday, April 12, 2021, at Select Specialty Hospital in Pensacola, Florida.
A native of Atmore, Alabama, Ms. Wesley was an Honor Student Graduate of Escambia County High School in 1973. She was a 1978 Cum Laude Graduate of Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, with a B.S. Degree, Psychology and she completed Graduate Coursework (Master of Public Administration Program) at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, FL.
She had an extensive work history including as an Account Executive with the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce (Pensacola, FL) 1981-1988; Program Coordinator with the Escambia County Workfare Program (Pensacola, FL) 1988-1991; Director II-Department of Community Affairs, Escambia County Board of Commissioners (Pensacola, FL) 1991-2015; Special Program Manager-Developer, Engineering & Planning Resources, P.C. (Pensacola, FL) 2016-2019 and Escambia County Human Relations Commission-Interim Director (Pensacola, FL) 2019-2021. Also, she was a Community Engagement Representative (Consultant) Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, FL).
During her childhood, she was a member of Liberty Missionary Baptist Church (Atmore, AL) and she was a member of St. Matthew Lutheran Church (Pensacola, FL) serving as Congregation President. Her passion was service to others; and, she spent her life fulfilling that mission.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Jessie Wesley and her brother, Charles Wesley.
Those left to cherish loving memories of her life are her sister, Amy Y. Wesley of Union City, GA.; a sister-in-law, Sarah (Charles) Wesley; nephews and nieces, Ryan Donald, Reginald Donald, Amanda Donald, Eric Mose, Danyell (Kevin) Epps, LaFrederick Rowe; aunts, Voncile Wesley-Ford, Evelyn Louise (Jesse) Richardson and a host of extended family members, dear cousins and friends.
A public visitation will be held on Friday, April 23, 2021, from 12:00 – 5:00 pm and on Saturday, April 24, 2021 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Christian Family Funeral, 4020 North Davis Hwy., Pensacola, Florida 32503. The Committal will take place at the end of the Saturday viewing (beginning 1:00p.m.) with Reverend Dr. James P. Brown, Sr. presiding. Retirement of her cremains will be in accordance with her wishes.
Fire Destroys Vacant Home In Quintette Area
April 17, 2021
Fire destroyed a vacant home in the Quintette area before daybreak Saturday.
The fire was reported at the end of Tyler Lane, off East Chipper Road, about 5:35 a.m. The 2,000 square foot wood frame home was fully involved when firefighters arrived on scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
There were no injuries reported.
The Cantonment, Molno, Ensley, Bellview and Brent stations of Escambia Fire Rescue, Pace Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS were dispatched to the fire.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Legendary Football Coach Carl Madison Selected For FHSAA Hall Of Fame
April 17, 2021
Legendary football coach Carl Madison has been selected for induction into the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
The football field at Tate High School was recently remained “Carl Madison Field” in honor of the legendary coach that led the Aggies to a 1980 state championship and is one of the all-time winningest high school coaches in the nation.
Madison, who turned 90 in January, sits at number two on Florida’s all-time football coaching victories list with a 326-129-7 record.
In addition to winning a state title at Tate, he took the Pine Forest Eagles to two state championships in 1987 and 1988. The 1988 Eagle team was named as national champions by USA Today, and Madison earned the title of the National High School Football Coach of the Year. All in all, he coached at five different Florida High Schools including Ernest Ward, plus three out of state schools.
His football days began early at Escambia County High School in Atmore where he played tailback under Coach Herbert Barnes from 1945 to 1947, making him one of Atmore’s semifamous “Barnes Boys” with 30 straight wins. After a stint in the Army, from 1950 to 1952, Madison played college ball for Texas Tech and Troy State Teachers College in the mid-1950s.
Fresh out of college, Madison coached for four years beginning in 1957 at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill. He moved to Milton High in 1961, coaching them to a state championship and 34 straight victories. He then took a coaching job at a Georgia High School, losing a state championship game in 1968.
Madison joined the coaching staff at Tate in 1971 on his way to winning that 1980 state championship. He left Tate in 1983, heading to Pensacola High for a couple of years. Then it was off to Pine Forest and those back-to-back state championships. He coached at an Albany, Georgia, school, another 10 years at Milton High and another short period at PHS during the period from 1989 until 2002.
In 2002, he took the head coach job at the small Jackson Academy in Alabama. The then 71-year old took over a team that had gone 0-10 prior to his arrival. He lost his first two games at Jackson, but he went on to win the state championship. The following year, Jackson was undefeated and won another state championship.
In 2009, Madison briefly came out of retirement to once again take to the field at Tate, this time as an offensive consultant.
Man Shot In Beulah During Domestic Dispute, Suspect In Custody
April 17, 2021
One person was shot and another was taken into custody Friday night in Beulah.
It happened about 8:30 p.m. in the 5000 block of Alder Avenue, just north of Frank Reeder Road.
A 20-year old male was transported to an area hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. His injuries were not considered life threatening.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting stemmed from a domestic incident, and a suspect was taken into custody.
Further details have not been released.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Tate High Boys Tennis Headed To Regionals For The First Time Ever
April 17, 2021
Tate High School boys tennis is headed to regionals for the first time in school history.
The Tate boys team is runner-up in District 1-3A.With finals wins at the #3 singles and #2 doubles, the Aggies pulled through the three day tournament. The Aggies boys top five are:
- Prosser Crow
- Evan Hered
- Barry Harberson
- Alex Grace
- Payton Herrington
The Tate High girls tennis team is tied for second with Washington and will continue play on Monday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
