Showers And Thunderstorms For Tuesday Night
January 26, 2021
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Patchy fog. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 59. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 53. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 32. North wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 65. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 71.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 60.
Barbara Jean (Steadham) Levins
January 26, 2021
Barbara Jean (Steadham) Levins was born on February 11, 1937, in McCullough Alabama. She was the third oldest of ten children and the second oldest daughter born to Henry Clyde and Lucille (Enfinger) Steadham. Her lifelong mission began at the age of eight, when she stood on a pot in front of the stove to cook for her family the first time. She often spoke of the wonderful childhood she had growing up on a farm in Santa Rosa County with her siblings. She was a member of the 1956 graduating class of Chumuckla High School. She began working for Chemstrand shortly after graduation and worked until her daughter was born in 1963, at which time she took on the name and role she would proudly fill the rest of her life, “Momma” and later “Mamaw”. She married the love of her life, Hubert on December 23, 1960 at Chumuckla Methodist Church. She invested her entire adult life loving, nurturing, and protecting her family. Her main goal in life was to make sure everyone left her home filled with love and a wonderful meal. The greatest joy of her life was to have all of her family especially her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered around her sharing love, laughs, and food. True to her calling, her last moments on earth were filled with concern for her family; she was determined to make sure, before she left, everyone was safe and had everything they needed.
She was a member of United Methodist Church most of her life and actively worked in many volunteer positions well up into her seventies, she was well known and loved by each church she attended.
One January 25, 2021 she went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to meet her eldest son, who was stillborn, for the very first time.
She was preceded in death by her oldest son, both of her parents Henry Clyde (Bub) and Lucille Steadham, a sister Virginia McKelvin, and two brothers Clyde Steadham and Winston Steadham.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Hubert Wilson Levins, one daughter Deborah (Thomas) Carmichael, two sons: Douglas (Cheryl) Levins, Donald (Valarie) Levins, nine grandchildren: Caleb (Katie Benford) Levins, Benjamin Carmichael, Joshua (Kristina) Levins, Seth (Brittany) Levins, Jacob (Ahnen) Levins, Mark Carmichael, Chloe Levins, Connor Levins, and Olivia Levins; Siblings, Charles (Myria) Steadham, Carl Steadham, Dorothy (Tommy) Owens, Annie Ruth (Tink) Kelley, Lillian (Roy) Ward, Amelia Steadham as well as three great-grandchildren, and a large number of relatives and friends.
Visitation will take place at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, Tuesday, January 29, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. with funeral services to follow at 11:00 a.m. Pastor Jimmy Cook will serve as officiant.
Interment will take place immediately following at Elizabeth Chapel Cemetery.
Ruth Ellen McCurdy Johnson
January 26, 2021
Ruth Ellen McCurdy Johnson, 86, of Pensacola, Florida passed away Monday, January 25, 2021.
Ruth loved her piano and singing. If she wasn’t singing with the “McCurdy Trio” then she was singing with her band “The Starlettes”. She also liked playing her bingo and was a first-rate bingo pro. She loved her family and friends. Her door was always open to anyone who needed a bite to eat or a place to talk. She always thought about other people and would sacrifice what she needed to help them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter Leon McCurdy and Bama Lee Linzy McCurdy.
She is survived by her daughters, Sharon B. Belser, Pamela B. LaBerge and Renee Bailey; extended children, Brian Johnson and Doug Johnson; grandchildren, Keerstin Blankenbeck, Jonathan Blankenbeck, Melissa Leal, J.R. Munson, Derenda Carr, Tiffany Duncan, Brianna Bailey and many great grandchildren and a few great great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at Faith Chapel North, 1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL Friday, January 29, 2021, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. with a graveside service to follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Jay, Florida at 3:00 p.m.
Dennis Edgar Meadors
January 26, 2021
Dennis Edgar Meadors was born October 5, 1948 in Hamilton, Ohio to Edgar and Eilene Meadors. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1966 and then enlisted in the Navy in October of 1966. He
served with the United States Navy until retirement in March 1997. He retired with the rank of Commander and was the Officer in Charge at NAMTRAGRU in Pensacola from April 1995 until August 1996. Deployments included Vietnam, Korea and the Gulf War. He served aboard the USS JOHN F KENNEDY, USS EISENHOWER, USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT and USS SARATOGA. Upon retirement he enjoyed restoring antique John Deere tractors and spending time at his farm in Kentucky.
He is preceded in death by his sisters Pam Huffer, Connie McIntosh, and Donna Sue Monceaux, along with his mother Eilene Meadors and father Edgar Meadors.
He is survived by his wife of 50 years Jean Meadors, son Daniel Meadors, daughter Barbara Herring (Rick) and six grandchildren. Brant Herring, Xander Meadors, Caitlyn Meadors, Robyn Meadors, Audrey Herring, and Jackson Herring along with his brothers John and Mike Meadors.
Visitation will be Monday, February 1, 2021, from 9:00 to 10:00 AM, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South. The Funeral Service will follow at 10:00 AM. Interment will be at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, FL.
FDOH Reports 135 New COVID-19 Cases In Escambia County
January 26, 2021
THIS IS AN ARCHIVED STORY. SEE NORTHESCAMBIA.COM FOR THE LATEST DATA.
Monday, the Florida Department of Health reported 135 additional COVId-19 cases in Escambia County. There were no additional deaths reported on Monday in the county.
Here is the latest data:
Escambia County cases:
Total cases: 29,363 (+135)
Non-Florida residents: 3,078
Recovered: 23,004*
Total deaths: 488
Long-term care facility deaths : 208
Current hospitalizations: 222 (-11)
Number of tests reported last day: 607
Percent positive reported last day: 17.4%
Percent positive reported last week: 17.5%
Escambia County cases by location*:
Pensacola: 21,754 (+112)
Cantonment: 2,642 (+11)
Century: 1,113 (+1)
—-including 774 Century prison inmates
Molino: 384 (+3)
McDavid: 176 (+1)
Bellview: 48
Walnut Hill: 47
Perdido Key: 20
Gonzalez: 11
Santa Rosa County cases:
Total cases: 14,796 (+85)
Non-Florida residents: 186
Total deaths: 195
Long-term care facility deaths: 59
Cumulative Hospitalizations: 670*
Number of tests reported last day: 346
Percent positive reported last day: 19.5%
Santa Rosa County cases by location*:
Milton: 7,139 (+44)
Navarre: 2,967 (+16)
Gulf Breeze: 2,748 (+11)
Pace: 1,183 (+7)
Jay: 457 (+6)
Bagdad: 31
Florida cases:
Total cases: 1,658,169
Florida residents: 1,627,830
Deaths: 25,446
Hospitalizations: 70,346*
*“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.
Four Finalists Named For Escambia County Fire Chief As Selection Nears
January 25, 2021
Four finalists to be the next Escambia County Fire Rescue chief will take part in one-on-one meetings with county officials this week.
The four will meet individually with Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley and the department directors in Public Safety.
“If there is a candidate that really stands out, hopefully it will be a March start date for that person,” county spokesperson Laura Coale said. She said Gilley will make the final decision on a new fire chief, and it will not require the approval of the Escambia County Commission.
Christopher Hatch is the only local candidate on the final four list.
The finalists for Escambia Fire Rescue chief are, in alphabetical order:
- William Beaty, Jr. has served as the fire chief at the Garden City Fire Department in Kansas since December 2019. He previously worked as the program coordinator at Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, Illinois) from 2007 to 2019. He also worked with the Springfield (Illinois) Fire Department from 1996, to 2019, leaving as a captain.
- Roger Burton served in the Ohio Air National Guard from 2010 until 2020, retiring as installation fire chief.
- Clinton Cooke served with the South Monroe County Fire Department in Conroe, Texas, from 2009 to 2020 when he departed as Assistant Fire Chief. On his application he stated he reason for leaving as “agreement between the fire chief and I. Will discuss further in interview”.
- Christopher Hatch has worked with the NAS Pensacola Fire Department since 1986. He was a supervisory firefighter from 1986 to 2005 and has served as assistant fire chief of operations since 2005. He has also volunteered for Escambia Fire Rescue since 1982, serving in positions ranging from volunteer firefighter to assistant district chief and district chief. He is currently district chief of the Bellview Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and serves as president of the Escambia County Volunteer Firefighters Association.
There were 60 people that applied to be the next fire chief.
The job has been open for well over a year. The county’s last fire chief, Rusty Nail, was hired in April 2018 and submitted his resignation about a year later.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
ECAT Returns To Charging Regular Fares As Of Today
January 25, 2021
Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has resumed regular fares as of today and is continuing to require face masks.
Regular fares have been suspended since March 23.
Free face masks have been provided to ECAT riders since June 1 and will continue to be available. Face have been required on ECAT buses since Monday, December 21. If a passenger meets one of the Florida Department of Health requirements that prevents mask wearing, the passenger can notify the bus operator. Social distancing will still be encouraged on all ECAT vehicles.
Nine Mile Westbound Traffic Shifting To New Roadway East Of I-10
January 25, 2021
Nine Mile Road westbound between Klondike Road (near I-10) and Surrey Drive will be shifted to the newly construct westbound roadway this week.
The traffic shift will allow crews to construct the new inside travel lanes, median, and turn lanes, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The work is part of a $46 million effort to widen and improve Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road to Highway 29. An estimated 19,000 drivers travel the roadway daily.
All construction activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Century Correctional Institution Officer Assaulted By Inmate
January 25, 2021
A correctional officer in Century was recently assaulted by an inmate.
Inmate Danny Tucker assaulted an officer at Century Correctional Institution by head-butting them, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Medical staff examined the officer and noted injuries.
Tucker, 32, is serving a three-year sentence out of Hillsborough County for aggravated assault with a weapon.
Florida Gas Prices Up About A Dime In The Past Week
January 25, 2021
Florida gas prices jumped another dime last week, reaching an average price of $2.40 per gallon. Sunday’s state average is up 20 cents from the start of the year, and the highest daily average price since February 2020. Despite the recent hike, Florida drivers are paying seven cents less than this time last year.
The average price per gallon was $2.34 in Escambia County, with lows of $2.29 in Cantonment Sunday night. In Pensacola, a low price of $2.22 was available.
“Gas prices have been dragged higher by crude oil prices which remain at 11-month highs,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA — The Auto Club Group. “The gas price hike has likely hit its ceiling for now, as oil prices seemed to plateau last week. Despite optimism for the Covid-19 vaccine, crude prices slipped last week due to rising cases of coronavirus in two of the largest fuel consumers in the world: the United States and China.”