Edward Lee Wells
November 4, 2021
Edward Lee Wells, age 70, peacefully succumbed to an expeditious bout with cancer in the early morning hours on October 29, 2021.
Edward, known as Eddie, was born in Pensacola, attended Beulah Elementary, Bellview Middle, and graduated from Tate High School.
After high school Eddie enlisted in the United States Army and served in Vietnam. After his military tour, Eddie worked for CSX Transportation for 38 years constructing and maintaining bridges.
Eddie and his family attend Hillcrest Baptist Church. The church cart ministry provided Eddie with years of loving friendships. His senior adult Men’s Sunday School Class provided Eddie and Debra with prayers and thoughtfulness during his short illness that cannot be measured in words or deeds.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Vernon Wells and Odie Atkinson Wells.
Edward is survived by his wife of 47 years, Debra; his children, Clint, Kenny (Dominique), Clay, Kelly Anne (Chase) Davis; grandchildren, Capp, Coy, Sidnii, Caden, and Tobias; sister, Pat (Bill) Moyer; brother, Terry (Michella) Wells; brother-in-law, David (Debbie) Smith; and sister-in-law, Janet (John) Reitamiller.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 12, 2021 at Hillcrest Baptist Church with Pastor Jim Locke officiating.
The family will received friends on Thursday, November 11, 2021 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the church in the North West Hall.
Burial will follow in Barrancas National Cemetery at a later date.
Man Struck And Killed On I-10
November 3, 2021
A pedestrian was struck and killed on I-10 eastbound Wednesday morning.
The crash happened about 11:15 on I-10 east of Highway 29. The Florida Highway Patrol said a 60-year old Milton man had parked in the emergency lane and was standing between a trailer attached to his pickup truck and the travel lanes of the interstate. The front of a SUV driven by a 53-year old Pensacola woman collided with the pedestrian.
FHP no longer releases the names of traffic crash victims. The investigation is continuing.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Three Charged In 2017 Flomaton Double Murder
November 3, 2021
Three people have been arrested in a 2017 double murder in Flomaton.
Capital murder charges have been filed against 40-year old Jacqueline Bernice Rolin of Atmore, 35-year old Jermain Lavelle Smith of Flomaton, and 40-year old Kenneth Joe Lowery, Jr. of Century. Rolin and Smith are being held without bond in the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton. Lowery is in the Escambia County (FL) Jail awaiting extradition to Alabama. Thompson told NorthEscambia.com that the investigation is continuing, but at this time no more arrests are expected.
About 2:30 p.m. on August 12, 2017, the bodies of 50-year old Timothy Adams and 61-year old Susan Adams were found with multiple gunshot wounds inside their mobile home at 1455 College Street in Flomaton. They were last seen alive earlier that morning, and investigators believe they were murdered before noon that day.
“This case made a strong impact on the Flomaton area in the year 2017. We are a very close community, where everyone knows everybody,” Flomaton Police Chief Charles Thompson said. “At the time of this double homicide, I was an investigator with the department under Chief of Police Bryan Davis. Our department at the time was very committed to the investigation of this case, as we still are today. I am very pleased to see that the victims of this case and their families are able to start seeing justice here in 2021 four years later.”
Thompson said the victims’ phones and some of their property were taken from the scene and left in two different locations. The department continued to investigate leads over the past four years, with a recent renewed focus on the case.
“I am so proud of the law enforcement relationship we hold in our county and also with our law enforcement neighbors to the south in Escambia County, Florida,” the chief said. Agencies from the local to federal level assisted in the case, including the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, Atmore Police Department, Alabama Drug Enforcement Task Force, Poarch Creek Tribal Police and the Jackson (AL) Police Department.
“It is truly a blessing from God in my eyes that we as a whole were able to begin the process on bringing justice to these victims and the closure that the family deserves,” Thompson said.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Amends Last Year’s Budget To Match Actual Expenditures
November 3, 2021
The Century Town Council voted this week to amend the last fiscal year’s budget shortly after receiving a year-end financial report from their accountant.
For the town, it’s an annual action to balance the books after their fiscal year ends on September 30 — to make sure the prior year’s budget reflects a budgeted amount for what they actually spent.
The council approved a resolution amending the budget “to include the expenditure total as of September 30, 2021″, with no amount specified in the resolution or mentioned during the reading of the resolution. The resolution gave the mayor or his designee the authority to “take all actions necessary to implement the terms and conditions of this resolution”.
The council receives an emailed copy of their upcoming agenda and most supporting documentation by Friday afternoon before a meeting the following week, allowing council members time to review the items. A copy of the budget amending resolution was emailed October 29, but the financial report was not provided to the council by accountant Robert Hudson until the meeting. The report was seven pages, some of it in very small print.
“You are now saying that this is our new budget, our amended budget. You know we’ve done this pretty much every year,” Hudson told the council. “So we can have that to set up where…we’re not out of compliance with the end of the year budget whenever we pass this resolution.”
When questioned about the councils’ lack of time to review the year-end financial report prior to the meeting, Council President Luis Gomez replied that he would take the accountant’s word.
“These are the actual numbers that every bill list that went across this table are accounted for in this financial statement, ” Hudson said. “Nobody’s manipulating a budget. These are the actual numbers that came through, every check, every payroll, every piece of revenue.”
Pictured top: Century council members Dynette Lewis reviews a year-end financial statement presented to the council just prior to a meeting and vote. Pictured below: Accountant Robert Hudson explains the financials to the council. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia 911 Dispatchers Help Deliver Two Baby Girls In Recent Weeks
November 3, 2021
Escambia County 911 emergency dispatchers have helped over the phone to deliver two babies in recent weeks. Both were healthy baby girls.
On October 17, emergency dispatcher Mara Given received a 911 call from a female who went into labor. After Given dispatched EMS, she remained on the line to provide pre-arrival instructions. Given remained on the line as the baby was born.
On October 28, Escambia County 911 dispatcher Abigail Trimpey received a 911 call from a female who was going into labor. After she dispatched EMS, Trimpey remained on the line with the citizen as she began to give birth. The baby was born prior to the arrival of the ambulance.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northwest Florida Lawmakers Seek Public Input On Local Legislation
November 3, 2021
Northwest Florida lawmakers want to hear your thoughts on local legislation.
Members of Escambia County’s state legislative delegation will hold a public hearing next month.
Delegation members Sen. Doug Broxson, Rep. Michelle Salzman and Rep. Alex Andrade will consider local bills, hear presentations from governmental and other entities, and take public testimony on proposals for the 2022 regular session of the Florida Legislature.
Any member of the public is welcomed to attend.
The public hearing will take place on Tuesday, December 7, from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. at the Pensacola State College Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio at 1000 College Boulevard in Pensacola.
ECSO Looking For Missing, Endangered Man Last Seen Boarding A Bus
November 3, 2021
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a missing and endangered man.
Dwayne Ray DeBerry, 60, was last seen October 28 boarding a Greyhound bus bound for Atlanta. It was scheduled to arrive the next day, October 29, but DeBerry never arrived at his destination.
It’s not known what clothing he was wearing, but he had a lanyard with his name and emergency contact information.
The bus also stopped in Panama City and Tallahassee.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Cantonment Improvement Committee Continues Weekly Food Giveaways
November 3, 2021
When the pandemic forced schools to close last year, it left many families in need of help to feed their children who had relied on school breakfast and lunch.
The Cantonment Improvement Committee (CIC) stepped up with a weekly food giveaway.
CIC is continuing to hold weekly food giveaways with the help of community partners, like Manna, Ascend and many others.
The CIC food distributions begin at 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday at Carver Park and continue while supplies last for anyone in need of food. Participants are asked to line up on Webb Street facing north, and the food is loaded into vehicles. The giveaway takes place rain or shine.
Pictured: Volunteers from Ascend Performance Materials helped with a Cantonment Improvement Committee food giveaway Tuesday at Carver Park. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Operation Christmas Child Collections Begin November 15 At First Baptist Bratt
November 3, 2021
Volunteers will be busy soon at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). For the 28th year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 150 countries across the world.
National Collection Week for OCC is November 17-25. The First Baptist Church of Bratt is the official drop-off location/OCC Relay Center for North Escambia.
Pastor Tim Hawsey, location coordinator, said the shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a 12-step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.
Collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be:
- Mon, Nov. 15: 9 a.m. – noon
- Tue, Nov. 16: 9 a.m. – noon
- Wed, Nov. 17: 9 a.m. – noon, 5-8 p.m.
- Thu, Nov. 18: 3-6 p.m.
- Fri, Nov. 19: 9 a.m. – noon
- Sat, Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – noon
- Sun, Nov. 21: 4-7 p.m.
- Mon, Nov. 22: 8-10 a.m.
“This is about being a blessing and bringing God’s love and hope to children in poverty around the world that would not receive it otherwise. We have gone through the intense process of been approved as a church to be a drop off locaton to collect the boxes from individuals, families, and churches of our area, document and pack them into special cartons and take them to the next level for Samaritan’s Purse, and we have been blessed to do it for years now,” Hawsey said.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949. Resources are available for churches that wish to participate.
“If you are not able to pack a box but would like to make a contribution toward a box let me know,” Hawsey said.
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational non-profit organization that has missions opportunities all over the world.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt is located at 4570 West Highway 4, near the Travis. M. Nelson Park.
Century Honors Kristina Wood For 20 Years Of Dedicated Service
November 3, 2021
The Town of Century honored longtime employee Kristina Wood Monday night with a service award.
She was honored “for 20 years of dedicated service”. She first went to work for Century in August 2001 and is currently chief deputy clerk of finance.
Pictured: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell (left) presents a service award to Kristina Wood honoring her for 20 years of employment with the town. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.