Wrong-Way Bicyclist Lands In Jail On Multiple Charges
March 20, 2022
A man riding his bicycle the wrong way on Highway 31 in Flomaton early Saturday morning landed in jail on multiple charges.
Hubert Lamer Johnson, 43, was charged with public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of marijuana second degree, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting arrest.
A Flomaton Police Department officer observed a man identified as Johnson riding his bicycle without proper lighting and headed the wrong direction on a four-lane portion of Highway 31.
“Johnson possessed illegal narcotics and was also believed to be under the influence of a substance,” Flomaton Police said, adding that he resisted arrest but was quickly controlled.
Johnson remained in the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton without bond early Sunday morning after his bond was revoked in a previous case.
Straight Line Winds, Not A Tornado, Destroyed Mobile Homes, Injured 10, NWS Says
March 20, 2022
Straight line winds, not a tornado, were responsible for the injuries and damage at a mobile home park north of Atmore Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile.
A team from NWS surveyed the damage Saturday morning, determining that “a swath of damaging straight line winds impacted the Poarch, AL, area,” about 9:04 a.m.
A total of 10 people were injured, two critically, at the Big Oak Mobile Home Park at 7400 Jack Springs Road, just north of the Poarch Creek Indian Reservation. There were no fatalities.
At least nine mobile homes were completely destroyed, and other structures in the area were damaging, including structures at Perdido River Farms, a tribe-owned beef farm.
“A narrow swath of intense wind gusts estimated at 90 to 100mph affected a mobile home park where several mobile homes were rolled/destroyed. The surrounding area sustained severe wind gusts to the southeast where several trees were snapped/uprooted and a farm and nearby residences sustained roof damage to several buildings. The survey team found no evidence of convergence with all damage laid out in a southwest to northeast swath suggesting straight line wind damage,” the NWS report states.
“It’s devastating. Those people have nothing left,” Escambia County (AL) Sheriff Heath Jackson said. “We are so thankful that no one was killed or severely injured, but to know everything that you owned is no more. That’s difficult to see.”
“It looked like a bomb hit some of them,” Atmore Fire Chief Ronald Peebles told NorthEscambia.com on Friday.
Several of the homes were blown from their foundations and scattered about the mobile home park. First responders from Poarch Creek, Escambia County, Alabama, Baldwin County and the state combed through the wreckage looking for anyone injured or trapped.
“We have one guy that was in his mobile home when the storm hit. He was asleep. He said when he woke up, he was in the woods,” Jackson said. “Obviously the Good Lord was looking out for him.”
Escambia County (AL) Emergency Management Director David Adams said Friday that while there were indications of some rotation in the damage, it appeared straight line winds were the likely cause.
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Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flood Warning Issued For The Escambia River Near Century
March 20, 2022
A flood warning is in effect for the Escambia River near Century until early Wednesday morning. Minor flooding is forecast.
Early Sunday morning, the stage was 16 feet. The river is expected to rise to a crest near 18 feet Monday morning. It will then fall below flood stage late Tuesday evening.
At flood stage of 17 feet, considerable flooding of lowlands occur.
The Perdido River near Barrineau Park is expected to crest at 8.9 feet on Monday, just below action stage of 9.0 feet. Minor flood stage for the Perdido River is 13 feet.
Sunny Monday, Watching Another Threat Of Strong Storms By Tuesday
March 20, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 43. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. East wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. High near 75. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Tuesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could be severe and produce heavy rainfall. Low around 61. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 45.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 45.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 71.
John Hershell Scott
March 20, 2022
John Hershell Scott, resident of Molino, Florida passed away on March 16, 2022 at the age of 74. He was born on October 2, 1947 in Denver, Colorado to the late Hershell and Ovetta Downing Scott. He served his county in the U.S. Army. John was a Vietnam War Veteran where he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his bravery and service. He spent many years doing construction then ended his working career as the Director of the Radiology Department at the Naval Hospital. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, and grandfather.
He is preceded in death by his parents.
John is survived by his wife, Mary-Lynne Ponson Scott; children, John (Brandy) Scott, Linda (Ronnie) Moore, Kimberly LeForte, Kelleigh (Billy) Byington, Karen Riffenburg and Randy (Crystal) Kersh; thirteen grandchildren, Collin, Maegan, Wesley, CJ, Wes, Nicole, Emily, Shelby, Bethany, Carter, Sara, Abigail, and Nella; and eight great grandchildren; sister, Carol (Tim) Bartel; brothers, Leon Scott, Tim (Sandy) Scott.
The family will receive friends from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North prior to the service.
A Graveside Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, Florida. Please meet at Olive Baptist Church, Warrington Campus at 1:15 p.m. for procession to Barrancas.
Pallbearers: Collin Scott, Wesley Bass, Billy Byington, Ronnie Moore, CJ Moore, Wes Moore.
Red Cross Assisting Storm Victims That Lost Everything In Trailer Park North Of Atmore
March 20, 2022
The Red of Alabama is assisting victims of Friday’s destruction at a trailer park north of Atmore.
The Red Cross has conducted damage assessments and has been offering assistance from the Poarch Creek Fire Department’s training facility. Anyone that was a victim of Friday’s storm that still needs assistance can call 1-800-RED CROSS.
The National Weather Service on Saturday determined that straight line winds were responsible for damage at the Big Oak Mobile Home Park on Jack Springs Road. There were 10 injuries and at least nine mobile homes that were destroyed when winds of 90-100 mph hit that area north of Poarch Creek reservation.
For more information, click or tap here.
Pictured: The American Red Cross on the ground offering assistance amid the destruction at this mobile home park north of Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
No Injures In Crash Involving Kia, Pepsi Truck
March 19, 2022
There were no injuries in a Highway 29 crash Friday afternoon involving a Kia and a Pepsi delivery truck.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, which happened about 2:20 p.m. on Highway 29 near Nine and One Half Mile Road.
The crash did close one lane of southbound Highway temporarily.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Damages RV; Firefighters Save Nearby Structure, Vehicle
March 19, 2022
Fire burned through a recreational vehicle Friday afternoon in Molino.
The fire was reported about 4:50 p.m. on Keck Road, off Chestnut Road.
Firefighters from Escambia Fire Rescue were able to contain the fire to the unoccupied camper and prevented it from spreading to a nearby structure and vehicle.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Master Gardeners Grow Endowment Fund
March 19, 2022
When Ann Luther’s friend asked in 2008 if she wanted to take Master Gardener classes through the UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County office, she had no idea it would become one of her passions.
“I don’t know why, but I’d never heard of it,” Luther said. She had, to be fair, spent years moving from place to place as a military spouse, eventually retiring in Pensacola from a career as an elementary educator and becoming a part-time CPR instructor. Naturally, the teaching aspects of the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer program appealed to her. “I had always liked to garden, but I was never in one place long enough to put much in the ground,” she added.
After completing the course and becoming a UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County Master Gardener Volunteer in 2009, Luther vowed to make people aware of the program. Her involvement grew into many areas of the county’s organization throughout the years, including as a board member.
Growing knowledge throughout Florida
The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer program provides local communities statewide with University of Florida-trained volunteers, like Luther, who are passionate about sharing their gardening knowledge. But each program, coordinated through the local UF/IFAS Extension office, also relies upon fundraising to be able to offer those educational opportunities and outreach.
To reduce the fundraising burden for its future members, the Escambia County group set on a mission three years ago to establish an endowment fund. As 2021 closed, ahead of its five-year goal and despite almost two full years of COVID pandemic-related challenges, the fund reached its $30,000 target. This investment will generate over $1,000 each year for the group’s operations.
“We had a very active Master Gardener board at the time this effort started, and they wanted to find a way for future volunteers to spend less time fundraising and more time teaching,” said Beth Bolles, UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County horticulture agent and coordinator of the county’s program.
Escambia County’s volunteers help community members learn more about growing landscape and food plants successfully, sharing information at churches and public libraries, and through homeowners’ associations and garden clubs.
In a recent effort, Bolles shared, a group of Master Gardener Volunteers helped a local Native American tribe begin growing native plants with a significance to Native American culture. Luther said other projects focus on the military community and veterans’ groups; the volunteers include former military members, too.
‘It’s just my happy place’
“When we got this opportunity to ensure that the Master Gardener program continues after those of us in it now are no longer involved, we all thought that this was such an important opportunity to do something for this wonderful program,” said M.J. Ziemba, who’s been a Master Gardener Volunteer since 2018. “It’s not only wonderful for the people who are in the group; it’s wonderful for the whole community because we then take the information that we learn and help share it.”
Unlike Luther, Ziemba had learned of the Master Gardener program long before she became a volunteer. She thought of joining right then, sometime in the 1980s, but with four kids and a career in education, “I just didn’t have the time.”
“As soon as I retired in 2017, I signed up,” Ziemba said. “Working in the garden and being with my garden friends… it’s just my happy place.”
Securing continued services
Like other Florida Master Gardener Volunteer groups around the state, the Escambia County volunteers’ plant sales contribute some of their largest fundraising efforts each year.
In addition to the plant sales, though, Bolles said the group also got creative in trying to reach the endowment goal. They hosted a rummage sale, used planned speaking engagements to promote the fund and encourage donations, and created a set of educational postcards, with 100% of the proceeds going toward the endowment.
And although they’ve reached their initial goal, she added, “we know we’re still planning for the future, so we will continue to add to it.”
Read more about the Escambia County Master Gardeners Endowment at go.ufl.edu/mgvendowment.
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A Little Chilly Tonight; Sunshine Returns For Sunday
March 19, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. East wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southeast wind around 10 mph.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. High near 75. Breezy, with a southeast wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Low around 60. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 70.