Ashton Dakota Smith
February 2, 2022
Mr. Ashton Dakota Smith, age 24, passed away Sunday, January 23, 2022, in Bay Minette, Alabama. He has resided in Atmore, AL all of his life.
He loved airplanes, flags, and dancing. He enjoyed the simple things in life and enjoyed spending time outside.
He is preceded in death by his devoted grandmother, Louise Jones, special aunt, Levonda Gabriel Jones, and special friend, Mary Ellen Ray.
He is survived by his mother, Wanda Jones, of Atmore, AL; special aunt, Patty (Henry) Wiggins, of Atmore, AL; two uncles, Tony Jones, of Pine Grove, AL; Marvin “Tabo” (Teresa) Jones, of Montgomery, AL; two brothers, Dillon (Crystal) Marshall, of Atmore, AL; Hunter Revel, of Brewton, AL; two sisters, Brittany Revel, of Brewton, AL; MaKayla (Hayden) Sage, of Atmore, AL; numerous cousins, other relatives, and friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 1, 2022, at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home LLC with Rev. Earl Harrison officiating.
Burial was at Serenity Gardens Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Dennis Jarrell, Brian Mason, Brian Marshall, Dillon Marshall, Travis Stephens, and John Stephens.
Honorary pallbearers were Tony Jones, and Henry Wiggins.
Contributions can be made to Shriners Hospital, Shreveport, LA.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes is in charge of all arrangements.
Escambia Firefighter Injured In Yonge Street Fire
February 1, 2022
An Escambia County firefighter is recovering after being injured while fighting a fire Tuesday afternoon.
Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to residential fire in the 1100 block of West Yonge Street where a a single-wide trailer and residential structure were fully engulfed in flames.
A firefighter reportedly fell through a rotted floor inside one of the structures. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
The fire was brought under control in about 35 minutes. There were no other injuries.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
West Yonge Street is in the Englewood area, a few blocks from Pensacola High School.
What Was All That Smoke In North Escambia?
February 1, 2022
Very thick smoke blanketed parts of North Escambia Tuesday afternoon.
Joe Zwierzchowski, spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service, told NorthEscambia.com that the smoke was from a 4,000 acre controlled burn on Eglin Air Force Base some 35-40 miles away.
Readers reported heavy smoke, even some falling ash, in McDavid, Bratt, Walnut Hill and into Atmore. Visibilities quickly dropped to under 1,000 feet in some areas.
Motoristswere advised to treat the smoke like fog and exercise caution in areas of reduced visibility.
Pictured above: The sun almost obliterated by heavy smoke about 3:50 Tuesday afternoon in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com graphic/photo.
Plans Unveiled For New Escambia Fire Training Facility In Gonzalez
February 1, 2022
Plans have been unveiled for a new Escambia County Fire Rescue training facility in Gonzalez.
The facility will be located at the former Escambia Charter School at 319 90 & 9 Ranch Road, just behind Gonzalez Utilities on Old Chemstrand Road.
ECFR leaders met with representatives of Florida Power & Light, Gonzalez Utilities, Ascend Performance Materials and Escambia County Facilities Management to discuss infrastructure, training props and other details for the future fire training facility.
“This is a significant step forward to enhance fire department services benefiting the county and the customers we serve,” said ECFR Deputy Chief Paul Williams. “We are very excited to see this facility moving forward after many years of research and planning, and want to thank the Board of County Commissioners for their leadership and assistance in securing this property.”
“I’m extremely excited about the new fire services training facility being added to District 5, “said D5 Commissioner Steven Barry. “I love how the property will be redeveloped to provide a great public benefit, not just for the residents of Gonzalez, but also for all the residents of Escambia County.”
The county said implementing a fire training facility for ECFR will be instrumental in the success of the department and improving training needs. ECFR will be able to train career and volunteer firefighters faster and specifically to the standard operating guidelines and expectations.
In addition, officials said the facility will also enhance the ability to recruit and retain career and volunteer firefighters while offering in-house training at no cost to the future firefighter. The 11-acre facility is large enough to address the immediate training needs for ECFR while also offering room for future expansion. Additionally, the future training site will include classrooms and a community center.
ECFR will continue to work with local community partners to help establish training opportunities that will be mutually beneficial to all parties involved. Escambia County is in the process of beginning the architectural and engineering designs. In the meantime, the department will research grant opportunities and other funding resources to help build the facility.
The Escambia Charter School closed after 22 years at the end of the 2017-2018 school year due to declining enrollment.
Photos/map for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
This Is The First North Escambia Crossing Closed By CSX, But No Details On Which One Is Next
February 1, 2022
CSX is temporarily closing a half dozen railroad closings in North Escambia this week, but so far the railroad has not told the county which crossings will be closed when.
Monday afternoon, NorthEscambia.com hit the road and learned the crossing on North Barth Road was the first to be closed. The asphalt was completely removed, piled to the side, making the crossing impassable. The few residents on the other side can still get out off the their neighborhood, crossing the tracks on Barth Road. Signage was in place at the Barth Road crossing Monday afternoon in advance of an impending closure.
When the Daffin Road crossing in Molino is closed, several homes will be cut off .
Perhaps the biggest concern among area residents has been Quintette Road. Not only will the crossing closure mean a detour up to 20 miles, it will also mean that areas between the railroad tracks and the river will not be immediately accessible to emergency services from Escambia County.
Escambia County officials at multiple levels have told NorthEscambia.com that they have been unable to obtain a timetable from CSX. We reached out to the CSX media team Monday night and, likely to the late hour, did not receive a response.
The temporary closures will be at the railroad crossings as follows:
- Quintette Road (detoured to Highway 90)
- Barth Road
- Brickyard Road
- Cottage Hill
- Fairground Road
- Daffin Road
Pictured: The railroad crossing was closed Monday on North Barth Road. The crossing on Barth road remained open at the time. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP Seeks Hit And Run Driver That Killed Man On Dark, Lonely Area Of Highway 29
February 1, 2022
The Florida Highway Patrol is continuing to seek a hit and run driver that struck and killed a man on Highway 29 early Monday morning.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 42-year-old Pensacola man was killed about 2:45 a.m. on Highway 29 about one mile north of Champion Drive and the West Fraser Sawmill. The man was walking southbound in the inside lane when he was hit by an unknown southbound vehicle that fled the scene.
As of now, troopers don’t know why he was on the dark, lonely stretch of Highway 29. The entire area north of the sawmill is completely dark at night, mostly surrounded by woods. There are no houses in the area.
Late Monday afternoon, FHP told us they are still looking for any witnesses that observed the crash or may have seen the vehicle.
The vehicle is believed to be a large pickup truck or semi truck and may have front end damage, according to troopers.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call *FHP.
The identity of the victim has not been released.
Pictured: The general area where a man was struck and killed on Highway 29 north of Champion Drive as seen Tuesday night. The photo (taken safely by a passenger) shows the roadway illuminated by standard car headlights on high beams. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Students Celebrate Literacy With Space Station Astronauts, Chat With Future Astronaut
February 1, 2022
Ransom Middle School celebrated Literacy Week in an out of this world fashion last week.
The Escambia County School District’s theme was ” Launch into Literacy: Blast Off into New Worlds”, and Ransom students did just that.
Seventh grade students listened to astronauts on the International Space Station read their favorite stories all week. This included Florida middle school teacher turned Astronaut Joseph Acaba who read the book “Notable Notebooks” to them.
To bring Literacy Week in for a landing, Ransom students met and interviewed potential future Mars astronaut Alyssa Carson via online chat. They posed questions to the 20-year old Florida Tech University astrobiology student about her training at NASA and plans for colonizing the red planet.
“How would you like to see Mars colonized, and what things would you definitely want included in your Martian community?” is the question student Noah Jacobs asked.
The current unit in the students’ seventh grade language arts textbook centers around the question, “Should humanity’s future lie among the stars?” which made Carson the perfect candidate to offer an expert opinion on the subject of future space missions and exploration.
“We learned about Alyssa’s impressive resume this week as we planned our questions for our meeting with her,” seventh grader Kennedi Carter said. “She turned out to be the perfect person to ask. It was amazing to meet someone who has accomplished so much and who is not that much older than us.”
“Before meeting Alyssa Carson today, I never pictured myself going into space at such a young age,” said Addison Fowler who shares Carson’s dream of becoming an astronaut. “But Alyssa explained that we might be the perfect age to be the ones they will need for future colonies in space.”
In describing the exciting day, Landon Miller explained, “Today was one small step for students, and one giant leap for Ransom Middle School.”
After they signed off with Carson, the students posed for pictures with her image on a large screen, signed a card thanking her for such an exciting educational experience, and received “We Are the Mars Generation” bracelets she had mailed to them for the day’s big event.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
EREC Warns Members Of Telephone Scam
February 1, 2022
Escambia River Electric Cooperative is warning members of a telephone scam.
The utility said some some customers are receiving calls warning that they must a make a credit card payment over the phone to avoid a power interruption.
EREC said they never ask for credit card information over the phone. Customers can verify their account information online or by calling (850) 675-4521 or (800) 235-3848.
Florida Power & Light (the former Gulf Power) has warned customers of similar scams in the past.
Sunny Tuesday; Rain Moves In By Wednesday Afternoon
February 1, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Southeast wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a southeast wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 73. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight, then showers likely. Low around 53. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. North wind around 10 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 52.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 54.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.
Mable Rolin Lambert
February 1, 2022
Mrs. Mable Rolin Lambert, age 78, passed away Thursday, January 27, 2022, in Atmore, AL. She was a lifelong resident of Atmore, AL. She was a member of Gospel Light Church and Poarch Band of Creek Indians. She was a seamstress with Vanity Fair Mills with many years of employment.
She valued her time she got to spend with her family and friends. She loved singing and going on the adventurous trips with the Tribe.
Mrs. Lambert is preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.B. (Dorothy McGhee) Rolin, four brothers, Charles Rolin, Arthur Rolin, Wilbert Rolin, Norman Rolin, and one sister, Geneva Shivers.
She is survived by her husband, Sherrel Lambert, of Atmore, AL; two sons, Ronnie (Peggy) Lambert, of Atmore, AL; Danny (Tammy) Lambert, of Atmore, AL; four brothers, David (Dorothy) Rolin, of Walnut Hill, FL; Clarence (Dianne) Rolin, of Atmore, AL; Ray (Norma Jean) Rolin, of Atmore, AL; Raymond (Kathy) Rolin, of Atmore, AL; two sisters, Joyce Kuhn, of Atmore, AL; Debra Strickland, of Atmore, AL; four grandchildren, Trevor Lambert, Trent (Victoria) Lambert, Tyler (Sadie) Lambert, Trey Lambert, two great-grandchildren, Heidi Lambert, Josie Lambert, many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were held Monday, January 31, 2022 at Gospel Lighthouse Church with Rev. Clarence Rolin, Rev. Johnny Rolin, and Marty Gehman officiating.
Burial was at Mothershed Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Trevor Lambert, Trent Lambert, Trey Lambert, Patrick Strickland, Justin (BoBo) Rolin, and Tyler Hochstetler.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.