Ruby Lois Cooper
January 10, 2023
Mrs. Ruby Lois Cooper, age 88, passed away, Saturday, January 7, 2023, in Pensacola, FL. She resided most of her life in Cantonment, FL. She retired from health care with many years of service. She was a member of Farmhill Holiness Church.
Mrs. Cooper enjoyed working in her vegetable garden, she also shared her crop of vegetables and loved to cook the fresh vegetables that she gathered. She enjoyed gospel music, and Christian Television Network. She really enjoyed going to the mountains and attending church.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Archie (Emma Presley) Ardis, husband, Johnny Cooper, one son, Warren Dean Cooper, and one brother, Grady Ardis.
She is survived by her two sons, John (Lisa) Dale, of Atlanta, GA; Daniel (Debra) Cooper, of Seminole, AL; two daughters, Wanda Massey, of Cantonment, FL; Pamela Cooper, of Cantonment, FL; two brothers, Hubert (Alice) Ardis, of Wimberly, TX; Danny (Renee) Cole, of Baton Rouge, LA; one sister, Emogene (Johnny) Wood, of Talladega, AL; ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, numerous nephews, nieces, and other relatives.
Funeral service will be Sunday, January 15, 2023 at 12:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC with Bro. Clyde Hughes officiating.
Burial will follow at Presley Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Sunday, January 15, 2023 from 11:00 AM until service time at 12:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Clifford Buck, Joseph Snow, Donny Thompson, Michael David, Daniel Cooper, and Johnny Cooper.
Honorary pallbearers will be Chance Coleman, and Clay Coleman.
No Injuries Reported In Semi, Pickup Crash On Highway 95A
January 9, 2023
There were no injuries reported in a Monday afternoon crash involving a semi-truck and a king cab pickup truck.
The crash happened about 1:50 p.m. on Highway 95A, just south of East Roberts Road.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Wanted For Causing Highway 97 Wreck, Robbing Victim At Gunpoint
January 9, 2023
Authorities have identified a suspect that caused a wreck and then robbed a victim at gunpoint on Highway 97 in Davisville about two weeks ago.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said 45-year Edward Jerome Butler Jr. followed a vehicle and caused a traffic crash in the 11000 block of Highway 97, near the Piggly Wiggly, just before 6 p.m. on December 27. After the wreck, deputies say Butler robbed the victim at gunpoint taking cash, a firearm, and other property from the victim and the victim’s vehicle. Butler then used the victim’s credit/debit card to withdraw money.
Butler is wanted for battery, aggravated assault, larceny, grand theft of a firearm, robbery with a firearm, and fraud (illegal use of a credit card). Butler is considered armed and dangerous, according to the ECSO.
He was seen driving the white sedan pictured during the armed robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Editor’s note: The mugshot above of Edward Jerome Butler Jr. is from a 2017 arrest.
Missing, Endangered Cantonment Woman Located
January 9, 2023
UPDATE: Hannah Louise Rolin has been located.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing and endangered woman missing since Sunday from Cantonment.
Hannah Louise Rolin, 24, was seen Sunday in the 1000 block of Forehand Lane, just south of Neal Road.
She if 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 169 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She may be in need of medical attention.s
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620
The Air We Breathe: Escambia Fire Turns To High Tech Equipment, Wireless Alerts During Sulfur Plant Fire
January 9, 2023
While a fire burned at an Atmore sulfur plant Friday, a hazardous materials team and other resources from Escambia County (Florida) Fire Rescue responded.
Light winds pushed the smoke plume to the south, toward Florida.
Escambia, Florida, firefighters used specialized equipment to test the air quality in Florida south of the Tiger Sul plant, which is located in Atmore Industrial Park about 1.5 miles north of the Alabama-Florida state line. There were no problems found.
According to Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins, Florida residents within five miles received an emergency alert on their cell phones. The alert advised of the situation, but there was no shelter in place order issued.
The alerts were sent using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) program created by FEMA. IPAWS allows federal, state or local authorities to send geographically-targeted wireless emergency alerts (WEA) — much like amber alerts and tornado warnings sent to phones.
ECFR’s monitoring equipment was also used on-site at the plant fire and in Alabama near the fire. Once the fire was under control, there were no significant dangerous gasses detected.
RELATED STORY: Fire Burns At Atmore Sulfur Plant; Florida Residents Alerted
Pictured: An Escambia County (Florida) Fire Rescue hazardous materials team stagged at the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 in Davisville, just yards from Atmore, during a sulfur plant fire Friday. They used specialized equipment to test the air quality. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sunny For The Week – Except Thursday Will Be Our Rainy Day
January 9, 2023
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Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Light south wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. High near 72. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 55.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 35.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 54.
Verizon: Customers In Century Area May Experience Service Disruptions This Week
January 9, 2023
Over about the next week, Verizon Wireless customers in the Century area may experience service disruptions, according to the company.
“Verizon is upgrading our network in the Century area to make sure our customers in the area continue to have the excellent experience they’ve come to expect from Verizon,” Andy Choi, Verizon communications manager, told NorthEscambia.com. “ We’re notifying customers in the spirit of transparency, because we know our customers rely on the Verizon network.”
Choi said he was unable to provide specific details on what part of the network or service is being upgraded, nor could he be more specific on the potentially impacted area.
According to Verizon, the upgrade process could take a little longer than the anticipated week.
“While we will do our best to adhere to this schedule, it may shift out as much as two weeks due to factors outside of our control,” the company said.
Pictured: A Verizon tower in North Escambia. NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Lane Closures This Week On Highway 97 North Of Molino; Tuesday on Highway 99 In Beulah
January 9, 2023
According to the the Florida Department of Transportation, there will be lane closures this week on Highway 97 in Molino and Highway 99 in Beulah.
Motorists will encounter intermittent daytime lane closures on Highway 97 just north of Abromovich Lane Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. for routine utility maintenance. Abromovich Lane is just north of Molino Park Elementary School)
There will also be intermittent lane closures on Tuesday beginning at 9 a.m. on Highway 99 near Beulah Road for drainage operations.
The work is weather-dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
Kristi Mims Is Jim Allen Elementary’s Teacher Of The Year
January 9, 2023
Kristi Mims was named the Jim Allen Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She teaches pre-kindergarten.
NorthEscambia.com spotlighting Teachers of the Year from the North Escambia area. The county’s overall teacher of the year will be named in late January.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
AAA: Gas Prices Declining Again After 32 Cent Spike
January 9, 2023
Florida gas prices are declining again after surging during in the past two weeks. The state average declined almost 2 cents per gallon over the weekend, but more discounts are likely on the way, AAA said.
“Gas prices soared in recent weeks, after winter storms caused temporary refinery outages,” said Mark Jenkins, Public Relations Manager for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Last week, we saw fuel prices retreat again, as refinery activity ramped back up and the market turned bearish on global fuel demand, due to rising cases of Covid-19 in China. Retail prices could drop 10-20 cents in the coming weeks, unless oil prices suddenly rebound.”
On Sunday, the state average was $3.30 per gallon. That’s 10 cents more than this time last year. In 2022, gas prices reached a new record high of $4.89 per gallon in June. The 2022 low was set on December 26th at $2.99 per gallon.
A North Escambia low of $2.94 could be found on Muscogee Road in Cantonment. In Pensacola, a gallon of gas was as low as $2.83 a the warehouse clubs.
NorthEscambia.com photo.