It’s Primary Election Day In Alabama (With Sample Ballots)
June 1, 2010
It’s primary election day in Alabama, with voters headed to the polls to pick the Democratic and Republican nominees for the November general election.
Polls will be open until 7 p.m.
Click here for a sample Democratic ballot.
Click here for a sample Republican ballot.
NorthEscambia.com will have local election results posted later tonight.
Here is how the field of candidates stands for local races Escambia County, Alabama:
- Sheriff — Democratic incumbent Grover Smith will face the winner of the Republican primary race between Lloyd Albritton and Heath Jackson. Albritton is a former military criminal investigator; Jackson, a Brewton native, is a narcotics investigator for the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
- County Commission District 1 – Incumbent Democrat David Stokes is unopposed.
- County Commission District 3 — Republican Buster Crapps, a Flomaton councilman, will face incumbent Democrat Larry White.
- County Commission District 5 — Two Democrats, David Allen Quarker Sr. and Wiley B. Tait will face each other in the primary election. The winner will face Republican Don “Viking” Ellestad in the general election. The incumbent, Richard Hawthorne, did not seek re-election after being indicted on sexual misconduct charges.
- School Board District 4 — The most crowded local race in the county has five candidates — Democrats Stephanie Agerton, A.G. “Bo” Brantley and Joseph Hutchcraft; and Republicans Cindy Jackson and Monica Shockley.
- School Board District 6 — Incumbent District 6 Democrat Cereal Daniel will face Republican challenger Sherry Digmon, publisher of the Atmore News newspaper in November.
Area state race:
- Senate District 22 – Republicans Danny Joyner and Jeff Peacock; incumbent Democrat Marc Keahey.
- State House District 66 — Incumbent Republican Alan Baker.
- State House District 92 — Republicans Mike Jones, Jr. and Greg White.
Free Sacred Heart Health Screenings
June 1, 2010
Sacred Heart Health System will provide free health screenings Tuesday in Cantonment and June 17 in Molino for the poor, elderly and uninsured.
Sacred Heart staff will provide heart-health screenings to measure blood pressure, blood sugar and total cholesterol and to screen for anemia. The screenings are helpful in diagnosing conditions that put people at high risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes and other health problems.
Sacred Heart’s Mission in Motion staff will provide screenings for adults at the Cantonment Council on Aging at 132 Mintz Lane from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The free screenings will also be offering from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 17 at Scott’s Pharmacy at 6505 North Highway 29 in Molino.
Mission in Motion is a community service provided by Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 416-7826.
Updated: More Rain Tonight, Wednesday
June 1, 2010
Our wet weather pattern will continue for the next couple of days. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Wednesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
- Thursday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south southwest between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 95. South southwest wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. South southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 95.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 96.
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91
More Thunderstorms Possible For Monday and Tuesday
May 31, 2010
Your Memorial Day could be a wet, stormy one.
Just like Saturday and Sunday, thunderstorms are expected to bring heavy rain and lots of lightning both today and Tuesday. With saturated ground from weekend storms, some areas could see isolated flooding.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Memorial Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south southwest between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. South wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south southwest between 5 and 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south southwest between 10 and 15 mph.
- Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. West southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 92.
- Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 95.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Memorial Day Closures, Trash Schedule
May 31, 2010
Here is a look at what’s closed on this Memorial Day Monday in the North Escambia area:
- All county offices in Escambia (Fla. and Ala.) and Santa Rosa
- All city offices in Century, Jay, Pensacola, Atmore and Flomaton
- Schools in Escambia Escambia (Fla. and Ala.) and Santa Rosa
- West Florida and Santa Rosa County public libraries
- University of West Florida
- Pensacola Junior College
- ECUA business offices
- U.S. Postal Service, with no mail delivery except for Express Mail
- There will be no change in ECUA garbage collections, with North Escambia pickups as usual on Tuesday.
Troopers Remain Out In Force For Holiday
May 31, 2010
The Florida Highway Patrol remains out in full force today as the Memorial Day holiday weekend continues.
“The Florida Highway Patrol will employ all available resources to enforce Florida’s traffic laws and to remind drivers to slow down and buckle up. No one wants their weekend, much less their life, ruined by a crash,” said Colonel John T. Czernis, FHP director.
All uniformed FHP personnel, including those normally assigned to administrative duties, have been patrolling interstates and other major state roads throughout the four-day holiday period. FHP Auxiliary and Reserve troopers have volunteered to augment the Patrol’s forces during the holiday enforcement period, too. The strategy aims to increase the Patrol’s presence throughout Florida in an effort to deter traffic violations and to enhance services to motorists who break down while traveling or who need other assistance.
During this holiday weekend, the FHP is participating in three distinct traffic education and enforcement initiatives: Operation C.A.R.E. – a Combined Accident Reduction Effort, involving all 50 state police and highway patrol organizations across the United States; Take Back Our Highways, a multi-state effort involving the Highway Patrol from Alabama and its neighboring states; and the highly publicized Click It or Ticket program. All three campaigns focus on saving lives, preventing injuries, and mitigating property damage associated with traffic crashes.
Drivers can dial *FHP (*347) from their cell phone to contact FHP to report an aggressive driver or to request roadside assistance.
Pictured above: A Florida Highway Patrol trooper pulls out into Highway 29 at Fran’s Diner Saturday morning in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ronald Newton Arrested Saturday, His 12th Arrest In A Year
May 30, 2010
Ronald Berlan Newton, 49, of Century, was arrested again Saturday night — making about a dozen times he has been busted in the past two years.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to an address on Zion Street in Century about 6:45 Saturday night after Newton allegedly threatened to shoot someone. He did not produce a weapon during the incident.
When deputies arrived, he had fled the scene. But a short time later, Newton walked up to an Escambia County deputy near the intersection of Cottage and Zion Streets. He was taken into custody without incident.
Newton was booked into the Escambia County Jail on an outstanding trespassing warrant stemming from an incident Monday afternoon at an address on North Century Boulevard. Newton was reportedly at an address from which had been previously banned.
He is being held in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
Escambia County court and jail records show the following arrests and charges for Newton:
April 11, 2007
- trespassing, charges dropped
August 14, 2007
- simple assault — 60 days in jail
- aggravated assault with deadly weapon — charges dropped
- criminal mischief under $1,000 — charges dropped
April 28, 2008
- driving while license suspended, first offense – charges dropped
- open container in vehicle – paid $123.50 fine
- expired registration – paid $73.50 fine
May 31, 2009
- battery — charges dropped
- criminal mischief — charges dropped
July 29, 2009
- driving while license suspended, second offense — fined $500, suspended 11 months, 30 days in jail
January 8, 2009
- battery — charges dropped, defendant “mentally defective”
September 1, 2009
- indecent exposure in public — dismissed due to incompetence
- lewd lascivious behavior victim under 18 — no action by prosecutor
- lewd lascivious behavior victim under 18 — no action by prosecutor
November 23, 2009
- criminal mischief under $1,000 — dismissed
January 1, 2010
- disorderly conduct — charges dropped
February 1, 2010
- battery — dismissed
March 23, 2010
- trespassing, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
- disorderly conduct, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
April 27, 2010
- trespassing, case pending, pleaded not guilty, released on $500 bond
- criminal mischief over $1,000 — case pending, released on $2,500 bond, pleaded not guilty
April 8, 2010
- littering under 15 pounds, fine and costs of $135 remains unpaid
May 7, 2010
- aggravated assault — case pending, released on $5,000 bond
May 19, 2010
- contempt of court
- criminal mischief
May 29, 2010
- trespassing
Soggy Sunday And Monday
May 30, 2010
Sunday could be a wet repeat of Saturday — with some North Escambia residents seeing heavy downpours. And Monday also looks to be soggy and less than perfect for a Memorial Day barbecue.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Memorial Day: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south southwest between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. South southwest wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 87. Southwest wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
- Wednesday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Thursday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
- Friday Night: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
- Saturday: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 20%
Flood Advisory
May 29, 2010
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a
* small stream Flood Advisory for…
central Escambia County in northwest Florida…
central and northern Santa Rosa County in northwest Florida…
* until 500 PM CDT
* at 302 PM CDT National Weather Service Doppler radar continued to
indicate scattered strong storms with heavy rain moving slowly
northeast across portions of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
3 inches of heavy rainfall has fallen in many areas from Molino to
the central and northern sections of Santa Rosa County since noon.
An additional 1 to 2 inches of rainfall is possible in these
areas through 5 PM.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
Excessive runoff from the heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels
on small creeks and streams…and ponding of water on roads.
Strong Storms In North Escambia
May 29, 2010
At 203 PM CDT…National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a
strong thunderstorm near Barth…moving northeast at 15 mph.
This thunderstorm will affect areas in and around…
Chumuckla and McDavid through 230 PM CDT.
The primary threats from this storm are small hail…frequent
lightning…and wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph. Winds this strong could
down small tree limbs or branches and blow around unsecured small
objects. Seek shelter in a safe home or building until the storm has
passed.
This storm could produce rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches in a
short period of time…resulting in brief ponding of water around
low lying and poor drainage areas. Remember…do not drive your
vehicle into water covered roadways. The depth may be too great to
allow a safe crossing.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CDT
Saturday evening for southwestern Alabama and northwest Florida.