Murder In Nokomis; Suspects Last Seen Headed Toward North Escambia
September 24, 2009
(Update) One person has reportedly died after being shot in an apparent domestic dispute in the Nokomis community in Escambia County, Ala., Thursday night.
The incident occurred just about 7:10 p.m. on Nathan Road, about a mile north of Highway 31. The victim, identified by neighbors and relatives as Kenny Porter, age unknown, was transported from the scene by ambulance and then by LifeFlight helicopter to an area hospital. He died from his injuries at 9:20 tonight, according to Mike Lambeth, Escambia County (Ala.) chief deputy.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from an argument over a ladder that was leaning against a mobile home in a trailer park.
The alleged suspects, identified as Clarence Luker and Lorraine Gray, fled the scene in a two-town older model Ford Econoline van. It was described as being maroon and either silver or white.
The van was later reported to be seen on Pineville Road in Escambia, Ala, headed toward North Pineville Road in Escambia County, Fla. Luker was a resident of the mobile home where the shooting occurred.
The suspect was reported to be armed with a handgun.
Anyone with information on the crime should call their local law enforcement agency. Anyone coming in contact with the suspect should call 911. The suspect is considered armed and dangerous.
Open House Tonight At Ernest Ward; Parents Can Ride Free Bus From Century
September 24, 2009
Open house at Ernest Ward School will be held from 6 until 7 tonight, and there will be a free bus for parents from Century.
Parents will begin the evening in their student’s homeroom where they will receive a copy of their student’s schedule. If parents attend without the student, they should ask the student the name of the homeroom teacher. The homeroom with largest percent of parents who sign the homeroom sheet will win an ice cream party.
Parents will then follow their child’s schedule to each class where they will have the opportunity to ask general questions about school activities and curriculum. This is not a time for a conference with any faculty member about an individual student. The staff and facility look forward to meeting all parents, school officials said.
A free bus provided by the school district will depart the former Carver/Century K-8 School at 5:30 for parents that wish to attend the Ernest Ward open house. The bus will leave Ernest Ward for Century at 7 p.m.
Open House Tonight At Northview; Thursday at EWMS
September 22, 2009
Open house events will be held tonight at Northview High School and Thursday night at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Open House at Northview will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. Activities will begin with refreshments in the cafeteria; parents and visitors will then have an opportunity to visit the school’s campus and classrooms. Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend.
Open House at Ernest Ward will be held Thursday from 6 until 7 p.m. Parents will begin the evening in their student’s homeroom where they will receive a copy of their student’s schedule. If parents attend without the student, they should ask the student the name of the homeroom teacher. The homeroom with largest percent of parents who sign the homeroom sheet will win an ice cream party.
Parents will then follow their child’s schedule to each class where they will have the opportunity to ask general questions about school activities and curriculum. This is not a time for a conference with any faculty member about an individual student. The staff and facility look forward to meeting all parents, school officials said.
Watch Good Football Tonight: NHS JV At Home Against W.S. Neal
September 21, 2009
The Northview High School junior varsity football team will be in action tonight at home in Bratt.
The JV Chiefs will host W.S. Neal at 6:00 tonight, kicking off a two-game home stretch. The Chiefs will be at home on Thursday night, October 1 against Baker.
The community is encouraged to attend the game and support the Northview Chiefs.
Lawton “Bud” Chiles Begins Statewide Walk For Children In Century
September 21, 2009
Lawton “Bud” Chiles is retracing the steps of his father, former Florida Governor Lawton Mainor Chiles, Jr., with a One Million Step tour across Florida to raise awareness of children’s health, education and safety issues in the state.
The journey of One Million Steps will officially started Monday morning in Century, honoring the historic 1970 walk of Gov. Chiles as he ran for the U.S. Senate. Bud Chiles, who often traveled with his father on his journey, will walk one million steps — 566 miles — across Florida in an effort to inspire one million Floridians to become involved in volunteering and making Florida a better place for children.
“I saw first hand the unique bond he forged as he listened to people,” Bud Chiles said of his father’s walk and his desire to help children and families. “In the past 10 years, sadly, we have suffered from a lack of that leadership from our state’s politicians.”
“I want to help tell your stories about what is working and what is broken,” Chiles said of his desire to listen to Floridians as he walks across the state. “Florida’s politicians are out of touch, and we can’t count on Washington to fix what is broken. With your help, we will make Florida a place for children again.”
Chiles started his walk at Alabama-Florida state line Sunday afternoon, and he will end in Miami next year, according to event organizers
He had three stops planned for Monday:
- Campfire USA Childcare Program
A nurse will be on hand to do vision and hearing screenings and conduct handwashing classes. Chiles will be on hand, reading to the children while they are waiting their turn with the screenings. 10 a.m. until noon, 6031 Industrial Boulevard - New Life Baptist Church
New Life participates in several community projects for children, including the Imagination Library that provides any child between birth and age five a free, age-appropriate book delivered to their home monthly. 1:00 to 1:30 p.m., 700 East Hecker Road - Century Pharmacy
Century Pharmacy is a sponsor of the Imagination Library and other children’s programs. Chiles will hand out Imagination Library applications and read books to children. 3:00 to 4:00, 7351 Mayo Street
The walk will continue Tuesday and Wednesday in Pensacola. Event organizers have not yet released an itinerary.
The Lawton Chiles Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-partisan organization, is “driven by this same philosophy and working to make Florida a state in which children thrive. The Worst To First statewide initiative was formed by the Foundation to identify key indicators used to measure Florida’s poor performance and to educate Floridians about our national standing as regards education, health care and community safety,” according to the group’s www.WorstToFirst.org website.
Wet Weather To Continue
September 21, 2009
Our wet weather pattern will continue the next several days in the North Escambia area.
Some of the showers could be heavy, so there could be localized flooding. Here’s your official forecast:
- Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 88. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
- Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
- Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. North wind around 5 mph.
- Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind.
- Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. North wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. Calm wind.
- Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89.
All That Glitters: Another Gold Party At EWMS Today
September 21, 2009
Due to popular demand, there will be another Gold Party this afternoon at Ernest Ward Middle School from 4:30 until the last customer is served.
Ernest Ward Middle School teacher Cynthia Wilson turned scrap gold into money in her pocket last week, helping the school’s cheerleaders raise money at the same time.
Wilson and dozens of people like her sold their old and sometimes damaged jewelry during a “Gold Party” at the school. The concept was simple — show up with unwanted, broken or used gold pieces and leave with a check.
“Wow, I’m really quite surprised,” Wilson said when she received her check for almost $200. About $30 was going to her daughter for items that belonged to her, “and the reset is mine,” she said.
“It was just junk,” she said about the small pile of jewelry she sold, which even included earrings that had long since lost their match.
For every dollar paid out to those selling their gold, the EWMS cheerleaders received 10 percent.
According to information from the cheerleader sponsor, here is how it works:
- Find all of your, used, broken, and unwanted gold pieces. Ex. A broken earring or out of style bracelet. Anything from 10K to 24K and white gold, too. And if you discover something that you are not sure about, just bring it anyway.
- Bring your gold to a GOLDEN GIRLS’ GOLD PARTY. This is no pressure to buy anything because there is nothing to buy.
- Sell your gold to the GOLDEN GIRLS licensed gold buyer. The buyer will assess, test, and weigh your gold right in front of you. Then, they will pay you on the spot. You will actually leave this fundraiser with money in your pocket.
- Enjoy your money. Donate some of it… save it… or spend it. It’s your money so it’s up to you.
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Pictured above: Ernest Ward teacher Cynthia Wilson sells her unwanted gold to Andrea Tompkins at a Gold Party sponsored by the EWMS cheerleaders. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Flood Advisory
September 20, 2009
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a
* Flood Advisory for…
central Escambia County in northwest Florida…
east central Baldwin County in southwest Alabama…
* until 415 PM CDT
* at 222 PM CDT… National Weather Service meteorologists found an
area of heavy rain northern Baldwin County Alabama and Escambia
County Florida. Rainfall rates of 3 to 4 inches of rain per hour has
fallen in the last 30 minutes betweeen Spanish Fort Alabama and Bay
Springs Florida.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
Most flood deaths occur in automobiles. In hilly terrain there are
many low water crossings which are dangerous in heavy rain. Do not
attempt to travel across flooded roads. Never drive your vehicle
into areas where the water covers the roadway. Find alternate
routes. Flood waters are usually deeper than they appear. Just a few
inches of flowing water is powerful enough to sweep vehicles off the
Road. When encountering flooded roads make the smart choice… turn
around… dont drown.
Special Weather Statement: North Escambia, Santa Rosa Strong Storm
September 20, 2009
A strong thunderstorm will affect Escambia and Santa
Rosa counties…
At 152 PM CDT… National Weather Service meteorologists found a
strong thunderstorm 3 miles west of Bay Springs… moving northeast
at 15 mph.
This thunderstorm will affect areas in and around…
Walnut Hill… Oak Grove and Bratt through 245 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 4 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.
See You At The Pole Rallies Planned At Northview, Ernest Ward, Flomaton
September 20, 2009
The annual See You at the Pole rally will be held Wednesday morning at Northview High and Ernest Ward Middle schools, and a special rally will be held Wednesday night in Flomaton.
Students will gather as school begins to pray in the non-denominational event. See You at the Pole will be held at 8:15 a.m. at Northview High School, and about 8:40 at Ernest Ward Middle School.
A community-wide See You At the Pole Rally will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Flomaton High School Auditorium. All students are invited. The free event will feature music from FACE (formerly Soul Society) and speaker Bo Bell.
See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student organized, and student-led event. Students typically pray for their school, friends teachers, government and the nation.
““Engage: Go and pray . . .” from 2 Kings 22:13a will be the theme verse for See You at the Pole event at thousands of schools across the nation Wednesday morning.
“It’s tough being a Christian student today, isn’t it? You have to make a lot of choices about who you are—and who you’re not. You have to try and follow God in a world that misunderstands Christianity and tolerates its principles less and less all the time,” according to the See You at the Pole website.
See You at the Pole is scheduled annually on the fourth Wednesday in September. This is the 20th year for the event that started in a Ft. Worth, Texas, suburb.
Pictured: Students gathered last year at Northview High School for See You at the Pole. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.