Longtime Santa Rosa Deputy Theda Bray Passes Away
July 13, 2013
Santa Rosa County is mourning the passing of former deputy Theda “Cheryl” Bray of Allentown. She was 54.
Bray began her career with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in February 1982. She was a member of the first K-9 unit established in the county and also served as a detective in the Criminal Investigative Unit.
After she was promoted to lieutenant, show took command the Jay and Navarre districts. Bray retired from the Sheriff’s Office in June 2012 and received the honor rank of captain. She remained in the Sheriff’s Office Reserve Program for some time.
“She was an asset to the Sheriff’s Office, as well as to the community. Her loyalty and dedication to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office will not be forgotten,” the department said in a news release.
She was also instrumental in the creation of ‘Christmas in Allentown’ where each year the public is invited to view over 300,000 Christmas lights.
Bray was the daughter of the late J.D. Bray, who served as mayor of Jay for 44 years. She is survived by her extended family.
Visitation for friends will be held at Lewis Funeral Home in Milton on Sunday, July 14 from 5-8 p.m.with a second visitation at Jay First Baptist Church on Monday, July 15 from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. The funeral service will begin at 11am followed by a procession and service at Jay Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be: Capt. Jim Spencer, (Ret.) Lt. Steve Barnes, (Ret.) Lt. Chuck Sloan, Lt. Joe McCurdy, (Ret.) Sgt. Ed Johnson, and Sgt. John Thompson
Honorary Pallbearers will be past and present deputies, correction officers and staff of the Santa Rose Sheriff’s Office.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Pensacola Beach Air Show Goes On Without The Blue Angels (Photos)
July 13, 2013
For the first time in over 20 years, the Blue Angels were missing from the Pensacola Beach Air Show on Friday.
The crowds were light for the practice show, a warm up for the big Saturday show with two dozen civilian aircraft. But about the only way the dress rehearsal could have gone better would have been to have the iconic Blue Angels in the air.
Here is a scheduled for Saturday’s show:
- Pre-show: Hotelier Julian MacQueen, Widgeon.
- 1 p.m. show opener: Team Aerodynamix flying the missing man formation to the National Anthem.
- Dual and solo aerobatics, Gary Ward and Skip Stewart.
- Two-plane demonstration, Lima Lima.
- Dog fight, Red Star & The Dragon jets.
- Solo aerobatics, Kevin Coleman.
- Solo, Otto the Helicopter piloted by Roger Buis.
- 2:12 p.m. 20-minute water break for crowd.
- 2:42 p.m. 11-plane formation, Team Aerodynamix.
- Solo aerobatics, Skip Stewart.
- Solo aerobatics, Gary Ward.
- Six-plane formation, Lima Lima.
“We will miss the Blue Angels, but come and show your support of the Blues in a move of solidarity,” Santa Rosa Island Authority Director Buck Lee said. “It should be fun for the entire family.”
Pictured above and below: Friday’s Pensacola Beach Air Show dress rehearsal. Photos by: Perry Doggrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
July Gardening Tips
July 13, 2013
The heat, humidity and frequent rains of July are great for tropical plants. Gardeners, however, take a bit of a beating. Remember to keep the sunscreen, insect repellant and iced tea handy as you venture out into your garden to perform some needed summer maintenance.
A midsummer application of fertilizer is usually required, especially on annual flowers, lawns, shrub beds and vegetable gardens. This is a supplemental application, so don’t overdo it. A 15-0-15 slow-release fertilizer is a good general purpose landscape fertilizer for most plants.
Major pruning jobs should have been done earlier, but there is still some maintenance pruning that should be done. Deadhead, or clip old flowers, from summer flowering shrubs as soon as they fade to help insure an extended season of bloom. Crape myrtles, hibiscus, hydrangeas and althea are examples of shrubs that will bloom repeatedly if light, selective pruning is done.
Flowering annuals also respond well to deadheading. Snip off old flowers and flower spikes before they have an opportunity to form seed. Allowing annual flowers to set seed can shorten their blooming season considerably.
Inspect your lawn and shrub plantings frequently in order to identify pest problems as early as possible. The most severe damage from pest insects normally begins in July. Be on the lookout for chinch bugs in St. Augustine grass; spittlebugs in centipede grass; sod webworm in all lawns-especially new ones; lacebug and caterpillars on azaleas; whiteflies on gardenia and spider mites on lots of different types of shrubs.
Sod webworms often attack lawns in the summer. They eat the grass blades producing areas that look as if they have been mowed too short. Close inspection will reveal that the blades have not been cleanly cut as with a mower blade but have been chewed along their edges and tips. These caterpillars feed at night and rest during the day down among the runners and in the thatch.
Once an insect pest is found, evaluate the damage and determine if control is necessary. If it is, choose the least toxic option. If only a few caterpillars are found, hand picking might be the choice. Aphids and spider mites can often be controlled by spraying with an insecticidal soap solution. Chemical insecticides are sometimes required. Before choosing one be sure that the insect pest has been properly identified and that the insecticide is labeled for that purpose For vegetable gardeners that have problems with nematodes, soil borne diseases and extensive weed problems, July is a great time to try soil solarization.
Prepare the soil as you normally would for a vegetable garden including adding organic matter. Moisten the area and cover with clear plastic, not black plastic. Clear plastic will produce the highest temperatures. Be sure to weigh down the edges of the plastic so that it doesn’t blow up. Allow the soil to bake in the sun for four to six weeks. The sun will raise the soil temperature high enough to kill many soil borne problems.
Tip of the Week: The nice thing about tomatoes is that you have the option of harvesting when the fruit is green if needed. Tomatoes will ripen indoors at room temperature. To ensure even ripening, place the tomato with the stem up. The ideal time to harvest tomatoes is when they are fully colored but still firm.
In general, it is best to harvest vegetables early in the mornings while the moisture content is higher. The overall quality will quickly diminish as vegetables are exposed to hotter temperatures later in the day.
Authorities Believe Murder Victim May Be From Panhandle
July 13, 2013
Escambia County investigators are asking for any information related to a Sumter County murder victim that may have been a Florida panhandle native or resided in the area for an extended period of time.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the murder of an unidentified female whose body was discovered April 22, 2013, in a wooded area near Interstate 75 and State Road 44 in Wildwood. An autopsy determined she may have been the victim of a violent homicide on or about April 3.
The victim is a white female; 50 to 70 years of age, 5’2” to 5’9” tall, heavy build, with red or auburn colored hair that was tied with a red scrunchy. There is a tattoo of “Jane” on the left shoulder blade, and the victim was wearing a light colored floral design shirt, size 3XL, grey colored sweatpants, size 36-38, and white Danskins tennis shoes, size 10W. The victim had no teeth, and wore pink and grey colored glasses.
Dr. George Kamenov from the University of Florida conducted geological testing on portions of the remains and determined the woman could have lived in the Florida panhandle within the past 15 to 20 years.
If anyone has information related to this case or knows the victim’s identity, please contact the Sumter County Sheriff’s ffice, Criminal Investigations Division at (352) 569-1680, or callers may call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS.
Wahoos, Biscuits Suspended In 2nd
July 13, 2013
The Blue Wahoos were threatening to break a scoreless tie in the top of the second inning with runners at first and third and nobody out Friday night when the game was delayed and eventually suspended at Riverwalk Stadium. The game will be resumed from the point it was suspended with Travis Mattair coming to the plate and runners at the corners.
Donald Lutz started the inning with a double before Tucker Barnhart reached on a bunt single creating the threat for Pensacola. After a large bolt of lightning struck near the stadium the game was delayed, and a heavy downpour followed quickly behind and never let up long enough for the game to resume. Pensacola was retired in order in the first inning by Biscuits starter Michael Colla. The Biscuits got a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the inning against Ryan Dennick, but didn’t score.
The two teams will resume the suspended contest to a nine inning conclusion on Saturday beginning at 5:00 p.m. before a seven inning game for the regularly scheduled fourth game of the series. When the game resumes, RHP Marquis Fleming will be on the mound for the Biscuits. The Blue Wahoos will use RHP Daniel Renken. Game two will feature RHP Josh Smith for the Blue Wahoos against Biscuits RHP Victor Mateo.
No Injuries In Hwy 29 Crash
July 12, 2013
There were no injuries in a two-vehicle accident late Friday morning in Bluff Springs.
The accident happened about 11:40 a.m. at the intersection of Highway 29 and Bluff Springs Road. Everyone involved in the accident refused medical treatment.
The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Further details have not been released. The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Eleven Children Injured In Molino Hayride Accident
July 12, 2013
Almost a dozen children were injured Thursday night during a hayride accident at the Camp o’ the Pines near Molino.
The Florida Highway Patrol said 11 children were transported to Sacred Heart and West Florida hospitals following the 8:55 p.m. accident. None of the injuries were considered serious or life threatening. Twenty-seven children and an adult tractor driver involved in the accident were not transported.
Officials said there were 38 children on a trailer being used for the hayride when the arm attaching the trailer to the tractor broke. The trailer collided with the rear of the tractor, causing the tractor driven by 26-year old Andrew M. Reynolds of Pensacola to overturn. The trailer with the children was sent into a wooded area.
Multiple ambulances from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties responded to the accident, along with the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Camp o’ the Pines is operated by Youth Outreach Ministry, Inc., and provides “wholesome fun and recreation for campers” ages 8-12, according to its website.
Community Members Tour Century Correctional Institution
July 12, 2013
The Century Correctional Institution held a Community Partnership Event Thursday, inviting a wide ranging group of community stakeholders inside the prison.
The group was able to tour the facility and observe operations. Following the tour of the facility, the attendees watched a video and took part in a question and answer session. The event was designed to open avenues of communication between the facility and the community and provide feedback on the facility’s operations and programs.
The group attending the event included state representatives, state and local governmental officers, law enforcement representatives, members of the local education community, state officials and more.
Coming up Monday on NorthEscambia.com, we’ll begin a special series and take readers inside Century Correctional Institution for the tour that will include the medical unit, educational facilities, the chapel and prisoner dorms — including a dorm where the worst of the worst inmates are housed.
We’ll talk numbers and see how much it all costs, learn about life behind bars for prisoners and those that watch over them. And we’ll answer the age old question: Do they have air conditioning?
Pictured top and bottom: A diverse group of community members and governmental representatives toured Century Correctional Institution Thursday morning. Pictured inset: The group is seen via a security mirror. Pictured below: Warden John Whitehurst explains a prison dorm to group members. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
State Attorney: Chamber Must Operate Under Sunshine Law
July 12, 2013
The State Attorney’s Office says the Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce is the type of private entity that is subject to Florida’s Sushine Law.
In a letter from State Attorney Bill Eddins to Chamber President Jim Hizer, Eddins said the “Chamber is a private organization that must comply with all requirements of the Sunshine Law”. The letter came after concerns were raised in the community about the chamber’s status under the law.
The Chamber is subject to the Sunshine Law, Eddins said, due to the level of public funding provided to the private organization and whether the private entity is performing a public function.
The Pensacola Chamber receives over a half million dollars from the City of Pensacola and Escambia County to provide economic development services, plus $270,000 from the city and county through the Pensacola Economic Development Council.
“It is clear the Chamber receives a substantial level of public funds to provide economic development services,” Eddins wrote.
Eddins noted that the Greater Pensacola Chamber received more than $5.7 million from Escambia County in 2012 and 2013 for tourism promotion and operation of the Visitors Information Center.
Escambia Man Gets 35 Years For Choking Girlfriend
July 12, 2013
An Escambia County man was sentenced Thursday to 35 years in state prison for choking his girlfriend to death last year.
Kristopher Shawn Silas, 36, pleaded guilty in April to second degree murder for killing 40-year old Tammy Lynn Bigham. The two were arguing in their apartment at the Carlton Palms condominiums at Alcaniz and Garden streets when their disagreement escalated into a physical confrontation.
Silas called 911 to report that he choked his girlfriend.
Silas will serve his 35 year sentence with no chance for probation.