Atmore Elects Jim Staff As Mayor, New Council Members
August 29, 2012
Atmore elected a new mayor and three council members Tuesday, while two council races are headed to an October runoff.
Jim Staff won the mayor’s job, defeating challengers Lloyd Albritton and Bernard Bishop without a runoff required . Staff received 58 percent with 830 votes. Bernard Bishop had 356 votes, while Lloyd Albritton received 243 votes.
Elected to the council were Webb Nall, District 1; Cornell Torrence, District 2; and Christopher Walker, running unopposed in District 3. An October runoff will be required in District 4 and District 5 where no one received 50 percent of the vote.
After a total of more than two decades in office, current Mayor Howard Shell did not seek re-election. He was first elected to the Atmore City Council 1984 before being appointed mayor after the death of then-Mayor Patricia McKenzie. After winning the mayor’s race twice, he remained in office until being beaten in 1996 by Rodney Owens, an Atmore chiropractor. He returned to office in 2000 and is serving his third term since returning to office.
Here are complete, but unofficial results:
Mayor
- Jim Staff – 830
- Bernard Bishop – 356
- Lloyd Albritton – 243
District 1
- Webb Nall – 177
- Chad Thrower – 80
District 2
- Cornell Torrence -129
- Thomas S. McNeal – 99
District 3
- Christopher Walker – unopposed
District 4 - (runoff required)
- Susan Smith – 240
- Larry Houck – 217
- Phil Johnson – 51
District 5 – (runoff required)
- Chris Harrison – 106
- Michael Arnold – 70
- Gregg Akins – 61
- Sandra Gray – 40
Pictured top: Atmore mayor-elect Jim Staff (left) is congratulated Tuesday night by Mayor Howard Shell (right). Photo by Emilie Mims for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Dewey Bondurant Re-elected Flomaton Mayor
August 29, 2012
Dewey Bondurant was re-elected as Flomaton’s mayor Tuesday, according to preliminary, unofficial results from the Flomaton Town Hall.
Bondurant received 236 votes to 216 votes for challenger and councilman Clemente Brooks.
For Flomaton Town Council:
District 1
- Butch Lee 54
- John Samson 30
District 2:
- Lillian Dean 77
- Rachel Pleasant 21
Pictured top: Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant (left) at a Flomaton Town Council meeting next to councilman and mayoral candidate Clemente Brooks (right). NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Power Restored To Majority Of Gulf Power Customers
August 29, 2012
Gulf Power Company crews have restored power to more than 20,000 customers across Northwest Florida in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. As of 6:15 a.m. Wednesday, only a few scattered outages remained in the region.
“Despite high winds and heavy rain, our crews really made a difference out there,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesman. “We appreciate our customers’ patience as we work in these difficult weather conditions.”
As the day progresses more outages are possible so customers should remain prepared, Rogers said.
“As we start winding down, we’re looking at deploying some of our crews to help those closer to where Isaac made landfall,” Rogers said. “Gulf Power’s well-trained crews are often requested in the hardest-hit areas. And we’re more than happy to help after our customers are taken care of.”
Gulf Power encourages those who experience an outage to call 1-800-487-6937 to report their outage.
“The best thing about our restoration efforts is that we have had no injuries to our employees, customers or to the out-of-state workers here to help us,” Rogers said. “Safety is our number one priority and we have done well in that category so far.”
Pictured: Gulf Power crews work Wednesday morning to restore power. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Third Human West Nile Case Confirmed In Escambia County
August 29, 2012
The third human case of the West Nile virus was confirmed Tuesday in Escambia County, days after health officials issued a “Mosquito Borne Illness Advisory” for the entire county.
The reported cases mean “there is an imminent risk of additional persons becoming infected,” according to the Escambia County Health Department. The health department has not said where in the county the infected person reside.
“The increase in the number of confirmed cases reaffirms the increased risk of contracting the disease for everyone in our county. Since most people who contract WNV have mild or no symptoms, it is likely that there are numerous unreported cases throughout the area. As we deal with the potential for very wet weather, it is especially important that all residents take precautions to limit their exposure to mosquitoes,” said Dr. Susan Turner, associate director for the Escambia County Health Department.
Mosquitoes infected with West Nile Virus can bite and infect humans. Symptoms of infection can range from mild to severe, including development of diseases such as meningitis or encephalitis. Being outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, further increases the risk of infection. People with weakened immune systems and individuals over 50 may be at higher risk of the most severe form of the infection.
Century To Hold Budget Workshop Thursday Afternoon
August 29, 2012
Century Town Council will host a budget workshop Thursday afternoon to discuss the town’s proposed 2012-2013 budget.
The workshop, the third on the budget, will be held at 2 p.m. at the Century Town Hall, 7995 North Century Boulevard. The meeting is open to the public.
Flomaton’s Dixon Commits To The UAB Blazers
August 29, 2012
Flomaton High School quarterback Ryheem Dixon has committed to play football for the UAB Blazers.
Last season as a junior, Dixon was part of a Flomaton team that took the Hurricanes to a state quarterfinal game for the first time in over 20 years. He racked up almost 3,000 yards offensively, with 1,454 yards on the ground and 1,526 in the air.
Dixon, 6-1, 187 pound, averaged just over 10.5 yards per carry. He threw for 23 touchdowns last season with just one interception.
USA, Southern Miss and Tuskegee were also reportedly recruiting Dixon.
Waves Pound Coastline
August 28, 2012
Heavy waves continue to pound the coastlines of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties this evening as storm surge pushes inland. Forecasters say conditions should not become much worse as the night progresses.
Pictured: Waves pound the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
ECUA Resumes Collections
August 28, 2012
ECUA resmed residential and commercial sanitation customer pickup service on Wednesday, August 29, after temporary closure of Escambia County’s Perdido Landfill.
Residential sanitation routes originally scheduled on Tuesday were collected on Wednesday. For the remainder of the week, the actual collection will fall one day after the regularly scheduled collection. Wednesday routes will be collected on Thursday. Thursday routes will be collected on Friday, and Friday routes will be collected on Saturday.
This adjusted schedule is applicable for the commercial sanitation routes originally scheduled on Tuesday, August 28, will be collected on Wednesday, August 29. The normal commercial
collection schedule will resume throughout the remainder of the week.
SWAT Team Standoff Ends
August 28, 2012
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and multiple deputies responded to a home on Barksdale Street, just east of Chemstrand Road this afternoon.
A man inside the home called 911 about 12:13 p.m. and was threatening to kill himself, according to Melissa Rawson, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived on scene, they were unable to make contact with the man, and the SWAT team was dispatched.
After unsuccessful attempts to make contact with the man, SWAT deployed a robot inside the home and made entry where they found the man deceased.
Pictured: Deputies staged at East 10 Mile Road and Chemstrand Road in their response to a home on Barksdale Street. NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Partial Remains Of Possibly 100 People Found In Storage Shed
August 28, 2012
Partial remains of as many as 100 people have been found in storage unit in Pensacola.
The remains were reportedly from private autopsies performed from 1997 to 2007 by a former assistant medical examiner, Michael Berkland. The body parts — including hearts, lungs, brains and tissue samples — were stored in labeled containers and were believed to be from funeral homes in the Pensacola and Panama City areas.
The remains were found at Uncle Bob’s Storage on East Fairfield Drive when a unit was sold at auction. Many containers were labeled with the name or other information that can be used to notify families, but many parts were unlabeled.
The State Attorney’s Office does not believe that the parts were acquired through criminal activity, just through Berkland’s work.
The incident is under investigation by the Pensacola Police Department, the State Attorney’s Office and other agencies to determine if any laws were broken.