Becks Lake Bridge Closed
July 6, 2009
The Becks Lake bridge on Becks Lake Road east of Highway 29 will be closed beginning Tuesday through Thursday, July 16.
DKE Marine Services will be repairing the Cantonment bridge.
Three North Escambia Residents Escape Injury In Mississippi Wreck
July 6, 2009
Three North Escambia residents escaped injury in a two vehicle accident in northwestern Mississippi late Sunday morning.
Ashely Gunter and Terri Sanders of McDavid and Carrie Gunter of Century were headed home from a weekend visit with relatives when the accident occurred in Tunica, Mississippi, about 30 miles outside of Memphis, Tennessee.
Witnesses said a late model Volvo traveling at a high rate of speed sideswiped Sanders’ Toyota Camry. The Volvo became airborne, landing upside down in a water-filled drainage ditch. Carrie Gunter, the driver of the Toyota, managed to avoid oncoming traffic and pull to the side of the road.
The driver of the Volvo was able to climb out of the wreckage. She refused transport to an area hospital. The three North Escambia women were not injured in the accident, and they were able to continue on their trip home in the slightly damaged Toyota.
Authorities said that alcohol may have lead the driver of the Volvo to cause the crash. The accident is still under investigation. Mississippi authorities are awaiting the results of blood alcohol tests on the Volvo driver before filing any charges.
Pictured above: The driver of this overturned Volvo reportedly sideswiped a Toyota occupied by three North Escambia residents late Sunday morning near Tunica, Mississippi. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Eli Needs A Foster Home
July 6, 2009
Eli needs a foster home — quickly.
The sweet two-year old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding is easy to handle and gets along well with other horses, according to Panahandle Equine Rescue President Diane Lowery.
Lowery says that PER needs someone to provide a foster home for Eli as soon as possible; the group’s facility is full and no other horses can be rescued until they make room.
Panhandle Equine Rescue’s mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and provide adoption services for abused, neglected and abandoned equines. The non-profit PER group is authorized by the Escambia County court system to investigate equine reports in the county.
Anyone interested in providing foster care for Eli should contact Lowery at at (850) 393-9793 or 587-2754.
Pictured above: Eli needs a foster home soon so that Panhandle Equine Rescue has space for other rescued horses. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Firecracker 5K: Honoring The Memory Of A Local Blind Runner
July 5, 2009
Last year, Angie White of Flomaton was legally blind when she ran the Firecracker 5K in Pensacola for the Fourth of July. Saturday, several area runners ran the race in her memory.
Angie was diagnosed with a brain tumor in September 2007, and was left legally blind. She ran the Firecracker on July 4, 2008, with husband Earnie White and best friend Jo Nolin holding her arms, guiding her across the finish line. It took her just less than an hour, almost 50 minutes behind the leader. Friends cheered and shouted her name as she crossed the finish line at number 732 out of 736 runners.
Angie died in February of this year after her battle with the disease called glioblastoma multiforme. Saturday, several runners from the area — including Earnie White and Jo Nolin — ran this year’s Firecracker 5K without Angie. They ran to honor her memory in the race that benefits those in need served by the Ronald McDonald House.
When doctors discovered the mass in her head, it was the size of a tennis ball. She underwent surgery on September 23, 2007. She stopped breathing. She survived the emergency procedure doctors performed, but her sight did not.
After the surgery, she was left unable to walk, unable to sit up. She credited the Lord for allowing her the strength to finish the race.
White often ran 5K and 10K races and even competed in the triathlon. She was active in her community as well, serving in the Flomaton Quaterback Club and Flomaton Band Boosters. She was a member of the Flomaton Baptist Church.
White died February 11, 2009, at the age of 49. She was survived by her husband, Earnest Ray White and three children.
Pictured top: Angie White (center) was legally blind when she ran last year’s Firecracker 5K on the July 4. She ran with the support of friend Jo Nolin (left) and husband Earnie White. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Memorial Was Dedicated Saturday To Honor Flomaton Grad Killed In Iraq
July 5, 2009
A Flomaton High School graduate killed in Iraq was honored on the Fourth of July with a a memorial dedicated in his honor.
Cpl. Christopher Winchester joined the U.S. Marine Corps in February 2003, just three years after graduating from Flomaton High School. About two years later, he shipped off to take part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Winchester, 24, was working border patrols near Jordan on July 14, 2005, when he was killed by roadside bomb. He would have come home in September of that year.
He was vice president of his senior class, president of the JAGS program and voted by the senior class as most attractive. He loved baseball, and spent many days playing baseball in East Brewton where he lived when he was younger.
At 4 p.m. on the Fourth of July, a memorial was dedicated in his honor at the RT Johnson Park on Williamson Street. A full military service, complete with a Marine Corp color guard, honored Winchester as the memorial was dedicated. (Pictured left: A Marine hugs Winchester’s mom Gail Wiliams during the dedication service Saturday in East Brewton.)
An inscription on the memorial quotes John 15:13 — “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”.
The memorial was funded by community donations and fund raisers held by the family. Winchester’s memory is also honored by the Christopher Winchester Memorial Scholarship presented each year by the Tri-Cities Rotary Club to a deserving Flomaton High School senior.
Pictured above: A memorial was dedicated Saturday in East Brewton to honor a Flomaton High School graduate killed in Iraq. Photos courtesy WEAR for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lightning Strikes Molino Home; Hundreds Without Power Saturday Afternoon
July 5, 2009
Strong storms moved across a portion of the North Escambia area Saturday afternoon. One house in Molino was struck by lightning, and hundreds of homes and businesses were left without power for up to five hours.
About 5:45 Saturday afternoon, firefighters from the Molino station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded to a reported lightning strike at a home on Kemala Avenue, between Highway 95A and Nicholson Drive. When they arrived, they found a small fire had been started by the lightning in a storage area off a carport at the home. There was no major damage and no injuries reported.
That same storm dropped up to two inches of rain in areas from Pineville through Enon and Molino. Hundreds of residents and a few businesses were left without power, including a few hundred Escambia River Electric Cooperative customers in the Walnut Hill area that were without power for just over two hours and some Gulf Power Company customers in the Quintette area that were without power for about five hours.
Pictured above: Firefighters were called to this home on Kemala Avenue in Molino Saturday afternoon after a reported lightning strike. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Area Runners Place In Firecracker 5K, Including Two In Top 10
July 5, 2009
Matt Dobson of Jay and Alan Ash of Atmore finished in the top 10 overall out of over 700 in Saturday’s Firecracker 5K in Pensacola. They were two of many runners from the North Escambia area taking part in the annual Fourth of July event.
Dobson, 39, finished fifth with a time of 16:28.8 to finish first in the male 36-39 age group. Neil McDonagh of Pensacola finished first overall with a time of 14:58.3.
Ash, 18, was sixth overall, first in the 15-19 age group, with a time of 16:34.5. John Nguyen, 16, of Cantonment finished 31 overall, sixth among males 15-19.
Hugh Long of Atmore finished first in the male 70-74 age group with a time of 28:28.1.
Dale Ash of Atmore was the top area walker in the Firecracker 5K, finishing ninth overall and first among females 40-49.
The race raised over $26,000 for the Ronald McDonald House.
Other North Escambia area runners and walkers are listed below, followed by their city, age, age group finish and time:
Top North Escambia area Firecracker 5K Runners:
- 5 Matt Dobson Jay FL 39 1M 35-39 16:28.8
- 6 Alan Ash Atmore AL 18 1M 15·19 16:34.5
- 31 John Nguyen Cantonment FL 16 6 M 15-19 19:28.0
- 45 James Dillard Cantonment FL 5 M35-39 20:31.3
- 64 Deanna Stewart Jay FL 22 1 F 20-24 21:25.2
- 85 Kevin P James Cantonment FL 26 9 M 25-29
- 66 D Rachel Yonke Cantonment FL 24 2 F 20-24 21:33.5
- 87 Matthew Yonke Cantonment FL 28 11 M 26-29 22:31.2
- 92 Matt Ash Atmore AL 20 11 M 20·24 22:45.2
- 107 Mark W. Gibson Cantonment FL 52 10 M 50-54 23:09,5
- 119 Danny Gainey Cantonment FL 42 7 M 40-44 23:46.1
- 124 Thomas Sapp Cantonment FL 43 8 M 40-44 23:54.0
- 173 Chris Dufour Cantonment FL 35 19M 35-39 25:30.1
- 193 James Alan Ash Atmore AL 61 16 M 50-54 25:58.2
- 223 Tom Richardson Cantonment FL 44 11 M 40-44 26:49.5
- 225 Melanie Garrett CantonmElnt FL 32 10 F 30-34 26:52.6
- 240 Brooke RowlllI Cantonment Fl 28 8 F 26-29 27:07.
- 247 Sue l James Cantonment FL 53 2 F 50-54 27:18.3
- 264 Richard Thomas Murray Cantonmant FL 39 24 M 35-39 27:40.5
- 267 Lynn Lambeth Flomaton AL 45 6 F 45-49 27:42.2
- 271 Scott Wilford Cantonment FL 37 25 M35·39 27:45.7
- 276 Keegan Lambeth Flomaton AL 18 30 M 15-19 27:48.8
- 295 Hugh Long Atmore AL 72 1M 70-74 28:28.1
- 320 Earnest White Flomaton AL 54 20M 50-54 29:24.6
- 333 Robert Bath Molino FL 58 11 M 55-59 29:56.9
- 383 Robyn Sapp Cantonment FL 35 9 F 35-39 31:19.1
- 394 Steve Lambeth Flomaton AL 48 32 M 45-49 31:37.9
- 415 Brian K McGill Atmore AL 49 34 M 45·49 32:11.9
- 455 Jo Nolin Flomaton AL 59 4 F 65·59 33:21.4
- 462 Dee Ann Keliy Cantonment FL 35 19 F 35-39 33:29.7
- 477 Mary Nixon Molino FL 55 5 F 55·59 34:14.6
- 504 Victoria Fox Cantonment FL 26 23 F 25-29 35:13.3
- 515 Dawn Thomas Cantonment FL 44 23 F 40-44 35:36.2
- 537 Terry Kelly Atmore AL 45 39 M 45·49 36:31.7
- 538 Kimberly Kelly Atmore AL 41 24 F 40·44 36:33.0
- 539 Katherine S McGill Atmore AL 49 24F 4549 36:33.8
- 560 Amanda Patterson Cantonment FL 37 28 F 35-39 37:09.2
- 562 Erica Bondurant Atmore AL 27 27 F 25-29 37:13.8
- 572 Emily Russell Jay FL 12 5 F 10-14 37:42.8
- 573 Alison Russell Jay FL 14 6 F 10-14 37:44.3
- 575 Terri Dufour Cantonment FL 30 41 F 30-34 37:53.7
- 579 Pamela Clark Cantonment FL 37 31 F 35-39 38:02.0
- 587 Cecily Sauls Cantonment FL 46 27 F 45-49 38:47.9
- 603 Stephanie Boyett Cantonment FL 30 47 F 30-34 40:12.8
- 606 Jill Conner Flomaton AL 32 49 F 30-34 40:17.3
- 636 Nathan Gainey Cantonment FL 9 4M 0·9 41:54.6
- 645 Rai Lopez Cantonment FL 43 36 F 4044 42:34.2
- 650 Juie Russell Jay FL 37 37 F 35-39 43:28.2
- 655 Susan Hendrix Molino FL 45 33 F 45·49 43:35.6
- 662 Cyndi Jolly Cantonment FL 56 14 F 55·59 43:57.2
- 694 Shawna Moore Flomaton AL 23 23 F 20-24 51:02.4
Top North Escambia area Firecracker 5K Walkers:
- 9 Dale Ash Atmore AL 49 1 F 40·49 40:02.1
- 16 Candace R. Gibson Cantonment FL 56 3 F 50-59 41:55.2
- 33 Robyn Klumpp Cantonment FL 34 4 F 30-39 45:44.4
- 34 Phillip Klumpp Cantonment FL 43 2 M 40-49 45:44.9
- 49 Kathy Walker Cantonment FL 36 9F 30-39 48:06.9
- 56 Sandy Russell Cantonment FL 50 13 F 50·59 48:23.8
- 62 Susan Jernigan Cantonment FL 36 10 F 30-39 49:51.3
- 63 Nancy Pelfrey Cantonment FL 54 18 F 50-59 49:51.6
- 70 Brandi Morris Cantonment FL 27 2 F 20-29 50:21.6
- 73 Sherry Cunningham Century FL 55 3 F 60-69 50:59.5
Pictured above: Runners start the Firecracker 5K Saturday morning in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thousands Celebrate The Fourth Across The Area
July 5, 2009
Residents across the North Escambia area enjoyed the Fourth of July Saturday with a variety of activities.
From backyard barbecues, to fireworks at home to fireworks in Jay, Flomaton, Atmore and Pensacola, thousands of people celebrated Independence Day.
Members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino hosted a community picnic with good eats that included plenty of watermelon, a bounce house for the kids, Frisbee, golf and more fun games.
Pictured above: Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino hosted a community picnic Saturday afternoon for the Fourth of July. Pictured below: (L-R) Sandra Greenwell, Pastor Alan Gantzhorn and Jackie Gantzhorn took the opportunity to model t-shirts promoting Aldersgate’s Camp Edge Vacation Bible School to be held August 3-7. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP Out In Force
July 4, 2009
The Florida Highway Patrol is out in force this holiday weekend as they take part in Operation C.A.R.E — Combined Accident Reduction Effort.
During the Independence Day weekend, Operation C.A.R.E will focus on speeding, driving under the influence and Florida’s new primary seatbelt law that allows officers to stop drivers for not wearing their seatbelts without first noticing another violation. The operation is part of a national program aimed at reducing the number of traffic crashes on highways during holiday weekends.
“This initiative is part of a series of special enforcement efforts that help ensure the safety and well-being of motorists on Florida’s roadways,” said Col. John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Our troopers are here to take enforcement action on those drivers who choose to put themselves and others in danger.”
FHP seeks to maximize its presence on the roadways, conduct DUI checkpoints, and deploy DUI roving teams during the holiday period. All available FHP personnel work Operation C.A.R.E., including Auxiliary and Reserve troopers who volunteer their time to assist regular troopers during the heightened holiday enforcement weekend.
Troopers will use radar, laser speed detection devices, motorcycles, and marked and unmarked patrol vehicles to track speed violators. The FHP also uses aircraft to spot violators from the air and then direct troopers on the ground to pull them over and initiate appropriate enforcement action.
Motorists can dial *FHP (*347) from a cell phone to report an aggressive driver or to request roadside assistance.
Travel Cheaper This Independence Day Weekend
July 4, 2009
It may seem like gas prices are high, but they actually have not been this low on the Fourth of July since 2005.
Escambia County’s average gas price on this Independence Day is $2.64 for a gallon of regular unleaded — that compares to an average price of $4.04 last year on the Fourth. Today’s $2.64 average price does represent a slight increase over a month ago when the average for a gallon of regular unleaded was $2.53.
Our local gas price average is slightly higher than the national average of $2.62.
In Davisville, a gallon of regular unleaded was below the county average at $2.47.
A round trip from North Escambia to Atlanta would cost about $82.70 in fuel in a 2009 Chevrolet Impala this year. Last Fourth of July, that trip would have cost 130.89 — almost $50 more.
In the Pensacola metro area, the cheapest gas Saturday morning was at Sam’s Club on Airport Boulevard at $2.49 for regular unleaded.