Willie “Billie” Windsor Wester Dickson, 89, of the Inwood Community near Grand Ridge, departed from this world to her eternal home in Heaven in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 23, 2021.
She passed away at the Northwest Florida Community Hospital in Chipley, Florida, where she received excellent medical services and loving care. Born to William Washington Wester and Pencie Audry Windsor Wester on October 30, 1931, she was the last surviving and oldest of four children born to that union. Billie was born at home and grew up in Inwood, a small community that was settled and named by her father.
Billie was predeceased by her parents; her sisters, Jeanne W. Pelt and Rebekah W. Harrell; her brother, Doyle A. “Jack” Wester (wife Nell); three half-sisters, Nettye Chancey, Annette Bevis, and Elee Glisson; and one half-brother, Emmett Wester. Also predeceasing her were two nephews, Maurice (Maury) Harrell and Gregory Harrell; and one great-nephew, Luke Pelt.
Zonta looks back on ‘Peek Repurposed’
By ZONTA CLUB - | Apr 7, 2021
PHOTO PROVIDED
Zontians Luanne Fortune, Marianne Ravenna, Nancy Dreher, Pam Eccles and Joanne Marriott at The Community House on Sanibel, where auction winners were able to pick up their items.
The Zonta Club of Sanibel-Captiva has received positive comments like “It was way more fun than I expected” and “Island artists really stepped up for Zonta” about its recent fundraiser.
The club reported that it is looking back at the “Peek at the Unique 2021 Repurposed” with satisfaction and gratitude. It created a more virtual format for the event that still offered unique elements, but was far from the traditional guided tour of island homes that has been the club’s signature March contribution for nearly 20 years. Instead of loading “Peekers” on to buses, it set up an online auction and invited local artists to donate works. Over 30 artists and two galleries, the Tower Gallery on Sanibel and the
Feb 27, 2021
Virginia’s legislature has moved to ban the death penalty, a popular action in some quarters. Before Gov. Ralph Northam signs the bill into law, he should think about three victims: Debbie Dudley Davis, Susan Hellams and Susan Tucker.
The three along with two other women were raped and killed by Timothy Wilson Spencer, a serial killer who became known as the Southside Strangler. And there’s no doubt he was the first defendant in U.S. history convicted on the basis of DNA evidence. In a sense, he himself made the case that he murdered these women.
Spencer was executed in Virginia’s electric chair in 1994, seven years after the crimes. Do you want to be the person who says Spencer should have lived? Just 25 at the time of the first killing, he would not be 60 years old today.
TIOF awards grant to Belarus team
By TIOF - | Jan 13, 2021
PHOTO PROVIDED
Three osprey chicks in a nest in Belarus.
The International Osprey Foundation’s 2020 grant for $2,034 was awarded to Denis Keitel and his team for their research to identify and secure official protection status for osprey nesting sites in the bogs and river valleys of the northern Belarus forests in eastern Europe. Timely protection is essential to prevent logging in critical breeding areas, TIOF Grants Chair Carol Smith said.
The program aligns with osprey recovery and conservation plans developed by the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife. Key elements of the program include mapping four at-risk areas where osprey populations have been reported, determining population metrics and nest productivity, banding chicks and installing artificial nesting platforms where needed, and securing national protection status involving approval from four government agencies.
By BILL WAGNER | The Capital, Annapolis, Md. | Published: January 13, 2021 ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Tribune News Service) Many years ago, Ron Terwilliger told athletic director Chet Gladchuk about his desire to recognize the physical mission of the Naval Academy in a meaningful, tangible way. After much brainstorming and back-and-forth discussions, the two men settled on creating a facility that tell the story through artifacts, memorabilia and interactive video displays. That vision has become reality with completion of the Ron Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes. Built as an addition to Ricketts Hall, the Terwilliger Center is a 25,000-square foot facility that celebrates the history and tradition of Navy athletics while simultaneously serving as a testament to the academy s commitment to the physical development of the entire Brigade of Midshipmen.