Northview Sets Homecoming Parade; Entries Now Accepted
September 19, 2016
The annual Northview High School Homecoming Parade has been set for Friday, October 14.
The parade will line up at noon and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here. Entries are due by October 10.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 for more information.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 14 against the Jay Royals.
Pictured: A float in the 2015 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Scott Approves Another $10 Million For Zika Fight
September 19, 2016
Gov. Rick Scott has authorized spending an additional $10 million in state money to help battle the Zika virus, as Congress remains deadlocked about federal funding for the issue.
Scott in June used emergency powers to authorize $26.2 million in state funding, but the number of cases of the mosquito-borne virus has sharply grown and totaled 823 in Florida as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Health.
Scott’s office said the state money will be spent “as needed” on issues such as mosquito abatement, training for mosquito-control workers and the purchase of Zika prevention kits.
President Barack Obama early this year proposed spending $1.9 billion to combat Zika, but Congress has not been able to reach agreement on a funding plan. The virus is particularly dangerous to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects.
Three travel-related cases of the Zika virus have been reported in Escambia County.
by The News Service of Florida
Bonus Gallery: Northview Chiefs Tribal Beat Band
September 19, 2016
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Take Stock In Children Names Students Who Will Receive Scholarships
September 19, 2016
The Escambia County Public Schools Foundation and Take Stock in Children recently introduced 24 new scholarship recipients at the annual Take Stock Kick-Off Dinner. There are now a total of 125 students in grades 7-12 in Escambia County’s program. Students will receive a college scholarship upon graduation from high school as long as they maintain good grades, attendance and citizenship, remain crime and drug free, and meet weekly with a volunteer community mentor.
Take Stock in Children is a statewide non-profit organization that provides “scholarships, mentors and hope” to deserving young people selected through a need-based application process through the public middle schools at the end of their sixth grade year. Scholarship donations from local foundations, organizations, businesses and individuals are matched dollar-for-dollar when scholarships are purchased from Florida Prepaid College Foundation each year and are held until students successfully graduate high school.
The newly selected students include:
- Bailey Middle – Madison Hayes, Matthew Setzer, Cora Smithkey, Hannah Thorne
- Bellview Middle – Trexton Smith
- Brown Barge Middle – Rebecca Kurau, Tho Pham, Aidan Sidner-Palafox, Gabrielle Vines
- Ernest Ward Middle – Miyhanna Davidson, Jonathan Gibbs, Paige Gibbs, Harley Walker
- Escambia High – Sierra Rugg
- Ferry Pass Middle – Emma Booth, Chelsea Hotopp, Paige Hotopp
- Ransom Middle – Lindsay Holmquist, Makia Samuel
- Warrington Middle – LaDarrien Kimble
- Woodham Middle – Jakiah Henderson-Young, Centyah Moye
- WorkmanMiddle – Adrianna Blackmon, Elise Brandon
Pictured: (first row) Jonathan Gibbs, Rebecca Kurau, Centyah Moye, Madison Hayes, Paige Gibbs, Elise Brandon, (second row) Lindsay Holmquist, Tho Pham, Aiden Sidner-Palafox, Trexton Smith, Matthew Setzer, (third row) Adrianna Blackmon, Miyhana Davidson, Emma Booth, Chelsea Hotopp, Cora Smithkey, Gabrielle Vines, (back row) Paige Hotopp, LaDarrien Kimble, Sierra Rugg, Makia Samuel, Harley Walker, Hannah Thorne Not Pictured: Jakiah Henderson-Young. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
James “Pete” Tipton
September 19, 2016
He is preceded in death by James W. Tipton Sr., father; Marjorie Tipton, mother; and Doug Tipton, brother.
He is survived by his wife Teresa; children, James (Saunya) Tipton, Emilee (Nick) Newton, and Sarah (John) Hassebrock; 12 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
There will be a service on Thursday, September 22, 2016, at Highland Baptist Church, Molino with a visitation from 5-7 p.m. Service begins at 7 p.m. Trahan Family Funeral Home of Pensacola is in charge of arrangements.
Work Begins This Week On Nine Mile Road Widening From Beulah To Hwy 29
September 18, 2016
Work is set to begin this week on a two-year, $46 million project to widen Nine Mile Road between Beulah Road and Highway 29 from two to four travel lanes.
The first work will occur on the segment of Nine Mile Road from Pine Forest Road to Highway 29 as crews will start clearing trees and shrubs to assist utility companies in their relocation efforts with construction activities starting later this month. Work on the portion of Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road to Pine Forest Road is also anticipated to begin this month.
“We’ve been working for 20 years to fix the traffic and gridlock in the Beulah community, as well as bring good-paying jobs and growth, and these improvements will ensure our success,” Escambia County District 1 Commissioner Wilson Robertson said recently “The core growth and the traffic going to Navy Federal and the new OLF-8 Park is going to be well accommodated by widening Nine Mile Road to four lanes.”
Additional improvements include constructing a new bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, new sidewalks and stormwater retention ponds, signalization improvements, drainage upgrades, adding buffered bike lanes, and, if survey results are favorable, noise walls will be constructed at the Heritage Oaks subdivision.
The planned construction work will enhance safety, improve mobility, and reduce congestion for the estimated 19,000 drivers who travel the roadway daily. In addition, the improvements underway support future economic development opportunities for Escambia County and Northwest Florida, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
FDOT said the planned construction work will enhance safety, improve mobility, and reduce congestion for the estimated 19,000 drivers who travel the roadway daily. In addition, the improvements underway support future economic development opportunities for Escambia County and Northwest Florida.
In a few weeks, those located in the vicinity of the new bridge construction across Eleven Mile Creek will hear noise from pile driving during the day.
Drivers should allow extra time to reach their destination, obey all posted signs and speed limits, and watch for signs with information about upcoming work and traffic conditions. Drivers may experience minor traffic delays, lane closures, a 35 mph reduced speed limit and workers in and around the roadway.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Good Chance Of Sunday Showers
September 18, 2016
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 93. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 70. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 89.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
West Florida Libraries Offer Special Edition Library Card This Month
September 18, 2016
West Florida Public Libraries are offering a special edition library card in honor of Library Card Sign-up Month, with colorful cards featuring WFPL’s mascot Whooo the owl.
While library cards are always free for Escambia County residents, the usual $3 replacement fee for lost or damaged cards will be waived during the month of September as part of the celebration. Escambia County residents can find information about getting a library card or sign up by clicking here.
September was designated as Library Card Sign-up Month by the American Library Association in 1987, after then Secretary of Education William J. Bennett issued a challenge through a national campaign encouraging every child to obtain and regularly use a library card.
West Florida Libraries are located at:
- Century Branch Library — 7991 N. Century Boulevard
- Molino Branch Library — 6450-A Highway 95A
- Pensacola Library –239 N. Spring Street
- Tryon Branch Library — 1200 Langley Avenue
- Westside Branch Library — 1301 West Gregory Street
- Genealogy Library — 5740 N. 9th Avenue
UWF Football Suffers First Ever Loss
September 18, 2016
The UWF football team committed three turnovers in the second quarter that resulted in 14 points for Chowan as the Hawks held on to defeat the Argonauts 35-28 at Garrison Stadium Saturday night.
UWF (2-1) finished with 459 yards of total offense, including 415 through the air, but committed a season-high four turnovers in suffering its first loss in program history.
Graduate Kaleb Nobles completed 29-of-48 for 398 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked four times and three two interceptions. Redshirt freshman Grey Jackson saw time on two different series, including the second possession of the third quarter when he engineered a six-play, 31-yard drive that tied the game at 28. He was 3-for-4 for 17 with a TD and also rushed for 23 yards.
UWF and Chowan each recorded touchdowns on the first three drives of the game before things settled down offensively. The first strike came on a seven-yard run from CU’s Tyree Lee.
Nobles didn’t waste any time getting those points back, as the Argonauts went 75 yards on just three plays in 31 seconds to even the score at 7-7. The drive was capped off with a 58-yard touchdown pass to senior Anas Hasic. It was the first of three scoring catches for the Phoenix native, who previously played at North Carolina Central, located in Durham just under two hours from Murfreesboro. He finished with nine receptions for 190 yards, the most in a game in the Gulf South Conference this season.
Chowan followed suit on the next drive, as quarterback Randall Dixon dropped in a 29-yard touchdown pass to put the score at 14-7 with 10:50 left on the clock in the first quarter. He finished the game with 449 yards passing on 28-of-44 and two touchdowns.
The Argos drove deep into Chowan territory later in the period but came away empty when an Austin Peffers field goal attempt from 26 yards bounced off the right upright.
UWF did reach the end zone on its next possession. With 3:02 remaining in the quarter, Leroy Taylor intercepted a pass from Dixon in the red zone to start a UWF drive that stretched 84 yards and evened the score on another touchdown connection from Nobles to Hasic – this time from 16 yards.
The 14-14 score did not hold for long, as Chowan took advantage of UWF turnovers on consecutive possessions to put the score at 28-14 at the half.
Nobles threw his first interception of the season that gave Chowan possession at the UWF 15. The Hawks scored after four rushes to go ahead 21-14. Chowan extended the lead to 28-14 on a 73-yard drive that ended with a Tyree Lee 29-yard run with 4:21 left in the half.
In what has become standard UWF fashion, the Argonauts came out of halftime in a full sprint and rallied for 14 unanswered points before many in attendance had returned from the concession stand. Nobles found junior Ishmel Morrow for a 71-yard grab on the third play of the half to cut the score to 28-21. He hauled in a game-high 12 passes to go along with 161 yards.
Just a play into the ensuing Chowan drive, freshman Trent Archie snagged his first interception of the season and the turnover led to seven more UWF points. Jackson led the Argonauts on the drive, adding a 17-yard run before finding Hasic from 14 yards to even the score.
CU took the lead for the final time with 10:50 left in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard pass. UWF moved the ball into Chowan territory briefly on its final possession but was forced to punt and never got the ball back as the Hawks picked up four first downs in the final 3:57.
The UWF defense entered the game averaging 6.5 sacks per game and tallied four while picking off three passes. Sophomore Marvin Conley had 11 tackles and freshman Joshua Smiley finished with 10 to lead the Argonauts.
Chowan (2-1) had 579 yards of offense on 92 plays with 449 passing and 130 rushing.
UWF will open GSC play against Valdosta State next Saturday, September 24, in Valdosta, Ga. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET start.
Bonus Gallery: Tate Aggies Beat Pensacola High School
September 18, 2016
Friday night, the Tate Aggies beat Pensacola High School.
For a photo gallery of raw, unedited photos from the game, click here.
For a game summary, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.