Agriscience Students Learn At Forestry Field Day (Updated With More Photos)
November 6, 2009
Agriscience students from several area schools — including Northview and Ernest Ward — had the opportunity to learn more about forestry Thursday.
Students from Northview High School, Ernest Ward Middle School, West Florida High School, Elberta Middle School and North Baldwin High School attended a Forestry Field Day at the Langley Bell 4-H Center in Pensacola.
Students attended six rotations, learning about burning basics, wildlife species in our woodlands, best management practices in wetlands, cruising and timber estimation, increment boring, species identification and forestry industries. After lunch, a Florida Division of Forestry helicopter demonstrated how to utilize water from ponds or lakes to fight fires.
A final afternoon session involved a wooded area be properly prepared to burn and then set on fire.
For more photos from the event, click here.
The educational event was offered by the Florida Division of Forestry and UF IFAS Escambia County Extension in partnership with Resource Management Services, Southeast Timberlands Management, Beulah Volunteer Fire Department, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Pictured top: Agriscience students Ernest Ward Middle schools were among those attending an Forestry Field Day Thursday in Pensacola. Pictured inset: A Florida Division of Forestry helicopter demonstrates aerial firefighting. Pictured bottom: Students from Northview High School. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
National Junior Honor Society At Ernest Ward Middle School Adds New Members, Officers
November 5, 2009
About 30 students were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society Wednesday morning at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.
Students must have and maintain a 3.5 GPA for honor society membership.
For a photo gallery from the induction ceremony, click here.
New seventh grade National Junior Honor Society Members at Ernest Ward are: Penny Banda, Reagan Bell, Shalmali Bhadkamkar, Megan Bryan, Tiffani Cruce, Austin Cunningham, Elizabeth Fillingim , Hannah Gibson, Jessica Glick, Kyndall Hall, Julie Hester, Auden Lassitter, Benjamin Linam, Aaron McDonald, Madison McGhee, Amy Murph, Jaylen Parker, Madison Presley, Mallory Ryan, Samantha Sharpless, Danielle Suggs, Chelsea Turner, Morgan Ward, Tamara Wise, and Kelton Wooten.
New eighth grade members inducted Wednesday are: Samantha Barrow, Dale Brown, Chelsea Ward, and Karissa Strickland.
New officers were also installed. They are: Victoria Wright, president; Kasie Braun, vice president; Tamara Green, secretary; Jenny Spears, treasurer; Madison Arrington, parliamentarian; Paeton Hadley, reporter; and Courtney Weaver, historian.
Current NJHS honor members are: Anna Donald, Anna Fischer, Marina Gray, Mariah Albritton, Madison Arrington, Kasie Braun, Timothy Born, Katelynne Calloway, Kira Cartwright, Lana Clayton, Madalyn Coon, Morgan Digmon, Audra Martin, Rachel Presley, Tamara Green, Paeton Hadley, Casey Jackson, Chloe Leonard, Courtney Lewis, Jessica Lowery, Lakota Maloney, Courtney Weaver, Raven Weaver, Mallory Wiggins, Victoria Wright, Mikaela Santos, Danielle Scott, Courtney Solari, Jennifer Spears, Jeremy Stacey, Danielle Steadham, Lily Townson, and Ali Martin.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com Is Celebrating Our Second Birthday
November 3, 2009
NorthEscambia.com is celebrating our second birthday today. We want to offer you a big thanks, and offer a little insight into our little site.
We have been amazed at the response to NorthEscambia.com as it has grown into the area’s mostly widely read news source and one of the top most popular local web sites on the entire Gulf Coast.
Just a year ago, as we celebrated our first birthday, we were humbled that we stood at 2.2 million page view per month. But that has continued to grow by leaps and bounds — in October of this year, we had 6.8 million page views. That put NorthEscambia.com among the most popular websites on the Gulf Coast. And speaking of the Gulf Coast, readers of the Pensacola Independent News recently named NorthEscambia.com as the Best Blog on the Coast.
We quietly started NorthEscambia.com November 3, 2007, announcing it at the annual Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry. Over the next weeks, we expanded our coverage into Century and Molino, building a family of loyal readers like you.
It’s a diverse family.. From elementary age kids to senior adults, people across North Escambia and in surrounding areas like Atmore, Flomaton, Jay, Cantonment and Pensacola turn to NorthEscambia.com for local news.
Online news like NorthEscambia.com is the future of journalism. Television news ratings are down. Newspaper circulations are down. Online news readers are up.
Minutes after news event occurs, we can post the information you need to know. We have the technology in place to post live updates from the scene of the news.
Over the next year, we plan a few changes to improve our service to you. You’ll see more coverage from more stories. You’ll see more videos, maybe even a live video or two. An improved system of delivery for breaking news. More chances for reader participation.
Speaking of reader participation, we added the ability to comment on our stories just over a year ago. Since then, you have expressed your views with almost 20,000 comments. Thanks for joining in. If you have not yet, we encourage you to start leaving your comments on our stories by using the form at the bottom of each story.
A few more numbers we’d like to share…we’ve posted about 12,000 stories in the past two years, with several new stories posted each day. There are almost 20,000 photos in our photo galleries.
We’ve laughed with you, and we’ve cried with you over the past year. We’ve shared those happy moments with your children at their school or on their playing field. We’ve been there as communities suffered tragedies.
We’ve been at your church, your school, your club, your business and elsewhere in your community as things have happened in your lives. If it was important you, it was important to us.
Let us know how we can serve you; that’s what we are here for. Email news@northescambia.com or use our contact form.
Thank you for helping up reach our second birthday. We are humbled and feel blessed to be part of your family in this area we call North Escambia. Thank you for welcoming NorthEscambia.com into your family.
Hard Work Pays Off Big For North Escambia Youths At Fair’s Steer Auction
November 1, 2009
Months of hard worked paid off for several North Escambia youths Saturday night as their steers were sold at auction at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
For Brendan Bell, a sixth grade FFA member at Ernest Ward Middle School, the payoff was huge – $7,140 for his grand champion steer. The 11-year old’s black steer won the FFA supreme champion among FFA students at this year’s fair. The 1,190 pound steer was purchased by Kay Campbell of American Concrete Supply in Cantonment.
Trey Flowers won youth champion/supreme champion with his steer, a category for youth that do not belong to an FFA chapter. His steer brought $7,740.
In front of a crowd of about 100 people, the steers were auctioned off by auctioneer Richard Gibbs.
Justin Hall, FFA reserve winner, received $4,500 for his steer. Jessica McMillian, youth reserve winner, received $4,005 for her steer.
Other steers were sold as follows:
- Lynsey Meharg, $8,400
- Haley Lambeth, $4,270
- Devin Bell, $4,095
- Amber Estes, $3,250
- Allison Vidak, $3,230.50
- Jessica Imholte, $3,150
Saturday night’s auction was the 50th at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
Pictured above: Brendan Bell, Ernest Ward Middle School member Brendan Bell with his grand champion steer at the Pensacola Interstate Fair. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Two Honored For Service To Military, Community
November 1, 2009
Northview High School recently honored two of its military members that are moving on. Both men were recognized for their military and community service.
Sr. Chief Lee Coleman is retiring at the end of this school year after having taught Naval Science at Northview since the school opened in 1996.
Northview Principal Gayle Weaver still remembers the first day she saw Coleman. The campus was still under construction, and Coleman was scheduled for an interview on what turned out to be a very rainy day.
“I can remember him coming across all that mud around the construction area. He was wearing his dress whites,” she said. “He did not get mud on him anywhere. I knew then that he was the one.”
Coleman is a graduate of Newbury College in Boston, Mass., and has been teaching for 15 years. He sponsors the armed and unarmed drill teams at Northview, along with the color guard and honor guard.
Northview also honored SFC Bobby Ewing, Jr., a 1997 graduate, for his military service and current role as the school’s U.S. Army recruiter. Ewing will soon leave his post as a recruiter in Pensacola and head to a new assignment overseas.
Ewing and Coleman were both presented with plaques and recognized during halftime of Friday night’s Seniors Honor football game at Northview.
Pictured top: Northview Principal Gayle Weaver presents a plaque to Senior Chief Lee Coleman. Pictured bottom: SFC Bobby Ewing. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Got The Blues: Smurfs Take Over Local Elementary
November 1, 2009
Things were looking a little blue Friday at Byrneville Elementary School, and it was all for a good cause.
The school’s faculty and staff agreed to dress like Smurfs if the students and community raised $100 toward sending a veteran to Washington on an upcoming Gulf Coast Honor Flight. People responded; by Friday morning, the school had raised over $300.
“We had a blast doing this, and the kids loved it,” teacher Jacke Johnston said.
For more photos of the Byrneville Smurfs, click here.
Pictured: Teachers and staff at Byrneville Elementary dressed like Smurfs on Friday after the school raised over $300 for the Honor Flight program. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NHS Honors Seniors
October 31, 2009
The Class of 2010 was honored during the final Northview High School home game of the season.
For a complete photo gallery with all of the seniors, click here.
The following seniors were honored on Seniors Nigh Friday night in Bratt:
NHS Tribal Beat Band: Allison Spence, Kolbi Cobb, Jackson Smith, Olivia Nolen and Malorie Okahashi.
NJROTC: Clint Davis, Jessica Bloodsworth, Ethan Waters, Miranda Scott, Zachary Byers, Monica Mclain, Tyler Hunter and Cody Cousin.
Cheerleaders: Felicia Settle, Carley Hetrick, Aimee Clarke, Amber McMillan, Kassandra Lett, Courtney Merritt, Candice Greenwell and Heather Ward.
Football players: Austin Reid, John Sellars, Brad Lowery, James Shook, Devin Moorer, Phillip Coon, Sam Cooler, Austin Cooper, Wesley Morris, Anthony Pierce, Steven Long, Shakel Holmes, Jeremy Jackson, Brian Knight, Ka’Darius Grice, Aaron Chancery, Dayton Porter, Chris Sheets, Seth Leonard, Casey Hare and Lance Yuhasz.
For a complete photo gallery with all of the seniors, click here.
Pictured above: Senior football player Seth Leonard with his parents Heather and Steve Leonard. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Flomaton Fall Festival
October 30, 2009
From Spiderman to princesses to Michael Jackson and more, characters of all sorts roamed the streets of downtown Flomaton Thursday night during the town’s annual Fall Festival.
NorthEscambia.com was there; click here to see our complete photo gallery.
Pictured top: Hundreds packed the streets of Flomaton Thursday night for a Fall Festival. Pictured inset: Even the King of Pop took part in the festivities. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Bratt Elementary Third Graders ‘Bebop With Aesop’
October 30, 2009
Third graders at Bratt Elementary learned some important lessons Thursday morning as they presented the play “Bebop With Aesop”.
Scenes from classic fairy tales came to life as students learned lessons like “look before you leap”, “don’t count your chickens”, and “honesty is the best policy”.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the play, click here.
Pictured top: Cameron Long (middle) as Aesop in Bebop with Aesop Thursday morning at Bratt Elementary. Pictured inset: The Hare of Tortoise and the Hare fame portrayed by Shelby Bashore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Century Library Does Halloween In Big Style
October 30, 2009
It was a spooktacular good time for dozens of area children Thursday afternoon at the Century Branch Library.
During the library’s fourth annual Halloween program, children in a variety of costumes enjoyed lots of treats and cookie decoration.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.