Check This Out: Hay Bale Decorating Contest Winners
November 25, 2018
The results are in from the 2018 Escambia County 4-H Hay Bale Decorating Contest. And you have a chance to check out the winners (and snap a few great Instagram photos too) this week.
First place went to the Escambia County Horse Club 4-H Club, second place to the Barrineau Park 4-H Club, and third place to the Escambia County Shooting Club 4-H Club.
The hay bales will be on display at the corner of Stefani Road and 9 1/2 Mile Road, the first intersection south of the Escambia County Extension Service, through December 3.
Pictured: First place went to the Escambia County Horse Club 4-H Club (top photo), second place to the Barrineau Park 4-H Club (below), and third place to the Escambia County Shooting Club 4-H Club (bottom). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gilman Named Bratt Elementary Teacher Of The Year
November 25, 2018
Heather Gilman has been named the Bratt Elementary School Teacher of the Year. She teaches second grade. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: A Christmas Carol At The Molino Library
November 23, 2018
The Hampstead Stage presented A Christmas Carol Wednesday at the Molino Branch Library.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Branch Library Holds Thanksgiving Coloring Contest
November 22, 2018
The Molino Branch Library held a Thanksgiving coloring contest, with winners receiving art supplies. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview, Ernest Ward Cheerleaders March In Disney Thanksgiving Parade
November 22, 2018
Cheerleaders from Northview High School and Ernest Ward Middle School marched in the Disney World Thanksgiving Parade in Orlando.
Each was named All-American and earned the opportunity during UCA cheerleader camp held during the summer.
They are Sarah Bailey, Chloe Criswell, Carsyn Dortch, Emma Gilmore, Jamison Gilman, Leah Hetrick, Sarah Hetrick, Taylor McMinn, , Madison Peterson and Leila Sanders. Zakayla Smith was also named an All-American cheerleader but unable to attend.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Four Northview Cheerleaders In Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
November 21, 2018
Four Northview High School cheerleaders will march in Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
They are Shelby Bashore, Ashlan Harigel, Kherstin Johnson and Cloe Smith. Each auditioned for the opportunity back in July with Spirit of America.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a New York City tradition since 1924, attracting more than 3.5 million people to the streets of Manhattan every year. Record breaking freezing temperatures are expected for this year’s parade, the first below freezing temperatures at parade time since 1907.
The parade will air locally on NBC 15 from 9 a.m. until noon. It will also be streamed live on Verizon’s YouTube channel and at nbc.com/live (with a TV provider login).
Pictured top: Northview cheerleaders Cloe Smith, Ashlan Harigel, Kherstin Johnson and Shelby Bashore in New York. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Farm Bureau Survey: Thanksgiving Dinner Price Down Slightly This Year
November 21, 2018
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 33rd annual survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $48.90, or less than $5.00 per person. This is a 22-cent decrease from last year’s average of $49.12.
“Since 2015, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner has declined steadily and is now at the lowest level since 2010,” said AFBF Chief Economist Dr. John Newton.
The featured food on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – cost slightly less than last year, coming in at $21.71 for a 16-pound bird. That’s roughly $1.36 per pound, down 3 percent from last year. The survey results show that retail turkey prices are the lowest since 2014.
“Thanks to an ample supply, turkey remains affordable for consumers, which helps keep the overall cost of the dinner reasonably priced as well,” Newton said.
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk, $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas, $1.47; and a dozen rolls, $2.25.
Several items saw modest price increases this year including cranberries, pumpkin pie mix and stuffing. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was $2.65; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.33; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing was $2.87; two nine-inch pie shells came in at $2.47 and a 1-pound veggie tray was $.75. A group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) was also up slightly, to $3.01.
There was no change in price for a half-pint of whipping cream at $2.08.
The shopping list for Farm Bureau’s informal survey includes turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a veggie tray, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and coffee and milk, all in quantities sufficient to serve a family of 10 with plenty for leftovers.
Foods showing the largest decreases this year in addition to turkey were a gallon of milk, $2.92; a 3-pound bag of sweet potatoes, $3.39; a 1-pound bag of green peas, $1.47; and a dozen rolls, $2.25.
Several items saw modest price increases this year including cranberries, pumpkin pie mix and stuffing. A 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries was $2.65; a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix was $3.33; a 14-ounce package of cubed bread stuffing was $2.87; two nine-inch pie shells came in at $2.47 and a 1-pound veggie tray was $.75. A group of miscellaneous items including coffee and ingredients necessary to prepare the meal (butter, evaporated milk, onions, eggs, sugar and flour) was also up slightly, to $3.01.
There was no change in price for a half-pint of whipping cream at $2.08.
Volunteer shoppers checked prices at grocery stores in 37 states for this year’s survey. Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey. Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages.
Farm Bureau also surveyed the price of a traditional Thanksgiving meal available from popular food delivery services. This revealed that the convenience of food delivery does have a larger price tag. A 16-pound turkey was nearly 50 percent more expensive at nearly $2 per pound when purchased from a food delivery service. Nearly every individual item was more expensive compared to the Farm Bureau average and the total cost of the dinner was about 60 percent higher at about $8 per person.
Farm To The City: A Thanksgiving Bounty For The Needy (With Gallery)
November 20, 2018
Students from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties worked in fields near Jay Monday to harvest vegetables that will help feed about 800 needy families this week for Thanksgiving.
The event at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center was part of Farm-City Week, bringing the bounty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences farm to the needy of the city.
The students were from agricultural programs and organizations that included Tate High School, Northview High School, Jay High School, Central School, Beulah Middle School, Barrineau Park 4-H and the Boy Scouts. They harvested produce including greens, sorted sweet potatoes and bagged freshly ground corn meal and grits.
The produce will be distributed to 400 families in Escambia County and 400 in Santa Rosa County along with a turkey, ham or chicken and all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal from Feeding the Gulf Coast. (Families were preregistered for the food distributions.)
National Farm to City Week is a national effort to bring about a better understanding between rural and urban people by increasing knowledge and appreciation for agriculture.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Academic Team Ranks In Tournament
November 20, 2018
The Ransom Academic Team competed in the Lewis Falcons Middle School Academy Tournament on Saturday.
Team members were:
Team A
- Jake Bures, Captain
- Callie Hastings
- Aidan Webster
- Kriseya Wheeler
Team B
- Connor Ryan, Captain
- Otis Evans
- Alseha Wright
They played five morning rounds against experienced competitive teams. Both teams won preliminary matches. Team A finished in fifth place and Team B finished in ninth place out of 16 teams. In individual player rankings, Jake Bures ranked in third place her second tournament ever. Callie Hastings earned an 18th place ranking out of 69 players.
From Shelter To Service: Escambia County Working Dogs
November 18, 2018
Each Saturday morning, Escambia County Animal Control Supervisor Kevin Monfreda and his 3-year-old bloodhound, Bo, visit campuses and parks along the Gulf Coast. The two aren’t stopping in for a game of fetch or a jog — they’re rigorously perfecting Bo’s skills as a scent trailing dog.
The pair has been working together since July 2015, when Monfreda adopted Bo from the Escambia County Animal Shelter after Animal Control officers removed the 7-month-old puppy from an animal cruelty situation.
“He was so cute, and we just really bonded,” Monfreda said.
After two years of training and miles of scent tracking across various terrain, Monfreda and Bo are now certified by the North American Police Working Dog Association as a scent trailing team.
“When we first started training, we’d do short runaway sessions, where the handler gets the dog excited, then drops an article of clothing and runs away out of sight, creating a scent trail,” Monfreda said. “The trails are marked with scent flags at first, and then as the dog gets older and more experienced, you take away the flags and continue adding more turns while lengthening the trail, so they have to look hard for the scent.”
The pair are now part of KLAASKids, a nationally recognized volunteer search and rescue organization that provides search managers, planners, field searchers and K-9s to search for missing and trafficked children. Monfreda and Bo have participated in three active searches for missing children.
In addition to the weekly Saturday training sessions with other teams in the area, Monfreda and Bo attend regional seminars and training events. The two will attend their next seminar on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Sarasota, Florida, which will focus specifically on urban scent trailing.
“He really likes the urban seminars– it makes him think,” Monfreda said. “He enjoys the challenge. He’s a laid-back dog, but he really likes to work.”
Another county working dog who got her start at the Escambia County Animal Shelter is 5-year-old German Shepherd mix, Britt.
Britt was picked up as stray by Animal Control officers in 2015 and was taken to the Escambia County Animal Shelter and made available for adoption. She was adopted shortly after she was placed at the shelter, but was quickly returned.
Officer Robert Oliver and Sgt. Boswell of the Escambia County Road Prison were visiting the animal shelter to check on an inmate performing work duties when they noticed Britt in her kennel.
“She seemed attentive and trainable, so we took her out of the kennel and went over to an exercise pen and believe it or not, she already knew verbal commands and had a very high toy drive,” Oliver said. “She just loved to play ball, and that’s actually what we use to start training our narcotics dogs.”
Oliver noted that dogs with an extremely high toy drive make great narcotics tracking dogs because of their relentless desire to find an object or toy.
After seeing Britt’s toy drive and trainability, Oliver decided to pull her from the shelter to work as a narcotics dog for the Escambia County Road Prison. Oliver enrolled Britt in a training course with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and she successfully completed 240 training hours and received her certification from the United States Police Canine Association.
Britt now works directly alongside Oliver and searches areas where inmates live and work, including lockers, vehicles and various jail buildings.
“She comes to work with me every day and while the inmates are working on the roads, she’ll do a housing area search,” Oliver said.
The Road Prison also has four call beagles and one call bloodhound that make up the rest of the tracking team.
In 2016, Britt competed in the Southern States Manhunt Field Trial and placed fourth in the narcotics search. She returned in 2017 to compete in the same search and came in second place against 17 other dogs.
“She was the only dog who placed in the competition that came from a shelter,” Oliver said. “She’s a sweetheart and a hard worker.”
Britt currently has 20 documented narcotics finds for Escambia County, and has found marijuana, methamphetamine, spice and prescription pills.
“She’s a great working dog a and real asset to our team,” Oliver added.
The two are preparing for Britt’s next Southern States Manhunt Trail competition in 2019.
John Robinson, Animal Services manager, said his staff is always looking for dogs that come into the shelter that might make great tracking or search and rescue dogs.
“Escambia County Animal Services is really proud to see dogs that come from our shelter helping people and also representing shelter dogs in a positive light,” Robinson said. “Great dogs and cats can come from any animal shelter and be great additions to families, and sometimes they can even become productive members of a team.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.