Bratt’s Donut Boy Celebrates Birthday With Pensacola Police, Harlem Globetrotters
November 8, 2018
Bratt’s “Donut Boy” thanked local officers with the help of the Harlem Globetrotters Wednesday.
Turning 11, Tyler Carach is continuing his travels across the country to thank men and women in the law enforcement with coffee and doughnuts.
He personally delivered and served doughnuts and birthday cake to Pensacola Police Department Officers. Tyler and the Globetrotters showered the officers with gifts. Children from the Rally Group who are either battling cancer or are a cancer survivor joined in the party had fun with the Globetrotters.
Since buying doughnuts for four Escambia County (FL) deputies at a Bratt convenience in August 2016, Tyler has taken his mission on the road to thank every cop in America with a doughnut. He’s visited departments from Los Angeles to New York and appeared on several national TV programs. He’s traveled to 41 states and delivered over 70,000 doughnuts.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Every Byrneville Elementary Student Receives A New Pair Of Shoes
November 8, 2018
Every student at Byrneville Elementary School recently received a new pair of TOMS shoes thanks to assistance of Abundant Life Assembly of God in Century. TOMS matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need, according to the company. Pictured are Byrneville fifth graders with their new shoes. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Collects Relief Supplies For Michael Victims
November 5, 2018
The Ernest Ward Middle School SGA collected supplies for the victims of Hurricane Michael. The community project collected 45 boxes of food, cleaning items, baby products, hygiene items, paper products, games, books and numerous cases of bottled water, juices and assorted drinks.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt assisted by transporting the relief supplies to Blountstown High School and Chipola Family Ministries in Marianna.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Byrneville Elementary Holds Annual Fall Carnival
November 4, 2018
Byrneville Elementary School held their annual Fall Carnival Saturday.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Students Collect $1,200 For Hurricane Victims
November 2, 2018
On Wednesday, Jim Allen Elementary students wore their costumes for a cause. They collected cash and coin donations for students who were affected by Hurricane Michael in Panama City and the rest of Bay County. Jim Allen collected approximately $1,200. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park, Bratt Students ‘Visit’ Canada
November 1, 2018
Students at Bratt Elementary and Molino Park Elementary had a chance to “visit” Canada and learn about the country during a recent Global Corner International Learning Center program at each school.
The Global Corner provides opportunities for the children of Northwest Florida to learn about world languages, cultures, and geography through innovative educational programs.
Pictured: The Global Corner at Bratt and Molino Park elementary schools. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Thousands Attend Fall Festivals, Halloween Events (With Photo Galleries)
November 1, 2018
Thousands of people attended fall festivals and Halloween events across the North Escambia area Tuesday night.
For a Highland Baptist Church trunk-0r-treat photo gallery, click here.
For a other Halloween, fall festival and additional event photos submitted by readers, click here.
Pictured top and left: Trunk-or-treat at Highland Baptist Church in Molino. Pictured below: Reader submitted photos from additional activities. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary School Names October Students Of The Month
October 31, 2018
Bratt Elementary School has named students of the month for October. They are:
Pre-K
- Christian Madison
- Rileigh Barlow
Kindergarten
- Jackson Beasley
- Claeb Madison
- Ariel Alexander
- Cameron Hall
First Grade
- Cooper Rice
- Audrey Franklin
- Brylynn McGhee
- Chloe McCann
- Waylon Bell
Second Grade
- Landen Barlow
- Jamileon Syria
- Autumn Heist
- Carson Eady
Third Grade
- Logan Diller
- Madalynn Pittman
- Christain Roberts
- Evelyn Esparza
- Robbie Goens
Fourth Grade
- Dakota Richardson
- Crimson Davis
- Makayla Plato
Fifth Grade
- Carley Moore
- Luke Chavers
- Keeli Knighten
- Bryant Mason
Music
- Pryce Flowers
Photo Gallery: Century Library Holds ‘Haunting Halloween’ Program
October 30, 2018
The Century Branch Library held a “Haunting Halloween” program recently with a spooky story, arts and crafts and more.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Marianna Mom: Real Life After Hurricane Michael
October 29, 2018
by Ali Wiggins
If you think a little rain and some wind rolled through here, you’re wrong.
If you think since folks are getting their power turned back on everything’s fine now, you’re wrong.
If you’ve seen some pictures and think you know what it feels like to live it because you’ve seen a hurricane before, you’re wrong.
Travel 45 minutes to the east or west of us and things are probably back to normal again.
If I hear one more person say that they have seen a few hurricanes and then proceed to tell me how bad they were…. well, this wasn’t just a hurricane. It was the third strongest hurricane to hit the US in recorded history.
I don’t care what hurricane you’ve seen, you ain’t seen bad! If you were alive in 1935 and saw the “Labor Day” hurricane hit the FL Keys, or in Mississippi in 1969 to see Camille, then we’ll talk. If not, you have no clue.
If you are seeing the national news about Panama City and Mexico Beach, we are close to the same. The storm never really slowed down much or weakened when it left them. It hit us full force and we are 60 or so miles inland. Jackson and Calhoun counties were hit just as hard.
Folks are living with generators, gas cans, sometimes rationed gasoline if you can find a place that sells it.
Curfews. Only two times of day: daylight and dark. People are living in tents, their cars, friend’s homes, hotels.
You don’t go to the store, you get in line at the PODs. We have long lines for water, MREs, tarps, bug spray, and baby diapers. You could be the wealthiest guy around and it wouldn’t matter. There are very few places to spend it. It’s cash only purchases, no fast food, no ATMs. The stores that are open are only open from sun up to sun down. So you can forget picking up a gallon of milk on your way home. Winn Dixie closes at 5 now and Walmart probably not long after that.
We have no idea what’s going on outside of this bubble because we have no internet, no phones, no cell service, no television.
We live with our windows wide open and no air conditioning.
We have people from all over the nation here, most of them to help us. We are so thankful for them all. Those folks came here with good intentions, to get us back up and running.
But everyone that came here isn’t here to help. How do you know for sure which is which? We have looters and scammers. Some just walk up behind you in your own yard while you’re hanging your laundry on the clothesline and scare the mess out of you just asking if you need help with a downed tree. That fellow snuck right up behind me. He should’ve hollered from his truck. NOT COOL! You can’t tell who belongs in your neighborhood or not.
You carry a pistol with you at all times just in case you guessed wrong on whether they are a good guy or a bad guy.
Now it’s time for bed. The whole family piles up in one room with air mattresses, fans, open windows and firearms in case someone decides they need your generator, gas cans or food more than you do. You can’t sleep because you hear every single noise outside. You hear every siren and you cringe with each one. Flashlights in the dark? It could be a lineman or a boogie man, you don’t know!
You go a week and then realize you haven’t seen nor heard one bird because there are no trees left. All the trees are on the ground, and I mean ALL of them. And all the creatures that lived in them are now everywhere. Yellow jackets and mosquitoes that look like they’re from Jurassic Park.
The sounds of chainsaws, diesel trucks, helicopters, sirens, and generators are a constant.
The death toll continues to rise. Many deaths aren’t from the storm. Folks are dying in the clean up of this storm. Houses are burning down as some folks get power turned back on and all the history that they’ve held are now gone with them.
Debris piles are taller than the homes they sit in front of. One lane roads and downed power lines everywhere. AND THIS IS DAY 15!!
The depression this brings is real. No one here is dreaming this up. You couldn’t even if you tried. If you think you could handle all this and go right on like nothing happened, you are welcome to set up camp here in Jackson County, Florida. I will give you my spot. I would love to see how you fair. Everywhere else in the world seems to be business as usual. Not here!
We are all now using the phrase, “new normal”. I hate it. I liked my old normal just fine, as crazy as it was. I’ve cried. I’ve thrown things. I’ve screamed. And I’ve cried some more. My heart hurts for so many people right now. And my family’s loss is nowhere near what some people have experienced. They’ve lost it all. We still have our family and our home. It is a little damaged, but still in tact. So many don’t.
This wasn’t just a hurricane. This destroyed the lives of thousands of people. We post a dozen or more things a day on social media to help folks find what they are looking for, whether it be a place to wash clothes, a hot meal, clothes for their kids. We post what we are living. This is all we can think about and social media is our only way out.
This last 15 days have been awful. And if you can pick right up and get back to it already, then good for you. I’m having a little trouble with that right now. It still looks like a war zone here. Things won’t ever be the same again. I’ve tried so hard to be positive for the last two weeks.
Now on day 15, I’m tired. My muscles ache from cutting trees and hauling fence. I wasn’t cut out for this. I’ve got poison ivy and ant bites. I’m pissed and I wish this was all just a bad dream. And I really, really miss Netflix.
Day 15 has been a bad one for me. Day 16, I know, will be better.
Thank y’all for your prayers and your support. Thank you for letting the folks in the Panhandle of Florida know we aren’t forgotten. We are tough and determined. It is just how we were made. We will come back from this. I don’t know when, but with all the help that has shown up here in the last two weeks, how could we not?
Thank you all and much love from from Jackson County.
Ali Wiggins is a lifelong resident of Jackson County, which encompasses Marianna, Sneads and Cottondale. She is the mother of two and works as director of sales are marketing for a pharmacy company.
Pictured: Hurricane Michael damage in Marianna. Photos by SPC Jeffrey Scott Hagan for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. For more photos by Hagan, click here.
