Ransom Middle Academic Teams Competes In Tournament
October 22, 2018
The Ransom Middle School Academic Team took part in the 12th Annual Academic Tournament at the Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville on Saturday.
Team A, with a record of a 4-1. was ranked number eight in the morning rounds among a field of 28 mostly high school teams. Ransom’s Team A and Team B completed against each other in the playoff rounds. Team A then played top team from Fort Walton Beach High School. Despite an impressive score, they did not win.
Team leaders said it was great training, helping the Ransom Academic Team prepare for the middle school level tournaments in November and January. Those tourneys are qualifiers for the national tournament in Chicago.
Roy Hyatt Environmental Center To Use Impact Grant For Hands-On Learning Expansion
October 21, 2018
Visitors had a chance to check out the Escambia County School District’s Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment during an open house on Saturday. The center was recently named as a recipient of an IMPACT 100 grant for $100,300.
The RHEC will use the grant to enhance hands-on science education with three major additions. The grant will fund construction materials to transform an existing space into a “beach” classroom which will submerge students into an undersea world. They will “swim” with creatures found in habitats along the Gulf Coast while learning about amazing animals. The grant will also fund the purchase of an inflatable portable planetarium which will allow 60 students at a time to crawl into the dome launching them into a new world. As they blast off they will learn all about the mystery of outer space. The third part of the grant will fund construction materials to renovate an existing greenhouse into a “butterfly house” allowing students to “fly” with butterflies and immersing them into the butterfly’s fascinating environment. While fluttering alongside butterflies, students will explore and observe the life cycle of the insects.
Annually, over 80 percent of the elementary schools in the district visit RHEC each year, along with home school groups, senior groups, garden clubs and more. Last school year, nearly 7,000 people visited.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured: An open house event Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
VFW Essay Contest Winners Named
October 20, 2018
Zachary Prosser has been named Northview High School’s winner of the Atmore VFW Post 7016 Voice of Democracy essay contest.
Second and third place winners of the “Why My Vote Matters” themed contest were Hailey Harigel and Meredith McGhee. English teacher Vicki Baggett organizes the event for Northview, and selected teachers grade the essays
Pictured: (L-R) Zachary Prosser, Hailey Harigel and Meredith McGhee. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Samoszenko Named Ransom Middle Teacher Of The Year
October 19, 2018
Lauren Samoszenko has been named the Ransom Middle School Teacher of The Year. She teaches gifted social studies. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
October 17, 2018
Jim Allen Elementary School has named students of the month for September. They are Daniel Earnest and Raevyn Alridge. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Students Vote For Their Favorite Things
October 14, 2018
Over 400 Ransom Middle School students voted recently for their favorite things using official voter equipment from the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office. Students chose Chick-fil-A, hip hop music, football and P.E. class among their favorite things. Results were as follows:
Automaker
- Chevrolet 110
- Ford 90
- BMW 67
- Mercedes 55
- Nissan 34
- Honda 23
College
- Florida State 126
- Alabama 114
- Florida 84
- West Florida 67
- Auburn 29
- Florida A&M 4
Fast Food
- Chick-fil-A
- McDonald’s 53
- Subway 52
- Taco Bell 43
- Papa John’s 17
President
- Barack Obama 125
- Abraham Lincoln 111
- Donald Trump 63
- John F. Kennedy 29
- Ronald Regan 17
- Franklin D. Roosevelt 12
Music
- Hip-Hop 210
- Country 96
- Alternative 50
- Rock 47
- Jazz 15
- Classical 14
Sport
- Football 115
- Basketball 90
- Swimming 76
- Baseball 67
- Soccer 66
- Golf 5
School Subject
- P.E. 180
- Math 96
- History 65
- Science 35
- English 29
Flomaton Raises Money For Kelsie Padgett As She Battles Brain Cancer
October 14, 2018
The Flomaton community came together Saturday to raise money for Flomaton High School student Kelsie Padgett, 17, as she battles brain cancer.
The fundraiser included food, a car wash and dunking booth.
“Today was a true testament of love and compassion for a child”, Flomaton Fire Chief Steve Stanton said. “Thank you for everyone who made this possible.”
The fundraiser was sponsored by the Flomaton Fire Department and MedStar Ambulance.
Pictured top: Flomaton High cheerleaders lead a cheer for Kelsie Padgett. Pictured below: The event included a car wash. Pictured bottom: MedStar’s Donnie Brown cooks up burgers for the fundraiser Saturday. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Holds Community Helpers Day (With Photo Gallery)
October 8, 2018
Molino Park Elementary School held a “Community Helpers Day” Friday for students to learn about some of people that are hard at work, often behind the scenes, in the Molino area.
The event included personnel and equipment from Escambia County EMS, the K-9 unit from the Escambia Road Prison, the Molino Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, J. Miller Construction Company, the Florida Highway Patrol, Escambia Search and Rescue, UPS, Gilmore Services, the Florida Forest Service and more.
Students also dressed as their favorite community helpers, such as firemen, policemen, teachers, nurses and others.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Bonus Gallery: Jay And Northview Bands, Cheerleaders And More
October 8, 2018
For game action photos, click here.
For homecoming court photos, click here.
For homecoming parade photos, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Farm Family Recognized For Environmental Leadership
October 7, 2018
Two Escambia County farmers and ranchers were recently honored for their environmental stewardship with a County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) award.
Recipients honored were Jimmy and Jerry McElhaney of McElhaney Farms. They grow cotton, corn and peanuts using recycled water to irrigate more than 1,400 acres. Through best management practices, they have reduced fertilizer use by 50 percent.
The CARES program was established by Florida Farm Bureau and the Suwannee River Partnership in 2001 to recognize superior natural resource conservation by agricultural producers. The program relies on action by farmers and ranchers to implement state-of-the-art natural resource management systems, or Best Management Practices, on their properties.
McElhaney Farms been in operation in Escambia County for nearly 100 years. Today, Jimmy and Jerry McElhaney grow cotton, peanuts and corn on 1,400 acres. In 2016, they enrolled in Best Management Practices with the goal of reducing water use, nutrient use and improving water quality on their family farm. Some of the BMPs implemented include installing two soil moisture sensors to better determine irrigation needs as well as a surface water pond to capture and recycle water. In order to reduce nutrient use, they use GPS and variable rate applications for spraying and fertilizing applications.
These two BMPs alone have helped them reduce their fertilizer use by 50 percent, and reduced their their use of lime. Planting cover crops, using conservation tillage and terracing their fields all work together to prevent soil erosion, increase crop yields and improve soil health.
Pictured top: (L-R) James McElhaney, Judi McElhaney, Gleda McElhaney, Jerry McElhaney and Florida Farm Bureau President Federation President John Hoblick during the Escambia County Farm Bureau’s annual meeting at Molino Park Elementary School. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.