New Century Correctional Institution Officer Recruits Graduate
May 6, 2016
Several new Century Correctional Institution recruits recently graduated from Basic Recruit Class. The new correctional officers are (front, L-R) Amanda Day, Justin Simpson, Harmony Thomas, Claudero Riley and John Patrick. Also pictured are (back, L-R) Warden Bryant, Major Marshall, Major DeLapp and Officer deGraaf. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Along The North Escambia Trail With A Wagon Train
May 5, 2016
The scene Wednesday very well could have been a postcard snapshot of Molino in the 1800’s. Blue skies with a few puffy white clouds floating along in a gentle breeze, piney woods along the road with the melody of birds singing.
There was the sound of horseshoes — clump, clump, clump — and of chains rattling used to connect horses, mules and tack to handcrafted wagons. This was a real wagon train, over a half dozen strong with outriders for protection.
But this was May 2016. And in our modern zip-zip fast paced world, wagon trains tend to draw a bit of attention. And that is the point on the annual wagon train ride to the Tate High School FFA Rodeo. The ride started Saturday in Monroe County, AL. It ends Friday night at the Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola for Tate FFA Rodeo’s Grand Parade.
It’s a nearly 25 year old tradition started by the late Selmer Thompson with a ride from Barrineau Park to Pensacola. This year is the fifth week long event.
At just two horsepower, or mule-power each, it’s slow ride with a top speed of about three or four mph that provides the opportunity to take in the surroundings. And to be neighborly, speaking and waving to the bystanders that gather along the highways or in their yards to watch the unique picture of Americana pass by.
“This is a great way to travel,” trail boss Darryl Wilson said. “There’s just nothing like it.”
Catching up with the ride Wednesday afternoon on Crabtree Church Road, our photographer was greeting by the smell of grilled ribs as the group finished up a lunch break before hitting the trail again. There were no escort vehicles, no trucks full of supplies. This was a real deal, old-timey wagon train through the countryside.
But it’s not a total step back into time — some of the wagons have battery powered lights and radios — with country music, of course. One wagon was equipped with a BBQ grill mounted at the rear. No need for a drive-thru when the ride is a self-contained, on the move BBQ house. And, along with big comfortable captain’s chairs, a couple of the wagons even had on-board bathrooms.
“This has been a good ride,” Wilson said. “The weather today has been perfect.”
The group spent Wednesday night camped out near the ballpark on Crabtree Church Road. On Thursday, they will travel south on Highway 99 to Barrineau Park Road and cross over Barrineau Park Road into Baldwin County where they will make camp Thursday night. Then Friday it’s on to the rodeo.
The Tate Rodeo beings at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Advance tickets are available at Farm and Nursery Mart, Hill Kelly Dodge, Farm Bureau Insurance (Nine Mile and Molino), Jimmy’s Grill, and Barnes Ace Hardware. Tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for children in advance and $10 and $5 at the gate.
For more information about the Rodeo, call (850) 937-2308.
Pictured top and bottom: A wagon train travels through Molino Wednesday afternoon. Pictured top inset: The view of the driver’s seat. Pictured bottom inset: Pulling out after lunch. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Victoria Kelson Named Tate FFA Rodeo Queen
May 5, 2016
Victoria Kelson of Cantonment has been crowned queen of the 25th Annual Tate FFA Alumni Foundation Rodeo.
She is the daughter of Billy and Vanessa Kelson of Cantonment and Darrell and Kelly Wilson of Molino. Kelson is a sophomore at Tate High School where she is a member of FFA, BETA club and the National Honor society with a 4.08 GPA.
Kelson is in the veterinary program at Tate High and hopes to attend Auburn University to study veterinary medicine. She is also a member of Escambia county 4-H Horse Club and has participated in many community project and fundraising events, dedicating time to Special Olympics and St. Jude’s Childrens Hospital.
She has loved horses since her grandmother Carolyn McKissack bought her a pony when she was just five-years old. She credits her grandmother for introducing her to horses and other animals.
She will be riding the horse Penny Grace at the rodeo, which she purchased for just $400 and trained her to be the beautiful horse that she is today. Kelson plans to keep training her horse to be well rounded, able to jump pull and rodeo.
Kelson, an honors students, was a Tate High School cheerleader this school year and a member of the FFA Parliamentary Procedure Team.
The Tate Rodeo beings at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Advance tickets are available at Farm and Nursery Mart, Hill Kelly Dodge, Farm Bureau Insurance (Nine Mile and Molino), Jimmy’s Grill, and Barnes Ace Hardware. Tickets are $8 for adults and $3 for children in advance and $10 and $5 at the gate.
Photo by Janice Courson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Academic Teams Heading To Nationals
May 5, 2016
Ransom Middle School’s Academic Team will compete in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments(NAQT) Middle School National Championship Tournament this weekend in Atlanta.
Ransom team members headed to nationals are Braden Boutwell, Maggie Brown, Ravyn Brown, Chris Espy, Natalie Holt, and Elizabeth McConnell. Alternates: Katie-Rose Haley, Emmalei Miller, and Lili Rollin, along with coaches Clarissa Brown and Lucinda Bateman.
To qualify for the trip to nationals, Ransom teams competed twice in April. In the first tournament in Valparaiso, Team A — Maggie Brown , Braden Boutwell, Chris Espy and Elizabeth McConnell — won five matches, while Team B — Natalie Holt, Lili Rollins, Victoria Long — won two. Brown, Boutwell and Hold were the top three players out of 72 total.
At their second tournament last month, held at Pensacola High School, Ransom participants were:
- Team A: Maggie Brown, Braden Boutwell, Chris Espy and Kendal Russell
- Team B: Ravyn Brown, Lili Rollins and Emmalei Miller
- Team C: Katie-Rose Haley, Carter Pitts, Tristan Espy and Abby Gryskiewicz
- Team D: Taji Williams , Victoria Long and Owen Painter
Team members winning individual awards were Brown in fine arts, Espy in language arts and Haley in both math and fine arts.
Pictured top: (L-R) Victoria Long, Chris Espy, Natalie Holt, Lili Rollins, Elizabeth McConnell, Braden Boutwell, Maggie Brown. Pictured inset: Individual first place medals were earned by Maggie Brown in fine arts and Chris Epsy in language arts. Pictured below: (L-R) Lili Rollins, Kendal Russell, Abby Gryskiewicz, Emmalei Miller, Katie-Rose Haley, Taji Williams, Maggie Brown, Chris Espy, Ravyn Brown, Victoria Long, Braden Boutwell, Tristan Espy, Carter Pitts and Owen Painter. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Shines At Math Competition
May 4, 2016
Teams from Jim Allen Elementary School took part in the his past weekend’s Sunshine Math Competition at Washington High School.
One of Jim Allen’s third grade teams took second place with team members -Leslee Brooks, Harlie Davidson, Kyleigh Soto and Desmond Tucker. And a Jim Allen fourth grade team took third place with team members Abigail Arnette, Damian Cullen, Grayson Jackson and Audrey Rudd.
For an earlier story with complete Sunshine Math Competition results and additional photos, click here.
Pictured: Jim Allen Elementary School’s Sunshine Math Teams. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunshine Math Results; Bratt’s Van Pelt Takes First
May 3, 2016
The Escambia County Elementary Sunshine Math Competition was held Saturday at Booker T. Washington High School. Teams of third, fourth and fifth grade students competed as individuals and as teams.
The individual round challenged students to answer 38 math problems in 40 minutes, while the team competitions involved 10 rounds of questions. This year’s event involved 29 elementary schools and over 630 students. Coordinating all of this involved the use of the high school’s auditorium, gymnasium and cafeteria.
The results were:
Individual Competition Winners:
3rd Grade:
1st Place–Beatrice Bunnell McArthur
2nd Place–Alex Young Pine Meadow
3rd Place–Brody Hills Pensacola Beach
4th Grade:
1st Place–Bentley Van Pelt Bratt
2nd Place–Davis Sherman Cordova Park
3rd Place–Logan Weeks Helen Caro
5th Grade:
1st Place–Soloman Burt Brentwood
2nd Place–Roman Bassett A.K. Suter
3rd Place–Drake Salter N.B. Cook
Team Competition Winners:
3rd Grade:
1st Place–Helen Caro Team 1——–Eli Meyer, Hadley Chardon, Connor Mathews, Colin Rhodes
2nd Place–Jim Allen Team 1——–Leslee Brooks, Harlie Davidson, Kyleigh Soto, Desmond Tucker
3rd Place–A.K. Suter Team 1——–Reid Bassett, Olivia Rabby, Carey Vinson, Annabelle Apel
4th Grade:
1st Place–Bellview Team 2———Kara Gilmore, Kailey Vogt, Carlos Herrington, Marissa Balkum
2nd Place–Helen Caro Team 2——Luke Nichols, Rachel Hall, D.J. Gerhardt, Kaiden Foree
3rd Place–Jim Allen Team 1——–Abigail Arnette, Damian Cullen, Grayson Jackson, Audrey Rudd
5th Grade:
1st Place–A.K. Suter Team 2—–Jade Alonzo, Sarah Noeth, Julianna Landers, Madison Brown
2nd Place–A.K. Suter Team 1—-Roman Bassett, Tori Vinson, Alyx Zapatka, Ameila Crawford
3rd Place–Pine Meadow Team 1—-Ian Delay, Max Fina, Audra Davis, Jessica Stabler
Pictured top: The Bratt Elementary School Sunshine Math Team. Pictured below (top to bottom): The third, fourth and fifth grade Bratt Elementary Sunshine Math teams. Pictured inset: Superintendent Malcolm Thomas with first place fourth grade student Bentley Van Pelt of Bratt Elementary School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Olivia Britt, Bethany Reynolds Named EREC Scholarship Winners
May 1, 2016
Saturday, Escambia River Electric Cooperative awarded two $4,000 scholarships to local high school seniors. The Escambia County winner was Bethany Reynolds from Northview High School, and the Santa Rosa County winner was Olivia Britt from Jay High School.
This was EREC’s 19th year to offer the Herman D. Johnson Scholarship Awards to a graduating senior with a parent or guardian that is a member of the cooperative..
In the past, capital credits issued by EREC that were unclaimed had to be turned over to the state. But state legislation now allows such funds to be deposited into a qualified, educational charity fund. The EREC membership voted to use these funds in the form of scholarships.
Both students will receive $1,000 for each of four years provided they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.
Pictured top: EREC scholarship winner Olivia Britt from Jay High School. Pictured below: EREC scholarship winner Bethany Reynolds from Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Spring Livestock Show Results
May 1, 2016
The Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization’s annual Spring Livestock Show was held last weekend at the 4-H facility in Molino.
The show featured animal exhibits of swine, cattle, poultry, sheep, goats and more. Saturday’s show was the culmination of livestock projects by 4-H youth and FFA members, some lasting 100 days or longer, during which they raise their animals, monitor their health and nutrition, kept records and (in some classes) worked to obtain a buyer.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
The results of the 2016 livestock show, by category, are:
Lightweight Swine:
- 1st place Amber Neal
- 2nd place Brady Rising
- 3rd place Nathan O’Neal
Middleweight Swine:
- 1st place Beulah Academy FFA Chapter
- 2nd place Jonathon Stier
- 3rd place Hannah Thorne
Heavyweight Swine:
- 1st place Bricen Iannone
- 2nd place Wesley Hardin
- 3rd place Kaley Lashley
Super Heavyweight Swine:
- 1st place Savannah Bradshaw
- 2nd place Wyatt Allen
- 3rd place Andrew Bosinger
Grand Champion Swine: Savannah Bradshaw
Reserve Champion Swine: Wyatt Allen
Showmanship (swine):
Senior:
- 1st place Erica Water
- 2nd place Allison Woodfin
- 3rd place Danielle Tinker
Intermediate:
- 1st place Jessica Conti
- 2nd place Chelsi Lashley
- 3rd place Kaley Lashley
Junior:
- 1st place Wyatt Allen
- 2nd place Savannah Bradshaw
- 3rd place Shelby Lashley
Lightweight Steers: 1st place Lane Booker
Middleweight Steers:
- 1st place Blake Worley
- 2nd place Ethan Cunningham
Heavyweight Steers:
- 1st place Haylee Weaver
- 2nd place Willow Foxworth
Grand Champion Market Steer: Lane Booker
Reserve Champion Market Steer: Willow Foxworth
Showmanship (steer):
Senior:
- 1st place Willow Foxworth
- 2nd place Haylee Weaver
- 3rd place Blake Worley
Intermediate:
- 1st place Lane Booker
- 2nd place Ethan Cunningham
Market Preview Steer 1st place, Grand Champion Preview Steer and Preview Steer Showmanship 1st place: Zachary Rutherford
Market Wether Goats, 9-12 months: 1st place Benjamin Roach
Grand Champion Market Wether Goats: Benjamin Roach
Meat Goat (Breeding), 0-6 months: 1st place Izzy Kent
Meat Goat (Breeding) over 6 months:
- 1st place Izzy Kent
- 2nd place Leah Rutherford
- 3rd place Reagan Roach
Grand Champion Meat Goat Breeding and Reserve Champion Meat Goat Breeding: Izzy Kent
Dairy Goat (Breeding), 0-6 months:
- 1st place Madison Fendley
- 2nd place Andrew Fendley
Dairy Goat (Breeding), over 6 months:
- 1st place Madison Fendley
- 2nd place Andrew Fendley
- 3rd place Dillon Conti
Grand Champion Dairy Goat Breeding: Madison Fendley
Reserve Champion Dairy Goat Breeding: Andrew Fendley
Showmanship (goats):
Senior: 1st place Dillon ContiIntermediate:
- 1st place Izzy Kent
- 2nd place Madison Fendley
- 3rd place Stewart Woodfin
Junior:
- 1st place Leah Rutherford
- 2nd place Andrew Fendley
- 3rd place Reagan Roach
Beef Breeding
Class I: Registered Angus: 1st place Tyler Simmons
Class II: Registered Angus:
- 1st place Tyler Simmons
- 2nd place Willow Foxworth
Grand Champion Registered Angus and Reserve Champion Registered Angus: Tyler Simmons
Registered Balancer: 1st place Izzy Kent
Grand Champion Registered Balancer: Izzy Kent
Registered Charolais:
- 1st place Izzy Kent
- 2nd place Zachary Rutherford
Registered Red Mott: 1st place Zachary Rutherford
Grand Champion Registered Red Mott: Zachary Rutherford
Registered Short Horn: 1st place Lane Booker
Grand Champion Registered Short Horn: Lane Booker
Grand Champion Registered: Izzy Kent
Reserve Champion Registered: Lane Booker
Commercial Class IX: 1st place Ethan Cunningham
Commercial Class X:
- 1st place Leah Rutherford
- 2nd place Zachary Stokes
- 3rd place Christian Feliberty
Commercial Class XI:
- 1st place Savana McGowin
- 2nd place Emily Dozier
- 3rd place Emma Stokes
Commercial Class XII:
- 1st place Colbie English
- 2nd place Travis Booker
- 3rd place Haylee Weaver
Grand Champion Commercial: Colbie English
Reserve Champion Commercial: Travis Booker
Grand Supreme Champion: Colbie English
Reserve Supreme Champion: Izzy Kent
Showmanship (beef breeding):
Senior:
- 1st place Zachary Rutherford
- 2nd place Savana McGowin
- 3rd place Zachary Stokes
Intermediate:
- 1st place Izzy Kent
- 2nd place Lane Booker
- 3rd place Jessica Conti
Junior:
- 1st place Leah Rutherford
- 2nd place Colbie English
Rabbits (Commercial California Class):
- 1st place Audrey Goetter
- 2nd place Stewart Woodfin
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Hundreds Of Elementary Students Shine At Sunshine Math Competition
May 1, 2016
Hundreds of third, fourth and fifth graders from across Escambia County took part in the Sunshine Math competition Saturday morning at Washington High School. There were 57 teams in the Escambia County Council of Teachers of Mathematics competition. Complete results were not immediately available.
Pictured top: A Molino Park Elementary School fourth grade Sunshine Math team hard at work Saturday morning. Pictured below: Top award winners and hundreds of students took part in the annual event. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary Celebrates Principal Beating Cancer
April 28, 2016
Byrneville Elementary School Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan had a really good day Wednesday. Less than 24 hours before arriving for work, she successfully completed breast cancer treatment.
Despite the daily radiation treatments, she never missed a day of school; she would come to work before leaving for her treatments.
Wednesday morning, she arrived to find her staff and students wearing pink in her honor.
And, like the family Byrneville Elementary School is, they celebrated victory against cancer together.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
