Local Boys, Girls State Attendees Honored
July 16, 2014
A reception was held Tuesday night at the American Legion Post 90 in Atmore to honor local students that attended Alabama Boys State and Alabama Girls State last month.
Recognized were: Austin Cunningham and Tristan Portwood from Northview High School; Scott Brantley and Nate Smith from Escambia Academy; Brooke Bell and Jacob Esser from Flomaton High School; and Christin Simpkins, Ben Hubert and Rodrick Felder from Escambia County High School.
Local students attending the Boys and Girls State program each year are sponsored by the American Legion and American Legion Ladies Auxiliary.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Girl, 11, Called A Hero For Saving Younger Sisters From House Fire
July 15, 2014
An 11-year old Atmore girls is being called a hero today for saving her two younger sisters from a house fire early Saturday night.
Rubye Nix was in the living room with her sisters when it’s believed lightning struck outside the home, causing sparks to fly from a window air conditioner and start a fire. She was playing on an iPad when the fire started and she immediately went into action.
“My one-year-old sister was asleep and my four-year-old sister was on my lap. I smelled something burning and saw a small fire, so I grabbed my baby sisters and ran them out of the house,” she said Monday as her mother Toni Capers and stepfather Jerry Capers were searching through the charred ruble for anything that could be salvaged.
Jerry was home with the kids Saturday night as Toni was at work. The power went out, so he went two doors down to check and see if a neighbor had also lost electricity. It was in those few minutes that the lightning struck, sparking the fire. As Jerry returned home and saw smoke, he rushed back into the house thinking the three girls were still inside. He suffered first, second and third degree burns on his hands as he searched through the burning home for his family.
Rubye said she had learned from her parents and her school teachers about how to get out in the case of fire.
“You teach them what to do,” Toni said, “but you hope they never have to do it.”
“I was thinking, ‘okay, there’s a fire, I’m getting out’,” Rubye said.
“Nothing makes me more proud than to know that you grabbed them and ran,” mom Toni told Rubye Monday as they stood in the debris. “Because I can get through this.”
The home on Forest Avenue was a complete loss from the fire. The American Red Cross temporarily put the family up into a hotel through Tuesday night. Beyond that, the family said they don’t have a place to go.
Picturd top: Rubye Nix, 11, and her mom Toni Capers. Pictured top inset: Rubye’s stepfather Jerry Capers suffered burns on his hands after he entered the burning home looking for his three girls. Pictured bottom inset: Rubye and her mother search though the rubble looking for salvageable items Monday. Pictured below: The family’s home was destroyed by the fire. Photos by Anthony Pura/WEAR 3, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo: Rainbow Over Cantonment Fire Station
July 15, 2014
Pictured: A rainbow Monday afternoon over Escambia County Fire Rescue Station 4 in Cantonment. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Summer Reading Required For Ernest Ward, Ransom Middle Students
July 15, 2014
Students attending Ernest Ward or Ransom Middle schools in the fall have a summer reading assignment. The students are assigned to read one novel from a reading list for each grade before the first day of school on August 18.
The Ransom Middle School library will be August 5 from noon until 4 p.m. for students to check out books that are due by August 19.
Novels can be purchased at area book stores, online or checked out from a school or West Florida Regional Library branch. They can be purchased and read on an e-reader such as the Kindle, Nook or iPad.
Projects focusing on the students’ understanding of basic literature terms and comprehension of the novel will be assigned by language arts teachers once the school year begins.
The Ernest Ward and Ransom Middle reading lists are as follows:
Incoming 6th grade:
- A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story, Linda Sue Park
- A Long Way from Chicago, Richard Peck
- Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson (***Ransom only)
- Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, Jordan Sonnenblick (***Ernest Ward only)
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
- Mockingbird, Kathryn Erkine
- Old Yeller, Fred Gipson
- Slob, Ellen Potter
- The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Avi
- The Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White
- The View from Saturday, E.L Konigsburg
Incoming 7th grade:
- Any Which Wall , Laurel Snyder
- Breaking Stalin’s Nose, Eugene Yelchin
- Dragonwings, Laurence Yep
- Eragon, Christopher Paolini
- Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini, Sid Fleischman
- Heart of a Samurai, Margi Preus
- Lost in the River of Grass, Ginny Rorby
- Moon over Manifest, Clare Vanderpool
- One Crazy Summer, Rita Williams-Garcia
- The Anybodies, N.E. Bode
- After Ever After, Jordon Sonnenblick (***Ernest Ward only)
Incoming 8th grade:
- Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
- Carver: a Life in Poems, Marilyn Nelson
- Dead End in Norvelt, Jack Gantos
- Fire from the Rock, Sharon Draper
- Football Genius, Tim Green
- Lockdown, Walter Dean Myers
- Peter and the Starcatchers, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
- Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood , Ibtisam Barakat
- The Wednesday Wars, Gary D. Schmidt
- Wild Things, Clay Carmichael
For more information, contact your child’s school.
Northview, Tate, West Florida, Ernest Ward FFA Members Attend State Convention
July 15, 2014
About 40 Escambia County middle and high school students attended the 86th Florida FFA Convention earlier this month in Orlando. Escambia County was represented by FFA chapters from Northview, Tate and West Florida high schools, and Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured top: Escambia County’s FFA members at the state convention in Orlando. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
First Baptist Bratt Celebrates Freedom; Burns Mortgage Note
July 14, 2014
The First Baptist Church of Bratt held a very special “Freedom Sunday” this weekend. The Freedom Choir presented the musical “It’s America: The Songs We Sing…The Land We Love”. There was also a special message on freedoms, and the church”burned the note” to celebrate paying off their Family Life Center. Photos by Marcella Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Healthy Summer Series: Sun Safety Tips
July 13, 2014
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin in as little as 15 minutes. Follow these recommendations to help protect yourself and your family.
Shade
You can reduce your risk of skin damage and skin cancer by seeking shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter before you need relief from the sun. Your best bet to protect your skin is to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing when you’re outside—even when you’re in the shade.
Clothing
When possible, long-sleeved shirts and long pants and skirts can provide protection from UV rays. Clothes made from tightly woven fabric offer the best protection. A wet T-shirt offers much less UV protection than a dry one, and darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors. Some clothing certified under international standards comes with information on its ultraviolet protection factor.
If wearing this type of clothing isn’t practical, at least try to wear a T-shirt or a beach cover-up. Keep in mind that a typical T-shirt has an SPF rating lower than 15, so use other types of protection as well.
Hat
For the most protection, wear a hat with a brim all the way around that shades your face, ears, and the back of your neck. A tightly woven fabric, such as canvas, works best to protect your skin from UV rays. Avoid straw hats with holes that let sunlight through. A darker hat may offer more UV protection.
If you wear a baseball cap, you should also protect your ears and the back of your neck by wearing clothing that covers those areas, using sunscreen with at least SPF 15, or by staying in the shade.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure.
Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection. Most sunglasses sold in the United States, regardless of cost, meet this standard. Wrap-around sunglasses work best because they block UV rays from sneaking in from the side.
Sunscreen
Put on sunscreen before you go outside, even on slightly cloudy or cool days. Don’t forget to put a thick layer on all parts of exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back. And remember, sunscreen works best when combined with other options to prevent UV damage.
How sunscreen works. Most sun protection products work by absorbing, reflecting, or scattering sunlight. They contain chemicals that interact with the skin to protect it from UV rays. All products do not have the same ingredients; if your skin reacts badly to one product, try another one or call a doctor.
SPF. Sunscreens are assigned a sun protection factor (SPF) number that rates their effectiveness in blocking UV rays. Higher numbers indicate more protection. You should use a sunscreen with at least SPF 15.
Reapplication. Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
Expiration date. Check the sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.
Cosmetics. Some makeup and lip balms contain some of the same chemicals used in sunscreens. If they do not have at least SPF 15, don’t use them by themselves.
McDavid Church To Host Women’s Conference
July 13, 2014
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church in McDavid is hosting a one-day Women’s Conference on July 19 titled “Daughters of the King: Knowing Who We are in Christ.”
Tickets are on sale now for $10 per person, which includes breakfast, lunch and door prizes. Worship will be lead by Leah Taylor with message by guest speaker Julie Pickern. To purchase advance tickets contact Lisa Anderson at (850) 207-0006.
“We hope you will join us as we discover from God’s Word and through personal testimonies the awesome privileges and great responsibilities of being an heir to the Most High King,” organizer Danielle Brown said.
The event will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church located at 170 W Bogia Road in McDavid, just west of Highway 29.
The Blues Are Back! (With Friday Photo Gallery)
July 12, 2014
The Blue Angels were back in the skies over Pensacola Beach Friday in a full dress rehearsal in front of tens of thousands of people for the annual Pensacola Beach Air Show on Saturday.
Pictured: The Blue Angels dress rehearsal Friday afternoon over Pensacola Beach. Photos by Raja Atallah for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Watermelons For Sale
July 12, 2014
It’s watermelon season, with roadside vendors in Walnut Hill selling fresh melons by the dozens on Friday. Local farmer James Earl Hall’s melons are for sale on Highway 97 at Pine Forest Road (just south of Highway 4) for $6 each. Friday, they were being sold with the help of Maddox Hall, Dawson Brown and Alex Davis (pictured). NorthEscambia.com photos by BethanyReynolds, click to enlarge.
