Helping Each Other In A Time Of Need. Company Pays It Forward To Build New Porch For Century Woman.
May 8, 2020
Helen Mincy of Century lives in little wood frame house on a Century street that bears her last name.
When a powerful EF-3 tornado ripped through Century on the afternoon of February 16, 2016, Mincy Court was pretty much ground zero for the strongest winds — an estimated 152 mph.
Mincy is often front and center in Century, working to make sure the citizens are not forgotten. After the tornado, she worked tirelessly to make sure Century got the help it deserved. For Mincy, it was all about helping each other in a time of need.
When state lawmakers toured the damage a few days after the tornado, she met them in the street and made sure they heard what she had to say.
“I don’t have anything and government officials need to get out here and help us. We ain’t got nothing,” she told the late Senator Greg Evers as he put his arm around her shoulders.
Fast forward to 2020. Her little house stands tattered, paint peeling from the outside walls. And there was no stable front porch between the front door and the front steps. It was not a good situation for a woman as young at heart as Ms. Helen.
When Justyn Dulac heard about Mincy’s plight, he decided to step up and pay it forward through his company, DuLac Commercial Cleaning, and build her a new porch.
“Ms. Mincy would awake day to day stepping over rotten wood on her porch as she moved in and out of her house,” DuLac said. So he and a few partners decided to pay it forward and rebuild her porch.
Mincy literally danced with joy as her new porch came together.
“Remember friends, this is what uniting is all about,” DuLac said, “helping one another in a time of need.”
Pictured above and below: DuLac Commercial Cleaning and friends build a new front porch for Helen Mincy of Century. Photos by Trey Goldsmith for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured inset: Mincy talks with the late Senator Greg Evers after a February 2016 EF-3 tornado tore across Mincy Court. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
UWF Students In Need Benefit From Laptops, Food, Financial Help
May 3, 2020
As the COVID-19 virus challenges University of West Florida students in ways never imagined, the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs is continuing its mission to support their personal development and academic success.
“Our students are facing a new normal and in this environment new challenges sometimes arise,” said Dr. Kim LeDuff, UWF chief diversity officer and vice president for the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs. “We continue to serve our students by providing traditional support, but we also realize that students and their families may be facing unique challenges. Staff in my division have been very innovative and quite successful in their efforts to support our campus community at this difficult time.”
The division, in coordination with University Advancement, developed a campaign that in less than a month has raised nearly $19,000 in donations for the Student Emergency Support Fund. The fund assists students with emergent needs including housing, utilities, minor vehicle repairs and food. The division has partnered with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to ensure students’ needs are met by leveraging its resources with the emergency grant funds offered through financial aid.
Case Management Services has assisted students with food through the Argo Pantry, emergency assistance, including housing, laptops and travel, connections to resources at UWF and in the community, along with communicating with faculty and staff about various situations which may impact students’ academic progress.
“Case Management has seen an increase in the number of students requesting financial assistance due to the recent impact of COVID-19,” said Dawn Rockey, assistant dean of students. “Students have reported an unexpected loss of income resulting in difficulty maintaining stable housing and acquiring food and other resources. We are thankful for the recent support from our UWF community and are currently in need of ongoing financial support and virtual donations.”
The Argo Pantry remains open on a limited basis from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. each Monday to provide food to students in need of assistance. Students unable to visit the pantry during that time frame are asked to contact Case Management to schedule an appointment at an alternative time. The Argo Pantry is in need of donations to provide students and accepts items through a wish list created on Amazon.
Cards From UWF Community Brighten Days For Nursing Home Residents
April 29, 2020
Greeting cards from the University of West Florida community recently brightened the days of residents in nursing homes, assisted facilities and senior centers throughout the Pensacola area.
The university mailed more than 3,500 cards to residents at 50 locations. Faculty and staff from 20 departments signed cards, featuring a pink camellia on the front and the words, “We hope you have a wonderful day! From your friends at the University of West Florida” written on the back.
“Residents are not only dealing with the fear of being infected by the COVID-19 virus, but they are doing so isolated from their loved ones,” said Betsy Bowers, vice president for finance and administration. “We sent these cards to let them know they are in our thoughts and UWF cares about them. We cherish the opportunity to brighten their day for just a few precious moments.”
Larissa Bell, activities director at Southern Oaks Care Center, said the residents appreciated the outpouring of support from the UWF community. She wrote a thank you note on behalf of Southern Oaks and its 190 residents.
“The residents and staff would like to thank each one of you that took the time to show your support and well wishes. It really brightened the residents’ day to know that they are not forgotten and are in your thoughts. They told me to tell you all thank you and may you all be blessed.”
Janet Suggs, activities director at Haven of Our Lady of Peace, expressed her gratitude in a note she wrote to the UWF community after the delivery cards to 110 Haven residents.
“The Haven residents and staff would like to thank each of you for taking your time to send cards! They were beautiful and heartfelt by all! Many thanks for being so thoughtful! Blessings to all of you.”
America Strong: Blue Angels, Thunderbirds Begin Multi-City Flyovers To Salute First Responders
April 27, 2020
In a show of national solidarity, the Navy’s Blue Angels, and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds will conduct a series of multi-city flyovers over the next two weeks.
America Strong is a collaborative salute from the Navy and Air Force to recognize healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Escambia County had a sneak peak last Tuesday as the Blue Angels and Thurderbirds flew over Escambia County.
“We are incredibly honored to have the opportunity to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response, we are in awe of your strength and resilience,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, U.S. Navy Blue Angels commanding officer and flight leader. “Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward. We will get through this. We are all in this together.”
The two demonstration teams will fly over areas of the country hardest hit by COVID-19, starting this week as both joint and individual team flights occurring every one-to-two days until mid-May.
“We are truly excited to take to the skies with our Navy counterparts for a nation-wide tribute to the men and women keeping our communities safe,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird 1 and mission commander for the flyover. “We hope to give Americans a touching display of American resolve that honors those serving on the frontline of our fight with COVID-19.”
The Blue Angels, based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, and Thunderbirds, based at Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, typically fly at more than 30 air shows each year to demonstrate American military aviation. This year, both teams have been forced to cancel many performances in response to Department of Defense direction resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.
While America Strong will showcase Department of Defense support to healthcare workers, first responders, military, essential employees, and aims to unite all Americans in the fight against COVID-19, it also fulfills critical training requirements for both teams. Pilots must execute a minimum number of flight hours to maintain proficiency. These flyovers will incur no additional cost to taxpayers.
In order to reach the maximum number of Americans, some portions of America Strong will feature only the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds, while others will include both teams flying in their signature Delta formations simultaneously.
Both the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly over New York City, Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
Pictured: The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds flew together over Escambia County last Tuesday. NorNorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell and Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Navy Federal Offering Grocery, Prepared Food Pick Up For Employees
April 27, 2020
Navy Federal is now offering curbside food services – including groceries and prepared food — for employees.
Navy Federal launched a “Shop With Us” service that allows employees to order food and other grocery items to be picked up same day. Through the program, employees can use an app to place orders for single person, family, or a la cart meals as well as in-demand grocery items like bottled water, milk, toilet paper, and fresh produce. Employees can schedule a convenient time for them to pick up the items at their campus location.
Navy Federal has also transitioned 80% of their workforce to be able to work from home, offers paid leave for team members impacted by school and day care closures, bonus pay for front line employees and is providing team members with masks and gloves for those that report to branch locations.
Learning To Teach In A Distant Learning World. It’s The New Reality For Student Teachers.
April 26, 2020
University of West Florida student teachers have made the transition to online classrooms alongside their cooperating teachers, implementing new technologies and learning invaluable lessons in agility that will serve them well in their future teaching careers.
The printer whirred in the background as University of West Florida senior, Kate Powers, answered the phone.
“Hello! I’m so sorry for getting back to you so late—I got busy! And now I’m just trying to print off a few assignments, actually they’re time capsules, for students to record living through COVID-19.”
Talking to Powers, who is finishing up her last semester as a student teacher at an elementary school, it’s evident that the work hasn’t stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic—it’s simply changed. These sudden, unprecedented changes are met with gumption by educators and student teachers like Powers.
Argos are resilient. When the waters get rough, they don’t turn back; they raise their sails. The student teachers at UWF will continue on—joining Zoom calls, helping teachers with remote lesson plans and thinking of their students from afar.
Student teaching is the capstone experience for students in the elementary education and ESE/elementary education degrees. During the semester-long experience, teacher candidates gradually assume full teaching responsibilities in a classroom with the guidance and support of an experienced teacher. They, along with the rest of class of 2020, will graduate with an unexpected skill set that will shine throughout their professional lives.
Following the lead of many other school districts, the Santa Rosa County School District, which includes Powers’ assigned school, made the decision to close schools in March. This meant that students wouldn’t return to the classroom following spring break. Teachers were left distraught, wondering how they would adapt to this “new normal.”
“It’s just been so sad for everyone,” Powers said. “I told all of my students on the Thursday before spring break, ‘have a great week’ without knowing it was the last time I would see them.”
In November, the UWF student teaching program began the national accreditation process, and they determined one of their opportunities for improvement was incorporating more technology into the program.
“The changes that came with COVID-19 have accelerated the introduction of technology, which is a good thing for many of our student teachers because they can adopt these skills into their own classrooms someday,” said Kelly Aeppli-Campbell, assistant director of field placement at UWF who works with student teachers as a professor of senior seminar. “Different counties utilize different learning platforms and technologies. This situation allows our students to work with their cooperating teachers and learn the practical application of designing a lot of the coursework for online.”
Aeppli-Campbell says that this shift has jump-started how they will change the program long-term, requiring their student teachers to design Google classrooms as a part of their coursework, among other virtual assignments.
Alongside their cooperating teachers, they’re adapting all facets of their lives, including learning new and utilizing familiar technologies and communication methods, to best serve their classrooms.
For Powers, she’s using this opportunity to help create lesson plans that can be sent home or accessed entirely online.
“It’s been challenging because I work alongside my cooperating teacher in a fifth grade exceptional student education inclusion classroom,” she said. “Prior to COVID-19, I had the experience of learning how to cater to every child’s individual learning needs. Now we’re adapting those practices into work that can be sent home or accessed online.”
In addition to completing her final semester remotely, she’s also been working alongside her mom, who is a fourth grade teacher at Berryhill Elementary School in Milton.
“My mom, grandmother and aunt are all teachers,” she said. “When I was in the second grade, I used to envision how I would set up my own classroom someday. While my on-site student teaching experience has ended, I’m able to work alongside my mom and see the behind-the-scenes action of continuing to teach during this crisis.”
Like Powers, teaching runs in the family for UWF senior Ashtyn Kaunitz, who will also graduate in May. Kaunitz’s love for teaching was born in her grandmother’s first grade classroom, where she was an assistant. She says now that she’s close to completing her degree and student teaching assignment, education has become her passion.
Kaunitz is engaging with her students at Bagdad Elementary school in Milton using Zoom, an interface which allows online video conferencing. She says the response has been positive.
“I’m able to lead Zoom meetings with the students to help them catch up on new concepts and ask questions,” Kaunitz said. “The students are excited to talk to me and eager to turn in their work, despite missing the classroom experience. I think it is an exciting and new way to learn, and it may never need to happen again on this scale.”
Annie Buck is a UWF student who plans to graduate this Spring. She is interning at Montclair Elementary School in the Escambia County School District and like her fellow education students, she notes the challenges of shifting to online learning.
“As teachers, we can only do so much when we are not in the classroom with our students,” Buck said. “Making sure that they do not walk away from their computer during the day is a challenge because there is only so much we can do over the computer.”
Over a short period of time she has been working tirelessly; from keeping students on task to assisting her cooperating teacher with making tote bags to help students ease into distance learning. Despite the challenges, she says an unanticipated positive reaction has emerged from the crisis: a newfound gratitude from her students.
“I think that this situation has changed the way that some of the students view school,” Buck said. “I believe that a big part of the students’ work ethic, while we are out of school, is because of the relationships we have built with the students and also their parents. It has made the process of switching to distance learning easier. The students that I have in my class are making the teacher that I work with, and me, very proud.”
The physical classrooms may be empty, but the compassion from teachers to help their students is as present as ever.
“We want your children to succeed just as much as you do,” Buck said. “They have a special place in our heart, and just because things are tough right now does not mean we have given up, we just work harder.”
Keaton Brown, Kendall Barrow Named EREC Scholarship Winners
April 25, 2020
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has named the winners of the 2020 Herman D. Johnson Scholarship Awards. They are Keaton Brown from Northview High School in Escambia County and Kendall Barrow from Jay High School in Santa Rosa County.
Each will receive $1,000 each for four years providing they continue to meet the scholarship criteria.
Keaton Brown is the son of Chris and Sandy Brown. He is currently ranked at the top of his class. He plans to major in aerospace engineering and was nominated by Congressman Matt Gaetz to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Brown is an active member of the NJROTC and has served in several positions including orienting team captain, color guard commander, drill team commander and administration officer. Brown is team captain for the cross country team and vice president of the math club. He is also a member of the Beta Club and school advisory council and has volunteered with the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Walnut Hill Club. Brown served as an EREC delegate for the Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., youth tours.
Kendall Barrow is the daughter of Frederick and Jeanna Barrow. She is planning to attend the University of West Florida and major in elementary education. Barrow is an honor student at Jay High School and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Pensacola State College. She plays basketball for the Royals and is a member of the student government association, Beta Club and National Honor Society. Barrow is a K-4 assistant at Faith Christian Academy. Barrow also volunteers at the Jay Pro Rodeo, My Father’s Arrows and Kings Harvest.
Photos: Blue Angels And Thunderbirds Fly Over Escambia County
April 22, 2020
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flew over Pensacola Beach and downtown Pensacola Tuesday afternoon. Pictured above and below: The U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell and Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Grant Gets His Wish – A Really Big Rolling Birthday Parade (With Photo Gallery)
April 21, 2020
Almost every little boys loves cars and trucks.
Especially Grant, who was born with a congenital heart defect. He’s proudly celebrating his seventh birthday in Cantonment, and scores of people came together Monday evening to help him celebrate.
The procession included the public safety vehicles you might expect to see in any parade — Escambia County Sheriff’s Office vehicles and motorcycles, Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County Mounted Posse, Florida Highway Patrol.
And there were race cars, lines of motorcycles, several car clubs, sports cars, antique cars, cement trucks, an old military vehicle, a fleet of wreckers and more. Even Pensacola’s boat car (it’s a car and a boat). Everything a seven-year old boy could wish for.
Grant was scheduled for a Make-A-Wish Foundation trip this year, but that was canceled for now due to the pandemic.
Instead, the community came together to give Grant, who was wearing his own personalized “Happy Quarantined Birthday” shirt, a rolling birthday parade to remember.
And he received his own set of wheels — a kid-sized four wheeler.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos by Meagan Kennedy and Alisa Sanders for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Here Are The New Honor Society Members At Ernest Ward Middle School
April 17, 2020
New members were scheduled to inducted into the National Junior Honor Society during a candlelight ceremony Friday at Ernest Ward Middle School, but that was canceled due to the pandemic.
The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.
New 2020 National Junior Honor Society members at Ernest Ward are:
Rabekah Abbott
Emma Benson
Olivia Boatwright
Ava Brock
Blakely Campbell
Ashton Covan
Chloe Criswell
Colton Criswell
Beau Daw
Payton Daw
Carsyn Dortch
Maddie Driskell
Tyteanna Dubose
Mayson Edwards
Alysia Enfinger
Noah Faulkner
Aliyah Fountain
Raleigh Gibson
Jamison Gilman
Braden Glick
Noah Goslee
Madalyn Grimes
Ava Gurganus
Jade Howell
Mary C. Hughes
Markavia Johnson
Aubree Jordan
Laura Laborde
Kamryn Langham
Madison Levins
Jared Long
Brooke Lytton
Logan Madden
Evin Matlock
Mattie McLaney
Addison Miller
Chloe Morris
Colby Pugh
Ally Richardson
Naoki Rogers
Maggie Scott
Lilly Smallwood
Brit Smith
Mallory Smith
Zakyla Smith
Jayden White
Brian Yoder
Brandon Odom
NorthEscambia.com file photo.