Escambia School Choice Expo Is Tonight
October 20, 2022
The Escambia County School District’s School Choice Expo will be held Thursday night at Washington HIgh School from 6-7:30 p.m.
Representatives from the district’s career academies and choice schools will provide information about their programs at the event that typically has over 1,000 in attendance.
“The school district is excited to once again be offering our School Choice Expo to the community,” said coordinator Chris McFarland. “This is a great opportunity for our students to experience all the awesome programs and school choice transfers available to our students in one venue.”
Career academies will have informative displays and vendors will provide gift bags.
The middle and high school open enrollment period continues through December 2. For elementary schools, the open enrollment period will be January 30 until March 10, 2023.
File photos.
Cantonment Lodge Adopts Ransom Middle Teacher, Ernest Ward Middle
October 20, 2022
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 has adopted Ernest Ward Middle School and a teacher at Ransom Middle School as part of their “Adopt a School” and “Adopt a Teacher” programs.
During a Public Education and Citizenship Appreciation dinner, the Lodge honored Ernest Ward Middle Assistant Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. EWMS was adopted to help support their Positive Behavior Support program.
Ransom Middle teacher Trevor Webb was adopted as a first-year teacher.
Pictured top: The Cantonment Masonic Lodge recognized Ernest Ward Middle Assistant Principal Tyvanna Boulanger. Pictured below: Ransom Middle teacher Trevor Webb was adopted by the Lodge. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Johnny Ray Burkett, Sr.
October 20, 2022
Mr. Johnny Ray Burkett, Sr; age 64, passed away, Tuesday, October 18, 2022, in Pensacola, FL. He was a lifelong resident of Atmore, AL; and a member of Westside Baptist Church. He was employed with Masland Carpets with 42 years of service.
Mr. Burkett enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He was an avid Alabama Football Fan, and always loved going to the Smoky Mountains. He had a love for gospel and country music, especially Johnny Cash. He had a heart of gold and was a faithful church goer. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle, an avid tootsie roll eater, and he enjoyed drinking a good cup of coffee.
He preceded in death by his parents, Comer Eugene (Lela Frances Bruce) Burkett, two brothers, Tommy Burkett, James Burkett, and one sister, Cindy Burkett.
He is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Barbara Burkett, of Atmore, AL; one son Johnny Ray (Samantha) Burkett, Jr; of Atmore, AL; one daughter, Jennifer Karen Burkett (George Hughes) of Flomaton, AL; four brothers, Gene (Mazie) Burkett, of Atmore, AL; Floyd (Frances) Burkett, of Nokomis, AL; Wayne (Diane) Burkett, of Atmore, AL; Michael (Rainey) Burkett, of Atmore, AL; four sisters, Ruby Sanspree, of Atmore, AL; Francis Godwin, of Atmore, AL; Claudia Powell, of Perdido, AL; Shirley Boatwright, of Atmore, AL; six grandchildren, Kinkade Hadley, Daniel Green, Bryson Burkett, John Hollis Denard, Marley Denard, Gillian Denard, numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Friday, October 21, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC. with Rev. Clarence Rolin officiating.
Burial will follow at Serenity Gardens Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Friday, October 20, 2022 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Floyd Burkett, Michael Burkett, Cynthia Scott, Kenny Boatwright, Dewayne Boatwright, and Scottie Eugene Burkett.
Honorary pallbearers will be Tommy Godwin, Stephen Burkett, and Toby Jordan.
Escambia County Names Teachers Of The Year
October 19, 2022
Escambia County Teachers of the Year have been announced.
One of them will be named the Escambia County School District’s overall Teacher of the year.
NorthEscambia.com will introduce you to many of the individual North Escambia area Teachers of the Year in the coming weeks.
The Teachers of the Year by school are:
Elementary Schools
- Jim Allen Elementary — Kristi Mims
- Bellview Elementary — Erin Bartush
- Beulah Elementary — Sara Smith
- Blue Angels Elementary — Mary Crisson
- Bratt Elementary — Pamela Trice
- Brentwood Elementary — Audrey Brown
- Hellen Caro Elementary — Andrea McGinnis
- N. B. Cook Elementary — Dawn Jackson
- Cordova Park Elementary — Jessica Stallings
- Ensley Elementary — Lashandra Dean
- Ferry Pass Elementary — Lisa Moss
- Global Learning Academy — Carmen Dones
- Holm Elementary — Michelle Davison
- Kingsfield Elementary School — Melanie Johnson
- Lincoln Park Elementary — Jamila Richardson
- Lipscomb Elementary — Holly Griffin
- Longleaf Elementary — Susan Watkins
- McArthur Elementary — Dawn Bechtol
- Molino Park Elementary — Christin Love
- Montclair Elementary — Kathryn Lovely
- Myrtle Grove Elementary — Mershun Deas
- Navy Point Elementary — Kayla Murray-Galloway
- Oakcrest Elementary — George Grace
- Pine Meadow Elementary — David Vaughn
- Pleasant Grove Elementary — Jacqueline Hogan
- Scenic Heights Elementary — Heather Gagnet
- O.J. Semmes Elementary — Krystin Johnson
- Sherwood Elementary — Nina Bryant
- A. K. Suter Elementary — Anna Harageones
- Warrington Elementary — Jennifer Godwin
- C. A. Weis Elementary — Sierra Yingst
- West Pensacola Elementary — Debbie Jewell
Middle Schools
- Bailey Middle School — Rachel Bryans
- Bellview Middle — Leslie Schottgen
- Beulah Middle — Danielle O’Connor
- Brown Barge Middle — Lauren Meiss
- Ernest Ward Middle — Michelle Thomas
- Ferry Pass Middle — Rebecca Duben
- Ransom Middle — Christopher Norris
- Warrington Middle — Sharde Wiggins
- Workman Middle — Tyrese Person
High Schools
- Escambia High School — Kylee Tullos
- Northview High School — Donna McMillan
- Pensacola High School — Lisette Guttery
- Pine Forest High School — Dr. Tonita Goldston
- Tate High School — Nikki Gill
- Washington High School — Gary Horne
- West Florida High School — Angela McFarland
Other Schools and Centers
- Escambia Westgate — Jimitre McMillan
- Achieve Academy — Angela Griffith
- Alternative Education — Karen Hutchinson
- Beulah Academy of Science — DeEdra Wesemann
- Capstone Academy — Angelique Smith
- Escambia Virtual — Linda Patti
- Hope Horizon — Elizabeth (Beth) Howard
- Success Academy — Allison Roberts
Leaders Discuss Escambia Gun Violence Solutions
October 19, 2022
Tuesday night, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office hosted a Gun Violence Round Table event to address gun violence and explore potential solutions.
Sheriff Chip Simmons said there have been 25 homicides so far this year, but none of them have been random, and none have been gang-related. The increase is not across the board; he said the number of violent crimes like aggravated assaults, robberies and sexual batteries not increasing.
“You may hear that crime is going up and up but statistically, that is not true in every benchmark,” Simmons said during the event at the Brownsville Community Center. “I can tell you that these numbers that are considered violent crime are at or below last year’s level.”
“When a gun discharges, we are missing a lot of shots fired calls because people become so immune to it in their community that they just figure that nothing can be done about it. That’s unacceptable,” Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall said.
The group, consisting of city, county and state officials, agreed that it will take time to find the ultimate answer to gun violence in Escambia County. They plan to schedule additional meetings to work toward executing solutions.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
VFW Essay Contest Winners Named
October 19, 2022
Savanna Hudson has been named Northview High School’s winner of the Atmore VFW Post 7016 essay contest.
Second and third place winners of the “Why The Veteran Is Important” themed contest were Tyler Carach and Samantha Minchew. English teacher Vicki Baggett organizes the event for Northview, and selected teachers grade the essays.
They will now compete with other students from the area for scholarship opportunities.
Pictured: (L-R) Samantha Mitchell, Tyler Carach and Savanna Hudson. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With DUI, Felony Grand Theft Of A Stop Sign
October 19, 2022
A Cantonment man charged with DUI and felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a stop sign after crashing into it.
Dean Micah Hatcher, 20, was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and grand theft of a stop sign.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a prowler complaint on Old Bridge Road in Cantonment. He arrived to find Hatcher behind the wheel of a red GMC truck that was idling stationary with the rear half of the vehicle in the road and the front half in a driveway. The deputy also observed two stop signs in the back of the truck, a ong with the street signs for the intersection of Annie Bell Drive and Earl Gene Road. One of the stop sign poles had paint transfer from the truck that was consistent with damage to the front of the truck, all according to an arrest report.
The deputy and a responding Florida Highway Patrol Trooper both noted in the report that they could smell the odor of alcohol on Hatcher’s breath. A field sobriety test was conducted, and he was placed under arrest. He was released on a $4,000 bond.
Under Florida law, the theft of any stop sign is a felony offense.
Northview And Tate Fall In District Volleyball Tournament Play
October 19, 2022
Both Northview and Tate fell in district volleyball tournament play Tuesday.
In 6A District 1, Gulf Breeze defeated Tate in three straight, 25-17, 25-11, 25-9. Navarre will be at Gulf Breeze Thursday night for the district championship
The Aggies finished their season at 13-14 overall.
In 1A District 1, Baker beat Northview in three straight, 25-6, 25-17, 25-11.
Jay defeated Central 3-2 to advance to the district championship Thursday night against Baker.
Northview’s season ended at 6-11.
Pictured: Gulf Breeze at Tate earlier this season. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Lower 30s And Frost Wednesday Night
October 19, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia forecast:
Wednesday Night: Areas of frost after 4am. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 33. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Areas of frost before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 67. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 40. Calm wind.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.
Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 46. Calm wind.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 80.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Gonzalez Farm Share Thanksgiving Food Distribution Planned For November 12
October 19, 2022
Rep. Michelle Salzman, Farm Share and other community partners are sponsoring a Thanksgiving food distribution on Saturday, November 12 in Gonzalez.
The event begins at 8 a.m. and will continue while supplies last (minimum of 300 families) at the Gonzalez United Methodist Church.
“Feeding the community has been one of our office’s top priorities. The north end of our county has many unique challenges, one being the lack of access to community-based resources. Providing a Thanksgiving meal to our families will be a much-needed blessing this holiday season,” Salzman said.
The food distribution will include fresh food from Farm Share, a donated whole chicken from The Butcher Shoppe, and the traditional holiday sides such as cranberry sauce, corn, stuffing, green beans and more.
The distribution is made possible by partners including Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry, Florida Power & Light, International Paper, Tyler Kercher with State Farm, Aaron Erskine, A Foundation for Hope and more.
This Thanksgiving food distribution site will be drive-thru with a designated space for walk-up. Vehicles may line up no earlier than 7:30 a.m. on the day of the event. To volunteer, call volunteer coordinator Jennifer Harrison at (850) 741-6024 or email Jennifer.Harrison@myfloridahouse.gov.
Pictured: A Farm Share food distribution on July 30 in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
