Local Teachers Receive Foundation Grants For Excellence
October 6, 2023
The Escambia County Public Schools Foundation is awarding over $100,000 in grants to teachers, schools and departments through its Grants for Excellence program for the current school year. These funds are being awarded to 17 recipients, focusing on Literacy, Low Performing Students & Graduation Rates. This year, grants awarded are between $2,000 and $7,500 for high-impact projects.
Grants for Excellence recipients are:
- Lacey Blackmon — Jim Allen Elementary School
- Lori Perkins — McArthur Elementary School
- Kristin Maum — J.M. Tate High School
- Shannon Rowe — Scenic Heights Elementary School
- Stephanie Odom — Montclair Elementary School
- Brooke Ferrara — Beulah Elementary School
- Roberta Wetzel — Jim C. Bailey Middle School
- Molly O’Connor — Roy Hyatt Environmental Center
- Jennifer Kemp — C.A. Weis Elementary
- Julia Britt — Bellview Middle School
- Yohana Lopez — Ensley Elementary School
- Sabra Kuhlman — Holm Elementary School
- Elizabeth Greenberg — Montclair Elementary School
- Megan Currie — Scenic Heights Elementary School
- Rebecca Hatch — Molino Park Elementary School
- Suzanne DeLay — ECPS Math and Science Department
- Stacey Duncan — McArthur Elementary School
Grants for Excellence are funded by the Escambia County Public School Foundation and matching grant funds from the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations through the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program.
Pictured: Molly O’Connor and the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center were one of the recipients of a Grant for Excellence. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Home Near McDavid, Sending One To The Hospital
October 5, 2023
Fire destroyed a home near McDavid Thursday afternoon and sent one person to the hospital.
About 4:11 p.m., a passerby reported the fire on the front porch of the home in the 1800 block of Lambert Bridge Road, just west of Pine Barren Road.
The occupants of the home were able to escape. One person was transported by Escambia County EMS to an area hospital for evaluation. Family pets reportedly did not escape the blaze.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The McDavid, Walnut Hill and Century stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded.
For additional photos, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Semi Hauling 14 Crushed Vehicles Crashes On I-10
October 5, 2023
A semi hauling 14 crushed cars crashed on I-10 just west of Pensacola Boulevard Thursday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a 61-year old Mobile man lost control of hs semi and crashed in the median. The trailer became separated from the truck, causing the trailer to overturn multiple times into the median — depositing 14 crushed cars into the median.
There were no injuries, but traffic was delayed for the cleanup.
New $2.7 Million Locker, Multipurpose Building Completed At Ashton Brosnaham Park
October 5, 2023
Construction is complete on a new $2.7 million multiuse locker room facility at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
The two story facility will serve as additional locker room space for the SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament and other sporting events. Features at the facility include restrooms and showers for team sports use, an open space with sliding walls on the first floor, and meeting and office spaces on the second floor. The open space on the first floor will be available for rent and can be used for meetings, birthday parties and other events.
“We have an incredible team in our Parks department who understand the value recreation brings to our quality of life in Escambia County,” said Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes. “Contractors and our staff have worked hard to finish this new building in time for the 2023 SEC tournament, and I am incredibly proud we could meet this timeline. Additionally, we have made improvements to our soccer turf that will not only fit the needs of the elite athletes in the Southeastern Conference but will also benefit the local soccer players along with our local colleges.”
The Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex will serve as the location for the Southeastern Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament for the second year in a row, October 29 through November 5. The 2022 event saw record-breaking attendance numbers and generated $2.5 million in local economic impact.
“I’m thrilled with the work our Parks department has done at Ashton Brosnaham over the last year,” said District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry. “I want to thank Michael Rhodes and his team for their diligent work to make Ashton Brosnaham one of the best parks in Escambia County. I also want to thank Ray Palmer and Pensacola Sports for their strong partnership and advocacy in bringing high-level sports to our county. District 5 looks forward to welcoming the SEC again in the coming weeks.”
“We are thankful to Escambia County and Pensacola Sports for providing a tremendous venue to conduct our SEC Soccer Championship,” said SEC Associate Commissioner/SWA Tiffany Daniels. “Their proven commitment to this event with the addition of this building promises to provide lasting memories for our student-athletes and an outstanding experience for SEC soccer fans from across the region.”
A ribbon cutting for the new building will be held in about two weeks.
Photos for and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Names Students Of The Month
October 5, 2023
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their September Students of the Month. They are Audrey Franklin, Kyndal Hadley and Emily Maughon. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Six People, Including Three Children, Injured In Escambia County Wreck
October 5, 2023
Six people, including three children, were injured in a serious wreck Wednesday afternoon in Escambia County.
The driver of a black Buick failed to yield the right of way and turned in front of another vehicle on Highway 98 near Fairfield Drive, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Two passengers were ejected from the Buick.
The 75-year old Buick driver and passengers — ages 12 years, two years, and an infant under age one — were all seriously injured. The 18-year old driver of the second vehicle received minor injuries while his 18-year old passenger was seriously injured.
Troopers said the infant and 2-year old were not in proper child restraints.
The FHP is continuing their investigation.
File photo.
Sunny, Upper 80s Today; Maybe The Upper 40s For Some This Weekend
October 5, 2023
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. North wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. North wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 74. North wind around 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 78.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Winning Fantasy 5 Ticket Worth Over $22K Sold In Beulah
October 5, 2023
Someone is over $22,000 richer after purchasing a winning Florida Lottery Fantasy 5 ticket in Beulah.
The ticket sold at the SP Food Mart at West Nine Mile Road and Bridlewood Road was one of six winning tickets in the Wednesday evening drawing and is worth $22,614.39. The five other winning tickets were sold in Orlando, Palm Harbor, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie and Miami.
The Wednesday evening winning numbers were 7-11-17-21-25.
Good Sports: Tate, Northview Volleyball Honor Their Opponents On Senior Night
October 5, 2023
Call it good sportsmanship. Call it Southern hospitality. Call it class.
Call it what you like, but it’s just the way things are done in the Aggie Nation and Northview Chiefs land.
Like tens of thousands of high school volleyball teams across the nation, the Lady Aggies and the Lady Chiefs celebrated their senior nights this week.
It’s a happy moment. And a few tears are shed as players, and a lot of times moms and dads, realize their time on the court is coming to a close.
At both Tate and Northview, seniors were announced one by one, escorted onto the court by family. There are those tears, smiles, hugs and lots of flowers. Many of the seniors’ favorite moments were shared (so what was up with the Tate bus breaking down by the road a few years ago?).
But before the hometown seniors were recognized, there was a moment at both schools we think you should know about.
Tate and Northview recognized the visiting seniors from their opponents — flowers and all.
It was a small gesture that says big things about the Lady Aggies, the Lady Chiefs and good sportsmanship.
Pictured top: On their senior night, the Northview Lady Chiefs recognized the seniors from opponent Laurel Hill. Pictured below: The Tate Lady Aggies recognized the seniors from opponent Fort Walton Beach. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
ECSO Expanding Mental Health Co-Responder Unit Program Using State Grant
October 5, 2023
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is set to expand their Mental Health Co-Responder Unit.
The unit was formed in October 2022, and now the department has received the first $100,000 of a $549,245 state grant for the expansion.
Since August of 2022, the mental health unit has provided internal services to members of the ECSO. The unit has already provided approximately 135 sessions to members of the agency, and they look to stand up the external co-response portion in January.
The unit will work alongside mental health professionals for mental health-related calls and will provide immediate care and resources for community members in their time of need. Not only will the unit provide a co-response to mental health calls for service, but it will also provide mental health-related services within the agency.
The program is one of only two in the state to combine sworn law enforcement deputies with mental health clinicians.
The ECSO will utilize two career law enforcement officers who hold master’s degrees in mental health counseling for this program. In addition to these sworn law enforcement officers, the ECSO plans to field three units, each consisting of a sworn deputy and a mental health clinician, to respond to calls involving mental health complaints. This unit will be both proactive and reactive.
“We have been working on this program for a couple of years now and we’ve already seen the benefits of the internal portion. Now we are at a point where we can move forward with the external portion of this program,” Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “Mental health is becoming more and more important when providing law enforcement services. Our unique co-responder unit allows us to provide services to our employees, as well as free patrol deputies to answer other calls for service. This is a huge step in the right direction, and we are hopeful that we can continue to build on this model. We are being progressive about changing the cultural viewpoints and perspectives of law enforcement regarding mental health response.”
“Co-responder units are the gold standard for providing street-level mental health services in our community,” said Davis Josephs, clinical director at Lakeview Center. “I appreciate the opportunity to partner with Sheriff Simmons on this initiative.”