2019 Annual Youth Art Exhibit Winners Announced
February 4, 2019
For the 65th year, the Escambia County School District has partnered with the Pensacola Museum of Art to present the Annual Youth Art Focus, an annual exhibition showcasing the talents of Escambia County art students and educators.
From now until Feb. 17, visitors can view the amazing works from over 500 art students and educators and take in their strong artistic achievements. The exhibition creates an opportunity for ECSD art students to experience the fine art world and enjoy the feeling that comes with having their work on display, celebrates ECSD art instructors for their talent, and invites the community to to take a glimpse at the thriving art world inside ECSD schools.
The 65th Annual Youth Art Focus exhibit is available for viewing now until Feb. 17, 2019. The 2019 student and instructor winners were honored at receptions for the artists and their families and friends last week. Stop by and enjoy all of their artwork! Museum hours and admission information is provided below.
The 2019 winners are:
Art Educators:
3rd – Denise Quirk Vowell, Love Bird, Hellen Caro Elementary School
2nd – Sarah Stubbs, Sweet, Northview High School
1st – Sarah Ingram, Restoration, West Florida High School
Best in Show – Katherine Discepolo, Tronco, Global Learning Academy
Student Artist Best in Show:
David Barthod-Perez, West Florida High, Forestful Rest
High School Student Artists:
Painting:
3rd – Katie Munoz, Washington, Moroccan Blues
2nd – Ben Crossin, Washington, Peacock
1st – Benjamin Darby, Pensacola High School, Look What You Have Done
Drawing:
3rd – Loc Pham, Washington, Yokai
2nd – Jolie Kennedy, Tate High, Metallic Slithering
1st – Scarlett Coffey, Washington, Self Portrait
Photography/Digital Arts:
3rd – Maggie Smartt, Escambia High, Shattered Fragments
3rd – Madalyn McGurk, Pensacola High School, Meadow
2nd – Raegan Tainter, Tate, Ladder to the Sky
1st – Ian Larrieu, Pensacola High, Reach
3-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Michelle Luther, Tate High, Autumnal Bowl
2nd – Chensen Nguyen, Escambia High, Vans Shoe
1st – Isabel Cauley, West Florida, Abraham
2-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Elijah Edmonds, West Florida High, We Took An “L”
2nd – Ian Young, West Florida High, Lakeside Village
1st – Savannah Creel, Washington High, X-Ray
Middle School Student Artists:
Painting:
3rd – Jasmine Felks, Bailey Middle, Wolf
2nd – Morgan Arreglado, Bellview Middle, Untitled
1st – Aiden Wilson, Bellview Middle, Untitled
Drawing:
3rd – Laynee Hubbell, Ransom Middle, Hybrid
2nd – Connor Hignite, Beulah Middle, Harmonious
1st – Monee´ Stokes, Beulah Middle, Emotional Singularity
Photography/Digital Arts:
2nd – Alyssa Allen, Beulah Middle, Reflection
1st – Adrienne Kimball, Beulah Middle, Friendship
3-Dimensional Works:
3rd – David Hathaway, Bellview Middle, Untitled
2nd – Gavin Pesta, Bailey Middle, Smoosh Face
1st – Jobey Conrad, Ransom Middle, Thoughts in Relief
2-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Patrick Rolin, Ernest Ward Middle, Untitled
2nd – James Harper, Beulah Middle, Man of Steel
1st – Nicole Lobo, Bellview Middle, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Cameron Keefer, Westgate, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Taylor Causey, Westgate, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Tyrese Thomas, Bellview, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Mya Dalton, Pine Forest High, Whos Kingdom
The museum is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. They are closed on Mondays. Admission costs are: adults $7 ($6 for military, seniors, AAA members, UWF Historic Trust Members and UWF Alumni Association Members) and students (3 – 14) $4 (younger than 3 are Free). EBT cardholders, with a photo I.D., can obtain four free admissions. UWF students and museum members also receive free admission.
Bob And Bess: You Can Learn A Lot From A Couple Of Byrneville Ducks
January 31, 2019
At Byrneville Elementary School, there’s a plenty of learning about reading, writing and math, and there’s a lot of learning from Bob and Bess.
Bob and Bess are a couple of ceramic ducks that sit in the hallway near the front door. Each and every school day, there is a message taped to each, usually a conversation between the duo.
“Gosh, Bess it really is cold this morning. I am glad that we live inside the school,” Bob’s message greeted Byrneville students on a freezing cold Wednesday morning.
“Me too, Bob. I don’t think it will stay this cold much longer, but the boys and girls need to be prepared if it does,” was the reply from Bess.
They’ve spread their messages for many years, thanks to Byrneville Principal Dee-Wolfe Sullivan. Bob and Bess are a Byrneville Braves tradition and are often a first stop for students arriving at school.
“If I had saved all the messages and stacked them up, they would probably reach up to here,” she said, holding her hand above her waist.
“The kids just really love them,” Sullivan said with a smile.
Pictured: Bob (top) and Bess (below) at Byrneville Elementary School Wednesday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Students Dress As 100-Year Olds To Celebrate 100th Day Of School
January 30, 2019
Molino Park Elementary School students celebrated the 100th day of the school year Tuesday by dressing up like 100-year olds.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle School Names January Students Of The Month
January 30, 2019
Ransom Middle School has named their Students of the Month for January. They are Tom Fleming, sixth grade, and Erica Langton, eight grade. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names January Students Of The Month
January 28, 2019
Bratt Elementary School has named their January Students of the Month. They are:
Pre-K
Jasiah Barnes
Kayson Southard
Kindergarten
Brantley Sharpless
Shaleigh Wesley
Benji Burkland
Hayden Batson
1st Grade
Emma Southard
Bentley Alexander
Jadon Long
Landon Lee
Linley Dunn
2nd Grade
Olivia Garrett
Na’kiyah Williams
Shawn Andrews
Sophia Ikner
3rd Grade
Alyssa Barber
Anthony Johnson
Tyler McAnally
Hunter Parker
Kasei Barlow
4th Grade
Mikayla McAnally
Anna Sanspree
Kylar Davis
5th Grade
Bryson Orso
Maggie Stewart
Charlee Weaver
Camden Clark
Music
Max Mason
Carsyn Dortch Named Miss Ernest Ward (With Pageant Photo Gallery)
January 27, 2019
Carsyn Laine Dortch was named Miss Ernest Ward Middle School Saturday night in a “The Greatest Show” themed pageant at the school.
Third runner-up was Jamison Abigail Gilman, second runner-up was McKenna Rae Simmons, and the first runner-up in the annual pageant was Emma Sage Gilmore.
The Personality Award went to McKenna Rae Simmons; Miss Hospitality, the People’s Choice Award and the Physical Fitness Award to Jessica Faith Stabler; the Poise and Appearance Award to Emma Sage Gilmore; and Miss Congeniality to Carsyn Laine Dortch.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the pageant, click here.
Pictured top: Miss Ernest Ward Middle School Carsyn Laine Dortch. Pictured below in descending order: First Runner-up Emma Sage Gilmore, second runner-up McKenna Rae Simmons, and Third Runner-up Jamison Abigail Gilman. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Family Celebrates Three Generations Of Birthdays On The Same Day
January 22, 2019
Against the odds, three generations of a local family are celebrated a birthday on Sunday.
Janis O’Farrell of Walnut Hill, born in 1935, turned 84. Her son Dennis O’Farrell of Walnut Hill, born in 1959, turned 60. His daughter Candi O’Farrell Lusk of nearby Perdido, AL, was born in 1981 and turned 38 Sunday.
What are the odds? 1 in 133,225, according to published reports.
Photos: Molino Park Second Grade Grandparents Breakfast
January 19, 2019
Molino Park Elementary School held their Second Grade Grandparents Breakfast Friday morning. The school holds a grandparents breakfast during the year for each grade level.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
GoFundMe Established For DUI Crash Family; Tate ‘Numbers’ Memorial Honors Banks
January 15, 2019
Balloons with the numbers 40, 53 and 28 were on the fence outside Tate High School on Monday. Those were the jersey numbers worn by 15-year old sophomore Sean Banks in basketball, football and baseball.
Banks and his older sister Antoinette Marie McCoy, 22, were killed early Saturday morning in a suspected DUI crash on East Kingsfield Road.
The number 53 football jersey at Tate has been retired and will never be worn again.
A GoFundMe account for the Banks family has been established, according to the Tate Quarterback Club. The funds will help with funeral expenses and time off work for the parents. To contribute to the GoFundMe account, click here.
RELATED STORIES:
Tate Aggies Football Banquet Honors Student Athlete Killed In Crash; Mom Addresses Attendees
Grief Counselors Available Monday For Students, Staff At Tate High School
Tate High Aggie Family Mourns Loss Of Student Sean Banks
Two Killed In East Kingsfield Crash; Cantonment Man Charged With DUI Manslaughter
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FWC Explains More About Rare Redhorse Fish Found In The Escambia River
January 14, 2019
After we published a story about a rare river redhorse fish being found in the Escambia River, numerous people responded on NorthEscambia.com and our social media with reports of frequently seeing or catching the fish.
Until the recent discovery, the river redhorse had not been documented in the Escambia River since 1976, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
NorthEscambia.com reached out to the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute for more information. Here is their response:
The river redhorse is a species that may easily be confused with other commonly found fish – in particular, the spotted sucker and the blacktail redhorse.
The river redhorse is only found in the Escambia River, whereas the spotted sucker occurs in every river in the panhandle and the blacktail redhorse occurs in all drainages in Florida west of the Apalachicola River.
Ways you can tell them apart- a blacktail redhorse has a black strip that occurs in the tail, and the spotted sucker has noticeable spots on its scales.
Researchers captured a river redhorse during a night trawl. In Florida, the river redhorse is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
The fish prefers large, clean rivers with sand or gravel bottoms and swift currents. The river redhorse was implanted with an acoustic tag and released. The movement of the fish will be monitored to estimate site occupancy and assess population trend, according to the FWC. The fish was found as freshwater biologists were working on imperiled species trawl survey in the Escambia River.
Pictured top: The rare river redhorse fish documented in the Escambia River for the first time since 1976. Other fish that look similar are below, courtesy of FWC and the Florida Museum. Each photo is labeled. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Above: Spotted Sucker
Above: Blacktail redhorse
Above: River redhorse

























