NorthEscambia.com Publisher Named One Of Escambia County’s Most Influential People
March 29, 2018
The Pensacola Independent News has released their 2018 Inweekly Power List — their ranking of the most the most powerful and influential people in Escambia County.
Only one person that works primarily in the North Escambia area was named to the list — NorthEscambia.com publisher William Reynolds (not pictured).
This year, the Inweekly eliminated elected officials and other associated with local government from their list “because so much of their influence is tied to their posts”.
Topping this year’s list was attorney James J. Reeves of Reeves and Davis Attorneys at Law.
To view this year’s Inweekly Power List edition, click here.
Pictured: Attorney James J. Reeves on the cover of this week’s Inweekly.
Photos: Easter Bunny Visits The Molino Branch Library
March 29, 2018
The Easter Bunny stopped in Molino this week for a pajama story time and photos at the Molino Branch Library.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos courtesy WFPL for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month
March 28, 2018
The following students were named Students of the Month for March at Bratt Elementary School.
Pre-K
Ariel Alexander
Patton Amos
Kindergarten
Riverly Heathcock
Abigail Hawthorne
Mason Garvin
Tikiya Syria
Aric Rolin
First Grade
Maybree Johnson
Layla Pettway
Briley Moore
Addison Carpenter
Second Grade
Jackson Salter
Isabella Sanspree
Anthoney Johnson
Bryson Odom
Third Grade
Kaylee Long
Lori Hall
John Griffs
Fourth Grade
Ora Bryan
Nevaeh Bush
Kenslee Chavira
Talaysha Curry
Fifth Grade
Cole Hughes
Jayla Brown
JayCee Vernon
Arieyana Johnson
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free Beans And Rice Giveaway Saturday In Cantonment
March 28, 2018
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church, will be distributing free rice and dried beans and other non-perishables on Saturday, March 31 from 9 until 11 a.m. (or while supplies last) at the church located at 699 South Hwy 95-A in Cantonment.
There are no guidelines and no paperwork required.
Molino Park Elementary Names Students Of The Month
March 27, 2018
March students and citizens of the month have been named at Molino Park Elementary. They are: Mady Madril and Makayla Morales, March students of the month; and Chloe Mitchem, and Walker Maughon, March good citizens of the month. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Spring Break: Drive Like Your Kids Live Here
March 26, 2018
It’s Spring Break this week in Escambia County, FL. And this sign on Old Flomaton Road in Century offers good advice with kids out playing this week — “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here”. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
People Take To The Streets During Ciclovia Event
March 25, 2018
People from across the area got moving Saturday during the second annual Ciclovia event.
Ciclovia (seek-low-via)–Pensacola Open Streets originated in Bogota, Columbia, in the 1970s and took off around the world in the 1990’s. Pensacola joined the movement in 2017 with tje first Ciclovia! This event closeed major streets in downtown Pensacola to motorized traffic and opened them up for people to ride bikes, walk, run, play, or whatever moved them.
The idea is to create a safe space for the entire community to come together participate in physical activity, engage with others and explore downtown Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Can You Drop An Egg Three Stories Without Breaking It? These Bratt Elementary Kids Can
March 23, 2018
Do you think you could design a container using common items to protect an egg dropped 35 feet from a utility truck bucket?
Most second graders at Bratt Elementary School can.
Thursday, the students took part in egg drop with the help of Escambia River Electric Cooperative. The protective containers were created using things like paper towel roll, straws, bags and coffee filter parachutes. Most of the students were successful with their eggs surviving the three story drop without cracking.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Yearbook Staff Attends New York City Convention
March 19, 2018
Five members of the Northview High School Tribal Spirit yearbook attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 94th annual Spring Scholastic Convention last week at Columbia University in New York City.
In addition to attending convention classes and programs, the group was able to to see sights including Times Square, the Modern Museum of Art, the 911 Memorial, St. Paul’s Chapel, the New York Stock Exchange, Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Grand Central Station and more. They also attended a Broadway play.
The Northview High School yearbook has been honored with multiple Gold Medal awards from the nationally recognized Columbia Scholastic Press Association, affiliated with Columbia University in New York City and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
This was the third year the Tribal Spirit staff has attended the convention in New York City with their advisor Alison Robinson. Northview Principal Gayle Weaver also attended this year’s convention.
Pictured: Northview yearbook staffers Kayla McKillion. Anna King, Bailey Van Pelt, Delaney Reynolds and Skye Bullington in Central Park. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Inmate, Veteran Recovery Program Provides Pathways To Change
March 18, 2018
Serving in Afghanistan left 29-year-old Army veteran Derick Zemke with a knee injury that would impact his life more than he could imagine.
Somewhere between surgeries and the pain that came with his injury, Zemke’s use of prescription pain medicine turned to abuse, escalating to dealing opioids and eventually using street drugs to sustain his habit.
But after three and a half years in and out of jail, Zemke (pictured left) was ready to turn his life around. A fellow inmate told him about the Pathways for Change addictions treatment program, and he decided to go for it. Escambia County provides financial support to the program, which is housed at the Escambia County Work Release Center on West Fairfield Drive.
“I was a productive member of society before,” Zemke said. “I played high school football, baseball, basketball, made great grades, was in the Army. And I wanted to get back to what I used to be before the pain medicine.”
The Men’s Residential Treatment at Pathways for Change is an alternative sentencing option for non-violent criminal offenders who want to overcome destructive behaviors, attitudes and habits that prevent them from living a life free from crime and incarceration.
This year, Escambia County provided $175,000 to Pathways for Change, and an additional $168,750 was allocated to the county’s probation fund to house program participants. Historically, the county has provided $140,000 directly to Pathways for Change each year in addition to the $168,750 for housing.
Zemke started Pathways for Change in July 2017 and is set to graduate in January 2019, with plans to go to college in May to study hospitality and eventually work in the tourism industry.
Along with his physical injuries, Zemke has battled post-traumatic stress disorder since his time in Afghanistan, and his automatic response was to self-medicate and keep his feelings inside. But in Pathways for Change, he gave counseling a try, started working through a PTSD workbook and opened up about his struggles.
Zemke said his hope is that after he graduates, he can help other veterans who are facing challenges similar to his own.
“It’s hard to go talk to a doctor that’s never experienced the things that you’ve experienced and be open with them about it,” Zemke said. “But talking to another veteran, I feel that I can talk to somebody and I’ve been in the same exact place as them – using opioids, battling PTSD, feeling like an outcast or a black sheep. And if I can relate on that level with them, they’re more likely to open up and try to change…so that inspires me to keep doing this, and hopefully I can save more lives than just my own.”
Army veteran Allen Townsend, 29, agreed that being able to openly talk with others is a significant benefit to being in the program. Townsend began drinking heavily after his first deployment to Iraq, eventually moving on to meth and dealing drugs.
After a two-month crime spree with his wife that left him charged with 28 felonies, he was ready to serve his 10-year minimum rather than enter Pathways for Change. His wife and oldest daughter convinced him otherwise, and he decided to give the program a chance.
“Without this program, I would definitely be out using again,” Townsend (pictured left) said. “I have learned to trust other people, other men, which is something I haven’t done since the Army. It’s a great support group – guys I can talk to, and they’re honest to me.”
Townsend will graduate in October of this year, with plans to complete an IT training program and move to Colorado to start fresh. With his wife still battling a drug addiction, Townsend is estranged from his family. He said Pathways for Change has become his family.
“These guys want me to succeed as much as I want them to succeed,” Townsend said. “I could have known these guys my whole life from what we’ve been through together.”
Navy veteran McArthur Franklin, 44, is nearing the end of his time in Pathways for Change, with his graduation set for April. After an injury forced him to leave the military, he fell into drug and alcohol addiction and suffered from PTSD.
Franklin said the program is not for the faint of heart, but the challenge is worth it.
The four-phase, 18-month program includes basic living and communication courses, group therapy, individual therapy and community service, with the final phase of the program allowing participants to live outside of the center and report back for periodic drug screenings.
“There’s a lot of rules here that you’ve got to follow, and if you don’t really want to be here, you’re not going to do it,” Franklin (pictured left) said.
Pathways for Change also connected Franklin with veteran-specific services like Volunteers of America, which helped him get an apartment of his own. Franklin is enrolled in barber school at Pensacola State College and plans open his own barber shop after he graduates.
“They’re teaching us that it’s a better way of life to focus on goals and actually try to complete them,” he said. “They’re pretty much dedicated to helping us, the people here actually are genuine and they show that they care.”
Lt. Anita Hemphill, the first lieutenant over security at the Escambia County Work Release Center, said the county supports programs like Pathways for Change that offer alternatives to incarceration.
“Pathways for Change is a solidified program that helps with recidivism,” Hemphill said. “It’s a very disciplined program – I think it has to be disciplined for someone to be put to the test and see if they’re really ready to make that lifestyle change and become productive citizens in the community.”
Escambia County Corrections Director Tammy Jarvis also emphasized the importance of alternatives to incarceration, which she said are an excellent way to assist nonviolent offenders in dealing with mental health, anger management and addiction issues.
“Incarceration alternatives help offenders transition from the lifestyle that got them into jail to having stable employment, becoming self-sufficient and maintaining a crime-free life,” Jarvis said.
Each crime avoided also benefits the community in reduced victimization and reduced costs, Jarvis said, since criminal justice costs are driven by volume of activity.
“Reducing recidivism can help reduce overall volume of activity, which in turn results in long-term savings,” Jarvis said. “Programs such as this provide a long-term investment in our community by providing those served with the support they need to restructure their lives and achieve success.”
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
