Local Schools, Students Place In FFA-Sub-District Career Developments
January 12, 2018
Local schools and students placed during the FFA-Sub-District Career Developments last month. They were:
Middle School Extemporaneous Speaking
1st Beulah Academy of Science
Opening and Closing Ceremony
1st Jay Middle School
2nd Central Middle School
3rd Lead Academy
Safe Tractor Operations and Maintenance
1st Zach Rutherford, Central High School
2nd Donnie Dixon, Northview High School
3rd Logan Cooley, Jay High School
High School Prepared Public Speaking
1st Avery Young, Take High School
2nd Raleigh Woodfin, Northview High School
3rd Tamara Barnes, West Florida High School
High School Extemporaneous Speaking
1st Gab Ferguson, Tate High School
2nd Kylie Schwarz, Tate High School
3rd Cody Kite, Northview High School
FFA Creed Speaking
1st Amber Gilman, Northview High School
2nd Jackson Arnold, Central High School
3rd Nathan Neal, Tate High School
Parliamentary Procedure
1st Tate High School
2nd West Florida High School
3rd Northview High School
The Story Of A Miracle At Tate High’s Ag Department
January 11, 2018
Tate High School Ag Teacher Leanne Jenkins tells the story of ‘Miracle” a calf born at the school during our extreme January cold. It’s a story of survival, the story of an emergency van ride for the calf, and the story of a miracle.
Do you believe in miracles? I truly have witnessed a miracle this past week.
I am sure some of you have seen or heard about my coworkers and I driving my minivan to the vet with a calf in the back. I would love to share the entire story with you because I feel like the Lord is up to something with this small life.
Last Thursday, I took my 5th period class out to the land lab to check on the animals. Another ag teacher had mentioned one of the cows was showing signs of labor. We walked to the back pasture and got close enough to see that momma had just delivered a baby. We could tell the baby was breathing, but it was not moving and had not lifted its head. This was not alarming to us, since it had just been delivered.
We checked on the momma and baby again the next class period and baby was still not moving. We came out again an hour later and begin to be concerned when we saw the baby shivering and still not lifting its head. My coworkers and I quickly got a truck and brought the calf to the barnyard. It was unusually cold in Florida – the school even cancelled after school activities because of the freezing temperatures and 16 MPH winds. We got the baby under heat lamps and blankets and began rubbing it hoping to get the blood circulating. We thought it would die any second. Being too weak to stand, there was no way for this baby to nurse. We ran to the store, purchased colostrum and fed the calf. Within about an hour, it was trying to stand and seemed to be perking up. We attempted another bottle a few hours later with no success. I said a prayer for the sweet baby and my coworker said, “we’re going to go ahead and name him Miracle.”
The next day, Miracle continued to get weaker. We got the momma-cow in the shoot and milked her. We tried to feed Miracle and he was too weak to suck. I called my husband, Zach, and told him, “will you please bring the minivan to the school with a tarp so we can take Miracle to the vet.” He hurried over and we rushed to the Animal Hospital. By the time we got there, his eyes were rolled back in his head and he had very little pulse. The vet used a piece of equipment to feed a tube down his throat to fill his stomach with his momma’s colostrum we had collected. Within minutes he seemed to be feeling better. We later brought him back to school and locked him in a pen with his momma.
The next morning, with coaching, we were able to get him hooked up to his momma and he has continued to get healthier ever since. Today, I took my class out to check on him and he was acting especially frisky – we talked about how he was truly living up to his name.
THEN, the craziest thing happened. I took out my phone to take a picture of Miracle to send to my mother (she has been worried about him). She responded with “did you cause the brightness around him, or is that just his miracle self?” I thought, “huh??” I looked back at the picture and saw Miracle GLOWING! Y’all, I cannot explain this picture, but I can tell you the Lord has had his hands on this little life. We did not expect this little guy to live, but we refused to give up hope or stop trying to help. I loved sharing his story with all of my students and showing how every life is meaningful and precious. He has put a smile on the face of so many students and I am thankful we have been privileged to have him born on our farm. We typically sell all males born on our farm, but we decided today, Miracle is here to stay!
You’ll hear people say, “Let nature take its course,” but our new motto is, “do everything you can and believe in Miracles.”
Little Free Library Now Available In Cantonment
January 11, 2018
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church is now hosting a Little Free Library in Cantonment. The library is contained in an old newspaper stand that is painted bright red directly in front of the church at 699 S. Highway 95A, next to and facing the highway.
Anyone from the community may borrow a book or keep a book or add a book to the library. Anyone taking a book or two from library does not need to return that exact book. The library is currently supplied with mostly children’s books, but donations of more books for adults would be greatly appreciated. The library is never locked, so people can access it at any time.
“The purpose of the Little Free Library is to inspire a love of reading, build community, and spark creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges. Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year around the world, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds,” said Viven Welch of Saint Monica’s.
The Little Free Library has its own Facebook page — https://www.facebook.com/stmonicaslittlefreelibrary/ — with planned updates on the latest available books.
Flomaton Elementary Announces Spelling Bee Winners
January 11, 2018
Flomaton Elementary School has announced winners of their Spelling Bee. They are:
3rd-5th grade division:
Michael Bowen – Winner
Secily Carter – Runner-up
6th grade division:
Christopher Crawley – Winner
Sam Johnson – Runner-up
The students now advance to the county tournament.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com,click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Announces Science Fair Winners
January 10, 2018
About 100 students took part in the recent Ernest Ward Middle School Science Fair. Winners were:
6th GRADE
1st Place — “Got Gas” Emilie Funck
2nd Place — Got Water Maggie Godwin
3rd Place — “Water Type and Plant Growth ” Meredith Johnston
7th GRADE
1st Place — “Shout It Out” Luke Bridges
2nd Place — “How Color Affects Photosynthesis” Madison Rowinsky
3rd Place (tied)
“Effect of Different Liquids on a Plant’s Health” Blake Yoder
“No Small Cakes Here ” Emma Gilmore
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Winter Jacket Drive Underway At Tate High School
January 8, 2018
A “Jacket Drive” is going each through January at Tate High School. The school is collecting jackets and sweatshirts in teen and adult sizes. The first period class that collects the most jackets will get a free breakfast.
The goal is to make sure that every Tate Aggie has a warm jacket this winter.
Tate students should take their jacket and sweatshirt donations to the Military Family Counselor’s office in a bag labeled with their first period teacher’s name and room number.
Ernest Ward Middle Names Student Of The Month
January 8, 2018
Ernest Ward Middle School has named Students of the Month for December. They are (L-R) Ryleigh Barnes, sixth grade; Drake Driskell, seventh grade; and Tymiriana Wesley, eighth grade. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
What to Do With Your Holiday Plants
January 4, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension
People often give and receive decorative plants during the holiday season. Many of these plants can last long past the holidays, but only if you care for them properly.
Use the following tips to keep Christmas cactus, poinsettia, amaryllis, kalanchoe, and cyclamen healthy and vibrant long after the holidays are over.
Light & Water Conditions
Keep your holiday plants in bright, indirect light, such as a sunny window. You can also put plants under incandescent or fluorescent lamps if a room is too dim.
Keep the room temperature cool. The ideal temperature ranges are 65º–75ºF during the day and 50º –60ºF at night.
Make sure the plants are watered enough to stay evenly moist, but do not overwater. Even Christmas cactuses need to be regularly watered since they are not true cactuses.
Flowering
Most plants are already flowering when you give or receive them. Eventually the flowers will fade and you should remove them.
You can prepare some plants for next season’s flowering. Remember that plants like poinsettia and Christmas cactus need to be kept away from artificial light at night to stimulate flowering, usually beginning around October.
Amaryllis
Since amaryllis is a bulb, it easily flowers if you force the bulb. After the last flower fades, remove the bloom stalk, but let the leaves continue to grow. Keep amaryllis under bright light and fertilize it regularly.
In late summer, the leaves will die and the bulb will go into a resting stage. Reduce the amount of water it receives, and store the bulb in a cool, dry place for two to three months.
Begin watering again, and the bulb should reflower in four to six weeks.
Poinsettias
Poinsettias are hard for home gardeners to force to reflower.
When the poinsettia begins to drop its leaves, this signals the start of its resting stage. At this time, only water the poinsettia often enough to keep the stems and roots from drying out.
In April, prune the stems to six inches high, resume a regular watering and fertilization schedule, and place it where it will receive bright light that is not direct.
Planting
Most holiday plants are cold-sensitive, so only people in the southern part of Florida can consider planting their holiday plants outdoors without too much worry. Residents in northern parts of Florida can try growing their plants outdoors, but will most likely need to pay attention to weather reports and have some way of protecting plants from the cold.
Select the plants that have remained healthy and lush, and plant them after the chance of frost is past.
Look up plants in our Garden A-Z index or look for related articles on EDIS to find specific growing conditions your plants need outdoors.
Poinsettias
Plant your poinsettia in a sunny spot that will not receive artificial light at night. The soil should be well drained.
Cut off fading bracts, leaving four to six inches of stem on the branches. Mulch around the plant, and keep it well watered during establishment.
Fertilize monthly from March to October in South and Central Florida or May to September in North Florida.
Prune regularly during the growing season to keep the poinsettia from looking “leggy.” Stop pruning in September, and flower buds will form in October.
If the plant was damaged by cold, cut it back to 12–18 inches off the ground or to living tissue in the spring after the chance of frost is passed.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Farmers Use Pink Cotton Bales To Spread A Message Of Hope
January 3, 2018
Farmers across North Escambia are spreading a message of hope with huge pink cotton bales.
The plastic bale wraps are pink — really, really John Deere pink. The pink cotton bales have lined the highways for weeks as they await transportation to the cotton gin. John Deere makes the pink bale wrappers available for breast cancer awareness and a way for farmers to show support for those battling breast cancer.
“It’s a way for farmers to raise awareness about breast cancer,” Robert Godwin, manager of West Florida Gin, said. “About a third of the bales we take in this year will be the bright pink.”
Godwin said the pink wraps, at about $12-14 per bale, don’t cost the producer any more than the traditional yellow.
“It’s just a visible way for farmers to show their support.”
Pictured: Cotton is baled and wrapped in pink wrappers along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
UF Financial Expert: Be ‘SMART’ About Your New Year’s Resolutions
January 3, 2018
If you dread looking at your bank account balance, you might consider adding fiscal responsibility to your list of New Year’s resolutions.
And when it comes to setting goals, especially financial ones, it’s important to be specific, according to a University of Florida expert.
“If you want to make a change, it helps to have a SMART goal. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound,” said Jorge Ruiz-Menjivar, assistant professor of family, youth and community sciences in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“So instead of saying, I want to start saving money this year, make your objective more concrete. A better resolution would be something like, I will set up an automatic transfer of $25 into my savings account each month so that I have $300 saved by the end of the year,” he explained.
Ruiz-Menjivar has these tips for making better financial resolutions in the New Year:
Identify your unhealthy money habits.
Do you go shopping without a shopping list? Do you hate budgets? Do you use a credit card for any and all purchases? If so, you may have some unhealthy money habits. Targeting a specific habit you want to change is the first step toward changing your behavior for the better, Ruiz-Menjivar said.
Think about positive habits that you can start now to help you toward long-term goals.
“Something you can change in the short term is how you save money and for what purpose. For example, it’s a good idea to have a rainy day fund equal to three to six months of your regular income. You can start doing small things now to reach that goal, such as setting up automatic payments into a savings account—the Florida Saves program is a great way to set these small, short-term goals,” Ruiz-Menjivar said.
Know your weak spots.
“There are a few common barriers people encounter when they are trying to change their financial habits,” Ruiz-Menjivar said. “Being disorganized with your recordkeeping is a common one. Keeping your information—especially about your income and spending—in order will help you stay on track for reaching many financial goals.”
Often times, people don’t think “big” enough when it comes to their money, Ruiz-Menjivar explained. “If you are only planning month-to-month, you won’t get to where you want to be in 10 years,” he said. “Time perspective does matter; consumers with a longer time horizon tend to think and plan potential purchases in the near and far future.”
Create an environment that enforces healthier habits.
There are several things you can do to create the conditions for financial success.
- Track income and expenses with a tool that works for you. Some people like to write everything in a calendar, others save receipts, some prefer a spreadsheet. There are a lot of apps out there that let you keep tabs on everything from your phone.
- Become a “convenience user” of credit cards: you use the card to enjoy the perks, such as miles or cash back, but you don’t carry a balance over months
- Set up your bank account to transfer money automatically to a savings or retirement account.
by UF/IFAS Extension.