Century CI, Fountain Place In Southeastern States Manhunt Field Trials
September 23, 2017
The winners of 2017 Southeastern States Manhunt Field Trials were named at the event’s closing ceremony Firdayday. Twenty-one K-9 Teams from Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas competed in the three-day event hosted by the Escambia County Road Prison.
Single Leash Division
- First place – Apalachee Correctional Institution, average time 16:33
- Second place – Jefferson Correctional Institution, average time 18:51.5
- Third place – Rayburn Correctional Center, average time 19:45
- Fourth place – Century Correctional Institution, average time 23:28
Multi-Leash Division
- First place – Jackson Correctional Institution, average time 11:16.6
- Second place – Fountain Correctional Facility, average time 11:50.5
- Third place- Wakulla Correctional Institution, average time 12:45
- Fourth place – Holmes Correctional Institution, average time 14:36
The annual event was held in the Blackwater State Forest. Teams competed in one day and one night event, on tracks that are 1.5 miles long and two hours old. A combined average time was used to determine the winner. Single leash and multi-leash dog teams competed. Multiple tracks were laid for each day’s sessions, and the teams draw numbers for which track they would compete. Teams had an hour and a half to complete the course, collecting up to four flags along the way. Each flag collected removed one minute from the final time, and each flag missed added one minute.
Pictured top: The K-9 team from Century Correctional Institution. Pictured below: The K-9 team from Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview High Names Students Of The Month For September
September 21, 2017
\Northview High School has named students of the month for September. They are (pictured L-R) Tyler Ray, 9th grade; Aurora McCann, 10th grade; Aaliyah Tucker, 11th grade; and Bria Hardy, 12th grade. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Top Dog: K-9 Units Put To The Test In Field Trial Event
September 21, 2017
There are 23 teams from Florida ,Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas competing in the Southeastern States Manhunt Field Trials this week in the Blackwater State Forest.
The three-day event is hosted by the Escambia County Road Prison at the Coldwater Equestrian Campground.
Teams compete in one day and one night events on scent tracks that are 1.5 miles long and two hours old. A combined average time is used to determine the winner.
Contributed photos for NorthEcambia.com, click to enlarge.
West Florida Libraries Offer Special Edition Library Card
September 21, 2017
West Florida Public Libraries will offer a special edition library card in September in honor of Library Card Sign-up Month.
The special edition card features Teen Titans, a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners officially proclaimed September as Library Card Sign-up Month during the regular board meeting Thursday, Sept. 7.
While library cards are always free for Escambia County residents, the usual $3 replacement fee for lost or damaged cards will be waived during the month of September, as part of the celebration.
Escambia County residents can find information about getting a library card or sign up online by clicking here.
September was designated as Library Card Sign-up Month by the American Library Association in 1987, after then Secretary of Education William J. Bennett issued a challenge. The challenge was for a national campaign encouraging every child to obtain and regularly use a library card.
Bratt Elementary Names Students Of The Month
September 19, 2017
The following students (pictured above) were named Students of the Month for August at Bratt Elementary School.
Pre-K
MaryStephen Moody
Levi Milliken (not pictured)
Kindergarten
Chayton Rolin
Rylan Johnson
Braylie Harrison (not pictured)
Brooklynne Fountain (not pictured)
1st Grade
Carson Eady
Sophia Ikner
Mi’Kavion White
Noah Luker
2nd Grade
Lanie Steadham
Robbie Goens
Kameryn Thompson
Madalynn Pittman
3rd Grade
Cobie Wiggins
Makayla Plato
Christian Caraway
4th Grade
LanDon Johnson
Maggie Stewart
Lauren Abbott
DaShay Robinson (not pictured)
5th Grade
Ally Richardson
Markavia Johnson
Colby Pugh
In addition, Chayton Rolin and Maggie Stewart were chosen to represent Bratt Elementary School as Escambia County Students of the Month for August.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Goes Gold For Childhood Cancer Research
September 18, 2017
Jim Allen Elementary faculty and staff went gold and rallied to show support for childhood cancer research.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fall Gardening Tips
September 16, 2017
As fall approaches, now is the time to start preparing your landscape for the upcoming cooler weather, according to the UF/IFAS extension service.
Flowers
- Cut back, and remove old flower stalks from flowering annuals and re-fertilize in order to obtain one more color before cool weather.
- Prepare beds for the planting of cool season annuals next month. Some plants to establish for fall, winter and early spring include: pansy, petunia, snapdragon, larkspur, stocks, statice, bachelor button, calendula, cleome, alyssum, marigolds, verbena, dianthus and candytuft.
- Divide perennials such as Shasta daisy, canna, amaryllis, daylily, coneflower, violets, and ornamental grasses like mondo grass and liriope.
- Cut strong stems of roses to encourage new growth for final flush of the year.
- Find a local source, or order wildflower seeds for fall planting. Be certain to choose a mixture that is specifically for the south. Prepare the area, but wait until November to seed them.
Trees and Shrubs
- Last month to fertilize woody ornamental shrubs in the landscape.
- No pruning unless it’s absolutely necessary. This is probably the worst time of year to do major pruning of shrubs. Late summer/fall pruning can stimulate tender growth that might be damaged by low winter temperatures.
- Plant woody ornamentals, including trees, shrubs, vines and ground covers during the fall and early winter. They respond well to planting late in the year because our relatively mild winters allow for root growth. Fall planted shrubs, for example, are well on their way toward having their roots established before hot weather arrives next spring.
- Select crape myrtles while in bloom.
- Examine the small twigs on the outer canopy of hardwood trees for black twig borer damage. Remove and destroy infested twigs.
- Pine needles fall during September and October. Rake and use them in the vegetable and flower garden as well as in shrub beds. Pine needles make excellent mulch. Apply generously to obtain a depth of 2 to 3 inches on the soil surface after they have settled.
- Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sqft of canopy area or landscape area.
Vegetable Garden
- Prepare the soil now, allowing about 3 weeks between the incorporation of amendments and planting. In September sow seeds of beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, collards, endive, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsley, radishes and turnips.
- Last planting of beans (bush, lima and pole), cucumbers and summer squash
- Clean out the spring/summer vegetable garden once plants have stopped producing. Remove any that are known to have been diseased or heavily insect infested during the previous season.
Lawns
- Check the lawn weekly and watch for lawn pests. Check for chinch bugs and sod webworms in St. Augustine, spittlebugs and sod webworms in centipedegrass and mole cricket damage in all grasses
- Last month to fertilize bahiagrass, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass and Zoysiagrass using a complete fertilizer applied at 1.0 lb nitrogen per 1000 square feet containing 50% soluble and 50% slow-release nitrogen.
Beulah Students Have ‘Lunch With A Hero’
September 15, 2017
The Beulah Elementary School PTA held “Lunch With A Hero” this week, with first responders and military personnel joining students for lunch. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
IMPACT 100 Names Non-Profit Finalists For $107,700 Grants
September 14, 2017
Arts and Culture
- Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society Inc. for project: Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society Historical Center.
- Pensacola Delta Enrichment Center Inc. for project: Young, Gifted and Underprivileged — Warrington Arts Development Project.
- West Florida Historic Preservation Inc., doing business as UWF Historic Trust, for project: History and Storytelling Circle.
Education
- Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers Inc. for project: Capstone Pet Place.
- Escambia County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence Inc., doing business as Escambia County Public Schools Foundation, for project: Swim, Soar and Fly into Science! Inspiring Hands-on Exploration of Our Natural World.
- Escambia County School Readiness Coalition Inc., doing business as Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County, for project: Grow with Me.
Family
- Horizons of Okaloosa County Inc., doing business as The Arc of the Emerald Coast, is a finalist for project: IMPACT 100 Dream Wheels for New Beginnings.
- My Father’s Arrows Inc. for project: Mama’s House.
- Young Men’s Christian Association of Northwest Florida Inc. for project: The Wheels on the Bus.
Environment, Recreation and Preservation
- Humane Society of Pensacola Inc., doing business as Pensacola Humane Society, for project: The Humane Express.
- Mother Wit Institute Inc. for project: Save the Ella L. Jordan Home — A Historic Place.
- Pensacola Lighthouse Association Inc., doing business as Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum, its project: Fresnel Lens Restoration.
Health and Wellness
- Community Organizations Active in Disasters Inc., doing business as Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies, for project: BRACED and Ready to Roll.
- Feeding the Gulf Coast Inc. for project: Serving the Community During Disasters.
- Santa Rosa Kids’ House Inc. for project: Changing for Children.
IMPACT 100’s annual meeting is scheduled for October 15 at the Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front on Pensacola Beach. The three finalists from each focus area will make a presentation at the meeting. IMPACT 100 members will vote on two recipients in each focus area.This is the 14th year that IMPACT 100 will award grants to local nonprofit organizations. Since the inception of IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area in 2004, the organization has awarded 77 grants to 60 different nonprofit organizations totaling $8,318,000. This year’s awards will bring the total awarded in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to $9,395,000 across 87 grants.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League
September 13, 2017
In a park where hundreds of Escambia County area athletes play baseball, softball and t-ball every year, one set of baseball diamonds stands out from the rest. A rubber surface covers what would normally be clay and grass on three of the fields at the county-owned John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex on Nine Mile Road, providing a safe, fun place for everyone who wants to play ball.
And for the Miracle League of Pensacola, “everyone” truly means everyone.
It’s a place where every player plays, hits, gets on base, scores and wins – every game. Operating out of the John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Complex, the Miracle League of Pensacola provides physically and mentally challenged children and adults an opportunity to play baseball, softball and t-ball just like anyone else, all in a spirited and secure environment.
“The most exciting thing is getting to see the kids,” said Miracle League of Pensacola President and Co-Founder Larry Thompson, who started the program in 2002 with his late wife Donna. “In a sense, we’ve watched them grow up. They’re more than just players to us – they’re part of our family, too.”
Thompson said the program has grown from 28 players at its inception to about 250 for the current fall season.
The Miracle League of Pensacola relies on its many volunteers or “buddies” to keep the program going, along with community partners including the Escambia County Parks and Recreation Department.
In addition to Escambia County donating the land at the park for the Miracle League to use, the Parks and Recreation Department has assisted with sidewalks, bleacher areas and perimeter areas to the newest Miracle League field. Recently, the department also coordinated with Miracle League to provide additional field safety netting and enhanced parking options.
Escambia County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said the Miracle League of Pensacola has been a great community asset, and the county is honored to be able to support the organization’s mission.
“I’ve witnessed the joy on their faces and the sense of accomplishment on players’ faces over my years at the county,” Rhodes said. “I’ve witnessed the feeling of inclusion by those players when they’re getting to play a game that some probably thought they’d never get to play.”
District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry also spoke to the organization’s positive impact.
“The success and growth at the Miracle League is a fantastic example of a volunteer board and nonprofit organization changing the lives of not only our players, but also their families and all of our player buddies and our coaches,” Barry said. “Many of our volunteers, buddies, and their families have given thousands of dollars and thousands of hours to support our players and I thank them.”
And while Escambia County Parks and Recreation plays a role in Miracle League, Rhodes said the real credit belongs to the Miracle League volunteers who work hard on a daily basis to keep the program going.
“We’re happy to do the part that we can to provide the park, to provide the location and to assist with improvements at the facility, but the volunteers that provide assistance at the Miracle League provide such a key element to that organization’s mission and the success they’ve had over the years,” Rhodes said.
Commissioner Lumon May, who represents District 3 where the park is located, agreed that the county is pleased to support Miracle League and what it brings to the community.
“Miracle League of Pensacola provides an opportunity for all athletes to participate in the great game of baseball, which can be life-changing for those who might not have been able to play otherwise,” May said. “Youth sports are such a fundamental part of childhood, and nobody should be excluded from participating based on their ability.”
Thompson said one of the most rewarding parts of Miracle League is getting to witness the smiles on the players’ faces and watching them overcome physical limitations to achieve things they may have once considered impossible.
“I’ve seen kids come in with cerebral palsy that can’t hit a pitched baseball,” Thompson said. “We used to use a tee 90 percent of the time when we started, and now you may see us use a tee 10 percent of the time. It’s amazing to think you can take the same group of kids and see them hit a pitched ball – people who didn’t think they could even play ball.”
The Miracle League of Pensacola strives to facilitate a sense of inclusion for all who play, Thompson said, with the age of participants ranging from 3 years old to 61 years old.
“The Miracle League is built at a regular baseball park,” he said. “It’s not where I play ball – it’s where we play ball.”
To learn more about the Miracle League of Pensacola or how to become a volunteer, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
