School Bus Safety And Traffic Laws
August 10, 2017
It’s the first day of school in Escambia County, with more than 40,000 students making their way to and from school. About 25,000 of them will be on board 300 school buses across the county.
Parents are reminded to instruct their children to be at the bus stop at least five minutes before scheduled bus arrival time, stay off of the roadway, observe and stay clear of traffic, stay out of the bus blind spots, don’t chase after the bus once it leaves the bus stop, and buckle seat belts as soon as they board.
Motorists are reminded to give themselves plenty of time to get where they’re going and to be patient in traffic. They should watch out for school buses, comply with bus-passing laws, and stay off of those cell phones.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, drivers must follow these school and school bus safety rules:
- Adhere to the posted speed limit in designated school zones.
- When approaching an intersection where a crossing guard is present in the crosswalk with the stop sign raised, do not cross – or turn – into the crosswalk until the guard has completely left the crosswalk.
- Never stop a vehicle in a manner that blocks a crosswalk.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from behind) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you must stop.
- When you approach a stopped school bus (from front) with lights flashing and the stop arm extended, you also must stop, unless:
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by an unpaved space at least five feet in width, or
- you are on a divided highway and the roadways are separated by a physical barrier.
- You are required to stop at least 10 feet away from the school bus.
- You must not resume driving until the school bus turns its lights off and withdraws its stop sign.
- Be certain all exiting children have reached a safe place before proceeding.
Quintette Community Center Hosts Back To School Bash
August 7, 2017
The Quintette Community Center held their 3rd Annual Back to School Bash Sunday afternoon with fun, games, food, kickball, haircuts and free back to school supplies. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Student To Compete In National Pony Event
August 7, 2017
Local equestrian Lexi Bryant has qualified for the the U.S. Pony Finals coming up this week at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Bryan, 13, will be riding “Surreal”, owned by Morgan Mickel. The Ransom Middle School student qualified at an Elite “A” show that was held at the Escambia County Equestrian Center. Bryant and Surreal will compete against the top ponies and riders in the nation at the event. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
UF/IFAS Extension Offers Right-of-Way, Forests And Invasive Species Workshop
August 4, 2017
UF/IFAS Extension in Escambia, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties will hold a Right-of-Way, Forestry and Invasive Species Workshop on Wednesday, August 9 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Bear Lake Pavilion, approximately 2.5 miles east of Munson crossroad of Highway 4 and Highway 191 in the Blackwater Forest north of Milton. Cost is $10 per person and includes lunch.
Pesticide license exams will not be given during this workshop, however, this program will prepare students for aspects of the exam. CEUs will be available in the following areas: Core (2), Private Applicator (4), Demo and Research (4), Forestry (4), Natural Areas (4), and Right-of-Way (4).
Topics include: Herbicides, Herbicide Safety, Weed Management Considerations for Forestry, Chemical Side Trim, and Roadside Invaders. To pre-register or to set up an appointment to take a pesticide license exam, contact Bethany Diamond at the Santa Rosa County Extension Office: 850-675-6654.
New Website For West Florida Public Libraries
August 2, 2017
Tuesday, West Florida Public Libraries announced the launch of a newly-designed website.
The revamped site was created to provide a user-friendly experience that makes it easier than ever for citizens, businesses and visitors to access information about the library system from their computer, tablet or mobile phone.
The website was developed using the latest technology and a responsive design, making it compatible with all browsers and mobile devices. Users will also have the option to share information across all major social networking sites.
The site is organized to provide quick and direct access to all of the programs and services the library offers.
Some new features include:
- Upcoming events and new fiction titles available on the homepage
- An easily-fillable form for requesting a meeting room
- Access to searches for the Kids Catalog and the full catalog on the homepag
The site will be continually updated, with new features being added regularly.
Escambia School District, UWF Honor Top Summer Science Students
August 2, 2017
Future environmental health advocates from the Escambia County School District presented their Capstone projects to wrap-up the UWF Environmental Health Scholars 8-week summer program.
“This was our fourth year in this partnership and each year we have the pleasure of working with some amazing local high school students. They make me feel good about our environmental futures,” said Aisha Adkison, Health Science Specialist, in the ECSD Workforce Education Department. “These students dedicated three days a week for eight weeks of their summer vacation to learning more about our world and a vast variety of environmental challenges. They each select a research topic and prepare a Capstone project.”
The program is funded on a subcontract for over $100,000/yr for 5 years through the Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP) administered by the Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership & Strategic Initiatives, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Tulane University. The grant covers training for secondary education teachers from the region, specialized equipment and supplies for those teachers’ classrooms and the summer program for students. Selected students spend three days a week at UWF with public health faculty, Dr. Enid Sisskin and Dr. George Stewart.
Project topics included, the 21st Century War on Science, GMOs, pandemics, climate change, the dangerous cumulative effect of littering, storms’ effect on the ozone layer, anthrax and a look at the U.S./Mexico border challenge from the perspective of its effect on animals. Another student took a hard look at anxiety and tied it to the other topics because, as she pointed out, how can any of us go out and fix any of these other environmental problems if anxiety keeps us trapped inside.
The results were:
1st Place: Madison Kemp, Ernest Ward Middle graduate and a Florida Virtual School student. Her topic was: The Effects of Manmade Climate Change on Global Health.
2nd Place: Tyra Williams, a rising senior in the Health Academy at Pensacola High School. Her topic was: How Facts Became Opinions: The 21st Century War on Science.
3rd Place: Tyler Motts, an Environmental Science student from Pine Forest High School, His topic was: The Environmental Impact of the US – Mexico Border.
Statements made during the presentations started with facts, data, graphs and images. But project requirements also directed the students to reach their own conclusions, reflect on what they learned and state their opinions. One student did a great job of summarizing a conclusion shared no matter what the topic, “We need to care. Humans must take a stand, because we are our own worst enemy.”
Pictured: Tyra Williams (left), second place winner, and Madison Kemp, first place winner. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview High Plans Orientation For Thursday
August 2, 2017
From Northview High School:
We will issue class schedules, hall lockers, and textbooks to returning 10th, 11th and 12th grade students on the first day of school. Ninth graders and new students will attend an August 3rd Orientation and will receive everything they need at that time. Please remember that May 24, 2017, as noted on the registration cards, was the last day to request schedule changes. There is a processing procedure which students may utilize to request schedule changes, once school has started. However, since the parent and student approved the schedule at registration time and since the master schedule and teacher assignments have been made based upon these requests, all requests must support both the student’s requested schedule and teacher assignments. Please be advised that schedule changes at this time are extremely rare and are allowed only for registration adjustments or academic requirements based on the FSA end-of- course exam scores. Students will not have the opportunity to request schedule changes during the textbook issuing time. Textbooks will be issued to correspond with the student’s printed schedule. Locker assignments will also be printed on the class schedules, so students should be extremely careful not to leave their printed course schedules unattended.
August 3, 2017
School Offices will be closed from 11:30 A.M. – 12:30 P.M.
1 PM – 2:30 PM 9 th Grade and New Student Orientation
All incoming 9th grade and new students in grades 10, 11, and 12 should report to the theater before 1 p.m., on Thursday, August 3. In the theater, students will have a short introduction and welcome program. Immediately afterwards, the students will be divided into groups to facilitate the processing of schedules and lockers. Orientation will include a brief tour of the Northview campus. Parent Chromebook training will be provided as well. Students with signed Cromebook contracts will be issued Chromebooks to take home after school begins. Students without a signed contract will not be issued a Chromebook but will check one out daily from the media center. The entire process should take approximately 90 minutes, so parents are asked to be prompt in picking up their students at the breezeway after the conclusion of this activity.
Escambia 4-H Members Gain Skills, Earn Money At Regional Tailgate Contest
August 1, 2017
Recently, 4-H members from across Northwest Florida participated in the second annual Northwest Regional 4-H Tailgate Contest.
Grilling competitors took part in one of four categories: beef, pork, poultry (half a chicken or turkey breast), and shrimp. Participants were judged on their grilling abilities, but also on questions from judges on food safety, fire safety, and meat selection.
Regional winners earned $400 in scholarship money for first place, $250 for second place, $100 for third place, and $50 for fourth place. The top two individuals in each protein category earned the opportunity to participate in the State 4-H Tailgate Contest in Gainesville in October.
Five Escambia County 4-H members participated in the regional contest, including Noah Ball – Beef, Aubrie Dillon – Beef, Dillon Conti – Poultry, Raeleigh Woodfin – Pork, and Stewart Woodfin – Pork. All of the Escambia County entrants earned the opportunity to compete after winning the county competition as part of the Escambia County 4-H Tailgate Day Camp.
At the regional contest held at Washington County Ag Center in Chipley, Aubrie Dillon placed fourth in the beef category and Dillon Conti placed third in the poultry category. Dillon plans to continue using his grilling skills to cook for his family.
“I had a lot of fun at the regional 4-H tailgate contests this year. It was actually the first time I ad ever thought about grilling chicken and I think I’ll probably be grilling chicken a lot more now. I want to encourage more 4-H members to participate in the contest and I hope to see many more contestants next year,” Conti said.
Pictured top: Aubrie Dillon relaxes while cooking her steak recipe. Pictured below: Dillon Conti prepares his chicken for the grill, and Noah Ball checks the internal temperature of his steak. Pictured bottom: Raeleigh Woodfin prepares to grill her pork chops and Stewart Woodfin with his pork chops. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Modin Graduates From Basic Military Training
July 31, 2017
U.S. Air Force Airman Seth Modin graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training also earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Modin is the son of Jennifer Modin of Cantonment.
He is a 2015 graduate of Tate High School, Cantonment.
Registration Event Scheduled For Danceworks Classes
July 30, 2017
Registration is underway for Heather Leonard’s Danceworks, and a registration event will be held Monday.
The registration will be from 5 until 7 p.m. on Monday at the Byrneville Community Center.
Ballet, tap, pointe, hip hop and jazz classes will be taught by Heather Leonard beginning the week of August 14 for girls ages 3 and up. Classes for ages 3-8 will be based on age, while classes for dancers age 9 and over will be based upon level. Leonard has taught dance to hundreds of girls from North Escambia and surrounding areas.
For the class schedule, click here. For a registration form, click here. For further information or questions email hldanceworks@gmail.com.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
