Photo Gallery: Lil’ Aggies Cheerleaders
October 12, 2016
The Tate High School Cheerleaders recently held a Lil’ Aggies Cheer Champ. Last Friday night, the participants were able to cheer during Tate’s game against Pace.
Click here for a photo gallery.
Reader submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Camp Fire Kids Learn About Fire Safety
October 12, 2016
The Century Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue stopped by the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center Tuesday for their fire and bike safety week.
The firefighters taught the children about stop, drop and roll, how to crawl out of a house full of smoke and what a fireman will look and sound like trying to rescue them. They also had a chance to sit in a firetruck.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
IP Pensacola Mill Celebrates 75 Years Of Operations
October 9, 2016
The International Paper Pensacola Mill in Cantonment celebrated 75 years of operation on Saturday. The front lawn of the plant transformed into a day of fun for retirees, employees and their families with games, kids activities, arts and crafts, music, food and more.
The Pensacola Mill started operations with one paper machine on a 600 acre site in 1941. The new mill was built at a cost of $2.5 million and was owned by Florida Pulp and Paper Company. The mill produced 75 tons of paper, or 20,000 tons per year. The mill provided jobs for about 620 people — 370 in the mill and 250 in forestry or related positions.
A second machine came on line with a daily production of 75 tons of paper in 1944 to produce ammunition container board.
The Pensacola Mill became a wholly owned subsidiary of the St. Regis Paper Company in 1946 and merged with St. Regis in 1949.
Champion International Corporation and St. Regis merged in 1984, and International Paper acquired Champion in 2000.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Gonzalez UMC Holds Annual Fall Festival (With Photo Gallery)
October 9, 2016
Gonzalez United Methodist Church held their 8th Annual Fall Festival on Saturday.
The family-friendly event featured an indoor arts and crafts show, a variety of free outdoor activities for kids, a hayride and live music.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Everyone Wins: Welcome To The Miracle League (And How Tate Students Can Help)
October 6, 2016
Every game ends in a tie. Every player hits; every player scores. There are no strikeouts, no errors. Everybody wins.
Welcome to the Miracle League.
Every child, no matter their disability or ability, is just a regular kid…playing the field and getting a good hit.
It’s a baseball league for disabled and special needs persons of all ages. Some of the players are in wheelchairs and walkers. Some handicaps are mental, some are physical. It’s a place for miracles.
In the end, Saturday’s game between the Cardinals and the Phillies was tied, just as every game has ended in a tie for the past 14 seasons. The stats for each of the 100 plus players will be the same at the end of the season — perfect.
Players and volunteers come from not just Pensacola, but Mobile, Crestview, Brewton and points in between. Everybody is a volunteer that participates with the Miracle League. The are paid only in smiles.
Each of the two Pensacola Miracle League fields is made up of 180,000 pounds of recycled tires formed into tiles painted to match a regular field. It provides a softer landing spot for a hard fall, while still providing a good bounce for the hollow core ball that is also designed to lesson injury potential.
The Miracle League needs more volunteers to serve as buddies, work the concession booth, pickup trash and many more tasks around their area of the Nine Mile Road ballpark.
The public is always welcome and encouraged to cheer on the players.
For more information on Miracle League, or to volunteer, visit www.miracleleaguepensacola.org.
Tate High School students are collecting a donation this week for the Miracle League in honor of senior and varsity football honoree Markus Baxley. Collection bins are located throughout the school, and donations will be accepted during the Pace at Tate football game Friday night.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top and below: Game action Saturday at Miracle League. Pictured below: Northview High School SGA members volunteer as Miracle League buddies Saturday were (front, L-R) Morgan Myrick, Kayla McKillion, Alyssa Borelli, Brianna Smith, Delaney Reynolds, (back, L-R) sponsors Laura Johnson and Anna Barry.
Northview Accepting Entries For Homecoming Parade, Orders For Meal
October 6, 2016
The annual Northview High School Homecoming Parade has been set for Friday, October 14.
The parade will line up at noon and travel from Bratt Elementary School to Northview High. Entries are being accepted now; there is no cost to enter. For a printable entry form, click here. Entries are due by October 10.
Contact Perry Byars at (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 for more information.
A homecoming meal will available Friday from 10 a.m. until from the football concession stand to support the Tommy Weaver Scholarship Fund. The $7 meal will include a BBQ pulled pork sandwich, chips, cookies and drink. To reserve lunch, call (850) 327-6681 ext. 248 or tickets are available in the Northview front office. Checks should be made payable to the NHS FFA Alumni.
The Northview Chief’s homecoming game will kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 14 against the Jay Royals.
Pictured: A float in the 2015 Northview High Homecoming Parade in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
North Escambia’s ‘Donut Boy’ Takes His Mission To Oregon To Thank Cops
October 4, 2016
Tyler Carach of Bratt is continuing on his mission to thank every police officer in the U.S. with a doughnut.
He flew across country late last week in his first plane ride ever to thank law enforcement in Oregon. Tyler, 8, met and shared doughnuts with the Eugene (OR) Police Department, the Springfield (OR) Police Department, Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Police, thanks to radio station 94.5 Mix FM.
“Way to go Tyler and thank you for continued support,” Oregon State Police tweeted. He also received a special thank you proclamation from the Eugene (OR) mayor.
NorthEscambia.com first introduced the world to Tyler, AKA “Donut Boy”, back in the summer when he decided to spend his own money to buy doughnuts for Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies that were inside Gilley’s Store in Bratt. From there, he created the “I DONUT need a reason to THANK a cop” program after providing over 400 Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the entire Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. He also recently paid a visit to the Flomaton (AL) Police Department. [Read more in a previous story...]
A doughnut shop in Springfield, OR, provide the donuts needed for Tyler’s Oregon trip, while an Oregon credit union contributed toward the airfare and a hotel chain provided the room for Tyler and his mom, Sheena Carach.
Tyler’s good deeds were covered by several Oregon newspapers and television stations, and on Monday his story was picked up by the nationally syndicated program Inside Edition.
Pictured: “Donut Boy” Tyler Carach of Bratt thanked police officers across the country in Oregon with doughnuts late late week. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Showband Earns Straight Superiors At Blackwater Classic Festival
October 4, 2016
Tate Showband of the South scored straight superiors at the Blackwater Classic Marching Band Festival last Saturday at Milton High School performing their show “Home Sweet Home”.
For additional photos, click here.
Photos by Perry Doggrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Roy Hyatt Environmental Center Holds Open House
October 4, 2016
The annual open house was held Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment.
Visitors had the opportunity to stroll through the center’s butterfly garden, hike trails into a bog, meet owls from the Wildlife Federation of Northwest Florida, peer through telescopes from with the Escambia Amateur Astronomy Association, meet the resident reptiles, and bid on artwork and other items in a silent auction.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center is at 1300 Tobias Road, Cantonment.
Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Kena Spivey, 2, Loses Battle With Cancer
September 30, 2016
Kena Spivey, age 2, lost her battle to cancer Thursday morning. We introduced your to Kena and her unlikely friend, Bryant Cooper, in previous stories here on NorthEscambia.com.
In late October of 2014, Bryant was a happy, focused young man with a love for football. And John Deere…that love was strong enough that he had even landed a dream job of sorts with a local John Deere dealership. But pain in his back — he thought just a pulled muscle or maybe kidney stones — sent him to the emergency room. The preliminary diagnosis was not good…suspicious spots on his liver. More tests for a final diagnosis that Bryant and his mother, Janet Little Cooper, never expected on November 4, 2014.
Cancer. Not just cancer, but a Stage 4 rare neuroendocrine cancer, and it had spread with a vengeance to other parts of this body.
Kena was diagnosed with a Stage 3 tumor on her cervix and uterus on July 7, 2014.
Kena was in Sacred Heart Hospital for a chemo treatment, and Bryant was in for his first ever treatment when the two met on November 17. Her parents, Charles and Dawn Spivey, were walking her down the hallway trying to calm her when they met Janet.
Kena’s tears stopped when she saw Bryant lying in his hospital bed. The friendship continued to grow up until her passing.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
On average, 43 teens are diagnosed with cancer each day. And before the day ends, a childhood cancer will claim seven lives, Janet Cooper said. “There are billions and billions of dollars spent on cancer research every year in this country. But only four percent is spent on find a cure for childhood cancers.”