Byrneville Elementary Names Students Of The Month
December 9, 2025
Byrneville Elementary School recently named its Students of the Month for November.
They are:
Kindergarten: Miracle Slade and Tucker Boutwell
1st Grade: AJ Sutton and Georgia Cofield
2nd Grade: Cali Cottrell and Shelby McKenna
3rd Grade: Arayah McCall and Paisley Miller
4th Grade: Jagger Scott and Estella Johnson
5th Grade: Emrey Fowler and William Maxwell
Art: Derri’ashia Grice
Music: Chaplin Grassia
PE: Jaden Cardwell
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
A Christmas Miracle: Tate High Hosts Miracle League’s Annual Christmas Party (With Gallery)
December 8, 2025
Santa visited with Miracle League of Pensacola players during their annual Christmas party Friday night at Tate High School.
For the past eight years, Tate Beta Club, sponsored by Stacye Litton, has hosted the Christmas Party for the athletes and the families. Numerous other Tate High student organizations and volunteers came together to put on the party including Early Childhood Education, Diamond Girls, Tate Theatre, Chorus, Gatsby Girls and S2S,.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Miracle League players were able to visit with Santa and share their wish lists, enjoy a spaghetti dinner, and take part in numerous activities.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Visits Century Library, Plans Other Library Stops (With Gallery)
December 5, 2025
Santa paid a special visit to the Century Branch Library on Thursday.
After a special story and song from Santa, children were able to take photos with him and share their Christmas wish lists before making Christmas crafts.
For a photos gallery, click here.
“Do you make drones?” one child asked. “We make a few of those,” Santa said.
A little boy tested Santa’s beard just to make sure it was real (pictured).
One little girl asked for a teddy bear.
“You will need to love and take care of him,” Santa cautioned.
A couple stopped by to take a photo with Santa, decked out in their Christmas shirts and grinning ear to ear as they showed Santa a photo on their phone of their new grandbaby.
Kids asked for gifts that included a robot dinosaur, Power Wheels, a Lego train, a giant Squishmallow, a computer with a desk and chair, Star Wars clothes, a monster truck along with an excavator, loader, and dump truck, and a VR headset.
“I want a toy dog,” one girl said. “I will give it to my toy cat.”
“They’ve got little hearts, so you’ve got to take care of them,” the Jolly Old Elf said. “They love just like you.”
And what does Santa want for Christmas? A young lady just had to know.
“I probably need socks after all the trips around the world,” he said. “And maybe a board game to play with Mrs. Claus and the elves.”
For a photos gallery, click here.
Santa has several other visits planned to other West Florida Public Library locations:
Molino Library
- Wednesday, December 10, 10:30 a.m.
- Thursday, December 18, 4:30 p.m.
Bellview Library
- Tuesday, December 9, 10:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, December 10, 4:30 p.m.
Tryon Library
- Thursday, December 4, 10:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, December 16, 3:00 p.m.
Pensacola Library
- Wednesday, December 3, 10:30 a.m.
- Saturday, December 20, 10:30 a.m.
Westside Library
- Thursday, December 11, 4:30 p.m.
Brownsville Library
- Saturday, December 6, 10:30 a.m.
Southwest Library
- Wednesday, December 17, 4:30 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Donates Trees To Kingsfield Elementary For Playground Shade
December 5, 2025
The Escambia County Natural Resources Management Department recently donated and planted 14 native canopy trees at Kingsfield Elementary School in Cantonment, providing students with additional shade for the school’s playground.
The trees will give students a cooler, more comfortable playtime area, along with providing a wide range of environmental and aesthetic benefits. The project was funded through the county’s Tree Mitigation Fund, which supports planting trees on public property.
“I’m so thankful that we are the recipients of such an amazing gift,” said Quinn Evans, Principal of Kingsfield Elementary School. “Kingsfield Elementary’s landscape will be forever changed and we are truly grateful.”
“I’m excited that we were able to partner with Kingsfield Elementary to provide these 14 trees and give students a more comfortable playground area, which is especially important during the warmer months,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said. “Any opportunity to give back to our community, especially to our children, is truly what public service is all about. I hope Kingsfield students will enjoy their new playground shade for many years to come.”
In addition to offering shade and reducing ambient air temperatures, trees help lessen stormwater runoff, which can mitigate flooding in surrounding areas. For the schoolyard, the county selected deciduous trees. This choice will reduce summer heat, making outdoor activities more pleasant for children. In winter, when the trees shed their leaves, the sun will naturally warm the playground.
“This is a great example of how thoughtful planning can improve both the environment and the quality of life for our students and citizens,” County Arborist Jimmie Jarratt said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
December 4, 2025
Jim Allen Elementary School recently named its November Students of the Month. They are Brianna Johnson and Cruz Hane. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle School Hits High Note With Four Students On Florida All-State Band
December 3, 2025
Ransom Middle School’s music program has hit a high note, setting a new school record with four students successfully auditioning and earning a coveted spot in the prestigious Florida All-State Band this year.
The students are :
- Chase Redman (trombone)
- Aiden Harris (trombone)
- Braylen Barton (alto saxophone)
- Cooper Boddy (baritone saxophone)
The unprecedented achievement marks the first time in Ransom Middle School’s history that such a high number of students have been selected for this elite honor.
The students demonstrated exceptional musical skill and dedication in a rigorous audition process, competing against the best young musicians across the state of Florida. Being selected for the All-State Band is a prestigious accomplishment, showcasing their hard work, passion for music, and excellence in performance.
The Florida All-State Band will perform at the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Annual Professional Development Conference in January, where students will have the opportunity to perform alongside other top young musicians from around the state.
School administration and faculty have expressed immense pride in the students for their musical accomplishment.
Man Traversing North Escambia On A Mission To Walk Across America From Top To Bottom
December 2, 2025
When Tim Hickle decided he would retire after 40 years as a buyer in the construction industry, his wife said he needed to find something to do. And he did.
Walking across America from north to south.
“So I went online and I searched the things to do when you retire, which is a horrible idea,” the 64-year-old said Monday afternoon on Pine Barren Road near McDavid.
“But I found this guy that walked Route 66 from Chicago to L.A. It was something I thought I could do. The more research I did, the more I found there were just hundreds and hundreds of people that go from coast to coast each year.”
He eventually settled on a north-south route from northern Minnesota, at the northernmost point of the U.S. at the Canadian border, to Key West, Florida. He retired in May and started his walk on June 8; he hopes to reach Key West by the end of February.
He’s made it over 180 days and 2,700 miles to North Escambia. He has about 900 miles to go.
He crossed into Florida on Sunday and spent Sunday night at Lake Stone near Century before hitting the road again. He planned to spend Monday night at the Bogia Boat Ramp on Bogia Road off Highway 29 before heading to the Molino Fire Station by Tuesday night.
As he walks, he pulls what he has nicknamed the “Copper Kettle”. It’s a simple camper cart he designed and built that carries his supplies and provides a place to sleep. The cart weighs about 120 pounds. “It has a memory foam mattress, sleeping bag, pillows,” he said. “Anything that needs to stay dry goes inside.”
Hickle is not walking to raise money or draw attention to any cause.
“It’s just a personal goal to walk from the far north in the Lower 48 to the far south in the Lower 48. There’s a lot to be said for downsizing to the point where everything I need fits into 22 square feet. I don’t mean to be anti-commercial or anything, but less is more for me.” Along the way, he recharges electrical items as he can, items like his phone and caution lights for the back of the camper.
Hickle is keeping in touch with his wife back home in Colorado as he walks, joining her when he can by phone or video—especially on Mondays when he helps her babysit their grandchild.
“We are about to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary,” he noted. He is going to miss that anniversary as he walks. One of the best parts of the walk, he said, is meeting people.
“I’m doing this at a walking pace so that I can have human interactions,” he said. “I can have a conversation with someone by the road that is getting the mail or mowing their grass. We are going to have some kind of interaction.”
“They are really the high points of his journey.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Smokey Bear, Florida Forest Service Visits Jim Allen First Graders
December 1, 2025
Smokey Bear and the Florida Forest Service recently visited with first grade students at Jim Allen Elementary School.
With a special story, they learned all about fire safety and the importance of asking trusted adults for help. They also had a chance to meet Smokey and share high-fives.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Lodge Donates Food Boxes To Families In Need
November 30, 2025
For Thanksgiving, Cantonment Masonic Lodge No. 322 partnered with Manna Food Pantries to donate 37 food boxes to local schools for families in need.
The food boxes, including turkeys, were donated to Ernest Ward Middle and Jim Allen Elementary schools.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Farm-City: Volunteers Harvest Thanksgiving Dinner For 1,000 Needy Families
November 28, 2025
Earlier this week, students and volunteers from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties worked in fields near Jay to harvest vegetables that will help feed about 1,000 needy families for Thanksgiving.
The event at the University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center is part of Farm to City Week and brought the bounty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences farm to the needy in the city.
The students were from agricultural programs and organizations, including FFA members from local schools.
The produce was distributed to 500 families in Escambia County and 500 more in Santa Rosa County along with a turkey and all the trimmings for a Thanksgiving meal from Feeding the Gulf Coast and the Waterfront Rescue Mission.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
