Auburn Eagle ‘Spirit’, Other Raptors Visit Ernest Ward Middle (With Photo Gallery)
March 23, 2024
Friday morning, bald eagle Spirit visited Ernest Ward Middle School — home of the Golden Eagle mascot.
Spirit was the pre-game flight eagle at Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn University for nearly 20 years.
When Spirit arrived at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Southeastern Raptor Center in the late 1990s, no one knew she would one day come to represent the Auburn spirit alongside the university’s official golden eagles known as War Eagles.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click or tap here.
Spirit was brought to Auburn after being discovered in Florida with an injured wing and beak. Due to her permanent beak damage, she was treated and found to be non-releasable. She soon began training for pregame festivities during home football games and made her first Jordan-Hare Stadium flight September 28, 2002.
She inspired Auburn fans during pregame festivities at 45 Auburn Tigers football games and is the only bald eagle to have flown as part of this nationally known Auburn tradition.
In 2021, Spirit is celebrating her 25th birthday and, since the median life expectancy for bald eagles in captivity is 16.5 years, raptor center staff and veterinarians decided it would be best to retire Spirit from stadium flights.
Now in retirement, Spirit is part of education presentations by Auburn’s Southeastern Raptor Center. Somewhat contrary to her imposing appearance, Spirit with her six-foot wingspan weighs in at only about seven pounds, and most of that is feathers, not body weight.
The raptor center’s mission is to rehabilitate and release injured and orphaned raptors, educate the public about these magnificent birds of prey and research raptor-related issues. The center, a division of the College of Veterinary Medicine, is given permission by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to house, care for and showcase non-releasable birds of prey in its educational mission.
Spirit was the star of the show Friday morning at the Raptor Center visited Ernest Ward Middle in program sponsored by United Bank. Students were able to see several other species of raptors, including a screech owl, barn owl, American kestrel hawk, a vulture and a small one-eyed red tailed hawk named Stump (who was found along the roadside looking like a stump after an apparent injury).
EMWS students had chance to ask question to learn more, including the secret of how exactly a bald eagle is trained to return to a handler in a crowded Jordan-Hare Stadium. Turns out it’s all about positive reinforcement — a tasty food treat is the motivating factor for returning to a leather circle. A touchdown on the leather circle is celebrated with food.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click or tap here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Graduate Recognized As ‘Warfighter of the Day’ Aboard USS George Washington
March 19, 2024
Airman Evan Straight, a Tate High School graduate, was recognized as Warfighter of the Day aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George Washington.
Warfighter of the Day is a command program where the ship’s captain personally recognizes an exemplary sailor for their accomplishments. Straight was selected by leadership for this honor. His motivation is always inspiring to his peers and represents the “Spirit of Freedom,” the ship’s nickname.
Straight, a 2022 graduate of Tate High School, joined the Navy over a year ago.
“I am proud of the hard work I’ve done to be able to get qualified in my job,” said Straight. “One day, I’d like to be a great role model for my kids.”
Aircraft carriers, such as USS George Washington, project power and presence worldwide by serving as the cornerstone of a Carrier Strike Group and launching and landing various types of aircraft.
George Washington is undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipyard. RCOH is a multi-year project performed during a carrier’s 50-year service life that includes refueling the ship’s two nuclear reactors, as well as significant repairs, upgrades and modernization.
USS George Washington is named after the first president of the United States.
The ship’s motto is “First in War, First in Peace.”
Pictured: Airman Evan Straight, right, receives his Warfighter of the Day certificate from Capt. Brent Gaut, commanding officer of USS George Washington (CVN 73). US Navy Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview High Names Students Of The Month
March 13, 2024
Northviwe High School has named their Students of the Month for March. They are Jackson Parker and Chloe Criswell, pictured with Principal Michael Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
March 12, 2024
Jim Allen Elementary School recently named their February Students Of The Month. They are Ryleigh Brown and AJ Glodfelter. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle School Names Students Of The Month
March 11, 2024
Ransom Middle School has named their February Students of the Month. They are Dominic Gill and Gabriella Langham. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Beulah Middle FFA Members Share Agriculture With Beulah Elementary Students
March 5, 2024
FFA members from Beulah Middle School shared agriculture with hundreds of students recently at Beulah Elementary School. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Elementary Schools Place In Science Olympiad; Molino Park Takes First Overall
March 4, 2024
Molino Park Elementary School tok first place overall in the 6th Annual Elementary Science Olympiad recently at Washington High School. A total of 21 elementary schools sent teams of students to compete in nine different events.
For additional photos, click here.
Winners were:
Overall:
- 3rd: Bellview
- 2nd: Hellen Caro
- 1st: Molino Park
Starry, Starry Night:
- 6th: Oakcrest
- 5th: Molino Park
- 4th: Jim Allen
- 3rd: Hellen Caro
- 2nd: Brentwood
- 1st: Beulah
Tennis Ball Catapult:
- 6th: Global Learning Academy
- 5th: Bratt
- 4th: Oakcrest
- 3rd: Molino Park
- 2nd: Hellen Caro
- 1st: Scenic Heights
Estimania:
- 6th: McArthur
- 5th: Bellview
- 4th: Jim Allen
- 3rd: Pine Meadow
- 2nd: Sherwood
- 1st: Pleasant Grove
Grasp a Graph:
- 6th: Pleasant Grove
- 5th: Scenic Heights
- 4th: Bratt
- 3rd: AK Suter
- 2nd: Kingsfield
- 1st: Hellen Caro
Write It, Do It:
6th: AK Suter
5th: Jim Allen
4th: Beulah
3rd: Blue Angels
2nd: Pine Meadow
1st: Molino Park
Mystery Powders:
- 6th: Lipscomb
- 5th: NB Cook
- Tie: 3rd: Global Learning Academy
- Tie: 3rd: Kingsfield
- 2nd: Molino Park
- 1st: Pleasant Grove
Rock Hound:
- 6th: Global Learning Academy
- Tie: 4th: Molino Park
- Tie: 4th: Bellview
- 3rd: Hellen Caro
- 2nd: McArthur
- 1st: NB Cook
Science Bowl:
- 6th: Kingsfield
- 5th: Ferry Pass
- 4th: Lipscomb
- 3rd: Bellview
- 2nd: Scenic Heights
- 1st: Pine Meadow
Robotics Pathways:
- 6th: Scenic Heights
- 5th: Beulah
- 4th: McArthur
- 3rd: Hellen Caro
- 2nd: Jim Allen
- 1st: Longleaf
Spirit Award: Longleaf
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hope Linton Named Byrneville Elementary School Teacher of the Year
March 1, 2024
Hope Linton has been named the Byrneville Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Students Create Winning Bookmarks For Literacy Week
March 1, 2024
Every good book needs a good bookmark.
The students at Jim Allen Elementary created bookmarks during a Literacy Week contest, and those judged the best in the school were printed. Every student at Jim Allen received one to take home.
For more photos of the winners and the winning bookmarks, click here.
The winere were:
- Isabella Ortiz-Johnson – 1st grade
- Cataleena Holdener – 2nd grade
- Jayce Austin – 3rd grade
- Dylann Benjamin – 3rd grade
- Aubrey Moore – 3rd grade
- Aspen Neels – 3rd grade
- Abigail Webster – 3rd grade
- Lizzie Garrison – 4th grade
- Paisley Hurley – 4th grade
- Kyson Beck – 5th grade
- Phillip Dockery – 5th grade
- Lillian Floyd – 5th grade
- Kelsey Nance – 5th grade
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate FFA Gets “MOOving” With Literacy In Local Elementary Schools
February 26, 2024
The Tate High School FFA Chapter helped get National FFA Week “MOOving” through literacy programs at local elementary schools.
The Tate FFA Chapter got things “MOOving” by sharing a story about Florida’s dairy industry to local first grade students. Tate FFA officers, students from the agriculture communication class, and agriculture teachers and FFA advisors partnered with Jim Allen and McArthur Elementary schools to introduce the agriculture literacy program through Ag in the Classroom.
For more photos, click or tap here.
Students read and shared “Moovers, Shakers, and Milk Makers,” a book which highlights dairy production in Florida. The first grade students learned about the dairy cow breeds, the practices used to care for dairy cows, and how a dairy operates.
After reading, the FFA students worked with the first graders on activities that focused on “Moovers, Shakers, and Milk Makers”.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
