Beulah Academy Student First Middle Schooler In Escambia County To Earn ServSafe Manager
June 19, 2025
Beulah Academy of Science Middle School student Victoria St. Pierre is the first and only middle schooler to take and pass the ServSafe Manager exam in Escambia County, according to the school.
A ServSafe Manager is a certification for food service managers that demonstrates their knowledge and skills in managing food safety in restaurants, schools, or other food service operations. The certification validates that a manager can effectively train employees on food safety procedures and ensure a consistent high standard of food safety throughout the establishment.
St. Pierre’s instruction at BAS Middle was Victoria Bottcher.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Named To Mississippi State Ag And Life Sciences Hall Of Fame
June 13, 2025
Cora Andrews of Cantonment, a 2018 Tate High School graduate, is among 18 inaugural Mississippi State undergraduate and graduate members of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Hall of Fame.
Established this year, the hall of Fame recognizes an undergraduate and graduate student from each of the college’s nine departments who have made a lasting impact at MSU.
To be considered for the honor, undergraduate students must have senior standing, master’s students must be at least one year into their program, and Ph.D. students must be at least two years into their program. Department heads, in consultation with faculty and undergraduate coordinators, select the students who best represent their unit.
“Students can make an impact through their leadership, innovation and service, among other factors,” said Darrell Sparks, CALS associate dean and professor. “We want to recognize the work that goes above and beyond academic excellence.”
Andrews was also named Outstanding Agricultural and Extension Education Masters student in Teaching, Research, and Service.
While at Tate, Andrews was the chapter and district FFA president.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
4-H’s Jereme Johnson Is Escambia County’s Employee Of The Month
June 8, 2025
Jereme Johnson, 4-H Program Assistant with UF/IFAS Escambia Extension Services, was recognized by the county commission as the June 2025 Escambia County Employee of the Month.
Johnson began his career with Escambia County in 2017, where he joined Extension services as the 4-H Program Assistant after working as a staff member at Florida 4-H camps Cherry Lake and Timpoochee. Over the last eight years, Johnson has successfully increased club involvement, expanded opportunities for youths, and developed significant impacts in the lives of the youth he works with. He has established eight new 4-H clubs throughout the county, secured over $72,000 in grant funding for the 4-H program, and developed successful day camps and after-school programs. He is recognized by his peers as a leader in Escambia County 4-H and has earned a reputation for his unending enthusiasm and commitment to 4-H.
When he was hired in 2017, Johnson was tasked with reestablishing and providing leadership for a large military 4-H club contingency, along with increasing the reach of the Escambia County 4-H program in county schools and community centers. He faced the challenges of gaining military 4-H volunteer and community trust, modifying longstanding traditions for better results, and working with youth center staff to plan and execute programs throughout the school year and summer. Johnson got right to work, collaborating with teachers and community center directors to establish 4-H programming throughout the county. He became a 4-H ambassador to Escambia County 4-H military clubs, local schools, and community centers, introducing the program to hundreds of youths who may not have heard of 4-H.
“I’m extremely proud of Jereme for his selection and we’re excited to recognize him as the Employee of the Month,” Extension Services Director Nick Simmons said. “Jereme is highly valuable to UF/IFAS Extension and Escambia County. His passion for youth development is evident in his work as the 4-H Program Assistant, where he shows commitment each day to improving the lives of youth in his community. He works tirelessly each day to make Escambia County’s 4-H program the best it can be, going above and beyond to help those around him.”
Outside of work, Johnson is active in his community, serving as a volunteer club leader for two 4-H clubs. He also volunteers with the Sea Turtle Baby Shower Program and Waterfront Mission food distribution.
“I have loved working with the 4-H Program and Extension Services for the past eight years,” Johnson said. “I have gotten to see growth in not only the program but myself. Working with youth has always been my passion and through this program I am truly able to make the best better.”
Large Crowd Attends Annual Sawmill Day Festival And Car Show (With Gallery)
June 8, 2025
A large crowd attended the annual Sawmill Day Festival and Car Show in Century on Saturday.
The day included entertainment, free history museum tours, grilled hamburger meals, crafts, free exhibits, a car show and more.
For a large photo gallery from the car show and the festival, click here.
NorthEscambia.comp photos, click to enlarge.
Take Stock in Children Of Escambia County Awards $350,000 In Scholarships
June 5, 2025
Take Stock in Children and the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation awarded over $350,000 in scholarships before the last day of school at the “Graduation & Unsung Hero Celebration”.
The event honored 26 graduating seniors who received four-year tuition scholarships and a laptop computer. Also recognized were all of the volunteer mentors of our students as well as scholarship donors.
The 2025 Take Stock in Children graduates were:
- Northview High: Genesis Scott-Johnson and Laura Laborde;
- T ate High: Caine Carter, Jayda Fillingim, Adrianna Middleton, Ceth Morris, Kaylyn Weiss;
- Escambia Virtual: Halana Werts;
- Escambia High: Xandria Smith;
- Pensacola High: Michael Combs;
- Pine Forest High: Izaiah Cubias, Raven Falzone, Callum Fletcher, Bethany Gurley, Andrew Moles;
- Washington High: Retag Abdelhamid, Jayden Brown, Kyleigh Cox, Azarria McGhee;
- West Florida High: Allison Banks, Shynia Bowie, Nyking Curry, Landon Green, Tyrin Joiner, and Jared Long.
Take Stock in Children was established in 1995 as a non-profit organization in Florida operating locally under the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation. The program provides a unique opportunity for deserving low-income students to escape the cycle of poverty through education. Students are selected through a need-based application process in middle school, and comprehensive services continue through high school and include the students’ transition into college. Students receive a college scholarship, a caring volunteer mentor, and college readiness skills.
Scholarships are funded through a unique public-private fundraising model in which local scholarship donations are matched by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation when scholarships are purchased each year.
Barrineau Park Historical Society Awards Five Scholarships
June 3, 2025
The Barrineau Park Historical Society recently presented five scholarships.
Recipients were:
Katie John Crow, a 2025 Tate High graduate, received a $1,000 Bernice and Bill Vaughn Scholarship. “KJ” has been very active and received many accolades from her four years at Tate. She plans to attend Coastal Alabama Community College on a tennis scholarship.
Laney Clarke was the recipient of a $1,000 Barrineau Park Historical Society scholarship. She was homeschooled and was a dual enrollment student at Pensacola State College. Laney has been very active in Escambia County 4-H and Girl Scouts Gateway Council and plans to attend the University of South Alabama majoring in marketing.
Josiah Rogers is a winner of a $500 Haupert Scholarship. He was a homeschooled senior who was dual enrolled in Pensacola State College. Josiah’s activities include Escambia 4-H, martial arts, piano, and setting up his own lawn service. He plans to attend the University of West Florida in September and major in mechanical engineering.
Laura Laborde was a Northview High senior and received a $500 Jennings/Crabtree Scholarship. She also has taken college courses through dual enrollment at Pensacola State College. Laura is a ballet dancer and teaches her art to younger students. She plans to attend the University of West Florida in the fall and major in nursing.
Ryan Clarke is the winner of a$500 Lynda Minchew Scholarship. She was a homeschooled senior who was dual enrolled at Pensacola State College and has been accepted to Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
She plans to major in criminology and “catch the bad guys” as she said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Tennessee Monument Honors Fallen No. 6 Blue Angels Pilot
June 2, 2025
It’s been nine years since Blue Angel No. 6 crashed, killing pilot Jeff Kuss in Smyrna, Tennessee.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Jeff Kuss, a native of Durango, Colorado, was a decorated pilot who joined the Blue Angels in 2014. Prior to the Blue Angels, he served in Afghanistan and had accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and 175 landings on aircraft carriers.
On June 2, 2016, at the age of 32, Kuss tragically lost his life when his jet crashed during a practice one day before The Great Tennessee Air Show in Smyrna. A Blue Angel F/A-18C Hornet similar to the jet flown by Captain Kuss and on loan from the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola is on permanent display as part of the Captain Jeff Kuss Memorial. He is survived by his wife Christina, children Calvin and Sloane, parents Janet and Michael, and brother Eric.
Kuss is memorialized with a public monument at a park across the road from Smyrna airport, near the crash site. Local residents gathered in the park following the tragic crash, holding an impromptu vigil.
NorthEscambia.com took our cameras to the memorial recently.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The monument features a retired Blue Angel F/A-18 Hornet that is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The “Freedom Playground” in the surrounding park has a Blue Angels color scheme and several features that were designed with the Blue Angels in mind.
The Blue Angels will perform this weekend, June 7-8 , during the The Great Tennessee Air Show in Smyrna.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Congratulations Class Of 2025! Celebrate With A Look Back At Hundreds Of Photos
June 1, 2025
Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
As we celebrate your successes, let’s look back at all the great photos.
NorthEscambia.com attended the graduation ceremonies for the three high schools located in North Escambia, publishing photo galleries with hundreds of photos and posting complete graduate lists for each of the schools.
Escambia Westgate School
The Escambia Westgate School Class of 2025 graduated May 19, and “you are champions” was the message from Escambia County Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Shenna Payne.
Tate High School
Over 500 members of the Tate High School Class of 2025 graduated on May 27 at the Pensacola Bay Center as valedictorian Talia Bethany Smith encouraged her classmates to “to truly embrace what is ahead, not with fear but with courage and curiosity”
- For the list of Tate High School graduates, click here.
- For a photo gallery from the Tate graduation, click here.
- For a second photo gallery from Tate, click here.
Northview High School
Northview High School Class of 2025 valedictorian told his 106 fellow classmates that “time is limited in this world; enjoy the time you get.; but most importantly, do something good with it.”
- For a list of Northview High School graduates, click here.
- For a photo gallery from the Northview graduation, click here.
- For a second photo gallery from Northview, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
June 1, 2025
Jim Allen Elementary School named their May Students of the Month. They are Lyla Rae Bradley (pictured left) and Penelope Clyburn. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students, Employee Of The Month
May 30, 2025
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their employee and student of the month for May. Pictured (L-R) with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger are students Kaylee Moore, eighth grade; Jocelyn Smith, seventh grade; Hadley Alan Ramos, sixth grade; and Selena Hester, teacher assistant. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.