Photo Gallery: Flomaton Celebrates Railroad Junction Day
September 23, 2018
Flomaton celebrated the town’s heritage Saturday with Railroad Junction Day. The day featured a variety of free activities, demonstrations, entertainment, food and vendors as friends and neighbors gathered for the event.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery click here.
Gallery includes Railroad Junction Festival photos and car show photos.
NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: It’s Easy To Attract Hummingbirds
September 22, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension
Few sights are more thrilling in the garden than rapidly moving hummingbirds darting among colorful flowers. Hummingbirds, also known as hummers, are always a wonder to see, and it’s easy to attract them to your garden.
In Florida, we see three different types of hummingbirds, but the most common is the ruby-throated. This feathered jewel is only about three inches long and weighs as little as a single penny.
For their size, hummingbirds have among the largest appetites in the bird world. They feed every 10 or 15 minutes from dawn until dusk. During this period, they eat more than half their weight in food and 8 times their weight in water.
If you’re fascinated by hummingbirds, you probably hang out a feeder or two in the summer to provide them with sugar water. Artificial feeders will attract hummingbirds.
However, feeders should not be the sole source of food provided. The sugar solution may appeal to the hummingbirds’ sweet tooth, but it provides little nourishment. Nectar is much more vital to the hummingbird than just water and sugar. By planting certain flowers and shrubs, home gardeners can provide food and habitat for hummingbirds.
Typical hummingbird flowers are red, have a tubular shape and have no strong scent. But there are several notable exceptions to this general rule. Many plants with red flowers don’t contain very much nectar. Roses, petunias, geraniums and zinnias have brilliant colors but little nectar.
Plants that produce an abundance of flowers over an extended period of time and those that require little care are good choices. Native plants can “fill the bill” where nectar-seekers are concerned and should be used whenever possible.
Perennials that are recommended as nectar sources include butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), red basil (Calamintha coccinea), shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana), cigar plant (Cuphea ignea), firespike (Odontonema stricta), red star hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus), and obedient plant (Physostegia spp.).
It’s also important to plant a mixture of nectar producing trees, vines and shrubs that have overlapping blooming seasons. This will insure that a continuous source of nectar will be available to hummingbirds throughout the growing season. Some of the species recommended include red buckeye, bottlebrush, firebush (Hamelia patens), wild azalea, trumpet vine, and coral honeysuckle.
Contrary to popular belief, hummingbirds are not strictly nectar feeders. Insects and other invertebrates are the primary source of protein for adult hummingbirds and their young. An adult female can consume up to 2,000 insects per day. Small invertebrates including mosquitoes, gnats, small bees, fruit flies, spiders, caterpillars, aphids, and insects eggs make up the hummingbirds diet. So keep your plants free of pesticides. Pesticides destroy the insect food base vital to hummingbirds and their offspring, and may also contaminate the nectar they drink.
And if you do use artificial feeders, remember that the sugar solutions must be kept fresh. Florida’s hot weather can cause rapid bacterial growth in these feeders and birds that drink contaminated water could die. To avoid this, change the solution every 3 to 5 days. Clean the feeders with hot water and white vinegar. Do not use soap or chlorine bleach.
Jay Man Wins Title Of National Electrician Of The Year
September 21, 2018
Thursday night, a Jay man was named the National Electrician of the Year by Klein Tools.
With a knock at his front door during a live online video stream, Mike Adams received the good news as his family stood with by his side.
Working in the trades isn’t just a career for Adams.
It’s a family tradition dating back four generations. With his mom, dad, uncles and cousins working by his side, there was never a doubt that Adams would grow to love and live by the rules of the trades.
Through his years as an electrician, Adams learned the importance of proper safety procedures and a dedication to even the smallest details of a job. He instills these lessons in the next generation of electricians as an advisor for SkillsUSA where he has helped lead many students to success in regional and national competitions.
Adam’s work takes him all over Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida and Escambia County in Alabama.
Adams was previously named Klein Tools’ Southeast Electrician of the Year and won the national title. Judging criteria included professional achievement, safety excellence and community dedication.
Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
September 19, 2018
Bratt Elementary School has named their Students of the Month for September. They are:
Pre-K
- Amahl Atallah
- Jaxon Bullard
Kindergarten
- Avaiha Colbert
- Patton Amos
- Nikko Bazaldua
- Melody Sage
1st Grade
- Audrina Miller
- Chayton Rolin
- Walker Morris
- Brooklynne Fountain
- Ella Grace Diller
2nd Grade
- Alexis Amerson
- Keylashia Randle
- Mason Helton
- Noah Luker
3rd Grade
- Morgan Bossard
- Ja’Kari Evans
- Sawyer Gilmore
- Jamaris Durant
- Kaylee Wilson
4th Grade
- Christian Carraway
- Lori Hall
- Presley Johnson
5th Grade
- LanDon Johnson
- Talise Gregson
- Reece Starns
- Desiray Bagwell
Annie Jones UMC Donates School Supplies To Ernest Ward Middle
September 17, 2018
Annie Jones United Methodist Church in Walnut Hill recently presented a wagon full of school supplies to Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured: Ernest Ward Dean Byran Hicks, Principal Nancy Perry and Annie Jones UMC Pastor Lee Bateman. Photos of NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Olive Baptist To Celebrate Opening Of Ministry Village Early Learning Center
September 16, 2018
Olive Baptist Church will hold a dedication service next weekend for their new $1.6 million Ministry Village Early Learning Center, followed by an open house.
The Ministry Village ELC will provide Christ-centered, high-quality care year-round to infants and children ages 3 months to 5 years, and will participate in the Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) program.
“Ministry Village at Olive is devoted to meeting the needs of our community members and helping them pursue and achieve their most excellent futures,” said Stan Lollar, executive director of Ministry Village at Olive. “Our work with people who are struggling with addiction or financial difficulties continues to be fundamental to our organization.
“But with the emerging research on early learning in Escambia County, and the struggles that our youngest community members are having in preschool, grade school and beyond, we felt a call to be involved in meeting the educational needs of young children and families. Through the Ministry Village ELC, we have the opportunity to reach local families and help lay a solid early learning foundation that will better serve our children and our entire community far into the future of Northwest Florida.”
The dedication service will begin at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, September 23.
Escambia BOCC Declares September As Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
September 14, 2018
The Escambia County Commission recently proclaiming the month of September 2018 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The BOCC also commended and thanked the Rally Foundation and other community supporters for all they do to educate the public about childhood cancer. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ransom Middle Students Get Hurricane Lesson From Tate Grad Hurricane Hunter From The Middle Of Storm
September 11, 2018
Students at Ransom Middle School had a lesson in hurricanes Monday — directly from a Tate High Graduate Hurricane Hunter aircraft in the middle of a hurricane.
Maj. Christopher Dyke is n aerial reconnaissance weather officer (ARWO) in the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, better known as the “Hurricane Hunters”.
“Major Christopher Dyke, a former student, called and had me put my phone on speaker so he could talk to my current students about what he and his crew were doing. He called a few different times, and absolutely brought hurricane science to life,” Ransom Middle science teacher Louis O’Rear said.
“He called from the plane, on satellite phone, while they were flying in the middle of a hurricane,” O’Rear exclaimed about the call from his former student. The Hurricane Hunters were in the middle of a 10.5 hour mission into Hurricane Olivia over the Pacific Ocean and headed toward the Hawaiian Islands.
Dyke, who’s flown 337 sorties and has more than 1,200 flight hours, said the 53rd WRS is a good match for his love of weather, because it’s rewarding to contribute information that improves forecasts and storm warnings, which helps to ensure public safety.
“As an ARWO, we act as a mission director for the weather reconnaissance missions,” said Dyke, who is one of 22 ARWOs in the Air Force. “We work with the National Hurricane Center to gather the data they need, and we work with the aircrew to match our capabilities to those requirements.”
The squadron conducts primarily two types of tropical cyclone missions: low-level invests and fix missions. A low-level invest mission is flown at 500 to 1,500 feet to determine if there is a closed circulation. Once a close circulation exists, they fly at higher altitudes, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 feet. Aircrews fly through the eye of a storm four to six times per mission to locate the low-pressure center and circulation of the storm. During these missions, the aircrews transmit the weather data by satellite to the NHC.
Dykes and his family moved to Cantonment when he was 13.
Before he became part of the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters, Dyke served as a meteorologist in the Air Force from 2005 to 2008. His first assignment was at Keesler. He reported to the Weather Officer Course, with his first month being one many on the Gulf Coast he will never forget — Hurricane Katrina.
“It was a nightmare,” he said. “You could hear howling in Wolfe Hall where we were sheltered, and some of the stairwells started taking on water. We spent a week in the shelter, and I was responsible for a security detail after the storm.”
He eventually left the base, reporting to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, where he completed his weather training and began his first permanent duty assignment.
When Dyke isn’t flying, he is also the Air Force Reserve Command interim weather career field manager. He manages the weather specialists’ career paths, and is also responsible for organizing, training and equipping weather units.
Whether he is working issues to improve the unit or flying into the world’s most powerful storms to gather life-saving data, Dyke has a passion for his profession.
“I’m not the kind of person who can sit in front of a computer all day, every day; so this provides me the opportunity to get out, be hands-on, and at the same time doing a job dealing with a topic I love,” said Dyke.
Editor’s note: Olivia was downgraded to a tropical storm late Monday.
Equine Field Day Held In Molino
September 9, 2018
The Escambia County Equine Field Day Saturday in Molino was a hands-on learning opportunity for horse owners and enthusiasts from across the area.
Participants learned about a variety of topics, including equine vaccinations, hoof and leg care, nutrition, pasture weed control, exercise physiology, and other relevant topics related to the Florida equine industry.
The events was held at the Escambia County 4-H Livestock Facility on south Highway 99 in Molino.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Marcus Pointe Christian Preschool Opens In Beulah
September 8, 2018
A ribbon cutting was held Friday for the new Marcus Pointe Christian Preschool- Beulah Campus.
In the faith-based preschool’s one and two-year old rooms, children learn baby sign language, art, and music, and begin potty training, sharing, and playground play through our “Wee Learn” curriculum. Three-year old students are prepared to enter K4 through the “Pathways for Preschool” curriculum that covers all the basics – numbers, shapes, colors, alphabet, and much more.
The new location of Marcus Pointe Christian Preschool is at 8300 Beulah Road and acceps one to three year olds. The main campus at 6205 W Street provides care for infants to three-year olds.
For more information call (850) 479-1605.
Pictured: The grand opening ribbon cutting for the new Marcus Pointe Christian Preschool- Beulah Campus Friday morning. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
