Best Of The Class Of 2015 Honored
April 23, 2015
Ninety of Escambia County’s high school seniors were honored Thursday tonight at the 2015 Senior Academic Awards presented by the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation.
Honorees include the top five students in each graduating class, as well as one student from each of five disciplines. Escambia County’s National Merit Finalists and National Achievement Finalists were also honored.
Escambia High School: TOP FIVE: Samantha Finklestine, Ryan Fournier, Macayla Gilbert, Tara Skipton, Brian Thompson, DISCIPLINES: Corey Percle, Career & Technology, Britiny Hope Vetitoe, English, Johnathan Pierce, Foreign Language, Jacob Paul Rook, Math, Megan Gillis, Science, Airamis Perez, Social Studies
Northview High School: TOP FIVE: Tristan Brown, Matthew Ryan Chavers, Kyndall Hall, Mallory Ryan, Samantha Sharpless, DISCIPLINES: Tristan Williams, Career & Technology, Austin Cunningham, English, Adriann Lee, Foreign Language, Shania Ward, Math, Joshua Borelli, Science, Charmayne Fountain, Social Studies
Pensacola High School: TOP FIVE: Tanogela Brown, Dacon Buchanan, Savannah Colby, Chloe Gillman, Heather L. Sartain, DISCIPLINES: Seyviana A. Johnson, Career & Technology, Njeri K. Nelms, English, Alberto Bretado, Foreign Language, Wen Wen Xu, Math, Anissa Brooks, Science, Andrew H. Huynh, Social Studies
Pensacola High School IB Program: TOP FIVE: *Jett Crowdis, Krisha Gupta, *Olivia Liseth, *Shayli Patel, *Nadia Razek, DISCIPLINES Lauren Pederson, Career & Technology, Sarah Haley Lenga, English, *Claire Escobedo, Foreign Language, Grace Tan, Math, *Caroline Sullivan, Science, *Laurel Rush, Social Studies, *Lauren Shumpert
*National Merit Finalist
Pine Forest High School: TOP FIVE: Kevin Chen, John Orleans Degraft-Hanson, Karin Marie Fazio, Aubrey Hagle, De’zhanae Marie McCall-Butler, DISCIPLINES Chase Holland, Career & Technology, Vamina Stevenson, English, Brittany Haines, Foreign Language, Alyssa Johnson, Math, Wenjun Ye, Science, Connor Irby, Social Studies
Tate High School: TOP FIVE: Kyle Capehart, Sarah Colburn, Taylor Ertel, *Hannah Philips, Emily Washler, DISCIPLINES Chandler Cotton, Career & Technology, Paxton Metcalf, English, Kristin Wheeler, Foreign Language, Kayla Dixon, Math, Brandon Launstein, Science, Hannah Hargett, Social Studies
*National Merit Finalist
Washington High School: TOP FIVE Elizabeth Barbour, Grayson Evan Bell, Jessica Davis-Gunn, Mallory Lurate, Taylor Daniel Perkins, Michael D. Thompson, DISCIPLINES Mariah Bush, Career & Technology, Kayleigh Fails, English, Kayla Carter, Foreign Language, *Branch Robinson, Math, Jacob Michael Brown, Science, Bailey Elizabeth Porch, Social Studies
*National Achievement Finalist
West Florida High School: TOP FIVE Jamie Marie Butler, Devin Kelby McCormick, Amy Elizabeth Murph, Raleigh Elizabeth Nesbitt, Dane Theodore Stolsig, DISCIPLINES: Christopher “Chris” Manning, Career & Technology, Lauren Elaine Brown, English, Christian J. Gould, Foreign Language, Michael Allen Small, Math, Henry Aaron Windham Thompson, Science, Hydee Nguyen, Social Studies
Jay Pro Rodeo Friday And Saturday Nights
April 23, 2015
The 13th Annual Jay Pro Rodeo will be held Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at Ted May Arena in Jay.
The 3R Rodeo Company will entertain the crowd with rodeo action including pro bull riding, saddle broncing, calf and team roping, steer wrestling, and women’s breakaway and barrel racing. For the little ones, there’s the calf scramble, free bouncy area, and more. There will also be plenty of great food available at the concession stand.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. All proceeds benefit area youth program through the Jay High School SGA and Ted May Arena.
The arena is located a half mile east of the red light on Highway 4 in Jay. Parking is free. For more information, contact Fredrick Barrow at (850) 288-0634.
Three Molino Park Students Win Florida DEP Earth Day Poster Contest
April 22, 2015
The Molino Park Elementary School students were the winners of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Northwest District Earth Day Poster Contest. In celebration of Earth Day, the department invited fourth and fifth grade students from Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties to creatively illustrate the importance of protecting Florida’s beautiful natural environment: air, water, land and ecosystems.
Winners were:
Escambia County
- First Place: Carolyn Wilbanks – Molino Park Elementary
- Second Place: Cody Chavers – Molino Park Elementary
- Third Place: Sarah Sconiers – Molino Park Elementary
Santa Rosa County
- First Place: Gwyneth Jackson – Gulf Breeze Elementary
- Second Place: Sean Johnson – Pea Ridge Elementary
- Third Place: Lindsey Castor – Bagdad Elementary
Pictured top: DEP Escambia County Earth Day poster contest winners, all from Molino Park Elementary, are (L-R) Carolyn Wilbanks, first; Cody Chavers, second; and Sara Sconiers, third. Their posters are below. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
First place Escambia County poster by Carlolyn Wilbanks (above).
Second place Escambia County poster by Cody Chavers (above).
Third place Escambia County poster by Sara Sconiers (above).
Fair Provides $30K In Educational Grants To Local Students
April 21, 2015
The Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given out a total of $30,000 for the 2014-2015 John E. Frenkel, Sr. Educational Grants.
This grant provides $1,000 each to 30 recipients, made payable to any accredited college. Since the inception of the grant program in 1983, Pensacola Interstate Fair, Inc. has given over $1 million to local students.
These grants are restricted to graduating High School Seniors of Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties who, during their high school years, have participated in or volunteered at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The grant recipients for this year are:
- Brandon H. Ingram, Central High School
- Mark A. Reid, Escambia High School
- Amanda S. Tanner, Escambia Virtual Academy
- Sydney J. Ezelle, Gulf Breeze High School
- Makenzie C. Bray, Jay High School
- Kolby L. Copeland, Jay High School
- Clayton T. Fischer, Jay High School
- Tucker C. Harrington, Jay High School
- Jeffery T. Kelley, Jay High School
- Micah J. Kemp, Jay High School
- Colby A. Odom, Jay High School
- Tyler W. Odom, Jay High School
- Alisa B. Roberts, Jay High School
- Emily S. Russell, Jay High School
- Kourtney P. Smith, Jay High School
- Derrill S. Starling, Jay High School
- Donald P. Cunningham, Pace High School
- Elizabeth A. Parra, Pensacola High School (IB)
- Erin B. Fairall, Pine Forest High School
- Carissa J. Carroll, Tate High School
- Tristan W. Fromm, Tate High School
- Samantha Early, Washington High School
- Amy K. Fellgren, Washington High School
- Briahna D. McDavid, Washington High School
- Christopher P. Searcy, Washington High School
- Michaela A Tullius, Washington High School
- Joshua L. McLamb, West Florida High School
- Raleigh E. Nesbitt, West Florida High School
- Hannah E. Power, West Florida High School
- Josephine N. Venable, West Florida High School
Weekend Livestock Show Award Winners Announced
April 20, 2015
Award winners have been announced from Saturday’s Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization (GCA & NRYO) Spring Livestock Show in Molino. The complete list is below.
For an earlier story about the show, click here.
Pictured is Haylee Weaver and her 1,425 pound Grand Champion Market Streer named “Breakaway”.
Click the list below to enlarge
Photos by Meridith Caum for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Grocery Prices Up In ‘Spring Picnic’ Survey
April 19, 2015
Higher retail prices for several foods, including sirloin tip roast, ground chuck, deli ham and orange juice, resulted in a slight increase in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket survey.
The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $53.87, up $.60 or about 1 percent compared to a survey conducted a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, eight increased and eight decreased in average price.
“Several meat items increased in price, accounting for much of the modest increase in the marketbasket,” said John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist. “The 1 percent increase shown by our survey tracks closely with the Agriculture Department’s forecast of 2 percent to 3 percent food inflation for 2015,” he said.
Items showing retail price increases from a year ago included:
- sirloin tip roast, up 14 percent to $5.71 per pound
- ground chuck, up 12 percent to $4.61 per pound
- orange juice, up 7 percent to $3.47 per half-gallon
- toasted oat cereal, up 7 percent to $3.12 for a 9-ounce box
- deli ham, up 6 percent to $5.53 per pound
- eggs, up 4 percent to $2.05 per dozen
- shredded cheddar cheese, up 3 percent to $4.59 per pound
- potatoes, up 2 percent to $2.74 for a 5-pound bag
These items showed modest retail price decreases compared to a year ago:
- flour, down 9 percent to $2.52 for a 5-pound bag
- bacon, down 8 percent to $4.44 per pound
- apples, down 8 percent to $1.47 per pound
- chicken breast, down 7 percent to $3.28 per pound
- whole milk, down 6 percent to $3.45 per gallon
- vegetable oil, down 6 percent to $2.67 for a 32-ounce bottle
- bagged salad, down 5 percent to $2.47 per pound
- white bread, down 3 percent to $1.75 per 20-ounce loaf
Price checks of alternative milk and egg choices not included in the overall marketbasket survey average revealed the following: 1/2 gallon regular milk, $2.24; 1/2 gallon organic milk, $4.47; and one dozen “cage-free” eggs, $3.57.
The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.
“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Anderson said.
Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this $53.87 marketbasket would be $8.62.
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Smith Completes Parris Island Training
April 19, 2015
PFC Cody Dewayne Smith graduated recently after 13 weeks of Marine Corp training at Parris Island, SC. Smith served as a squad leader during his training. He was awarded as an expert in rifle markmanship and was promoted to private first class. Smith is the son of Rex and Theresa Smith of Jay.
Molino Park Presents ‘Alphabet Adventures of Sometimes Y’
April 17, 2015
The first grade classes at Molino Park Elementary School presented “The Alphabet Adventures of Sometimes Y” Thursday night at the school. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Tate Students Get Real World Voting Experience
April 16, 2015
Students at Tate High School got a little real world voting experience Wednesday. They voted for class officers and student council officers during lunch, using real ballots and real voting equipment provided by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Students cast 501 ballots, the Elections Office was able register 21 students to vote in real elections.
Absentee ballots will be available Thursday for students that missed voting on Wednesday, and the winners be announced on Friday.
Tate Juniors also cast ballots for their prom court, king and queen.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bigfoot Monster Truck Visits Local Company That Keeps It Running
April 14, 2015
Bigfoot monster truck “Trick Flow” made a stop by sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Monday afternoon. The truck achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Red Eagle clutches. Alto has provided the transmission clutch plates for the Bigfoot vehicles for the past 15 years.
“The most fun is the kids. I can remember being a little kid and looking up to the truck drivers. When they come up to see the truck and they light up, that just makes my day,” Trick Flow driver Darron Schnell said. He has been a part of the Bigfoot team for seven years.
The truck is also sponsored by Trick Flow, a division of Summitt Racing.
Pictured: Bigfoot monster truck “Trick Flow” at Alto Products in Atmore, where the vehicle’s transmission clutch plates are manufactured. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
