Elementary Schools Celebrate 50th Day Of School With 1950s Flair
October 23, 2024
Area elementary schools marked a milestone Tuesday by celebrating the 50th day of school with a nostalgic nod to the 1950s. At Lipscomb Elementary School, students and staff embraced the throwback theme, donning poodle skirts, leather jackets, and other iconic ’50s attire.
The celebration highlighted the progress students have made in their first 50 days of learning. The day was designed to reinforce academic milestones while adding a fun, retro twist.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Veterans Services Office Advocates on Behalf of Local Veterans
October 23, 2024
For veterans trying to navigate the process of getting benefits through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, it can easily become overwhelming and confusing.
Escambia County resident and Navy Veteran Michael O’Neal, age 74, was struggling to get a benefits claim approved through the VA for knee surgery – until a friend told him about Escambia County’s Veterans Services Office.
“I had a documented injury that occurred while on active duty, and the VA kept denying me,” O’Neal said. “But these folks were able to put it together in such a way that they pretty much couldn’t say no.”
The Escambia County Veterans Services Office consists of two Veterans Services officers, Stevan Davis and Lisa Horan, who are accredited with the VA and experienced with helping veterans and their dependents navigate the VA benefits process.
Both veterans themselves, Davis and Horan are committed to working with veterans, their spouses, and dependents to file claims for benefits they are entitled to, acting as an advocate for them throughout the process. Most importantly, the Escambia County VSO provides these services to veterans completely free of charge.
“The veterans already paid for their benefits with their service, so why should anybody else get paid for what they’ve already paid for?” said Davis, who retired from the Air Force after 23 years of service. “We come across people who have done great things and have never asked anything back from their country.”
With a significant veteran population in Escambia County, the VSO stays busy, seeing approximately 65 veterans per week, in addition to outreach events, home visits, and numerous emails and phone calls for assistance. What was once a one-person office has now expanded to two Veterans Services Officers and one administrative assistant.
O’Neal said he worked with another agency before discovering the Escambia County Veterans Services Office, and the difference has been “night and day.” He retired from the Navy after 22 years of service, which included serving on Guam during the Vietnam War. O’Neal has experienced numerous health issues from exposure to Agent Orange, leading to various medical claims filed through the VA.
“We were able to get things accomplished with the VA that had not been able to get done before,” O’Neal said. “They just seem to do better work than anybody ese. They really care about us veterans – there’s no way you could possibly say enough good about them.”
Davis and Horan both emphasized that because they don’t work for the VA, their focus is on helping veterans file the best possible claim to receive the benefits they have earned through their military service.
“I’m your advocate,” said Horan, who served in the Marine Corps for seven years. “I’m a veteran, just like you. I work for you – I don’t work for the VA. Pretty much anything related to veterans, we’re going to do it if we know how to do it. If we don’t know how to do it, we’re going to find out how.”
The Escambia County VSO can assist veterans and their dependents with a variety of benefit claims, including medical treatment, disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, pensions, life insurance, burial claims, survivor benefits and more. Working closely with community partners including Waterfront Mission, Volunteers of America, and 90Works, the VSO also helps connect homeless veterans with available resources.
The VSO aims to make services as accessible as possible, visiting nursing homes throughout the county in addition to conducting home visits when the veteran or dependent cannot travel to the office.
As certified VSOs, Davis and Horan have access to the VA’s claims system, which provides them valuable information that can help when filing claims for veterans.
“That’s a huge benefit to us,” Horan said. “We have insight that the veteran doesn’t have.”
Although they can’t ensure every claim will be approved by the VA, Davis and Horan said they work hard to listen to veterans, gather the right information for their claim, and connect them with their benefits to the best of their ability. The most rewarding part for both of them is just being able to help veterans, many of whom express their appreciation through thank-you cards, letters of appreciation, or even through hugs and tears.
“Just seeing people get help is so rewarding, even if it’s a smaller claim,” Davis said. “For example, you get a guy who gets 10% for his hearing loss, he’s getting $171 a month, but he’s happy and thankful and comes and thanks you because now he gets hearing aids. And before, he couldn’t hear because he couldn’t get hearing aids – he couldn’t afford the $10,000 for a set of hearing aids.”
“That’s the great part of the job,” Horan said. “That’s what keeps us going.”
For more information about the Escambia County Veterans Services Office, visit MyEscambia.com/veterans. To schedule an appointment, please call 850-595-2409 or email VSO@myescambia.com. The Veterans Services Office is located at the Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place, Pensacola. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Accelerated Readers ‘Silly String’ Teachers
October 22, 2024
Jim Allen Elementary School students when met their Accelerated Reader (AR) goals were able to “Silly String” a teacher recently. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Obreonne Parker Named Northview High School Teacher of The Year
October 22, 2024
Obreonne Parker was recently named the Northview High School Teacher of the Year.
Parker has been at Northview for 21 years. She now teaches ESE and is the OJT coordinator for ESE students. She has also served as the athletic director for Northview High School since 2017.
Parker is loved by her students and colleagues. Her hard work and care are evident in the positive environment that she creates for her students. When asked to reflect on her teaching career, she said, “Stay positive, love the kids, and continue to work hard because it pays off.”
She will now be in the running for the Escambia County Teacher of the Year, to be announced later this school year.
Photo Gallery: A Night Of Creepy Crawlies At Roy Hyatt Environmental Center
October 21, 2024
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center held its annual “A Night of Creepy Crawlies” Friday night from 5:30 until 8:00. Located at 1300 Tobias Road in Cantonment, Florida,
The family-friendly event at the offered visitors a chance to explore the world of insects and reptiles up close.
Attendees could meet creepy crawlers with the Sunset Wildlife Connection, observe birds of prey with the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, and get hands-on with the center’s resident reptiles. The event also featured educational opportunities, such as examining microscopic critters and discovering aquatic creatures in the “Beach House.”
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center is an Escambia County Public Schools facility on Tobias Road in Cantonment
NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Community Donations Fund Lipscomb Elementary Book Vending Machine
October 21, 2024
Lipscomb Elementary School has a new book vending machine thanks to community contributions.
Designed to foster a love for reading in the school, contributions funded the purchase of the machine and stocking it with books.
“This will encourage younger kids to read because it is rewarding good behavior with the tokens,” one student told the contributors. “They will read more.”
Lipscomb said the project was funded by the Lipscomb PTA, Escambia County Commissioners, Steven Barry, and Ascend Cares.
A lucky student from Mrs. Whitfield’s class was randomly chosen to be the first student to get a book from the new vending machine.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
ReImagine Cantonment Blesses Hundreds With Food, Clothing And Hope
October 20, 2024
The hearts and lives of hundreds of area residents in need were touched during the ReImagine Cantonment outreach Saturday at the Florida Children’s Home on Chemstrand Road.
The faith-based event included a 20,000 pound food giveaway, lunch, fishing lessons with free fishing rods, free tablets, baby diapers, HIV testing, clothing, free haircuts, free laundry detergent, free pillows and more. Absolutely everything was free. There were also free children’s activities, including train rides, inflatables, face painting, games, popcorn, and a coloring contest with three participants winning a new bicycle.
ReImagine Cantonment is a project of Doers of the Word Ministry and is sponsored by numerous churches and other organizations, including NorthEscambia.com. Previously, it was held at Carver Park in Cantonment.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Byrneville Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
October 20, 2024
Byrneville Elementary School recently named their September Students of the Month.
They are:
Photos: Tate High Aggies Pep Rally
October 19, 2024
The Tate High School Aggies held a pep rally Friday morning in Pete Gindl Stadium.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Photos by Tate High School Yearbook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview, Jay Bands, Cheerleaders, Fans And More
October 18, 2024
It’s a Friday flashback as we bring you a photo gallery from last week’s Northview at Jay football game.
The gallery includes fans, cheerleaders and bands from the Royals and the Chiefs.
For a look back at last week’s football action, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
