Flomaton FFA String Band, Floriculture Teams Place At Districts
April 21, 2014
The Flomaton High School FFA recently competed at a district competition in Enterprise, AL.
The Flomaton FFA string band placed fourth; members were Nik Shivers, Stone Lehmann, Jose Escobedo, and Logan Hendricks. The Floriculture team placed third and will compete at the state competition. Members of the Flomaton Floriculture team were Haley White, Kristin Fillmore, Toni Simmons and Tiffany Hardy.
Pictured top: (L-R) String band members Nik Shivers, Stone Lehmann, Jose Escobedo, and Logan Hendricks; Floriculture team members Haley White, Kristin Fillmore, Toni Simmons and Tiffany Hardy. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
There names are
listed in the order they are standing
Photos: Our Easter Egg Find
April 21, 2014
While hiding Easter eggs of the plastic variety around NorthEscambia.com Sunday, we made an Easter egg discovery. We found three mockingbird eggs in a nest nestled deep within the fronds of a sago palm. Hopefully, we’ll share baby bird pictures within a couple of weeks. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Faithful Celebrate Resurrection At Easter Services
April 20, 2014
Easter morning sunrise services and special church services were held at many locations across the area Sunday morning.
One of the largest sunrise services in North Escambia was held in Molino as several churches came together for a community Easter morning sunrise service at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, celebrating with music and a message.
Other sunrise services were held in Century, Atmore,Walnut Hill, Flomaton, Gonzalez and Cantonment. And thousands attended a Marcus Pointe Baptist Church Son-Rise Service held at the Blue Wahoos Stadium downtown.
The sunrise services celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, an important event to the faithful. According to the Bible:
Matthew 28:1-20
Resurrection Morning
1 After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. 2 Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached [the tomb]. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow. 4 The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men. 5
But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead. In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”
8 So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news. 9 Just then Jesus met them and said, “Good morning!” They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.”
The Soldiers Are Bribed to Lie
11 As they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 After the priests had assembled with the elders and agreed on a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money 13 and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’ 14 If this reaches the governor’s ears, we will deal with him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been spread among Jewish people to this day.
The Great Commission
16 The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
from the Holman Christian Standard Bible
Pictured top and below: A morning “Sonrise Service” at Pensacola’s Maritime Stadium Sunday (Courtesy photos, inc. Marcus Pointe Baptist Church). Pictured inset: The sign at Poplar Dell Baptist Church sums up the Easter story in simple terms. NorthEscambia.com photo, clicik to enlarge.
Photos; Egg Hunting With The Camp Fire Kids
April 20, 2014
The children of the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center had a couple of big Easter egg hunts last week. The first was at the Century Center. For the second, the children walked over to the neighboring Century Care Center to hunts eggs with the residents. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Library Program Features Stories, Crafts And The Easter Bunny
April 18, 2014
A special Easter program was held Thursday afternoon at the Century Branch of the West Florida Library. Children had a chance to listen to a fun story, eat treats, make a craft and meet the Easter Bunny. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Egg Hunting At Molino Park Elementary
April 18, 2014
Kindergarten students at Molino Park Elementary school wrapped up their school week Thursday afternoon with an Easter egg hunt. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Tate Band Students Named To State Nine Star Honor Band
April 16, 2014
Five Tate High School band students have been named to the Nine Star Honor Band for the state of Florida.
The Nine Star Honor Band is sponsored by the Florida Bandmaster’s Association for the second year. It is for rising 10th grade students who have shown great musical aptitude and ability, and come from the highest quality band programs in Florida.
The Tate students selected were: Mallory Parker, Madison Philley, Madison Rondeau, Katlin Sainata and Danae Smith.
They will travel to Alamonte Springs on July 9 and 10 to perform with other sophomores from around the state. Their clinician will be Dan Wooten, director of bands at Niceville High School and former member and assistant director of the Tate High School Showband of the South.
Pictured: Nine Star Honor Band members from Tate High School are (L-R) Mallory Parker, Madison Philley, Madison Rondeau, Danae Smith and Kaitlin Sainata. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Organ Donor Month: Father Describes His Darkest Hour
April 15, 2014
By Ensign Joshua Faulkner
Registered Nurse, Naval Hospital Pensacola
April is Donor Awareness Month and the following is my account of how a donor forever changed my family.
The minutes seemed like hours as my mind and body were finally succumbing to all that was happening. The reality that my son was closer to death than life had finally set in and the enormity of the moment seemed to sit directly on my chest like a heavy weight. How had this happened?
Just six days earlier, life was totally normal and the thought that my 14-year-old son Trenton would soon be fighting for his life had never crossed my mind. He had complained of a mild stomach ache that weekend, but by Monday morning he was up and ready for school. Halfway into the school day I received his text, “Dad my eyes are yellow.” Being a registered nurse, I immediately drove to the school knowing that if this was true, a trip to Naval Hospital Pensacola’s Emergency Room would be required. As he walked into the front office, the yellow hue of his eyes was obvious.
The lab work revealed that his liver was not working correctly. His liver enzymes were elevated and the many functions of the body sustained by the liver were reflecting its weakened state. Knowing the potential for complications, NHP immediately transferred him to one of the local hospitals to ensure that the potential services that may be required would be available. I didn’t know it then, but this was just one of many time critical decisions that allowed my son to have a chance to fight for his life.
After two days it became apparent that Trent’s condition was not improving. The medical team felt it was now necessary to airlift Trent to a children’s hospital in Atlanta. They informed us that he would be admitted into the transplant unit. I believe this was the first time the full severity of the situation truly dawned on us as a family.
For two more days we sat with Trent hoping for the best, but were helpless to watch as his condition continued to deteriorate. He slept more and more, his skin yellow and swollen from the toxins accumulating in his body. Finally, the doctors entered Trent’s hospital room and told us that the damage to his liver had reached a point of no return and that without an immediate transplant, he would die.
I looked at Trent as the doctors exited the room and for the first time I saw fear. I asked the obvious, “Are you scared?” That little acknowledgement of what he was feeling was all it took for him to finally release the tears that he was fighting so hard to hold back. My wife and I cried with him, and I struggled to mutter the words, “It’s going to be okay.” I wanted to do nothing more in that moment than to be able to take away his fear and ease his heart, but I could not think of the proper words to comfort my son.
About 12 hours later, the doctors came with the first good news we had heard all week. They informed us that they had been contacted with a potential donor match, and that a team of doctors was already in route to assess the donor liver to ensure that it would be a viable organ for Trent. I cannot describe the feelings that I felt in that moment. I felt a sense of relief and hope for sure knowing that my son would have a chance to survive, but I also felt a very real awareness that somewhere someone had lost their life. A family had made a difficult decision to donate life while grieving the loss of their loved one.
The minutes seemed like hours. Finally at 3 a.m., the ICU nurse came to tell us that the liver had arrived, and they would be wheeling Trent to the operating room.
After six hours from the beginning of the procedure, the surgeon walked into the waiting room still wearing his scrubs. He slowly pulled up a nearby chair and sat down in front of my family. My heart was in my throat as we waited for him to give us the news.
“It went great,” he explained. “Everything worked out perfectly.”
Sitting at home now, some five months post-transplant, the enormity of the gift given to my family by our donor family becomes more evident daily. Every memory made and cherished by each of us with Trent is a blessing, granted by someone’s decision to donate life. I have since watched Trent return to school, play with his sisters and begin playing baseball. I don’t know if I could ever express in words how much these moments mean to me, or how appreciative I will forever be to my son’s donor and their family.
Pictured top: Trenton Faulkner, 14, is surrounded by his family, including his father Ensign Joshua Faulkner, a registered nurse at Naval Hospital Pensacola, as he waits for a liver donor late in 2013. A donor match was found and Trenton made a full recovery. Joshua shared his son’s story to raise awareness on the impact donors can have. Pictured inset: Trenton Faulkner poses with his father Ensign Joshua Faulkner during Joshua’s commissioning ceremony May 19, 2012. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park 4-H Club Members Place In Santa Rosa Fair Livestock Show
April 14, 2014
The Barrineau Park 4-H Club is celebrating 100 years as the oldest continuous 4-H club in Florida and is also celebrating several wins at the recent Santa Rosa County Fair Livestock Show.
In the Hog Event, they swept the weight categories:
- Light Weight — Trinity Tisler
- Middle Weight – Zac Comeau
- Light Heavy Weight — Dillon Conti
- Heavy Weight — Willow Foxworth
- Grand Champion – Dillon Conti
- Reserve Grand Champion — Zac Comeau
In the Steer and Heifer competitions, Willow Foxworth, Patra Miller, Eva Miller, Emily Boutwell and Tyler Simmons all placed in each of their categories.
At the Goat Show, Dillon and Jessica Conti both represented Intermediates and Joshua McLamb won first place in Senior Showmanship.
Pictured: Members of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club took part in the Santa Rosa County Fair Livestock Show. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students Of The Month
April 13, 2014
Ernest Ward Middle School has named Students of the Month for February and March. Pictured top: (L-R) March Students of the Month Ashlan Harigel, sixth grade; Hannah Mascaro, eighth grade; and Austin Smith, seventh grade. Pictured below: (L-R) February students of the Month Anna King, sixth grade, and Madalyn Lathan, eighth grade. Not pictured: Justin Cruce, seventh grade. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
