Century Prison, Century Town Officials Gift Bicycles To Six Deserving Children
December 23, 2021
The Century Correctional Institution presented six bicycles to the Town of Century to be gifted to deserving children in the community.
Mayor Ben Boutwell and each of the five elected council members were able to choose a child to receive a bicycle.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Horticulture Technician Carol Lord Retires After Over 30 Years
December 22, 2021
Escambia County horticulture technician Carol Lord has retired after almost 32 years of public service.
If you’ve called or visited Escambia County at UF/IFAS Extension Services with a plant question in the last three decades, the odds are that Lord assisted you.
“Particularly in the springtime when everything starts growing, it was not unusual for her to spend nearly 8 hours straight answering calls or talking to office visitors. She is a wealth of knowledge of all things horticultural, and a whiz at identifying plants, diagnosing plant diseases, and making wise recommendations on soil and nutrient issues,” the Extension Service said in a social media post.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Names Students Of The Month
December 22, 2021
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named Students of the Month for November. They are (L-R) Elias Michael Ridgley, sixth grade; Christian Noelle Caraway, seventh grade; and Hannah Ruth-Grace Stogner, eighth grade. They are pictured with Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Sailor On USS Harry S. Truman Wishing Family A Merry Christmas
December 21, 2021
A Cantonment native serving in the United States Navy will celebrate the holidays with his fellow sailors aboard USS Harry S. Truman.
Haley wants family back home to know they are missed this holiday season.
“Wish I could be home for the holidays,” said Haley. “Miss you everyday and hope you have a great Christmas and start to the new year.”
Haley has a special message for one family member.
“I would like to tell my brother Kody to stay safe out there on the streets patrolling Pensacola, and that I hope you have a great holiday with family.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Haley, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance.
“Serving in the Navy means everything to me,” added Haley. “From our sacrifice of being away from our families during the holidays to missing special events, it is is worth it to protect the ones we love. I’m having experiences that I will tell stories about for years to come.”
Tate High School Names Students Of The Month
December 21, 2021
Tate High School recently named Students of the Month for November. They are Evan Meyer and Shyla McRoy. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Fire Capt. Craig Ammons Retires After 41 Years Of Service
December 20, 2021
Escambia County Fire Rescue Capt. Stephen Craig Ammons has retired after 41 years of faithful and dedicated service as a first responder, with the last 36 years of his career with Escambia Fire Rescue.
Ammons began his career with Escambia County as a paramedic in 1985 and moved to the fire department in 2000 where he began as a firefighter and worked his way through the ranks to captain.
During his career with Escambia County, he has worked through emergencies that included hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms, floods, the oil spill, the recent pandemic and more.
“We joined Craig and his family in celebration of a long and successful career in public safety today,” said ECFR Deputy Chief Paul Williams during a retirement ceremony last Friday. “We want thank all of our special guests, other agencies, and first responders who came out to celebrate with us and wish Craig well. ECFR and Escambia County were fortunate that Craig established roots here with our community, and we wish him and his family a bountiful and healthy retirement.”
During the retirement ceremony, Rep. Michelle Salzman presented a certification of recognition to Ammons. He was honored with a proclamation presented by Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender, with Commissioner Steven Barry also in attendance.
“I’m honored today that everybody took the time to come by,” Ammons told those in attendance. “I wish everyone good luck, be safe, enjoy what you have and keep making progress to protect the citizens of Escambia County.”
Northview High Names Students Of The Month
December 20, 2021
Northview High School recently named their November Students of the Month. They are Chase Pugh and Doria Beach. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wreaths Across America Held
December 19, 2021
Thousands of Christmas wreaths were placed on graves at Barrancas National Cemetery on NAS Pensacola and other area cemeteries on Saturday.
The wreaths were placed as part of the national event “Wreaths Across America”, a tradition that began over 20 years ago at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington. The wreaths were placed to remember and honor veterans through the placing Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each veteran aloud.
There were 26,000 wreaths placed throughout Barrancas National Cemetery.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Makes Fire Truck Run Through Century And Byrneville
December 19, 2021
Santa and Mrs. Claus visited the Century and Byrneville areas Saturday morning with a little help from the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, including a special stop to visit with the residents of the Century Center for Rehabilitation & Healing. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
‘It Will Be OK’ – Rosco, The NorthEscambia Rescue Kitty, Passes Away
December 17, 2021
We wanted to share some really sad news from our NorthEscambia.com family.
Our beloved cat Rosco passed away suddenly and unexpectedly Tuesday morning at the age of five. He received the very best veterinary wellness care, and he had no known serious issues and not been sick.
We decided to share our grief with you because thousands of our readers have come to know Rosco over the past 2.5 years since we first published his adoption story. He’s been our photo model for several stories on NorthEscambia.com and has appeared many, many times on our social media channels. We get asked about him all the time.
Rosco has been a sounding board for story ideas and right by my side waiting for bed as I wrote those 2 a.m. breaking news stories. He knew that certain tones on the fire scanner would mean dad might be leaving, and he would often wait by the door for my return. At night, he would wait for me to finish writing or take a break. In our free time, he would snuggle next to me on the couch, just wanting the reassuring touch of my hand on his back. He really was part of our NorthEscambia.com operation.
We adopted Rosco and another kitty named Oreo, now age 7, from the Escambia County Animal Shelter in May 2019. At the time, Rosco had been at the shelter longer than any other cat because he had over-stimulation aggression. When we first met, he bit me. I bled. I tried to pet him again. He bit me again. I bled again. We fell in love. (You really should read that first adoption story.)
We don’t know his backstory before he arrived at the shelter. But we set out to give him a “furever” home, not knowing that furever would be just 2.5 short years.
He became a big sweetie, often by my side. He loved those couch cuddles and being held. He was a purrfect friend.
Some days, Rosco and Oreo had their little scuffles over the best spot of sunshine on the bed. For a couple of animal shelter cellmates turned brothers, they had an obvious love for one another. Oreo goes to bed around 10:00 each night. Later as we finished our late night NorthEscambia.com work, Rosco would walk me to the kitchen and ask for treats. He would not eat them, opting instead for his favorite food. Rosco would go to the bedroom and “tell” Oreo. “Little brother, I got you some treats. They are in the kitchen.” Oreo would head to the kitchen for his late night snack. Best bros look out for each other.
Little Oreo is lost now. He’s still looking for Rosco, and spending extra time wanting to be held.
Rosco would want you to know that he was a tough, brave little dude but inside he had the biggest of hearts. If dad offered a reassuring look and a “it’s OK”, he would stand strong against the loud noises of vacuum cleaners, power tools, anything. If dad said it was OK, all was well.
I held him Tuesday morning and told him it was OK. He made little kitty biscuits as he took his last breath.
Thank you for allowing us to share Rosco with you over the past 2.5 years. Please consider adopting a cat or dog from the Escambia County animal shelter if that fits your family situation. Or consider a financial donation to the Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter (click to donate). Tell them Rosco sent you, and he wants all the shelter animals to know before Christmas that…
It will be OK.
Pictured top: Rosco by a NorthEscambia.com camera bag waiting on the next big story. Pictured first below: Part of Rosco’s 2021 Christmas photoshoot. Next two photos: Rosco and Oreo sharing a spot of sunshine, and looking out a window. And bottom: More of his Christmas photoshoot. He didn’t trust the gnome, but dad said it would be OK. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
