Here’s What Socially Distanced Graduations Will Look Like At The Bay Center, And The Schedule.

June 19, 2020

This is what Escambia County high school graduations will look like in a social distanced pandemic world next week at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The graduation schedule is below. Doors will open one hour before ceremony time.

Monday, June 22, 2020

  • 9:30 a.m. Escambia Virtual School & George Stone at Pensacola High School
  • 4:00 p.m. Escambia High School at Pensacola Bay Center

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

  • 9:00 a.m. West Florida High School at Pensacola Bay Center
  • 2:00 p.m. Pine Forest High School at Pensacola Bay Center
  • 7:00 p.m. Tate High School at Pensacola Bay Center

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

  • 9:00 a.m. Pensacola High School at Pensacola Bay Center
  • 2:00 p.m. Northview High School at Pensacola Bay Center
  • 7:00 p.m. Booker T. Washington High School at Pensacola Bay Center

Important safety measures will be added to these graduation ceremonies from those held in the past. In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, the following information was provided by the Escambia County School District:

  • Participation in graduation ceremonies is voluntary
  • Face masks are encouraged
  • Bags of any kind (tote bags, backpacks, etc.) are discouraged.
  • All cameras are allowed, but no tripods or large camera bags.
  • Seating is general admission, with six (6) tickets provided to each graduating student and distributed by their school
  • Absolutely no replacement of lost tickets
  • Graduation times have been scheduled to allow the Pensacola Bay Center to be sanitized after each ceremony
  • No congregating after graduation ceremonies; graduates and families should go directly to their vehicles and exit the property promptly
  • Graduates will be allowed to keep their cap and gown, and return these items to schools at a later date. This allows families to celebrate and take pictures with their graduates
  • Graduates and guests will maintain social distancing while in the Pensacola Bay Center
  • Anyone who has recently traveled outside of the country, had a fever within the last 14 days, or in contact with someone who was COVID-19 positive will be asked not to attend.
  • All graduations will be live streamed for the general public for family members and friends who cannot attend, or to watch at a later time.

Pictured: The Pensacola Bay Center set up for graduations. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Escambia School District Honors 210 Retirees With Over 5,100 Combined Years Of Service

June 19, 2020

The Escambia County School District recently held a virtual retirement ceremony.

Assistant Superintendent Norm Ross read the names of 210 teachers and staff members that are retiring after a combined 5,117.5 years of service.

The retiree that served the longest amongst the group  is Tate High School Athletic Director Dale Gilmore (pictured) who retired after 46 years in education, with over 30 of those years at Tate. He was named Tate High School’s Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019.

In alphabetical order, the Escambia County School District retirees honored are:

Donna Adkison – L.D. Mcarthur Elementary School, 32.5 years
Sandra Ames – Ransom Middle School, 40 years
Vickey Armstrong – Transportation Services, 26 years
Charles Ronnie Arnold – Global Learning Academy, 35 years
Joanne Baerresen – Reinhardt Holm Elementary School, 34 years
Dewey Barker – Inventory Systems, 31 years
Charles Barnett – Success Academy, 17 years
Karen Beane – Transportation Services, 18 years
Guy Beard – Pensacola High School, 34 years
Wanda Bell – FDLRS, 11 years
Connie Bivins – Oakcrest Elementary School, 17 years
Darryl Blackmon – Longleaf Elementary School, 31 years
Bruce Boland – Maintenance Services, 30.5 years
Deborah Broughton – Transportation Services, 6 years
Raynee Bouillion – A.K. Suter Elementary School, 30 years
Teri Brady – Jim Allen Elementary School, 30 years
Sarah Braswell – Transportation Services, 35 years
Jennifer Brazwell – Beulah Elementary School, 12.5 years
Willie Bright – Transportation Services, 6 years
Marilyn Broadnax – Escambia Westgate Center, 17 years
Annie Brown – Transportation Services, 8 years
Glen Brown – Transportation Services, 9 years
Keitha Brown – Escambia High School, 35 years
Mary Paulette Brown – Bellview Elementary School, 22 years
Stephanie Burke – A.K. Suter Elementary School, 15 years
Gayle Burkhardt – Reinhardt Holm Elementary School, 30 years
Charles Perry Byars – Northview High School, 34 years
Sherry Cagle – Transportation Services, 16 years
Jennifer Campbell – Pine Forest High School, 12 years
Colleen Carbone – Jim C. Bailey Middle School, 19 years
Gerald Carroll – Maintenance Services, 30 years
Mary Carstarphen – C.A. Weis Elementary School, 14 years
Debra Caruthers – Escambia Westgate Center, 31 years
Beverly Chandler – Warrington Middle School, 35 years
Laura Chavers – Ernest Ward Elementary School, 13 years
Grace Childers – Transportation Services, 35 years
Robert Childers – George Stone Technical College, 39 years
Charles Clark – Pensacola High School, 2 years
Floyd Clausell – Maintenance Services, 35 years
Charlie Code – Northview High School, 12.5 years
Susan Cole – Exceptional Student Education, 30 years
Timothy Collinsworth – Transportation Services, 9.5 years
Cheryl Colvin – Transportation Services, 27.5 years
Vicki Cook – Northview High School, 21 years
Fran Cook – Hellen Caro Elementary School, 24 years
Rose Coon – Cordova Park Elementary School, 20 years
Steven Coon – Transportation Services, 12 years
Ann Copenhaver – Professional Learning, 35 years
David Cox – Itinerant Physical Education, 27 years
Sharon Craney – N.B. Cook Elementary School, 30 years
Mary Dale – Montclair Elementary School, 30 years
Cindy Davison – Purchasing & Business Services, 30 years
Vernell Dixon – Bratt Elementary School, 22.5 years
Marcia Doerfler – R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School, 30 years
Patricia Drew – Transportation Services, 30 years
Nancy Durre – Workman Middle School, 19 years
Gladys Dykes – Molino Park Elementary School, 30 years
John Dykes – Maintenance Services, 37 years
Eddie Ebbert – George Stone Technical College, 17 years
Nubia Echevarria – Ransom Middle School, 35 years
Lorraine Farish – Hellen Caro Elementary School, 25 years
Romelle Farmer – Warrington Middle School, 12 years
Herman Flintroy – Transportation Services, 8 years
Juanita Forst – A.K. Suter Elementary School, 31 years
Annie Fountain – Ferry Pass Middle School, 15 years
Ginger Fowler – Sherwood Elementary School, 37 years
Rhonda Fowler – Pine Meadow Elementary School, 27 years
James Gallacher – J.M. Tate High School, 27 years
Ruben Gardner – Escambia High School, 13.5 years
Alice Gerold – Exceptional Student Education, 20 years
Alton Dale Gilmore – J.M. Tate High School, 46 years
Patrecia Gipson – Reinhardt Holm Elementary School, 13 years
Eddie Goings – Warrington Elementary School, 22 years
Edward Goodwin – Maintenance Services, 7 years
Pamela Gowens – District Itinerants, 31 years
Cathy Graves – Beulah Elementary School, 35 years
Joyce Gunn – Northview High School, 30 years
Vernice Hale – Custodial Services, 35 years
Janice Hall – Bellview Middle School, 21 years
Suzanne Hamada – Beulah Middle School, 4 years
Cynthia Hamlett – Bellview Elementary School, 26.5 years
Donna Harper – Escambia Education Association, 36 years
Valerie Hassell – Accounting Operations, 28 years
Jennifer Hedrick – N.B. Cook Elementary School, 17 years
Barbara Hildreth – R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School, 30 years
Joseph Holmes – Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy, 15 years
Barbara Holt – Beulah Elementary School, 19 years
Mamie Hopson – O.J. Semmes Elementary School, 17 years
Derek Hoxworth – Pine Forest High School, 12 years
Jacquelyn Jackson – Title I, 33 years
Linda Jackson – Bratt Elementary School, 33 years
Anne Jacobi – Sherwood Elementary School, 32 years
Michael Jamison – Transportation Services, 21.5 years
Coleen Janovic – Jim C. Bailey Middle School, 14.5 years
Anita Johnson – Navy Point Elementary School, 29 years
Beverly Johnson – C.A. Weis Elementary School, 35 years
Brenda Jones – Transportation Services, 29 years
Michael Keyes – Jim C. Bailey Middle School, 15 years
Victoria Kilgen – Lipscomb Elementary School, 30 years
Bethany Kirkland – Hellen Caro Elementary School, 25 years
Marsha Kivlan – Bellview Elementary School, 34.5 years
Anne Krothe – Escambia High School, 18 years
Debra Lawrence – Warrington Elementary School, 20.5 years
Deborah Layton – Montclair Elementary School, 33 years
Ferrell Leary – Sherwood Elementary School, 28 years
Gary Lincoln – Beulah Middle School, 27 years
Robert Lynch – Jim C. Bailey Middle School, 15 years
Colleen Lynch – Ransom Middle School, 20 years
Myra Mackey – Escambia Westgate Center, 35 years
Albert Macnaughton – West Florida High School, 33 years
Martha Martin – Ernest Ward Middle School, 11 years
Rhonda Martin – Ernest Ward Middle School, 30 years
George Mask – Transportation Services, 36 years
Diane Vickie Mathis – Alternative Education, 40 years
Robert Maynard – Information Technology, 12 years
Pamela Mayo – Navy Point Elementary School, 28 years
Elizabeth Mccarver – Continuous Improvement & School Choice, 30 years
Karen Mccluskey – Booker T. Washington High School, 25 years
Doris Mccormick – Transportation Services, 29 years
Lawrence Mcdonald – Northview High School, 14 years
Nell Mcelhaney – Human Resource Services, 30 years
Douglas Mcgirt – Reinhardt Holm Elementary School, 14 years
Rose Mcmillan – Beulah Elementary School, 30 years
Patrice Mcvey – Beulah Middle School, 35 years
Davene Meehan – Success Academy, 13 years
Anita Meeks – C.A. Weis Elementary School, 19 years
Debra Middleton – Escambia Westgate Center, 44 years
Gregg Miller – Maintenance Services, 18 years
Steven Miller – Booker T. Washington High School, 20 years
Lolita Mitchell – Beulah Middle School, 29 years
Rosie Mitchell – Information Technology, 26.5 years
Grace Mondello – L. D. Mcarthur Elementary School, 18 years
Kimberly Moorhead – Jim Allen Elementary School, 7.5 years
Pamela Mullen – Pleasant Grove Elementary School, 30 years
Guy Mullendore – Payroll & Benefits Accounting, 23 years
Teresa Murphy – Beulah Elementary School, 19 years
Maria Murphy – Inventory Systems, 5.5 years
Mary Nash – Pleasant Grove Elementary School, 14 years
Tom Nelson – Warrington Middle School, 13.5 years
Anthony Noles – Facilities Planning, 12 years
Pamela O’Rear – Pine Meadow Elementary School, 30 years
Teresa Pace – Ferry Pass Middle School, 28 years
Virkeisha Palmer – Ernest Ward Middle School, 15 years
Debra Parkerson – Sherwood Elementary School, 28 years
Cheryl Peach – Myrtle Grove Elementary School, 26.5 years
Edward Penniman – Escambia Westgate, 35 years
Thomas Pennington – Pensacola High School, 12 years
Deborah Peterson – L.D. Mcarthur Elementary School, 31 years
Sandra Peterson – Sherwood Elementary School, 20 years
Mary Pettway – Bellview Middle School, 30 years
Lamoin Phelps – Transportation Services, 14 years
Jerry Pollard – Pine Forest High School, 42 years
Patrice Porterfield – West Pensacola Elementary, 35 years
Wonder Purifoy – Pine Meadow Elementary School, 23 years
Janet Reithmiller – Continuous Improvement & School Choice, 15 years
Susan Richter – J.M. Tate High School, 8 years
Susan Rigby – Alternative Education, 20 years
Ester Robinson – Molino Park Elementary School, 15 years
Shirley Robinson – Cordova Park Elementary School, 35 years
Wanda Robinson – Exceptional Student Education, 26.5 years
Carla Ross – Booker T. Washington High School, 35 years
Theresa Russell – Exceptional Student Education, 25 years
Gerald Russo – George Stone Technical College, 14 years
Mary Samaras – Cordova Park Elementary School, 35 years
Christine Sanjurjo – Transportation Services, 17.5 years
Cathy Sargent – Ferry Pass Elementary School, 16 years
Joyce Saucer – Transportation Services, 15.5 years
Brenda Savage – Ferry Pass Middle School, 9 years
Anthony Savell – Inventory Systems, 12 years
Jimmy Alan Scott – Human Resource Services, 40 years
Sabine Seher – Exceptional Student Education, 33.5 years
Kathryn Shealy – West Pensacola Elementary School, 30 years
Elaine Shores – J.M. Tate High School, 35 years
Susan Simmons – Ferry Pass Middle School, 15 years
Theresa Simmons – Bellview Middle School, 28 years
Steven Skaggs – Transportation Services, 7.5 years
Zondra Sloan – West Pensacola Elementary School, 18 years
Susan Smart – Pensacola High School, 18 years
Andrea Smith – Booker T. Washington High School, 30 years
Clarence Smith – Sherwood Elementary, 37 years
Alex Snyder – Molino Park Elementary, 35 years
Janet Spencer – Bellview Elementary School, 21 years
Scott Stetson – Reinhardt Holm Elementary School, 41 years
Gail Symington – Navy Point Elementary School, 2 years
Jim Taylor – Student Services, 42.5 years
Michelle Taylor – Workforce Education, 35 years
Lana Teague – Jim Allen Elementary School, 32 years
Martha Thompson – Escambia High School, 30 years
Janice Thorsen – Transportation Services, 22 years
Betty Timms – Exceptional Student Education, 27 years
Corean Turner – Pensacola High School, 20 years
Michael Vann – Escambia High School, 30 years
Mary Vigue – Scenic Heights Elementary School, 26 years
Tamela Viveiros – Kingsfield Elementary School, 31 years
Deborah Waddington – Oakcrest Elementary School, 31 years
Lisa Wagner – Blue Angels Elementary School, 22 years
Albert Ward – R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School, 37.5 years
Jay Watts – Pine Meadow Elementary School, 35 years
Lillian Welch – Longleaf Elementary School, 31 years
Theresa West – Transportation Services, 16 years
Christine Wheeler – R.C. Lipscomb Elementary School, 37 years
Ben Whetstone – Bellview Middle School, 24 years
Charles White – Escambia High School, 13 years
Lisa White – Transportation Services, 15.5 years
Suzanne Whitfield – George Stone Technical College, 12.5 years
Deamper Wiggins – Ferry Pass Middle School, 31 years
Ann Williams – Transportation Services, 34 years
Pamela Willis – J.M. Tate High School, 18 years

UWF Unveils Plan For Fall 2020 Reopening

June 19, 2020

The University of West Florida has developed a draft reopening plan for Fall 2020.

Approved Friday by the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, the plan will then presented to the Board of Governors for approval at the their June 23 meeting.

UWF said the plan was developed while keeping the safety, security and well-being of students and employees at the forefront of every decision.

To form the plan, UWF President Martha D. Saunders established a Return to Campus Task Force and five subcommittees to focus on specific key areas that align with the reopening blueprint provided by the Board of Governors. The task force, which included representatives from all areas of the institution, addressed and monitored the repopulation framework during weekly meetings.

Here are the key takeaway points from the plan:

SAFETY PROTOCOLS

A disposable or cloth face covering will be required everywhere on campus and other UWF locations except when in a private office, a work area separated by six feet from others or in an outdoor area separated by at least six feet from others.

UWF will provide one reusable cloth face covering and a bottle of hand sanitizer for every student and employee. Visitors will be provided a disposable face covering. Accommodations will be made for people with disabilities that prevent them from wearing face coverings.

All students and employees will be required to complete a daily return to campus pre-screening before visiting a University location, in addition to completing a COVID-19 training.

All facilities will adhere to CDC guidelines and safety protocols for on-campus residents will be enhanced. The maximum room capacity for all classrooms in use for Fall 2020 will be updated based on the square footage of space with an allowance of 36 square feet per person. Classroom facilities will be thoroughly cleaned and include signage showing where students can sit based on social distancing guidelines.

In the event of a second wave of COVID-19 infections, re-implementation and mitigation procedures will be executed immediately.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

The University is expanding its course delivery options with more online to ensure students receive the top-rate, quality education they expect from UWF.

Lower-division courses (undergraduate courses offered at the freshman or sophomore level) will be delivered with face-to-face components unless faculty opt to teach the full course or sections of the course online or the course is historically offered online.

Upper-division courses (undergraduate courses offered at the junior level or higher) will primarily be delivered online. Exceptions include courses faculty identify as experiential with significant face-to-face components, capstone, clinical/internship that requires faculty supervision and courses that serve as a practicum experience.

Graduate courses will be delivered with face-to-face components unless they are part of an online program or students are enrolled in synchronous online instruction offered as part of a face-to-face course.

The course delivery framework was developed by college deans with input from stakeholders, including department chairs and faculty members. Department chairs are working with faculty members to review and restructure course delivery modalities as appropriate.

Students identified as high-risk will be directed to academic advisors, who will work with them to facilitate other delivery methods.

Students will be notified of course changes via email by July 1, 2020.

Immediately following Thanksgiving break, all courses will be arranged so that instruction, review and final exams are delivered remotely for the rest of the semester.

HOUSING

UWF will continue honoring housing contracts for the fall semester.

UWF will reserve spaces for COVID-19 isolation. A student who tests positive will be moved immediately to an isolation/quarantine space. If someone comes in one-on-one contact with that student in their living space, that unit will be quarantined until test results are available.

Escambia County Awards $848K Contract To Pave Ashcraft Road In Bratt

June 19, 2020

Thursday, the Escambia County Commission awarded a contract to pave another North Escambia dirt road.

Low bidder Roads, Inc. of NWF was awarded the $848,214.28 contact to pave the 1.24 mile dirt road that connects Bratt Road at the rear of the Travis Nelson Park to North Highway 99. The new asphalt roadway will include associated drainage improvements. Proposed drainage improvements include sodded swales, upgraded cross drains and subsurface storm water pipe.

Utility relocation will be required for the existing Escambia River Electric Cooperative (EREC) potable water main, EREC ’s utility poles and buried Frontier Communications telephone lines.

The waterline relocation will include upgrading the existing 3-inch water line with a 6-inch main. EREC will provide the materials, while Roads, Inc. will be required to provide the labor and equipment required for installation.

An invitation to bid was publicly noticed to 189 vendors, and the solicitation was downloaded by 28 firms. There were six bids submitted ranging up to $1.23 million. The second lowest bid on the project was $903,780.43 by J. Miller Construction.

Once work begins, Roads, Inc. has up to 250 days to complete the project.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Check Fishing Regulations, ID Your Fish With New FWC App

June 19, 2020

Out fishing and need to check the rules for your location?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has announced a new partnership with the Fish Rules App to make that easier.

Right now, the app only contains Florida saltwater fishing rules, by FWC says freshwater information should be added later this summer.

Fishing regulations change depending on your location. Enable location services in Fish Rules App and the app will automatically show you regulations for your actual location. The app is also partnering with the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council that manage fisheries off Florida in federal waters.

Unsure of what species you’ve caught? The app also helps with fish identification. Swipe left or right on pictures of fish to see more pictures and clues on how to identify a fish. You can even sort fish by name or by picture.

‘A Question of When,’ Exhibition Reflecting On The World During COVID-19 Pandemic Opens At Museum Of Art

June 19, 2020

On Saturday, June 20, the Pensacola Museum of Art will open a new exhibition in response to our changing world during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Throughout history, art has played a unique and crucial role in times of change. Featuring works by Marc Chagall, Walker Evans, Joan Miró and other artists from the museum’s permanent collection, “A Question of When” is a visual representation of the collective grief and ongoing sense of hope felt by many as this situation unfolds.

The museum was originally set to host a permanent collection show to feature recent museum acquisitions, but due to the pandemic, the show has evolved with the crisis to reflect both the strangeness of a new reality and the unique role of art in times of change.

The objects in the show represent over 100 years of art making across a variety of media.

“Some works evoke the isolation of social distancing through their imagery,” said Anna Wall, chief curator of the museum. “Others demonstrate how artists reflect larger societal shifts through abstraction and the dissolution of form.”

Though the selections in this show represent a small fraction of the nearly 700 artworks held by the museum, they illustrate the breadth of the museum’s holdings and highlight the institution’s mission to preserve, interpret and share diverse artworks and artists from the past 150 years of visual culture.

“Exhibiting our permanent collection feels appropriate on the heels of a stay-at-home measure,” Wall said. “Spurred by funding cuts and decreased access to artists and artworks, many museums will undoubtedly look inward and showcase a larger percentage of their collection over the coming years.”

“A Question of When” is on display at the museum, which is located at 407 S. Jefferson St. in historic downtown Pensacola, until Sept. 6, 2020. For more information about the Pensacola Museum of Art, call (850) 432-6247 or visit pensacolamuseum.org.

Former Nanny, Porn Actress Now Charged With Human Trafficking

June 18, 2020

A former nanny and foster care provider arrested in April on child sex charges has now been charged with human trafficking.

Nicole Lynn Walter, age 27 of 10071 Foxrun Road, was previously charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition with a victim under 16, possession of child pornography, battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence. Walter, according to investigators, is a porn actress.

“We continued our investigation and determined there was an exchange of money for a video that was made involving some minor children,” said Chief Deputy Chip Simmons. “This was an individual from out of state that engaged with Walter.”

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office obtained at least three videos filmed by Walter between 2017 and 2018 in which she allegedly performed sexual acts in front of small children as they were crying and playing the background, the report states. The children are now ages 3 and 6, but the youngest was 15 months old when the videos were recorded.

According to an arrest report, investigators interviewed at least one person that paid Walter for videos. He told investigators that she had price rates for videos with or without the children, and she offered live Skype video calls with a child seen on camera for $8 per minute.

Simmons said Walter was paid at least $100 for one video.

Walter has also used the names Nicole Steff  and Nicole Stearns, according to investigators. She remained in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.

According to a tip received by the Florida Abuse Hotline, Walter is self-employed porn actress that makes videos of herself masturbaing in public locations.  Investigators were given a thumb drive containing three video files depicting Walter in various public places masturbating in the presence of the underage victims.

A three-year old female told investigators that Walter touched her privates and took photographs, according to an arrest report.

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement K-9 located a micro SD card underneath drawers in the bedroom that contained child pornography depicting female approximately 10-13 years old nude and posing in sexual positions, the report states. A laptop seized as evidence contained a videos of a completely nude Walter masturbating and engaging in conversation with two children and a third person whose name was redacted from the arrest report.

Toddler Run Over By Pickup Truck Wednesday Evening

June 18, 2020

A toddler girl was run over by a vehicle Wednesday evening in the Quintette community.

Witnesses said a wheel of a full-size pickup truck passed over the young girl on a private drive or lane off the 2000 block of Stacey Road about 7:30 p.m.

A medical helicopter responded to the nearby Quintette Ballpark, but the girl was transported to a local hospital by ambulance as a non-trauma alert.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. The Cantonment and Molino stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded.

Further details have not been released.

NorthEscambia.com photo by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.

Century Man Charged With Hitting Neighbor, 66, In The Head With A Stick

June 18, 2020

A Century man has been charged with hitting his 66-year old neighbor in the head with a stick.

William Randall Coker, 51, was charged was aggravated battery on a person 65 years of age or older.

The 66-year old victim told deputies that he heard Coker yelling from his Front Street residence and went to check on his well being. When he knocked on the front door, Coker emerged from the residence with a “stick” and struck him on the head with it, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The victim returned to his residence.

Responding deputies found the victim with three-inch cut on the left side of his head just below his ear, along with blood on Coker’s front porch and in the street, the report states. The victim was transported by family members to Jay Hospital for treatment.

Deputies seized a homemade machete, two large wooden sticks and a large knife from Coker.

Coker’s statement was radacted from the arrest report.

Ransom Middle Innovation Center Renamed For Sandra Goldsby Ames

June 18, 2020

The Ransom Middle School Innovation Center has been officially renamed the “Sandra Goldsby Ames Innovation Center”.

The name change was in honor of Sandra Goldsby Ames who is retiring this year after serving the Escambia County School District for 39 years. She has served as an English teacher, administrative dean, assistant principal and principal. In the past she has also represented Ransom as their Teacher of the Year and ECSD as the Assistant Principal of the Year.

“My Ransom family and friends have been amazing to me,” Ames told the Escambia County School Board. “While I do not think I deserve such an important honor, I am extremely humbled and very appreciative of the love and support that they have shown me throughout my years.”

She is known to embody the values of pride, teamwork, privacy, safety, service, stewardship, and accountability, according a school board resolution. She has supported reading and language arts instruction, as well as encouraged the creative use of the school’s library as it transitioned into an innovation center.

Pictured top: Ransom Middle School Principal Dr. Regina Lipnick (left), Sandra Goldsby Ames and Superintendent Malcolm Thomas.  Pictured inset: Ames addresses the Escambia County School Board. Pictured below: Ames will family, friends and coworkers after the school board meeting. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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