IP Awards $100K In Grants To Local Schools, Community Groups
November 3, 2017
International Paper Pensacola Mill has awarded $100,000 in foundation grants to local community organizations.
“We are privileged to be able to assist our local community organizations in their efforts to make a difference in the lives of the residents and children of Northwest Florida,” said Whitney Fike, communications manager. “Their efforts serve to strengthen our community.”
Local community organizations and their projects that were awarded grants for 2017 are:
- AMI Kids Pensacola, “Student Care Initiative”
- Autism Pensacola, “Summer Learning Lab and Kids for Camp”
- Ballet Pensacola, “Discover Dance”
- Camshire Meadows Homeowners Association, Inc., “Camshire Meadows Playground”
- Cantonment Improvement Committee, “Cantonment Community Outreach Festival”
- Children’s Home Society of Florida, “Tech for Success at C.A. Weis Elementary Community Partnership School”
- Council on Aging of West Florida, “Foster Grandparents for Forests”
- Creative Learning Academy “Early Years Literary Implementation and Improvement”
- Ernest Ward Middle, “Nut Tree Project” and “Outdoor Classroom”
- Escambia County Public Schools Foundation, “Literacy Grants for Excellence”
- Every Child a Reader in Escambia, “Books for the Break”
- Greater First Baptist Church, “Community Literacy Mentoring and Tutoring Program”
- Greater Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, Inc., “5th Grade Concerts”
- Gulf Coast Kids House, “Medical Equipment for Assessing Child Victims of Abuse”
- Independence for the Blind, “SOAR to Fitness”
- Jim Allen Elementary School, “EGGStraordinary Readers”
- Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida, “Jr. Achievement in Escambia County”
- Manna Food Bank, “Healthy Kids Initiative”
- Milk and Honey Outreach Ministries, “Literacy and Language”
- My Brothers and Sisters, “Women in Transition”
- Myrtle Grove Elementary, “Learning Literacy Growing Gardens” and MobyMax: Find and Fix Learning Gaps”
- Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center “Environmental Education”
- Okaloosa County 4-H Association, “Garden to Plate: A 4-H School and Community Garden Project”
- Partnership for Community Programs “Bay Day 2018”
- Partnership for a Healthy Community, “Let’s Wiggle, Santa Rosa”
- Pensacola Mess Hall “How do you Measure a Song?”
- Pensacola State College Foundation, Inc., “Family Literacy Program”
- Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministries, “Healthy Meals Refrigerator/Freezer”
- Pensacola Promise Chain Reaction “Chain Reaction Service Learning”
- Quintette Community Park Association “Senior Citizen and Youth Programs”
- Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida, “Home for Dinner Program”
- Sacred Heart Foundation, “Virtual Reality Goggles”
- Studer Community Institute, “Brain Bags”
- The Global Corner “The Global Corner Visits Argentina: An Activity Book for Young Explorers”
- The HER Foundation, “Faith Garden”
- University of West Florida Foundation, “Emerald Coast B.E.S.T. Robotics Hub,” “Invitational Summer Institute for the National Writing Project,” and “UWF Community Garden”
Grants are awarded by the IP Foundation in Memphis, Tenn., which focuses on signature causes education, hunger, health and wellness, and disaster relief.
Pictured top: IP grant recipients. Pictured top photo below: Virkeisha Palmer, Ernest Ward Middle School assistant principal, Sherri Stallworth, Ernest Ward Middle School librarian, and Cindy Wilson, Ernest Ward Middle School agriculture teacher, accept two grants from Scott Taylor, manager, International Paper Pensacola mill for projects Nut Tree project and Outdoor Classroom. Middle photo below: Rachel Watts, principal, Jim Allen Elementary accepts a grant from Scott Taylor, manager, International Paper Pensacola mill for the project, EGGStraordinary Readers. Bottom photo: Quintette Community Park Association members accept a grant from Scott Taylor, manager, International Paper Pensacola mill for the project Senior Citizen and Youth Programs. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser Return $1 Million To County
November 3, 2017
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan, Tax Collector Scott Lunsford and Property Appraiser Christ Jones have returned over $1 million to the Escambia County Commission.
Morgan’s office returned $243,562.95; Lunsford returned $554,935.17 and Jones returned $241,588.59.
The funds come from fees generated by the offices for fiscal year 2016 –2017 in excess of budget amounts. The unused fees are then returned to the commission as the local taxing authority.
“We work hard to be fiscally responsible with the taxpayers’ money,” Lunsford said. “We are proud to be able to provide the Board of County Commissioners these funds that can be invested in local services that make Escambia County a great place to live.”
These funds are in addition to $914,107.81 returned by Escambia County Clerk and Comptroller Pam Childers, as we previously reported here.
Escambia County ‘Armed Career Criminal’ Gets Federal Prison Time
November 3, 2017
Escambia County resident Donald Anthony Santoriello was sentenced Thursday to federal prison on a weapons charge.
Called a “armed career criminal” by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Santoriello received 200 months as the result of his guilty plea on August 10 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and 24 months consecutive for violating his federal supervised release.
In March 2017, Santoriello was under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for being convicted of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Probation Office received information that Santoriello was in possession of a firearm, and subsequently law enforcement agents found a firearm in his residence. Santoriello previously had been convicted of crimes dating back to 1987, including first degree robbery, grand theft auto, aggravated assault, and second degree murder.
This case resulted from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Man Arrested For Beating Victim With A PlayStation
November 3, 2017
UPDATE: The suspect has turned himself in to deputies.
An Escambia County man is wanted for aggravated battery after allegedly beating his victim with a PlayStation 4.
The Escambia County Sherriff’s Office said Keenan Antwan Hall broke the victim’s arm and repeatedly hit the victim in the head with PlayStation 4 game console, rendering the victim unconscious.
Hall was last seen running away from the scene on Donley Street wearing red shorts and a black shirt.
Anyone that knows his whereabouts is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Veterans Day Programs Planned Across The North Escambia Area
November 3, 2017
Numerous programs are planned over the next week to celebrate and honor veterans in advance of Veterans Day on Saturday, November 11.
Tuesday, November 7
Ernest Ward Middle School will present their annual Veterans Day Program on Tuesday, November 7 at 9:15 a.m. in the school’s gym. The school’s band and chorus will perform patriotic music and a special dramatic presentation will be performed by the drama class. Guest speaker will be Master at Arms First Class Wartley-Banks from Pensacola.
Thursday, November 9
Lipscomb Elementary School is inviting local veterans to a very special assembly to honor them on Thursday, November 9 at 8:30 a.m. Veteran guests are asked to meet at the flagpole at 8:30 to enter the school together to proceed to the cafeteria for the program.
Bratt Elementary School will present “Let’s Sing America,” a salute to Veterans, on Thursday, November 9 at 9 a.m.
Pine Meadow Elementary School will hold a Veterans Day program will be Thursday, November 9 at 9 a.m. Kindergarten and fourth grade students will sing during the program. All veteran’s related to Pine Meadow Elementary students are invited.
Beulah Elementary School second grade students will present a Veterans Day program on Thursday, November 9 at 9:00 a.m.
Northview High School will have it an annual Veterans Day Program on Thursday, November 9 in the school’s theater. Two identical programs will be presented – the first at 9:30 a.m. to be immediately followed by the second at about 10:30 a.m. The guest speaker will be Captain Chuck Kicker USN (ret) who served for 30 years as a Navy Surface Warfare Officer. He has continued his service to our country as a federal civil service employee and is currently the Executive Director of the Center of Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), training future Sailors and Marines.
The Town of Century will host a Veterans Day celebration on November 9 at 1 p.m. at the Century Community Center on West Highway 4. Attendees are asked to bring a photo of their veteran to display during the ceremony.
Ransom Middle School will present a Veteran’s Day Program twice on Thursday, November 9 – at 2:25 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. The Ransom orchestra, chorus and band will perform.
Pictured top: The 2016 Veterans Day program at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Atmore Man Gets Prison For Brother’s Murder Despite Stand Your Ground Claim
November 3, 2017
An Atmore man has been indicted for the 2015 murder of his brother despite a stand your ground claim.
An Escambia County grand jury indicted James “Jamie” Tolin Scott on one count of reckless murder for the May 6, 2015, shooting death of Tony Tolin Scott. Tony Scott was shot to death with a small caliber rifle at James Scott’s home on Jefferson Avenue in McCullough, a small community north of Atmore.
Wednesday, James Scott was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for the murder of his brother.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office had responded multiple times to the home prior to the shooting due to fights between the brothers.
Shana Brown Named Molino Park Elementary Teacher Of The Year
November 3, 2017
Shana Brown has been named Molino Park Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year. Brown teaches science to all fifth grade students at Molino Park, where 92 percent of FSA Science test takers scored a “3″ or higher on the state assessment. That placed Molino Park in the 99th percentile in science achievement, outscoring 1,826 of Florida’s 1836 elementary schools.
Man Stabbed In Cantonment Neighborhood, Driven To McDonald’s
November 2, 2017
FOR AN UPDATE TO THIS STORY, CLICK HERE.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a stabbing Thursday afternoon in Cantonment.
The stabbing occurred about 3 p.m. in the 700 block of Escambia Avenue in the Harvester’s Homes neighborhood after two people became involved in a confrontation. The adult male victim was driven by a witness to McDonald’s on Highway 29 near Old Chemstrand Road.
The victim was transported from McDonald’s by Escambia County EMS as a trauma alert to an area hospital. He suffered a knife wound to the neck or upper body area, according to Maj. Andrew Hobbs, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Hobbs said an adult male suspect was taken into custody and is being questioned to determine the events that occurred.
Pictured top: A Cantonment stabbing victim was driven to McDonald’s on Highway 29 Thursday afternoon (courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com). Pictured below: The stabbing occurred on Escambia Avenue. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Community Complex Expands With Remodeled Cafeteria Building
November 2, 2017
Escambia County has remodeled the old cafeteria at the Molino Community Center, and it will soon be available for public rentals.
The building includes tables and chairs and a full commercial kitchen.
The building will be managed by The Community Action Program Committee, Inc., a local non-profit organization, under a lease agreement with the county for $1 per year for an initial term of five years. F
At their regular meeting Thursday evening, the Escambia County Commission is expected to give final approval of the cafeteria lease agreement with The Community Action Program Committee. For use information, contact the Community Action Program office at (850) 679-4817 .
The Molino Mid-County Historical society will continue to mange the auditorium and meeting rooms in the main building of the Molino Community Center. For rental information call the Molino Mid-County Historical Society at (850) 587-5011.
Courtesy and NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Whitney Fike Named Communications Manager At International Paper Cantonment
November 2, 2017
International Paper announced Wednesday that Whitney Fike has been named manager, Communications for its Pensacola Containerboard and Pulp Mill in Cantonment. In her new leadership role, Fike will be responsible for the mill’s internal and external communications, which includes employee communications, media relations and community engagement.
Most recently, Fike (pictured left) owned a public relations company, Sparkplug Social, and worked with clients on public relations plans, social media management and content development. She has a vast background of communications experience and has worked in a variety of sectors including not-for-profit, government, tourism, financial, entertainment and events throughout her career.
Fike is a founding member of the local Lean In chapter, past-president of the Florida Public Relations Association Pensacola chapter and a 2012 graduate of Leadership Pensacola. Fike and her family reside in the Pensacola area.
In a related move, Janice Cooper Holmes has been promoted to Manager, Communications, Global Manufacturing System for International Paper. In her new leadership position, Holmes will provide strategic communications planning and support for IP’s Global Manufacturing System and serves as the subject matter expert for employee communications across the company, globally.
Most recently, Holmes (pitured left) was the Manager, Communications for the Pensacola Mill and prior to that Director, Communications for the University of West Florida. Holmes is a past-president of the Junior League of Pensacola, a 2003 graduate of Leadership Pensacola and currently serves as chair of the Creative Learning Academy Board of Trustees. Holmes and her family will continue to reside in the Pensacola area.