Markavia Johnson Named MLK Essay Contest Winner
January 20, 2025
Monday, Markavia Johnson was named the winner of the Century-Flomaton Improvement Committee’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest.
Here is her essay, in its entirety:
I am Markavia Johnson. I am 18 years old and a senior at Northview High School. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream that African Americans needed to be treated equally. He saw the mistreatment and inequality toward African Americans and decided to take a stand. He decided to be the person to bring national attention to what everybody knew and that was that people of color did not have the same rights as white America. Dr. King organized meetings, marches and protests to discuss how to make the changes. He even went to jail to fight for freedom and justice for minorities. He died.
As I grew up, I heard and read about Dr. King and how people of color used to be treated in America. He wanted us to be included and have the right to participate in whatever we wanted to do.
I had an experience when I was playing volleyball in the gym at my school. As I looked around, I was the only African American in the game. It made me think that Dr. King worked hard and went through a lot. He went to jail and even died so we could have the right to be included and have the same rights as other races of people. I want us to remember that they killed him and all he wanted was for us to have the rights that they had.
Knowing what he did really encouraged me to never give up on my hopes and dreams, even it is hard. It encouraged me to work even harder to accomplish my goals in school, even if it is hard. I finished all of my core classes early and I passed all of my important tests in order to get my diploma. I kept the faith through it all, saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13.
[Related story and photos:Your Brother's Keeper: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr.]
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Your Brother’s Keeper: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King, Jr. (With Photo Gallery)
January 20, 2025
The annual Martin Luther King. Jr. ceremony was held Monday in Century.
Guest speaker Elder James Rudolph encouraging attendees to follow the dream.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“He said that his brother and sisters were in trouble,” Rudolph said of King. “So, it came upon his heart; I’ve got to be my brother’s keeper.”
“We need to task ourselves with being our brother’s keeper,” Rudolph told the crowd, referring to a Bible verse from Genesis 4:9.
The Century-Flomaton Improvement Association (CFIA) sponsored the program.
[Related: MLK Essay Contest Winner]
The program also featured special music and other speakers, preceding a lunch and a motorcade.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Area Schools, Colleges Closed Tuesday And Wednesday
January 20, 2025
Here is school closure information for the North Escambia area:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY (FL) SCHOOLS
- Escambia County Public Schools — All schools, district offices, and afterschool activities, including indoor and outdoor athletics, have been canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled.
- Pensacola State College — PSC has closed all offices and cancelled all on-campus classes and activities on Tuesday and Wednesday. Online classes and synchronous online classes will not be cancelled, and will continue as usual. Essential personnel contacted by their supervisor should report as directed. A further announcement will be made about Wednesday.
- University of West Florida — All UWF locations will close on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. University officials will continue to monitor and update the campus community about the forecast for Wednesday, January 22.
- Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center — Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY (AL) SCHOOLS
- Escambia County (AL) public schools will be closed on Tuesday, January 21, and Wednesday, January 22. All sports practices, games, and extracurricular activities scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are canceled.
- Escambia Academy will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
- All Santa Rosa County Schools and district offices will be closed on both Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22. All district after school activities for Tuesday, January 21 and Wednesday, January 22 are cancelled as well.
Check back on this story for any updates.
Escambia County, Century, Pensacola Closures
January 20, 2025
This is a list of school and government closures due to the winter weather for Escambia County, Florida. This list will be updated as new information is received, so reload the page.
(This list does not include holiday closures for Monday.)
ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS
- Escambia County Public Schools – All schools, district offices, and afterschool activities, including indoor and outdoor athletics, have been canceled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled. Tuesday night’s board meeting is canceled and will be rescheduled.
- Pensacola State College — PSC has closed all offices and cancelled all on-campus classes and activities on Tuesday, January 21. Online classes and synchronous online classes will not be cancelled and will continue as usual. Essential personnel contacted by their supervisor should report as directed. A further announcement will be made about Wednesday.
- University of West Florida — All UWF locations will close on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes all classes, events, campus activities and online courses. University officials will continue to monitor and update the campus community about the forecast for Wednesday, January 22.
- Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center — Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY OFFICES
Escambia County offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, including:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners - all departments
- BOCC meeting and public forum have been canceled for Wednesday.
- County Administration offices
- West Florida Public Libraries - all locations
- Escambia County Tax Collector - all offices
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Property Appraiser’s Office
- Waste Services Administration and the Perdido Landfill
- Escambia County Extension Services
- Escambia County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller - all offices
- Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare
- Escambia County Area Transit and Customer Service
ECAT BUS SCHEDULE
- ECAT buses and the UWF trolleys will not run Jan. 21 and 22. Normal bus service is expected to resume Thursday, Jan. 23.
ECUA
- ECUA Sanitation collections will be delayed by one day. Tuesday’s collections will occur on Wednesday, with all subsequent collections running one day later throughout the week. Friday’s collections will be completed on Saturday.
- ECUA offices will be closed on Tuesday, January 21. Additionally, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting scheduled for that day has been canceled.
TOWN OF CENTURY
- Town Hall will be closed on Tuesday. It will likely be closed Wednesday, but will follow Escambia County.
- Tuesday’s town council meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 23 will bill list review at 6:45 and the council meeting at 7:00.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- All Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (DOH-Escambia) offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Offices will remain closed until further notice.
CITY OF PENSACOLA
- City of Pensacola offices and facilities will be closed Tuesday, Jan. 21, including administrative offices, including city hall, departments and divisions not located at city hall, resource centers.
- Pensacola International Airport will remain open. Please check with airlines about potential flight delays. Pensacola International Airport Administration Offices will be closed.
- Monday and Tuesday sanitation routes will be collected Thursday and Friday, respectively.
COURT SYSTEM
- First Judicial Circuit Courts in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties will be closed Tuesday, January 21.
Cantonment 10,000 Pound Food Distribution Rescheduled
January 20, 2025
A Cantonment Improvement Committee 10,000 pound food distribution scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 28 at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street.
The event will start at 3 p.m. Attendees should like up facing north on Webb Street. Must have an identification to receive food.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
ECUA Trash Pick Up Delayed By Two Days
January 20, 2025
Here is the ECUA sanitation information to know:
ECUA
- ECUA Sanitation collections will be delayed by two days. Tuesday’s collections will occur on Thursday, with all subsequent collections running one day later throughout the week.
- ECUA offices will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, the Citizens’ Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting scheduled for that day has been canceled.
Florida (Yes, Florida) Has Snowplows, Salt, Spreaders Ready For Tuesday
January 20, 2025
The Florida Department of Transportation has snowplows, salt and spreaders for use in Northwest Florida.
Motorists may notice an increased number of FDOT vehicles on state routes as FDOT maintenance and operations staff monitor winter weather conditions on bridges and roadways. FDOT crews will deploy various ice and snow removal equipment including snowplows and salt and chemical spreaders throughout the area.
FDOT’s winter weather plan has been developed to keep Florida’s highway system safe and operational in all types of weather conditions.
Road Rangers in northwest Florida will are operating 24/7 patrolling through Wednesday, Jan. 22 or until needed, to assist with monitoring travel conditions and respond quickly to any roadway issues or motorists stranded due to possible winter weather forecast in the area.
If road conditions are hazardous, avoid driving if possible. Wait until road and weather conditions improve before venturing out in your vehicle. It’s harder to control or stop your vehicle on a slick or snow-covered surface. On the road, increase your following distance enough so that you’ll have plenty of time to stop for vehicles ahead of you.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ice Flyers Finish Best Weekend With Series Win Against Marksmen, Gain In Standings
January 20, 2025
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers Correspondent
In summoning a resolve and determined effort, the Ice Flyers just celebrated their best weekend of the season.
They answered three times Sunday with tying goals, then took over the third period for a 6-3 win against the Fayetteville Marksmen to win the three-game series, gain five points, and change the vibe throughout the Pensacola Bay Center.
It was something that had been missing until now.
“It’s a huge step in the right direction with these guys,” said Ice Flyers team captain Jake Hamilton, who twice brawled in Saturday’s blowout win to fire up the crowd and teammates, then helped defensive effort Sunday.
“This is the time to start jelling together and that time is starting to happen now,” Hamilton said. “The hockey gods are taking our side with some of the puck luck and some of these timely goals.
“The biggest thing I am proud with this group is we’ve learned to battle adversity. We learned to battle bad reps and we learned to battle from behind.
“Hockey is not a perfect game. That’s what makes it entertaining too. You never know what is going to happen. Just how we responded has been night and day from the team we used to be.”
The Ice Flyers produced a pair of tying goals in the first period, added another in the second period, then followed a go-ahead goal by Sam Dabrowski with 9:46 remaining to seal the game with two empty net goals in the final three minutes.
“Obviously, we knew it was a big weekend for us… three games all on home ice,” said Ice Flyers coach Gary Graham. “We haven’t played great on home ice, we want to reward the fans. Friday night (an OT shootout loss), I thought we deserved a better outcome.
But we played well enough to get a point that night. And we set that goal right away. We wanted to get five out of six points. What’s rewarding for me is that we are going to have to set some goals to make the playoffs down the stretch.
“That was a goal they set … to get five of six points, but as simple as that may sound, it’s not easy, right? You still have to go out and work hard and it’s never easy to beat any team in this league. We are trying to keep everything in segments here and keep (players) hungry, because that’s what we have to do.”
In winning Sunday, the Ice Flyers moved just one point behind the Macon Mayhem to escape last place in the Southern Professional Hockey League standings. They are now six points behind the Evansville Thunderbolts for eighth place – the final playoff spot – and will play at Evansville on Friday and Saturday.
“It puts us back in the hunt and that’s what it’s always been about for me,” said Ice Flyers goalie Brody Claeys. “We have some much talent in that locker room. There are so many guys who can play hockey at an extremely high level and coach (Graham) has all the right details for us and it’s really been about executing.
The Ice Flyers will leave early Tuesday, likely in advance of a potential winter storm for Pensacola, traveling to Evansville where they will work out on Wednesday and Thursday before playing back-to-back games. They will complete a vital road trip by facing first-place Huntsville Havoc next Sunday.
A quick recap of the latest win.
FIRST PERIOD
The Ice Flyers twice got tying goals in the opening period and headed to intermission with the game tied 2-2.
Fayetteville’s Alex Gritz began his three-goal night with a wrist shot through some traffic with 13:55 left.
The Ice Flyers Matt Wiesner answered on a rebound that occurred from a wrap-around attempt with 8:38. On the play, the puck caromed free off the goaltender’s pads and Wiesner had an easy finish into the open net.
But a minute later, Gritz had a two-on-one situation down the left side, chose to shoot and the puck skirted through Claeys pads into the net.
The Ice Flyers got an equalizer with their first of two power play goals in the game. Blake Tosto gained the rebound off Ivan Bondarenko’s one-timer attempt from the other faceoff circle and buried the second chance with 4:50 remaining.
SECOND PERIOD
Gritz completed his hat trick for the Marksmen seven minutes into the period for a 3-2 lead at the time. Again, it was a 2-on-1 situation where Gritz’ wrister eluded Claeys and into the net.
The score remained that way until 3:04 left in the period when Bondarenko again helped the tying goal with a pass to Doug Elgstam, who uncorked a one-timer past Ryan Kenny, trying the game a third time.
A minute later, multiple penalties ensued from the game’s only true scrum. The Ice Flyers’ Sam Dabrowski was whistled for shoving a Marksmen player from behind after the dust settled. It gave Fayetteville a power-play to end the period, but the Ice Flyers penalty kill thwarted any good look and went into intermission deadlocked again.
“I think we really added some grit that we needed, and it has gone a long ways,” Claeys said. “We have a lot of guys who have just bought in and wanted it more than the other team.”
THIRD PERIOD
Just one second after the Ice Flyers Doug Elgstam emerged from the penalty box, the Ice Flyers finished a penalty kill as Sam Dobrowski gained the puck off the boards and created a two-on-one situation. He rifled a wrist shot into the net with 8:46 remaining for the team’s first lead.
Fayetteville called timeout with 3:02 remaining and the Marksmen opted to pull their goaltender for an extra attacker. The Ice Flyers twice one puck battles and finished the play with empty net goals. Tosto scored his second goal with 2:44 remaining and Bondarenko finished his big night with the final one with 48 seconds left.
Graham credited Houston Wilson for his effort in creating Tosto’s goal.
“He has relentless pursuit of forecheck,” Graham said. “That is what he brings to the table. He is relentless forechecker, Houston was able to get u there and caused the chaos.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHO: Ice Flyers vs. Evansville Thunderbolts
WHEN: Friday-Saturday (Jan. 24-25), both games at 7:05 p.m.
Three People Apply For Appointment To Empty Century Town Council Seat
January 19, 2025
Three people applied for an appointment to a vacant seat on the non-partisan Century Town Council.
Seat 4 was left open when Alicia Johnson was appointed interim mayor after Luis Gomez, Jr. resigned.
The council plans to choose one of the candidates at a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday; however, there is a chance that the meeting may be rescheduled due to ice or snow (we’ll let you know here on NorthEscambia.com.)
The three applicants are:
- Constance Brookhart, who described herself as a very detailed person that is a supervisor at a water utility with over 20 years’ experience in dealing with people and finances. She would love to see Century “as a vibrant business area” that should be clean and decorated.
- Kathryn Fleming, who previously worked as a mental health case manager for about two years in Brewton that describes herself as a problem solver. She said Century is a gateway to Pensacola beaches and aviation that should draw tourists, and the county is growing north. She served on the Century Charter Review committee from 2022-2023.
- Lizbeth A. “Sparkie” Harrison, who has lived and worked as a director of PSC Century Center for two years that is “driven by the desire to help others and enhance the quality of life for all who call Century home. She attached a cover letter and a three-page “Vision Plan for Century” to the town’s basic application.
To read the applications, click here. (Editor’s note: While part of the public record provided to us by the town, we have redacted addresses and personal contact information from this pdf.)
MLK Day Parades, Celebrations Planned For Monday
January 19, 2025
Martin Luther King. Jr. parades and a celebrations are planned for Monday in Century, Cantonment and Atmore.
The Pensacola parade has been canceled due to weather.
CENTURY
The annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration will be held on Monday, January 20 in Century. The main program begins at 10 a.m. indoors at the Century Community Center on Highway 4 featuring music and food. Parade will follow the program with line up at 12:30 p.m. and the motorcade at 1 p.m. from the community center to the old Carver Middle School. Call Melvin Whatley for more information (850) 530-3160.
CANTONMENT
The 18th annual MLK Parade will roll at 4 p.m. in Cantonment. Line up begins at 3 p.m. at Carver Park, 308 Webb Street. There were about 70 units scheduled to take part. For more information, contact Dr. Mary Floyd at (850) 390-1912.
PENSACOLA
The City of Pensacola has canceled the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade originally scheduled for Monday, January 20 due to cold weather.
ATMORE
The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade will roll at 10 a.m. on Monday from Houston Avery Park.