IP Donated Butterfly Kits To 631 Classrooms In Escambia And Santa Rosa
May 25, 2022
International Paper, in partnership with Celebrate Planet Earth, provided 631 kindergarten through fourth grade classrooms in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with free butterfly and sunflower kits, enabling local children to experience the wonder of nature.
Schools received their kits March through May, and students had the opportunity to witness caterpillars undergo metamorphosis over the course of two to three weeks. Once the butterflies emerged, students fed them sugar-water for about a week before experiencing the delight of releasing them into the world. Students also learned how to sprout and grow sunflowers from seed to bloom.
The butterfly and sunflower kits were distributed to 27 schools:
- Bagdad Elementary School
- Bellview Elementary School
- Berryhill Elementary School
- Beulah Elementary School
- Blue Angels Elementary School
- Bratt Elementary School
- Capstone Academy – Milton
- Central School
- Creative Learning Academy
- East Milton Elementary School
- Ensley Elementary School
- Episcopal Day School
- Gulf Breeze Elementary School
- Jim Allen Elementary School
- Kingsfield Elementary School
- Lincoln Park Elementary School
- Lipscomb Elementary School
- Longleaf Elementary School
- McArthur Elementary School
- Molino Park Elementary School
- N. B. Cook Elementary School
- Oriole Beach Elementary School
- Pine Meadow Elementary School
- Pleasant Grove Elementary School
- S.S. Dixon Primary
- W. H. Rhodes Elementary School
- West Navarre Primary
“We are committed to improving the communities along the greater Gulf Coast, and we aim to be responsible stewards of our planet,” said Scott Taylor, Pensacola Mill manager. “We are proud to offer this learning experience to the young students in our surrounding communities and hope it instills in them a respect for our planet.”
Pictured: Students enjoy butterflies at Kingsfield Elementary School (above) and Molino Park Elementary (below). Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Lady Royals Win State Semifinal; Play For State Championship On Wednesday
May 25, 2022
The Jay Lady Royals defeated Liberty County 3-2 Tuesday afternoon in Clermont in the 1A state softball semifinal.
Alayna Lowery led the Lady Royals in the circle, allowing five hits and two runs in five innings while striking out five and walking one.
Lowery, Caitlyn Gavin, Mattie Cochran, Kassidy Nevels, Ella Nelson, Brett Watson, and Kaylee Gilbreath each had one hit for Jay. Mattie Coleman pitched two innings, giving up no hits and no runs while striking out three.
The Lady Royals move on to the FHSAA 1A state championship game Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. EDT. They will face Fort White.
Braves Snap Blue Wahoos’ Winning Streak At Seven
May 25, 2022
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos got a stellar start from Jeff Lindgren, but saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end with a 5-2 loss to the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night.
Lindgren allowed only one hit over 6.0 scoreless innings, striking out four batters and facing only one over the minimum.
The Blue Wahoos, playing for the first time in six days, turned a leadoff double from Luis Aviles Jr. into the game’s first run in the third inning thanks to an RBI single from Griffin Conine. That lead held through the middle innings, but Mississippi starter Alan Rangel kept the Blue Wahoos from adding any more.
In the seventh, the Blue Wahoos’ usually dependable bullpen had an off night. Josh Simpson, who entered with 18.2 scoreless innings to start his season, allowed a single and a pair of walks to load the bases before Riley Delgado hit a two-out, two-run single to put the Braves in front 2-1.
J.D. Orr led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, and swiped second and third base on consecutive pitches before coming home on a sacrifice fly from José Devers to tie the game 2-2. The Blue Wahoos got a leadoff walk in the eighth against Justin Yeager (W, 1-0), but left him aboard to send the game to the ninth still tied.
In the ninth, Anthony Maldonado (L, 1-2) issued back-to-back leadoff walks before Jacob Pearson hit a go-ahead RBI double off the right field wall. Andrew Moritz followed with a two-run single past a drawn-in infield to extend the Mississippi lead to 5-2. Justin Maese (S, 
worked a perfect bottom of the ninth to lock down the save.
The Blue Wahoos’ seven-game winning streak, their longest streak since 2018, came to a close as their division lead shrank to 2.5 games with 29 to play in the first half.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Mississippi Braves on Wednesday.
by Erik Bremer, Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Pensacola Fitness Murder Suspect Arrested At Nine Mile And Beulah Road
May 24, 2022
UPDATED — Kennon Farrow has been arrested without incident at Nine Mile and Beulah Road. A traffic stop was made by members of the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force, Pensacola Police, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. There were no injuries during the traffic stop.
Previous story:
The Pensacola Police Department is searching for 39-year old Kennon Nicholas Farrow for a fatal shooting Tuesday morning at Pensacola Fitness on North 9th Avenue at Creighton Road.
At 4:25 a.m., Farrow allegedly entered the gym armed with a handgun and fired several shots at 48-year Carla Elaine Williams. She was hit multiple times and pronounced deceased at the scene.
PPD said Farrow fled the scene. He is now wanted for first degree premeditated murder.
Police first said he might be traveling in a gray Mercedes Benz with Florida tag #154-RZU. Late Monday afternoon, PPD said they now believe he is traveling in small blue Nissan SUV with an unknown tag number.
If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Farrow, they are asked to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP to remain anonymous.
Williams (pictured below) was an associate math professor and former basketball star at Pensacola State College. She worked at PSC for over 24 years in athletics, collegiate high, and the math and computer science departments.
Farrow (above) is pictured in a February 2022 mugshot
Pedestrian Struck By Vehicle Early Tuesday Morning In Molino
May 24, 2022
A pedestrian was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle early Tuesday morning in Molino.
It happened about 3:40 a.m. on Highway 29 at the intersection of Molino Road.
An male in his mid-20s was struck by a passenger car. He was transported to a Pensacola hospital by Escambia County EMS. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Man Previously Convicted Of Manslaughter Gets 45 Years For Possessing Handgun, Probation Violation
May 24, 2022
A Century man previously convicted of manslaughter has been sentenced to 45-years in state prison for a gun he tried to hide in a Cantonment liquor store.
Jaran Britt Myles, 27, was sentenced by Judge John Simon for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and violation of his probation on a 2015 conviction for manslaughter with a firearm.
Myles was indicted by an Escambia County grand jury on murder and battery charges for a November 2020 triple shooting that left one man dead and two others injured. Myles was indicted on one count of first degree murder for the death of Joseph Christopher Smith and two counts of aggravated battery for two others that were shot and survived for a shooting in the 8200 block of Alger Road in Century.
After receiving a tip a few days later, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office caught up with Myles as he walked out of the Liquor Cabinet on Highway 29 at Old Chemstrand Road in Gonzalez. Deputies gave him loud verbal commands, but he turned and walked back inside the store. The deputies drew their service weapons, entered the store and continued to give loud verbal commands. Myles entered one of the aisles and made movements near products on the shelf before placing his hands and surrendering, an arrest report states.
Myles removed a handgun from sweatshirt and attempted to hide the gun on a store shelf. The incident was caught on surveillance video.
At age 21, Myles pleaded no contest and was sentenced to prison for manslaughter with a firearm for the January 31, 2015, shooting death of 20-year old Jonathan Ray Wilson on Backwoods Road in Century.
In 2015, a witness told deputies that “Run Run”, later identified as Myles, pulled out a gun and asked him if he was scared of it before taking the magazine out of the weapon and pointing it at him. Myles then pulled the trigger of the gun, without the magazine, but it “dry fired”, he said.
The witness said Myles then pointed the gun to Wilson’s head after loading the magazine back into the gun. Wilson then adjusted the height of the gun to his head, “correcting the placement of the gun pointed at him”. The witness said when Wilson let go of the gun, Myles pulled the trigger and shot Wilson in the head.
As a high school sophomore, Myles was a member of the 2012 state champion Northview High School football team and was named “Mr. Versatile” during a team awards banquet.
Pictured: A 2020 triple shooting scene on Alger Road in Century. One person was killed, and two others were injured. Pictured below: The scene of a January 31, 2015, fatal shooting on Backwoods Road in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Lodge Hosts First Responders Breakfast
May 24, 2022
Cantonment Masonic Lodge #322 hosted their Second Annual First Responders Breakfast Saturday morning, serving about 50 first responders and their families. They plan to hold the breakfast for years to come and are looking forward to a veterans luncheon later this year. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary School Names Students Of The Month
May 24, 2022
Jim Allen Elementary School recently named Students of the Month. They are Khale Moore (left) and Skylar Thurber. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Beta Sponsor Stacye Litton Receives National Award
May 24, 2022
Stacye Litton of Tate High School recently achieved national recognition for her work as a National Beta sponsor after being named a 2021-2022 John W. Harris Educator of Excellence.
Named after the organization’s founder, the national award speaks highly of a sponsor’s commitment to celebrating their student’s achievements through National Beta and illustrates their dedication to preparing them to become leaders. To qualify for this award, sponsors must have focused on club growth by achieving National Beta School of Distinction and School of Merit status. They must have committed to leadership and character development by bringing students to National Beta events. They also must have focused on the National Beta motto, “Let Us Lead by Serving Others”, by leading their club to earn a National Beta service hour award.
“It’s been a privilege to be Tate High School’s Beta Club sponsor these past 12 years,” Litton said. “Whether we’re working with Miracle League, Manna Food Bank, or the Escambia Sheriff’s Office Toy Drive, I love seeing the students’ joy in helping the community. We always strive to live out the Beta Club motto ‘Let Us Lead by Serving Others’.”
Only 175 of 20,000 Beta sponsors received the John W. Harris Educator of Excellence award, the highest offered to club sponsors.
Lunar Astronaut Candidates Train at NAS Pensacola
May 24, 2022
Seven NASA astronaut candidates are undergoing flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola as part of a two-year training pipeline to prepare them for participation in the Artemis lunar exploration program.
The NASA Astronaut Candidate Basic Aviation Curriculum (ASCAN BAC) is administered by Training Air Wing Six (TW-6), which is responsible for the training and production of the Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) who serve as navigators, sensor operators, Weapons System Officers, and Electronic Warfare Officers inside naval aviation.
“ASCAN training is only conducted every three to four years and is very condensed compared to Student Naval Flight Officer training,” said TW-6 Ground Training Officer Mr. John Boman, who oversees the ASCAN training at NAS Pensacola. “ASCANs are in class up to 12 hours per day, or they are scheduled for two flight events per day.”
The ASCAN BAC is designed for candidates without prior military aviation training. It aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to safely aviate, navigate, and communicate in preparation for follow-on training and responsibilities as NASA flight crew.
“Given the mental aptitude of these individuals, our instructors are able to introduce and practice procedures and skill sets at a quicker pace, which allows us to meet NASA specified training timelines. They have been a pleasure to work with, and knowing that TW-6 helps to put them into space is very rewarding,” said Mr. Boman.
The class includes United States candidates Christina Birch, Andre Douglas, Deniz Burnham, Christopher Williams, and Anil Menon, who were chosen from a field of more than 12,000 applicants, as well as international candidates Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla of the United Arab Emirates.
Upon arrival at NAS Pensacola, the ASCANs underwent a one-week Aviation Physiology and Aircrew Water Survival training conducted by the Naval Survival Training Institute. They then began the 10-week ASCAN BAC, which is divided into two stages, familiarization and instrument navigation.
The familiarization stage is comprised of ground school, four simulator events, and five flight events in the T-6A Texan II turboprop trainer aircraft. The instrument navigation stage is comprised of ground school, six simulator events, and six flight events also flown in the T-6A.
Several of the ASCANs are now completing flight events in the instrument navigation stage.
According to police helicopter pilot Mohammad Al Mulla, Navy Aircrew Water Survival Training was a new challenge despite his 15 years of flight experience.
“It was a really good challenge. I felt like after accomplishing Water Survival I’m more comfortable flying, even offshore. I felt really good after passing. I’m really glad to be here and learning from the Navy,” Al Mulla said.
Dr. Anil Menon, who has served as a flight surgeon for NASA, Space X, and the U.S. Air Force, says he is grateful for the quality of training provided by the Navy.
“I did general aviation and I’ve paid for myself to learn how to fly and learn from instructors, but I’ve never encountered instructors as good as the Navy instructors that I’ve worked with. I’ve just learned that there’s a next level to aviation, so it really opened up a lot of doors for me and I’m grateful for those teachers,” Menon said.
In addition to safe operation of a jet aircraft, ASCANs have four major categories of training including operating and maintaining the International Space Station’s systems, preparing for spacewalks, developing complex robotics skills, and Russian language skills.
Deniz Burnham, who serves as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves and holds degrees in chemical and mechanical engineering, says as the team nears the end of their training at NAS Pensacola, they look forward to the next challenge.
“We’ll be moving on to the T-38 back in Houston. The T-6 training gave us a good baseline for crew resource management, checklist discipline, procedural recall…this is kind of the foundation to being a value-added team member, and we all look forward to moving on from Pensacola back to Houston,” Burnham said.
The Artemis program aims to put the next man, first woman, and first person of color on the moon in 2024 and to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon by the end of the decade. These accomplishments will in turn prepare humanity for the next step of solar exploration: sending humans to Mars.
story by Ensign Lyndsay Ballew
Pictured: NASA astronaut candidates Christina Birch, Andre Douglas, Deniz Burnham, Christopher Williams, Anil Menon, Nora Al Matrooshi and Mohammad Al Mulla stand beside a T6-A Texan II at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The astronaut candidates began Basic Aviation Curriculum at Training Air Wing Six in late March as part of a two-year training pipeline in preparation for serving the Artemis space exploration program. Photo by Ensign Lyndsay Ballew for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.