Historic, Once In A Lifetime Snowfall Totals Broke 130 Year Old Record
January 25, 2025
This week’s snowfall was truly a historic event, being called a once in a lifetime snow.
At the “official”, Pensacola weather gauge at the airport, a 130-year-old record for two-day total snowfall was smashed. The record, set in 1895, was a mere three inches. The all-time Florida snowfall record was four inches.
This week, Pensacola set a new record of an astounding 8.9 inches.
Some other North Escambia area numbers included:
Molino – 10 inches
Century — 9 inches
Bratt – 9 inches
Jay — 9 inches
Walnut Hill – 8.5 inches
Northeast of Molino: 8 inches
Cantonment – 8 inches
Beulah – 7 inches
Some of these measurements are from trained weather observers and law enforcement. Other totals were reported by the general public. Snow measurements can vary greatly between nearby locations.
NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos.
Flomaton Man Charged With Drug Trafficking After Atmore Traffic Stop
January 25, 2025
A Flomaton man was arrested for drug trafficking after a traffic stop in Atmore.
The Atmore Police Department pulled Michael Depew over on North Main Street for an unspecified traffic violation.
The officer noted suspicious behavior and Depew consented to a search, APD said. During the search, officers reported finding over a dozen grams of methamphetamine and “items used to package narcotics”.
Depew was charged with drug trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Today Is The Last Day For Special Primary Early Voting
January 25, 2025
Today is the final day of early voting in the special election primary in the race for the Congressional seat previously held by Matt Gaetz.
Early voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at:
- Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A North, Molino
- Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
- Asbury Place at Cokesbury, 750 College Blvd, Pensacola
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, Pensacola
- Main Library, 239 N. Spring Street, Pensacola
- Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway, Pensacola
Eligible voters may choose any one of the seven available locations, each of which is also equipped with a ballot marking device.
Special primary election day will be Tuesday, January 28. The winner will advance to the special election on April 1.
Three Early Vote locations that were open during the 2024 Election Cycle are not open for the 2025 Special Primary Election. Those three locations are:
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts in Pensacola
- Brownsville Community Center
The 2025 Special Primary Election is for Republican voters only. The State of Florida holds closed primary elections, meaning only registered Republicans will be eligible for the 2025 Special Primary Election.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Lipscomb Elementary School Recognizes Leaders Of The Month
January 25, 2025
Lipscomb Elementary School recently recognized their December Leaders of the Month with a pizza party. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny, Warming Up Weekend
January 25, 2025
Here is the complete North Escambia area forecast
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.
Wayne Anthony Robinson
January 25, 2025
Wayne Anthony Robinson departed this life on January 12, 2025.
He was born on July 25, 1957, in Washington, DC, and was the youngest of his six siblings. And he was affectionately called his mother’s “Baby Boy”. He is the son of Delores E. Robinson and the late Arthur S. Robinson. He was educated in the DC public schools. After graduating from Eastern High School, he proudly joined the United States Army. His military career spanned 22 years. After retiring from the military, he worked at Canon USA as a Repair Technician followed by 17 years at ForTec Medical as a Training Technician.
From his first union, he was blessed with a son, Wayne (deceased), and two daughters, Anndria and Jasmine. He met Kecia Witt in 2012, and they married in 2014.
Following his father’s footsteps, he loved going fishing. He had a passion for model cars and enjoyed cooking on the grill. His favorite sports team was his home team, the Washington Commanders.
He is survived by his loving wife, Kecia Witt-Robinson; his 2 daughters, Anndria Robinson Bailey (Robert) and Jasmine Robinson; stepson, Darrell Witt; 8 grandchildren; 2 brothers, Arthur Robinson, Jr. and Walter Pitts (Jenell); 3 sisters, Willette Taylor, Wanda Ferguson (Wilbert), and Annette Baxter; mother-in-law, Shirley Witt; brothers-in-law, Timothy Witt (Johnetta) and Andre Witt (Sherrie); sisters-in-law, Wanda Tinsley (Mike) and Deborah Dixon (Timothy); and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family members, friends and his army
buddy, John Montgomery.
In addition to his father, Arthur Robinson, he is preceded in death by his son, Wayne A. Robinson, Jr. and his sister, Deborah C. Robinson.
Ribbon Cutting Held For Brazilian Manufacturing Company’s Expansion In Century
January 24, 2025
A ribbon cutting was held Thursday for Algaplast, a 50-year old Brazilian manufacturing company in the Century Industrial Park.
In May 2023, AlgaPlast Corp. inked a lease for a town-owned industrial park building commonly known as the Helicopter Technology Building. AlagaPlast is the new American subsidiary of Grupa GA230 of Arujá, Brazil.
In Century, the company produces a variety of projects, including plastic injection products such as the front panels of retail gas station fuel pumps and laser cut and welded metal parts for other companies. Some of their custom metal parts are used by Blue Wind Technology and GE Vernova in Pensacola. The metal parts for GE are used to secure wind turbines as they are transported by train out of Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“We also deal with special engineering for developing these devices and industrial automation solutions,” AlgaPlast CFO Marcos Martins told NorthEscambia.com after Thursday’s ribbon cutting.
He said the company is proud to call Century their American home.
“Being in Century makes a difference for use and for the town,” Martins said. “This place was chosen carefully in order to allow us to deal with two very important customers to us, one in Austin (Texas) and another in North Carolina. And we’ve gained the opportunity to deal with Blue Wind and General Electric.”
Algaplast current employs five people in Century, but the company hopes to double that workforce soon with additional growth to come.
Martins said the company has already invested $2.5 million in the new Century facility, and they are looking to invest another $2 million into expanding the facility.
Interim mayor Alicia Johnson said she is proud to welcome AlgaPlast to Century, and she looks forward to the company’s growth and contribution to the community.
Algaplast is renting the industrial park building from the town. The town re-acquired the 40,000 square foot industrial space at public auction for less than $1 out of pocket back in August 2009, following the town’s foreclosure judgment against the now defunct Helicopter Technology company. The building has sat empty since empty from 2009 until AlgaPlast’s occupancy.
The Florida foreign direct investment economic development project was facilitated by the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, the economic development organization for Escambia County.
Those interested in potential job opportunities at Alagapast should visit employflorida.com.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Killed In Highway 97 Crash In Walnut Hill
January 24, 2025
Two people were killed in a three-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in Walnut Hill.
The crash happened on Highway 97 just south of North Highway 99 and involved two pickup trucks and a passenger car.
One pickup truck came to rest upside down in Highway 97. That driver was airlifted to the hospital as a trauma alert. The second pickup ran off the road and struck a ditch; that driver was not seriously injured.
A Mazda car left the roadway and struck a large fence post. Both occupants of the car were pronounced decease on the scene.
It did not appear that there was any snow or ice on the roadway before the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released the cause of the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Responds To Nearly 1,000 Emergency Calls Throughout Winter Storm
January 24, 2025
During this week’s icy roadways and dangerous conditions due to record setting snowfall, Escambia County first responders never stopped responding to emergency calls, runner nearly 1,000 calls since Tuesday morning.
From 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 to 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 Escambia County Emergency Communications dispatched 960 calls for service throughout the county, including 568 Emergency Medical Services calls and 392 Fire Rescue calls.
As with any emergency or natural disaster, Escambia County Public Safety has plans in place to increase staffing and remain ready to respond quickly to calls for service. Even during the height of the snowstorm when visibility was low and road conditions were dangerous, first responders were out running emergency calls.
“I am incredibly proud of our Public Safety team for always being ready and willing to respond, often putting their own safety and comfort aside to protect and serve our community,” Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore said. “It’s times like this when the public relies on us the most, and I am proud to say that we never stopped responding to emergency calls during this unprecedented and historic snowstorm for Northwest Florida.”
The Escambia County Emergency Operations Center has been staffed 24/7 since Monday, Jan. 20 and remained active throughout the winter storm. Public Safety officials began planning for and meeting about the severe winter weather last week, working closely with community partners to determine a plan for cold weather shelters, first responder staffing, emergency responses, and more. Escambia County EMS and Fire Rescue crews stayed overnight at the EOC ahead of and during the storm to ensure they were ready to respond quickly without having to drive to work in dangerous conditions.
Escambia County also worked closely with local, state, and federal partners including the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Department of Transportation to ensure there was a plan in place for transporting individuals off Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key in an emergency, even if the roads became impassible for emergency vehicles.
“Had there been a point in time where the bridges had been completely impassible even by EMS, we worked out an arrangement with the Coast Guard to transport patients from the beaches to the mainland if necessary,” Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said. “Fortunately, we did not have to use this plan since there were no major incidents.”
Tompkins emphasized the importance of listening to local officials during situations like this when messaging is shared to help keep the public and first responders safe.
“When we put messaging out during an emergency, it is for everyone’s safety,” Tompkins said. “I am so very thankful that the public took note of our messaging to stay off the roads — that helped tremendously with keeping everyone safe.”
Escambia County Public Works crews also worked with Public Safety to clear roads and bridges after the storm, ensuring they were accessible for emergency vehicles to respond to calls. Additionally, Public Works crews worked diligently ahead of and during the storm to sand all bridges throughout Escambia County, working overnight from Monday afternoon into Tuesday morning to prep roadways.
“This was a historic event for Escambia County, Northwest Florida, and the entire state of Florida,” County Administrator Wes Moreno said. “Even with unprecedented amounts of snowfall, I am very proud of how hard our county staff has worked before, during, and after this storm to serve the public and keep everyone safe. Thank you to our Public Safety and Public Works crews for their continued efforts to clear roadways and respond to calls, and to our residents for their patience as we work together to return to normal. Please continue to stay off the roads unless travel is necessary, for your safety and the safety of our first responders.”
Pictured: Escambia County EMS on scene of a seven vehicle wreck on Highway 97 south of Walnut Hill during Tuesday afternoon’s record snowfall. Pictured below: Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore clears ice from his windshield wipers at Highway 99 and Highway 99A near Walnut Hill Tuesday afternoon in an effort to approve visibility. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Back In Lower 20s
January 24, 2025
Here is the complete North Escambia area forecast
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 22. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 51. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph after midnight.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 61. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 70.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.
Thursday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.