Cantonment Cold Case: 1981 Murder Remains Unsolved
February 22, 2025
It was just over 44 years ago on the afternoon of January 2, 1981, that 9-year-old Kenneth Deshun Underwood and three companions went bird hunting in the woods near their Cantonment home. Everyone returned home that afternoon except for Underwood.
When Underwood was still not home around 6 p.m., Escambia County Search and Rescue personnel were called. The area where Underwood was last seen alive was canvassed. His body was discovered about 5:45 the next morning –apparently murdered — in an area near Booker Street. His cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
The case remains unsolved, and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help because they believe someone in our area still has information about Underwood’s death.
If you know anything about the death of Kenneth Deshun Underwood, 9, you are asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (850) 436-9580 or Crime Stopper at (850) 433-STOP (7867).
Pictured above: The fourth-grade photo of murder victim Kenneth Deshun Underwood of Cantonment. Pictured below: The highlighted area in this map shows where the body was found. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate High Students Place In Regional HOSA Competition
February 22, 2025
Tate High School Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) students competed at regionals and had numerous first place winners and qualifiers for the state competition in April.
They were:
Kaylyn Weiss: First Place – Behavioral Health
Dalila Whalen: Second Place – Behavioral Health
Jax Hardnack: First Place – Clinical Nursing
Aiden Ledbetter and Bode Smith – Third Place – Forensic Science
Alysen Garske – Second Place – Medical Law and Ethics
Lily Treick – First Place (third year in a row) – Nursing Assisting
Emma Nigam – First Place – Occupational Therapy
Caelynne Walter – First Place – Research Poster
Talia Smith – First Place – Vet Science
Friends Of The Library Winter Book Sale Going On Through Sunday
February 22, 2025
The annual Friends of the West Florida Public Library’s Winter Book Sale is continuing through Sunday in downtown Pensacola.
The book sale, which benefits libraries across the county, will be open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday with all book prices half-off.
On Sunday, the sale will be open from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. with a $7 bag sale — all the books that will fit in a provided bag for just $7.
The book sale is at the Friends of the Downtown Pensacola Library at 239 North Spring Street.
File photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Lady Chiefs Beat Blacksher 17-2
February 22, 2025
The Northview Chiefs beat the J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs of Uriah, Alabama, 17-2 in three innings on a frigid night in Bratt.
Kylee Langham drove in five runs with two hits.
The Northview Chiefs powered to a big lead in the bottom of the first with seven runs on five hits for a 7-1 advantage. During the first, Kylee Langham drove in three runs.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Senior Jamison Gilman earned the win for the Lady Chiefs, giving up four hits and two runs over the three-inning game, walking two and striking out two.
Daviona Randolph and Langham both had two hits for Northview. Gilman, Riley Brooks, Mikayla McAnally, Avery Stuckey, Bailey Burkette, and Aubrey Hadley each added one hit.
The Lady Chiefs will play two on the road next week — Tuesday at Navarre and Thursday at Tate.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Over 1,000 Ballots Mailed For Upcoming Special Election
February 22, 2025
April 1 special general election vote-by-mail ballots were mailed Friday to 14,283 voters that requested them. Voters can expect to receive their ballots within the next week. The special election is open to all voters of all parties.
Florida law requires the mailing of civilian ballots between 40 days and 33 days prior to election day.
Any voter has the option to vote-by-mail. Requests must be made for each new election cycle. If you have not already made a request and wish to receive your ballot in the mail, visit EscambiaVotes.gov/vote-by-mail or call (850) 595-3900. The request deadline is Thursday, March 20 for the April 1 special general election and March 6 for the Century special primary.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Upper 50s For Saturday; Chance Of A Sunday Shower
February 22, 2025
Here is the complete North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Partly cloudy, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Calm wind.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 74.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 68.
Tate Tennis Boys And Girls Defeat Milton
February 22, 2025
The Tate Aggies boys and girls tennis teams both defeated Milton 7-0 Friday night.
“It is a new rebuild for the boys team after losing several seniors last year,” Coach David Bonucchi said after the win. “But new players are developing. And our girls are returning players who are working hard to improve.
Up next, Tate will face the Escambia Gatos on Tuesday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Chiefs Drop Friday Night Game To The Escambia Gators (Gallery)
February 22, 2025
Down by four in the sixth inning, a Northview comeback fell short as the 1A Chiefs lost to the 5A Escambia Gators on a cold Friday in Bratt.
Grayden Sheffield took the loss for the Chiefs, allowing two runs on six hits, walking four and striking out seven in five innings. Jackson Bridges threw two innings, surrendering two runs on three hits with no walks or strikeouts.
Jackson Bridges, Luke Chavers, Cole Davis, Jase Portwood, Grayden Sheffield, and Brady Smith each record one hit for the Chiefs. Portwood and Jayden White each had one RBI for Northview.
Up next, the Northview Chiefs will host their neighbors to the north, the Blue Devils on Escambia County at 6 p.m. next Thursday.
NorthEscamiba.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ice Flyers Foiled by Evansville’s Third-Period Comeback (With Gallery)
February 22, 2025
by Bill Vilona, Ice Flyers correspondent
There was a natural mix of emotions Friday night when Rod Aldoff walked to the Ice Flyers bench, preparing for a third different return as the team’s head coach.
“Just even in pregame and walking on the ice (before opening face), to be honest, it felt like yesterday,” said Aldoff, who was named Monday as the Ice Flyers coach to finish the season, replacing Gary Graham, who he knew well.
“It felt like … I’ve done it so many years here, it just felt like the next game and here we go. But it has been two years, But it felt good behind the bench and competing.”
For a photo gallery, click here.
Unfortunately for Aldoff and the Ice Flyers, what seemed to be a perfect capper for the evening, suddenly turned into disappointment.
Leading 2-0 with less than nine minutes remaining, the Ice Flyers yielded two power play goals against the Evansville Thunderbolts in a three-minute span, then a go-ahead and empty net goal to follow, resulting in a 4-3 loss to begin a three-game series that is a must-win situation for playoff hopes.
It left a crowd of 4,084 at the Pensacola Bay Center going from hopeful to deflated from the third period fall.
“I thought overall we were the better team, so it was a tough one,” Aldoff said.
The Ice Flyers called timeout and pulled goaltender Cody Karpinski with 1:57 left in the game for an extra attacker. That resulted in Eimantas Noreika scoring with 48 seconds remaining to halve the deficit. In the final seconds, several Ice Flyers players had the puck on their stick near the goal area but were denied.
“I think in the last 10 seconds we had four sticks in the slot,” Aldoff said. “The guys battled back. They pushed hard. It was a tough one.”
Midway though the third period, however, a different feeling existed. The Ice Flyers led 2-0 on a second-period goal by Cale List and early third period goal by Blake Tosto.
But a delay of game penalty against Nick Pryce for an attempted puck clear that went over the glass, began the downfall.
Just 39 seconds after that penalty was called, Evansville’s Tyson Gilmour scored the power play goal. A couple minutes later, Sam Dabrowski was called for tripping as he chased an Evansville player behind the Thunderbolts’ goal cage.
That led to Gilmour assisting on the game-tying goal by Scott Kirton.
The Ice Flyers have been great this season on home ice penalty kills. They had allowed just eight goals in 20 home games, second best percentage in the league.
“I just told the team, there were a lot of positive things that happened in this game,” Aldoff said. “You take those two power plays away… but at end of the day, those were just some unfortunate incidents.
“Shooting the puck over the glass, those are penalties we just cannot do. We have to control what we can control and those are things that we just cannot do.
“We’re getting pulled all the time. We don’t need to help pull the wrong way. We have to stay away from that stuff.”
With 3:23 left, Kirton got a rebound from his own shot and buried the go-ahead goal past Karpinski. The Thunderbolts then got an empty net goal immediately after the faceoff that followed the Ice Flyers timeout in the final two minutes.
“I thought overall, up and down the ice, we were the better team,” Aldoff said. “We outplayed them. We deserved better, but it doesn’t matter, they (Thunderbolts) won the hockey game.
“It just comes down to licking our wounds and try to get better and I hate to say that, because I know what (Ice Flyers) been through. It was just a real tough one.”
A quick recap….
FIRST PERIOD
No scoring. The Ice Flyers didn’t get their first shot on goal until four minutes into the opening period. Each team had only three shots midway through the period.
But then the Ice Flyers found stride with 10 shots, including several good looks on their power play opportunity, but couldn’t a puck in the net.
SECOND PERIOD
Cale List scored his fifth goal of the season, after making move to his left to deke a defender inside the blue line and then rifled a wrist shot through traffic into the net with 10:30 left for the game’s first goal. Pryce and Tosto both had assists.
Evansville got its first power play chance with 7:14 remaining, but the Ice Flyers killed that one off.
THIRD PERIOD
Ivan Bondarenko made a perfect pass to Tosto in the crease area and he flicked the puck into the net at 2:59 into the third period for the Ice Flyers second goal. Pryce set up the play with good work behind the net.
The Ice Flyers then got a big chance to further their lead when Evansville’s Matthew Hobbs was called for a double-minor (4 minute penalty) for a high sticking penalty that drew blood at 4:51 into the period. But the Ice Flyers were thwarted and that shifted some momentum back to Evansville.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Evansville Thunderbolts vs. Ice Flyers
WHEN: Saturday, 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center
Ronald Bryant Rigby
February 22, 2025
Mr. Ronald Bryant Rigby, age 77, passed away peacefully at his home in McDavid, Florida, on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. Originally from Atmore, Alabama, raised in Oak Grove, Florida, he spent most of his life in Bratt and Byrneville, Florida. Ronald was a dedicated member of the Bratt Assembly of God Church, where he found joy and community.
He enjoyed many activities, including hunting and fishing, and worked for the Escambia County Road Department for 25 years. He also spent 12 years farming, which he cherished deeply. Beyond work and church, Ronald had a passion for hands-on projects in his shop and was often found tinkering with various projects. He loved watching westerns and Grit TV, taking him back to simpler times. He and his wife took a memorable trip across the country, traveling 6,000 miles to explore different places together. Ronald truly enjoyed spending time with family, gardening, and canning vegetables, making wonderful memories that will be cherished for years to come.
He is preceded is death by his parents, Jesse David “JD” (Erma Smith) Rigby.
Mr. Rigby is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mrs. Suzanne M Rigby of Backwoods of Byrneville, Florida; two sons, Stephen Bryant (Sam) Rigby of Backwoods of Byrneville, Florida and Adam (April) Rigby of Keego, Alabama; brother, Jesse Rigby of Pensacola, Florida; sister, Jackie (Billy) Darby of Oak Grove, Florida; four grandchildren, Grady (Talita) Rigby, Cooper Rigby, Layla Kate Rigby, and Clark Rigby; one great-grandchild, Elaina Rigby; and a special cousin Judy.
Funeral service will be held Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 2:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC. with Reverend Mel Coon and Reverend Marcus Wallace officiating.
A private burial will follow at a later date.
Visitation will be held Sunday, February 23, 2025 from 1:00 PM until service time at 2:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Ricky Hardy, David Kerns, Joey Killam, Brad Shaw, Reggie Odom, and Danny Webb
Honorary pallbearer will be Leslie Barnes, Jackie Godwin, Lonnie Wilson, Matt Robbins and Jimmie Stanton.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, Atmore, Alabama is in charge of all arrangements