Century Identifies Grant Application Projects: Community Center, Street Design And Housing Repair
April 30, 2025
The Century Town Council on Tuesday night identified several projects for potential grant funding.
Three members of the public (pictured above) and council member elect John Bass attended Tuesday night’s public hearing and offered input on potential projects.
The town will apply for a Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from Florida Commerce, focusing on three requests:
- design for potential resurfacing of Barnwell Lane, East and West Cottage streets, and Cedar Street.
- construction of the Carver Community Center on Jefferson Avenue
- minor home repair program
The street portion of the request would be design only in anticipation of potential paving at a later date for Barnwell Lane, Cedar Street, and both East and West Cottage streets.
The minor home repair program would provide home repairs to address structural code enforcement issues and access issues such as ramps that would allow low or moderate income individuals to remain in their homes for a longer period of time. The town will determine later if roofing repairs or upgrades might be included.
If awarded, grant funds would construct a new Carver Community Center (design pictured below) on Jefferson Avenue. The town previously received a $3.255 million state grant for a community center on Jefferson Avenue, but most of the funds were clawed back by the state. The town was able to use $514,650 to pay for the engineering, architectural and grant administer expenses that left the town with no building but a complete set of shovel-ready drawings.
The town will finalize their CDBG grant application following a final public hearing at 5:45 p.m. on May 6. Applications are due by May 16. The potential dollar figures for the grants is not yet known.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia’s Dunn Recognized As Emergency Communications Supervisor Of The Year
April 30, 2025
Escambia County Emergency Communications Supervisor Shenae Dunn has been named the 2025 Florida Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Supervisor of the Year.
Dunn recently celebrated 20 years with Emergency Communications. Her calling to serve runs in the family, as her father served as a local fire chief, and her mother served as an Emergency Communications supervisor for Escambia County. Her sister, Christy, also serves as an Emergency Communications Supervisor and recently celebrated 20 years of service with Emergency Communications.
“Shenae comes from a proud family tradition of public safety service and carries that legacy forward with dedication and heart,” said Emergency Communications Chief Andrew Hamilton. “For her, this work is more than just a job, it’s a true calling. We are incredibly proud of her and honored to see her receive this award in recognition of her outstanding commitment and service.”
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to be selected as APCO’s Supervisor of the Year,” said Dunn. “Public Safety has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a fire station watching my dad lead as a fire chief and listening to my mom’s calm and steady voice on the radio as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. It wasn’t just their jobs, it was their calling, and it became mine, too.”
With the influence of her family shaping her career in public service, Dunn says there’s another group of people who have contributed to her success. “To my team, you mean the world to me. This recognition isn’t just mine, but a reflection of the amazing people I work beside every day.”
Molino Duo Arrested On Drug Charges After Traffic Stop
April 30, 2025
A routine traffic stop led to the arrest of two Molino residents on multiple drug charges, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Michael Travis Palmer, 44, was charged with felony possession of methamphetamine. Rebecca Hope Palmer, 46, was charged with first degree fentanyl trafficking.
On April 20, 2025, a deputy initiated a traffic stop at the intersection of Old Corry Field Road and Lillian Highway after observing a red Kia Sorrento with an expired registration.
According to the report, Deputy Clark’s K9 partner indicated the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Deputies then conducted a search.
The search of the vehicle led to the discovery of drugs and paraphernalia. “Deputy Clark located a crushed cigarette package in the driver floorboard. Inside the cigarette package were 3 small clear plastic bags containing a rock crystal like substance, which field tested positive for methamphetamine,” the report states. The methamphetamine weighed approximately 3.8 grams. Michael Palmer, the driver, was detained.
Deputies also searched the passenger side of the vehicle where Rebecca Palmer had been sitting. “In the front seat floorboard, a brown purse containing Rebecca Palmer’s identification was located,” the report details. Inside the purse, deputies found “2 glass pipes with burnt residue.” Additional items were found, including “a cigarette carton containing a singular cigarette and a blue plastic straw, containing a powder like substance inside,” and “a clear plastic bag containing a blue powder residue.”
Further investigation of Rebecca Palmer led to additional discoveries. “Rebecca Palmer made a spontaneous utterance, stating she had fentanyl in her bra,” the report notes. Two bags containing a blue powder substance, which field-tested positive for fentanyl and weighed approximately 8.4 grams, were found. Another bag containing white powder, identified by Rebecca Palmer as vitamin powder that she combines, was also locate, the report continues.
Michael Palmer was released from jail on a $2,500 bond. He was also cited for an expired registration. Rebecca Palmer remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond Wednesday morning.
Neither arrest report specifies the relationship, if any, between the Palmers.
Slight Chance Of Pop-up Afternoon Showers
April 30, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers between 1pm and 4pm. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 84. Light east wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 66. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Self-proclaimed Escambia (Ala.) White Supremacist Sentenced For Threatening DA With ‘Horrible And Painful Death’
April 30, 2025
An Escambia County (Ala.) man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sending a death threat to a district attorney in south Alabama.
A federal judge in Mobile sentenced 54-year-old William Terry Holmes of Brewton to 60 months in prison after Holmes pleaded guilty to mailing a threatening communication. The sentence, the maximum allowed under the federal statute, will run consecutively to the state prison term Holmes is currently serving with the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) on unrelated charges. There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to the prison sentence, Holmes was ordered to pay $26,185.70 in restitution.
According to court documents and Holmes’s plea agreement, the threat arose after a man that Holmes claimed to know was convicted of capital murder for the killing of a police officer. On March 19, 2024, Holmes, who was an inmate serving a state prison sentence with ADOC, sent a letter to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the capital murder case. The letter began, “I am personally writing you to inform you we know where you live,” and went on to identify Holmes as a member of a known white supremacist group. Holmes threatened that the district attorney, the district attorney’s family, and the judge involved in the case would suffer “a very horrible and painful death” in retaliation for the conviction and the pursuit of the death penalty against his alleged associate.
On March 22, 2024, agents interviewed Holmes. During the interview, Holmes admitted to writing the letter and claimed he had associates watching the district attorney, warning that the prosecutor had only hours to live. Security precautions had already been taken to protect the district attorney and his family. Holmes pleaded guilty to mailing the threatening communication on January 28, 2025.
“No one who serves the cause of justice, or the families of those who serve, should ever be threatened for doing their job,” said acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Our system depends on the courage of prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officers. Threats against them are attacks on the rule of law itself and cannot be tolerated.”
“There is no place in our justice system for threats of violence – especially leveled at officers of the court,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI is committed to ensuring those who serve justice can do so without fear and will hold offenders accountable.”
Softball: Northview And Jay To Battle For District Championship; Tate Falls To Navarre
April 30, 2025
Rural District 1
Northview 8, Paxton 3
Jay 16, Baker 1
The Northview Chiefs beat the Paxton Varsity Lady Cats 8-3 on Tuesday to advance to the Rural District 1 championship game on Thursday. The Chiefs will face Jay after the Royals beat Baker 16-1 on Tuesday.
Senior Jamison Gilman struck out 10 in a complete seven inning game, allowing five hits and three runs while walking two.
Lady Chief Mikayla McAnally (pictured) hit a solo home run to left field on a full count in the bottom of the third. McAnally and Daviona Randolph each had two hits for the night, while Gilman and Avery Stucky each had two RBIs.
The Jay Royals beat the Baker Gators 16-1 on Tuesday.
Kaylee Gilbreath went 3-for-3 for Jay with four RBIs while Presley Hawthorne went 2-3.
Ella Samford earned the win for Jay, giving up not hit and one unearned run in three innings, striking out three and walking three.
Jay will take on Northview at 6 p.m. Thursday in Jay for the district championship.
6A District 1
Navarre 10, Tate 1
Pace 8 Crestview 0
The Navarre Raiders defeated the Tate Lady Aggies 10-1 on Tuesday night in the 6A District 1 semifinals. Navarre will advance to the district championship against Pace after the Patriots shut out Crestview 8-0.
Jordan Smith went two innings for the Lady Aggies, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits, walking one and striking out none. Peyton Womack pitched four innings, surrendering six hits and five runs (four earned), walking two and striking out two.
Tristen Showalter, Madison Smillie, and Woman each recorded one hit for the Aggies.
Pictured: Mikayla McAnally hit a solo home run to left field on a full count as the Northview Chiefs beat Paxton on Tuesday. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Free One-Day Local Disaster Preparedness Class This Saturday In Century
April 30, 2025
Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) is offering a new resource to help Escambia County residents prepare for hurricanes and other disasters.
Through the EscaReady Disaster Preparedness Essentials Program, BRACE will provide free, one-day classes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., helping those who want to feel more prepared for natural disasters. Each participating family will receive a tote bag of disaster supplies, and a drawing will be held for two $25 gas cards in each class.
The first of six EscaReady classes will be held this Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Century Community Center at West Highway 4 and Industrial Boulevard. Other classes will be held the first Saturday of every month from June through October at various locations across Escambia County. Breakfast snacks will be provided, and participants are encouraged to pack a lunch.
The EscaReady course, which includes a take home workbook to keep helpful information, will provide information on how to get services after a disaster, important safety information for hurricanes, tornadoes and floods as well as vital skills such as understanding weather alerts, generator safety, flood recovery tips, important financial steps for disasters and more. Highlighting the work of members of the Escambia County Long-Term Recovery Group, the program aims to train 180 families, delivering critical information for both new residents and longtime community members.
For more information on the EscaReady program or for other training opportunities, call BRACE at (850) 739-3983.
Miller, Wahoos Walk Their Way to 3-2 Win Over Barons
April 30, 2025
written by Erik Bremer
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos began their longest road trip of the season with an unusual 3-2 win over the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday night.
The Blue Wahoos (16-6) drew a season-high 11 walks, but managed only two hits and went 0-for-11 with men in scoring position against a stingy Barons (11-10) pitching staff. In the end, the Jake Thompson delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning that proved to be the difference as the Blue Wahoos improved upon the best record in Double-A.
In the early innings, Pensacola starter Jacob Miller was the star. The righty was perfect through 4.1 innings and faced the minimum through 6.0 innings, ultimately becoming the first Blue Wahoos pitcher in 2025 to pitch into the seventh inning.
The Blue Wahoos couldn’t fully capitalize on the wildness of Barons starter Hagen Smith, but scratched across a run on a bases-loaded walk to Sam Praytor in the fourth inning and added another on a Josh Zamora sacrifice fly in the fifth.
The Barons manufactured a rally against Miller in the seventh, getting a leadoff infield single from Rikuu Nishida and an RBI double from William Bergolla to get on the board. A one-out RBI single from Wilfred Veras tied the game, but reliever Josh White (W, 4-0) stranded the potential go-ahead run in scoring position as he escaped the jam.
Praytor led off the top of the ninth with a leadoff single against Tyler Davis (L, 0-3), just the second Pensacola hit of the night. Shane Sasaki followed with a walk, and both runners advanced on a Jared Serna groundout before Thompson lifted his sacrifice fly to left field for a 3-2 Blue Wahoos lead.
Dale Stanavich (S, 4) worked around a leadoff hit batsman in the bottom of the ninth to earn his league-leading fourth save.
The Blue Wahoos return to action on Wednesday morning as they play an Education Day game against the Barons. First pitch from Regions Field is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
Dora Jennifer ‘Jenny’ Oliver
April 30, 2025
Dora Jennifer “Jenny” Oliver, age 72, passed away on April 29, 2025. Jenny was born to Preston and Alice Nell Jackson Hall on March 14, 1953, in Atmore, AL, and lived her entire life in Perdido, Alabama. She was a faithful member of Hall’s Fork Assembly of God. Jenny was a retired medical secretary with Holman and Fountain Correctional Facility, and later was the secretary of Atmore Memorial Chapel.
Jenny is preceded in death by her parents, Preston and Nell Hall; her first husband, Anthony Hadley; her son, Jonathon Oliver; and her brother, Tommy Hall.
Jenny is survived by her husband, Ronald Oliver; her children: Angie (Jerry) Cowart of Pine Grove, AL, Tammy (Chris) Chandler of Monroeville, AL, Jimmy (Sheila) Oliver of Tulsa, OK and Shay (Jerry) Stankewitz of Poteau, OK; her brothers, Rayford Hall of Mobile, AL and Clifford Hall of Perdido, AL; her grandchildren: Jessica (Blake) Bossard of Flomaton, AL, Tonya (Marcus) Loftis of Lottie, AL, Brittany (Ian) Reach of McDavid, FL, Brianna (Josh) Brown of Atmore, AL and Brian Cowart of Pine Grove, AL; her great-grandchildren: Brayden Harrelson, Ashlyn Loftis, Kinzleigh Loftis all of Lottie, AL, Jonathan Cowart and Katie Reach of McDavid, FL, Ezra Brown of Atmore, AL, Alana and Brooklyn Bossard of Flomaton, AL along with a host of family and friends.
Funeral services will be held Friday, May 2, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel in Atmore, AL, with Bro. Wendell Hadley and Bro. Malcolm Harrelson officiating. Interment will follow in Guy’s Chapel Cemetery in Rabun, AL.
Active pallbearers will be Ian Reach, Josh Brown, Blake Bossard, C.P. Hall, Collin Hall, and Colton Hall.
Visitation will be held Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 6-8 p.m.. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Shots Fired Outside Century Apartment Complex; Woman Suffers Minor Injury
April 29, 2025
A shots-fired incident in Century on Monday night remains under investigation.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, a group of people was gathered outside the Century Woods Apartments at 20 West Highway 4 when at least one shot was fired around 8:50 p.m.
Deputies arrived to find an adult female with an apparent graze wound to the top of her shoulder. She refused medical treatment.
The ECSO said much of the crowd dispersed quickly, and deputies received conflicting statements with little cooperation from the remaining witnesses. A suspect was not located.
Deputies returned to the apartment complex Tuesday seeking additional clues and evidence.
The incident remains under investigation.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.