Still Scattered Rain, Still Hot, And Still Muggy
June 19, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 72.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 92.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 94.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Beulah Academy Student First Middle Schooler In Escambia County To Earn ServSafe Manager
June 19, 2025
Beulah Academy of Science Middle School student Victoria St. Pierre is the first and only middle schooler to take and pass the ServSafe Manager exam in Escambia County, according to the school.
A ServSafe Manager is a certification for food service managers that demonstrates their knowledge and skills in managing food safety in restaurants, schools, or other food service operations. The certification validates that a manager can effectively train employees on food safety procedures and ensure a consistent high standard of food safety throughout the establishment.
St. Pierre’s instruction at BAS Middle was Victoria Bottcher.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Mark Peter Scott
June 19, 2025
Mark Peter Scott, age 62, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Pensacola, Florida, on May 31, 2025.
Born on December 20, 1962, in Chicago, Illinois, Mark was a beloved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, son, and friend. He spent his life devoted to the people he loved, especially his wife, Patricia (Patty). The two met as teenagers, began dating soon after, and never looked back—recently celebrating 39 wonderful years of marriage. Together, they built a life rooted in love, laughter, and family.
Mark was the proud father of his daughter, Christine, and his son, Ryan. To his family, he was their rock—the one they turned to for comfort, strength, and warmth. His laugh was one of a kind, his hugs made the world feel safe, and his presence brought a sense of peace that will be deeply missed.
Professionally, Mark dedicated over 29 years to serving the Pensacola community as a highly respected Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Disorders physician. His passion for medicine was matched only by his compassion for people, and he touched countless lives through his work.
Outside of medicine, Mark lived with curiosity and joy. He was a loyal Florida Gators fan, a Parrothead, an avid photographer, a traveler at heart, and a lover of birds and all things sea-related. Whether he was crafting a homemade tiki cocktail, listening to Jimmy Buffett, or watching a sunset on the water, Mark embraced the moments that made life sweet.
He is survived by his loving wife, Patty; his children, Christine (Michael) Paulzak and Ryan (Stihlyn) Scott; his cherished grandson, Leo; his mother, Sue Ellen Scott; his siblings, Jacqueline Borello, Steven Scott, and Jeffrey Scott; and many nieces, nephews, lifelong friends, and colleagues who will forever carry his memory in their hearts.
“So, when the journey gets long, just know that you are loved, there is light up above, and the joy is always enough. Bubbles up, Mark, bubbles up.”
Family and friends are welcome to join in remembering and honoring Mark’s life. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, located at 1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL 32533.
• Visitation will begin at 12:00 p.m. Central Time
• Service will begin at 1:00 p.m. Central Time
• A reception will follow immediately after the service at the same location
Sasaki’s Bunt Ends Wild Walk-Off Wahoos Win Over Montgomery
June 19, 2025
by Willie Phaler
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos clinched a dramatic 6-5 walk-off victory over the Montgomery Biscuits in 11 innings on Wednesday night, thanks to a bunt from centerfielder Shane Sasaki. This win comes a day after the Blue Wahoos experienced their first extra-innings loss at home this season.
The decisive play unfolded in the bottom of the 11th. After reliever Nigel Belgrave (W, 2-0) masterfully stranded the bases loaded for Montgomery in the top half, Sasaki laid down a hard bunt. The bunt forced Biscuits pitcher Jack Hartman (L, 0-3) towards third, and a slight bobble combined with Sasaki’s speed led to an errant throw. This allowed Grant Richardson to score from second, securing the win for Pensacola.
“Honestly, I just put one down for the team,” Sasaki said. “I bunted it a little too hard but sometimes good things happen when you don’t execute.” The walk-off, officially ruled a sacrifice with an error charged to Hartman, marked the Blue Wahoos’ fourth walk-off win of the year.
The Wednesday night victory was also highlighted by a solid start from Robby Snelling, who tossed his fifth quality start of the season. He allowed just one run over six innings, striking out seven Biscuits and issuing only two walks.
Beyond Sasaki’s heroics, the bats of Nathan Martorella and Jonny Olmstead were crucial. Martorella had a stellar 3-for-4 night, including a home run and two RBI, while Olmstead also drove in two runs, showcasing the consistent production throughout the Wahoos’ lineup.
“We just stick together all the time,” Sasaki stated. “We always trust each other, and we’re just trying to pass the torch. Nobody’s trying to do too much. We’re just trying to play as a team as much as possible.”
Pensacola initially held a 3-0 lead heading into the sixth inning. Martorella hit his fifth home run of the year in the second, and Olmstead’s lone hit of the night in the fourth brought in two runs.
The Biscuits’ offense finally broke through against Snelling in the sixth. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Colton Ledbetter, Snelling surrendered a two-out, RBI double to Will Simpson, cutting Pensacola’s lead to two.
Gregory Barrios proved to be clutch for the Biscuits in the eighth, hitting a bases-loaded double down the left field line that drove in three runs for Montgomery, tying the game at four. All three runs were charged to Evan Fitterer, who was making his first bullpen appearance since April after ten starts for Pensacola.
Berrios came up big for Montgomery again, blooping a single over the head of shortstop Jared Serna with the infield playing in to give the Biscuits a 5-4 lead.
The Blue Wahoos quickly retaliated in the bottom half to tie it up when Dalvy Rosario’s single in front of centerfielder Homer Bush Jr. scored Mark Coley II (running for Martorella). With runners on first and second and two outs, Hartman caught a line drive from Bramwell on the mound, sending the game to the bottom of the 11th and setting the stage for the walk-off victory in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038.
“Oh, it’s great,” Sasaki said about the first Wednesday sellout of the year. “The fans are awesome. We always love to have a packed stadium like this. The fans give us a lot of support so it’s awesome to play for them.”
The Blue Wahoos will face the Biscuits for game three of their six-game series tomorrow, donning their Pensacola Seagulls alternate identity. Ike Buxton is scheduled to make his first appearance for Pensacola as the starter, while Owen Wild (3-5, 5.08 ERA) will pitch for Montgomery.
WANT TO GO?
- WHO: Montgomery Biscuits vs. Blue Wahoos
- WHEN: Thursday through Sunday.
- GAME TIMES: Games on Thursday through Saturday all start at 6:05 p.m. CDT. The game on Sunday starts at 4:05 p.m. CDT.
James Edward Salter
June 19, 2025
James Edward Salter, 95, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away June 13, 2025. He was born in Conecuh, Alabama on July 27, 1929, to Buck and Ruby Salter. He was married to the love of his life Betty Jane Salter for 74 years. He retired from Bellsouth and volunteered his time with Habitat for Humanity and Manna Food Bank. He was a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Buck and Ruby Salter, his brother George Salter, and his daughter Jane Wheat.
He is survived by his daughter Gail (David) Ewing and son-in-law Don Wheat. His grandchildren are James (Ashley) Wheat, Joy (Jim) Baker, Nathan (Ruth Janna) Wheat, Ruth Lang, Tally (Roger) Hawthorne, Jamie (Devin) Reed, Anderson Ewing, Kelly (Thomas) Derbes. His great grandchildren are Anna and Isaac Wheat; Lily, Emily, Macy, Kingston, and Kathryn Baker; John Sinclair, Janna Rose, Ian, Caelia Wheat, Benjamin, Jillian, Samuel, and Vivienne Lang; Buck, Rory, and Hank Hawthorne; and Robert Matthew, Baylee and Colby Reed.
The family would like to thank Kyrstal Gomez and Jessica Thompson from Gentiva Hospice and Brookdale Senior Living for their wonderful care and love for James.
The family will have a private ceremony at a later date and in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church and Brookdale Senior Living.
After Employee Theft Allegations, Century Town Council Member Wants Financial Info
June 18, 2025
Following allegations of theft by a town employee, earlier this year, a Century town council members wants to see financial information.
The town alleged in a report to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office that seven missing deposits with $2,627.90 in cash and $8,432.51 in checks for a total of $11,060.41 not deposited into their account. The ECSO investigated and presented to their findings to Escambia County Judge Scott Ritchie who declined to issue an arrest warrant based upon the investigation. [Read Related: Judge Rejects Arrest Warrant For Employee In Case Of $11,000 Missing From Town Of Century]
Council member Shelisa McCall Abraham presented a written memo Tuesday night requesting a reconciliation of the Town of Century’s accounts for the period March 1 to May 31, 2025. The council regularly receives a “bill list” showing financial obligations, and occasional financial reports, but they do not receive account reconciliations on a regular basis.
“Considering the recent allegations against a former Town employee, I am writing to request a reconciliation of the Town of Century’s accounts,” she wrote in the memo to Carrie Moore, town clerk; Howard Brown, interim town manager; and Ben Boutwell, mayor. “Please ensure that all transactions are accurately recorded and reconciled with the bank statements. I have included reconciliation steps to assist with this process.”
Abraham also included two pages of step to reconcile account with QuickBooks (which is used by the town) or manually.
“I know they said that there are procedures in place now to make sure it (employee theft) doesn’t happen again,” she said. “She we (the council) are stewards of the funds and accountable at the end of the day, we are the ones responsible for these funds, so I want to see your complete reconciliation.”
Pictured top: The Century Town Council met Tuesday night. Council member are (L-R) Dynette Lewis, Henry Cunningham, Shelisa McCall Abraham, and John Bass. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Three State Appropriations For Escambia County Make Taxwatch Make Budget Turkey List
June 18, 2025
Tuesday, Florida TaxWatch released its 2025 Budget Turkey Watch Report, an annual independent review of the state budget to promote oversight, integrity, and transparency in the appropriations process. This year’s review of Florida’s $115.1 billion budget for FY2025-26 identifies 242 items totaling $416.1 million that qualify as “Budget Turkeys.” These are appropriations that bypass or violate established budget procedures or legislative and public scrutiny.
In addition to projects that qualify as Budget Turkeys, the report highlights other areas in the budget that contain numerous member projects that, while they do not strictly meet Florida TaxWatch’s Budget Turkey criteria, certainly merit extra scrutiny and close gubernatorial review. These additional projects total $799.5 million.
The FY2025-26 budget includes approximately 1,600 local member projects worth more than $2 billion. The last three budgets have all funded at least $2.8 billion worth of member projects, and this budget may approach that threshold. With only 160 legislators, the average is 10 projects and $17 million per member. Some legislators receive far more than others.
Three state appropriations in Escambia County made the list:
Health Translational Research Institute Facility — $1,667,400
Historic Pensacola — $125,000
Family Arts Education Expansion at Pensacola Little Theater — $646,000
For the full report, click here.
Escambia Man Pleads Guilty To Cyberstalking And Sending Obscene Materials To Underage Girls
June 18, 2025
An Escambia County man has pled guilty in federal court to cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females.
Charles M. Schmaltz, 28,, entered the plea.
Court documents reflect that Schmaltz communicated with multiple minor females between 2022 – 2024 by utilizing 10 or more social media accounts to contact them. The minor females, and later their parents, repeatedly requested that Schmaltz cease communicating with them. Instead, Schmaltz sent sexually explicit content to the minor females, including extremely graphic communications about engaging in sexual acts with the minors and images of his own genitals. The minor females in this case ranged in age from 9 – 15 years old. Schmaltz was eventually caught through the work of a multi-agency investigation in North Florida and South Alabama, where some of the victims were located.
Schmaltz faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment, and lifetime supervision upon release.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “Protecting children from online exploitation and abuse is of paramount importance, and my office will aggressively pursue, prosecute, and seek punishment to the fullest extent of the law for those who prey upon our most innocent, vulnerable populations. My message to offenders is clear: if you prey upon our children, you had better pray we don’t find you.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office as well as Dothan Police Department in South Alabama. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2025, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Government Offices, Banks Closed Thursday For Juneteenth
June 18, 2025
Most government offices and services, along with most banks and the post office will be closed this Thursday, June 19, for the Juneteenth holiday.
June 19 observed as a legal holiday in the United States in commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S. The federal name for this holiday according to the United States Code is Juneteenth National Independence Day
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
In observance of Juneteenth, the following Escambia County offices will be closed Thursday, June 19:
- Escambia County Board of County Commissioners (all departments)
- Escambia County Administration
- Escambia County Area Transit Administrative Offices and Customer Service
- Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare and Animal Shelter
- Escambia County Extension Office
- Escambia County Waste Services Administration
- West Florida Public Libraries (all locations)
- Escambia County Property Appraiser
- Escambia County Supervisor of Elections
- Escambia County Tax Collector
Exceptions:
- The Perdido Landfill will be open with regular hours June 19.
- The Clerk’s Official Records, Finance, Treasury, and Clerk to the Board offices located at 221 Palafox Place will be closed June 19. All other Clerk offices located at the M.C. Blanchard Judicial Building, Theodore Bruno Juvenile Building, Public Records Center, and the Century Courthouse will be open.
ECAT
- ECAT will not run regular bus service or UWF trolley service on Thursday, June 19.
- FlexTransit will only run life-sustaining services.
- Pensacola Beach Trolleys will operate on Thursday, June 19 from 4 p.m. until midnight.
ECUA
The ECUA Customer Service office will be closed on Thursday, June 19, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. However, the drive-thru payment area and all ECUA business offices will be open. All ECUA residential and commercial sanitation collections will be unaffected by the holiday and will be carried out as usual.
TOWN OF CENTURY
All Town of Century offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19 for the Juneteenth holiday.
BANKS, POST OFFICE, UPS, FEDEX
The Juneteenth holiday on Thursday, June 19 is a federal holiday, so most banks and the post office will be closed. There were will be residential or business mail deliveries, but Priority Mail Express is available 365 days per year, including all holidays.
UPS and FedEx pickup and delivery services will be available, according to their websites.
Escambia School Board Approves New Administrators At Ernest Ward, Jim Allen, McArthur And Others
June 18, 2025
Tuesday night, the Escambia County School Board approved several new administrators for the next school year.
They are:
- Brianna Cooks – Curriculum Coordinator at Jim Allen Elementary to Assistant Principal at Jim Allen Elementary
- Stephanie Gilmore – Assistant Principal at Jim Allen Elementary to Principal at McArthur Elementary
- Rodney Drish – Out of District to Assistant Principal at Ernest Ward Middle
- La Tris Garner – Curriculum Coordinator at Navy Point Elementary to Assistant Principal at West Pensacola Elementary
- Joshua Jackson – Assistant Principal at Bailey Middle to Principal at Ferry Pass Middle
- Holly Shumpert – Curriculum Resource teacher Title I to I.B. Coordinator at Pensacola High School
- Emily Watford – School Transformation Specialist to Assistant Principal at O.J. Semmes Elementary
“This opportunity is a blessing that I will not take likely,” Cooks said of her new role as Jim Allen assistant principal.
“Go Eagles! I am excited to work with the staff,” Drish said of Ernest Ward. “I believe we are going to take that school to great heights.” Drish is coming from Pike County Elementary School in Brundidge, Alabama (near Troy) where has been for the past seven years, the last three as principal.
“Thank you for the incredible opportunity to lead McArthur Elementary School,” Gilmore said. “I look forward to working as a united school community to create an environment where every student can thrive.”
The appointments are effective July 1.
Pictured top: Rodney Drish, new assistant principal at Ernest Ward Middle School. Pictured below: Brianna Cooks, new assistant principal at Jim Allen Elementary School. Pictured second below: Stephanie Gilmore, new principal at McArthur Elementary School. The news administrators addressed, and were welcomed by, the Escambia County School Board Tuesday night. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
