Mary “Penny” Butler Pittman
July 29, 2025
Mary “Penny” Butler Pittman, age 76, passed away peacefully on July 27, 2025, in Pensacola, Florida, surrounded by loved ones. Born on September 19, 1948, in Phoenix, Arizona, Penny brought warmth, creativity, and a deep devotion to family into every aspect of her life.
Penny was a gifted artist who found joy and expression through painting and quilting. Her works were not only beautiful, but imbued with heart—each one a reflection of her vibrant spirit. She was a dedicated wife, a wonderful mother, and a fiercely loyal sister. Her family was the center of her world, and her love was steady, unconditional, and ever-present.
She is survived by her devoted husband, Cecil “Josh” Joshua Pittman; children, Michelle Paquette, Jennifer “Jenny” (Matthew) Fromsdorf, Michael “Mike” (Brittany) Paquette, David Pittman, Mac (Holly) Pittman, Nathan (Shannon) Pittman, and Elain (Adam) Gardner; beloved sister, Darlyn Butler; brothers, Skip (Karen) Butler and Randy (Stephanie) Butler; sister-in-law, Kristin Butler; 13 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.
Penny was preceded in death by her parents, James “Jim” Butler and Bennie Jo Butler; and her brother, Jodie Butler.
Her legacy of creativity, compassion, and unwavering loyalty will live on in all who knew and loved her.
A celebration of Penny’s life will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home 1000 S. Highway 29, Cantonment, Florida 32533 on Thursday, July 31st, at 8am.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North, 1000 South Highway 29, Cantonment, is entrusted with arrangements
William A. ‘Bill’ Blackwell
July 29, 2025
William A. “Bill” Blackwell, 71, of Cantonment, FL, passed away surrounded by family Friday, July 18, 2025. Bill married his high school sweetheart Janice in 1971 and graduated from George Stone High School in 1972. He then enlisted in the US Army and later became an HVAC instructor for the US Army Corp of Engineers.
As a freemason he was a member of the Cantonment Masonic Lodge No.322. He started and ran a prominent HVAC company in Pensacola, Blackwell Heating & Air, for almost 40 years before selling the business and retiring in 2017. Bill thoroughly and passionately enjoyed forestry, hunting, fishing and outdoors at his Peterman, AL farm for many years before and after retirement. After being diagnosed with ALS he moved back closer to family and continued care.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents James M. and Alice T. Blackwell and his brother James M. Blackwell, Jr.
Survivors include his wife, Janice B. Blackwell; son and daughter-in-law, William I. “Billy” and Kelley Blackwell; daughter, Tonya B. Stillwater; grandchildren, Tyler Blackwell (Katie), William “Cole” Stillwater, Skye Stillwater, Landon Blackwell and Layla Bush; great grandchildren, Reed Blackwell and Arabella Stillwater.
Memorial service will be 11am Friday, August 1st at Faith Chapel South, 100 Beverly Pkwy. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. .
Honorary pallbearers will be Steven Johnson, Arlan “Chris” Christoffersen, Gerald Tompkins and Aaron Stillwater.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the ALS Association to help find a cure for this horrible disease. The family would also like to extend extreme gratitude towards the Veterans Affairs, Gracepoint Home Care and Community Hospice.
Office Phone Outage At Town Of Century
July 28, 2025
The Town of Century is experiencing temporary difficulties with their office phone system.
The town is able to receive calls on its main line, but staff are unable to hear callers.
An estimated time of repair is not yet available. Once service is restored, citizens can call (850) 256-3208.
Federal Drug Trafficking Charges Filed Against Cantonment Man After Undercover Buys
July 28, 2025
Federal drug trafficking charges have been filed against an Escambia County man.
Carlton Dewight Shoemaker, age 51, of Carver Street, was indicted in federal court for three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Using an FDLE documented criminal informant, ATF purchased crack cocaine and methamphetamine on two occasions from Shoemaker in a hotel room , according to federal court documents, and a semi-automatic handgun was presented in the room.
When a search warrant was later served, investigators reported finding 4.5 grams of crack cocaine, 9.5 grams of powder cocaine, three ounces of marijuana pre-packaged for sale, drug paraphernalia, and two firearms with ammunition.
If convicted on all counts, Shoemaker faces up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Escambia Man Indicted On Federal Firearm Charges
July 28, 2025
An Escambia County man was indicted on federal firearms charges.
Jason Wayne Coleman, 41, was indicted in federal court for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Coleman faces a maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment for each count.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Century Changes Land Development Code To Allow For New ATM
July 28, 2025
Earlier this year, the Town of Century modified its parking requirements, allowing the construction of an ATM in the parking lot of the local grocery store.
The space allocated for the PenAir ATM in the Food Giant parking lot on North Century Boulevard would have reduced the number of available parking spaces below the land use code requirements for the store.
In an ordinance passed in March, the town reduced the number of required parking spaces for a food store from five to four per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area. The ordinance also reduced the number of mandatory spaces for general businesses by one per 1,000 square feet. Other parking requirements for commercial establishments were not changed under the land use ordinances. Current parking requirements are pictured below (click to enlarge),
A similar PenAir ATM was recently constructed in the parking lot of the Cantonment Marketplace shopping center and the Winn-Dixie on Highway 29 in Cantonment.\
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Heat Wave: Heat Advisory With Oppressive Heat And Humidity Today
July 28, 2025
There is a heat advisory in effect for Monday with heat index values reaching up to 112 degrees.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 112. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 78. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 107. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 76. Calm wind.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
AAA: Florida Gas Prices Are Up Slightly Over Last Week
July 28, 2025
Despite a week of price swings, Florida gas prices continually reflect a long-running trend of relative stability. According to AAA, the state average dropped 8 cents early last week, surged by 13 cents midweek, and then slipped another 3 cents through the weekend.
By Sunday, the state average stood at $3.10 per gallon, marking a slight 2-cent increase from the week before. Prices remain 10 cents higher than a month ago but are still 31 cents lower than this time last year.
In Escambia County, the average price per gallon was $2.89. In Pensacola, prices were as low as $2.71 at the warehouse clubs. In North Escambia, a low of $2.72 was available Sunday at one station on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
Since September, Florida pump prices have consistently moved within a 31-cent window, ranging from $2.92 to a peak of $3.23. This yearlong pattern parallels trends in the oil market, which has traded within a steady range for the past five weeks.
“While gas prices may shift from week to week, overall they tend to follow a relatively steady pattern,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “As long as oil prices remain stable, drivers can expect pump prices to stay within their current range.”
Escambia (AL) Sheriff Attends Halt Fentanyl Act Bill Signing At The White House
July 28, 2025
Escambia County (Alabama) Sheriff Heath Jackson was one of four sheriffs from across the nation that attended the Halt Fentanyl Act bill signing at the White House recently.
“It was an honor to watch the president sign the bill, which will strengthen the penalties for those who distribute this poison in America,” Jackson said. “It was also an honor to represent Escambia County and the great State of Alabama.”
The legislation, according to Trump, is “delivering another defeat for the savage drug smugglers and criminals, and the cartels”—and is just one of the many historic actions the Trump Administration has taken to end the carnage wrought by foreign drug cartels in our communities.”
Other sheriffs invited to attend the ceremony were from South Dakota, New Jersey, and Ohio.
Pictured: Escambia County (Alabama) Sheriff Heath Jackson attended the Halt Fentanyl Act bill signing. In the top photo, Jackson is seen in the front row just to the right of Trump, third from the right in the photo below, and in the far left in the front row of the third photo below. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Despite Furious Comeback Effort, Wahoos Fall In Series Finale
July 28, 2025
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (50-45) dropped their series and regular season finale against the Knoxville Smokies (44-51) by a final score of 6-5.
On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the Wahoos fell behind early. Knoxville plated a run in the first inning against Pensacola starter Jacob Miller when second baseman Reivaj Garcia singled home shortstop Jefferson Rojas with two outs.
After the Wahoos failed to answer in the top of the second, Knoxville burst out with a four-run bottom of the second inning. The first five Smokies of the inning reached base on three walks and two hits. Jefferson Rojas’ bases-clearing double and third baseman Pedro Ramirez’s RBI single capped the scoring for the Smokies, who led 5-0 after two innings of play.
The early lead held behind Knoxville starter Antonio Santos and a slew of bullpen arms. Pensacola scored its first run in the sixth inning when right fielder Kemp Alderman hit a solo home run against lefthander Chase Watkins, but the Wahoos trailed 5-1 heading into the seventh inning.
In the seventh inning, the Wahoos mounted another late-inning rally against the Knoxville bullpen. Righthander A.J. Puckett entered and promptly loaded the bases with one out before departing. New righthander Zac Leigh then walked three of the next four hitters with the bases loaded to cut the deficit to 5-4. With two outs, the bases loaded, and a 3-0 count on designated hitter Cody Morissette, Leigh stepped off the rubber and caught Jared Serna moving too far off third base. The 1-2 pickoff and caught stealing ended the inning and kept the Smokies in front 5-4.
In the eighth, Pensacola bounced back to tie the game. Shortstop Johnny Olmstead doubled with one out and later came in to score on a two-out RBI infield hit from catcher Spencer Bramwell.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the ninth worked by Smokies righthander Brad Deppermann (W, 4-2), Knoxville mounted its game-winning rally. Following a hit and an intentional walk against Pensacola righthander Jesse Bergin (L, 2-2), the Wahoos inserted closer Josh Ekness to escape the jam. However, Ekness walked right fielder Andy Garriola to load the bases before a run-scoring walk-off wild pitch ended the game and the series one batter later.
With the defeat, Pensacola heads home with a 4-2 series win despite a pair of losses to end the week. The Wahoos also found a pair of bright spots in the form of two newcomers – righthander Natanael Polanco worked three scoreless innings of relief in his Double-A debut, while catcher Nestor Rios collected his first career Double-A hit in the seventh inning.
The Blue Wahoos return home on Tuesday, July 29 when they begin a six-game series versus the Biloxi Shuckers.