Escambia Woman Gets 15 Years For High Speed Chase With Three Kids In Her Car
August 2, 2025
An Escambia County woman has been sentenced for a high-speed chase with three children in her car.
Christina Lynn Chenault, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in state prison for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, three counts of child neglect, leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving.
On January 5, Chenault was driving with a suspended license when she struck a teenager on his bicycle. The teenager sustained non-life-threatening injuries. When officers arrived, Chenault got in her car and sped through the surrounding residential area, refusing to stop.
She then drove onto the interstate at high rates of speed, endangering other motorists. When she encountered a blockade set up by the Florida Highway Patrol while driving westbound on I-10, she performed a U-turn on the grassy median and attempted to continue on eastbound I-10. Officers successfully executed a PIT maneuver on her vehicle. After the vehicle was immobilized, officers discovered that the defendant was driving in this reckless and dangerous manner with three young children in her car. The children were unharmed.
Chenault was on probation at the time out of Okaloosa County for fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license, and driving under the influence with a minor in the vehicle. After her Escambia County conviction, she will again face the Okaloosa County charges for her latest crimes.
Rep. Michelle Salzman Graduates With Highest Honors From FSU’s Prestigious MAAPP Program
August 2, 2025
Rep. Michelle Salzman became the first Florida lawmaker to graduate from the esteemed Master’s in Applied American Politics and Policy program (MAAPP) at Florida State University.
Salzman accepted her degree during a graduation ceremony on Friday, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.98 GPA.
“Graduating from the Master’s in Applied American Politics and Policy program at Florida State University has been a deeply personal and professional milestone for me,” Salzman said. “As a seated lawmaker, juggling legislative duties, community responsibilities, and academic coursework was no small task. But I pursued this degree because I believe in leading by example, and in order to make the best policy decisions, we need to constantly grow, learn, and challenge ourselves.”
“‘It wasn’t easy, especially going back to school more than a decade after earning my undergraduate degree,” she said. “This journey has strengthened my ability to write policy, interpret data, and advocate more effectively for the people I represent.”
The FSU Master of Applied American Politics & Policy (MAAPP) program is a leading graduate program providing practical career training in an intellectually challenging environment for individuals committed to making a difference in the world through the political process.
MAAPP is a 36-credit-hour non-thesis program, including 24 credit hours of coursework and a 12 credit hour practicum. Students taking 12 credit hours per semester for three consecutive semesters may earn the degree in a one year period.
Homeowners, Witnesses And A Drone Lead To Capture Of Burglary Suspect In Beulah
August 2, 2025
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said homeowners, witnesses, and a drone led to the capture of a Beulah burglary suspect.
Deputies responded to a report of a burglary in progress on the 7400 block of Woodside Road. They said 36-year-old John Paul Rush was caught in the act of a burglary, with stolen property valued at approximately $4,400. He had also caused about $500 in damages to an RV he burglarized.
Rush attempted to escape, but the homeowners and several witnesses pursued him. Despite his efforts to flee, the homeowners and witnesses pursued him, the ECSO said in a statement. Initially, Rush ran into a wooded area, but quick thinking from a witness who used a drone led to his capture. ECSO said drone footage revealed him scouting another residence to burglarize.
Rush was located, arrested, and charged with three counts of burglary, grand theft, and criminal mischief. Additionally, he had an outstanding warrant for burglary and battery domestic violence against a relative stemming from an incident on July 24, 2025, also on Woodside Road.
Rush remained in the Escambia County Jail on Saturday without bond.
Afternoon Showers and Storms; Otherwise Hot And Humid
August 2, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. High near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, then showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 86. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Sunday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, then showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. High near 82. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Monday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 84. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Tuesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. High near 86. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71.
Friday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
August 6 Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District Workshop Is Canceled
August 2, 2025
The Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District workshop meeting that was scheduled for Wednesday, August 6 has been canceled.
The next ESWCD meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug 20 at 9 a..m. at 151 Highway 97 in Molino.
The Escambia County Soil and Water Conservation District is a special district focused on conserving and developing soil and water resources. Its mission includes preventing erosion, controlling floods, maintaining navigable waterways, protecting wildlife, and preserving the local tax base.
Ortiz-Mayr Twirls Gem, Wahoos Win 1-0 Duel
August 2, 2025
Of the feats attained by the Blue Wahoos pitching staff, one lacking element this season was getting a 1-0 win at home.
Add that now to the sparkle list.
After getting a season-best start from Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, who worked into the seventh inning for the first time this year, relievers Will Kempner and Austin Roberts finished off a crisply-played, five-hit shutout Friday night against the Biloxi Shuckers to delight a crowd of 4,554 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos remained unbeaten (38-0) when leading after eight innings this season. This includes a 1-0 shutout win on the road at Columbus on July 10.
“My sweeper was really good (Friday), I was landing it into the (strike) zone a lot,” said Ortiz-Mayr, during the on-field, post-game interview. “Just getting two strikes as quick as possible and trusting my defense.”
When Ortiz-Mayr exited in the seventh, the Shuckers had runners on first and third with one out. Kempner then induced Shuckers second baseman Jheremy Vargas to hit a grounder that shortstop Johnny Olmstead and second baseman Cody Morissette deftly turned into an inning-ending double-play.
When the twin-killing was completed to first baseman Nathan Martorella, the crowd roared, knowing it was a game-defining moment.
“That was as cool as it gets,” Ortiz-Mayr said, before his catcher Spencer Bramwell doused him with an ice bucket. “Shout out to Kempner making great pitches. Shout out to Johnny, Morissette and Marty for getting the play done. That was awesome. Can’t thank them enough.”
In earning his sixth win, Ortiz-Mayr struck out eight, one shy of a career high, and allowed just one walk around the five hits allowed. He retired nine consecutive batters after a one-out single in the fourth to help his outing.
The Blue Wahoos got the game’s only run in their first at-bat.
Morissette reached on a one-out walk. Kemp Alderman and Martorella then followed with walks to load the bases. Fenwick Trimble hit a fly ball to center, deep enough to score Morissette.
And that was it for the scoring. The Blue Wahoos had two runners on with less than two out in the sixth and eighth inning, but the Shuckers bullpen held the game to a 1-0 score.
Kempner (1.2 innings) and Roberts finished the shutout by not allowing a hit and only one base runner in the final three innings.
It gave the Blue Wahoos (53-46 overall, 20-11 in second half) a third consecutive win in this series. Their top pitcher, Thomas White, the Miami Marlins’ No. 1 prospect, who wowed with a 14-strikeout performance in his last start, will take the mound Saturday in a marquee game featured for free on MiLB.TV.
GAME NOTABLES
— Former Blue Wahoos outfielder Jakob Marsee made his Major League Baseball debut Friday night for the Miami Marlins as the starting centerfielder, batting ninth. His debut Friday night came complete with his first MLB hit.
Marsee joined the Blue Wahoos in May 2024, following a trade with the San Diego Padres that featured Luis Arraez, who played for the Blue Wahoos in 2019. Marsee played 91 games last year for the Blue Wahoos, but struggled at the plate.
This season, however, he’s been strong in Triple-A with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, smashing 14 homers, stealing 47 bases and driving in 37 runs in 98 games. Marsee is now the 149th player from the Blue Wahoos’ all-time roster to make an MLB debut.
— Four members of the current Blue Wahoos roster – catchers Spencer Bramwell and Connor Caskenette, along with infielder Tony Bullard and pitcher Ike Buxton – joined with retired players Tim Spooneybarger, Kevin Saucier and Adron Chambers on Friday morning for the second annual Blue Wahoos Baseball Camp.
Youth boys and girls, ages 5-12, received a colorful pink T-shirt, lunch and instruction from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.. The second day of the camp will be Saturday at the same time. Parents were able to see their kids on the field at Blue Wahoos Stadium receiving tips and conversing with the instructors, along with Blue Wahoos front office staff members.
— The first 1,000 fans received a back-to-school kit pouch in Blue Wahoos colors. It contained pencils, a ruler and eraser with room for other supplies.
— The game was designated as Coast Guard Day with a 250-member contingent gathered in one section. They were part of 13 groups in attendance Friday night. The groups also included a bachelor party outing, employees from the Waterfront Rescue Mission and a Baldwin County (Ala.) government agency.
WANT TO GO?
WHO: Biloxi Shuckers vs. Blue Wahoos.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s game begins at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday’s game will start at 4:05 p.m.
State Line Road In Century Water System Upgrades Delayed
August 1, 2025
The Town of Century has delayed planned upgrades to its water system on State Line Road. The upgrades were expected to take place Friday. The delay was caused by the need to order an additional component.
Florida’s Month-Long Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Now Underway
August 1, 2025
Florida’s month-long back to school Sales Tax Holiday begins today and will continue through Sunday, August 31, giving families a full month of savings on essential school supplies and more.
Below you can find a short snapshot list of included items, followed by a more complete detailed list.
The Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday includes exemptions for:
School supplies selling for $50 or less
- Binders
- Notebooks
- Pens and pencils
- Lunch boxes
Clothing, footwear, and apparel priced at $100 or less
- Backpacks
- Pants
- Shoes
- Shirts
- Sweaters
Learning aids selling for $30 or less
- Interactive Books
- Puzzles
- Flashcards
Personal computers and accessories priced at $1,500 or less (for noncommercial home or personal use)
- Laptops
- Flash drives
- Printers
- Headphones
COMPLETE LIST
- Personal computers or personal computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use having a sales price of $1,500 or less
- Personal computers* include:
- Calculators
- Desktops
- Electronic book readers
- Handhelds
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Tower computers
*The term does not include cellular telephones, video game consoles, digital media receivers, or devices that are not primarily designed to process data.
- Personal computer-related accessories*+ include:
- Keyboards
- Mice
- Modems
- Monitors
- Nonrecreational software
- Other peripheral devices
- Personal digital assistants
- Routers
*The listed accessories are tax-exempt regardless of whether they are used in association with a personal computer base unit.
+ The term does not include furniture or systems, devices, software, monitors with a television tuner, or peripherals that are designed or intended primarily for recreational use.
- Wallets and bags* having a sales price of $100 or less per item, including:
- Backpacks
- Diaper bags
- Fanny packs
- Handbags
*Briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags are excluded.
- School supplies having a sales price of $50 or less per item, including:
- Binders
- Cellophane tape
- Compasses
- Composition books
- Computer disks
- Construction paper
- Crayons
- Erasers
- Folders
- Glue or paste
- Legal pads
- Lunch boxes
- Markers
- Notebooks
- Notebook filler paper
- Pencils
- Pens
- Poster board
- Poster paper
- Protractors
- Rulers
- Scissors
- Staplers and staples used to secure paper products
- Learning aids and jigsaw puzzles having a sales price of $30 or less:
- Flashcards or other learning cards
- Interactive or electronic books and toys intended to teach reading or math skills
- Matching or other memory games
- Puzzle books and search-and-find books
- Stacking or nesting blocks or sets
- Clothing, footwear, and accessories having a sales price of $100 or less per item, including:
- Shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, shorts, and other apparel
- Shoes, boots, sandals, and other footwear
- Accessories such as belts, hats, gloves, and scarves
The sales tax holiday does not apply to the rental or repair of any of the qualifying items. Additionally, the sales tax holiday does not apply to sales in a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment or airport.
Conviction Overturned In Football Standout Ladarius Clardy Murder Case
August 1, 2025
An appeals court has overturned the conviction of one of the men convicted of the murder of Ladarius Clardy in 2021.
Da’Quavion Snowden, 25, claimed that the court made a mistake by denying motions to suppress his interviews with investigators following his arrest because his request for an attorney was ignored. The First District Court of Appeal agreed, reversing Snowden’s conviction and life sentence. He will now get a new trial; the date has not been set.
Snowden was found guilty in July 2023 of first-degree premeditated murder and attempted first-degree premeditated murder for the death of Clardy and injuring 19-year-old Eric Young.
Clardy, a former standout Pine Forest High School quarterback, was found shot dead in a vehicle crash about 1 a.m. on July 1, 2021. His vehicle was found with over 50 bullet holes after it crashed in a ravine. Authorities say the murder was a case of mistaken identity. Young was also shot in the incident and survived.
Da’Quavion Snowden’s brother, Amos Dehontiquan Snowden, was convicted of first-degree premeditated murder and received a mandatory life sentence.
Today Declared ‘Hulk Hogan Day In Florida’
August 1, 2025
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared today, August 1, as “Hulk Hogan Day in Florida” and ordered flags to half staff.
Florida resident and legendary professional wrestler Terry Bollea, better known as Hulk Hogan, passed away on July 24.
Hogan was born in Augusta, Georgia, but moved to Tampa at a young age. He began his wrestling career in 1977 and rose to fame after joining World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame twice, first in 2005 and again in 2020 as a member of the New World Order. His larger-than-life personality will be missed, as the “Hulkster” was an icon for many who grew up in the 80s and 90s as well as today.
“He was a true Floridian through and through,” DeSantis said in a proclamation issued Thursday afternoon as he directed flags at to be flown a half-staff at the state capital and at all local and state buildings, installations and grounds in Pinellas County.