Florida’s Month-Long Back To School Sales Tax Holiday Begins Friday
July 29, 2025
Florida’s month-long back to school Sales Tax Holiday is coming. It will will run from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 31, giving families a full month of savings on essential school supplies and more.
“Proud to deliver additional sales tax holidays, including the Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday that begins on August 1. With the new school year just around the corner, Florida families can save on back-to-school shopping during the tax holiday for the entire month of August,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday in Panama City. “By cutting taxes, empowering parents, and growing our economy, we’re making it easier for people to live, work, and thrive in the Free State of Florida.”
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
Scattered Showers Tonight; More Heat Tomorrow
July 29, 2025
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 108. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a slight chance of showers between 10pm and 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 75. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the morning.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A slight chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Sunday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89.
Blood Drive Today At The Century Library
July 29, 2025
The Big Red Bus will be at the Century Branch Library today, July 29 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. for a OneBlood blood drive.
Donors will receive a $20 eGift card and top handle drinkware. Donors will also receive a wellness checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening. An ID is required.
The Big Red Bus will also be at the Flomaton Library on Friday, August 1 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
NorthEscambai.com file photo.
Man Sentenced For Smuggling 46 Pounds Of Marijuana Into Pensacola Airport
July 29, 2025
An Oregon man has been sentenced for trying to smuggle 46 pounds of marijuana into Pensacola through the airport.
Tony Do, 30, was sentenced to one year in state prison followed by a decade of probation after he pleaded no contest to charges of marijuana trafficking and marijuana smuggling.
Do flew into the Pensacola International Airport from Portland, Oregon, on September 10, 2024.
The DEA Northwest Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area had received a tip that Do was flying in under “suspicious circumstances” and met him. He told the agents that he had no return flight and was visiting a friend before giving consent to search his two suitcases.
Both suitcases contained clothes with a “heavy masking agent odor of laundry detergent and dryer sheets”, according to an arrest report. Agents reported finding 40 vacuumed-sealed bags of marijuana that had a total weight of 46 pounds.
‘Threads of Hope’ To Provide School Clothes For Needy Kids. Here’s How To Help.
July 29, 2025
Waterfront Mission has launched Threads of Hope. The community initiative aims to provide clothing assistance to homeless and at-risk students across the Gulf Coast as they prepare for the new school year.
The program encourages community members to purchase Waterfront Thrift gift cards, which are distributed directly to local school districts, including Escambia and Santa Rosa. The districts then distribute gift cards to families in need, allowing them to purchase suitable clothing for their children.
Each gift card purchase supports Waterfront Mission’s broader programs that provide meals, shelter, and recovery services to individuals experiencing homelessness and addiction.
“We first learned about the urgent need for clothing from our partners at Escambia County Homeless Student Services,” said Mark Isbell, vice president of PR and Development. “As we spoke with them, we realized just how powerful our community could be if we came together. With the support of our generous thrift shoppers and the communities surrounding each of our seven stores, we knew we could expand this outreach across every school district we serve.”
The program has a goal of $15,000 in gift cards for the campaign by September 1. The gift cards can be purchased online at WaterfrontThrift.org or at any of the seven store locations in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Mobile, or Foley.
New Requirements For Teen Drivers In Florida
July 29, 2025
New requirements will go into effect on Friday, August 1 for teen drivers in Florida.
The requirements will apply to teens ages 15–17 seeking a Class E Learner’s Permit.
Effective August 1 in Florida, all new teen drivers must complete the following:
- 6-Hour Driver Education Course (DETS)
- REAL ID-compliant documents
- Proof of residential address
- Parental consent
Teen and their families can find course information at FLHSMV.gov or FLVS.net.
Teens that are at least 14-years-old who complete the Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education (TLSAE) course before August 1, 2025, may be exempt from the 6-hour Driver Education requirement, provided they obtain their learner’s permit within one year of course completion.
Driver Education Exceptions
The following individuals are not required to complete the new 6-hour Driver Education course:
Teens who already hold a Class E Learner’s Permit or Operator’s License
Individuals transferring a valid Learner’s Permit or Operator’s License from another state
Teens with a valid TLSAE certificate dated before August 1, 2025 (valid for up to one year)
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.