Bratt Elementary Students Donate To Area Nursing Home Residents
December 17, 2025
Bratt Elementary School students collected items for area nursing home residents.
The donations—including socks, lip balms, gloves, tissues, and lotions—were delivered Tuesday afternoon.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tax Collector’s MILO, OneBlood, Help A Neighbor At Thursday Walnut Hill Community Outreach
December 17, 2025
A community outreach event will take place Thursday in Walnut Hill with the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO), blood donations with the Big Red Bus, and a donations will be accepted to help neighbors.
MILO Tax Collector Services
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO) will be at the Walnut Hill Community Center on Thursday, December 18, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
MILO offers a convenient way for residents to access essential tax collector services, including:
- Driver License Services: Renewals, replacements, out-of-state license conversions/reciprocations, and address/name changes.
- Identification Cards: First-time issuance and renewals.
- Vehicle Services: Registration renewals and replacements, title transfers, and parking placards.
- Tax Payments: Property tax payments.
- Business Tax Receipts: Applications and renewals.
- Certified Driver Transcripts
Written and driving tests are not available at the MILO unit.
Help A Neighbor
From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., new socks and new underwear in original packaging will be accepted, along with new blankets with tags attached to help needy individuals in the community.
Blood Donations
OneBlood’s Big Red Bus will be onsite at the community center from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Donors will receive a sweatshirt and a $20 egift card.
Location
The Walnut Hill Community Center is located at 7850 Highway 97, just north of the fire department and Ernest Ward Middle School.
Warmer Today, Rain By Thursday
December 17, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 54. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 67. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 66. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Escambia County Warning Contractors About License Payment Scam
December 17, 2025
The Escambia County Building Services Department has received reports of fraudulent emails claiming to represent Building Services, requesting immediate payment in order to receive an electrical license or other county license.
The county said do not respond to these fraudulent messages, pay the attached invoices, or click any links. These emails are not legitimate and are not associated with Escambia County Building Services.
Escambia County Building Services will never ask for payment via an email link, credit card, or wire transfer. Escambia County only accepts contractor license payments via cash or check.
Man’s Body Found Not Far From Jim Allen Elementary School
December 16, 2025
An adult male was found deceased Monday afternoon in a wooded area of Eden Lane and Highway 95A, across the railroad tracks from Jim Allen Elementary School.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s office, the man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Foul play was not suspected.
The investigation is continuing by the ECSO and the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office.
Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Slight Warming Trend Begins
December 16, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 58. Wind chill values between 20 and 30 early. East wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 40. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. East wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 59. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 38. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 68.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.
Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Flomaton Council Votes To Name Justin Hetrick As Permanent Police Chief
December 16, 2025
The Town of Flomaton has hired a new police chief.
The town council voted unanimously during a Monday night special meeting to promote interim Chief Justin Hetrick to Flomaton police chief.
Hetrick said transparency and community engagement will be crucial to his administration with the department, which has seven certified officers.
After serving since May 2024, Dereck Lowry resigned as police chief on December 5. On December 8, the council stopped short of promoting then-captain Hetrick as police chief at Mayor Arthur Odom’s recommendation.The council instead appointed Hetrick as interim chief and set the Monday, December 15 special meeting to interview Hetrick.
For more photos from Monday night’s meeting, click here.
Monday night, only council members Roger Adkinson and Kay Wagner asked Hetrick any questions before the vote.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Camper Fire Claims Life Of A Dog Near McDavid
December 16, 2025
A camper fire claimed the life of a dog Monday afternoon near McDavid.
The camper was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived in the 1800 block of Lambert Bridge Road, just off North Pine Barren Road.
A dog died in the blaze, and there were no injuries to people.
The camper was a total loss. Firefighters were able to prevent the spread of the fire to a nearby home, but heat caused damage to the home’s siding.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDLE Arrests Escambia County Sex Offender Who Now Faces 30 New Charges
December 16, 2025
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested a registered sex offender in Escambia County who now faces 30 new charges.
Donschee Ricky Montrell Foster, 33, was charged with 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, one count of failure to report a change in residence, one count of failure to report vacating a permanent residence, three counts of knowingly providing false sexual offender registration information by act or omission and five counts of failure to report internet identifiers. He remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
he investigation began in early November, when FDLE discovered Foster was residing at an unreported address, which violates Florida’s sexual offender registration laws. The investigation revealed that Foster had not been at his registered residence for nearly a week but was living at an apartment in Pensacola which was also occupied by a juvenile family member. On November 17, FDLE obtained an arrest warrant for Foster for failure to report a change in residence, failure to report vacating a residence and knowingly providing false sexual offender registration information by act or omission.
During a post arrest interview of Foster, FDLE discovered that he was using multiple online accounts that had not been properly reported to the appropriate authorities in accordance with his registration requirements. FDLE obtained a search warrant for Foster’s cell phone. Agents said the digital forensic analysis resulted in the identification of five unreported online accounts including Facebook Messenger, Roblox, X, YouTube and Discord. The analysis also identified multiple files which appeared to depict the sexual abuse of children on his device. FDLE worked to obtain another search warrant to allow for a more thorough review of the contents of the device. The expanded search revealed numerous images involving the sexual exploitation of children.
On December 5, FDLE obtained a second arrest warrant for Foster for charges of failure to report an internet identifier and possession of child sexual abuse material.
No Serious Injuries Reported In Walnut Hill Highway 97 T-Bone Crash
December 16, 2025
There were no serious injuries in a T-bone crash Monday afternoon on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
The driver of a silver SUV reportedly pulled out of the parking lot of a Dollar General on Highway 97 at South Highway 99 and was struck by a white vehicle, according to witnesses. Both vehicles came to a stop in a field across the road from the Dollar General.
Both drivers initially refused transport by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
