Friday Night High School Football Schedule
October 17, 2025
Here is the Friday night North Escambia area football schedule:
FLORIDA
- Blountstown at Northview
- Tate At Washington
- South Choctaw Academy at Jay
- West Florida at Milton
- Pace at Pine Forest
- Escambia at Crestview
- Pensacola High at St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope)
- Central at Veron
- Bye: Pensacola Catholic
ALABAMA
- Hillcrest (Evergreen) at Flomaton
- Heritage Christian Academy at Escambia Academy
- Escambia County (Atmore) at Satsuma
- Jackson at W.S. Neal
- Bye: T.R. Miller
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Boil Water Notice For Highway 297A, Pinebrook, Pleasant Valley Area
October 16, 2025
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) has issued a precautionary boil water notice is in effect for a portion the Highway 297A area.
The boil water notice is in effect for :
- 411-453 Pinebrook Circle
- 2548 -2611 Highway 297A
- Pleasant Valley Drive
This notice was issued after repairs were made to a broken 12-inch water main. Precautionary boil water notices are issued as a part of the standard protocol following any loss of water pressure, whether as a result of planned maintenance activities or unscheduled repairs.
Residents located in the specified area are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use eight drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water, for water to be used for drinking or cooking purposes. Two independent bacteriological samples have been initiated and the advisory will be lifted as soon as possible. This process routinely takes 48 hours.
ECUA crews completed the repairs to the main and have flushed out the lines. Residents within the area and nearby are advised that there is a possibility of discolored water as a result of the utility work, and to flush their home’s plumbing by running their taps for a few minutes. If problems persist, customers are asked to contact ECUA Customer Service at (850) 476-0480 for assistance.
This story will be updated when the boil water notice is lifted.
NTSB Releases Preliminary Report On Bluff Springs Plane Crash
October 16, 2025
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary investigation report on a July 9 single-engine plane crash in Bluff Springs.
A witness reported the plane flying just above the treetops before the pilot attempted an emergency landing in a freshly plowed field where the plane flipped. The crash, which occurred around 6:20 p.m., was several hundred feet east of Highway 29, just north of Bluff Springs and Byrneville Roads, or about 1.5 miles south of Century
The pilot and a passenger were able to walk away from the crash and depart in a private vehicle. The report states that they were not injured.
According to Federal Aviation Administration registration data, the 1967 Cessna 172H belongs to an individual in Atmore.
The NTSB report says the personal flight departed the Atmore Municipal Airport at about 6 p.m.
“About 20 minutes later, while cruising at 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and made a forced landing to a peanut field. When the airplane touched down, it nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder,” the investigation report states.
The plane was removed from the accident site days later and retained for further examination.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Worship And Witness: Hundreds Attended Northview FCA’s Fields Of Faith Event
October 16, 2025
red
Hundreds of people attended the Northview High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes Fields of Faith service Wednesday night in the school’s Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
“You want to see a revival in Escambia County?” asked Pastor Phil Fischer of Dogwood Park Baptist Church as he urged those in attendance to spread the word about salvation. “The labors went out, with urgency to take the Gospel to people that don’t have the Gospel.”
Several students gave their testimony during the service, which included worship music and concluded with about 300 people forming a prayer circle on the Northview football field, stretching from red zone to red zone.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Fields of Faith is a national student-led initiative. “Students invite, pray for, share with, and challenge their peers to read the Bible and follow Jesus Christ. An athletic field provides a neutral, rally point where a community can come together,” according to national organizers.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Atmore Man Charged With Attempted Murder After Shooting Incident
October 16, 2025
The Atmore Police Department arrested a local man on a charge of attempted murder following a shooting incident Wednesday that reportedly endangered the lives of residents in nearby homes.
The shooting occurred about 8:17 p.m. near the intersection of Carver Avenue and 5th Street.
Brandon James McNeal, age 29 of Atmore, was taken into custody after turning himself in at the Flomaton Police Department. He was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center without bond.
According to the Atmore Police Department, the incident involved McNeal discharging a weapon at another individual. Police said bullets struck more than one residence in the area.
APD said McNeal is expected to face additional charges for the discharge of a firearm into an occupied building.
The scene of the shooting prompted a large-scale response from various units within the Atmore Police Department, including Patrol, the Criminal Investigation Division, the Narcotics/Vice Unit, the Crime Scene Division, and the Special Response Team (SRT).
The Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office, Flomaton Police Department, Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office and Poarch Creek Tribal Police assisted in the search for McNeal.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny And Warm Days Stick Around Into The Weekend
October 16, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Calm wind.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Southeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 67. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 51.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.
Tate High, Beulah Middle, Beulah Academy Place In District 1 FFA Forestry Event
October 16, 2025
More than 100 students from 17 schools competed for the District 1 FFA Forestry Career Development Event recently, with teams from Tate High School and Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy taking home the overall top team honors and will advance to the state competition.
The competition was held at the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center Training Center in Holt and tested students on their skills in diagnosing forest disorders, managing forests and forest inventory and applying approved silviculture practices. Participating students were from Escambia, Holmes, Okaloosa, Walton and Washington counties.
Participants competed in tree measurement, map interpretation, identifying trees and equipment as well as a general forestry knowledge. Luke Graham from Tate High won the top spot in the high school division while Nate Abbott of Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy in DeFuniak Springs took first in the middle school individual competition.
The first-place team for the high school division was Tate High School Team A, and Tate’s second team, Team B, took second place. (Both Tate teams are pictured as a group above.)
Pleasant Ridge Team A won first place for the middle school division. Beulah Middle School’s Team A finished second, and the Beulah Academy of Science Team A.
Full results are as follows:
High School Team Competition
- 1st place: Tate High School- Team A
- 2nd place: Tate High School- Team B
- 3rd place: Milton High School- Team A
Middle School Team Competition
- 1st place: Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy Team A
- 2nd place: Beulah Middle Team A
- 3rd place: Beulah Academy of Science Team A
High School Individual Winners
- Luke Graham, Tate High School Team A
- General Knowledge
- Dendrology
- Map Interpretation
- Equipment ID
- Emma Posey, Central High School Team A
- Timber Cruising
- Alex Apperson, Tate High School, Team A
- Tree/Forest Disorders
Middle School Individual Winners
- Nate Abbott, Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy
- General Knowledge
- Equipment ID
- Map Interpretation
- Giselle Rodriguez, Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy
- Dendrology
- Tree/Forest Disorders
- Payton Coon, Pleasant Ridge Christian Academy
- Timber Cruising
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Above: Tate Team A — first place
Above: Tate Team B — second place
Above: Belah Academy of Science — third place
Typo Leads State To Reject Escambia County Emergency Response Agreement With Century Prison
October 16, 2025
A simple single-letter typographical error led to the state rejecting an Escambia County agreement to provide fire suppression and rescue services for the Century Correctional Institution.
A 2022 agreement with the Florida Department of Corrections was renewed for five years for Escambia County Fire Rescue to continue providing fire services and Escambia County EMS to respond to medical emergencies when the need arises.
On June 5, the Escambia County Commission approved the agreement, BOCC Chairman Mike Kohler signed it, and it was forwarded to FDOC. But FDOC discovered that the signatory page had Deputy General Counsel Kristen Clemons’ name spelled as “Kristin” (with an “i” instead of an “e’), and the state rejected the agreement. Both are pictured below.
As a formality, the Escambia Commission will approve a new copy of the very same agreement, just without the typo. During the reapproval process, there was no lapse in emergency services for the prison.
Century Correctional is located on Tedder Road, a short distance from the Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue. In the event of a fire or other emergency, other surrounding ECFR stations may also respond.
Escambia County agreed to provide the following on an as-needed basis 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Fire suppression and fire equipment;
- Fire investigation;
- Contact for ambulance and emergency medical services; and
- Rescue of inmates/persons who may have become trapped.
- There are no financial obligations between the parties.
Pictured: An Escambia County EMS ambulances exist the Century Correctional Institution. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia Sheriff’s Office Seeks Absconded Sex Offender
October 16, 2025
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for an absconded sex offender who may be in the area.
Jeffery Adam Birdwell, 42, is wanted on three outstanding sex offender warrants with no bond.
- Sex Offender Violation- provided false registration info
- Failure to report after vacating residence
- Failure to report driver’s license office of address change
In 2016, Birdwell was convicted of sexual battery in Escambia County and he has an additional Okaloosa County conviction in 2021 for failure to comply with registration requirements, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Anyone with information on Birdwell’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620, or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Cantonment Man Dies After Medical Emergency, Crash On Nine Mile Road
October 15, 2025
A 63-year-old Cantonment man suffered a medical emergency and died after a crash on Nine Mile Road Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.+
FHP said that due to the medical emergency, the man’s pickup truck sideswiped an SUV around 6:17 a.m. on Nine Mile Road near Fowler Avenue. He was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The driver of the SUV, a 36-year-old Cantonment man, was not injured.
The FHP investigation is continuing.
File photo.