Cantonment Man Facing Multiple Charges After Domestic Disturbance
September 13, 2025
A Cantonment man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after a domestic disturbance that led to a physical altercation and property damage, according to a Pensacola Police Department (PPD) report.
Leo Valentino Benjamin, 32, was charged with attempted aggravated battery, petit theft, criminal mischief and felony. The charges stem from an incident at a residence on West Government Street and Benjamin’s subsequent arrest.
According to the PPD, officers were dispatched to the home in the city in response to a disturbance. Upon arrival, an officer spoke with a male witness, who stated that his sister, the victim, and her boyfriend, Benjamin, had been involved in a loud verbal argument. The witness told police that Benjamin followed his girlfriend into the living room and threw a vice grip tool at her, which he believed struck her.
The PPD report states that the victim, who had a laceration on her left cheek, told the officer that Benjamin had taken her cellphone earlier in the day. Upon returning to the residence, Benjamin allegedly accused the victim of taking his phone, and after an argument, began throwing objects around the house. She reported that Benjamin threw the vice grips, which struck a window air conditioner before hitting her in the face. The estimated cost to repair the window was $100, while her cellphone was valued at $60.
Recently, PPD officers arrested Benjamin at a gas station on an outstanding warrant related to the battery incident. He had methamphetamine in a wallet inside his vehicle, according to an arrest report.
He remained in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Northview Beats Central 46-8 (With Gallery)
September 13, 2025
Northview brought home a big win from Santa Rosa County on Friday night as the Chiefs beat Central 46-8.
Northview was first on the board with a Nate Duffy touchdown and a good two-point conversion to make it 8-0. In the second quarter, Easten Odom added another TD for the Chiefs as they rolled on to spoil senior night for the Jaguars.
It was the first win for Doug Vickery as Northview’s head coach as they improved to 1-3; Central fell to 0-4.
Click here for more photos.
*Look for fan, cheerleaders, and other bonus photos by Monday.
Next week, Central will look for their first “W” as they host Rocky Bayou. Northview will welcome Holmes County to Bratt for homecoming.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Sunny Skies And Warm For The Weekend
September 13, 2025
\
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 65.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 91.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 92.
Sheriff Explains Open Carry Need To Knows Points After Florida Law Ruled Unconstitutional
September 13, 2025
Now that local law enforcement agencies have said that they will stop enforcing Florida’s open carry law after it was found unconstitutional by a state appeals court, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons is clarifying some need to know points.
Simons said private property and business owners still have the right to prohibit open carry on their premises and may trespass individuals who do not comply.
Also, open carry remains prohibited by law in specific locations, including:
- Government meetings (county commission, city council, etc.)
- Law enforcement agencies
- Courthouses
- Polling places
- School properties
- Jail facilities
- Airport passenger terminals
“As always we urge all citizens of Escambia County to exercise their rights with sound judgment, respect, and responsibility,” Simmons said on Friday.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pensacola Police Department all said they will not enforce the state law banning the open carry of firearms. The move follows a decision Monday by the First District Court of Appeal that found the law unconstitutional.
Read more: Local Law Enforcement Will No Longer Enforce Florida’s Open Carry Law
Read more: In Local Case, State Appeals Court Rules Open Carry of Firearms Is Protected By The Constitution
Milton Slips Past Tate 3-0 (With Gallery)
September 13, 2025
The Tate Aggies and Milton Panthers were the only two unbeaten teams in the two-county area heading into Friday night’s showdown in Milton.
The night was a defensive battle, with the Panthers, under former Tate head coach Ronnie Douglas, pulling out a 3-0 win with a late field goal in the fourth quarter.
Click here for more photos.
*Look for cheerleaders, band and fan photos by Monday.
Milton (4-0) will travel to Navarre (0-3) next Friday night, while the Aggies (3-1) will host West Florida (3-1) for homecoming at Pete Gindl Stadium.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate High AJROTC Honors 9/11 Victims
September 13, 2025
by C/CPT James Hewett, Aggie Battalion, Public Relations Officer (S-5)
On September 11, 2025, J.M. Tate High School’s Army JROTC program held a memorial ceremony to honor and remember the lives lost during the attacks on September 11, 2001. The ceremony consisted of a wreath being placed at the foot of a half-staff American flag at 8:15am. For the remainder of the school day, sixteen cadets served twenty minute shifts dressed in their Class A uniform. They walked with intention marking twenty-one steps and twenty-one second pauses at each passing of the wreath. This presentation lasted continuously for six hours and was a sight to behold. Tate High School appreciates the dedication of their AJROTC Cadets and instructors, MAJ Hill and MSG Kyser, for what they have done to engage our campus community in commemorating the 24th anniversary of 9/11.
For more photos, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
High School Football Scoreboard
September 13, 2025
Here are high school football scorers from across the North Escambia area.
Florida
- Milton 3, Tate 0 [Story, photos...]
- Northview 46, Central 8 [Story, photos...]
- Baker 29, Jay 20
- Choctaw 28, Pine Forest 0
- West Florida 35, Walton 5
- Bay 28, Escambia 14
- Pensacola Catholic 17, Montgomery Catholic 6
- Pensacola High 49, Destin 9
- Panama City Mosley 36, Navarre 16
- Washington 14, Fort Walton Beach 7 (Thursday)
- Pace (Bye)
- Gulf Breeze (Bye)
ALABAMA
- T.R. Miller 27, Flomaton 10
- Mobile Christian 29, Escambia County (Atmore) 18
- W.S. Neal 44, Orange Beach 15
- Escambia Academy 44, Southern Prep Academy 12 (Thursday)
Pictured: The Northview Chiefs beat Central 46-8 Friday night at Central. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Here’s Where To Watch Today’s College Football
September 13, 2025
Here is this week’s college football schedule and where to watch the games.
All times are Central.
Saturday, September 13
11 a.m. | No. 4 Oregon at Northwestern | FOX
11 a.m. | No. 12 Clemson at Georgia Tech | ESPN
11 a.m. | No. 13 Oklahoma at Temple | ESPN2
11 a.m. | Wisconsin at No. 19 Alabama | ABC
11 a.m. | Central Michigan at No. 23 Michigan | Big Ten Network
11 a.m. | Lehigh at Duquesne | NEC Front Row
11 a.m. | Houston Christian at Nebraska | FS1
11 a.m. | Towson at Maryland | Peacock
11 a.m. | William & Mary at Virginia | ACC Network
11 a.m. | Samford at Baylor | ESPN+
11 a.m. | Memphis at Troy | ESPNU
11 a.m. | Buffalo at Kent State | CBSSN
11 a.m. | Lycoming at Montclair State | YouTube
11:45 a.m. | South Alabama at No. 24 Auburn | SEC Network
12 p.m. | Davidson at Tennessee Tech | ESPN+
12 p.m. | Lafayette at Georgetown | ESPN+
12 p.m. | North Carolina Wesleyan at Apprentice School | YouTube
12 p.m. | Aurora at Mount St. Joseph | YouTube
12 p.m. | Thiel at Adrian | YouTube
12 p.m. | Concordia-Wisconsin at Calvin | YouTube
12 p.m. | Bethany (WV) at Kalamazoo | YouTube
12 p.m. | Moravian at Rowan | YouTube
1 p.m. | New Hampshire at Ball State | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Northern Colorado at South Dakota | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Rhode Island at Holy Cross | ESPN+
1 p.m. | Wisconsin-Oshkosh at North Central | YouTube
1 p.m. | Rockford at Elmhurst | YouTube
1 p.m. | Wisconsin-Whitewater at Saint Xavier | YouTube
1:30 p.m. | Elon at Western Carolina | ESPN+
2 p.m. | UConn at Delaware | ESPN+
2 p.m. | North Dakota at Montana | ESPN+
2 p.m. | San Diego at Montana State | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Illinois State at Eastern Illinois | ESPN+
2 p.m. | Bowie State at Delaware State | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | Villanova at No. 2 Penn State | FS1
2:30 p.m. | No. 6 Georgia at No. 15 Tennessee | ABC
2:30 p.m. | Oregon State at No. 21 Texas Tech | FOX
2:30 p.m. | SMU at Missouri State | CBSSN
2:30 p.m. | USC at Purdue | CBS/Paramount+
2:30 p.m. | Norfolk State at Rutgers | Big Ten Network
2:30 p.m. | Youngstown State at Michigan State | Big Ten Network
2:30 p.m. | Washington State at North Texas | ESPNU
2:30 p.m. | Pitt at West Virginia | ESPN
2:30 p.m. | Richmond at North Carolina | ACC Network
2:30 p.m. | Northwestern State at Cincinnati | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | UIW at UTSA | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | Morgan State at Toledo | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State at North Dakota State | ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | VMI at Bucknell | ESPN+
3 p.m. | No. 14 Iowa State at Arkansas State | ESPN2
3 p.m. | Louisiana at No. 25 Missouri | ESPN+/SECN+
3 p.m. | Utah Tech at Idaho | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Lindenwood at Charleston Southern | ESPN+
3 p.m. | Virginia Union at Edward Waters | ESPN+
3:15 p.m. | UTEP at No. 7 Texas | SEC Network
3:30 p.m. | No. 18 South Florida at No. 5 Miami (Fla.) | The CW Network
3:30 p.m. | Alabama A&M at Tennessee State | ESPN+
4 p.m. | Liberty at Bowling Green | ESPN+
4 p.m. | Middle Tennessee at Nevada | Mountain West Network
4 p.m. | Eastern Washington at UNI | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Alcorn State at Mississippi State | ESPN+/SECN+
5 p.m. | FAU at FIU | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Merrimack at Kennesaw State | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky at Marshall | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Monmouth at Charlotte | ESPN+
5 p.m. | East Tennessee State at West Georgia | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Bethune-Cookman at South Carolina State | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Fayetteville State at North Carolina Central | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Stetson at Chattanooga | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Wofford at Mercer | ESPN+
5 p.m. | West Liberty at Robert Morris | ESPN+
5 p.m. | Lane at Allen | YouTube
6 p.m. | Ohio at No. 1 Ohio State | Peacock
6 p.m. | Western Michigan at No. 9 Illinois | FS1
6 p.m. | Arkansas at No. 17 Ole Miss | ESPN
6 p.m. | Old Dominion at Virginia Tech | ACC Network
6 p.m. | Jacksonville State at Georgia Southern | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Murray State at Georgia State | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Appalachian State at Southern Miss | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Prairie View A&M at Rice | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Weber State at McNeese | ESPN+
6 p.m. | The Citadel at Gardner-Webb | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Southern Illinois at UT Martin | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Valparaiso at Western Illinois | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Morehead State at Austin Peay | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Northeastern State at North Alabama | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State at SE Louisiana | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Drake at South Dakota State | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Erskine at Presbyterian | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Tarleton State at Central Arkansas | ESPN+
6 p.m. | Southern at Fresno State | Mountain West Network
6 p.m. | East Central (OK) at Arkansas-Monticello | YouTube
6 p.m. | Belhaven at Trinity (TX) | YouTube
6:30 p.m. | Florida at No. 3 LSU | ABC
6:30 p.m. | No. 16 Texas A&M at No. 8 Notre Dame | NBC/Peacock
6:30 p.m. | Eastern Michigan at Kentucky | ESPNU
6:30 p.m. | UMass at Iowa | Big Ten Network
6:30 p.m. | New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech | ESPN+
6:30 p.m. | East Carolina at Coastal Carolina | ESPN+
6:45 p.m. | Vanderbilt at No. 11 South Carolina | SEC Network
7 p.m. | No. 20 Utah at Wyoming | CBSSN
7 p.m. | Duke at Tulane | ESPN2
7 p.m. | Abilene Christian at TCU | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Navy at Tulsa | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Western Oregon at Cal Poly | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Sul Ross State at Stephen F. Austin | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Langston at UT Rio Grande Valley | ESPN+
7 p.m. | Southeastern Oklahoma State at Ouachita Baptist | YouTube
7 p.m. | Puget Sound at Southwestern University | YouTube
7:30 p.m. | Akron at UAB | ESPN+
7:30 p.m. | Northern Arizona at Southern Utah | ESPN+
8 p.m. | Mercyhurst at Sacramento State | ESPN+
8:45 p.m. | Air Force at Utah State | FS1
9 p.m. | Southern at Fresno State | Mountain West Network
9:30 p.m. | Texas State at Arizona State | TNT/truTV/HBO Max
9:30 p.m. | Minnesota at Cal | ESPN
9:30 p.m. | Boston College at Stanford | ACC Network
10:59 p.m. | Portland State at Hawai’i | Spectrum Sports
Blue Wahoos Blank Clingstones
September 13, 2025
witten by Bill Vilona
The Blue Wahoos on Friday attracted their most energized crowd of recent homestands. The ballclub produced a performance to match.
Excelling on the mound, at the plate and turning four double plays, the Blue Wahoos cruised to 6-0 victory against the Columbus Clingstones to even the series and delight a near capacity crowd of 5,037 at the bayfront stadium.
With a roster of mostly newcomers, it was a game which resembled wins in the first month of the season. This one evened the series at 2-2 and gave the Blue Wahoos (67-69) a chance to extend a streak of non-losing seasons to nine consecutive years.
On a night when the Blue Wahoos honored the legacy of military legend Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr., a Pensacola native who grew up in the community and rose to become the first African-American four-star general in the U.S. Armed Forces, the game was a crisp 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Fans were provided a Chappie James bobblehead designed with his combat flight uniform with the U.S. Air Force. His grandchildren were part of a contingent of connections attending the game.
Like they’ve done so often in the past couple weeks, the Blue Wahoos scored the game’s first runs. With two out, Michael Snyder reached on a fielding error, Dub Gleed singled and Fenwick Trimble drove both runners home with a double.
In the fourth inning, Payton Green singled, then Gage Miller blasted a line drive over the left field wall for a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile, on the mound, starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr delivered his fourth-consecutive strong outing. He worked four innings, allowed three hits, two walks and struck out four batters. Luis Palacios followed with three hitless innings and four strikeouts to earn his fourth win.
Newcomer reliever Chase Centala pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit.
The Blue Wahoos added more cushion in the seventh inning on run-scoring singles by Snyder and Trimble.
On Saturday, former Atlanta Braves starter Ian Anderson is scheduled to start for Columbus against the Blue Wahoos’ Jacob Miller on the final fireworks night of the season.
GAME NOTABLES
— The first 1,000 people through the gates Friday received the Chappie James Bobblehead. Three members of the James’ extended family, grandson Frank Berry, great-granddaughter Avalon James, along with a great-nephew, threw out ceremonial first pitches. A video on the Chappie James Flight Academy was shown on the stadium videoboard.
— There were a total of 13 ceremonial first pitches on Friday night.
— In a fitting, decorative touch, Blue Wahoos head groundskeeper Willie Lawrence painted four stars with a blue background behind home plate to symbolize the night honoring Chappie James.
— Only five players on Friday night’s roster, pitchers Evan Fitterer, Jacob Millier, Orlando Ortiz-Mayr and Luis Palacios, along with catcher Sam Praytor, remain from the opening-night roster on April 4. So far, 66 different players have worn Blue Wahoos uniforms this season. The club record is 67, set in 2019 – the only season as a Minnesota Twins affiliate – but that year included five players on injury rehab assignments from the Twins.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Blue Wahoos Final Weekend Of 2025
WHO: Columbus Clingstones vs. Blue Wahoos.
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday. Game times are at 6:05 p.m on Saturday; a special 1:05 p.m. start for Sunday’s final game of the season.
Highway 97 Crash Claims Life Of 29-Year-Old Cantonment Man
September 12, 2025
A two-vehicle collision Friday morning on Highway 97 near Davisville claimed the life of a 29-year old Cantonment man.
A fully loaded dump truck and an SUV collided about a third of a mile south of Meadows Road shortly before 7 a.m.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the Cantonment man’s SUV was northbound on Highway 97 as the dump truck was traveling southbound when the SUV veered into the path of the dump truck. Troopers said the dump truck driver swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash. The dump truck overturned after the collision.
The Cantonment man was pronounced deceased on the scene, and the dump truck driver, a 62-year-old Pensacola man, was airlifted by AirCare 2 helicopter to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with minor injuries.
Highway 97 was closed for several hours for the crash investigation and to clean up tons of small gravel that spilled from the dump truck.
RELATED STORY: Multiple People Injured In Highway 97 Crash
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
