First-Year Success: Coach Paul Bryan Leads Tate Girls Track To Historic, Record-Breaking Season
May 30, 2026
The Tate High School Aggies Girls Track and Field Team celebrated a great year at their end-of-season banquet last week.
During the team’s first season under head coach Paul Bryan, the Aggies broke 11 school records, won five invitational meets and claimed both a county and district championship.
Bryan’s coaching career started at Woodham High School in 1996, and he later moved on to Pine Forest High School. In almost three decades as a track head coach, he won state championships at Pine Forest in 2010 and 2011 and finished as state runners-up at Pine Forest in 2009 and at Woodham. He also earned a half-dozen state top 10 finishes. He had won eight regional championships and 20 district titles prior to coming to Tate, and he was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Girls 3A Coach of the Year three times.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Scattered Afternoon Storms For Sunday
May 30, 2026
While the first half of the week offers plenty of sunshine between pop-up storms, a slightly more unsettled weather pattern moves in by Thursday and Friday, introducing higher rain chances and a modest cooling trend into the low 80s.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Sunday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a chance of showers between 10pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Driver Arrested For Fatal 2025 Cantonment DUI Crash Had Previous Local DUI Conviction
May 30, 2026
The woman arrested Friday for a fiery 2025 DUI crash in Cantonment was previously convicted of DUI in Escambia County.
Kelcey Alexis Eyl, 29, surrendered Friday on outstanding Florida Highway Patrol warrants for DUI manslaughter and two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury. She remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
RELATED:Woman Charged With DUI Manslaughter For Fiery 2025 Fatal Highway 29 Collision
The two-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on October 11, 2025, on Highway 29 south of the paper mill, near Woodbury Circle. The crash claimed the life of her passenger, a 30-year-old Cantonment man, after the high-speed collision ripped her car apart before it burst into flames, according to FHP. The occupants of the vehicle she hit, a Flomaton man and woman in their 70s, were seriously injured.
According to court records, Eyl was convicted of DUI and leaving the scene of a May 2018 crash on Beverly Parkway at Highway 29. She was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 12 months of probation and 50 hours of community service. Her driver’s license was revoked for six months.
Pictured: Kelcey Alexis Eyl is charged with this October 11, 2025, fatal crash in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview Baseball Holds Youth Camp
May 30, 2026
Northview Chiefs baseball held their youth camp on Thursday and Friday.
For two mornings, aspiring players in grades 6-8 worked on their skills, learned the game, and enjoyed pizza with Northview players and coaches.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Samantha Welford Name Jim Allen Elementary PTA Volunteer Of The Year
May 30, 2026
Samantha Welford was named the Jim Allen Elementary School PTA Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to the students and teachers at Jim Allen. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Donald Wales Hendrix
May 30, 2026
Donald Wales Hendrix, aged 89, stepped into the arms of Jesus on May 26, 2026, after a lengthy illness. Dad was born to James and Fannie Lou Hendrix on October 4, 1936, in Pensacola, Florida. He graduated from J.M. Tate High School in 1954. After working alongside his dad at Hendrix Garage for many years growing up, he went to work in the service station of Carlton Abbott’s store as a mechanic for a time. He left to work as a mail carrier in the Cantonment area for a brief time then returned to work at Abbott’s store until he gained employment at Chemstrand. During his time at Chemstrand, he enrolled in night school at Pensacola Junior College, where he obtained his associate’s degree. After obtaining his degree he became a production technician at Chemstrand, later Monsanto, where he retired after 30+ years. While employed at Chemstrand, he met the love of his life, Catherine Brown, and they were married on February 16, 1957, at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Eliska, Alabama. They had two wonderful children, Janice and Garry. Dad and Mom enjoyed many years traveling around the United States and Canada in their motorhomes. They were active members of the Winnebago Club, where he served as President. They included their grandchildren on many of their motorhome adventures. Dad loved fishing and hunting and staying in his cabin that he and his family built on the Alabama River. Dad had a special relationship with each of his grandchildren and loved playing practical jokes on them. His sense of humor was unique. Dad was a long-time member of Highland Baptist Church where he faithfully served many years as deacon, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School Director, and in many other leadership positions. He was kind, generous, and gracious, and was the epitome of a true man of God. He truly lived his life in service of others,, and his life fully reflected his relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of the greatest joys later in his life were seeing his great-grandchildren come to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
Dad was welcomed into heaven by his wife of 65 years, Cathy; his parents, James and Fannie Lou Hendrix; and his siblings, Howard Hendrix, Jewel Marlin, Charles Hendrix, and Wilbur Hendrix.
He is survived by his daughter, Janice (Joe) Roman; and his son, Garry (Paula) Hendrix; four grandchildren, Lindsay (Nicholas) Davis, Rebecca (Logan) Szuch, Michael Roman, and Jacob Hendrix; and five great-grandchildren, Donovan Szuch, Connor Davis, Emma Davis, Norah Szuch and Piper Jane Szuch. He is also survived by his sisters, Mary Lou Moss and Sarah Jenness; and his brother Winford Hendrix.
Pallbearers will be Michael Roman, Jacob Hendrix, Nicholas Davis, Logan Szuch, Eddie Cooper, and Archie Weaver.
The family wishes to thank Ms. Mary Purifoy and Ms. Virginia Brown for the compassionate and loving care they gave to our dad and granddaddy during his last years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Gideons International or the charity of your choice.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Highland Baptist Church, Molino, FL with Rev. Josh Helton and Dr. Charles Fulton officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Baptist Church Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. prior to services.
Wahoos Even Birmingham Series With 3-2 Win
May 30, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos edged out the Birmingham Barons by a final score of 3-2 to even the series on Friday night.
Birmingham scored first when a leadoff double from Samuel Zavala would come around to score on a sacrifice fly from reigning Southern League Player of the Week Alec Makarewicz, making it a 1-0 lead in the first inning. That lead would grow in the 3rd without the benefit of a hit. Zavala would draw a leadoff walk which would be followed by a 2-out hit by pitch to Anthony DePino and walk to Calvin Harris to load the bases. Pensacola starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr would surrender his fourth free pass of the inning to Jeral Perez, walking in a run and making the score 2-0.
Ortiz-Mayr would work himself out of the jam, however, and give his offense a chance to get back in the game. And the offense would do just that. Ian Lewis Jr. and Garret Forrester would lead off the 5th inning with back-to-back walks before Jay Beshears would send a ball into the right field corner, scoring both runners with a game tying 2-run double. Ortiz-Mayr would work around a leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning, finishing his day off with 5.0 complete innings for his second straight start.
Jacob Heatherly (L, 0-1) would be the first out of the bullpen for the Barons to start the 6th inning. And, though he would pitch a clean 6th, he would get pulled after Forester and Beshears would both reach with one out in the 7th. Jackson Kelly would enter to face Emaarion Boyd, who would drop a bunt down the third baseline. Kelly would field it and fire the ball past the first baseman and into right field, scoring Forrester from second and giving the Wahoos a 3-2 lead.
Mason Vinyard (W, 3-1) would earn the win for Pensacola pitching a near flawless 2.2 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. He would hand the ball to veteran Luis Palacios (S, 2), who would get the final 4 outs to earn his second save of the season and secure the victory.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Saturday evening.
written by Charlie Hobert
Woman Charged With DUI Manslaughter For Fiery 2025 Fatal Highway 29 Collision
May 29, 2026
A woman has been arrested for a 2025 crash that took the life of a Cantonment man and seriously injured two Flomaton residents.
Kelcey Alexis Eyl, 29, surrendered Friday on outstanding Florida Highway Patrol warrants for DUI manslaughter and two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury.
The two-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on October 11, 2025, on Highway 29 south of the paper mill, near Woodbury Circle, and involved a Chevrolet Equinox SUV and a passenger car.
According to FHP, a car driven by Eyl was traveling southbound on Highway 29 at a high rate of speed when the vehicle crossed over the median and into the path of a northbound SUV. She was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Her passenger, a 30-year-old Cantonment man, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of a Chevrolet Equinox SUV, a 72-year-old Flomaton man, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. His passenger, a 70-year-old Flomaton woman, was also transported to Sacred Heart in serious condition.
The rear portion of Eyl’s car was ripped away in the collision, and the front and passenger compartment crossed all lanes of Highway 29 before bursting into flames.
The crash completely shut down Highway 29 for several hours.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Combative Suspect Tased, Shot With Non-Lethal Gun After Resisting Deputies In Century
May 29, 2026
A suspect shot by deputies with a non-lethal weapon was taken into custody just before noon on Friday in Century.
Cortez Rasheen Davison, 32, will face multiple charges according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began with a criminal mischief complaint in the 7000 block of Alger Road (pictured left), just off North Century Boulevard. Davison allegedly broke a window at a mobile home. The Sheriff’s Office said he became combative with arriving deputies and fled.
Deputies caught up with Davison at the nearby Century Food Mart on North Century Boulevard, where he again became combative. The Sheriff’s Office said he was tased before being shot with a non-lethal bean bag gun and then taken into custody.
Davison was evaluated on-scene and medically cleared by an Escambia County EMS supervisor and Newman’s Ambulance.
Davison (pictured in a 2025 mugshot) will be booked into the Escambia County Jail Friday afternoon. The exact pending charges were no immediately available.
The ECSO said no actual shots were fired, and there were no injuries to deputies or citizens.
The Flomaton Police Department also responded and assisted.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Charged With Sending Death Threats To Ex-Girlfriend In Bratt
May 29, 2026
A man has been charged after allegedly traveling to the area to stalk and sending death threats to a Bratt woman.
Eric Dean Vickers, age 41 of Panama City, was charged with felony written or electronic threats to kill or do bodily harm.
According to an arrest report, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a harassing communications complaint at a residence near Bratt. The victim stated that Vickers, her ex-boyfriend, became enraged when she turned off the location tracking on her phone. Vickers then allegedly drove from Panama City to Escambia County to track her down.
The deputy reviewed numerous messages sent across Facebook, Snapchat, and text message threads. In the messages, Vickers allegedly threatened violence, claiming he would find her and murder her. One text message included a photograph of a black SUV parked outside a room she was in, along with a message stating he was about to kill her and the person she was with.
The victim fled her home to hide in Pensacola out of fear for her safety. Witnesses also reported seeing Vickers driving past the Bratt residence multiple times over a weekend. During the investigation, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on Vickers’ silver Ford Escape at Highway 99 and Highway 4 in Bratt, confirming his identity and noting that his vehicle matched witness descriptions.
Investigators later linked a phone number used to send a threatening voicemail transcript directly to Vickers.
Vickers remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $15,000.
Deputies noted in the report that Vickers is formerly a resident of the Century area.