Escambia Postal Worker Arrested For Trying To Run Down A Child, FHP Says
January 1, 2026
The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested a postal worker on Wednesday for allegedly trying to run down a child with his USPS vehicle.
William White Jr, 41, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, petit theft, and criminal mischief.
According to FHP investigators, the incident was sparked by a simple delivery error. White had reportedly dropped off a package at the wrong address on Kingfisher Way. The child, whose family lives at the residence, noticed the package was intended for a different neighbor.
In an effort to help, the child placed the package on his electric scooter and began riding toward the correct address. Troopers say that when White saw the child with the mail, he incorrectly assumed the 10-year-old was stealing the package.
Witnesses and investigators state that White then purposely steered the USPS vehicle toward the child. The boy managed to jump into a nearby yard just moments before the mail truck ran over his scooter.
The confrontation didn’t end there. After yelling at the child, White allegedly retrieved the mangled scooter from beneath his truck and placed it inside the USPS vehicle. When a family member of the child ran outside to confront the carrier, White fled the scene. He later threw the scooter into a yard on Blue Jay Way before continuing his route.
Flashback: Century Opened A Millennium Time Capsule In 2025. Here’s What They Found.
January 1, 2026
The Town of Century opened a millennium time capsule a year ago, finding a lot of wet items and a few notable glimpses at local history.
The time capsule was buried in front of the town hall on January 1, 2000, and set for opening in January 2025. Over the past 25 years, water filled the concrete vault. Murky, dirty, stinky water also infiltrated the plastic bags and other containers inside. Most of the newspapers and other paper items were mush. Many photos had been printed on inkjet printers of the day, and the photos had washed away.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Several people present for the opening discovered items that they had placed in the capsule, or items from now-deceased relatives. A form created by the town back in 2000 asked residents to write down what was in each bag, along with their contact information and heirs with the apparent intent of returning the items in 2025. The time for residents to claim items passed in late 2025.
Some residents took family items home, and the Alger Sullivan Historical Society took the rest of the items to dry out what they can and document.
And, in a bit of a surprise, the lid covering the vault was signed by numerous people, most if not all of were high school students (it’s pictured in the gallery).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Local Drivers Continue To Get Holiday Break From Road Construction Lane Closures
January 1, 2026
Drivers in Florida will continue to get a break from road construction. Through 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 2, there will be no lane closures or other activities that impede traffic on major state roads throughout the Florida Panhandle, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The break from lane closures has been ongoing since Christmas Eve.
NorthEscamba.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Here’s Where To Watch The College Football Bowl Games
January 1, 2026
Here is where to watch the remaining college football bowl games.
All times are Central.
Friday, Jan. 2
12 p.m. | Rice vs. Texas State | Armed Forces Bowl (Fort Worth, Texas) | ESPN
3:30 p.m. | Navy vs. Cincinnati | Liberty Bowl (Memphis, Tenn.) | ESPN
7 p.m. | Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State | Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Charlotte, N.C.) | ESPN
7 p.m. | SMU vs. Arizona | Holiday Bowl (San Diego) | FOX
Thursday, Jan. 8
6:30 p.m. | Fiesta Bowl (CFP Semifinal) (Glendale, Ariz.) | ESPN
Friday, Jan. 9
6:30 p.m. | Peach Bowl (CFP Semifinal) (Atlanta, Ga.) | ESPN
Monday, Jan. 19
6:30 p.m. | College Football Playoff National Championship Game (Miami, Fla.) | ESPN
Oliver Stanley Thompson
January 1, 2026
Oliver Stanley Thompson was a beloved Christian husband, father, and grandfather. He passed from this life into the next on December 28, 2025, at 2:46am, following a sudden heart event. Oliver was born in Pensacola on March 17, 1939. He graduated from Pensacola High School on May 31, 1957, and then began basic training at Lackland Air Force Base on July 10. After his honorable discharge in 1960, he became an electrician. In 1964, while working at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, he rented a room at 222 Holmes Avenue. This is where he met his future bride, who was a high school senior. They would marry at the house on Holmes Avenue in 1965, before relocating to the Pensacola area. Oliver and Pam moved to “the farm” in Pace, FL, where he built the house where they would raise three daughters. He was good to take time to visit Pam’s family in Huntsville to show off his girls.
Oliver was a member of Wallace Baptist Church since the mid-70s, where he taught Sunday School, cooked tomato gravy and biscuits for the Men’s Meetings, served as a deacon, and remained on-call to resolve any issues he could with his knowledge of how to fix just about anything. After raising three daughters, he was blessed with three granddaughters. He was finally blessed with the one and only boy in the family when his grandson arrived in 2010. Oliver and Pam moved from the house he built in Pace to retirement life at Azaela Trace in Pensacola in 2023.
Oliver loved cows, chickens, motorcycles, the mountains, and football. On Saturdays in the fall, Oliver enjoyed watching the University of Florida games. He enjoyed bickering with family members who favored FSU or Alabama, but Oliver was a Florida Gator through and through.
Oliver was preceded in death by his parents, Jeff and Violet Thompson; his sister, Ellen Smith; his niece, Denise Barranger; and his nephew, Michael Blackburn.
Oliver is survived by his wife of 60 years, Pam Thompson; daughters Tamra (Brian) Nelson, of Gulf Breeze, FL; Kelly (Benjamin) Vaughn, of Houston, TX; and Tuesday (James) Broxson, of Pace, FL; his beloved granddaughters Olivia Vaughn, Kennedy Vaughn, Rhianna Nelson, and his prized grandson Austin Broxson, the one boy in the family that he waited 71 years to get. He is also survived by his sister, Carolyn (Jim) Blackburn, of Pace, FL, and a host of nieces and nephews that he loved dearly.
Services for Oliver will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home and Crematory – North, 1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL, 32533. Visitation for friends begins at 10:00AM. Funeral services will follow at 11:00AM.
Charles Allen Nichols
January 1, 2026
Charles Allen Nichols, long-life resident of Pensacola, Florida, was called home to be with the Lord on December 26, 2025, at the age of 39. Born in Pensacola, Florida, on February 24, 1986,
Charles was the beloved son of Gregory W. Nichols and Arlene D. Nichols. He was a cherished brother to Michael J. Nichols and brother-in-law to Megan Nichols. His affectionate spirit lives in the hearts of his adored nieces, Kaitlynn and Lainey Nichols. Though preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, C. B. Nichols, Sr. and Daphene Nichols; his maternal grandparents, Earl Douglas, Jr., Alice Walters, and step-grandfather, Thomas Walters; his uncles, C. B. Nichols, Jr. and Jeff Nichols; his aunt, Lynn (Uncle Mike) Stewart; and his first cousin, Ryan Nichols. Charles’s memory will continue to be honored through his surviving family, including a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends.
Charles received his education from Escambia Public Schools and Jubilee Christian Academy. He was a member of First Pentecostal Church where he was a Champion Bible Quizzer in his youth.
His career as a Journeyman HVAC systems specialist was marked by his membership in the Sheet Metal Workers National Association. Charles took pride in his work, applying his skills with precision and care.
As a young boy Charles enjoyed playing football and baseball at Bellview ballpark which began a love for Alabama Football “Roll Tide”.
Charles’s memory will forever be a blessing to all who were touched by his kindness and friendship.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Pastor Daniel Stroebel officiating.
The family will receive friends at 1:00 p.m. prior to services.
David Lee Eagle
January 1, 2026
With heavy hearts and deep gratitude for a life well lived, we remember David Lee Eagle, who passed away on December 24, 2025, at the age of 61.
David was born on July 6, 1964, in Dover, Delaware, into an Air Force family, a beginning that shaped his strong sense of loyalty, adaptability, and connection to others. From an early age, David learned the importance of family, resilience, and showing up for the people in his life, values he carried with him always.
David truly never met a stranger. Anyone who crossed his path was met with kindness, conversation, and genuine interest, and it didn’t take long for people to feel like family in his presence.
Family was the center of David’s life. After five years of courtship, he married the love of his life, Valerie (Hall) Eagle, and together they built a life rooted in devotion, laughter, and shared memories. They raised their two children, creating a home filled with warmth, support, and love.
In June of 1989, David began his entrepreneurial journey alongside Valerie when they started working together at SERVPRO. Over the next 25 years, David built a reputation for hard work, reliability, and pride in doing things the right way. After those years, he went on to open his own business in restoration and repair services, continuing to serve others with skill, dedication, and integrity. His work was more than a career. It was another way he cared for people and helped them rebuild.
David’s home was more than a house. It was a home for us all. It was a place of welcome and belonging, where stories were shared, laughter was easy, and everyone knew they were always welcome.
He also knew how to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Whether it was sharing a beer, swapping stories, or hanging out at hunting camp, David cherished time spent connecting with others.
Those moments were never just about the drink or the camp. They were about friendship, humor, and being together, memories that will live on through the stories told by those who love him.
David was a proud and devoted “Pops.” His five grandchildren knew him by that cherished name
- a name that meant comfort, laughter, and unconditional love. Pops was someone they could count on, someone who made them feel special just by being near. The bond he shared with his grandchildren was one of his greatest joys.
David is survived by his wife, Valerie Eagle; his loving children: his son, Austin Eagle, and his wife, Taylor, and their children, Remington, Taelynn, and Tyndall; and his daughter, Caylee Morgan (Eagle), and her husband, Adam, and their children, Rylen and Parker. He is also survived by his sisters, Sheri Dubois and her husband, Adrian; Lisa Armstrong; and his nieces and nephews, Sarah, Melanie, Adrian John, Britni, Josh, and Kaci.
David was preceded in death by his parents, John and Patricia Eagle; his brother, Daniel Eagle; and his nephew, Christian Hall.
David cherished his family above all else, and the legacy he leaves behind is one of devotion, kindness, humor, and quiet strength. Though our hearts ache in his absence, we find comfort in the life he lived and the love he gave so freely.
He will be deeply missed and always remembered.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Service Information
A Celebration of Life for David Lee Eagle will be held on January 3rd, 2026, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home and Crematory, 1000 S Hwy 29, Cantonment, FL 32533.
Family will gather at 9:00 AM.
Viewing for friends and family will be from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, followed by the service from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Guests are encouraged to wear vibrant colors in celebration of David’s life.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David, please visit our floral store.
Shannon Marie Lord Brooks
January 1, 2026
Mrs. , 56, passed away sadly in Pensacola, Florida, on Monday, December 29, 2025. A lifelong resident of Atmore, Alabama, she had a passion for arts, crafts, and working with resin. Her heart was filled with love for her grandchildren and puppies, as well as for her cherished flowers and everything she could nurture. Above all, she adored her children and family.
She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Lord; three brothers—Robert Earl Lord, James Edward Lord, and Thomas Marvin Lord; one sister, Sarah Lord; and her father-in-law, Turner Maurice Brooks.
Her memory survives through her mother, Glenda White Lord, residing in Atmore, Alabama; her husband, Rodney Brooks, also from Atmore; her two sons, Bradley (Holly) Brooks from Century, Florida, and Rodney Kevin Brooks (Victoria) from Atmore; her two brothers, William Kirk (Diane) Lord from Providence, Rhode Island, and Steven Lord (Jennifer) from Bay Minette, Alabama; her two sisters, Yvonne (Richard) Bowen from Excel, Alabama, and Becky (Marlin) Nelson from Atmore; along with two grandchildren, Nahla Brooks and Taliyah Brooks; two great-grandchildren, Addlynn Boles and Aiden Wiggins; and many other relatives and friends.
The funeral service is set to take place on Monday, January 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Petty Funeral Homes, LLC, with Sister Helen Stewart officiating.
Following the service, she will be laid to rest at Mothershed Cemetery.
Visitation is planned for Monday, January 5, 2026, from 1 p.m.until the service begins at 2:00 p.m. at Petty Funeral Homes, LLC.
The pallbearers selected are Bradley Brooks, Thomas Lord, James Brooks, Kevin Brooks, Kirk Lord and Steven Lord.
Arrangements are being managed by Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC in Atmore, Alabama.