Northview FFA Chapter Takes Top Honors
January 23, 2026
The Northview High School FFA chapter took top honors at a recent district contest. The Northview Parliamentary Procedure team took first place, and Jackson Simmons placed first in the Farm Bureau District Discussion Meet Contest.
Parliamentary Procedure team members are Ona Spinks, Jackson Bridges, Mary Oliver, Jack Boutwell, Grace Oliver, and Jackson Simmons.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
All Of Escambia County Is Now In A Moderate Drought (For Now)
January 23, 2026
All of Escambia County is in a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released on Thursday.
But rain through the weekend is expected to provide some relief.
Last week, only a portion of North Escambia was official in a drought.
Top Spellers Crowned In 50th Annual Spelling Bee
January 23, 2026
The 50th Annual Sandy Sansing Spelling Bee was held recently.
After multiple rounds of competition, featuring spelling champions from elementary and middle schools from across Escambia County, the winners were:
First Place: Sam Lujan, Ferry Pass Middle School
Second Place: Kensley Middleton, Ransom Middle School
Third Place: Ivy Shaw, Bellview Middle School
Lujan’s first-place finish qualifies him to advance to the Regional Spelling Bee.
Pictured: (from the right) Sandy Sansing; Sam Lujan, Ferry Pass Middle School, first place; Kensley Middleton, Ransom Middle School, second place; Ivy Shaw, Bellview Middle School, third place. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Man Gets Life For Murdering Victim He Followed From The Molino Tom Thumb
January 22, 2026
An Atmore man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man in Pace after following him from the Molino Tom Thumb.
In November, a jury found Ja’Cobey Quartise James guilty of second-degree murder with a firearm. He received the maximum allowable sentence.
On June 19, 2023, Joseph Liebe was driving home from work and stopped at the Tom Thumb in Molino. Liebe left the gas station and, unbeknownst to him, was followed by James and two other men in a Chevrolet Tahoe. The men had observed Liebe at the gas station and believed that he had cash on his person, according to prosecutors.
Liebe eventually turned onto Wallace Lake Road and pulled to the side of the road after the vehicle following him flashed its lights at him. The Tahoe pulled up beside Liebe’s vehicle and James stepped out of the passenger seat. James pulled out a firearm and fired 10 shots at Liebe’s vehicle as he attempted to drive away.
Charges against Ty’jerrious Keon Malone and Marcus Terel Dickinson were dropped due to insufficient evidence, according to court records.
Escambia County Deploys Next Generation 911 Services
January 22, 2026
Escambia County has launched Next Generation 911 Core Services, marking a major advancement in how emergency calls are routed, managed, and delivered to first responders throughout the county.
The new call-routing system sets a new standard for public safety communications. It immediately delivers enhanced capabilities, including Location-Based Routing, which intelligently directs 9-1-1 calls to the nearest public safety answering point based on the caller’s precise location.
Next Generation 911 provides emergency dispatchers and first responders with access to significantly more data, which improves situational awareness and decision-making during emergencies. Enhanced features include real-time caller location information and intelligent call routing designed to reduce call transfers and speed emergency response.
Motorola’s Location-Based Routing has been shown to reduce 911 call transfers by up to 50%, minimizing delays caused by misrouted calls. This capability is especially critical during large-scale incidents and natural disasters, when emergency call volume may rapidly increase. If a public safety answering point becomes overwhelmed or inoperable, enhanced call routing allows calls to be quickly rerouted, ensuring uninterrupted access to emergency services.
“Motorola’s call routing technology gives us new ways to better protect the people we serve,” Interim Emergency Communications Chief Mark Carter said. “For example, geofencing allows us to manage large annual events like the Pensacola Beach Blue Angels Air Show more efficiently by deploying alternate call routing during peak times. This ensures emergency calls from thousands of visitors are handled quickly and effectively.”
Escambia County is one of several communities utilizing Next Generation 911 call-routing service, which serves many other counties in Florida. According to Carter, the transition to the new system was the smoothest technology deployment he has experienced in his many years of service with Escambia County.
Pictured: 911 calls are answered by Escambia County Emergency Communication. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
West Florida High Electrathon Racing Team Collaborates With Sheriff’s Office To Build More Than Race Cars
January 22, 2026
West Florida High School is home to a growing, highly motivated Electrathon race car team that provides students with hands-on experience in engineering, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving.
The WFHS Electrathon team’s newest all-electric vehicle is an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office cruiser-themed race car. The car was custom built and designed by the student-members of the team in order to honor the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office has played a key role in shaping the Electrathon program and it has become a strong community partner with West Florida High School.
“What a great looking car! We are proud to partner with students at West Florida High School and their Electrathon Racing Team,” said Escambia County Sheriff Chip W. Simmons. “We feel as though this car will represent West Florida High School, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and our community well throughout its journey. Good luck!”
Currently made up of around 25 students, the team is focused on much more than racing. Students learn critical life and technical skills, including working effectively as a team, problem-solving, critical thinking, engineering design, battery management, gear ratios, fabrication, and data analysis. Electrathon racing is not about speed—it is about energy efficiency and endurance, with cars competing in one-hour races to see who can go the farthest on a limited amount of energy.
West Florida’s Electrathon team has traveled across Florida to compete at major tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Five Flags Speedway. These opportunities give students exposure to professional racing environments while applying classroom knowledge in real, high-stakes situations.
The Electrathon team at West Florida High School of Advanced Technology continues to grow, innovate, and push boundaries—preparing students not only for competition, but for future careers in engineering, technology, and skilled trades.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chance Of Rain Through Sunday Night Ahead Of Arctic Blast
January 22, 2026
A wet and unsettled weekend is on tap for the North Escambia area as a series of systems move through the region. Rain chances begin to ramp up late tonight, continuing through Friday. While Saturday starts with a slight break, showers return by the afternoon and become widespread Saturday night. Sunday brings the highest impact with a 100% chance of rain and potential thunderstorms before a sharp cold front slams into the area. By early next week, the rain clears out, making way for a significant cool-down with sunny skies but much colder temperatures, including overnight lows dipping into the low 20s.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers, mainly before 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Light north wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Showers likely before 9pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 9pm and midnight, then showers after midnight. Low around 60. Southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Sunday: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 9am. High near 70. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 40. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 20.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 48.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.
Molino Woman Facing Felony Drug Charge Following Traffic Stop
January 22, 2026
A Molino woman was arrested on a felony drug charge late Monday night following a traffic stop in Pensacola.
Inez Yaminah Lyons, 41, was charged with possession of cocaine after a Pensacola Police officer stopped a vehicle for an expired tag in the area of Davis Highway and Chadwick Street.
According to the arrest report, an officer spotted a black Kia Soul with a Tennessee tag parked at Smart Fill on North Davis Highway. A records check indicated the registration had been expired since November 2024. When the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot, police initiated a traffic stop at Kenneth and Wynnhurst streets.
During the investigation, Lyons, who was a passenger in the rear seat, granted officers consent to search her person. Police reported finding a clear plastic bag containing approximately .5 grams of a white powder in her pants pocket. The substance field-tested positive for cocaine.
A K-9 unit also alerted to the odor of narcotics within the vehicle, though a subsequent search of the car yielded no further contraband.
Lyons was released from jail on a $2,500 bond
Ransom Academic Team Finishes As Top Public School At Invitational Tournament
January 22, 2026
The Ransom Middle School Academic Team recently secured a top-tier finish at the Middle School Invitational in Cottondale, placing third overall out of 12 teams from across the Florida Panhandle and Alabama.
Ransom entered the playoffs as the undefeated top seed in their bracket, eventually finishing as the highest-ranking public school in the competition. The team narrowly missed qualifying for the national tournament.
Individual students also earned top honors among the field of 43 players. Cutter Rhodes took home a medal for second place individual and was the top-ranked public school player. Levi Cox placed seventh overall, and Calleigh Anderson finished in tenth.
The team members who traveled to the competition included Calleigh Anderson, Kyson Beck, Khloe Caldwell, Levi Cox, Sydney Cox, Megan Degan-Dorangricchia, Megan Gray, Madelyn McShane, and Cutter Rhodes.
Ransom’s next tournament is scheduled for Saturday, January 31.
Pictured: (L-R) Coach Jon Walker, Coach Madison Bass, Sydney Cox, Kyson Beck, Madison Degan-Dorangricchia, Khloe Caldwell, Cutter Rhodes, Megan Gray, Madelyn McShane, Levi Cox, Calleigh Anderson, Coach Maggie Brown, and Coach Clarissa Brown. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDLE Arrests Escambia Man On 20 Child Porn Possession Charges
January 22, 2026
An Escambia County man has been arrested for possession of child sexual abuse materials. State law enforcement said he used a cloud storage account to upload files depicting sexual abuse of children.
The Florida Department of law enforcement arrested Devon Corpening, 32, on 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and one count of using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.
The investigation began in June 2025 when FDLE agents received several cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a cell phone service user had uploaded child sexual abuse files to his cloud storage account. Further investigation identified the user as Corpening.
On January 15, FDLE agents served a search warrant at Corpening’s residence and seized several electronic devices for further forensic examination, where additional files were located. Corpening was arrested and transported to Escambia County Jail.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and Florida Highway Patrol assisted with the search warrant and arrest.