John R. Deyton
February 18, 2026
John R. Deyton, 82, of Cantonment, Florida, passed away Wednesday, February 11, 2026, He was born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, on May 15, 1943, to Eugene and Maudleen Deyton. He was married to Priscilla Brown Deyton for 53 years. John had a career in Water/Wastewater Treatment for the City of Pensacola and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority. He was a United States Navy Veteran. John enjoyed youth sports, as a coach and game official.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Eugene and Maudleen Deyton; wife, Priscilla Brown Deyton and brother, Max Deyton.
John is survived by his son, Christopher Deyton, of Pensacola, Florida; daughter, Holly Hicks, of Pensacola, Florida; sister, Pat Hammett, of Mooresboro, North Carolina; sister, Dianne Crow, of Forest City, North Carolina; brother, Keith Deyton, of Mooresboro, North Carolina; brother, Bill Deyton, of Pensacola, Florida; 6 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
A Remembrance Service will be held Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South. Visitation will be one hour prior at 4:00 PM. Interment in Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, Florida, will be at a later date.
Martin D. Hollingsworth
February 18, 2026
Mr. Martin D. Hollingsworth passed away on February 18, 2026 at the age of 90, peacefully at home with his loving wife by his side. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Tallahassee for 45 years, and he proudly served in the United States Army. He and his wife later moved to Bratt, Florida. At the time of his death, he was a member of First Baptist Church of Bratt. In 2002 he retired from Tallahassee Community College where he had taught since it’s inception in 1966. He was a first faculty member hired to teach Biology and was instrumental in creating the science program for Tallahassee Community College.
He found great pleasure in activities like gardening, camping, boating, skiing, and tubing. Raising goats and chickens also brought him joy. He had a fondness for watching western films, embarking on missionary journeys to Korea and Hong Kong, and cherishing moments with his family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Grady (Agnes Albritton) Hollingsworth, five brothers, two sisters, oldest grandson, Billy Lambert and son in-law, Jimmy Lambert.
He is survived by his loving wife of seventy years, Winnie Hollingsworth, of Century, Florida; his children, Rhonda Lambert, of Tallahassee, Florida; Russel (Pam) Hollingsworth, of Tallahassee, Florida; Randy (Jennifer) Hollingsworth, of Dayton, Tennessee, his grandchildren, Katie Lambert, Josh (Karina) Hollingsworth; Jenna (Rob) Hodges; Katlynn Hollingsworth; Jake Hollingsworth; Taylor (Elisabeth) Hollingsworth; Kara (Eric) Williams; Judy Hollingsworth; 17 great-grandchildren, one brother Marvin (Nettie) Hollingsworth, of Atmore, Alabama; two sisters Dorothy McKenzie, of Nokomis, Alabama; and Melba (Donnie) Cook, of Nokomis, Florida.
Funeral services were held Monday, February 23, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Bratt with Reverend Randy Hollingsworth officiating.
Burial was at Antioch Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Taylor Hollingsworth, Josh Hollingsworth, David Ziglar, Eric Williams, Kevin Williams and Buddy Trawick.
Honorary pallbearers will be Senior Adult Men’s Sunday School Class.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the First Baptist Church of Bratt at 4570 West HWY 4 Century, Florida 32535 and Emerald Coast Hospice at 5536 Stewart Street Milton, Florida 32570.
MILO, The Mobile ID And Licensing Office, Is In Century On Thursday
February 18, 2026
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO) will be in Century on on Thursday, February 19 from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse.
MILO offers a convenient way for residents to access essential tax collector services, including:
- Driver License Services: Renewals, replacements, out-of-state license conversions/reciprocations, and address/name changes.
- Identification Cards: First-time issuance and renewals.
- Vehicle Services: Registration renewals and replacements, title transfers, and parking placards.
- Tax Payments: Property tax payments.
- Business Tax Receipts: Applications and renewals.
- Certified Driver Transcripts
Written and driving tests are not available at the MILO unit.
This initiative aims to bring services to areas of Escambia County that may have limited access to traditional tax collector offices, particularly during disaster recovery or for residents in assisted living facilities, community centers, and correctional facilities.
Florida drivers may renew their vehicle registrations for a period of one or two years and may renew up to three months in advance of the registration expiration. Vehicle registrations expire at midnight on the first owner’s birth date unless the owner is a business.
Pictured: The Escambia County Tax Collector’s MILO at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Lacrosse Beats Milton 11-4
February 18, 2026
Tate High School Girls Lacrosse beat the Milton Panthers 11-4 on Thursday night at Tate.
With the win, the Aggies are 2-1 on the season, while Milton dropped to 0-3.
Up next, Tate will host the Navarre Raiders in a district matchup on Friday at 6 p.m.
Power Failure Leads To Chemical Release At Ascend, FDEP Says
February 17, 2026
A power failure led to the release of nitrogen oxides on Tuesday morning from Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road, according to a report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
The “plant suffered power failure and nitrogen oxides (NOx) was released from the Adipic Acid Unit. The total quantity is unknown at this time but operators are restarting the unit to normal operation,” the FDEP initial report released Tuesday afternoon stated. The report stated the incident began at 10 a.m. but did not indicate an end time.
“At approximately 10:00 a.m. today, Ascend sustained a power failure at the Pensacola, Florida site, Based on information currently available, no impacts or chemical spills to the environment occurred as a result of this power outage. Following our standard procedures, the appropriate notifications were made, out of an abundance of caution. The plant is currently in the process of restarting operations,” Ascend said in a stetement.
The incident was reported to FDEP by an Ascend Environmental manager. A release quantity was not immediately reported.
In a report to the National Response Center, Ascend stated that its engineers believed the release was not above the required reportable quantity, but they wanted to make the report out of an abundance of caution.
File photo.
Walnut Hill Post Office Box Delivery Resumes, But Other Services Still Limited
February 17, 2026
Over six months after the building reopened, mail is once again being delivered to boxes at the Walnut Hill post office, but other postal services remain limited.
The Walnut Hill post office is officially known as a Contract Postal Unit, a small office shared with the electric utility on Highway 99A across from Ernest Ward Middle School. It previously provided the Walnut Hill community with post office boxes, package pickup and shipping, and standard postal services like mailing and stamps.
The building was closed by EREC in August 2024, due to mold, and post office box customers were able to collect their mail from the U.S. Post Office on Main Street in McDavid. Post office box mail that was uncollected in McDavid was boxed in Walnut Hill on July 29, 2025, and EREC announced the reopening of its office and the post office. But no more mail was delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
Now, the USPS is delivering mail that is being boxed at the Walnut Hill post office. However, the Walnut Hill location is not able to accept packages or provide services that require the use of a postal scanner — it is still waiting on the USPS to get the scanner operational. Any mail that requires a signature will need to be picked up at the McDavid Post Office on Main Street because that requires the use of a scanner.
EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said the member-owned cooperative is looking forward to returning full service to the Walnut Hill post office.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Warming Weather, 70s Today, Around 80 By Thursday
February 17, 2026
A stretch of unseasonably warm weather is on tap for the region, with afternoon highs climbing into the upper 70s and lower 80s through Friday. However, the warmth comes with a persistent chance of rain as multiple systems move through. Showers become more likely by Thursday night, with a mix of rain and possible thunderstorms continuing through the weekend before a cooler, sunnier Monday arrives.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 40.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 59.
Painting With Puppies Benefits Escambia County Animal Shelter
February 17, 2026
Painting With Puppies was held on Valentine’s Day at the Langley Bell 4-H Center with puppies from the Escambia County animal shelter.
“All of the dogs had a great time on their trip outside the shelter and loved the attention they got from event attendees,” Northview 4-H President Carly Gray said of the event that featured puppies Sheila, Sissy, Gelato and Hollie.
A 4-H Community Pride grant covered all of the event costs, allowing the shelter to collect donated supplies along with proceeds from event tickets and donations.
“No dogs were adopted on Saturday, but we’re considering giving it another go in the next few months, “bigger and better,” Gray said. “Thank you to everyone who participated, and we hope to see you volunteer with the shelter and keep your eyes peeled for a possible second Painting with Puppies event.”
The event was made possible by volunteers from the Escambia County Animal Shelter, Northview 4-H, Ransom Middle School National Junior Honor Society, and Tate High School National Art Honor Society.
To see a full list of adoptable pets in Escambia County, visit 24petconnect.com.
Photos by Cinci Poole for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Portion Of Fannie Road Near Century To Close For Paving On Wednesday
February 17, 2026
A portion of Fannie Road between Old Flomaton Road and Campbell Road in Century will be temporarily closed to through traffic beginning Wednesday, February 18, while crews pave one-third of a mile of the road.
There will be a short detour in place along Old Flomaton Road and Campbell Road. The road is expected to reopen by Thursday, February 19, weather permitting.
Residents, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles will have access to properties within the work area at all times; however, there may be short periods when a driveway or entrance may be blocked temporarily as equipment and materials are moved during construction.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Fresh Produce on Wheels From Millie Mobile Market Wednesday In Molino
February 17, 2026
The Millie Mobile Market is scheduled to be in Molino on Wednesday, February 18, with a variety of fresh produce.
Millie will be at the Molino Community Center (Molino Library) at 6450 North Highway 95A from 10 a.m. until noon.
During the Molino visit, Millie will offer a menu of fresh produce at discounted prices. Items available will include apples, cabbage, cucumbers, oranges, sweet potatoes, onions and more. The selection varies each visit and is based upon availability. This week’s menu is below.
Millie travels routes throughout Feeding the Gulf Coast’s Florida service area, addressing pockets of low food access (food deserts) where supermarkets are scarce, to provide community members the opportunity to buy affordable fresh produce and other nutritious foods at a significantly discounted rate. Feeding the Gulf Coast collaborates with local farmers to purchase produce when available specifically for the Millie Mobile Market.
Only debit or credit cards (including tap-to-pay) are accepted at Millie; no cash.
Pictured: A previous Millie Mobile Market visit at the Molino Library. File photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
