Jay High School Names Valedictorian, Salutatorian
February 15, 2026
Jay High School has named the top of the Class of 2026.
Valedictorian is Isabella Seevers, and Salutatorian is Major Rowell.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ronny Rowell Bradford
February 15, 2026
Ronny Rowell Bradford, age 73, resident of Pensacola, Florida, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Ronny was a loving son and brother. Ronny was born on September 8, 1952, in Atmore, Alabama.
Mr. Bradford is preceded in death by his father, John Wesley Bradford; his grandparents, Grace and Robert Brown, Ellie Monroe Rowell, and Janie Foster Rowell.
Mr. Bradford is survived by his wonderful mother, Claudia M. Bradford of Pensacola, and loving twin brother, Jonny Brown Bradford of Pensacola; his aunts, Ann James of Nokomis, Alabama, and Pauline Olson of Atmore, Alabama.
Graveside services were held on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Sullivan Cemetery in Nokomis, AL.
Interment was in Sullivan Cemetery.
Margaret Eloise Hayles Steele
February 15, 2026
Mrs. Margaret Eloise Hayles Steele, 86, passed away on February 11, 2026. She was a native of Lottie, Alabama, born to William Levi Hayles and Ethel Olene (Jones) Hayles. She was a current resident of McCullough, Alabama.
After finishing school at Escambia County High School, Eloise worked at V.J. Elmore 5&10, then worked as a bookkeeper at a local pest control company.
After marriage, Eloise and Bennie Earl lived in Pensacola, FL, for twelve years before moving to McCullough, AL. Eloise drove a school bus for 26 years before retiring. She loved being a housewife and enjoyed woodworking and gardening. She was a member of the Atmore Church of Christ.
Mrs. Steele is preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Louise Hayles Caraway; her brothers, Wilton Ray Hayles and William Wayne Hayles; and her daughter-inlaw Nelline (Sanders) Steele.
She is survived by her husband Bennie Earl Steele; sons Michael (Elizabeth [Beth]) Steele of Jacksonville, FL.; Ronnie (Peggy) Steele of Panama City Beach, FL.; Roy Glen (Melissa) Steele of Semmes, AL. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Bradley (Sadie) Steele, Adriana (A.J.) Steele, Justin Godin, Calleigh Steele, Molly Steele, and two great-grandchildren: Cayden Steele and Maci Rose Steele.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Guyton Montgomery officiating.
Interment was at Oak Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Oak Grove, FL.
Active pallbearers were Ronnie Steele, Roy Steele, Mark Mack, Eddie Ryan, Michael Glick, and Richard Nahkaola.
OLF-8 Developer Wants County To Keep 160 Acres, Lower Price By $15 Million
February 14, 2026
A developer who purchased the OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road wants Escambia County to keep nearly 30% of the property and lower the selling price.
Last year, the Escambia County Commissioners approved the $42.5 million sale of 540 acres of OLF-8 to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises of Pensacola.
Now, Henderson wants the coun.ty to keep 160 acres and lower the purchase price to $27.5 million.
He said the plan would create a partnership with the county, giving it more control of job creation in an Employment Technology Innovation District. He said the county is in a position to secure funding, grants, or even Triumph money.
“We believe that coming together and partnering on the ETI district will allow us to have access to other financing aspects, grants, even Triumph, — where we can make sure we can develop this project the right way on the front end,” Henderson said.
He added, “540 acres is a large enough piece of property where you can curate the experience and feel of different aspects of real estate, making it all come together the way it should be.”
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sunny Saturday, Strong Storms Possible Into Sunday
February 14, 2026
Expect a wet and stormy conclusion to the weekend as a strong weather system moves through the North Escambia area. While Saturday remains pleasant, heavy rain and potential thunderstorms will arrive late Saturday night and persist into Sunday morning, with wind gusts reaching up to 30 mph. Conditions will clear out just in time for a mild Washington’s Birthday, kicking off a warming trend that will see afternoon highs approaching the 80s by late next week.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 72. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday Night: Showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3am. Low around 59. Southeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 73. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Washington’s Birthday: Partly sunny, with a high near 68. North wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Calm wind.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 78.
Thursday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 79.
Northview Lifter Maggie Stewart Earns Top-Five State Finish; Ninth in Olympic
February 14, 2026
At the FHSAA 1A Girls Weightlifting Championship on Friday, Northview High School senior Maggie Stewart won the fifth place medal in the state in the Traditional division, and she finished ninth in the state for Olympic, on Friday in Lakeland.
In Traditional, which is a combination of clean and jerk and bench, she totaled 215 pounds. In Olympic, which is a combination of snatch and clean and jerk, she totaled 190 pounds.
Stewart placed fourth overall in both categories at Regionals in North Bay Haven.
At 94 pounds, she lifts in the 101 pound weight class.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Celebrates Valentine’s Day With Flowers For Teachers, Activities
February 14, 2026
Bratt Elementary School held a couple of events to celebrate Valentine’s Day this week.
On Friday, Pre-K hosted a special fun activity with parents.
For a photo gallery, click here.
And the Bratt Elementary School PTA supplied fresh flowers for students to present to their teachers.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FBI Warns Of Romance Scams, North Floridians Lost $22.5 Million Last Year
February 14, 2026
February is a time when people think about love and connection. Unfortunately, not everyone who seems to be looking for love has good intentions. FBI Jacksonville (with a district that includes Escambia County) wants to make sure you are aware of perpetrators posing as perfect partners to exploit your heart and wallet.
In 2025, more than 550 victims from Jacksonville to Daytona, Gainesville, Tallahassee and the Panhandle reported losing $22.2 million in romance scams. Last year, confidence and romance fraud complaints and losses nationwide exceeded those recorded in the 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual report, showing it continues to be a growing problem, not just in February, but year round. It’s likely that many more losses went unreported.
Romance scammers use sophisticated and well-rehearsed tactics to trap unsuspecting individuals. Some create fake profiles on dating sites, apps, chat rooms, and other social media sites and send messages to establish romantic connections with their targets. Once contact has been established, romance scammers shower their targets with attention and romantic affection—even as they avoid meeting in person by claiming overseas work, travel, or family responsibilities. They may also ask for money to purchase plane fares to come visit, to cover unexpected and urgent work expenses, or to assist with medical emergencies. Romance scammers may introduce their targets to lucrative but secretive investment opportunities, soliciting them to send significant funds but forbidding them from talking to friends and family about the investment.
We see them increasingly create fake profiles on dating sites and apps or contact their targets through popular social media sites. They’re exploiting generative AI to commit fraud on a larger scale, which increases the believability of their schemes. They use generative AI tools to assist with language translations to limit grammatical or spelling errors for foreign criminal actors targeting U.S. victims. They also produce photos to share with victims in private communications to convince victims they are speaking to a real person.
If you develop a romantic relationship with someone you meet online, the FBI says consider thwww.e following:
Research photos and profiles in other online search tools and ask questions.
- Do not share sensitive personal information, such as social security numbers, home addresses, or financial account information.
- Never send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to someone you have never met in person.
- Do not allow attempts to isolate you from family and friends.
- Be wary of tragic stories designed to elicit your compassion and assistance. Romance scammers often share tales of severe life circumstances, family deaths, injuries, or other hardships to explain why they cannot meet in person and require financial assistance.
- If you are planning to meet someone in person you have met online, meet in a public place and let someone know where you will be and what time you should return home.
- If you are traveling to a foreign country to meet someone check the State Department’s Travel Advisories beforehand (http://travel.state.gov/), provide your itinerary to family and friends, and do not travel alone if possible.
Victims may be hesitant to report being taken advantage of due to embarrassment, shame or humiliation. The FBI said it’s important to remember, romance scams can happen to anyone at any time.
If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately and file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. You can report scams even if you haven’t lost money. If you are a victim who has already sent money, immediately report the incident to your financial institution.
Northview Baseball Splits Friday The 13th Games With Milton
February 14, 2026
Friday the 13th was perhaps a little bad luck for the Northview Chiefs varsity as they lost to Milton, but luckier for the Northview JV as they earned a big win over the Panthers.
Milton 5, Northview 3
The varsity Northview Chiefs lost to Milton 5-3 on Friday night in Milton.
Jackson Bridges took the loss for Northview, going two and one-third innings while surrendering four runs (two earned) on one hit, walking one and striking out two. Jase Portwood took the mound for three and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing three hits and a run (none earned) as he struck out seven and walked just one.
Bridges had two RBIs for the Chiefs, going 1-4 on the night. Luke Chavers, Dane King and Grayden Sheffield also contributed one hit each.
Next week will be busy in Bratt for the Chiefs; Northview will host Walton on Monday, Freeport on Tuesday, and Escambia on Friday.
Northview 15, Milton 1 (JV)
Tyler McAnally struck out 10 for the Northview Junior Varsity Chiefs in a 15-1 win over Milton on Friday. He gave up five hits and one run in five innings with no walks.
The JV Chiefs took a nine-run lead in the first inning and never looked back.
Greyson Hubbard went 3-3 to lead Northview at bat. McAnally and Karson Miller each had three RBIs. Sawyer Gilmore and Brentley Guy each added multiple hits for NHS, while Bryce Gigier recorded two of Northview’s six walks.
Retired Educators Gift Valentine’s Roses For Assisted Living Residents
February 14, 2026
The Escambia Retired Educators Association (EREA) donates roses each year to the residents of assisted living facilities in the area.
Pictured, EREA member Craig Exner, presented 50 roses to Sheila Allen, activities director at the Shelton Manor on Pensacola Boulevard. The roses will be distributed to residents and staff members for Valentine’s Day.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.