Patricia Ann Leblanc
April 30, 2026
Patricia Ann Leblanc 81, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away peacefully at her home on the morning of April 26, 2026. She dedicated her life to caring for others as an oncology and hospice nurse. Nursing was not her profession; it was her calling. She touched countless lives while she dedicated decades to healing others. She was also a devoted wife, a nurturing mother and a doting Nana. She lived to care for those she loved.
Pat is survived by her loving husband of 61 years, Bob; her children and their spouses, Melanie Morgan (Brent), Michelle Flaherty and Tharon Leblanc; her sisters Maureen Chapman (David) and Mary Ann Hankin; her grandchildren Samantha Flaherty, Katelyn Tyler (Johnny), and Taylor Swafford (Gage). She was preceded in death by her parents, Victor and Joan Ballard and grandson Ryan Flaherty.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Saint Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, 303 Rocky Avenue, Cantonment, Florida with Reverend Father George Thekku officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 to 11:00 AM preceding the funeral Mass. A reception in the parish hall will be held following the funeral service.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her honor to Saint Jude Ladies Society, 303 Rocky Avenue, Cantonment, Florida 32533.
Mary Joan Linam
April 30, 2026
Mary Joan Linam, 86, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. She was born in Salina, Kansas, on August 25, 1939, where her loving grandmother, Mary
Crouthers, raised her.
“Joanie” met the love of her life, Ray, in Salina, KS, while he was serving in the United States Air Force. She traveled with him, working in the commissary and raising 3 growing boys. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the light of her life.
She is preceded in death by her Grandmother and her sister, Jeanie Sawyer.
Joan is survived by her devoted husband of 68 years, Joseph Ray Linam; her sons, Kevin Linam, Todd and Rhonda Linam, Joel and Lana Linam; her sister, Janet Moore; nine grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.
A private family graveside service will be held to celebrate Joan’s life at Lottie Methodist Church Cemetery at a later date.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
No Tag Light Leads To State Prison On Drug Charge For Molino Man
April 29, 2026
A Molino man has been sentenced to 20 months in state prison after a traffic stop escalated into a drug trafficking charge.
Jeffery Gene Brown, 44, was initially charged with first-degree felony trafficking in methamphetamine, and later pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 months in state prison, and his driver’s license will be revoked for six months after his release.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said Brown’s vehicle was observed traveling northbound on Pensacola Boulevard with inoperable tag lights on May 27, 2025. A traffic stop was initiated in the parking lot of a Circle K at the corner of Pensacola Boulevard and Broad Street.
During the stop, a clear plastic baggie, consistent with narcotics transportation, was observed protruding from underneath the armrest, according to an arrest report. Brown was asked to exit the vehicle, and a probable cause search was conducted.
Deputies said the baggie was found to contain a white crystalline substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Behind the driver’s seat where Brown had been sitting, deputies reported finding a black bag containing a large quantity of methamphetamine, a plastic bag containing large “shards” of meth and a large digital scale. They also located a “multicolored smoking device,” a box of clear sandwich bags and a pair of brass knuckles, the arrest report states.
Local Schools Say ‘Thanks’ On National Bus Driver Day
April 29, 2026
Tuesday was National Bus Driver Appreciation Day, with local schools taking the time to thank those who safely transport students to and from school each day.
At Ransom Middle School, the PTSA honored school bus drivers with breakfast from Wawa, and Lipscomb Elementary School welcomed bus drivers to school with a large banner.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Midweek Scattered Showers Give Way to Heavier Rain Friday Night
April 29, 2026
Wednesday will see a mix of sun and clouds before potential storms move in later today. An active weather pattern settles in for the second half of the week, bringing high rain chances and cooler temperatures through Saturday. Expect a significant clearing trend by Sunday, leading into a bright and warming start to the workweek.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
This Afternoon: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind around 10 mph.
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7am and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then showers likely between 1pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 54. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Escambia River Dropping Closer To Historic Low
April 29, 2026
Rivers in the North Escambia area are dropping closer to historic lows as the area is currently in an extreme drought.
At Century, the Escambia River was at 2.69 feet and falling at 11 p.m. Tuesday; the all-time record low level was 1.30 feet in 1954. The Perdido River at Barrineau Park was at 1.34 feet Tuesday night. Low water records for the Perdido River are not available.
During a 50-to-100-year drought in July 2011, the Escambia and Perdido rivers were at 2.90 and 1.30 feet, respectively.
Rain chances into the weekend, especially upstream in Southern Alabama, may bring the river levels up.
Pictured: The Escambia River at Century on Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Prison Inmate Convicted Of Writing Letter Threatening Pensacola Federal Judge
April 29, 2026
Christopher Summers, 58-year-old Florida Department of Corrections inmate, has been convicted of mailing threatening communications to a federal judge in Pensacola.
Court documents and evidence presented at trial revealed that in October 2024, Summers sent a handwritten letter addressed to a Federal District Judge M. Casey Rodgers at the Federal Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. In the letter, Summers wrote in part:
“I am writing this letter to you in hopes that you will know what it feels like to be helpless when you know for fact that you’re going to either be beaten so badly you’ll never function like a normal person again, or be killed. I’m very driven to have you killed, even if I’ve got to do it myself when I get out and back to Pensacola. I thought I’d have to wait until I got out, but now that I’ve thought about it I realize that I can have it done now. As soon as I leave this prison and get back to my perminet [sic] camp I’ll get on one of the many cell-phones there and green light a hit on you … Hell if I have to I’d shoot your head off as you pull in to that gate at the Court house, I can do it from that park next door. I don’t care if I get more time or even killed. As long as I get you first. So how dose [sic] it feel to know who is going to be responsible [sic] for your life, yet not be able to stop it or do anything about it?”
“When threatening statements exceed the legal bounds of constitutional Free Speech, my office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute those criminal threats to ensure they do not have the opportunity to ripen into acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin. “Criminal threats directed at public officials are becoming alarmingly more common, and this must stop now. We have zero-tolerance for such criminality in the Northern District of Florida and will seek maximum punishments to keep our public officials safe”
At trial, counsel for Summers claimed that Summers wrote the letter as part of his mental health therapy, and that Summers never intended to mail the letter. However, the Government’s case revealed that mental health therapy did not include threatening letters; that the prison takes steps to ensure that inmates do not inadvertently send letters to the courts; and that Summers told another inmate his desire to have the Judge killed. The jury swiftly returned a guilty verdict.
Summers faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for August 6, 2026, before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II, in Pensacola.
Click images to enlarge.
Today: Fresh Produce on Wheels From Millie Mobile Market In Molino
April 29, 2026
The Millie Mobile Market is scheduled to be in Molino on Wednesday with a variety of fresh produce.
Millie will be at the Molino Community Center (Molino Library) at 6450 North Highway 95A from noon until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 272. Future visits are planned for April 29, May 6, and May 20.
During the Molino visits, Millie will offer a menu of fresh produce at discounted prices (see list 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.
Northview And Jay Earn Mercy Rule Wins To Advance To Softball District Championship
April 29, 2026
The Northview Lady Chiefs and the Jay Royals both claimed mercy rule wins in the Rural District 1 softball semifinals on Tuesday.
No. 1 Northview and No. 2 Jay will play for the district championship on Thursday at 6 p.m. in Jay.
Northview 14, Baker 1
Junior Kylee Langham had a big day Tuesday as the Northview Chiefs won their district semifinal 14-1 in five innings over the Baker Gators in Jay.
Langham went a perfect 4-4 with a home run, four runs, and five runs batted in. Her three-run home run to center field came in the bottom of the fourth. Daviona Randolph also went an incredible 4-4 for the Lady Chiefs, with three RBIs, two runs, and a stolen base.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Mikayla McAnally opened in the circle for the Lady Chiefs, giving up just one hit and no runs in three innings, walking none and striking out eight. In relief, Peyton Womack allowed no hits and one unearned run, and recorded two strikeouts while walking two.
Womack also went 2-4 at the plate.
Northview heads into the district championship at 17-5, while Baker’s season ended at 9-12.
Jay 14, Paxton 0
The Jay Royals shut out the Paxton Bobcats 14-0 in five innings.
Mylee Frazier hit a grand slam to center field in the second inning as she went 2-2 for the Royals. Emery Vaughn went 3-for-4 for the Lady Royals, while Kaylee Gilbreath, Cadee Carroll, and Kylei Martinez each added multiple hits.
Ella Samford earned the win for Jay, giving up one hit and no runs in a complete game five innings, walking two and striking out seven.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Fall To Pace In District Semis
April 29, 2026
The Tate Aggies fell 7-1 to the No. 1 Pace Patriots on Tuesday in the 6A District 1 semifinals at Pace.
Kaylyn Relstab went for three innings in the circle for the Lady Aggies, allowing six runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out one and walking two. Faith Middleton pitched three, allowing three hits and one run, striking out one and walking one.
Taylor Robinson went 1-for-3 at the plate with one RBI, and Breylyn Morris went 2-for-3 to lead the Aggies in hits.
The season ended at 10-14 for the Lady Aggies, while Pace (21-4) advances to the district championship on Thursday against No. 2 Navarre (13-9).
NorthEscambia.com file photos.
