U.S. Postal Employee In Escambia County Indicted For Mail Theft
April 29, 2026
An Escambia County mail handler has been indicted on federal charges.
Divincent M. Madison, Jr., 25, was indicted for one count of delay or destruction of U.S. Mail, one count of theft of U.S. Mail by a U.S. Postal Service employee, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
He faces up to five years in federal prison on each count and is set for trial on May 18, in Pensacola.
Additional details on the allegations were not provided by U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin as he announced the indictment.
Lewis Jr. Homers, But Bullpen Falters In Loss To Shuckers
April 29, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos twice came back from early deficits in their homestand opener against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night, but surrendered five late runs in a 7-2 loss.
Jacob Miller turned in his best start of the season, allowing one earned run over 5.2 innings for the Blue Wahoos. The Shuckers scored an unearned run in the second inning on a Brendan Jones fielding error and Blake Burke RBI groundout, but the Blue Wahoos answered in the home half on a Fenwick Trimble RBI single.
Burke homered off Miller in the top of the sixth to put Biloxi ahead 2-1. It was the league-leading eighth of the season for Burke, with four coming against the Blue Wahoos.
Ian Lewis Jr. answered in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh, lacing a game-tying home run to left field off Shuckers reliever Jesús Broca (W, 1-1). It was the first at the Double-A level for Lewis Jr., who homered six times in 2025.
The Shuckers took the lead for good in the top of the eighth against Blue Wahoos reliever Colby Martin (L, 1-1). Damon Keith hit the first pitch of the inning for a solo homer, the first allowed by Martin in his professional career. Two walks, two singles and two wild pitches followed as the Shuckers scored four runs for a 6-2 lead.
Eduardo Garcia capped the night with an RBI single in the ninth inning for a 7-2 Shuckers win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Wednesday.
written by Erik Bremer
Charles Wade Stanton
April 29, 2026
Charles Wade Stanton, 61, of Robinsonville, AL., passed away on April 26, 2026. He was born in Atmore, AL., to Jesse Sewell Stanton and Gladys Moye Stanton.
Charles was a farmer most of his life and later worked at West Florida Cotton Gin. He enjoyed going to the creek with friends and family.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa Hudson Stanton; his son, Jesse Stanton of Milton, FL; his daughter, Amy (Johnny) Lacy of Bratt, FL; and a step-son, Trey (Cierra) Hudson of Theodore, AL. He is also survived by a brother, Dennis (LeeAnn) Stanton of Robinsonville, AL, his sister Judy (Steve) Lambert of Robertsdale, AL, 11 grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Johnson- Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Don Sanks officiating. Charles will be laid to rest beside his great-great-grandfather, W. W. Stanton, at Canoe Methodist Cemetery in Robinsonville, AL.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until service time at 10:00 a.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Tracy Edwards, Tony Hadley, David Coleman, Ben Lindsey, Rodney Helton, Chad McMurphy, Jake Godwin, and Blake Young.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Giovanni ‘Gino’ Christopher Planer
April 29, 2026
Giovanni “Gino” Christopher Planer, age 33, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away on April 22, 2026.
He was born at West Point Military Academy on September 11, 1992 to Russell Scott Planer and Wendy Lynne Groover. Giovanni had a ten-year career in the United States Navy and later became an IT cybersecurity specialist government contractor. He attended both Liberty Church and Voyage Church and had a passion for sharing the Lord. Giovanni enjoyed family and friends, motorcycles, finance trading, video games, and living his life to the fullest in his new found home of Florida.
He is survived by his daughter Anna, his father Russell Planer and his wife Eileen, his mother Wendy Groover and her husband Jeff, his sisters Christina and Alyssa, his brothers Carlos, Zach, Brian, Eleazar, and Erl Joaquin.
A memorial service will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home at 1000 S. Hwy 29 Cantonment, FL on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., with Pastor John Teele officiating.
Giovanni’s final resting place will be at the at the Salisbury National Cemetery, 501 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144. A graveside service will be held there at 9:00 a.m. Friday, May 8, 2026, with Pastor David Cooper officiating. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post 34 in Rock Hill along with the US Navy.
Sandra Marie Ferguson
April 29, 2026
Sandra Marie Ferguson, 38, of Atmore, Alabama, passed away on April 27, 2026. She was born in Norfolk, Virginia, to Charles and Jamie Johnson Ferguson.
Sandra was a member of Brooks Memorial Baptist Church and a cook at Wind Creek Casino. She was also hardworking, kind, funny, and enjoyed socializing with her friends.
She is survived by her parents; her brothers, Chris Ferguson of Virginia Beach, VA., David (Sarah) Ferguson of Canada; her sister, Amanda (Jason) Hardy of Columbus, MS, nieces and nephew, Abbriana, Kensley, Allie, and Alex.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Six Lanes For Hwy 29? Four Lanes For Hwy 97? Rural Transportation Projects Survey Open
April 28, 2026
Six lanes for Highway 29? Four lanes for Highway 97? Those are just a few of the proposed projects on the Regional Rural Transportation Plan (RRTP) 2026 Transportation Project Priorities list — a list of proposed projects that aim to improve mobility, safety, and connectivity across rural area of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa counties, as well as all of Holmes and Washington counties.
The RRTP Technical Advisory Committee will consider the project priority rankings, possibly changing the priority order, during a meeting on May 21.
This list of recommended projects is submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help identify which projects will receive state and federal funding in the upcoming Five-Year Work Program.
The TPO relies on public input to ensure transportation decisions reflect the needs of the community. Whether you drive, bike, walk, or take transit, your voice helps shape the future of Florida-Alabama’s transportation network.
The public comment period is open now (click here). The survey will close on May 1, 2026.
Project priorities in Escambia County, and their current rankings, are :
Capacity Project Priorities
No. 2. Highway 29 Widening
- Feasibility study on widening 37.2 miles of Highway 29 from four to six lanes from I-10 to the Florida/Alabama state line in Century.
No. 6 Highway 97 Widening
- Project development and engineering (PD&E) to widen 22 miles of Highway 97 from two to four lanes from Highway 29 in Molino to the Florida/Alabama state line at Atmore.
No. 8 Widen Portion of Highway 4
- Feasibility study on widening 39 miles of Highway 4 from Highway 29 in Century to Highway 189 in Baker. This would not include Highway 4 between Century and Highway 97 in Davisville, a county road.
Resurfacing Projects
No. 1 Highway 164 Resurfacing
- Resurface 11.5 miles of Highway 164 from Highway 97 to Highway 29
No. 2 Highway 168 Resurfacing
- Resurface 5.9 miles of Highway 168 from North Highway 99 to Highway 4A
No. 4 Highway 4 Resurfacing
- Resurface 3.4 miles of Highway 4 from Highway 97 to North Highway 99 in Bratt.
No. 6 State Line Road Resurfacing
- Resurface 0.4 miles of State Line Road in the Century town limits.
No. 7 Highway 182/Molino Road Resurfacing
- Resurface 0.67 miles of Highway 182/Molino Road from Highway 29 to Highway 95A.
Safety Priority Projects
No. 3 Highway 29 and Highway 97 at Crabtree Church Road
- Safety study in the high crash area of Highway 29 and Highway 97 at Crabtree Church Road in Molino.
Updating Contact Info Is Vital For School Emergency Alerts, Official Says
April 28, 2026
When a bomb threat was received Monday for Beulah Middle School, the Escambia County Public Schools notified parents within a few minutes.
But many parents and guardians said they were never notified.
“We sent notifications to the phone numbers or emails that we have in FOCUS,” Escambia County Public Schools Communications Coordinator Cody Strother said. “We ask parents and guardians to make sure the information is updated each year.”
The phone number or email address on file is used for notifications at all public schools in Escambia County, not just Beulah Middle.
Strother said that parents can call their child’s school, but it is fast and easy to check and update contact information in the FOCUS portal.
“We need information that is accurate in the database,” he said.
The bomb threat at Beulah Middle School on Monday was determined to be unfounded after multiple law enforcement agencies searched the school for nearly two hours.
Slight Chance of Shattered Rain Tonight And Wednesday; Rain Likely Wednesday Night
April 28, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A slight chance of showers between 7pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 7pm. Increasing clouds, with a low around 67. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 57. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 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 cloudy, with a low around 47.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Escambia Man Charged in 2025 Fatal Nine Mile Road Hit And Run
April 28, 2026
An Escambia County man has been charged in connection with a fatal hit and run last year on Nine Mile Road.
A pedestrian was struck and killed in a hit and run during the early morning hours of June 20, 2025, on Nine Mile Road, and the suspected hit and run driver has surrendered to troopers.
Kenneth Early Bodley, Jr., 34, was booked into the Escambia County Jail last Friday on a charge of hit and run failure to stop or remain at a crash involving death. He was released Saturday night on an $88,000 bond.
About 3:58 a.m., the victim, identified as Roderick Bennett of Cocoa, Florida, was out for his morning exercise and jogging in or near a Nine Mile Road crosswalk. Bodley, who was traveling east in the inside lane of Nine Mile Road in a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, failed to see Bennett in the crosswalk, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. Troopers said he failed to stop and continued east on Nine Mile Road.
Bennett was transported to Baptist Hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 4:48 a.m.
A witness told troopers that the suspect vehicle passed him at a high rate of speed on Nine Mile Road, and he watched as the vehicle failed to stop at the red light at University Parkway.
Bodley’s vehicle was identified using license plate reader cameras, the report states, and a trail of vehicle parts led to Water’s Edge Apartments on Gloria Circle, about one half mile away. Investigators determined that Bodley lived at the complex, but they were unable to locate him or the vehicle.
Just before 10 p.m. on the day of the crash, the FHP dispatch center received a call from Bodley’s attorney, stating that he was at the FHP Pensacola Station to turn himself in. Bodley told a responding trooper that he was driving the Chevrolet Traverse involved in the crash and drove to his mother’s house on Lee Street in Pensacola. Troopers located the vehicle behind the residence, and located blood on the bumper belonging to Bennett, according to DNA testing.
“The defendant’s vehicle collided with the victim causing fatal injuries. The defendant failed to stop his vehicle and render aid, failed to remain on scene or report the crash. The defendant left the scene leaving the victim lying on the roadway,” the trooper’s report states.
FFA Outreach: Tate High Students Teach Jim Allen Fifth Graders About Agriculture
April 28, 2026
Jim Allen Elementary School fifth graders learned about cotton and peanuts.
Members of the Tate High School FFA visited with the students, reading to them and taking part in educational activities.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
