Free Sand For Flood Prep Is Available In Escambia County
June 18, 2026
Escambia County has still has free sand available for residents living in flood prone areas due to a high risk of flash flooding over the next few days.
The sand is available on a first come, first served basis 24 hours a day at the following locations:
- Don Sutton Park – 2320 Crabtree Church Road, Molino
- Travis M. Nelson Park - 4541 Highway 4, Bratt
- Equestrian Center – 7750 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
- John R. Jones Jr. Athletic Park – 555 E. Nine Mile Road, Pensacola
- Escambia County Road Department – 601 Highway 297-A
- Ferry Pass Middle School – 8355 Yancey Lane, Pensacola (NW cornerschool property on Parazine Street)
- Baars Field Athletic Park – 13001 Sorrento Road, Pensacola
- Brent Athletic Park – 4711 N. W St., Pensacola
Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels. Sandbags are typically available for purchase at home improvement and hardware stores.
Pictured: Sand at Travis M. Nelson Park in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Escambia To Consider Data Center Ban; FloridaWest Says No Active Talks
June 18, 2026
Escambia County will soon consider an ordinance to ban data centers in the county.
“FloridaWest has never been in active negotiations to build a data center.”
That’s what Chris Platé, CEO of FloridaWest, told the Escambia County Commission on Wednesday night. FloridaWest is the economic development agency for Escambia County.
“That phrase was not mine; it was the media,” he said. “There is no proposal, no incentive commitment, and no pending public action before this board, PEDC (the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission), or FloridaWest.”
He said the reports by Pensacola media that FloridaWest was in active negotiations with a company looking to build a data center were simply not correct.
Platé said it’s the job and purpose of FloridaWest to field inquiries about economic development in Escambia County, and there have been a “handful” of previous data center inquiries that have not moved forwardt. In addition, he said, local resources are limited for data centers.
“FloridaWest does not pursue any standalone or hyperscale data centers,” he said. “They are not on our target list and our regional power capacity cannot support one to begin with.”
“The large scale box that some people are picturing in their mind is not coming here,” Platé (pictured top) added with great emphasis.
“So again, just to make it clear for everybody, we are not in active negotiations with any data center, and that is not an active target for us. We would rather use the resources that they are claiming that a data center would use, for the targeted industries that we have,” Platé concluded.
Dozens of people spoke out against data centers at Wednesday night’s meeting, fueled by online information and rumors that a data center was headed for North Escambia — particularly Century or The Bluffs, a 6,000-acre site in Cantonment generally bordered by Becks Lake Road near International Paper to the north, and the University of West Florida to the south.
Platé repeatedly denied that there are any active data center negotiations. NorthEscambia.com recently sat down with Century Mayor Ben Boutwell and Town Manager Dave Murzin, who both said they had no knowledge of any data center eyeing Century.
On July 23, the county commission will vote to schedule a public hearing on an ordinance to be considered at the August 6 meeting. That ordinance, as recommended by County Attorney Alison Rogers, would not be a data center moratorium but would be an outright ban.
Rogers told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday night that the ordinance could be written to ban data centers only in the unincorporated areas — not in Century or Pensacola, giving the two municipalities an opportunity to decide their own data center future.
“The incorporated areas can do something different,” the county attorney said by text. “We can make ours only the unincorporated area.” The exact language of the ordinance must be approved by the commission.
New Assistant Principal Appointments Approved For Tate, Northview High Schools
June 18, 2026
New assistant principal appointments have been approved for Tate and Northview high schools, marking a promotion for one local educator and a new assignment for another.
Northview High School Dean Somer Bridges has been appointed as one of the three assistant principals at Tate High, taking the place of current Assistant Principal, Deans and Discipline Brandy White.
White has been named assistant principal at Northview High School after the retirement of Gerry Pippins.
“I am excited to serve the students, staff and communities of Tate High School, a school that is very rich in its traditions and legacies,” Bridges told the Escambia County School Board following her appointment. “I’m excited to begin this new chapter, and look forward to serving the Tate High School community with dedication, integrity and pride. Go Aggies!”
Both positions were approved this week by the school board and will be effective July 1.
Related Tate’s Laura Touchstone Named Escambia County Director Of High School Education
Pictured: New Tate High School Assistant Principal Somer Bridges (left) and new Northview High School Assistant Principal Brandy White. Pictured below: Bridges is congratulated by the school board. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate’s Laura Touchstone Named Escambia County Director Of High School Education
June 18, 2026
Tate High School Principal Laura Touchstone has been appointed director of High School Education for Escambia County Public Schools. The school board unanimously approved the appointment this week following the retirement of Lesa Morgan. The position of Tate High School principal remains open, but is expected to be filled by the start of the 2026-27 school year, according to the district.
“Most importantly, I want to thank the students, staff, and families of Tate High School,” Touchstone said after thanking the mentors, administrators, and teachers she worked with along the way. “Serving as principal has been one of the greatest privileges of my professional life… I will always be proud to be part of the Tate family.”
“Education changes lives. I look forward to supporting our principals and teachers as we continue the important work of creating opportunities for students and preparing them for the futures they deserve across all of our high schools,” Touchstone added. “My commitment is to serve with integrity, work with purpose, and always keep students at the center of every decision.”
Related: New Assistant Principal Appointments Approved For Tate, Northview High Schools
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Curiosity Catches the Kitty: Stuck Kitten Rescued From Tree By Escambia Animal Welfare
June 18, 2026
The Escambia County Department of Animal Rescue successfully rescued a curious little kitten on Wednesday.
The kitten somehow managed to get her head stuck in a tree. Animal Welfare officers were able to free the curious little kitty and get her back on solid ground. She was uninjured.
The kitten is now in the county shelter and under veterinary care.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Reminder: MILO, The Mobile ID And Licensing Office, Is In Walnut Hill Today
June 18, 2026
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO) will be in Walnut Hill today, June 18.
The mobile unit will be available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Walnut Hill Community Center (Ruritan Building) at 7850 Highway 97.
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 or 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.
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.
Future MILO visits are planned for July 16 and August 20 at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century, and the Walnut Hill Community Center on October 15.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Flash Flood Watch Continues Through Friday Evening
June 18, 2026
A flash flood watch in effect until Friday evening.
Heavy rainfall and persistent thunderstorms dominate the local weather picture for the latter half of the week, with the potential for significant water accumulation through Friday.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 76. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Juneteenth: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. High near 87. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10pm and 1am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 86. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Sunday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76.
Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90.
Area Residents May Hear Ascend Alarms This Morning
June 18, 2026
Ascend Performance Materials in Cantonment will hold a plant-wide “Shelter-in-Place” safety drill on this morning.
Sometime between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m., nearby residents may hear the shelter-in-place alarm (nine horn blasts) followed by three area alarms and all-clear signals, according to Ascend.
Officials said it is a routine, site-wide safety drill.
NorthEscamia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Two Cantonment Residents Uninjured In Three-Vehicle Serious Escambia County Crash
June 18, 2026
Two Cantonment residents escaped injury in a three-vehicle crash Wednesday evening in Escambia County.
The crash occurred at approximately 7:05 p.m. at the intersection of Fairfield Drive and Hollywood Avenue.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the Cantonment residents, a 62-year-old male driver and a 63-year-old female passenger, were traveling eastbound on Fairfield Drive in an SUV as a 27-year-old Pensacola man driving a sedan was also traveling eastbound in the outside lane.
According to state troopers, the Pensacola driver attempted to make a left turn onto Hollywood Avenue from the outside eastbound lane. As he turned, the rear of his sedan collided with the front of the Cantonment residents’ SUV, which was traveling in the inside lane. Both Cantonment residents were wearing their seat belts.
Following the initial collision, the Pensacola man’s sedan continued through the intersection and entered the westbound lanes of Fairfield Drive. A third vehicle, a sedan driven by a 21-year-old Pensacola man with a 20-year-old female passenger, was traveling westbound and collided with the passenger side of the crossing sedan.
The 27-year-old driver of the first sedan, who was not wearing a seat belt, sustained critical injuries and was transported to a local hospital. The 21-year-old driver and 20-year-old passenger of the third vehicle both sustained serious injuries and were also hospitalized.
The crash remains under investigation by FHP.
Blue Wahoos Split Twin Bill With Barons
June 18, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Birmingham Barons 6-4 in the first half of their Wednesday doubleheader, but blew a late lead in the nightcap to lose 6-3.
Combined with a Biloxi Shuckers loss, the doubleheader split puts Pensacola in second place by 0.5 games with four to play before the end of the first half on Sunday.
In game one, the Blue Wahoos went deep three times to account for five of their six runs. Aiva Arquette hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning, Dillon Lewis added his team-leading 14th later in the frame, and Cristian Hernández laced a two-run shot in the fifth inning.
Alex Williams (W, 4-5) outpitched Birmingham’s Gabe Davis (L, 0-2), working 5.2 innings of four-run ball. After surrendering a first-inning homer to Alec Briley, the righty settled down and effectively protected the Pensacola lead. Jack Sellinger (S, 3) inherited a pair of baserunners with the tying run at the plate in the sixth, but escaped the jam and returned for the seventh to secure a five-out save in a 6-4 final.
In game two, Lewis once again provided early offense with an RBI groundout in the first inning and an RBI single in the third. Connor Caskenette forced in the third Pensacola run with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth, though the Blue Wahoos squandered a chance to add on with the bases loaded and nobody out against reliever Phil Fox (W, 2-2).
Blue Wahoos starter Jacob Miller allowed a Brenden Dixon RBI double in the second inning, but otherwise looked sharp over 2.0 innings in his first start since coming off the injured list. Holt Jones was dominant in long relief, striking out seven batters over 3.0 one-hit innings, and Kade Bragg (L, 3-2) worked through a 1-2-3 sixth to send the game to the seventh and final frame.
Tasked with protecting a 3-1 lead, Bragg allowed an infield single and a pair of walks to load the bases. Colby Martin entered from the bullpen, getting a strikeout before allowing a game-tying two-run double to Pensacola native T.J. McCants. Martin struck out Samuel Zavala and intentionally walked Briley to load the bases for Caleb Bonemer, the top prospect in the White Sox organization who had made his Double-A debut in game one. A four-pitch walk forced in the go-ahead run, and Anthony DePino muscled a broken-bat single up the middle to score two more.
Jackson Kelley (S, 5) worked around a Lewis double in the seventh to close out a 6-3 Barons win.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons on Thursday.
written by Erik Bremer