Cantonment Man Charged With Dirt Bike Theft, Burglary
June 12, 2026
A Cantonment man was arrested this week after allegedly stealing a dirt bike from a local property.
Jordan Garrett, 30, was charged with felony burglary of an unoccupied structure and felony grand theft of a motor vehicle.
According to an arrest report, a deputy responded to a residence on Jacks Branch Road regarding a stolen vehicle. A green 2023 Kawasaki dirt bike had been secured inside a shop on the property earlier that evening. A witness later noticed the shop doors open and heard a dirt bike operating nearby.
While patrolling the vicinity, a deputy located and stopped Garrett riding a matching dirt bike northbound on Green Tree Circle, the report states.
Garrett remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond because his bond was revoked revoked in a pending assault case.
Standoff Ends In Arrest After Suspect Attempts To Run Over Trooper
June 12, 2026
A pursuit ended in a barricade situation and arrest Thursday afternoon after a traffic on Michigan Avenue and Valle Escondido Drive turned into a standoff.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle at approximately 12:02 p.m.. The driver, identified as Wesley Spencer, attempted to run over the trooper with his vehicle before fleeing the scene.
FHP pursued Spencer to his residence, where he brandished a firearm as he exited the vehicle. Spencer then barricaded himself inside the home with a handgun.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, and negotiators spoke with Spencer for over an hour. The Florida Highway Patrol SRT and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team deployed tear gas into the residence, forcing Spencer outside.
Spencer, age 43 of Aurora, Colorado, was taken into custody by the FHP without further incident. He faces charges of fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement and aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, with additional charges pending. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Cantonment Woman Gets Probation On DUI Charge For Hitting Worker On Beulah Road
June 12, 2026
A Cantonment woman was recently convicted of DUI involving property damage or personal injury, for striking a construction worker on Beulah Road, north of Nine Mile Road in March.
She was sentenced to 12 months probation, under a plea agreement, ordered to complete 50 hours of community service and to attend DUI school or a drug rehabilitation program. Her driver’s license was also suspended for six months.
Crystal Jane McKnight, 43, was driving a pickup truck when she struck a construction worker with the vehicle’s mirror. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, McKnight attempted to leave the scene but was stopped by the victim, who followed her in his work truck.
Responding troopers noted that McKnight smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and was slurring her words, according to an arrest report. She reportedly struggled to maintain her balance and nearly fell during initial contact.
McKnight consented to field sobriety exercises, during which investigators observed multiple signs of impairment, including failing to maintain balance and struggling to follow instructions. Following her arrest by troopers, McKnight provided breath samples that registered blood alcohol levels of .144 and .142, both well above the legal limit in Florida, the report states.
Northview Valedictorian Braylan Shelly Named to All-Florida Academic Team
June 12, 2026
Northview High School 2026 valedictorian Braylan Shelly was selected to the 2026 All-Florida Academic Team. As a dual enrollment student at Pensacola State College, she was one of three main campus students chosen.
All-Florida Academic Team recipients are recognized by the Florida College System for their academic achievement, leadership, and service to their community.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Matheus, Belgrave Lead Blue Wahoos To Wild Extra-Inning Win
June 12, 2026
In a game filled with ups, downs, and three ejections, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos beat the Columbus Clingstones 6-5 in 11 innings on Thursday night.
Juan Matheus was the offensive star for Pensacola, blasting a three-run homer in the fourth inning against rehabbing major leaguer Hurston Waldrep and delivering a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the 10th inning.
The night began as a pitcher’s duel between Waldrep and Eliazar Dishmey, the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week making his third career start for the Blue Wahoos. Archer Brookman took Dishmey deep with a solo homer in the second inning, but that would be the only hit allowed by the young righty over 5.0 solid innings.
After a perfect first trip through the order, Waldrep ran into trouble in the fourth. Ryan Ignoffo brought home Aiva Arquette with a game-tying RBI single, and Matheus followed with a three-run homer to put the Blue Wahoos ahead 4-1.
The Clingstones chipped away against the Pensacola bullpen, as Patrick Clohisy hit a solo homer off Jake Christianson in the sixth and David McCabe hit a game-tying RBI single in the eighth against Jack Sellinger.
Kade Bragg left the bases loaded in the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth despite an unusual sequence in which Blue Wahoos defensive coach Cam Vega was ejected by home plate umpire Pedro Torres for arguing balls and strikes.
In the top of the 10th, Matheus delivered again with an RBI double to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-4 lead. Matheus was stranded at third by Brett Sears, who allowed just an unearned run over 6.0 innings of long relief for the Clingstones, giving Pensacola’s Nigel Belgrave (W, 2-4) little margin for error in the bottom half of the inning. Belgrave retired all three men he faced, but uncorked a wild pitch to score Keshawn Ogans and force an 11th inning.
The Blue Wahoos didn’t get the big hit they were looking for in the 11th against Tyler LaPorte (L, 0-2), but Emaarion Boyd sprinted home from third base on a two-out passed ball from Brookman behind the plate to put Pensacola ahead 6-5.
Belgrave came back out for the bottom of the 11th once again trying to protect a one-run lead, and executed both on the mound and by fielding his position. He foiled a Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. sacrifice bunt attempt, firing to third base to throw out Brookman, and then one batter later lobbed a perfect toss to Dylan Jasso to retire Drew Compton on a dribbler up the first base line. With Kilpatrick at third as the tying run, Belgrave struck out Ambioris Tavarez on a check swing to end a hard-fought Blue Wahoos win.
Blue Wahoos manager Nelson Prada and catcher Ryan Ignoffo were both ejected by third base umpire Warren Eubanks arguing a Kilpatrick stolen base in the 11th. Combined with Vega’s ninth-inning dismissal, they marked the first three ejections handed to the Blue Wahoos this season.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Friday night.
written by Erik Bremer
Mosquito Control To Spray Tonight In Areas Of Beulah, McDavid, Bluff Springs
June 11, 2026
Escambia County’s Mosquito Control Division will conduct fogging missions in commission Districts 1 and 5 on Thursday, June 11, in area that included Beulah, McDavid, Bluff Springs and Mystic Springs.
Fogging will begin at sunset and will continue during the evening as weather conditions allow. The timing helps target mosquitoes when they are active while reducing impacts on other insects.
Click maps to enlarge.
To request mosquito control service, call (850) 937-2198 or email mosquitocontrol@myescambia.com.
NHC Monitoring First Disturbance Of The Season; No Threat To Florida
June 11, 2026
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring the first Atlantic tropical disturbance of the 2026 hurricane season, and it poses no threat to Northwest Florida.
Forecasters said a broad area of low pressure is likely to form over the Bay of Campeche on Friday from a westward-moving tropical wave currently located over the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
Conditions are forecast to be only a 10% chance for development before the system moves inland over eastern Mexico late Saturday or Sunday.
State Fire Marshal Investigating Wednesday Night Combine Fire
June 11, 2026
The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a combine on Wednesday night just south of Century.
The fire was reported in a field about 200 feet off North Century Boulevard on Thompson Road just before 10 p.m.
Firefighters brought the equipment fire and a resulting oat field fire under control in about 20 minutes. The Florida State Fire Marshal was called to investigate the cause of the blaze.
The combine was not in operation at the time of the fire and had not been operated for several hours.
The Century and McDavid stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded.
Photos by Kyle Baumann for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny, Lower 90s Today; Rain Chance Returns For The Weekend
June 11, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, increasing clouds, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. West wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87.
Monday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Tuesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Three Former Tate Aggies Coaching In The College World Series
June 11, 2026
Three former Tate High Aggies will be coaching on college baseball’s biggest stage during the College World Series in Omaha.
They are Logan Blackmon and Jesse Sherrill of the Troy Trojans and Nolan Cain at Texas.
Logan Blackmon. Troy
Blackmon was elevated to director of Catching & Assistant Player Development ahead of the 2026 season, following three seasons on the Troy coaching staff as a graduate assistant. During his time with the Trojans, Troy has won 37-plus games for three straight seasons for the first time since 1996-98, including an NCAA Regional appearance in 2023.
The 2017 Tate graduate played his sophomore through senior season for the varsity Aggies. He played two seasons at Pensacola State (2018-19), earning All-Panhandle Conference honors as a sophomore. Blackmon was a catcher at Troy in 2021 before kickstarting his coaching career as a student assistant in 2022.
Jesse Sherrill, Troy
Former All-Sun Belt second baseman Jesse Sherrill joined the Troy coaching staff as a graduate assistant prior to the 2025 season. Sherrill assists with the development of Troy’s hitters and infielders.
Sherrill played his junior and senior years on the Aggies varsity before graduating in 2018. During his college career, he starred at Gordon State College (2019-20), Kennesaw State (2021) and Georgia Southern (2022-23). Sherrill was named to the All-Atlantic Sun Second Team in 2021 before landing on the All-Sun Belt First Team during both of his seasons at Georgia Southern. As a senior, Sherrill took home the Sun Belt batting title with a .409 batting average.
Nolan Cain, Texas
An accomplished recruiter and national-champion player, Nolan Cain begins his second season as the associate head coach at Texas in 2026. He serves as the Longhorns’ recruiting coordinator, third-base coach and mentors the catchers.
Over his nine seasons as a recruiting coordinator at LSU (2017-21), Texas A&M (2022-24) and Texas (2025-Present), Cain has inked eight top-10 classes, including six slotted in the top five nationally. In his first cycle on The Forty Acres, he signed the No. 1 class, according to both Baseball America and Perfect Game.
A four-year letterwinner at LSU (2006-09), Cain was a member of the 2009 national championship squad that defeated Texas in the CWS finals.
Courtesy image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.