Florida’s Jobless Rate Drops For The First Time Since 2024
July 19, 2026
For the first time since the end of 2024, Florida’s unemployment rate went down last month.
A report released Friday by the Department of Commerce shows the state’s jobless rate for June at 4.7 percent, a reduction from 4.8 percent the prior two months. The rate is still 0.5 percentage points higher than the national average.
The Escambia County unemployment rate stood at 5.0 percent, a slight increase from 4.9% one month ago. The net increase for the year stood at 700 jobs with.
Locally, the education and health services fields showed increases of three percent.
Even with the one-month decline, the state’s unemployment rate stands 0.9 percentage points higher than a year ago.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.
Northview Band Member Takes Part In Florida Bandmasters Association Nine Star Honor Band
July 19, 2026
Northview High School Tribal Beat band member Aubrey Flowers took part recently in the Florida Bandmasters Association Nine Star Honor Band in Orlando.
This ensemble consisted of 106 ninth-grade students representing 62 schools across 29 Florida school districts.
Over the course of two days, these students dedicated 14 hours of rehearsals to prepare eight musical selections under the direction of FBA Retired/Life Member, Jose Lopez.
Pictured top: Aubrey Flowers. Pictured below: Flowers with Northview band director Garsche Roble. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Showers And Storms
July 19, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Sunday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10pm, then a slight chance of showers between 10pm and 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday: Showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 106. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Monday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm, then a slight chance of showers between 10pm and 1am. Mostly clear, with a low around 75. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tuesday: Showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 92. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 94. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 75.
Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Fans Pack Pensacola Beach For Annual Air Show (With Gallery)
July 19, 2026
Thousands of people absolutely packed Pensacola Beach on Saturday for the 2026 Pensacola Beach Air Show featuring the Blue Angels.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photo by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
Century Correctional Inmate Serving Time For Murder Assaulted Staff Member, FDC Says
July 19, 2026
A Century Correctional Institution inmate assaulted a correctional officer, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Inmate Angel Galarza assaulted a correctional officer by throwing a cup of unknown liquid at them, FDC said.
Galarza was serving a 25-year sentence for a 2024 Polk County conviction for first degree murder. He was set for release in 2047.
Weekly Roundup: Results Achieved
July 19, 2026
Florida Weekly Roundup is a look back at last week in a Florida politics and government.
With the white tents dismantled, generators, lighting and signage removed, and fencing no longer standing around the airstrip at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, a fight over the environmental impact of Alligator Alcatraz quietly came to a close this week.
Devoid of detainees, the lawsuit over the state-run immigration detention center by the Center for Biological Diversity was withdrawn after satellite and aerial imagery showed the alleged “air-polluting equipment” had been largely dismantled and removed.
OTHER FIGHTS CONTINUE
“We achieved the desired result with our Clean Air Act lawsuit. This detestable facility’s air pollution will not continue,” said Ryan Maher, staff attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. “But the fight continues to ensure that the site is fully remediated and the Trump and DeSantis administrations are held accountable.”
In late June, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the facility served its purpose, with those moved through the center transferred to other locations or moved out of the country.
Alligator Alcatraz closed on June 25, just shy of its one-year anniversary. But even before it opened on July 1, 2025, the facility faced numerous lawsuits on environmental, due process and civil rights grounds that sought to close it down.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in May, argued the Florida Division of Emergency Management violated the federal Clean Air Act by failing to get air quality permits for the facility.
The group alleged the diesel generators and equipment caused “substantial, unpermitted pollution,” including the release of benzene, formaldehyde, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, and would result in more than $120,000 in daily fines.
The group will continue to pursue other litigation in federal court, including a lawsuit filed in June 2025 alleging the environmental review studies weren’t completed before building the detention facility, a requirement before approval of federal contracts according to the National Environmental Policy Act.
“We and our partners will not stop until every piece of infrastructure tied to this facility is gone for good, the damage is assessed, and Big Cypress is restored,” Maher said.
In the year it was open, Alligator Alcatraz helped the federal government deport 21,000 people. Court records show Alligator Alcatraz cost the state approximately $1 million per day to run.
Florida’s other state-run detention facility, Deportation Depot, is still operating in Baker County.
TERROR PAUSED
A lengthy list of groups designated by the state as “domestic terrorist organizations” was put on hold until state law enforcement establishes regulations to implement the changes from a new state law.
The state on Monday requested additional time to respond to the Council on American-Islamic Relations federal lawsuit as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement intends to first issue regulations to implement the law (HB 1471) and a related public records exemption (HB 1473) from the 2026 regular session.
“No designation will be made before the regulations are finalized,” the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee stated.
Scott McCoy, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, which represents CAIR, said the state’s action shows the law is less about public safety than politics.
“The fact that Florida officials announced their intent to designate CAIR at their July 1 press conference, before regulations they now plan to issue have come into effect, shows their calculated and cruel plan to designate CAIR is not because it is in any way a threat to public safety, but because doing so suits their political agenda,” McCoy stated.
The law took effect July 1 and DeSantis that day declared he would seek the “terrorism” designation for CAIR, the Muslim Brotherhood, various foreign cartels, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran and the anti-fascism movement antifa.
The designations still needed to be backed by the members of the Florida Cabinet. A special meeting with DeSantis and the Cabinet members has yet to be announced.
TWO EXECUTIONS, ONE DAY
DeSantis put Florida in place to hold a day-night set of executions in less than two weeks.
As the state on Tuesday conducted its 10th execution of the year by lethal injection at Florida State Prison, DeSantis issued a new warrant for James Aren Duckett after the Florida Supreme Court lifted its stay of the former Mascotte police officer’s previously scheduled execution.
The action by DeSantis sets up two executions to take place at Florida State Prison on July 28, with Duckett scheduled to die at noon and Dominick Anthony Occhicone, 80, at 6 p.m., both by lethal injection.
Occhicone, who is set to become the oldest person put to death by the state in the modern execution era, killed his former girlfriend’s parents four decades ago in Pasco County.
Duckett was convicted of the 1987 death of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee.
Duckett, 68, was scheduled to be executed on March 31, but the justices imposed a stay to allow for the completion of DNA testing and a subsequent statistical analysis of the DNA sample.
The last time two executions were carried out in the state on the same day was May 12, 1964, when inmates charged with murder were put to death in Bay and Gadsden counties.
The deaths were the last conducted by the state until May 25, 1979, while waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a final decision on whether the death penalty was legal.
In 1972, the court in Furman v. Georgia ruled the way the death penalty was being applied was unconstitutional. However, the court four years later said the death penalty could be used when applied with clear rules for judges and juries.
STORY OF THE WEEK:
An environmental advocacy group dropped a lawsuit after evidence showed Florida had taken down generators used to power Alligator Alcatraz.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“I’m not an establishment pig. I’m a pig for the people and the hardworking families here in the state of Florida. I want to be even more clear, Republicans are a problem. But corporate Democrats are a problem as well. They are colluding with one another.” — Florida Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, when asked Wednesday about her lack of national support in her bid to the party’s U.S. Senatorial nominee.
Compton Continues To Crush As Wahoos Wallop Shuckers
July 19, 2026
Brandon Compton continued his dominant introduction to the Southern League as the Pensacola Blue Wahoos battered the Biloxi Shuckers 16-6 on Saturday night.
Compton was 3-for-5 with a double, a homer and six RBI to tie a single-game franchise record last set by Jakob Marsee in 2024. His three-run homer in the first inning was his fourth in as many games dating back to last Saturday, becoming just the fourth Blue Wahoos player in team history to homer in four straight games. He now has eight homers and 19 RBI in his first 13 games since joining the club on June 30.
Compton’s homer in the first inning set the Blue Wahoos on a winning course, and a seven-run second inning gave the Pensacola pitching staff more than enough cushion for the rest of the night. An RBI single from Cristian Hernández resulted in an early exit for Shuckers starter Jaron DeBerry (L, 7-5), who departed with an apparent injury after 1.1 innings. RBI singles from Compton and Ryan Ignoffo followed before Ian Lewis Jr. capped the big inning with an opposite-field grand slam, the third for the Blue Wahoos this season.
Blue Wahoos starter Alex Williams allowed a two-run homer to Blake Burke in the first inning and an RBI single to Matthew Wood in the third inning, but otherwise protected his massive lead over 4.0 innings of three-run ball in a no-decision.
Hernández added an RBI single and Compton followed with a two-run double in the fifth inning, extending the Pensacola lead to 13-3. Juan Matheus finished the offensive outburst with a flourish in the seventh inning with a three-run homer of his own.
Kade Bragg (W, 6-2) worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win, and Gabe Bierman and Josh Hejka worked around late trouble to finish off a 16-6 final.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Shuckers on Sunday night.
written by Erik Bremer
Quietwater Beach Boardwalk Shooting Under Investigation
July 18, 2026
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early morning shooting that left a 22-year-old man injured on the Quietwater Beach Boardwalk on Saturday.
Deputies responded to the scene at approximately 2:46 a.m. following reports of gunfire at a private, overnight camping event hosted by The Wharf. The business had utilized its privately leased portion of the beach property to host the event, charging attendees a $100 per tent to camp overnight.
Upon arriving, law enforcement secured the area and initiated an investigation. According to authorities, initial reports indicated that the victim’s injuries were self-inflicted. Investigators noted that the victim, along with several potential witnesses at the scene, refused to cooperate with law enforcement during the initial response.
Despite the lack of cooperation, investigators conducted a thorough examination of the scene and gathered available physical evidence. Preliminary findings suggest that the 22-year-old male sustained an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue to review area surveillance footage and follow up on additional evidence.
According to a statement released by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, “There is no indication of any ongoing threat to the public, and no suspects are being sought in connection with this incident.”
File photo.
UPDATE – Missing Man Located
July 18, 2026
UPDATE–He has been located.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is searching for missing and endangered Cantonment man has seen before daybreak on Saturday.
The sheriff’s office said 44-year-old Matthew Thomas Sanders, Sr. was last seen at 4 a.m. on Green Tree Circle in Cantonment. He was wearing a grey shirt, black shorts and slides-style shoes. He is 6-feet, 3-inches tall and 350 pounds with tattoos on his arms and legs.
He was left with a multicolored pit bull dog.
Anyone with information is asked to call the ECSO at (850) 436-9620.
Thousands Pack Beach For Air Show Dress Rehearsal; Here’s The Saturday Schedule
July 18, 2026
Thousands of people packed Pensacola Beach on Friday for the 2026 Pensacola Beach Air Show Full Dress Rehearsal.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Saturday at the2026 Pensacola Beach Air Show will feature an expanded lineup of military aircraft, historic warbirds and elite aerobatic performers July 17–18 over Pensacola Beach.
This year’s show carries special significance, honoring the 80th anniversary of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels alongside America’s 250th anniversary. The expanded lineup will feature more aircraft and performances than in previous years, with flight demonstrations beginning earlier than usual on Saturday.
“This year’s air show is shaping up to be one of the most memorable we’ve ever hosted,” said Robbie Schrock, SRIA Director of Administration. “Spectators will see more aircraft and more performances over Pensacola Beach. It’s an extraordinary way to honor these two historic milestones in a community with such deep ties to Naval Aviation.”
Returning this year, the voice of the air show is Luke Carrico, a seasoned announcer renowned for his dynamic and engaging commentary that places audiences directly in the cockpits overhead. Paul Entrekin, a retired Marine Corps aviator and former full-time air show pilot performer, will mark his 33rd year as the Air Boss over the show.
Due to the expanded schedule this year, flight demonstrations will begin earlier than usual. Lifeguards and public safety personnel will clear spectators and vessels from Gulf waters inside the marked aerobatic box at 10:35 a.m. Saturday, ahead of the opening act at 10:46 a.m. Spectators will later have a brief 20-minute water break from 1:30 to 1:50 p.m. before the Gulf is cleared again for the Blue Angels’ 2 p.m. performance.
All times are subject to change due to weather or other operational considerations:
10:46 to 10:56 a.m. — The show opens with a Red Bull Air Force flag jump set to the National Anthem and a high-energy teaser featuring Red Bull Air Force helicopter aerobatic pilot Aaron Fitzgerald, aerobatic champion Kevin Coleman in the Extra 300, and precision jumpers.
10:58 to 11:08 a.m. Saturday — Shannon Elliott will perform in the historic SNJ-5, showcasing the power and grace of the classic military trainer.
11:10 to 11:20 a.m. — The Pink Jet, a striking pink Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros flown by Stephanie Goetz and Olga Sannikova, combines unforgettable aerial performance with a powerful message of breast cancer awareness and community outreach.
11:22 to 11:32 a.m. — Frank Kimmel will fly his rare 1949 F4U-5 Corsair, one of fewer than 24 airworthy examples remaining worldwide out of more than 12,000 built. The Corsair remains one of World War II’s most iconic aircraft.
11:34 to 11:44 a.m. — 187th Fighter Wing F-35s based at Dannelly Field in Montgomery, Ala., will showcase the F-35A Lightning II’s unmatched stealth, sensor fusion and combat capability. Known as the “Red Tails,” the wing proudly carries forward the legacy of the WWII Tuskegee Airmen.
11:46 to 11:58 a.m. — Carol Pilon with Third Strike Wingwalking will perform atop a vintage Stearman biplane, executing daring acrobatics thousands of feet above the beach in a tribute to classic barnstorming tradition.
Noon to 12:10 p.m. — RJ Gritter will fly his Bellanca Decathlon in a routine filled with crisp loops, rolls, hammerheads and smoke-trailed maneuvers that highlight technical skill and dynamic showmanship.
12:12 to 12:24 p.m. — Father-and-son duo Ken and Austin Rieder with Redline Airshows will perform in matched RV-8 aircraft with opposing passes, tight formation flying and synchronized aerobatics.
12:26 to 12:39 p.m. — Titan Aerobatic Team will fly three WWII-era AT-6 Texan aircraft in tight, precision formation maneuvers that honor the legacy of the iconic military trainer.
12:41 to 12:51 p.m. — Skip Stewart returns with his highly modified biplane, Prometheus, delivering aggressive snap rolls, vertical climbs and his signature inverted low-level pass along the beach.
12:53 to 1:18 p.m. — Red Bull Air Force returns for a featured performance combining helicopter aerobatics, Kevin Coleman’s specialized Extra 300SHP and precision skydiving from the Red Bull Air Force Jump Team led by Luke Aikins.
1:20 to 1:24 p.m. Saturday — A four-plane formation of U.S. Air Force T-6 Texan IIs will take to the skies over Pensacola Beach, showcasing the precision, power and teamwork of the Air Force’s premier pilot training aircraft.
1:26 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday only — The Veterans Flight, organized by Pensacola attorney and pilot Roy Kinsey, will serve as a moving aerial tribute honoring 101-year-old Korean War Medal of Honor recipient and legendary U.S. Navy fighter pilot Capt. Royce Williams and all World War II and Korean War veterans.
Starting at 1:30 p.m., spectators will have a very short, 20-minute window to cool off in the Gulf before the show’s grand finale. At 1:50 p.m., lifeguards and public safety personnel will begin clearing everyone from the water in anticipation of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Spectators are urged to cooperate immediately when asked to exit the Gulf so the air show can continue safely and on schedule.
2 to 2:45 p.m. — Closing out the show on Saturday will be the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flying in their F/A-18 Super Hornets. For 80 years, the Blue Angels have represented the highest standards of excellence, teamwork and service within the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Spectators will witness signature maneuvers including the Diamond Dirty Loop, Double Farvel, Vertical Pitch, Fleur de Lis, Opposing Knife Edge Pass and crowd-favorite Sneak Pass.
“For Pensacola Beach, hosting the Blue Angels is personal. They are our hometown heroes and a proud part of our community,” said Mike Burns, Executive Director of the Santa Rosa Island Authority. “As we celebrate their 80th anniversary and America’s 250th birthday, we’re honored to share this special tradition with visitors from across the country.”
IMPORTANT NOTE: NO DRONES OR KITES ALLOWED DURING THE AIR SHOW
NorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
