Cantonment Contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste Sentenced To 30 Years
August 31, 2026
Embattled Cantonment contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste was sentenced Monday morning to 30 years in state prison following his conviction last week on racketeering and organized fraud charges.
Chief Judge John Simon sentenced LaCoste to 30 years on each count—racketeering and organized fraud over $50,000—with the terms ordered to run concurrently.
A six-person jury deliberated for less than one hour Thursday before finding LaCoste guilty as charged under Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and organized fraud. Jurors heard testimony that LaCoste used his company, LaCoste Construction Group, to defraud dozens of area homeowners out of $2 million between 2018 and 2022.
He was ordered to pay over $2.1 million in restitution.
Sentencing was delayed following the verdict so that victims could be present to speak at Monday morning’s hearing. Several victims provided testimony detailing how they paid LaCoste tens of thousands of dollars—and in some cases hundreds of thousands—for home rebuilds and repairs that were never completed or never started.
Both charges were first-degree felonies carrying a maximum of 30 years each, meaning LaCoste could have faced up to 60 years in prison if the judge had ordered the counts served consecutively.
LaCoste was previously sentenced in 2025 to 10 years in prison for grand theft and contractor fraud.
Driver Cited Following T-Bone Crash With ECSO Deputy In Byrneville
August 31, 2026
A 68-year-old McDavid man was cited by troopers after pulling from a stop sign into the path of an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Monday morning in Byrneville.
The crash occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of Raines Road and West Highway 4. The man had stopped at the stop sign on Raines Road, but pulled into the intersection to make a left turn as a deputy was traveling westbound on Highway 4. Following the T-bone-type collision, the driver of the Hyundai Elantra continued west about 600 feet before coming to a stop, while the door of the Elantra remained stuck in the push bumper on the ECSO cruiser back near the intersection.
The 68-year-old driver was transported by Escambia County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, and his 10-year-old male passenger was transported by Escambia EMS to Atmore Community Hospital. None of the injuries were considered serious.
The 29-year-old deputy was evaluated on the scene and not transported.
The Florida Highway Patrol cited the Elantra driver for failure to yield to oncoming traffic from a stop sign
The Century Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue and additional ECSO deputies responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FDOT Considering Traffic Light Or ‘Restricted Crossing U-Turn’ For Highway 29 At Highway 196
August 31, 2026
The Florida Department of Transportation is considering two options for a Highway 29 safety project at Highway 196 (Barrineau Park Road). One option is a traditional traffic signal, and the other is called an RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) intersection that would force vehicles to make U-turns on Highway 29 to cross over.
Traffic Signal
The traffic signal option is very straightforward; keep the intersection as it is now and install a traffic signal. Current drawings for the traffic signal option show the current turn lane on Highway 29, and no additional turn lanes on Highway 196.
RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn)
An RCUT design would use a concrete barrier to close the median and prevent Highway 196 drivers from crossing over Highway 29. Drivers on Highway 196 would be required to turn right onto Highway 29 and use a designated U-turn location to reach the other side.
Click here for more design images.
Timetable
Both alternatives are at the 60% design phase, with final design of the chosen design anticipated in early 2027. The development process is currently in the design phase with construction of the final design anticipated in 2027-2028 and completion in 2028. Both design and construction are funded.
Public Meeting
FDOT will hold a hybrid public meeting with attendance either in person or virtually, on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. at Victory Assembly of God at 1895 Victory Road (just south of the Highway 29 and Highway 196 intersection). The same materials will be presented in both formats.
Registration, Public Comment
- To register to attend, click here.
- For an interactive map, click here.
- To submit public comment, click here.
Click any image to enlarge.
Two Escambia Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced To Federal Prison
August 31, 2026
Two Escambia County fentanyl traffickers have been sentenced to federal prison.
Thomas Christopher Morton, 47, and Laurie Ann Chapman, 54, were each sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Morton was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Chapman was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
Court records indicate that Morton and Chapman were the targets of a multi-month joint agency investigation. During that time, law enforcement conducted surveillance and documented multiple instances of both defendants distributing fentanyl. The investigation concluded on May 29, 2025, when officers conducted a traffic stop and found the defendants in possession of more than 100 grams of fentanyl intended for a prearranged sale.
“Every time our dedicated agents and law enforcement partners seize fentanyl we save lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, Tampa Field Division. “Fentanyl traffickers remain DEA’s top priority.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Florida Cattle Ranchers Push Back On Trump’s Beef Import Plan
August 31, 2026
Florida’s cattle ranchers are criticizing President Donald Trump’s move to import 300,000 tons of tariff-free beef to lower prices for consumers.
Blaming President Joe Biden for increased prices, Trump announced the deal on social media recently, saying it would drop the cost of beef to 25 percent below current market prices.
“This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
But Florida’s cattle ranchers, and ranchers across the country, are “disappointed,” said Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
The Florida Cattlemen’s Association agrees.
“Artificially interfering with the cattle market is not sound policy — especially when producers continue to face record-high prices for many of the inputs required to raise cattle,” said the group’s president, John Williamson. “Strong markets are encouraging cattlemen to rebuild their herds, and government intervention that disrupts those market signals threatens both producer confidence and the long-term stability of America’s beef supply.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, beef and veal prices are expected to increase 10.7 percent this year. This past April, the average retail price for beef set a record high at $9.64 per pound, up about 13 percent from 2025.
Excessive drought across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic and increased operating costs have dwindled the U.S. cattle herd to a 75-year low after pushing farmers to liquidate their herds, according to the Federal Farm Bureau Federation.
In Florida this year, the state battled the harshest drought in decades, with approximately 80 percent of the state facing extreme conditions in April, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Florida currently ranks ninth in the country for beef production, according to the Annual Florida Cattle Market Report. In January of this year, the average price for a calf in Florida was 59 percent higher compared to last year and 76 percent higher than in 2024.
When asked for comment, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who is running for a second term and has been endorsed by Trump, said the best response is to promote the Fresh From Florida program, which markets Sunshine State produce.
“Our brand awareness and sales are as high as they’ve ever been,” Simpson said. “We know how important our Florida farmers and cattlemen are; we will continue to do all we can to help them. I encourage everyone to buy local Fresh From Florida products to support our farmers.”
by Ana Goñi-Lessan, The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Cantonment Man Pleads Not Guilty To Pensacola Construction Site Grand Theft
August 31, 2026
A Cantonment man was arrested after allegedly stealing commercial light fixtures from a downtown Pensacola construction site.
Joseph Wade Walling, 52, of Twilight Drive, was charged with felony grand theft from a posted construction site.
According to an arrest report from the Pensacola Police Department, officers responded to the parking lot at 33 East Gregory Street regarding a theft reported across the street at a construction site located at 98 North Jefferson Street.
A supervisor on the site told police that two LED vapor-tight light fixtures—valued at approximately $120 each, for a total of $240—were discovered missing from the building’s seventh floor. Suspecting Walling, an employee at the site, the supervisor walked across the street to the parking lot, where he reported seeing the missing fixtures inside Walling’s white 2005 Acura sedan.
After being detained and read his rights, Walling told officers he found the fixtures sitting outside near a concrete barrier and assumed someone had left them behind. Walling stated he placed them in his car for safekeeping so they would not be stolen and planned to notify someone at the end of the workday, adding that he had not been on the seventh floor that day.
Police recovered the light fixtures from Walling’s vehicle and returned them to the supervisor.
Walling was booked into the Escambia County Jail and later released on a $2,500 bond. Court records show he has entered a not guilty plea and is scheduled to return to court in mid-September.
Century Teen Charged in Fatal Showalter Park Shooting Transferred to Adult Court, Claims Self-Defense
August 31, 2026
A 16-year-old Century teen charged with first-degree murder in connection with a deadly shooting at Showalter Park has officially been ordered transferred to adult court, where he is now being held without bond.
Keyunta Iveon Ewing of Mayo Street, known locally as “Baby K,” appeared in court on Friday. A judge ordered that he be transferred from juvenile custody to the adult court system and held without bond pending his formal arraignment scheduled for September 11.
During court proceedings, Ewing claimed self-defense, asserting that the fatal victim, Adarius Da’Shun Odom, was about to shoot someone else prior to gunfire breaking out.
Ewing surrendered to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office on Friday night, August 21, at the Department of Juvenile Justice in Pensacola. He was booked on an active warrant for first-degree felony murder without premeditation following the August 13 shooting that left Odom dead and another young man injured.
Arrest warrant affidavits obtained by NorthEscambia.com reveal extensive details about what investigators say occurred leading up to and during the fatal encounter.
The Incident and Scene
At approximately 6:53 p.m. on August 13, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office patrol units were dispatched to Showalter Park at 7890 Kelly Field Road in Century following reports of a shots-fired disturbance.
Arriving deputies located Odom, known as “Daily,” lying on his back behind a white four-door Kia sedan in the parking area between the ball field and playground. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and neck. Escambia County EMS responded to perform life-saving measures, but Odom was pronounced deceased at the scene. Spent shell casings were discovered near his body.
Shortly afterward, a second victim, Da’Quan “Money” Johnson, arrived at Jay Hospital suffering from a through-and-through gunshot wound to his leg. Both Odom and Johnson were members of the 2018 Flomaton High School state championship Hurricanes football team.
While there were no organized activities taking place at Showalter Park at the time, youth football and cheerleading practices were underway nearby at Anthony Pleasant Park, which is connected to Showalter by a wooded trail and footbridge. The sound of multiple gunshots prompted coaches and Century Blackcats Youth Football and Cheerleading organizers to halt practice and clear the park.
Conflicting Statements and Video Evidence
About an hour and a half after the shooting, ECSO investigators interviewed Ewing at the Century Precinct. According to the report, Ewing claimed he had gone to the park to watch a prearranged fistfight between two individuals.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons previously stated a group of seven to eight people, some from Alabama and some from Florida, had gathered at Showalter Park to reportedly fight over a girl.
Ewing initially told investigators that after the fight, Odom reached into his waistband and stated, “You ain’t going to do that to my boy,” prompting Ewing to run toward the woods. Ewing claimed he heard three gunshots as he ran, followed by approximately four more once he entered the tree line. During that initial interview, Ewing was wearing a red and gray hoodie and black shorts.
However, investigators executed a search warrant on the cellphone of another witness who had been at the park. Video recovered from the phone showed two males engaging in a fistfight, with Ewing walking around near the end of the recording wearing a pink hoodie and dark-colored shorts.
Witness Accounts Describe Ambush and Robbery
Witness statements provided to investigators contradicted Ewing’s initial claims and described an attempted robbery rather than a sudden gun battle.
A witness interviewed at Jay Hospital told deputies that he had gone to Showalter Park with four of his cousins to settle an argument through a fistfight, noting that nobody intended to use a firearm. He reported that after the fight ended, a shorter male in a hoodie approached one of his cousins with a handgun and attempted to rob him before opening fire.
On August 15, another witness provided a sworn statement at the ECSO 6th Precinct in Century. The witness stated that after the fistfight concluded, the group was standing around talking about playing video games. At that point, the witness said Ewing pulled a handgun from his shorts, pointed it at Odom, and demanded, “Give it up, give it up,” before shouting, “Get the drake, get the drake” — street slang referring to a Draco AK-47 style pistol, according to the report.
The witness told deputies that Odom raised both hands and said, “Hold on bro, you got it,” before Ewing shot Odom four to five times in the chest. The witness stated Johnson was also struck in the leg during the gunfire before they rushed him to Jay Hospital. The witness subsequently identified Ewing from a photo lineup.
On August 19, investigators conducted an interview with another witness at the West Fraser Timber Company sawmill in McDavid. That witness corroborated the account, stating he heard Odom say, “You got it, you got it,” looked over to see Odom with his hands raised and Ewing pointing a gun, and watched Ewing open fire before everyone fled the scene. That witness also positively identified Ewing in a photo lineup.
Retaliatory Gunfire and Court Status
The same evening as the homicide, deputies responded around 8:00 p.m. to a separate shots-fired call on Mayo Street, just blocks from the park, where multiple bullet holes were found in a home. Sheriff Simmons previously stated investigators believe that home is connected to Ewing and that the gunfire was retaliatory.
Ewing remains held without bond pending his formal arraignment and proceedings in adult circuit court on September 11.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Gas Prices Remain Elevated Heading To Labor Day Weekend
August 31, 2026
Florida drivers are paying slightly more at the pump as they head into the Labor Day holiday weekend. The state average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.89 per gallon, up 3 cents from last week. However, gas prices have remained relatively stable throughout much of the summer, according to AAA.
Sunday, the average in Escambia County was $3.69, down from $3.78 one week ago and $3.88 one month ago. A low of $3.45 could be found Sunday night at the warehouse club in Pensacola. In North Escambia, a low of $3.52 was available at a station on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
Although pump prices have fluctuated from week to week, Florida’s state average has hovered around $3.92 per gallon over the past 45 days, generally remaining within a narrow range despite volatility in the energy market.
“Drivers have seen gas prices move up and down throughout the summer, but the overall trend has been relatively stable,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Florida’s state average has remained near $3.92 per gallon for the past month and a half, which means motorists are approaching Labor Day with fuel costs that are generally in line with what they’ve been paying all summer.”
File photo.
Highs In Low 90s With Rain Chances Peaking By Wednesday And Thursday
August 31, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Tuesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Thursday: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Saturday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Sunday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
Wahoos Quieted By Biscuits In Sunday Finale
August 31, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos were unable to shrink their magic number to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday afternoon, falling 7-2 to the Montgomery Biscuits.
Despite the loss, the Blue Wahoos still left Montgomery with four wins in six games and hold a 7.5-game lead over the Columbus Clingstones in the second half race with 12 games to play in the regular season. Their magic number remains at six with six upcoming head-to-head matchups against the Clingstones starting on Tuesday.
Joey Volini (L, 2-3) surrendered a two-run homer to Biscuits slugger Will Simpson in the first inning to set the Blue Wahoos back early. Pensacola responded in the top of the third against Montgomery starter Chris Clark, with RBI singles from Adrian Santana and Brandon Compton to tie the game 2-2.
Compton’s hit extended his on-base streak to 22 games, and capped a dominant month of August in which he batted .333 with 13 doubles, a triple, 8 homers, 27 RBI and a 1.153 OPS.
The Biscuits took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, as Volini departed the game in apparent discomfort with the bases loaded and two outs. Mason Vinyard entered from the bullpen on short notice, issued a bases-loaded walk to Justyn-Henry Malloy, and allowed a two-run double to Connor Hujsak to put the Biscuits ahead 5-2.
J.T. Arruda added a two-run homer in the fourth to extend Montgomery’s lead to 7-2, and the Biscuits bullpen took things from there. Hayden Snelsire (W, 5-3), Tommy McCollum and Junior William each worked 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to cap the contest.
Though the month ended in defeat, the Blue Wahoos finished August with an 18-7 record for the highest winning percentage in a calendar month in franchise history.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos continue their road trip on Tuesday with their series opener in Columbus against the Clingstones.