Robert ‘Bobby’ Alton Cawthon, Jr.
August 8, 2026
Robert “Bobby” Alton Cawthon, Jr., 68, passed away on August 2, 2026. He was born on February 8, 1958 to Robert Alton Cawthon Sr. and Cecilia Martin Morris.
Bobby worked in the oil industry as an Instrumental & Electrical Technician. He enjoyed fishing, camping and his work at Black Jack Creek Company in Jay, FL.
He is survived by a daughter, Miranda Cawthon (James Malicoat) of Milton, FL; a sister, Marie (Dale) Levins of Byrneville, FL; and two grandchildren, Valerie and Gabriel. Bobby is also survived by friends, family, many nieces and nephews who loved him dearly.
No services are scheduled at this time.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Rescinded: Boil Water Notice Continues For Neighborhood West Of Chemstrand Road
August 7, 2026
Update: This could water notice was lifted on Sunday morning, August 9.
A boil water notice is in effect for residents in the area that includes portions of the area around Orby and Ronda streets west of Chemstrand Road.
Specifically, the boil water notice includes:
- 401-501 Ronda St.
- 11500-11509 Lou St.
- 303-387 Nowlin St.
- 300, 400, 414 and 415 Orby St.
- 11100-11133 Daniel St.
The boil water notice follows an water outage due to broken 6-inch water main on Friday.
Residents located in the specified PBWN area are advised to boil water for one minute at a rolling boil or to use 8 drops of regular unscented household bleach per gallon of water (let sit for 30 minutes), for water to be used for drinking or cooking purposes. Bacteriological sampling has been initiated, and the advisory will be lifted as soon as possible. This process routinely takes 48 hours.
ECUA crews completed the repair work and have flushed out the lines. Residents within the PBWN area and nearby are advised that there is a possibility of discolored water as a result of the utility work, and to flush their home’s plumbing by running their taps for a few minutes. If problems persist, customers are asked to contact ECUA Customer Service at 850-476-0480 for assistance.
This story will be updated when the boil water notice is lifted.
Escambia Commission Approves Ordinance Banning Data Centers, Starting Process For Moratorium
August 7, 2026
The Escambia County Commission is making it abundantly clear — data centers are not welcome or allowed in the county.
On Thursday night, the commission approved an ordinance banning large-scale data centers in the unincorporated areas of Escambia County outside the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century. And, the commissioners started the legal process to also implement a moratorium.
The actions came on the heels of a resolution approved in late July that officially memorializes the county’s position that data center facilities are not permitted under the County’s Land Development Code and are not an appropriate form of development within the unincorporated area of Escambia County.
William Nelson, county attorney designate, said the ordinance was acceptable, but not required, to clearly ban data centers.
“In my opinion, the cleanest thing to do is to continue to use the Land Development Code because it prohibits these activities because they are not specifically included in the code,” he said.
‘It’s just not permitted, and I think the problem is if we start trying to define this ourselves, then we are going to have problems,” Commissioner Steve Stroberger said.
“I think that is correct,” Nelson responded. “When we get into some of these definitions, the very technical aspects of this are unclear.”
Commissioner Mike Kohler called for approval of the ordinance and a moratorium on data centers, with other commissioners concurring.
“If that is what is going to take to ensure an additional blanket level for our community, I don’t have an issue with that,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said.
“It’s banned, clearly, because the Land Development Code does not allow for it,” Commissioner Lumon May, who cast the lone vote against the resolution, said. “It’s banned. So when we say we are going to do a moratorium, well you’ve lessened the ban. Just be consistent with what we have already been doing.”
Nelson said a moratorium would require two noticed public hearings before a vote, and was not an available option for Thursday night’s action.
At a future meeting, the commission will vote on advertising the two public hearings in order to vote on a data center moratorium.
Server rooms or small data centers would be allowed “where they are an accessory use like at a Navy federal, or UWF, or a hospital. Those are already going to be allowed because they are accessory uses. The county has a server room.”
Free Movie Night Tonight At Carver Park In Cantonment
August 7, 2026
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will host a movie night tonight, Friday, August 7, at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street.
The evening begins at 7:30 p.m., and the movie “Zootopia 2″ starts at 8 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Children must be accompanied by an adult, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own blankets or chairs.
Image courtesy Walt Disney Studios.
Back To School Events On Saturday
August 7, 2026
Back to school events will be taking place in North Escambia on Saturday.
Quintette Community Center
The Quintette Community Center will host a Back-to-School Giveaway on Saturday, August 8 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Backpack and supplies giveaway while supplies last. The child must be present. Fun activities, food, and drinks, and games at the Quintette Community Center, 2490 Quintette Lane in Cantonment.
First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill
The First Baptist Church of Cottage Hill will host a Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. until noon. Waterslides, backpack giveaways, refreshments, and more. The church is located at 230 Williams Ditch Road in Cottage Hill.
Beulah Chapel Back-to-School Community Fun Day – Byrneville
Beulah Chapel Assembly of God will host a Back-to-School Community Fun Day on Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 2311 Highway 4A in Century. The day of fun, food, and community features a waterslide, kickball, a cookout, and back-to-school grab bags for kids.
High Around 90, Scattered Showers Through The Weekend
August 7, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Saturday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Sunday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.
Monday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: 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 89.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
USPS Says Century, McDavid, Walnut Hill Mail Delivery Issues Resolved After Staffing Shortage
August 7, 2026
The U.S. Postal Service said on Thursday afternoon that delivery problems that plagued local residents have been resolved, and mail is once again being delivered.
Numerous residents in the 32535 (Century) and 32568 (McDavid and Walnut Hill) ZIP codes reached out to NorthEscambia.com to complain that they were not receiving any mail or packages, despite the USPS Informed Delivery Service indicating they were supposed to have incoming mail. Many of those residents were in the Pineville Road area, west of Walnut Hill near the Perdido River.
“The Postal Service strives to provide the outstanding service that our customers expect and deserve,” USPS Strategic Communications Specialist Tiffany Rowland told NorthEscambia.com by email. “Regarding mail delivery in Century and McDavid, local postal officials report recently experiencing a temporary staffing issue which has been resolved.”
As for residents’ concerns about not receiving tailpieces that show in the Informed Delivery service, she said sometimes that takes a few days.
“Many customers use a free feature, Informed Delivery, which provides images of incoming mail and status updates on packages. We remind customers that these daily notifications show items which are due to arrive soon, but not necessarily on that same day,” Rowland said. “Additionally, although our carriers strive to make delivery at a consistent time of day, occasionally mail and package volumes can fluctuate, which may result in a later delivery time.”
“Local postal management will continue to closely monitor operations and focus on providing our customers with the service they expect. We offer a sincere apology for any inconvenience that may have been experienced and appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding,” she added, saying that Postal customers are encouraged to reach out with any questions or concerns, either by calling a manager or supervisor at their local Post Office, by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday or 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Central time on Saturday, or visiting www.usps.com.
Walnut Hill (32568) customers should not call the Walnut Hill Post Office at Escambia River Electric Cooperative; instead, they should contact the main McDavid Post Office. The Walnut Hill Post Office is a contract Post Office and does not process mail for route carriers.
To learn more about Informed Delivery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pilot Emily Shelton Honored With Sheriff’s Medal After I-10 Emergency Landing
August 7, 2026
Flight instructor Emily Shelton was awarded the Sheriff’s Medal on Thursday, following her successful emergency landing on I-10 near 9th Avenue earlier in the week.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons presented the award to the 21-year-old pilot for her exceptional airmanship and composure under pressure. On Monday, Shelton was conducting a flight lesson when an emergency forced her to land the Piper aircraft directly onto the interstate lanes, swooping under a highway sign and avoiding traffic.
“Thanks to her quick thinking, training, and professionalism, she safely landed the aircraft and prevented what could have been a much more serious incident,” the ECSO said in a statement. “Join us in congratulating, Emily, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your outstanding airmanship and composure in a challenging situation.”
According to flight tracking data (pictured bottom, click to enlarge), the plane departed the airport in Pensacola before flying north into the North Escambia area and looping around Barrineau Park.
Annual Tate Aggies Crimson And Gray Game, Fish Fry Are Tonight
August 7, 2026
The Tate Aggies Crimson and Gray game is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Pete Gindl Stadium.
Game tickets and fish plates can be purchased on GoFan. Fish plates will also be available at the Aggie Shack.
This is an annual fundraiser for the Tate Aggies Quarterback Club to help support the football program.
Up next, the Aggies will host the Pine Forest Eagles in a jamboree game on Friday, August 14 at 7 p.m. The regular season begins August 21 as Tate hosts Marianna.
Tate Lady Aggies Host Back To School Camp (Gallery)
August 7, 2026
The Tate Lady Aggies held a Back to School Camp this week, giving campers a chance to learn and improve their skills while having fun.
The three-hour camp was for players 8 years old through eighth grade.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
