Tate High Inducts New National Honor Society Members
September 23, 2026
Three dozen new members were inducted this week into the National Honor Society at Tate High School.
Membership is based on the organization’s four pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
- Laura Ave
- Emma Bellinger
- Avery Davis
- Brayden Luciano
- Trent Madden
- Ridge Minnick
- Landyn Prescott
- Peyton Sapp
- Ella Sherbrook
- Katy Stefanko
- Bryson Taylor
- Brooke Ward
- Emma White
- Camilla Carstens
- Olivia Cruise
- Sophia Della Ratta
- Brooke Durham
- Ella Frank
- Walker Freeman
- Emalyn Maxwell
- Aubrey Moodie
- Christopher Pennewell
- Emma Rathbun
- Presley Spikes
- Alena White
- Brittney Abney
- Noah Anderson
- Grace Best
- Zaria Cannon
- Olivia Collette
- Hannah Doodeman
- Akaela Marshall
- Kiley Menser
- Raelyn Phelps
- Addyson Smallwood
- Ali Wynne
Officers are:
- President: Brayley Cayton
- Vice President: Estella Perea
- Secretary: Torrie Garrett
- Treasurer: London DeLancey
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sunny Skies and Pleasant Lows Ahead for the Area
September 23, 2026
Tuesday evening’s sunset sky put on the quite the show in North Escambia, with dramatic blazing colors over Tate High School’s sports fields (above) to a colorful sunset over a Molino field (below) and a rainbow visible pointing the way on Highway 29 in Cantonment (bottom).
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 71. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 66. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. Calm wind.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85. Northeast wind around 5 mph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Calm wind.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Monday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Reminder: Thursday Is Entry Deadline For Northview High Homecoming Parade
September 23, 2026
Thursday is the registration deadline for the October 2 Northview High School Homecoming Parade on October 2.
For free entry to participate in the parade, click here for an entry form and release (pdf). Registrations are due by Thursday, September 24.
The parade will line up at noon and roll at 12:30 p.m. from Northview High School. It will travel east on Highway 4 before turning on Bratt Road by the Travis Nelson Park, around the park to Ashcraft Road to Highway 99, travel north past Bratt Elementary School, turn back onto Highway 4 and end at Northview. (Note that Ashcraft Road has a very narrow shoulder with no place to park.)
Guidelines and rules for parade participants include:
- The parade will follow the same route used in recent years.
- Cheer stunts are strictly prohibited on floats.
- Candy and throws must be provided by each individual group and may not be thrown until floats reach Highway 4.
- All floats should be decorated prior to arriving at Northview; only minor touch-ups will be allowed on campus.
- Floats will line up and park in the field next to the Northview bus loop. No parking is permitted in the bus loop.
- Floats must depart campus before afternoon buses arrive, or they will be required to hold until after school dismissal at 3:20 p.m.
- Participant and parent parking, as well as drop-off and pickup for younger participants, is located behind the Northview baseball field.
- Chaperones are responsible for students until they are picked up by parents.
- Group leaders and parents must supervise all children brought to the pep rally in the gym.
- Participants should bring their own water.
Pictured: The 2025 Northview High School Homecoming Parade. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Laws, Final $1 Minimum Wage Hike Arrive October 1
September 23, 2026
Among the new laws taking effect October 1 are changes in how police identify criminal gang members, a new penalty for those who involve minors in animal fighting, and a clarification on license plate frame rules.
The final $1 increase in the state’s voter-approved minimum wage will also take effect Sept. 30, pushing it up to $15 per hour. It’s part of the 2020 constitutional amendment spearheaded by prominent Orlando lawyer John Morgan.
Under the amendment, the minimum wage went to $10 an hour on Sept. 30, 2021, and grew by $1 on Sept. 30 of each subsequent year. Any future increases will be based on inflation.
Tipped employees will also see their base wage increase from $10.98 to $11.98 per hour on Sept. 30.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, unchanged since July 2009. An employer of a tipped employee is required to pay $2.13 per hour in direct wages provided the tips equal the federal minimum wage.
The majority of legislation that successfully advanced out of the 2026 regular session and a series of special sessions became law July 1, the start of the current fiscal year, or upon the signature of Gov. Ron DeSantis. But some laws and provisions don’t take effect until October 1.
Among the changes in state law as of October 1:
TRANSPORTATION
— The pre-sales process begins for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to offer specialty license plates involving: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC); Miami Northwestern Alumni Association; Outsider; St. Petersburg College; and First Responders Resiliency. (SB 246)
— Clarifying a 2025 law regarding frames placed around a license plate, the 2026 legislation allows frames if they don’t cover the primary features of the plate — essentially the letters, numbers and registration sticker. (SB 488)
FELONY REGISTRY
— A “career offender” registration is to be created similar to the sexual offender registry. The new law requires habitual violent felony offenders, violent career criminals, and three-time violent felony offenders to annually provide their address, phone number, employment, vehicles, professional licenses and immigration status to the local sheriff. Those individuals must also report changes of address, phone numbers and employment within 48 hours and have the marking “775.261,” signifying “career offender,” on their driver license or state identification card. (SB 1332)
LEWD BEHAVIOR
— Observing a child under 16 for sexual gratification, while intentionally exposing sexual organs in a lewd manner, regardless of the minor being aware of being observed, becomes a third-degree felony. (HB 1525)
ANIMAL CRUELTY
— Penalties are increased for animal cruelty, with a new third-degree felony offense for adults who involve minors in animal fighting, baiting or in sexual offenses. Children charged would have to undergo psychological evaluations and, if recommended, treatment. (HB 559)
COURT ORDERS
— Willfully violating a “no contact” court order carries new penalties, with law enforcement authorized to make a warrantless arrest when the officer has cause to believe the order was violated. (HB 397)
GANGS
— Makes it easier to categorize a person as a criminal gang member, from allowing a spouse to make the identification to accepting online admissions of gang membership and reducing the number of times a person must be seen in the company of gang members from four to two. The bill also defines the term “gang-related language” to mean any verbal or written statement that signals gang affiliation, supports gang activity, or uses recognized gang codes, symbols, or terminology associated with criminal organization. (HB 429)
DRUGS
— The manufacture, selling or even delivery of xylazine outside its allowed use as animal drug products for veterinary purposes becomes a first-degree felony. Also, selling or possessing nitrous oxide, unless for approved uses at grocery stores, becomes a third-degree felony. (HB 432)
written by The News Service of Florida
Tough Tuesday On The Court For Tate, Northview
September 23, 2026
It was a tough Tuesday night on the court for area teams as both the Tate Aggies and Northview Chiefs dropped home volleyball matches.
Niceville 3, Tate 0
The Tate Aggies fought hard Tuesday night on their home court, but the visiting Niceville Eagles managed to stave off a spirited Aggie rally to take the district match 3-1.
Niceville came out sharp early, controlling the tempo to hand Tate back-to-back 25-18 defeats in the opening two sets. Faced with an 0-2 deficit and their backs against the wall, the Aggies refused to go quietly.
Tate stepped firmly on the gas in the third set, surging with aggressive net play, crisp passing, and relentless energy. The Aggies turned the tables on the Eagles, storming ahead to claim an emphatic 25-18 win to flip momentum and bring the home crowd to its feet.
However, Niceville managed to regroup and answer in the fourth set. Despite Tate’s sustained hustle, the Eagles re-established their rhythm to seal the match with another 25-18 frame.
The Aggies, now 12-16, will travel to West Florida on Wednesday at Fort Walton Beach on Thursday.
Flomaton 3, Northview 0
In Bratt, the Northview Chiefs dropped a straight-set match to the visiting Flomaton Hurricanes, falling 25-7, 25-22, 25-16.
After a slow start in the opening set, Northview rallied to push Flomaton to the wire in a tightly contested second frame before the Hurricanes pulled away late to secure the sweep.
Next up, the Lady Chiefs will host the Jay Royals on Thursday at 5 p.m.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jimmy Ray Bell
September 23, 2026
Jimmy Ray Bell, 82, of Atmore, AL, passed away on September 18, 2026. He was born on February 4, 1944, to Charles Gordon and Lucy Mae Stuckey Bell.
Jimmy served in the Army National Guard and worked as a paint specialist with DentalEZ.
He absolutely loved fishing and was an avid Alabama football fan.
Jimmy is preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Eugene Bell, Cecil Bell, and Hazel Barnett.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Anita Joann Cooper Bell; his daughter, Kelly (Frank) Brantley of Atmore; and many nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Canoe Freewill Cemetery in Canoe, AL, with Rev. Arnold Hendrix officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Canoe Freewill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Dean McGowan, Steve Harville, Curtis Chavers, Robert McCullough, Wayne Redditt, and Jerry Poulsen.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mary Ann Bishop Hathaway
September 23, 2026
Mary Ann Bishop Hathaway, loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend met her savior on September 18, 2026.
Mary Ann was born on November 26, 1936. She grew up in Fitzgerald, GA. She graduated from S. D. Lee High school in Columbus, MS. She also attended Birmingham Business College in Alabama. She met her husband, Red, in Columbus, GA while skating at a park; they were married in 1956 and moved to Pensacola in 1957, where they raised their only son, Ricky.
Mary Ann was a member of Cottage Hill Baptist Church. She enjoyed reading Christian books, especially the Love Inspired series. She traveled as often as possible and always had a smile on her face. She was a member of Wesco Senior Center where she loved to line dance.
Mary Ann is preceded in death by her husband, Howard L. Hathaway; her only son, Richard, Howard Hathaway, Sr.; her mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Bishop; her brother, Watson Bishop; and her sisters, Eleanor Swymer and Minnie Davis.
Mary Ann is survived by her sister, Sue Rutherford, of Fitzgerald, GA; her brother, Robert Bishop of Eatonton, GA; her grandchildren, Michael Eric Hathway, Richard Howard Hathaway, Jr., Lorra Hathaway, and Colt Hathaway; six great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Graveside service will be at Bayview Memorial Cemetery on Scenic Hwy at 2:00pm, Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Faith Chapel North Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hadji Shrine of Pensacola.
Ransom Middle Students Return To Campus After Threat Is Cleared
September 22, 2026
Students were kept off campus temporarily at Ransom Middle School this morning due to a bomb threat.
“This morning, Escambia County Public Schools received a threat against Ransom Middle School. Out of an abundance of caution, we contacted law enforcement and efforts to secure the campus were undertaken,” said Cody Strother, communications coordinator for Escambia County Public Schools. “Ransom’s campus was subsequently secured and law enforcement commenced a thorough investigation. As the campus was secured, the threat was deemed non-credible and classes were resumed. Because the safety of our students and employees is our top priority, we will continue working closely with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice.”
The all-clear was given by 10:15 a.m., an hour after the normal start time at the school on West Kingsfield Road, and students were returned to campus.
Earlier in the morning, students and buses were rerouted to nearby Kingsfield Elementary School.
“They received a threat on a tip line,” Morgan Lewis, spokesperson for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, said. “K-9s conducted a full search of the school.”
Lewis said another school in Florida received a very similar “bot” threat this morning.
West Roberts Road Closing Yet Again After Brief Reopening
September 22, 2026
West Roberts Road will completely close on Tuesday, this time for the rest of the week.
A portion of West Roberts Road that was closed August 29 reopened by last Friday, September 18, nearly two weeks beyond the estimated Labor Day weekend time frame.
But as we reported Sunday, it is closed to through traffic again between Tate Road and Stallion Road. This time, Escambia County says the road is expected to reopen by Saturday, September 26.
“The public’s patience is appreciated as crews work diligently to complete this project as soon as possible,” Escambia County said in a statement on Monday.
Once that complete road closure ends, intermittent lane closures will resume along West Roberts Road as the project continues, and periodic detours will be utilized along Kingsfield Road, Stallion Road, and Tate Road for the duration of the project.
The $5.16 million West Roberts Road Roadway and Drainage Improvements Project started in April and was first expected to be completed by fall 2026, but the schedule has now been pushed to winter 2026, weather and construction coordination permitting.
Residents, pedestrians, local traffic and emergency vehicles will have access to properties within the work area at all times; however, there may be short periods when a driveway or entrance may be blocked temporarily as equipment and materials are moved during construction.
Pictured: West Roberts Road was open at the railroad tracks just east of Highway 29 on Saturday, September 19. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
UWF Welcomes Two National Merit Finalists, Including A Tate High Graduate
September 22, 2026
The University of West Florida welcomed two National Merit Finalists this fall semester, including a Tate High School graduate, bringing the recipients of this scholarship to 20 students since 2017.
Tate graduate James Donald “Jack” Treick and Micaiah Henry are among the approximately 16,000 students across the country who met the requirements for finalist standing out of an estimated 1.3 million participating high school students in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship competition.
The National Merit Finalists earn UWF’s top scholarship with a total value of more than $50,000, including full tuition, room and board; an $800-per-semester book stipend and a research or study abroad experience.
“We are proud to welcome this year’s top scholars to the University of West Florida,” said UWF President Manny Diaz Jr. “These students have already demonstrated exceptional academic achievement, and we are committed to providing the opportunities and support to help them continue to excel and make a meaningful impact in their future professions.”
James Donald “Jack” Treick, a mechanical engineering major from Cantonment, was drawn to UWF for the ability to bring his engineering creations to life while pursuing high impact internship and research opportunities.
“UWF’s opportunities for research, internships and in-depth personal project support leave me excited to design and execute new ideas,” Treick said. “Exploring the labs and learning about the relationships that the University has with local companies such as the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition and American Magic showed me that there are a lot of opportunities for formative internships. I look forward to growing as both a problem solver and person while attending UWF.”
Micaiah Henry, an exercise science major from Kenai, Alaska, is grateful to be able to pursue a career interest in prosthetics and orthotics thanks to the financial opportunities and support offered by UWF.
“Before receiving the National Merit Scholarship, college was nowhere in my plans for the future because it was too expensive,” Henry said. “UWF’s generous scholarship program has opened up the door to an enormous opportunity and an adventure that was entirely unexpected. I am thrilled to be joining UWF this fall to explore a different part of our beautiful country, make new friends and challenge myself in my classes.”
The University also hosted its annual President’s Scholarship Competition, which awards top Florida-resident incoming freshmen who show potential to serve as future leaders with the Institution’s most prestigious scholarship, the Pace Presidential Scholarship. This scholarship is offered in conjunction with Florida Bright Futures and covers on-campus room and board, tuition, an $800 book stipend and a research or student abroad experience, totaling more than $50,000.
The six students who were awarded the Pace Presidential Scholarship in 2026 include:
- Laila Chavarrie Service, clinical laboratory sciences major from Gulf Breeze High School
- Asher Colley, natural science major from Spanish River Community High School
- Elizabeth Ellis, biomedical science major from Milton High School
- Kamryn Gibbs, of Molino, pre-BSN major from West Florida High School
- Elijah Riffell, electrical engineering major from Pace High School
- Alexis Walders, pre-BSN major from Pace High School
In 2019, the University established the Argo Spirit Scholarship, a full-ride, competitive scholarship awarded to first-time-in-college freshmen who have shown strength of character, or “Argo Spirit.” Argo Spirit involves overcoming obstacles, fighting for something important and making an impact while in high school.
The five recipients of 2026 Argo Spirit Scholarship are:
- Marcus Cadet, cybersecurity major from Atlantic Community High School
- Brea Lyle, pre-BSN major from Jay High School
- Vanessa Neville, biochemistry major from Pine Ridge High School
- Nadia Poole, pre-BSN major from Bay High School
- Brenton Scofield, pre-BSN major from J.R. Arnold High School
Pictured: National Merit Finalists James Treick (left) and Micaiah Henry (right) with UWF President UWF President Manny Diaz, Jr. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.