New Florida Animal Cruelty Offender Database Is Now Online
January 2, 2026
A new statewide animal cruelty offender database is now online in Florida.
It’s the latest phase of Dexter’s Law, which was named after a 4-year-old black and white bulldog mix that was adopted in Pinellas County and found brutally killed a few days later in a park.
The first part of the law went into effect back in July 2025, allowing judges to increase penalties in animal cruelty cases. The next part of the law went into effect January 1, 2026, requiring the state to create and maintain a database of animal abusers.
To access the database, click here.
“Across Florida, we have seen horrifying instances of animal cruelty that demand a stronger response,” said Governor Ron DeSantis when he signed Dexter’s Law.
People who have either been found guilty, pleaded guilty**,** or no contest to animal cruelty charges will be listed in the database. The database is hosted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is designed to help shelters, pet rescues, and citizens who screen individuals before the adoption process is complete.
If a name is placed in the state database, it will remain for 10 years. The database is updated on the first day of each month.
James Edward McKinley
January 2, 2026
James Edward “Eddie” McKinley, age 70, of Atmore, Alabama, passed away on Saturday, December 27, 2025, surrounded by his family. Eddie was born on May 4,1955, to Rosa Belle Brooks McKinley and Ira James McKinley, Jr. Eddie was employed for 41 years at Kimberly-Clark in Mobile, AL, until his retirement in July, 2022. He was a long-time member of Atmore First Assembly, where he held the office of Sunday School Superintendent for many years. He enjoyed “meeting and greeting” members of the congregation and especially loved to “fist bump and high 5” with his tiniest of little friends. He loved to ride motorcycles with his friends and served as the president of the Atmore First Assembly branch of the Wheels of Faith Motorcycle Ministry. His heart belonged to missions and he had completed 19 church mission trips to such places as El Salvador, Costa Rica, Belgium, Honduras, Guatemala, Czech Republic and Panama.
Eddie is preceded in death by his parents, Ira James McKinley, Jr, Rosa Belle McKinley Whitehead, and William Whitehead.
He is survived by his wife, Ronnel McKinley; his children, Jamie (Brandy) McKinley of Ardmore, AL; Jeremy (Rebecca) McKinley of Albany, GA; Hunter Spence, Fisher Spence and Savannah Spence of Atmore, AL; his grandchildren James Thomas McKinley, William McKinley, Parker McKinley, Ally McKinley, Annabel Olander, and Warren Olander; his brothers David (Donna) McKinley of Gardendale, AL; Danny (Kathy) McKinley of Andalusia, AL; Brooks (Lana) Whitehead of Satsuma, AL; Mike (Meredith) Whitehead of Blakely, GA; and Billy Whitehead of Montgomery, AL; and one sister Debra McIntyre of Prattville, AL, along with several nieces and nephews, his church family and many friends.
Funeral services for Eddie will be held Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at Atmore First Assembly of God with Bro. Don Davis officiating.
Interment will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore, AL.
Active pallbearers will be Fisher Spence, Hunter Spence, Marlin Iutzi, Terrill Iutzi, Darrin Thompson, and Steve Grant.
Honorary pallbearers will be the Atmore First Assembly Missions team.
Visitation for Eddie will be held on Saturday, January 3, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 11:30 a.m. at Atmore First Assembly of God.
James Douglas Weaver
January 2, 2026
James Douglas Weaver, of Booneville, AL, passed away on December 28, 2025. Doug was born on October 2, 1939, to Aubrey Weaver and Doris Lindsey Weaver.
Doug graduated from Escambia County High School in 1957. He served in the U.S Army, worked in Law Enforcement, and retired from Scott Paper Company after 34 years. He was a member of Booneville Baptist Church.
He was an avid outdoorsman who loved working with his hands and enjoyed Bluegrass music.
Doug was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Linda Blake; his brothers, Aubrey Weaver, Winsten Weaver, Ronald Weaver, and Larry Weaver.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Shirley Odom Weaver; his children, Stephanie (Kenny) Powell, Mary Ann (Robert) Hubbard, Jeff (Heather) Weaver, and Joel (Hailey) Weaver. Brothers, Donald (Ernestine) Weaver, Dick (Vonda) Weaver, and Pat (Catharine) Weaver; 10 grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and two more on the way.
Funeral Services were held Friday, January 2, 2026, at Booneville Baptist Church in Booneville, AL, with Rev. David Atchison officiating.
Interment was at Lindsey Cemetery in Booneville, AL
Active Pallbearers will be the grandchildren.
Wanda Sellers Staff
January 2, 2026
Mrs. Wanda Sellers Staff, passed away on Monday, December 29, 2025, at the age of 69 in Mobile, Alabama. She was a lifelong resident of Atmore, Alabama, where she was cherished by her community. Wanda was also a devoted member of St. Roberts Bellarmine Catholic Church, where she contributed her warmth and kindness. Her memory will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.
She loved being with her family, especially as a Nona to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed going shopping and taking Sunday strolls with her husband, Chipper, always bringing joy to those around her. Everyone cherished her kind heart and patience, as she always put others before herself. Christmas was a special time for her, filled with love and the joy of watching holiday movies. She also had a passion for sewing, creating beautiful things with her hands. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
Mrs. Staff is preceded in death by her parents, Archie and Cleo Rowell Sellers; brother-in-law Mark Brown; nephew, Cody Brown.
She is survived by her husband of fifty-two years Chipper Staff of Atmore, Alabama; two daughters, Angela Leachman (Jarrod) of Atmore, Alabama and Michelle (Paul) Uriegas of Atmore, Alabama; two sisters, Vickie Carrier of Atmore, Alabama and Sandra Brown of Atmore, Alabama; grandchildren, Peyton Thompson (Nick), Sadie Smith, Mychael (Thead) Smith, Cade Leachman, Kit (Jordan) Leachman, Jake Leachman, Haley Leachman, Hunter Uriegas and Hannah Uriegas; great-grandchildren, Miller and Parker, along with Lainey which is on the way.
Funeral services will be held Friday, January 2, 2026, a t11 a.m. at Saint Roberts Bellarmine Catholic Church with Father Joji Chacko officiating.
Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Friday, January 2, 2026 from 10 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. at Saint Roberts Bellarmine Catholic Church in Boland Hall.
Pallbearers will be Cade Leachman, Nick Thompson, Demarcus Stanley, Kit Leachman, Jake Leachman, and Mychael Smith.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC Atmore, Alabama is in charge of all arrangements
Maria Moultrie Named George Stone Technical College Teacher Of The Year
January 2, 2026
Maria Moultrie was named the George Stone Technical College Teacher of the Year. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Happy New Year! Sunny Start To 2026 Before Friday Night And Saturday Showers
January 1, 2026
Happy New Year!
A cold but clear New Year’s Eve will give way to a mild and sunny start to 2026, though residents should keep their umbrellas handy for the weekend. After a beautiful Thursday and a breezy Friday, Friday night and Saturday morning, bring a high probability of rain and a few potential thunderstorms. Conditions will clear up just in time for a bright and sunny Sunday.Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
New Year’s Day: Sunny, with a high near 64. West wind around 5 mph.
Thursday Night: Increasing clouds, with a low around 45. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69. Light southwest wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Friday Night: A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before noon, then a chance of showers between noon and 3pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. High near 72. Southwest wind around 10 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 63. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 66.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
EREC Announces New Jay And Walnut Hill Office Hours For 2026
January 1, 2026
Escambia River Electric Cooperative will have new office hours in the new year.
EREC offices in Jay and Walnut Hill will now be open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., giving members an extra half hour in the mornings and afternoons for added convenience. In order to accommodate the longer hours, both of the utility’s offices will be closed every other Friday. Office hours on open Fridays will be 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The EREC Operations department will be operating five days a week and we will continue to provide 24/7 outage monitoring and response, with crews always prepared to restore power quickly and safely whenever disruptions occur.
Listed below are the Fridays when EREC offices will be closed in 2026. These dates are also listed in the EREC wall calendar available for pickup at either EREC location.
- January 9 & 23
- February 6 & 20
- March 6 & 20
- April 3 (holiday) & 17
- May 1, 15, & 29
- June 12 & 26
- July 3 (observing holiday), 10, & 24
- August 7 & 21
- September 4 & 18
- October 2, 16, & 30
- November 13 & 27 (holiday)
- December 11 & 25 (holiday)
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Schools Honor Teachers Of The Year
January 1, 2026
Escambia County Public Schools is honoring the Teacher of the Year.
Editor’s note: We are in the midst of featuring the Teachers of the Year from each of the North Escambia area schools and will continue through the weekend.
In the coming weeks, one of them will named the Escambia County overall Teacher of the Year from a list of five finalists. Those finalists are highlighted in bold below.
- Jim Allen Elementary – Michelle (Shelly) Helton
- Bellview Elementary – Teswanna Johnson
- Beulah Elementary – Shelly Mitchell
- Blue Angels Elementary – Trinity Barnett
- Bratt Elementary – Angela Stuart
- Brentwood Elementary – Sarah Long
- Hellen Caro Elementary – Lori Walsh
- N. B. Cook Elementary – Megan Habayeb
- Cordova Park Elementary – Brittany Foster
- Ensley Elementary – Susannah Wright
- Ferry Pass Elementary – Nikki Cole
- Global Learning Academy – Whitney Osborne
- Holm Elementary – Etter Wright
- Kingsfield Elementary School – Melissa Venable
- Lincoln Park Elementary – Ashley Phillips
- Lipscomb Elementary – Courtney Geiger
- Longleaf Elementary – Gena Keszthelyi
- McArthur Elementary – Laura Sellers
- Molino Park Elementary – Chad Hetherington
- Montclair Elementary – Felicia Hudson
- Myrtle Grove Elementary – Brigit McAroy
- Navy Point Elementary – Jana Arnett
- Oakcrest Elementary – John Herber
- Pine Meadow Elementary – Tara Garic
- Pleasant Grove Elementary – Carol Larsen
- Scenic Heights Elementary – Amanda Pinckard
- O.J. Semmes Elementary – Jessica Zent
- Sherwood Elementary – Bridget Wakeman
- A. K. Suter Elementary – Juliana Barrett
- Warrington Elementary – Christina Myers
- C. A. Weis Elementary – Julia Hodo
- West Pensacola Elementary – Debra Jewell
- Bailey Middle School – Cameron Peters
- Bellview Middle – Clareta Broadnax
- Beulah Middle – Kenneth Atkinson
- Brown Barge Middle – John Blackwelder
- Ernest Ward Middle – Megan Bryan
- Ferry Pass Middle – Velvet Kalber
- Ransom Middle – Holly Kendrick
- Workman Middle – Quintarries Upshaw
- Escambia High School – Kristy Davis
- Northview High School – Brandon Korinchak
- Pensacola High School – Lora Fairhurst
- Pine Forest High School – David Dawson
- Tate High School – Richard Coleman
- Washington High School – Kathryn Cody
- West Florida High School – Tyler Mertz
- Alternative Education – Adam Stumpf
- Beulah Academy of Science – Molly Villanueva
- Achieve Academy – Brenda Baldwin
- Success Academy – Gregory Steen
- Escambia Virtual Academy – Tristan Harris
- Escambia Westgate – Kimberly Ripley
- ESE – Joyce “Kelton” Boykin
- Hope Horizon – Tara Hagan
- George Stone Technical College – Maria Moultrie
- Pensacola Beach Charter – Kimberley Talbert
Escambia Postal Worker Arrested For Trying To Run Down A Child, FHP Says
January 1, 2026
The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested a postal worker on Wednesday for allegedly trying to run down a child with his USPS vehicle.
William White Jr, 41, was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, petit theft, and criminal mischief.
According to FHP investigators, the incident was sparked by a simple delivery error. White had reportedly dropped off a package at the wrong address on Kingfisher Way. The child, whose family lives at the residence, noticed the package was intended for a different neighbor.
In an effort to help, the child placed the package on his electric scooter and began riding toward the correct address. Troopers say that when White saw the child with the mail, he incorrectly assumed the 10-year-old was stealing the package.
Witnesses and investigators state that White then purposely steered the USPS vehicle toward the child. The boy managed to jump into a nearby yard just moments before the mail truck ran over his scooter.
The confrontation didn’t end there. After yelling at the child, White allegedly retrieved the mangled scooter from beneath his truck and placed it inside the USPS vehicle. When a family member of the child ran outside to confront the carrier, White fled the scene. He later threw the scooter into a yard on Blue Jay Way before continuing his route.
Flashback: Century Opened A Millennium Time Capsule In 2025. Here’s What They Found.
January 1, 2026
The Town of Century opened a millennium time capsule a year ago, finding a lot of wet items and a few notable glimpses at local history.
The time capsule was buried in front of the town hall on January 1, 2000, and set for opening in January 2025. Over the past 25 years, water filled the concrete vault. Murky, dirty, stinky water also infiltrated the plastic bags and other containers inside. Most of the newspapers and other paper items were mush. Many photos had been printed on inkjet printers of the day, and the photos had washed away.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Several people present for the opening discovered items that they had placed in the capsule, or items from now-deceased relatives. A form created by the town back in 2000 asked residents to write down what was in each bag, along with their contact information and heirs with the apparent intent of returning the items in 2025. The time for residents to claim items passed in late 2025.
Some residents took family items home, and the Alger Sullivan Historical Society took the rest of the items to dry out what they can and document.
And, in a bit of a surprise, the lid covering the vault was signed by numerous people, most if not all of were high school students (it’s pictured in the gallery).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
