Spring Warming Trend Continues
March 24, 2026
North Escambia will see temperatures climb steadily through the work week, peaking in the mid-80s by Friday under mostly sunny skies. A weak front will move through Friday night, bringing a slight drop in temperatures for the upcoming weekend, though conditions will remain clear and sunny with highs in the mid to upper 70s.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tuesday Increasing clouds, with a high near 79. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 77. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Friday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 56. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 77.
Saturday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
Sunday Sunny, with a high near 74.
Sunday Night Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Monday Sunny, with a high near 77.
OLF-8 Developer Wants County To Keep 160 Acres, Lower Price By $15 Million
March 23, 2026
A developer who purchased the OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road wants Escambia County to keep nearly 30% of the property and lower the selling price.
Last year, the Escambia County Commissioners approved the $42.5 million sale of 540 acres of OLF-8 to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises of Pensacola.
Now, Henderson wants the county to keep 160 acres and lower the purchase price to $27.5 million.
He said the plan would create a partnership with the county, giving it more control of job creation in an Employment Technology Innovation District. He said the county is in a position to secure funding, grants, or even Triumph money.
“We believe that coming together and partnering on the ETI district will allow us to have access to other financing aspects, grants, even Triumph, — where we can make sure we can develop this project the right way on the front end,” Henderson said.
He added, “540 acres is a large enough piece of property where you can curate the experience and feel of different aspects of real estate, making it all come together the way it should be.”
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
OLF-8 Developer Asks Escambia County to Keep 171 Acres and Cut Price By $14 Million
March 23, 2026
A developer who purchased the OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road wants Escambia County to keep nearly one-third of the property and lower the selling price by millions.
Last year, the Escambia County Commissioners approved the $42.5 million sale of about 540 acres of OLF-8 to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises of Pensacola.
Now, Henderson wants the county to keep 171.5 acres and lower the purchase price by just over $14 million. The change would result in the sale of 366.94 acres for $28,429,000.
At its June 5, 2025, meeting, the Escambia County Commission approved a purchase and sale agreement, and the developer made an initial escrow deposit of $100,000 before exercising an option and depositing another $50,000 to extend the original closing date of December 2, 2025, until July 16, 2026. The developer has two additional options to extend to August 17 and September 17 at $20,000 per extension.
In February of this year, a representative of the purchaser reported to the county that they had concluded that the greatest economic benefit for OLF-8 would be to develop 366.94 acres into five unique districts — commerce, town center, community, civic, and residential — and that the County should retain ownership of 171.5 acres to be developed as an ETI (Employment, Technology and Innovation) district.
The Escambia County Commission will consider the change request during its regular meeting on Thursday morning.
In January 2019, Escambia County acquired OLF-8 in a land swap with the U.S. Navy for property in Santa Rosa County. The county hired DPZ CoDesign to develop the best plan for OLF-8, and the firm presented four plans ranging from a commerce park-based concept to designs with a mix of commerce, residential and green space on the 500 plus acre site along Nine Mile Road in Beulah.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Traffic Stop Leads To Felony Drug Charges For Woman
March 23, 2026
A routine traffic stop by the Flomaton Police Department resulted in a woman’s felony arrest and the seizure of various narcotics this week.
During the stop, officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle, uncovering five different types of controlled substances. Police identified the suspect as Latanya Jones, who was taken into custody without incident.
Jones was charged with five counts of possession of a controlled substance for each of the following: morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, Suboxone, and Xanax.
Jones was booked into the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton.
Pickup Truck With No Windshield Leads To Felony Drug Charges In Century
March 23, 2026
A Century man is facing multiple charges after an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted him driving a truck without a windshield.
According to an arrest report, a deputy was patrolling the area of North Century Boulevard and State Line Road when they observed a maroon 1995 Ford Ranger traveling southbound. The vehicle was missing its entire windshield and did not have a license plate attached.
The driver, Juluis Ray Harris, pulled the truck into the Southern Pit Stop on North Century Boulevard, where he was immediately detained. The deputy had previously stopped Harris just one day prior and issued him a citation for driving with a suspended license.
During a search following the arrest, deputies discovered two plastic baggies in Harris’ pocket. One baggie contained approximately two grams of a white crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, while the second contained 1.2 grams of a substance identified as synthetic cannabinoid, commonly known as “spice”, according to an arrest report.
A search of the truck yielded no other contraband, though deputies noted the passenger door could not be opened. Harris’ vehicle was left at the scene with a friend at his request.
Harris, 61, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (methamphetamine), felony possession of synthetic cannabinoids, and misdemeanor driving while license suspended or revoked (second conviction). He was released on a $3,500 bond.
Mostly Sunny, High In The Mid 80s For Monday
March 23, 2026
Expect plenty of sunshine with temperatures climbing into the low to mid 80s on Monday. A weak front mid-week will briefly introduce more cloud cover, but not rain in the forecast. By next weekend, a slight cooling trend will bring afternoon highs back down into the mid 70s under clear, sunny skies.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. West wind around 5 mph becoming north after midnight.
Tuesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 79. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. East wind around 5 mph becoming south in the afternoon.
Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Light south wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 85.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 54.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 76.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 75.
Ernest Ward Middle School Names Students Of The Month
March 23, 2026
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their February Students and Employee of the Month.
Pictured (L-R) with Principal Tyvanna Boulanger, they are: Baylee-Ann Barcinas, eighth grade; Michael Flowers, seventh grade; Leila Statam, sixth grade; and Lindsay Merritt, Civics teacher.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
These Are This Week’s Road Construction Trouble Spots
March 23, 2026
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads and projects in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
Escambia County:
- Brent Lane/Bayou Boulevard (State Road (S.R.) 296) Resurfacing, from Davis Highway (S.R. 291) to Baisden Road – Drivers may encounter the following traffic disruptions, Monday, March 23 through Thursday, March 26, between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., for paving operations and placement of thermoplastic striping:
- Intermittent lane closures on Brent Lane/Bayou Boulevard, from Davis Highway to Baisden Road.
- On-street parking closures on Bayou Boulevard, between 12th Avenue and Baisden Road.
- Ninth Avenue (S.R. 289) Resurfacing from Creighton Road (S.R. 274) to Olive Road – Drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures on Ninth Avenue, between Creighton Road and Olive Road, Sunday, March 22 through Thursday, March 26, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., for placement of thermoplastic striping.
- S.R. 296 (Michigan Avenue) Resurfacing from Mobile Highway (U.S. 90) to North Palafox Street (U.S. 29) – The week of Sunday, March 22, drivers may encounter intermittent lane closures on Michigan Avenue, from Mobile Highway to North Palafox Street, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., for paving operations and placement of thermoplastic striping.
- Business U.S. 98 (Garden Street) Construction from Pace Boulevard to the Interstate 110 (I- 110) ramp – The week of Sunday, March 22, drivers may encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions:
- Garden Street, between Pace Boulevard and N. Donelson Street, is reduced to two travel lanes (one in each direction) as crews perform construction activities on the north side of the street. This temporary traffic configuration will be in place through late 2026.
- On-street parking is closed on Garden Street, between B Street and L Street.
- Interstate 10 (I-10) at U.S. 29 Interchange (Exit 10) Construction – The week of Sunday, March 22, drivers will encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions:
- I-10 is reduced to two travel lanes in each direction between U.S. 29 and I-110.
- I-10 travel lanes are shifted away from the median area of the roadway, near the U.S. 29 interchange.
- The U.S. 29 southbound access to the I-10 eastbound on-ramp has been reduced.
- The U.S. 29 northbound ramp to I-10 eastbound is closed. U.S. 29 northbound drivers are being detoured to make a U-turn at Broad Street onto U.S. 29 southbound to access I-10 eastbound.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Widening from Bayshore Road to Portside Drive – Motorists will encounter the following traffic impacts:
- Median and turn lane closures from Bayshore Road to Tiger Lake Drive.
- Intermittent lane closures and additional median closures between Bayshore Road and Tiger Lake Drive, Sunday, March 22, through Friday, March 27, from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for paving operations.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.
No Injuries Reported In Pickup Crash Near Molino
March 23, 2026
There were no injuries in a single pickup truck crash on Sunday afternoon near Molino.
The crash happened on Highway 95A near Adams Lane.
The driver of a pickup truck lost control, left the roadway and struck a tree.
The Florida Highway Patrol investigated.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
AAA: Florida Gas Prices Rose 22 Cents Last Week, Fastest Rate In Years
March 23, 2026
Florida gas prices are climbing at the fastest rate in four years. AAA reports that escalating conflict with Iran has disrupted the global oil supply chain, triggering a sharp spike in crude oil prices and rapidly driving up the cost of gasoline.
Since the conflict began, oil prices have surged by roughly 45 percent in just three weeks. That increase has directly raised the cost of producing gasoline and pushed Florida’s average gas price up $1.07 per gallon. Drivers have watched prices rise from $2.88 per gallon to $3.95 per gallon in a matter of weeks.
For the average driver, that jump translates to real dollars. Filling a typical 15-gallon gas tank now costs about $16 more than it did earlier this month.
Price increases show no sign of slowing. Last week alone, Florida’s statewide average rose by 22 cents. Sunday’s average of $3.95 per gallon marks the highest daily gas price Florida has seen since July 2022.
The low price Sunday night in North Escambia was $3.69 at a station on on South Highway 29 in Cantonment. In Pensacola, a station on West Nine Mile Road was at $3.49 Sunday night, and the warehouse clubs were at $3.53.
“Global events can hit drivers’ wallets quickly, and that is exactly what we are seeing right now,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “When oil prices spike this fast, refineries pay more for fuel, and those costs reach consumers almost immediately. Unfortunately, Florida drivers should expect continued volatility as long as global supply concerns remain unresolved.”