Parker Layfield Named Tate Rodeo Queen; Rodeo Is Friday, Saturday Nights
May 1, 2026
Tate High School senior Parker Layfield has been named the 2026 Tate FFA Alumni Foundation rodeo queen. First runner-up was Kinsley Lawson.
The 35th Annual Tate FFA Alumni Rodeo will take place Friday and Saturday nights at the Escambia County Equestrian Center at 7750 Mobile Highway. The rodeo is held in a covered arena and will take place rain or shine. Event time is 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for ages 13 and up are $12 in advance and $14 at the gate; tickets for children ages 6-12 are $5 in advance and $7 at the gate; and children age 5 and under are admitted free.
Tickets are available on GoFan. Advance tickets are available at Hill Kelly Dodge, Farm & Nursery Mart, Cantonment Mercantile, and Barnes Feed Store.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain And Maybe A Storm Tonight; Rain Ending Saturday Morning
May 1, 2026
Grab your umbrellas and keep an eye on the radar, as a soaking rain is set to move through the area tonight before a beautiful spring clearing takes hold for the remainder of the weekend. Wet weather will dominate the next 18 hours, but sunshine returns in earnest by Sunday, bringing a steady warming trend that will see temperatures climb into the 80s by the middle of next week.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 54. Northeast wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m. Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 69. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 47. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 73. North wind around 5 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Calm wind.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67.
Thursday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81.
Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Friday: A slight chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 76.
Tate Junior Honor Society Project Benefits Ronald McDonald House Families
May 1, 2026
A recent Tate High School National Junior Honor Society service project benefited dozens of families at the Ronald McDonald House Northwest Florida.
The honor society members held a supply drive, collecting donations to create 36 baby shower gift bags filled with essentials for families welcoming newborns during difficult times.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Rain Delays Northview Regional Games To Saturday, Possibly Sunday
May 1, 2026
The Northview Chiefs will host the Chipley Tigers in the Rural Division semifinals in a best-of-three series, but Friday’s game has been canceled due to weather.
The No. 1 seeded Chiefs (18-8) will host No. 4 Chipley (15-10) at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. If the teams split, a third game will be played at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The park will be cleared between games on Saturday, with a new ticket purchase required for Game 2, according to FHSAA rules.
We will keep you updated on the schedule here on NorthEscambia.com and on our Facebook page.
Northview and Chipley met once early in the regular season, with Northview winning 17-3 on February 24.
The Chiefs beat Jay 2-1 on April 17 to claim the district title. Jay will travel to Holmes County for their semifinal game.
Pictured: Northview won the district championship on April 17. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Overcome Early Deficit, Stun Shuckers 9-6
May 1, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos fell behind 5-0 in the top of the first inning, but chipped away and eventually prevailed in a 9-6 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers on Thursday night.
Brendan Jones capped the impressive comeback with a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning that proved to be the difference.
The Shuckers jumped ahead right away in the first against Blue Wahoos starter Orlando Ortiz-Mayr, stringing together an RBI single from Mike Boeve and a pair of two-run doubles from Damon Keith and Matthew Wood to take a 5-0 lead.
Pensacola answered back immediately, as Dillon Lewis and Jay Beshears hit RBI doubles and Payton Green hit an RBI single to score three first-inning runs and chase Shuckers starter Jaron DeBerry from the game.
After the Shuckers tacked on a run in the second inning on a Blake Burke double, Luis Palacios (W, 3-0) steadied the waters with 3.0 scoreless, hitless innings of relief for the Blue Wahoos.
Dylan Jasso got a run back in the third for the Blue Wahoos, lacing his first double of the season to bring home Lewis from second base and trim the deficit to 6-4.
Gage Miller led off the sixth with a solo homer, his second in as many games, against Shuckers reliever Edwin Jimenez (L, 0-1). Michael Snyder reached on an error and Fenwick Trimble doubled to set the stage for Jones, who launched a three-run homer to put Pensacola ahead 8-6.
Trimble added a solo homer in the eighth to stretch the Pensacola lead to 9-6. Palacios, Kade Bragg and Logan Whitaker (S, 2) combined for a nearly flawless bullpen effort, keeping the Shuckers hitless from the third inning through the end of the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday.
written by Erik Bremer
Louisiana Teen Arrested For Fleeing Deputies, Crashing into Innocent Driver
May 1, 2026
A Louisiana teen was arrested after fleeing from Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies and crashing into an innocent driver, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
ECSO deputies attempted to stop a silver Honda sedan driven by Peyton Jeremy Jackson of Darrow, Louisiana. FHP said Jackson fled from deputies and crashed into a Hyundai sedan driven by a 20-year-old Pensacola woman near the intersection of Mobile Highway and Massachusetts Avenue. He was later arrested by deputies.
Jackson was charged by ECSO with aggravated fleeing and eluding. He was also charged by FHP with hit-and-run with property damage and driving without a valid driver’s license.
There were no injuries.
James ‘Jim’ Stephen Walters
May 1, 2026
James “Jim” Stephen Walters, 77, of Pensacola, FL, passed away peacefully at home on April 16, 2026, having survived cancer for more than 20 years. He was born on May 1, 1948 in Buffalo, NY. He is survived by his wife, Deecee Haslett, his daughter, Sheila M. Johnson, and his grandson, Logan D. Johnson of Monrovia, MD. He is also survived by his brother John “Jack” & wife, Reba Walters of Tullahoma, TN, his brother Joel and wife, Lynne Walters of Vashon, WA and his sister, Jill W. & husband Mahlon Erb of Frederick, MD. He is preceded in death by his parents, Donald S. and Dorothy (Rodak) Walters.
After graduating from Lake Shore Central High School, Angola, NY in 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he served his country for 26 years retiring as a CTRCS (SW) in 1992. His duty stations included Great Lakes, IL, Pensacola, FL, Winter Harbor, ME, Ft. Devens, MA, Hanza, Okinawa, Edzell, Scotland, Homestead, FL, Adak, AK, Washington DC, Ft. Meade, MD and he served on the USS California (CGN-36). He earned his Bachelor of Science Magna cum Laude in Management Information Systems & Business Administration from Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, WV in 1997.
Jim obtained his Amateur Radio license in 1968 and maintained his license throughout his life using call signs WA2GIN and N4SAR. He was active in emergency communications as: Emergency/Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Escambia County, FL; Communications Captain/Commander, Assistant Director & Public Information Officer with Escambia Search & Rescue for 30+ years; and as a volunteer CPR & First Aid instructor for the American Red Cross. He was a member of the Fleet Reserve Association, the U.S. Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association and the Disabled American Veterans.
Jim was also employed by the Escambia County, FL Clerk of the Circuit Court and worked in both the private and government sectors as an information systems contractor.
In his free time, he and Deecee enjoyed square and round dancing both locally and at various locations throughout the U.S. They also enjoyed traveling and cruising.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to Emerald Coast Hospice, and the excellent care provided by their staff, especially Tiffany, Breana and Anna.
Services will be held on April 30, 2026 at Oak Lawn Funeral Home, 619 N. New Warrington Rd, Pensacola, FL. with visitation at 11:00am, service at noon and committal following at Barrancas National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
DUI Manslaughter Arrest Made For 117 MPH Crash That Killed Teen On Highway 29 In Cantonment
April 30, 2026
An Escambia County man has been arrested for a high-speed DUI crash that claimed the life of a teenager in Cantonment last November.
Terrell B. Rease, 27, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on Wednesday with no bond, charged with DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Rease was driving a Dodge Challenger northbound on Highway 29 approaching Tree Street, near International Paper, around 12:37 a.m. on November 22.
A 17-year-old male driver in a Toyota was attempting to make a left turn from the Valero parking lot to travel southbound on Highway 29 when the Dodge Challenger struck the driver’s side of his vehicle.
The teenager, who was wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced deceased at the scene.
According to the FHP, the event data recorder from the Dodge Challenger indicated Rease was traveling at 117 mph just seconds before the impact. The crash occurred in a posted 40 mph speed zone.
FHP investigators obtained a search warrant for Rease’s blood, which indicated a blood alcohol level between 0.09 and 0.16. The legal limit in Florida is 0.08.
FDLE: Beulah Man Used AI To Create Child Porn; Facing Nine Felonies
April 30, 2026
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested a Beulah man Tuesday following an investigation into the use of artificial intelligence to generate and possess child sexual abuse material.
Tyler Michael Vanover, 38, was taken into custody at his residence on Fort Deposit Drive off Bridlewood Road after a search warrant was executed by state agents. He was charged with eight felony counts of possession of certain images of child pornography and one felony count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $150,000.
The investigation began in January 2026 after FDLE received numerous tips from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating that 47 child porn images had been uploaded to a generative AI platform traced back to an IP address at Vanover’s home on Fort Deposit Drive.
During an interview with investigators, FDLE said Vanover confessed that he had a pornography addiction, and the use of AI greatly enhanced that addiction. He confessed to using Grok AI to generate child sexual abuse material, and he asked the AI to generate children in the 16 to 20-year-old range. However, he said at the time the AI would create images of much younger children.
“Vanover made a full confession to his activities online and while using the Grok AI application,” the FDLE agent wrote in his report. “Vanover stated that he had a ’sick’ addiction to pornography, which ultimately led him to generating images.”
FDLE said several child sexual abuse material images were located on Vanover’s laptop that was found inside the residence. According to FDLE, the files depicted a nude female approximately 9 to 11 years of age in a lewd and lascivious manner.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Agriculture Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations assisted with the search warrant.
Good Chance Of Rain Through Saturday
April 30, 2026
The North Escambia area is looking at a soggy finish to the work week as a front settles over the region. Showers and thunderstorms will be common through Saturday morning, with Friday night posing the greatest risk for heavy rainfall. However, conditions will improve significantly by the second half of the weekend, giving way to a beautiful and warming trend for the start of May.
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 7am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7am and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. North wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then showers likely between 1pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 69. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 54. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 77.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 57.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.