Giovanni ‘Gino’ Christopher Planer
April 29, 2026
Giovanni “Gino” Christopher Planer, age 33, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away on April 22, 2026.
He was born at West Point Military Academy on September 11, 1992 to Russell Scott Planer and Wendy Lynne Groover. Giovanni had a ten-year career in the United States Navy and later became an IT cybersecurity specialist government contractor. He attended both Liberty Church and Voyage Church and had a passion for sharing the Lord. Giovanni enjoyed family and friends, motorcycles, finance trading, video games, and living his life to the fullest in his new found home of Florida.
He is survived by his daughter Anna, his father Russell Planer and his wife Eileen, his mother Wendy Groover and her husband Jeff, his sisters Christina and Alyssa, his brothers Carlos, Zach, Brian, Eleazar, and Erl Joaquin.
A memorial service will be held at Faith Chapel Funeral Home at 1000 S. Hwy 29 Cantonment, FL on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., with Pastor John Teele officiating.
Giovanni’s final resting place will be at the at the Salisbury National Cemetery, 501 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, NC 28144. A graveside service will be held there at 9:00 a.m. Friday, May 8, 2026, with Pastor David Cooper officiating. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post 34 in Rock Hill along with the US Navy.
Sandra Marie Ferguson
April 29, 2026
Sandra Marie Ferguson, 38, of Atmore, Alabama, passed away on April 27, 2026. She was born in Norfolk, Virginia, to Charles and Jamie Johnson Ferguson.
Sandra was a member of Brooks Memorial Baptist Church and a cook at Wind Creek Casino. She was also hardworking, kind, funny, and enjoyed socializing with her friends.
She is survived by her parents; her brothers, Chris Ferguson of Virginia Beach, VA., David (Sarah) Ferguson of Canada; her sister, Amanda (Jason) Hardy of Columbus, MS, nieces and nephew, Abbriana, Kensley, Allie, and Alex.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Six Lanes For Hwy 29? Four Lanes For Hwy 97? Rural Transportation Projects Survey Open
April 28, 2026
Six lanes for Highway 29? Four lanes for Highway 97? Those are just a few of the proposed projects on the Regional Rural Transportation Plan (RRTP) 2026 Transportation Project Priorities list — a list of proposed projects that aim to improve mobility, safety, and connectivity across rural area of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa counties, as well as all of Holmes and Washington counties.
The RRTP Technical Advisory Committee will consider the project priority rankings, possibly changing the priority order, during a meeting on May 21.
This list of recommended projects is submitted to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help identify which projects will receive state and federal funding in the upcoming Five-Year Work Program.
The TPO relies on public input to ensure transportation decisions reflect the needs of the community. Whether you drive, bike, walk, or take transit, your voice helps shape the future of Florida-Alabama’s transportation network.
The public comment period is open now (click here). The survey will close on May 1, 2026.
Project priorities in Escambia County, and their current rankings, are :
Capacity Project Priorities
No. 2. Highway 29 Widening
- Feasibility study on widening 37.2 miles of Highway 29 from four to six lanes from I-10 to the Florida/Alabama state line in Century.
No. 6 Highway 97 Widening
- Project development and engineering (PD&E) to widen 22 miles of Highway 97 from two to four lanes from Highway 29 in Molino to the Florida/Alabama state line at Atmore.
No. 8 Widen Portion of Highway 4
- Feasibility study on widening 39 miles of Highway 4 from Highway 29 in Century to Highway 189 in Baker. This would not include Highway 4 between Century and Highway 97 in Davisville, a county road.
Resurfacing Projects
No. 1 Highway 164 Resurfacing
- Resurface 11.5 miles of Highway 164 from Highway 97 to Highway 29
No. 2 Highway 168 Resurfacing
- Resurface 5.9 miles of Highway 168 from North Highway 99 to Highway 4A
No. 4 Highway 4 Resurfacing
- Resurface 3.4 miles of Highway 4 from Highway 97 to North Highway 99 in Bratt.
No. 6 State Line Road Resurfacing
- Resurface 0.4 miles of State Line Road in the Century town limits.
No. 7 Highway 182/Molino Road Resurfacing
- Resurface 0.67 miles of Highway 182/Molino Road from Highway 29 to Highway 95A.
Safety Priority Projects
No. 3 Highway 29 and Highway 97 at Crabtree Church Road
- Safety study in the high crash area of Highway 29 and Highway 97 at Crabtree Church Road in Molino.
Updating Contact Info Is Vital For School Emergency Alerts, Official Says
April 28, 2026
When a bomb threat was received Monday for Beulah Middle School, the Escambia County Public Schools notified parents within a few minutes.
But many parents and guardians said they were never notified.
“We sent notifications to the phone numbers or emails that we have in FOCUS,” Escambia County Public Schools Communications Coordinator Cody Strother said. “We ask parents and guardians to make sure the information is updated each year.”
The phone number or email address on file is used for notifications at all public schools in Escambia County, not just Beulah Middle.
Strother said that parents can call their child’s school, but it is fast and easy to check and update contact information in the FOCUS portal.
“We need information that is accurate in the database,” he said.
The bomb threat at Beulah Middle School on Monday was determined to be unfounded after multiple law enforcement agencies searched the school for nearly two hours.
Slight Chance of Shattered Rain Tonight And Wednesday; Rain Likely Wednesday Night
April 28, 2026
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: A slight chance of showers between 7pm and 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 7pm. Increasing clouds, with a low around 67. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Friday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 57. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 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 cloudy, with a low around 47.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.
Escambia Man Charged in 2025 Fatal Nine Mile Road Hit And Run
April 28, 2026
An Escambia County man has been charged in connection with a fatal hit and run last year on Nine Mile Road.
A pedestrian was struck and killed in a hit and run during the early morning hours of June 20, 2025, on Nine Mile Road, and the suspected hit and run driver has surrendered to troopers.
Kenneth Early Bodley, Jr., 34, was booked into the Escambia County Jail last Friday on a charge of hit and run failure to stop or remain at a crash involving death. He was released Saturday night on an $88,000 bond.
About 3:58 a.m., the victim, identified as Roderick Bennett of Cocoa, Florida, was out for his morning exercise and jogging in or near a Nine Mile Road crosswalk. Bodley, who was traveling east in the inside lane of Nine Mile Road in a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, failed to see Bennett in the crosswalk, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. Troopers said he failed to stop and continued east on Nine Mile Road.
Bennett was transported to Baptist Hospital where he was pronounced deceased at 4:48 a.m.
A witness told troopers that the suspect vehicle passed him at a high rate of speed on Nine Mile Road, and he watched as the vehicle failed to stop at the red light at University Parkway.
Bodley’s vehicle was identified using license plate reader cameras, the report states, and a trail of vehicle parts led to Water’s Edge Apartments on Gloria Circle, about one half mile away. Investigators determined that Bodley lived at the complex, but they were unable to locate him or the vehicle.
Just before 10 p.m. on the day of the crash, the FHP dispatch center received a call from Bodley’s attorney, stating that he was at the FHP Pensacola Station to turn himself in. Bodley told a responding trooper that he was driving the Chevrolet Traverse involved in the crash and drove to his mother’s house on Lee Street in Pensacola. Troopers located the vehicle behind the residence, and located blood on the bumper belonging to Bennett, according to DNA testing.
“The defendant’s vehicle collided with the victim causing fatal injuries. The defendant failed to stop his vehicle and render aid, failed to remain on scene or report the crash. The defendant left the scene leaving the victim lying on the roadway,” the trooper’s report states.
FFA Outreach: Tate High Students Teach Jim Allen Fifth Graders About Agriculture
April 28, 2026
Jim Allen Elementary School fifth graders learned about cotton and peanuts.
Members of the Tate High School FFA visited with the students, reading to them and taking part in educational activities.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Convicted Murderer’s Visitor Arrested for Contraband At Prison In Atmore
April 28, 2026
An attempt to smuggle contraband into Holman prison in Atmore was thwarted on Saturday, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Southern K-9 Unit intercepted an attempt to smuggle contraband into the William C. Holman Correctional Facility.
During a search of visitor Horace Laster, who was visiting inmate Akeem Prewitt, K-9 officers discovered a significant quantity of illegal items.
Laster was arrested and transported to the Escambia County Detention Facility, where he was charged with trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking fentanyl, first and second-degree promoting prison contraband, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, first-degree possession of marijuana, prohibited activities, and attempting to commit a controlled substance crime.
ADOC said officers confiscated 35 buprenorphine strips, three cell phones, one SIM card, approximately 66 grams of marijuana, approximately 140 grams of methamphetamine, and approximately 14 grams of fentanyl.
Prewitt is serving a 40-year sentence for murder out of Tuscaloosa County.
Laster’s mugshot was not made available by the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center
DeSantis Signs Gaetz Bill Allowing Armed Volunteers At Houses Of Worship
April 28, 2026
Houses of worship will soon be able to use armed volunteers instead of paid private security guards beginning July 1 under a bill signed last week by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis signed SB 52, which was sponsored by District 1 Senator Don Gaetz. The legislation exempts the armed unpaid church volunteers from the same license requirements that security guards face. Paid security guards in Florida must have a Class D security officer license and Class G firearm license. Just the Class D license requires 40 hours of training.
“Unfortunately, it’s something we have to do. I didn’t want to sponsor this bill,” Gaetz said. “I didn’t want there to ever be a need to sponsor a bill like this, but unfortunately, in the times in which we live, we have to allow places of worship to be able to defend themselves and defend their congregants.”
The bill allows volunteers to provide armed security services on the premises of a church, mosque, synagogue, or other place of worship.
According to Florida Senate analysis, between 2000 and 2024, there have been 379 incidents of violence in houses of worship in the U.S. resulting in approximately 487 deaths and 172 injuries.
Pictured: Last weekend, Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church in Century celebrated its 148th anniversary. NorthEscambia file photo, click to enlarge.
Rural Class District Softball Semifinals Today For Northview And Jay
April 28, 2026
Both Northview and Jay will be in action on Tuesday in the Rural District 1 semifinals.
Northview vs. Baker
At 5 p.m. Tuesday, No. 1 Northview (16-5) will take on No. 5 Baker (9-11) in Jay. While Northview had a quarterfinal bye, Baker defeated Central 10-1 on Monday afternoon.
Northview has shut out Baker twice this year by scores of 10-0 on March 24 and in a 12-0 mercy rule shortened game on April 6.
The winner will advance to face Jay or Paxton on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the district championship.
Jay vs. Paxton
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, No. 2 Jay will take on No. 3 Paxton in Jay. Paxton shut out Laurel Hill 17-0 on Monday evening.
The winner will face either Northview or Baker on Thursday at 7 p.m. for the district championship.
Pictured: Mikayla McAnally pitches for the Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.