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Pensacola Outlaws Motorcycle Club Member Gets Seven Years In Federal Prison For Arson

A Pensacola Outlaws Motorcycle Club Member has been sentenced to federal prison.

Gregory E. Simonds Jr., 43, of Escambia County was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for arson by means of an explosive causing personal injury

Court documents reflect that on February 15, 2025, during an altercation with a group of individuals associated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Harley Davidson on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, Simmons set off an explosive that damaged the adjacent Jimmy John’s restaurant building and injured one of its employees. Although the defendant drove away from the scene, he was quickly identified and arrested by law enforcement. In his car, officers recovered four more explosive devices, two guns, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and an Outlaws Motorcycle Club vest. During a subsequent search of his residence, federal agents seized additional explosive devices, explosive making material and equipment, and other evidence that the defendant was making and selling explosives.

“This case could certainly have ended much differently. When someone chooses to use an explosive device in a public place, they put innocent lives at risk,” said Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden. “I’m proud of the outstanding work of our investigators, in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, and FDLE, in building a case that led to this sentence.”

The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations.

State Issues Max Fine After FPL Contractor Herbicide Application

A state investigation has found that a contractor working for Florida Power & Light misused herbicides during an aerial application in Santa Rosa County after the death of several animals.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) will fine the contractor Industrial Helicopters $20,000, the maximum allowed.

The spraying occurred on May 20 and caused several farmers to complain about damage to property, including farm animals. State Senator Don Gaetz then asked FDACS to investigate.

The FDACS investigation found that herbicides were misused and misapplied in aerial overspraying by Industrial Helicopters, which was operating under a contract with FPL to control brush growth under power transmission lines.

Specifically, the contractor was cited for “conducting an aerial application which resulted in pesticide drift to a non-target site, for failing to follow pesticide label restrictions and for failing to comply with the rules related to use of organo-auxin herbicides.”

“My priority is to ensure that the concerns of affected residents are taken seriously and that the facts surrounding this incident are fully investigated. Property owners deserve answers when an event of this nature results in the loss of animals, concerns about environmental impacts and questions regarding the safety of aerial spraying near homes and farms,” Gaetz said. “I will continue to monitor this matter closely and encourage all agencies involved to take appropriate action.”

Gaetz is encouraging FDACS to forward their findings to the FAA to look for potential violations.

“I am also ensuring that the Public Service Commission, which regulates Florida Power and Light, is informed of the investigation,” the senator said.

In a statement released on Thursday morning, FPL said:

“We understand that FPL’s vegetation management activity has raised concerns for some families, farmers and residents. At FPL, we have taken their concerns very seriously, paused contractor activity related to herbicidal spraying and cooperated fully with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) throughout its investigation.

“We are reviewing the department’s findings carefully.

“Vegetation management is essential to keeping the electric grid safe and reliable, and it must be performed responsibly and with appropriate safeguards. Any time a contractor performs work for FPL, we want to ensure it meets both the state’s standards and our high expectations for customer safety and service.

“We have policies and procedures in place for vegetation management and will continue to evaluate our oversight processes to uphold our high standards for safety and environmental responsibility for our customers and the communities we serve.”

File photo.

15 Arrested In ECSO Warrants Sweep

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrested 15 people during a three-day warrants sweep recenthly.

Charges on the suspects ranged from failure to register as a sex offender to stalking and aggravated battery.

Graphic: Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Woman, 77, Seriously Injured In Morristown Road Crash

A 77-year-old Santa Rosa County woman was seriously injured when he crashed in a vehicle on Morristown Road west of Jay.

At approximately 1:40 p.m., a tractor hauling a dump style trailer was stopped, preparing to back into a construction site on the west side of Morristown Road. The Florida Highway Patrol said the 77-year-old failed to stop in time for the stopped traffic and crashed into the other vehicle. She was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.

The other driver, a 56-year-old Highland Home, Alabama man, was not injured.

Hernández’s Homer Not Enough In 7-1 Wahoos Loss

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday, falling 7-1 to the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

Cristian Hernández opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo homer, but that would be one of only three hits mustered by the Pensacola offense on the night. Ryan Costeiu (W, 6-4) worked 6.0 solid innings, allowing two hits and striking out five, in a dominant start for the Trash Pandas.

Rocket City ambushed Blue Wahoos starter Alex Williams (L, 4-7) in the home half of the first inning, as Nick Rodriguez doubled and came in on a Jake Munroe RBI single. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Caleb Bartolero and Jake Thompson with two outs in the inning put the Trash Pandas ahead 3-1.

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the seventh, when the Trash Pandas loaded the bases against Jack Sellinger. Tucker Flint was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and Thompson lashed a two-run single that ended up emptying the bases thanks to a throwing error from third baseman Juan Matheus. Thompson, who played for the Blue Wahoos from 2023-25 and was recently signed by the Angels out of independent ball, was 2-for-3 with three RBI in his Trash Pandas debut.

Blake Weiman, Chris Cortez and Luke Murphy finished off the Blue Wahoos with an inning each of scoreless relief from the Trash Pandas bullpen.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Trash Pandas on Thursday night.

Escambia County Veterans Services Outreach In Molino On Thursday

The Escambia County Veterans Services Office will hold an outreach event in Molino on Thursday, July 2.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Molino Community Center, located at 6450 Highway 95A.

Veterans Services Office staff members will be available to help with topics including reviewing VA benefits, filing a VA claim, and re-evaluating VA disability. Additional vendors include:

• Escambia County Property Appraiser
• Council on Aging of West Florida
• Legal Services of North Florida
• Northwest Florida Area Agency on Aging
• Pensacola Vet Center
• United Way of West Florida

Assistance is provided on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge. No appointment is required.

Pickup Hydroplanes During Heavy Thunderstorm, Crashes Into Flooded Ditch

A driver crashed into a flooded drainage ditch during a heavy thunderstorm in Walnut Hill Tuesday evening.

The man said he was traveling north on South Highway 99 near Morgan Road when he hydroplaned in deep water crossing the roadway during the storm. He lost control, with his GMC Sierra, and trailer landing in the deep ditch.

The man was not injured. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

NWE 13U Chiefs Bagging Groceries Today, Friday To Raise Funds

The NWE 13U Chiefs will be bagging groceries for donations at the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 in Davisville to raise funds for the upcoming regional baseball tournament in Monroe, Louisiana. They will be bagging on Wednesday, July 1, and Friday, July 3, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. NorthEscambia.com file photo.

Blue Wahoos Blast Rocket City For Fourth Straight Win

The Pensacola Blue Wahoos continued to punish Southern League pitching on Tuesday night, opening up their six-game road series with a 9-2 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas.

After scoring 12 runs in each of their past three games last weekend in Chattanooga, the Blue Wahoos didn’t quite live up to that pace. They did, however, add four more home runs and made a couple of stellar defensive plays to win their fourth game in a row.

Rocket City struck first in the bottom of the second, as Juan Flores lined an RBI double off the warning track in center field for a 1-0 Trash Pandas lead. The Blue Wahoos would counter in a big way in the top of the third, racking up four runs on six hits against Trash Pandas starter Eybersson Polanco (L, 3-4) to take the lead for good.

Payton Green led off with a double, and scored on a long two-run homer from Dylan Jasso. Cam Cannarella followed with a solo homer of his own, his sixth in the past week and a half, to give the Blue Wahoos a 3-1 lead. Consecutive singles from Juan Matheus, Fenwick Trimble and Brandon Compton added another for a 4-1 advantage.

Flores greeted Blue Wahoos reliever Holt Jones (W, 2-0) with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but that would be the extent of the damage against the Pensacola bullpen. Cannarella made a leaping catch at the right field wall to rob Mac McCroskey and end the fourth, and catcher Ryan Ignoffo picked off Nick Rodriguez straying too far from third base to end the fifth. The Trash Pandas collectively went 0-for-12 with men in scoring position on the night, leaving nine men on base.

Green added a solo homer in the sixth inning, and Compton capped a three-hit night in his Double-A debut with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the eighth. With two walks and a hit batsman to load the bases, Juan Matheus contributed a finishing kick later in the inning with a two-run single for a 9-2 lead.

Jones, Kade Bragg and Livan Reinoso all protected the lead with effective relief for the Blue Wahoos before Huntsville native Christian MacLeod ended the game with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Trash Pandas on Wednesday night.

written by Erik Bremer

WSRE Ends Affiliation With PBS, Effective July 1

Sesame Street, Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, Masterpiece Theatre and other PBS favorites are now gone from WSRE-TV 23.

As of July 1, the station, operated by Pensacola State College, has ended its affiliation with PBS after several decades. Last year, President Donald Trump signe an excutive order to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and PSC lost $1.5 million in state and federal funding.

Now, WSRE is replacing PBS shows with a wide variety of lineups, including educational, cultural, and musical content, Pensacola State College features, locally produced WSRE shows, and programming from the Florida Channel. The station’s subchannels—PBS World (23.2), Create (23.3), PBS Kids (23.4), and a dedicated Florida Channel (23.5)—have also been discontinued

There will be special programming this week for America’s 250th. The regular programming schedule is as follows:

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