Impact 100 Names Finalists For $1.3 Million In Grants
September 17, 2026
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has announced 20 nonprofit finalists that will share $1,313,000 in grants.
Thirteen of the 20 nonprofit Finalists will each receive a grant of $101,000 at the IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area Annual Meeting on October 11.
IMPACT 100 membership in 2026 is at an all-time high with 1,313 women. As a result of this record-breaking growth, IMPACT 100 will be able to celebrate and showcase more transformational nonprofits.
This is the 23rd year that IMPACT 100 will award grants to local nonprofit organizations. Since its inception, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 177 impactful grants totaling $18,700,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties
The 20 Finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Area Committees are as follows:
Arts, Culture & History
- Ballet Pensacola, Inc.—A Holiday Classic Restored: Updating The Nutcracker Costumes and Lighting. New costumes, scenery and LED lighting to refresh the company’s signature holiday production.
- Pensacola Children’s Chorus, Inc.—Driven to Sing: Connecting Choir & Community with Transport & Performance. A 15-person van and portable risers to bring free concerts to underserved neighborhoods.
- Pensacola Museum of Art Guild, Inc.—Best in Show: Projecting the PMA into the Future. Funding to bring the William Wegman retrospective to Pensacola and upgrade gallery technology and seating.
- University of West Florida Foundation, Inc.—WUWF Mobile Live Events Access and Preservation Project. Equipment and a dedicated vehicle to expand WUWF’s mobile live-event production and archival work.
Education
- Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc.—Flight Adventure Deck: Elevating the Future. Upgraded flight simulators and classroom furniture to strengthen middle school STEM programming.
- Santa Rosa Education Foundation, Inc.—Little Red School House: Expanding Access, Increasing IMPACT. A retrofitted utility trailer and facility upgrades for the teacher supply depot serving Santa Rosa County.
- The Pensacola MESS Hall, Inc.—Moving Science After School. Transportation, staffing and equipment to expand hands-on STEM programming to 200 elementary students.
- Umbrella Learning Academy Corporation—Regulation Station: A Secure Sensory & Social-Emotional Learning Center. A custom sensory-regulation space and ADA-rated flooring for neurodivergent students.
Environment & Recreation
- Friends of Pensacola State Parks—Rebuilding Long Pond Boardwalk. Rebuilding 750 feet of damaged boardwalk at Big Lagoon State Park.
- Keep Pensacola Beautiful, Inc.—Moving Beyond Trash: Reforestation and Invasive Species Removal. Two heavy-duty trucks to expand tree-canopy restoration in high-need neighborhoods.
- Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program, Inc.—Stories from the Bay: Inspiring Stewardship through Estuary Encounters. A new outreach vehicle and two short films supporting oyster and creek restoration work.
- Winterfest of Pensacola, Inc. (dba Five Flags Trolley)—IMPACT 100 All Access Express. A 28-passenger, ADA-accessible trolley with wheelchair lifts for residents with disabilities and seniors.
Family
- A HOPE, Inc. (dba Snip Happens)—Safer Surgeries for Family Pets. Advanced surgical and monitoring equipment for the organization’s high-volume spay/neuter clinic.
- Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Inc.—Building Promise: A Habitat–Family Promise Partnership. Construction of a 4-bedroom, 2-bath home to house two homeless families at once.
- Pregnancy Resource Center, Inc. (dba Life Options Clinic)—Parenting Education and Resource Building. A new 2,500-square-foot building dedicated to parenting classes and resource services.
- South Santa Rosa Interfaith Ministries, Inc.—Driving Hope for Families. An 18-foot box truck to grow thrift store donations that fund financial and emergency assistance programs.
Health & Wellness
- 4EVR DEZ—Beyond the Dress: A Resource Hub for Teen Girls. Furnishings for a new wellness center for teen girls and a van for mobile outreach.
- Health and Hope Clinic, Inc.—Expanding Access to Dental Care. A 400-square-foot addition with two new dental suites to cut the backlog for uninsured adults.
- Sacred Heart Foundation—The Willow Boutique, An Impactful Space. Northwest Florida’s first dedicated oncology boutique, offering wigs, head coverings and support for women in cancer treatment.
- The Seven Project, Inc.—Pedaling Beyond Limits. Two Functional Electrical Stimulation cycles for adaptive fitness serving people with paralysis and spinal cord injuries.
Officers Rescue Fox Entangled In Netting Near Molino
September 17, 2026
An entangled red fox is recovering thanks to a quick response from Escambia County Animal Welfare officers near Molino.
A concerned citizen called animal welfare dispatch after spotting the wild fox trapped on their property on Stout Road. Two lead animal welfare officers, Sgt. Roberson and Sgt. Agrecy, responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, the officers found the fox tangled tightly in a pile of netting on the ground. Working carefully to prevent further injury to the animal and avoid being bitten, the officers managed to cut and free the fox from the mesh.
Once freed, the fox was secured in a carrier and transported to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, where it will receive medical evaluation, care, and rehabilitation before eventually being returned to the wild.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Man Convicted Of Second Degree Murder For Gas Station Shooting
September 17, 2026
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison for a 2024 fatal shooting at a gas station.
Arrington Marcellas Moultrie, now 37, was convicted of second-degree murder, shooting into a vehicle, and tampering with physical evidence.
The charges stem from an incident on November 16, 2024, when deputies responded to a shots-fired call at a Raceway gas station on Pensacola Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered Darnell Robertson had sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound to the back.
When sentenced, Moultrie faces a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence and a maximum of life plus 20 years.
Vehicle Fire Quickly Extinguished At Davisville Community Center
September 17, 2026
Firefighters quickly extinguish a vehicle fire on Wednesday afternoon in front of the Davisville Community Center on Highway 97.
The incident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol because the vehicle was in motion on Highway 97 before the fire started.
No injuries were reported.
The Walnut Hill and McDavid stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded, along with the Atmore Fire Department.
Photos by Sean Kahalley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Tate Beats Pace 3-1; Northview Chiefs Fall To Central
September 17, 2026
Tate 3, Pace 1
The Tate Aggies earned a 3-1 varsity volleyball victory over the visiting Pace Patriots on their home floor on Tuesday.
Tate edged out a hard-fought opening frame 25-22 before finding their rhythm to take the second set decisively, 25-16. Pace answered back in the third, staving off the sweep with a 25-22 win of their own. The Aggies quickly regrouped and shut the door in the fourth, claiming a 25-19 victory to seal the home match.
Up next, the Aggies will host Navarre on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Central 3, Northview 0
The visiting Central Jaguars swept the Northview Chiefs in straight sets on the volleyball court in Bratt on Tuesday.
Central took control early, taking the opening set 25-12. The Chiefs battled back to make things tight the rest of the way, pushing the Jaguars to the wire in each of the following two frames, but Central held on to claim both sets by identical 25-23 scores to secure the 3-0 sweep.
Northview will travel to W.S. Neal on Thursday.
SEC Soccer Tournament Returns To North Escambia In November
September 16, 2026
The Southeastern Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament will return to the North Escambia area in November.
The top 12 SEC teams will compete for the conference championship from Sunday, November 8, through Sunday, November 15, at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park off East 10 Mile Road. The winner of the single-elimination tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
Vanderbilt enters the season as the defending tournament champion after defeating LSU in the 2025 championship match.
This marks the fifth consecutive year of the tournament in Escambia County, where it has set attendance records.
“Hosting the SEC Soccer Tournament gives us another opportunity to showcase Pensacola’s hospitality, energy and passion for sports,” said Ray Palmer, president and CEO of Pensacola Sports. “We look forward to welcoming the teams and their fans back for another memorable week of championship soccer.”
Pictured: Vanderbilt defeated LSU for the 2025 SEC Soccer Championship. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ascend Reports Non-Hazardous Wastewater Spill
September 16, 2026
Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road reported a non-hazardous wastewater spill on Tuesday.
“Due to equipment malfunction, non-hazardous process wastewater overfilled a containment dike and overflowed onto the ground in excess of 1000 gallon,” a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection stated.
The spill occurred between 7:35 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., according to the report.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
DeSantis, Florida GOP Clash Over ‘Rainy Day Fund’
September 16, 2026
Gov. Ron DeSantis eventually got the Legislature to put his property tax cut measure on the ballot, but he’s not on board with a different amendment backed by GOP leaders in his party.
DeSantis on Monday evening came out against Amendment 1, which would increase the amount of money lawmakers can put into a key reserve fund. It increases the cap on the balance of the budget stabilization fund from 10 percent of the previous year’s general fund revenue to 25 percent.
“This is a foolish constitutional amendment proposal. We already have a maxed out rainy day fund and have run the largest surpluses in state history,” DeSantis posted on X. “Any additional revenue should be used for lower taxes, including assisting local governments with grants so that homestead properties can be exempt from local property tax. Surplus revenue could also be used to remove tolls once the property tax issue is settled. I recommend a NO vote.”
DeSantis was responding to a post by the Republican Party of Florida supporting the measure.
“The Florida GOP has officially endorsed Amendment 1,” RPOF’s official X account stated. “This amendment will help strengthen Florida’s rainy day fund so the state can handle storms, downturns, and other emergencies without raising taxes or raiding the budget.”
The measure also directs the Legislature to put up to $750 million into the fund each year until the 25 percent figure is reached, except in years where the reserve fund is used to help recover from a hurricane or other natural disaster or patch over a projected shortfall.
The last time the reserve fund was used was in 2008, in the middle of the Great Recession as the state faced a multi-billion dollar shortfall.
Lawmakers approved the measure (HJR 5019) in 2025, voting 100-1 in the House and 29-4 in the Senate to put it on the ballot.
Legislative leaders backed the proposal as a hedge against a severe downturn in the economy that leaves the state unable to cover critical needs without raising taxes or fees.
“This is just a preparation of being prepared for the unexpected, and none of us know what the unexpected is, but we have a sample to look at in the 2000s when we had a recession,” then-House Speaker Daniel Perez told reporters in June 2025 when the measure was moving through the Legislature. “The state of Florida was not prepared for that recession.”
Amendment 1 needs 60 percent of the vote to become law.
by The News Service of Floridaf
Century Workshop Explores In-Home Childcare Businesses Following Daycare Closure
September 16, 2026
The Florida Small Business Development Center at the University of West Florida hosted a free workshop, “Launching a Home-based Childcare Business”, on Tuesday evening in Century.
After the closure of the Camp Fire Century Youth Learning Center, the town’s only daycare, there has been a renewed interest in daycare options in Century.
Participants learned how to open a home-based childcare facility while meeting Florida’s business and childcare regulations.
About 20 people attended Tuesday’s free workshop at PSC Century.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com. Click to enlarge.
Wahoos’ Season On the Brink After Playoff Game One Loss To Biloxi
September 16, 2026
The Blue Wahoos this season produced their third-best win percentage in franchise history with a team relying on its resolve.
They will need to summon that trait to continue postseason aspirations.
After the Blue Wahoos lost starting pitcher Jacob Kisting to an injury in the fifth inning, interrupting a brilliant performance, the Biloxi Shuckers opened a five-run lead and finished with a 6-3 win in Tuesday night’s Game 1 of the Southern League South Division Playoffs at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The best-of-three series now shifts to Biloxi on Thursday for the second game and, if a deciding game is needed, on Friday.
The Shuckers’ win also extended their success against the Blue Wahoos in the playoffs. The Shuckers, who have been the Milwaukee Brewers’ Double-A affiliate since their inception in 2015, are now 10-3 in four playoff series meetings – winning the three previous divisional series matchups.
Biloxi, which was 9-17 against the Blue Wahoos in season play, struck out 15 times in this game, but got clutch hits when needed. Both teams finished with 10 hits.
Misfortune for the Blue Wahoos on this night struck in the top of the fifth inning of a scoreless game.
Blue Wahoos pitcher Jacob Kisting, who was 10-0 across two levels this season, including wins in four of this five starts with Pensacola, did not allow a hit and struck out six Shuckers in the first four innings.
But Kisting hurt himself facing the first batter of the new inning.
His 1-0 fastball was blasted out of the ballpark by Shuckers right fielder Damon Keith. Both of Kisting’s pitches in that inning were under 90 mph and he had not thrown a fastball under that speed in the previous four innings.
It points to the injury likely happening on the first pitch of that inning.
Nigel Belgrave, one of the Blue Wahoos’ top relievers, was fast-tracked into the game after having warm-up time on the mound. He struck out the next two batters, but gave up a slicing bloop double that hit just inside the left field foul line.
Dylan O’Rae followed with a hard grounder that caromed off second baseman Payton Green’s glove to give the Shuckers a 2-0 lead.
That lead became 5-1 in the sixth inning. Biloxi’s first three batters reached against Belgrave. With one out, Josh Adamczewski doubled home a run, then Matthew Wood’s two-out double widened the lead.
The Blue Wahoos entered the playoffs with 79-58 overall record in the regular season – the best mark in the league. They were 43-25 in the second half.
But five of their top players who helped build that record were no longer on the roster. The group included top slugger Brandon Compton and fellow outfielder Cam Cannarella, both of whom were elevated to Triple-A Jacksonville during the final two months.
Infielder Aiva Arquette then was injured during the final week and unable to play, meaning the Miami Marlins’ top three Draft selections of 2025, all of whom impacted this team, were gone.
Tuesday night, the Blue Wahoos missed scoring chances in the first three innings. They had two runners on base each time and five hits combined, but came up empty.
In the first inning, Cristian Hernández was thrown out at the plate by centerfielder Braylon Payne, while trying to score on catcher Ryan Ignoffo’s two-out single.
Ignoffo then hit into an inning-ending double-play in the third.
Former Florida State star Max Williams, the Blue Wahoos’ top hitter in the final weeks, drove in their first run on a fifth-inning single. Hernadez had a two-run single in the seventh to further cut the deficit.
But in the final two innings, the Blue Wahoos couldn’t rally against Biloxi’s bullpen and will have to seek a change in fortune on the road.
written by Bill Vilona