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
West Roberts Road Reopening Extended To Thursday; Overall Project End Pushed To Winter
September 15, 2026
A portion of West Roberts Road that was temporarily closed for construction on August 29 is now expected to reopen by 5 p.m. on Thursday, weather permitting, but completion of the entire project is not expected until winter.
“The closure extension will help ensure that crews can work as safely and efficiently as possible while the necessary shoulder work and lane striping along the roadway is completed,” Escambia County said in a statement on Monday. “The public’s patience is appreciated as crews work diligently to complete this project as soon as possible.”
Intermittent lane closures will resume along West Roberts Road as the project continues, and periodic detours will continue to be utilized along Kingsfield Road, Stallion Road, and Tate Road for the duration of the project. Traffic lanes will be reopened on West Roberts Road upon completion of this phase of work. The county said drivers traveling on West Roberts Road should use extra caution and follow road crew instructions, posted signs, and temporary traffic signals when traveling through the work zone.
The $4.6 million West Roberts Road Roadway and Drainage Improvements Project is now expected to be completed by winter 2026, weather and construction coordination permitting.
Pictured: West Roberts Road was closed at the railroad tracks just east of Highway 29 mid-afternoon on September 9. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
MILO, The Mobile ID And Licensing Office, Is Coming To Walnut Hill This Week
September 15, 2026
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO) is coming to Walnut Hill and Century.
The upcoming schedule for MILO includes:
- September 17, Walnut Hill Community Center, 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
- October 15, Billy G. Ward Courthouse (Century)
MILO offers a convenient way for residents to access essential tax collector services, including:
- Driver License Services: Renewals, replacements, out-of-state license conversions/reciprocations, and address/name changes.
- Identification Cards: First-time issuance and renewals.
- Vehicle Services: Registration renewals and replacements, title transfers, and parking placards.
- Tax Payments: Property tax payments.
- Business Tax Receipts: Applications and renewals.
- Certified Driver Transcripts
Written and driving tests are not available at the MILO unit.
This initiative aims to bring services to areas of Escambia County that may have limited access to traditional tax collector offices, particularly during disaster recovery or for residents in assisted living facilities, community centers, and correctional facilities.
Florida drivers may renew their vehicle registrations for a period of one or two years and may renew up to three months in advance of the registration expiration. Vehicle registrations expire at midnight on the first owner’s birth date unless the owner is a business.
Pictured: The Escambia County Tax Collector’s MILO at the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos Honor Northview Grad Brianna Smith For A Decade As ‘Twirly Girl’
September 15, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos recently honored their “Twirly Girl,” Northview High School graduate Brianna Smith, for 10 years with the team.
Before graduating in 2017, Smith twirled at Northview, where as a majorette she was known for performing with fiery batons.
Smith is now in her fourth year of teaching at Byrneville Elementary School.
Pictured: Blue Wahoos Twirly Girl Brianna Smith honored and performing at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Photos for NorthEscambia.com. Pictured bottom: Smith twirling for the Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Sentenced For Selling Machine Gun Conversion Devices On Facebook
September 15, 2026
An Escambia County man has pleaded guilty to selling machine gun conversion devices on Facebook.
Alaisjah Perkins, 23, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for possessing unregistered firearms.
According to court documents, Perkins used a 3D printer to print machine gun conversion devices for AR-15 rifles and then sold them on Facebook. The device inserts into an AR-15 rifle and converts it from semi-automatic to fully automatic, according to federal prosecutors. An undercover ATF officer purchased 12 conversion devices from Perkins on two occasions before obtaining a search warrant for his home, where they found the 3D printer, printing material, and 13 additional devices.
During the execution of a search warrant at his home, officers located tools and supplies for manufacturing MCDs. Upon his arrest, a bag containing 13 MCDs was found in his pocket. The devices were sent to the Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for technical examination. Experts determined they were designed to convert AR-style firearms from semi-automatic to fully automatic.
This case was a joint investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF.
Applications Open For Pine Beetle Assistance And Prevention Program
September 15, 2026
Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program for non-industrial, private forest landowners Applications will be accepted through October 9 from 44 northern Florida counties, the known range of the southern Pine Beetle. The area includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Small, private forest landowners are the backbone of our state’s forest industry,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “By providing assistance to forest landowners to strengthen their pine timber against this destructive pest, this program helps protect Florida’s natural resources and economy.”
The southern pine beetle is one of the most economically devastating forest pests in the Southeastern United States, with periodic outbreaks destroying thousands of acres of pine timber. Recent outbreaks in Alabama, Georgia, and other neighboring states have resulted in devastating timber losses.
“Southern pine beetle activity has remained relatively low in Florida in recent years,” said Rick Dolan, Director of the Florida Forest Service. “Active forest management can both protect individual stands and reduce the risk of widespread outbreaks.”
The Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, supported through a grant by the U.S. Forest Service, provides incentive payments for landowners who have overstocked pine stands and need to conduct a first thinning. In addition, it offers partial cost reimbursement for activities that can mitigate southern pine beetle activity, such as prescribed burning, mechanical underbrush treatments, and the planting of longleaf or slash pine rather than loblolly pine, the beetle’s preferred species. All qualifying applications received during the submission period will be evaluated and ranked for approval.
To obtain an application or to learn more about the Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention Program, visit: FDACS.gov/SPBPrevention.
Applications and more information are also available from Escambia County Forester Cathy Hardin at (850) 587-5327 or by email Cathy.Hardin@FDACS.gov. In Santa Rosa County, contact County Forester: Ashlee White at (850) 626-3028 or email at Ashlee.White@FDACS.gov.
EREC: Water Service Restored In Breastworks Road Area
September 14, 2026
Escambia River Electric Cooperative says water service has been restored for customers in the Breastworks Road area near the Christian Home Community.
Many customers along Breastworks Road, North Pine Barren Road, and Purdue Road awoke on Monday morning to little or no water pressure.
According to EREC, the leak was valved off and a boil water notice will not be necessary.
Man Airlifted Following ATV Crash On Highway 97 In Walnut Hill
September 14, 2026
One person was critically injured Sunday evening in a single ATV crash on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
According to witnesses, the adult male was southbound on Highway 97 just south of South Highway 99 when he suddenly veered his ATV into a driveway. The ATV overturned when the man lost control in the driveway, and he was ejected into a large tree.
The man was airlifted by MedStar Aircare 2 to an area hospital.
For more photos, click to enlarge.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released further details. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
