Northview Lady Chiefs Blank Jay For District Title (With Gallery)
May 1, 2026
The Northview Lady Chiefs shut out the Jay Royals 7-0 on Thursday night to win the Rural District 1 championship — the Lady Chiefs’ second district championship since 2019.
Northview took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and held steady to earn the win in Jay.
Junior Mikayla McAnally was a force in the circle for NHS, allowing only one hit, walking two and striking out 11. Cadee Carroll took the loss for Jay, surrendering seven hits and seven runs (four earned) while walking two and striking out three.
Daviona Randolph went 2-3 at bat with two RBIs to lead the Chiefs at the plate. Riley Brooks also had two RBIs. Emery Vaughn went 1-3 for the Royals.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Thursday night was the seventh consecutive victory for Northview, now 18-5, while Jay dropped to 11-12.
Northview will be at home in Bratt next Thursday for the regional semifinals. The game is currently set for 7 p.m., but coaches are looking to change to a 6 p.m. start. Jay will likely also receive a regional bid that will put them on the road for May 7.
The regional finals for the Rural class will be on May 12, and it’s possible the Royals and Chiefs could meet again. Last season, Northview beat Jay 4-1 for the regional title before finishing as state runners-up.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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.
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.
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.
North Escambia Community Forum With FDOT On Transportation Issues Next Week
April 30, 2026
State Representative Michelle Salzman, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), will host a Community Information Forum focused on key transportation infrastructure developments in the North Escambia area.
The meeting is a follow-up to a well-attended session held in January and will provide residents with updated information, project timelines, and an opportunity to ask questions and share feedback.
Community members are encouraged to attend and engage in this important discussion about ongoing and future transportation improvements in the area. The meeting will be held from 5:30 until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 at the Molino Community Center at 6450A Highway 95A.
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, ECUA District 5 Representative Kevin Stephens, and Century Mayor Ben Boutwell are expected to participate in the formum along with Salzman and FDOT officials. Additional public officials have been invited to attend.
“This forum is an important opportunity for residents to stay informed and be part of the conversation about the future of our community,” Salzman said. “We’ve heard the concerns and questions from our January meeting, and this follow-up allows us to provide updates, share progress, and continue working together to improve infrastructure and quality of life across the north end of Escambia County.”
Residents attending the forum will have the opportunity to receive updates on ongoing and planned infrastructure projects, ask questions directly to agency representatives, and provide feedback on local transportation needs. The event is intended to foster open communication between the community and public officials as efforts continue to address growth, mobility, and roadway improvements in the North Escambia area.
“I am looking forward to providing another District 5 community meet and greet with your elected officials. Special guest Department of Transportation representatives will also be on hand to answer your roadway questions,” Stephens said.
Pictured: A January 2026 community meeting at the Molino Community center. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Seeks $1 Million To Provide Housing Rehabilitation
April 30, 2026
The Town of Century is applying for a $1 million grant to provide housing rehabilitation for low-to-moderate income residents.
If awarded, funding through the State of Florida’s FFY 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Rehabilitation Program will pay for the demolition or replacement of homes owned by low to moderate income residents within the town limits.
If the town receives the grant, $820,000 will go directly into housing rehabilitation, $30,000 will be allocated for temporary relocation of residents, and $150,000 will pay for grant administration.
A vote by the Century Town Council during a special meeting on Tuesday authorized the mayor to execute the grant application. Only two citizens attended the public hearing on the grant application.
The council will revisit the application at their next regular meeting Tuesday, ahead of the deadline, to determine how many houses can be rehabilitated with the grant, if awarded.
Grant applications are competitive among governments in the state and scored on a point system. If the town spends $62,000 or less per home, the application will receive 100 points in scoring; if they go over $79,000, they will lose 100 points. Tuesday night’s discussion was in the proximity of 16 to 17 homes but could change with upcoming discussion.
The biggest challenge the town faces in keeping the per-home cost low, according to consultant Robins Phillips, is that homes must be brought up to code in order for any work to be done under the grant terms.
“We have to fix every code issue on that house,” Phillips said. “There’s no way you can go in and just do a roof on a house.”
“You have to bring the entire house up to code,” she added.
The next council meeting will be at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 at Century Town Hall. After Century submits the grant application, it will take some 60-90 days to find out if they will receive the grant. Citizens will not be able to apply until after that time the grants is awarded and an official announcement is made.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
