Celebration Of Life Service Held For Century Murder Victim
August 22, 2026
A celebration of life service was held Saturday for Adarius Da’Shun Odom, the man shot and killed August 13 at Showalter Park in Century.
Many friends and family members dressed in Flomaton Hurricane Green to honor Odom, nicknamed “Daily,” during a the funeral service in the Flomaton High Auditorium.
Odom was a member of the 2018 Flomaton Hurricanes team that beat Piedmont 23-12 to win the Class 3A state championship in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, the first trip to a state championship game in nearly 100 years.
Friday night, the Escambia County (FL) Sheriff’s Office arrested a 16-year-old in connection with the murder.
Pictured: Adarius Da’Shun Odom with receptions for Flomaton as the Hurricanes won the 2018 Class 3A state championship in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
U.S. Attorney, Sheriff Host Internet Safety Event On Nine Mile Road
August 22, 2026
United States Attorney John P. Heekin hosted a community outreach event on internet safety on Thursday evening at the Hadji Shriners Temple on Nine Mile Road. The presentation focused on raising awareness
about the dangers children face online and providing parents and guardians with actionable steps to help protect their families.
Heekin was joined by Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, along with representatives from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Gulf Coast Kids’ House, and more.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Friday Night Football Scoreboard
August 22, 2026
Here are this week’s high school football scores from across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
Friday, August 21
- Tate 40, Marianna 13 [Story, photos...]
- Jay 35, Baker 6
- Walton 52, West Florida 7
- South Walton 50, Gulf Breeze 0
- Washington 27, Pine Forest 26
- Fort Walton Beach 41, Pensacola 6
- Central 37, Graceville 6
- Pace 41, Fairhope 0
- Florida High 37, Navarre 13
Thursday, August 20
- Northview 40, Rocky Bayou 6 [Story, photos...]
- Pensacola Catholic 20, Milton 0
ALABAMA
- Flomaton 30 Sweetwater 0
- Escambia County (Atmore) 60, Elberta 0
- Orange Beach 24, T.R. Miller 14
- Bullock County 27, W.S. Neal, 10
Pictured: The Tate Aggies beat Marianna 40-13 on Friday night at Tate. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Four-Run Fifth Lifts Wahoos To Electric Win Over Knoxville
August 22, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos waited out another two-hour weather delay on Friday night, but rewarded their patient fans with a 6-3 victory over the Knoxville Smokies for their 11th win in their past 13 games.
After enduring a suspended game on Tuesday, a rainout on Wednesday, and a two-hour delay on Thursday, weather got in the way once again. This time, the threat of lightning pushed the start time from 6:05 to 8:00.
Once the game began, the Smokies jumped ahead 1-0 right away in the first against Orlando Ortiz-Mayr (W, 3-4) thanks to a leadoff walk and a bloop RBI single from Arial Armas. They scored two more in the fourth on an Edgar Alvarez RBI single and Carter Trice RBI double.
The Blue Wahoos began their comeback in the bottom of the fourth with a Juan Matheus solo homer, and pounced on reliever Grayson Moore (L, 1-2) in the fifth. Colby Shade doubled, stole third, and scored on an Adrian Santana RBI infield single. After an Aiva Arquette single and a double steal, Brandon Compton put the Blue Wahoos ahead with a two-out, two-run double. Ethan O’Donnell then brought home Compton with an RBI single for a 5-3 lead.
For Compton, the double marked his 11th in 17 August games, becoming just the fifth Blue Wahoos player in franchise history to hit that many two-baggers in a month and the first since Troy Johnston in July 2023. The hit also extended his hitting streak to 12 games, tying him with Cam Cannarella for the longest streak for the club this season.
In the seventh, Santana reached on an error and scored on a well-placed safety squeeze bunt single from Matheus for a 6-3 lead.
The Pensacola bullpen took things from there, with Logan Whitaker contributing 1.2 scoreless innings and Nigel Belgrave (S, 
getting the final seven outs to earn his team-leading eighth save.
With the win, the Blue Wahoos remained 4.5 games ahead of the Montgomery Biscuits with 20 games remaining in the regular season as they pursue a second half South Division title and a date with the reeling Shuckers in the playoffs.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Saturday night.
written by Erik Bremer
State Awards Century $75,000 Grant To Map, Analyze Town Water System
August 21, 2026
The Town of Century has been awarded a $75,000 state grant to create a comprehensive hydraulic model of its municipal drinking water system.
The funding is part of nearly $8.8 million in infrastructure and planning grants awarded on Thursday by Governor Ron DeSantis to small and rural communities across Northwest Florida. Century’s award comes through the state’s Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant Program, administered by FloridaCommerce.
A hydraulic model serves as a computerized mathematical simulation—essentially a digital twin—of the town’s entire water network, including pipes, pumps, storage tanks, and valves.
The digital model will allow engineers and town officials to simulate how water moves throughout the underground system under various everyday demands and extreme conditions, identifying potential pressure issues or capacity limits without having to experiment directly on the town’s physical infrastructure.
The Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant Program assists local governments in developing strategic plans, addressing local infrastructure needs, and improving community resiliency.
Pictured top: Century Mayor Ben Boutwell (right) with a DeSantis staff member Thursday morning in Bonifay. Pictured below: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a grant announcement Thursday in Bonifay, where he awarded nearly $8.8 million to Northwest Florida rural communities. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Cox And Spectrum Finalize Merger: Here Is What It Means For Local Customers
August 21, 2026
Spectrum and Cox are merging and will operate under the Spectrum name.
Charter Communications has officially completed its landmark transaction with Cox Communications alongside its acquisition of Liberty Broadband Corporation, creating the nation’s largest broadband and video provider across a combined 45-state footprint. While the corporate entity will undergo significant structural changes, the day-to-day experience for millions of subscribers will center on a unified brand and restructured product lineup.
The Name on the Bill and the Box
Consumers will not see the Cox name on their consumer services for long. Moving forward, all customer-facing internet, TV, home phone, and mobile services across all markets will operate strictly under the Spectrum brand.
At the corporate level, however, the parent company will officially change its corporate name from Charter Communications to Cox Communications within the next year. The combined company will remain headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, while maintaining a significant corporate presence in Atlanta, Georgia.
What It Means for Cox Customers
The transition begins immediately, with major pricing and product rollouts scheduled for mid-September 2026:
- Free Mobile Promotion: Starting immediately, current Cox internet subscribers who do not already use Cox Mobile are eligible for one free line of Spectrum Mobile service for an entire year.
- New Pricing and Packaging: By mid-September, former Cox markets will transition to Spectrum’s simplified, transparent rate structures and packaging options.
- Streaming-Inclusive Video: Cox video customers transitioning to Spectrum TV Select plans will gain access to bundled, ad-supported streaming services at no additional cost, including Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount+, ESPN Unlimited, and Discovery+.
- Customer Service Overhaul: Spectrum is bringing its customer service commitments to Cox territories over the next 12 to 18 months, which includes 100% U.S.-based support available 24/7, automatic account credits for outages lasting longer than two hours, and same-day technician dispatch when service disruptions are reported before 5:00 p.m.
- What It Means for Spectrum Customers
For existing Spectrum households, daily service and plans will remain consistent, but the expanded footprint extends key network perks:
- Broader Connectivity: Access to a combined nationwide network supported by roughly 45 million out-of-home Wi-Fi access points.
- Local News Growth: The company’s local news division, Spectrum Networks, will expand into former Cox television markets, adding localized regional news reporting.
- Enhanced Commercial Services: Business clients will see merged capabilities between Spectrum Business and Cox Business, integrating enterprise fiber provider Segra and cloud provider RapidScale.
Summary of Deal and Leadership
Under the terms of the closing, Cox Enterprises received approximately $4 billion in cash alongside common and convertible preferred units, giving it an approximate 26% fully diluted ownership stake in the combined entity. Alex Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Cox Enterprises, has taken over as chairman of the Board of Directors, while Chris Winfrey remains president and chief executive officer. Liberty Broadband was simultaneously acquired in an all-stock transaction, retiring 38.6 million Charter shares previously held by Liberty.
Florida Executes Man Near 20 Years After He Shot His Estranged Wife
August 21, 2026
Nearly 20 years after he fatally shot his estranged wife at her mother’s Casselberry-area home, William Frances Silvia was executed by lethal injection this week at Florida State Prison.
Silvia, 61, was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m., according to the Department of Corrections. The execution was carried out hours after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his latest motion for a stay.
In 2008, Silvia was convicted of first-degree murder of Patricia Silvia two years earlier and given a life sentence for the attempted first-degree murder of her mother, Betty Woodard.
Silvia is the 13th execution conducted this year in Florida after a modern-era record 19 last year. Two more are already scheduled in the next three weeks.
The pace of executions is desensitizing people to them, said Rev. Jeff Hood, Founder of the Execution Intervention Project and Silvia’s spiritual advisor.
“So many killings are happening that it becomes a sort of afterthought, that people are being killed,” Hood said.
“What we have consistently seen, again, is that with the next execution date and the next execution date and the execution date, people begin to be forgotten,” he added.
After the Florida Supreme Court last Wednesday denied the motion for a stay by Silvia’s counsel, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to commute the death warrant he signed July 17.
The conference has made similar requests before other executions.
DeSantis earlier this year defended his pace of death warrants, saying capital punishment is needed to “bring justice,” as “some of the victims’ families have been waiting a long time.”
“We do owe it to them to do it,” DeSantis said during a July 28 appearance at the Florida Sheriffs Association Summer Conference at Trump National Doral.
“And it doesn’t take away what happened,” he continued. “I don’t know if closure is the right word, because you’ll probably never get full closure. But at least knowing justice was served is something that was very important to a lot of people.”
DeSantis also questioned the length of the appeals process.
According to court records, on Sept. 22, 2006, Silvia went to Woodard’s home where the family was having a cookout. After attempting to reconcile with Patricia Silvia, he retrieved a Mossberg Persuader 12-gauge shotgun from his truck and shot Woodard in the face and Patricia Silvia in the head.
Patricia Silvia died. Woodard, who was standing in front of her daughter, lost her left eye and the top portion of her nose.
Silvia purchased the shotgun about five hours before the shooting. Video of the gun purchase showed him exhibiting “no bizarre, agitated, frenzied or panicked behavior,” according to the sentencing order.
Silvia purchased four boxes of shells from another store.
He was arrested the next day.
Silvia reportedly told an officer driving him to jail that “my wife spent all my money. I placed the checking account in her name. She started re-dating her ex-husband. That is the reason I shot her.”
The jury voted 11-1 to recommend the death penalty.
The state is scheduled to execute Harold Gene Lucas, 74, on Sept. 1 for the death of his 16-year-old former girlfriend in Bonita Springs in 1976 and Daniel Owen Conahan Jr., 72, on Sept. 10 for the 1996 murder of a man in Charlotte County.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
This Is The ‘Suspicious Object’ That Sent A Bomb Squad To Airway Drive On Thursday
August 21, 2026
Airway Drive south of Nine Mile Road was closed for over two hours on Thursday afternoon while authorities investigated a “suspicious package”.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office shut down a section of the roadway south of the Miracle League Fields at John R. Jones Athletic Park and requested the State Fire Marshal’s Office Bomb Squad to inspect the object, which “rendered safe” the package.
The object was confirmed to be a sealed container used in geocaching—a global, GPS-based outdoor scavenger hunt where participants hide and locate containers with logbooks.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Chiefs Roll Past Rocky Bayou 40-6 In Season-Opening Blowout (With Gallery)
August 21, 2026
The Northview Chiefs kicked off the season in dominant fashion Thursday night, rolling to a 40-6 blowout victory over Niceville’s Rocky Bayou Christian Knights in Bratt.
Northview took complete control early in a game that was delayed nearly 30 minutes lightning in the area. Starting the game light rain, but a welcomed cooler night, the Chiefs built a commanding 40-0 lead by halftime behind a three-touchdown performance from Tyson Phifer.
For more photos, click here. (Look for cheerleader, fan and band photos over the weekend).
Phifer opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, followed quickly by a 4-yard scoring run from Caleb Levins. The Chiefs broke the game wide open in the second quarter. Phifer found the end zone twice more on runs of 16 and 20 yards, while Levins connected with JJ Jacobs for an 18-yard touchdown pass. Jacobs also punched in a 2-yard touchdown run of his own.
With the FHSAA running-clock mercy rule in effect for the entire second half, the game moved swiftly. Rocky Bayou’s lone highlight came as time expired, scoring on a 40-yard touchdown pass to avoid the shutout.
The Chiefs (1-0) hit the road next Friday to face the McIntosh Demons in Washington County, Alabama, about 40 miles north of Mobile.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win One of Two On Thursday Night
August 21, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos left Blue Wahoos Stadium with an extra win and loss on their record, after going 1-1 in what was essentially a twin-bill with the Knoxville Smokies.
The day began with the continuation of the series opener that started on Tuesday. Luis Palacios (L, 4-2) pitched the lone inning played on Tuesday and gave up nine runs, a season worst for Pensacola pitching. The game picked up in the second inning on Thursday night and the Wahoos put up three runs in the third. Those runs came from Aiva Arquette and Juan Matheus hitting back-to-back doubles.
Luis Moreno pitched the bulk of game one and got roughed up for 7 runs on 7 hits and four walks in 4.0 innings. Knoxville posted a five-spot in the fifth inning and added two more in the 6th, with Ariel Armas taking Moreno deep to begin the inning.
Aiva Arquette launched his 8th homer of the year, a two-run blast in the 6th brought Pensacola its final runs of the night. Connor Schultz (W, 5-4) threw 5.0 innings and earned the win in a 16-5 final.
Game two came up all Wahoos in a seven inning contest. Knoxville struck first in the top of the third when Karson Simas took Eliazar Dishmey (W, 4-1) deep to right-center field. It was the first homer Dishmey had given up since June 18th. Dishmey ended up completing 6.0 innings on a season high 93 pitches. He allowed just the one run on two hits and 8 Ks. Juan Matheus and Brandon Compton each grabbed RBIs in the bottom of the third, Matheus on a single and Compton on a double, his second of the game and third of the series.
Up 2-1, Adrian Santana came to bat with the bases loaded and two down in the fourth. He tapped a squibber to the left side and Brody McCullough (L, 1-3) threw the ball up the first baseline and into right field. The throwing error cleared the bases with Santana ending up at second and the Wahoos grabbing a 5-1 lead.
Brandon Compton cranked a solo bomb to straight away left in the fifth, to extend the lead to 6-1 before Jack Sellinger would slam the door shut in the 9th, sealing the win for Pensacola.
The Wahoos improved their record to 65-50 overall and 30-17 in the second half, the first team to 30 second half wins. The Smokies fell to 64-52 and 26-20.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Knoxville Smokies, Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, on Friday night.
written by Charlie Hobert