Local Elementary Students Shine At Sunshine Math Competition
April 17, 2025
Nearly 500 students from 23 elementary schools in the Escambia County Public Schools district participated in 2025 Annual Sunshine Math Competition recently.
Co-sponsored by the Escambia County Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the event brought together bright young minds from third, fourth, and fifth grades for a day of spirited academic competition.
For more photos from North Escambia area participants, click here.
Top Third Grade Individual Winners:
- Grayson Polk – Blue Angel
- Draper Dupree – Pine Meadow
- Samuel Goble – Bellview
- Liam Alamazan – Beulah
- Cambria Marroquin – Bellview
- Thien My Nguyen – Lipscomb
- David Menard – Pine Meadow
- Jackson Gray – AK Suter
- Abigail Kusy – Pine Meadow
- Benjamin Nguon – Lipscomb
Top Third Grade Teams:
- Pine Meadow Team B: Lucas Albano, John Butler, Draper Dupree, Natalie Smith
- Jim Allen Team B: Chase Dunlap, Bryson Salon, Penelope Clyburn, Desmond Mims
- Bellview Team B: Samuel Goble, Amarii Wilson, Emily Green, Princess Agcaoili
- Jim Allen Team A: Elizabeth Cooley, Piper Allen, Lukas Hattabough, Paisley Black
- Pine Meadow Team A: Benjamin Pearce, Abigail Kusy, David Menard, Gracie Ballwey
Top Fourth Grade Individual Winners:
- Dowling Butler – Pine Meadow
- Salvatore Gargiulo – Blue Angel
- Beatriz Diniz – Pine Meadow
- Geovanny Sanchez – Scenic Heights
- Jace Johnson – Kingsfield
- Keayon Fields – Pine Meadow
- Lyric McHenry – Jim Allen
- Parker Nichols – Beulah
- Bryson Windham – Beulah
- Daniel Ryan – Pine Meadow
Top Fourth Grade Teams:
- Pine Meadow Team A: Dowling Butler, Daniel Galvez, Beatriz Diniz, Evelyn Rowley
- Kingsfield Team A: Conner Gormely, Easton Bellringer, Jace Johnson, Haper Dove
- Pine Meadow Team B: Daniel Ryan, Allegra McCaw, Keayon Fields, Craig Macks
- Jim Allen Team A: Lyric McHenry, Taka Lindsay, Thea Helms, Easton Cobb
- Beulah Team A: Lana Pham, Bryson Windham, Carly Syverson, Parker Nichols
Top Fifth Grade Individual Winners:
- Pax Fisher – Pine Meadow
- Skylar Gibbons – Pine Meadow
- Liam Olson – Pine Meadow
- Deleia Marshall – Pine Meadow
- Jaxson Albano – Pine Meadow
- Avery Smith – Beulah
- Kenneth Eichelberg – Beulah
- Grayson Pettit – Scenic Heights
- Harper Peeterse – Pine Meadow
- Henry List – Beulah
Top Fifth Grade Teams:
- A.K. Suter Team A: Ezra Johnson, Isla Rex, Dempsey Henry, Nathalia Ramos
- Pine Meadow Team A: Skylar Gibbons, Deleia Marshall, Liam Olson, Harper Peeterse
- Hellen Caro Team A: Rowen Lefler, Skipper Ward, Lael Armendariz
- N.B. Cook Team B: James Chavez, Silas Chivers, Rylind Morgan, Lucas Senkbeil
- Scenic Heights Team A: Odette Brown, Alexandria Allen, Louis Tran, Grayson Pettit
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Overnight Fog, Low In The Middle 50s
April 17, 2025
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Patchy fog after 4am. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 55. South wind around 5 mph.
Friday: Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Friday Night: Patchy dense fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Saturday: Areas of dense fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 82. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the evening.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
8u NEP Lady Rockies Win Mid-Season Tourney
April 17, 2025
The 8u NEP Lady Rockies went undefeated at the GCGSA mid-season tournament to win the 8u A Division Championship. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Woman Charged With Attempted Drone Delivery Of Prison Contraband
April 17, 2025
The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Law Enforcement Services has made another contraband arrest an Atmore prison — this time involving a drone.
On Tuesday, the agency charged Andrea Robinson with attempting to commit a controlled substance crime, two counts of possession of marijuana first, two counts of illegal drone operation, and promoting prison contraband second. She was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.
ADOC said the charges stemmed from an incident on February 27, 2025, in which drones were utilized in an attempt to introduce contraband into Holman Correctional Facility.
“The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be pending,” ADOC said.
Selling Stellar In 4-1 Wahoos Win Over Columbus
April 17, 2025
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos evened up their first road series of the season at one game apiece on Wednesday night, beating the Columbus Clingstones 4-1 thanks to a dominant outing from Robby Snelling.
Snelling (W, 2-0) worked 6.0 scoreless innings of one-run ball, striking out six and walking only one, to earn his second win. He outdueled fellow ace Drue Hackenberg (L, 1-2), who pitched 5.2 effective innings for the Clingstones but struggled with his command at critical moments.
The Blue Wahoos (8-3) jumped ahead early in the second inning, as Nathan Martorella drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third base on a pickoff throwing error and wild pitch. Jake Thompson drove him in with a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Pensacola lead.
A similar progression followed in the fourth inning, as Joe Mack coaxed a leadoff walk from Hackenberg before scoring on a Josh Zamora sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead. The Blue Wahoos lineup went only 1-for-10 with men in scoring position, but provided enough offense for Snelling to pitch comfortably.
The Clingstones (5-5) scratched across their lone run on an Adam Zebrowski RBI single in the fourth, but Snelling dug deep to retire Zebrowski with two men aboard in the sixth to end his night on a high note.
Thompson added an insurance run in the sixth inning with a two-out RBI double after Josh Zamora had reached on an unusual catcher’s interference call, and Dalvy Rosario forced in Pensacola’s fourth run in the ninth inning with a bases-loaded walk. The Blue Wahoos drew eight walks as a team on the evening, including three leadoff walks that all came in to score.
Josh White pitched a scoreless seventh before Dale Stanavich (S, 2) entered in the eighth and got the final six outs to earn the save.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Thursday night. First pitch from Synovus Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET/6:05 p.m. CT.
Gov. Ron DeSantis Slams Local Rep. Michelle Salzman Over Higher Ed Bill; She Fires Back
April 16, 2025
During a Pensacola press conference Tuesday morning, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fired the first shots in what has since erupted in a war of words between the Republican governor and fellow Republican District 1 Representative Michelle Salzman.
Salzman, who said she was not even invited to the presser, is firing back.
During the press conference at Pensacola State College, DeSantis said both local representatives, Salzman and Alex Andre, were “behaving like Democrats”.
DeSantis’ beef with Salzman, who represents all of Escambia County except for the more southern end, is over a bill she filed. HB 1321 will remove the governor’s office from searches university presidents and puts the process back into the sunshine under Florida public records law.
DeSantis claimed Salzman’s bill is “cosponsored by the most flamboyantly left-wing Democrat”.
“She had been a very good, good ally for many years. She had a good conservative record. And I think what happens is these people go to Tallahassee, and they go native,” DeSantis said in an apparent slight to Salzman’s Native American heritage. She is a member of the Santa Rosa Creek Band of the Lower Muscogee.
“She’s doing the bidding of the leadership and the staff. She’s not doing what you sent them there to do. You did not elect her to undo our conservative reforms in higher education because I’m confident if she ran on that, you wouldn’t have elected her in the first place,” the governor said.
Salzman said DeSantis did a statewide phone callout across the state Monday night, asking Floridians to flood her office with phone calls. She said the call only prompted eight people to call her office, and only three of those were from her local district, and they support her bill.
Salzman said she and her supporters were not allowed to attend the press conference, with the only elected officials there being from Santa Rosa County. Escambia County Chairman Mike Kohler, a Republican, said he was also turned away.
In a lengthy exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com, Salzman explained her bill and responded to the governor. To hear her complete response, see the video below or visit the NorthEscambia.com Facebook page.
Century’s New $35,000 Sign Has Been Installed
April 16, 2025
The Town of Century’s new $35,000 sign has been installed.
Last December, the town council approved the purchase from Plastic Arts Signs in Pensacola for the new sign, which includes an electronic message center. According to an agenda item by then-Mayor Luis Gomez, Jr., the sign will “enhance community visibility and branding” with a more modern design than the town’s non-functioning brick-based electronic sign. The brick sign has been removed.
Century funded the sign with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
The old sign (pictured bottom) also included the Century Branch Library. Gomez said in December that the town was in discussions with the West Florida Public Libraries, a system owned and operated by Escambia County, about potential cost sharing for the sign. The library is not on the new sign.
Pictured: A new sign outside the Century Town Hall on Tuesday, April 15. Pictured bottom: The town’s former sign, which has now been removed. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
The One With The Home Runs: Tate Destroys Escambia; Jay Tops Northview
April 16, 2025
In high school softball on Tuesday night, it was a night of home runs for the Tate Aggie as they beat Escambia, and Northview and Jay each recorded a home run as the Royals came out on top.
Tate 15, Escambia 1
The Tate High School Lady Aggies were on fire Tuesday night as they destroyed the Escambia Gators 15-1 in mercy-ruled five innings.
The hits just kept on coming from the Aggies. In the second inning, Jordyn Banks hit a grand slam to center field. Kara Wine homered to right field to score two runs, and Carlyn Ham hit a solo home run to center field. In the third inning, Madison Smilie hit ad solo home run to left field.
Peyton Womack earned the win for Tate. In five innings, she surrendered three hits and one fun, walking two and striking out five.
Carlyn Ham went 2-3 for Tate at bat.
In JV action for Tate, freshman Bailey Parden also knocked a homer on Tuesday.
Jay 5, Northview 3
The Northview Lady Chiefs fell to Jay 5-3 Tuesday night in Jay.
The night saw two home runs — a solo home run to left field from Jay’s Mylee Frazier in the bottom of the fourth inning and a solo homer to center field by Northview’s Avery Stuckey in the top of the firth.
Jamison Gilman pitched four innings for the Lady Chiefs, allowing two runs (one earned) and one hit while walking one and striking out two. Mikayla McAnally went two in the circle for Northview, allowing three runs and walking two and striking out four.
Layna Lowry went a complete seven innings for the Royals, surrendering three runs on eight hits in seven innings, walking three and striking out nine.
Addysen Bolen and Avery Stuckey both had two hits for Northview with one RBI each. Riley Brooks added one Chief RBI.
Mylee Frazier had three runs batted in for Jay as she went 1-2.
Northview will host Baker Thursday in a district matchup, and Jay will travel to Crestview.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview And Tate Fall In Baseball District Playoffs
April 16, 2025
Both the Northview Chiefs and the Tate Aggies fell Tuesday night in district playoff action.
Jay 2, Northview 1
Jackson Bridges went five and two-thirds innings for Northview, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits, walking four and striking out three. Landon Golden started for Jay, surrendering five hits and one run in seven innings, striking out eight and recording one walk.
Brady Smith went 2-4 for Northview, and Jase Portwood had home RIB as he went 1-3.
Cam Pierce went 1-2 with one RBI for the Royals.
No. 1 Central and No. 2 Jay will play for the Rural District 1 Championship on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Crestview 11, Tate 4
In the 6A District 1 semifinals, the Tate Aggies fell 11-4 to Crestview.
Zane Warrington went five and two-thirds innings for Tate, allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits while walking four and striking out six.
Kaleb Posta had three RBIs for Tate as he went 1-3. Taite Davis and Kaden Posta also had a hit apiece.
No. 3 Crestview will face No. 1 Pace on Wednesday for the district championship.
Vehicle Destroyed By Fire Outside Cantonment Dollar General
April 16, 2025
Fire destroyed a vehicle outside of a Cantonment Dollar General Store on Tuesday night.
The fire was reported in a parking area on the side of the Dollar General at 1429 South Highway 29 at Tate School Road.
There were no injuries reported and no major damage to the building. Upon arrival, Escambia Fire Rescue was able to quickly bring the fire under control.
There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and submitted photos by Candace Huddleston, click to enlarge.
