Blue Wahoos Offense Goes Quiet In 4-0 Loss
July 25, 2026
A lackluster night at the plate saw the Pensacola Blue Wahoos fall to the Columbus Clingstones by a final score of 4-0 on Friday night.
It is the first game the Blue Wahoos (49-44, 13-11) have dropped in the series, and it is the first time Columbus has shut out Pensacola this season. Pensacola leads the series 3-1 and holds an 11-5 mark against the Clingstones (43-46, 13-12) this season.
Free bases and a defensive miscue allowed the Clingstones to get aboard in the first inning. An initial walk and subsequent hit-by-pitch issued by Pensacola starter Jacob Miller (L, 1-5) put two on base, and a line drive into left by Jordan Groshans that escaped the glove of Ethan O’Donnell allowed both runners to come home.
Miller exited after the first inning, replaced by Christian MacLeod. MacLeod served as the Blue Wahoos’ most effective reliever of the night through 3.2 innings, allowing no hits or runs while striking out three Clingstones.
A solo home run from Adam Zebrowski extended the Columbus lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth. A Colby Jones RBI double in the eighth pushed the edge to 4-0.
Pensacola managed five hits, each credited to different bats, while Columbus scored their four runs on six hits. Jay Beshears earned the lone extra base hit – a double – for the home side. The Blue Wahoos drew three walks to the Clingstones’ six.
Columbus starter Braden Scott (W, 1-0), who was signed by the Atlanta Braves earlier this season after spending two years in the Atlantic League, made an impressive first start in affiliated ball for Columbus on Friday night. Scott offered 5.0 shutout innings of two-hit baseball and earned seven strikeouts, allowing only three walks.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Columbus Clingstones on Saturday.
written by Maddy Branning
Escambia Commission Bans Data Centers; Barry Says No Projects Ever Under Consideration In District 5
July 24, 2026
The county commission voted unanimously Thursday night to ban data centers in the unincorporated areas of Escambia County.
The ban is essentially two parts:
- An approved resolution now officially on the books memorializing its position that data center facilities are not permitted under the County’s Land Development Code and are not an appropriate form of development within the unincorporated area of Escambia County.
- A forthcoming ordinance, to be considered at a public hearing on August 6.
“Data center facilities are not identified as a permitted or conditional principal use in any zoning district,” the resolution states. “The Board further memorializes its position that data center facilities are not an appropriate form of development within the unincorporated area of Escambia County.”
The ordinance to be considered by the board on August 6 is expected to strengthen the data center ban, and clear up an ambiguity. Commissioners are expected to tweak ordinance language to ban data centers smaller than 50 megawatts, which is the state’s threshold for a “large-scale data center.”
“Your code does not anticipate any size as a permitted use,” County Attorney Alison Rogers told the board.
Rogers said server rooms or small data centers would be allowed “where they are an accessory use like at a Navy federal, or UWF, or a hospital. Those are already going to be allowed because they are accessory uses. The county has a server room.”
Commissioners were unified in their position against data centers in Escambia County.
“We all believe this. None of us want data centers. It’s not happening,” Commissioner Steve Stroberger said while holding up a “No Data Center” sign.
After discussing that District 5 is the only district in the county that would potentially have enough land for a large-scale data center, with two-thirds of the land mass, District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry said there has never been one under consideration in the district.
“There’s not been a single approach made, no proposal or even an off-conversation at the gas station about a project involving any type of data center in District 5,” Barry said. “I think what we are doing is prudent, but just to be clear there hasn’t been a push. I don’t want people in our community to feel like someone else in their community has been working behind their back to try to flip one of these in.”
“It hasn’t happened. It has not happened, so I don’t want people to feel like other people in their community have been trying to do something underhanded,” he added.
“They are not real jobs,” Commissioner Lumon May said. “There are construction jobs. Then there is AI, then they maintain 10 or 15 jobs.”
“It’s security people and a couple of engineers,” Barry interjected.
“To me, it should not even be a consideration because it would be an economic development project and they can’t create jobs,” May continued. “They hurt the environment.”
NorthEscambia.com image.
Century’s Freedom Road Bridge Nears Construction Phase After Escambia County Funds Inspection Contract
July 24, 2026
The Freedom Road Bridge in Century has been closed for six and one-half years, and the town may finally have the money to replace and reopen it after a vote Thursday night by the Escambia County Commission.
The commission voted to transfer $191,934 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) from Commissioner Steven Barry’s District 5 Discretionary Funds to the Freedom Road Bridge replacement.
The funds will be used to hire WSP USA, Inc. for Construction Engineering and Inspection (CEI) Services.
The replacement of the existing Freedom Road Bridge structure will include a new 26-foot-long, single-span structure. Along with the bridge replacement, the Freedom Road project includes utility relocations and associated roadway work to rebuild the roadway after construction. This work includes select clearing and grubbing, new base material, asphalt, guardrail, striping and signage.
In April, the town awarded a $1,612,966.06 construction contract to F&W Construction Company.
The 2023-24 Florida budget included a $1,257,000 Legislative appropriation to replace a town-owned bridge, but the project was delayed by rising construction costs.
Pictured: The Freedom Road bridge in Century, which has been closed for over six and a half years, as seen in April 2026. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Pictured in the lower photos are the conditions that prompted the bridge to be closed six years ago.
Penny for Progress: Escambia Commission Votes To Put LOST Renewal On November Ballot
July 24, 2026
The Escambia County Commission voted on Thursday night to send the renewal of a penny tax to the ballot in November.
Voters will decide if they will extend the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) for a decade.
Thursday night’s unanimous commission vote instructs the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections to place the renewal on the November 3 general election ballot.
LOST is a one-cent sales tax levied to fund infrastructure projects throughout the County, with proportionate amounts distributed to the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century. To levy or extend this tax, an ordinance must be adopted by the Board and the voters of Escambia County must approve the measure at a county-wide referendum.
LOST revenues average nearly $70 million per year for capital projects and infrastructure needs for Escambia County, including public safety, fire trucks and ambulances, fire stations, park improvements, road resurfacing, sidewalks, drainage and stormwater enhancements, and more.
First approved by voters in 1992 and renewed in 1997, 2006 and 2014, LOST has provided a reliable, voter-approved funding source for community improvements funded by residents and visitors alike. According to a recent University of West Florida Haas Center study, approved LOST-funded projects in Escambia County from 2009 to 2028 alone represent an estimated $2.1 billion in local economic impact.
The current LOST cycle runs through 2028. With approval by voters, the tax will continue to be collected from January 1, 2029, through December 31, 2038.
Tax Rate Breakdown
The standard State of Florida sales tax is 6.0%. In Escambia County, the total combined sales tax rate is 7.5%, which includes two local discretionary surtaxes:
- 1.0% (One Cent): The Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) managed by the county and its municipalities.
- 0.5% (Half Cent): A separate school district tax that directly benefits Escambia County Public Schools.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Vinyl, CDs, DVDs, Audiobooks, And More At This Weekend Library Media Sale
July 24, 2026
The Friends of the West Florida Public Library will hold a two-day Summer Media Sale this weekend.
The sale will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Downtown Library, 239 North Spring Street in Pensacola. Admission is free.
The sale will include audiobooks, movies on DVD, music CDs and cassettes, and vinyl records in all genres. There will be a special area for DVD sets of television shows and jigsaw puzzles. Prices will range from $1 to $10.
Cash or credit cards are accepted.
Only Woman on Florida’s Death Row Denied New Sentencing Hearing For Escambia Murder
July 24, 2026
Tina Lasonya Brown, the only woman on Florida’s death row, will remain there following a court ruling on the Escambia County case.
The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Tina Lasonya Brown’s successive post-conviction motion, ending her latest effort to receive a new sentencing hearing.
Brown was tried and convicted in 2012 by Assistant State Attorney Bridgette M. Jensen for first-degree murder in the brutal March 2010 killing of 19-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman.
Zimmerman was stunned with a taser, beaten, and then set on fire in an Ensley field. She managed to walk nearly a third of a mile to seek help but died two weeks later from her injuries.
Wahoos Sweep Clingstones In Tense Twin Bill
July 24, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos swept a doubleheader against the Columbus Clingstones on Thursday night in a pair of nailbiters, taking game one by a 4-3 final and winning the nightcap in a 1-0 thriller.
In game one, the Blue Wahoos jumped ahead early against Clingstones starter Ian Mejia (L, 0-7) in a three-run first. Brendan Jones hit a leadoff homer, the first for the Blue Wahoos in more than a year, and Ian Lewis Jr. added an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.
Blue Wahoos starter Eliazar Dishmey allowed only a Jordan Groshans RBI single in 3.0 innings, departing with a 3-1 lead. Jones tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning, extending the lead to 4-1.
Kade Bragg (W, 7-2) breezed through his first two innings of relief, but ran into trouble in the top of the sixth. The lefty walked back-to-back batters before allowing a pinch-hit RBI single to Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and an RBI double to Matt Scannell. Nigel Belgrave (S, 5) entered with the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run at second, but escaped the jam with the lead intact and worked a flawless seventh to seal the win.
In game two, Colby Shade opened the scoring with a solo homer, the first of his career at Double-A, to give the Blue Wahoos a 1-0 lead in the second inning. That would be all the damage done against Clingstones starter Anderson Pilar (L, 0-2) across 2.0 innings in his return to Pensacola after pitching in relief for the Blue Wahoos in 2024.
Luis Palacios started the nightcap for Pensacola, working 2.2 scoreless innings before allowing a pair of two-out baserunners in the top of the third. Gabe Bierman (W, 2-1) entered, escaped the jam, and ultimately contributed 2.1 perfect innings in relief.
Jack Sellinger (S, 5) worked into a jam in the sixth, hitting a batter and walking another, but stranded both runners in scoring position. The lefty returned for the seventh, and again put two runners aboard, before recording the final three outs for a 1-0 victory and a combined three-hit shutout.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Friday
by Erik Bremer
Century Mulls New Ordinance To Allow ‘Backyard Apartments’, Tiny Homes
July 23, 2026
The Town of Century is moving closer to expanding local housing options following a newly released draft ordinance governing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), which was presented to the town council. The proposal, outlined in a July 20 memorandum from Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC) Planner Eric Christianson, comgined direction from the town council across three workshops held in June and July.
The draft ordinance seeks to overhaul Section 90-81 of the town’s Land Development Code, shifting away from the confusing and restrictive “Accessory Apartments” rules toward a modernized framework that supports multigenerational living and increases housing availability while preserving existing neighborhood characters.
The move to consider a new ADU ordinance came after applicants Dewane Thomas and Mary Jo Thomas Clark first requested to place a 14×54 mobile home next to an existing home at 354 Hilltop Road, a lot with a total size of 1.6 acres, and connect the mobile home with a breeze way to the existing 874 square foot primary home.
Proposed ADU Ordinance
Per the town council’s guidance, the proposed ordinance establishes clear, objective standards for property owners looking to add a secondary unit to their land:
- Eligible Land Use Categories: ADUs will be permitted on residential properties within four Future Land Use categories: Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, Rural Residential, and Mixed Use. The memo notes that the Town Attorney will specifically review the inclusion of Rural Residential and Mixed Use properties, as the town’s Comprehensive Plan lacks the explicit authorization language already present for Low and Medium Density zones.
- Strict Unit Limits: Only one ADU is permitted per lot, and it must be built on a lot that features an existing, lawfully established principal dwelling. Legal nonconforming lots are explicitly excluded from eligibility.
- Size and Type: Both attached and detached units are allowed. The maximum size of an ADU is strictly capped at a flat 700 square feet of gross floor area, and it cannot exceed the size or height of the primary home.
- Separation and Setbacks: Detached ADUs must maintain at least a 10-foot separation from the main house. Setbacks will be measured from the roofline to the property line, requiring a minimum of 5 feet for attached units and 10 feet for detached units. All units must sit to the rear of the principal dwelling and are barred from the front yard.
- Mandatory Utility Separation: In line with existing town regulations, all ADUs must feature completely separate water, sewer, and electrical connections and meters. The memo stresses that separate utility infrastructure differentiates an ADU from a simple home addition, while also generating needed tap fee revenue for the town.
- Parking and Variances: Property owners must provide one dedicated off-street parking space for the ADU, which can be part of an existing driveway if space allows. To ensure consistency, the ordinance states that no variances, adjustments, or waivers will be permitted to bypass these requirements.
Next Steps
Before the ordinance can be formally brought to a vote in public adoption hearings, the proposal must undergo two critical next steps. First, it will be forwarded to the Town Attorney for formal legal review and advice. Concurrently, the ECRC will prepare an official impact report detailing how the policy shift will affect infrastructure, revenue, and growth across the town.
Town council members will have a final opportunity to review the legal findings and impact data, allowing them to make additional changes before the ordinance is finalized for a public vote.
Pictured top: The Century Town Council considers options after receiving a request to permit an accessory dwelling unit. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Suspect Drowns In River After Fleeing From Santa Rosa Deputies
July 23, 2026
A search for a wanted suspect ended tragically when he drowned in the Blackwater River, according to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began on the evening of Tuesday, July 21, when deputies attempted to serve multiple felony arrest warrants in the 6800 block of Pat Brown Road off Munson Highway. The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Jeffery Royce Day Jr, fled from deputies on foot and entered the Blackwater River. Law enforcement personnel witnessed Day swimming away before losing sight of him.
An extensive, multi-agency search was immediately launched Tuesday night. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Skyline Fire Rescue, and the Milton Fire Department assisted in the initial search but were unable to locate him.
Search efforts resumed Wednesday morning, with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Marine Dive Unit joining the operation. At approximately 11:30 a.m., divers located Day’s body in the river.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit has assumed the investigation into the death.
According to authorities, the felony warrants that deputies were attempting to serve on Day included violation of probation for willful fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, and grand theft of property valued between $750 and $5,000.
Texas Women Charged In Escambia County Retail Theft Spree
July 23, 2026
A Texas duo’s Florida vacation took a sudden detour straight to the county jail following an alleged multi-store shoplifting spree on Wednesday.
Kimberly Nichole Brown, 26, and Mercedes Lasha Bingham, 25, both of Houston, Texas, were arrested by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies and charged with felony retail theft and possession of marijuana.
Patrol deputies and a license plate reader located their rental vehicle near Highway 29 and Brent Lane.
Deputies conducted a traffic stop, and the stealing spree came to an immediate end.
“Pro tip: If you’re visiting Escambia County, leave with sunscreen and souvenirs, not felony charges,” the ECSO noted in a public statement following the arrests.
Both women were booked into the Escambia County Jail with bonds set at $3,000 each.
