Winning Wahoos Reach Threshold Of Playoffs
September 6, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lowered their magic number to one on Saturday night, homering five times in a 10-2 victory over the Columbus Clingstones.
The win grows Pensacola’s division lead over the Clingstones to 6.5 games with 7 to play in the regular season. They can clinch a second half South Division title possible as soon as Sunday with a win in their road trip finale.
Ryan Ignoffo and Max Williams each homered twice to power an offensive outburst for Pensacola. Ignoffo homered in the second and ninth innings, breaking a homerless drought dating back to mid-April for the stalwart Blue Wahoos catcher. Williams continued to impress in his first taste of Double-A, launching a three-run homer in the third inning and a solo homer in the fifth inning after hitting a clutch ninth-inning homer in his debut on Friday night.
It marked just the third time in Blue Wahoos history that two different players had multi-homer games on the same night, following Aristides Aquino and Nick Senzel on August 13, 2017 and Griffin Conine and Peyton Burdick on August 4, 2021.
Payton Green also homered off Clingstones starter Braden Scott (L, 3-2) to complement a strong pitching effort from Pensacola’s Jacob Kisting (W, 4-0), who fanned seven and allowed only two runs over 5.0 innings. The Blue Wahoos bullpen was even better, as Juan Reynoso struck out seven batters over 3.0 perfect inning and Jack Sellinger fanned two more in a 1-2-3 ninth. The Blue Wahoos pitching staff struck out 16 batters, one shy of tying a season high, and did not allow any baserunners after the fourth inning.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Clingstones on Sunday with a chance to clinch their first playoff berth since 2023.
written by Erik Bremer
Honduran National Pleads Guilty To Production Of Child Pornorgraphy In Escambia County
September 6, 2026
A Honduran national has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges after recording sexual acts with an underage girl in Escambia County.
Osman Edgardo Cubas-Alvarenga, 38, a Honduran illegally present in the United States, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography and one count of illegal reentry of an alien, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“For more than a year, this criminal alien preyed upon and sexually exploited a minor child while he was illegally present in our country,” said John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “This heartbreaking story underscores the commonsense reason why we must secure our borders and aggressively enforce our nation’s immigration laws: because the safety of our communities depends upon it. I appreciate the incredible investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to help bring this criminal alien to justice, and commit that my office will continue to aggressively prosecute sexual predators, like this defendant, to keep our kids and our communities safe.”
According to court documents, between January 2025 and February 2026, Cubas-Alvarenga was engaging in a secret “relationship” with a 16-year-old victim in Escambia County. He would communicate with the minor via encrypted social media applications, which included them exchanging sexually explicit material. He also recorded sexual acts with the victim. Law enforcement obtained search warrants to uncover all the digital evidence and arrest the defendant.
Cubas-Alvarenga faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 30 years’ imprisonment, and a lifetime of supervision upon release as well as registration as a sexual offender. He also faces removal from the United States.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 24, at the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Florida Highway Patrol.
Nine New George Stone Grads Joining Escambia County Corrections
September 6, 2026
Nine new corrections officers will be joining the Escambia County Corrections Department after graduating from the George Stone Criminal Justice Training Center Corrections Academy.
The officer trainees graduated from the George Stone Criminal Justice Training Center recently after completing a rigorous 445-hour training program designed to prepare them for a career in corrections.
New graduates joining the department include:
- Joshua Broer
- Patrick Brown
- John Bumann
- Alex Edmonson
- Eric Hottel (class #130)
- Marlene Martins-Machado (class #130)
- Chana Ottwel
- Ariyanna Patterson (class #127)
- Juan Salcido
Over the course of three months, the trainees underwent an intensive curriculum that combined physical training, academic studies, and hands-on certifications. The program covered various high-liability topics, including defensive tactics, firearms, and CPR/first aid.
Escambia County Corrections Commander Scott Nash highlighted the importance of preparing the next generation of officers.
“We are very proud of these new graduates, and we are excited to welcome them to the Escambia County Corrections team,” Nash said. “Their dedication to public safety strengthens our agency, and we look forward to watching them grow in their careers.”
Escambia County Corrections is offering sign-on bonuses for certified corrections officers and officer trainees. Certified corrections officers are eligible for an $8,000 sign-on bonus, and officer trainees who want to join the George Stone Corrections Academy and become certified are eligible for a $5,000 sign-on bonus, plus a paid scholarship to attend the Corrections Academy.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sheriff’s Office Investigating Disturbance Involving Gun at Cantonment Whataburger Following Football Game
September 5, 2026
Deputies are investigating an altercation involving a firearm that forced a Cantonment fast food restaurant to shut down Friday night following a local high school football game.
Deputies from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office 5th Precinct in Cantonment were dispatched to the Whataburger on Highway 29 around 10:30 p.m. for a reported shots-fired disturbance, according to Sgt. Melony Peterson.
The incident occurred shortly after the Tate High School Aggies hosted the Escambia Gators just over a mile away.
“Upon arrival, deputies found a large crowd of juveniles in the parking lots of Whataburger, Circle K, and the Ashley Medical Clinic,” Peterson said. “These juveniles had gathered here after the Tate High School game.”
Investigators quickly determined that a physical altercation had erupted inside the Whataburger dining room.
“An investigation determined that a fight occurred in Whataburger, which disrupted and trashed the business, resulting in the business having to close,” Peterson stated.
During the chaos, a weapon was produced.
“During this fight, a suspect, described as a juvenile black male with short dreads and wearing a green shirt, pulled a gun,” Peterson said. “The manager tackled the suspect to the ground, but the suspect escaped.”
Despite the initial report of gunfire, authorities confirmed no shots were fired during the incident.
“It was determined that the suspect did not fire the gun,” Peterson added, noting that “this incident was caught on camera and will be admitted into evidence when the corporation releases it.”
No major injuries were reported, and the search for the suspect remains ongoing.
Anyone with information or video is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 63-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia EMS Ambulance Collides With E-Bike Rider While Responding To Another Crash
September 5, 2026
An Escambia County EMS ambulance responding to a call collided with a bicyclist on an e-bike on Friday afternoon.
The crash occurred about 1:20 p.m. The ambulance was responding with lights and sirens to another traffic crash about a block away at the intersection of W Street and Massachusetts when the person on the e-bike traveled into the path of the ambulance, according to witnesses.
The bicyclist was transported by another EMS unit to an area hospital. An update on his condition was not available. An additional ambulance responded to the original traffic crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating, and Escambia County is also conducting an internal review of the crash with the cyclist.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Man Arrested Shortly After Gunfire, Robbery At Hotel In Atmore
September 5, 2026
A robbery suspect considered armed and dangerous was taken into custody shortly after fleeing a scene in Atmore on Friday.
According to the Atmore Police Department, officers responded to the Greenlawn Hotel in the 1400 block of East Nashville Avenue following reports of shots fired. An initial investigation determined an armed robbery had taken place, and authorities identified Tyler Standing-Elk as the suspect.
Police issued an alert warning the public not to approach Standing-Elk, noting he had fled the area and was wanted for first-degree robbery while considered armed and dangerous.
A short time later, police confirmed that Standing-Elk was taken into custody.
NorthEscambia.com file photo (top), click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Fall To The Escambia Gators
September 5, 2026
Mike Bennett’s Escambia Gators were looking for their first win of the season following two shutouts, while Rhett Summerford’s Tate Aggies were aiming for 3-0.
Friday night ended with the Gators just getting past the Aggies with a close 6-3 final. The Aggies were first on the big video board in Pete Gindl Stadium with a good field goal with just 14.5 seconds to go in the first quarter, and the Gators answered late in the second half.
- For a game action photo gallery, click here.
- For cheerleaders, Showband of the South, fans and more, look for a gallery by Tuesday.
Up next, the Aggies (2-1) will hit the road next week to take on the Crestview Bulldogs (0-3).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Football Scoreboard
September 5, 2026
Here are high school football scores from across the North Escambia area:
FLORIDA
Friday
- Escambia 6, Tate 3 [Story, photos...]
- Northview 50, Graceville 6
- Jay 41, Central 0
- Washington 35, Pensacola 13
- West Florida 31, Fort Walton Beach 15
- Freeport 36, Gulf Breeze 35 (OT)
- Choctawhatchee at Pace
- Milton 51, Navarre 13
Thursday
- Godby 21 Pensacola Catholic 10
- Pine Forest 38, Crestview 29
ALABAMAA
- Opp 28, Flomaton 20
- Jackson 14 Escambia County, 13
- Thomasville 27, W.S. Neal 27
- T.R. Miller (open)
- Escambia Academy (canceled due to no available officials)
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Wild 10th Inning Gives Wahoos Much-Needed Win Aas Magic Number Drops To 3
September 5, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos turned a pitchers’ duel into an extra-inning slugfest on Friday night, outlasting the Columbus Clingstones 8-6 in 10 innings.
The win grows Pensacola’s division lead over the Clingstones to 5.5 games with 8 to play in the regular season. Their magic number to clinch the second half South Division title drops to three, with a postseason clinch possible as soon as Sunday if they win their two remaining games in Columbus this weekend.
The game began as a low-scoring affair, as Orlando Ortiz-Mayr worked 5.0 scoreless innings for Pensacola and Drue Hackenberg turned in a career-high 8.0 innings of one-run ball for the Clingstones. The Blue Wahoos took the game’s first lead in the third inning when Hackenberg uncorked a wild pitch to score Adrian Santana from third base, and that 1-0 score held up until the late innings.
Blue Wahoos reliever Nigel Belgrave struck out the side in order in the sixth, but surrendered a game-tying homer to Dixon Williams to begin the bottom of the seventh inning.
The game remained tied 1-1 until the top of the ninth, when new arrival Max Williams launched a go-ahead homer with two outs for his first hit in his Double-A debut and a 2-1 Blue Wahoos lead. Tasked with protecting the newfound edge, Pensacola reliever Justin Storm (W, 1-0) served up a leadoff homer to Alex Lodise to tie the game 2-2 and force extras.
In the top of the 10th, the Blue Wahoos exploded for six runs against reliever Blane Abeyta (L, 1-4) to take an 8-2 lead. Colby Shade reached on what was intended as a sacrifice bunt and Ryan Ignoffo walked to load the bases for Jay Beshears, who laced an RBI single to center field. Though Shade was thrown out trying to score from second base, the Blue Wahoos re-loaded the bases for Aiva Arquette when Adrian Santana was hit by a pitch. Arquette blasted a two-run double off the left field wall for a three-run inning, and three additional runs came into score on a Dillon Lewis fielder’s choice, Williams RBI single, and Cristian Hernández RBI groundout.
The Clingstones put up a fight in the bottom of the 10th, loading the bases against Storm before Tristan Stevens entered and gave up a grand slam to John Gil to cut the lead to 8-6. Though Stevens hit Eric Hartman to bring the tying run to the plate, Lodise grounded into a game-ending double play to seal the Blue Wahoos win.
The Blue Wahoos improved to 10-1 in extra-inning games this season, and snapped a four-game losing skid with the victory.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Clingstones on Saturday.
written by Erik Bremer
State Prison Inmate Gets Max Sentence For Fatally Choking His Cellmate
September 5, 2026
A state prison inmate will serve an additional 15 years behind bars after a Santa Rosa County jury convicted him of manslaughter in the death of his cellmate.
Tavis Ernest Williams was found guilty this week. Immediately following the verdict, Santa Rosa Circuit Court Judge Clifton Drake handed down the statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison.
Because Williams was designated a prison releasee reoffender, he must serve the entire sentence day-for-day, without eligibility for gain time or discretionary release.
The 15-year term will run consecutively to the prison sentence Williams is currently serving for prior convictions out of Miami-Dade County for first degree murder and robbery.
The conviction stems from an incident on May 27, 2022, inside the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution in Milton, where Williams and the victim shared a cell. Following a brief physical altercation, Williams placed the victim in a chokehold and refused to let go until the man stopped breathing.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the homicide and filed the arrest charges.