Molino Christmas Parade Is Saturday
December 12, 2025
This year’s Molino Christmas Parade will be held this Saturday, December 13 at 11 a.m.
The parade will travel Crabtree Church Road from Molino Road to the Don Sutton Ballpark. Family fun activities, inflatables, food trucks and pictures with Santa at noon in the ballpark, following the parade.
All proceeds from the parade, which is coordinated by Marcus Pointe Baptist Church Molino, will go to families in need in the North Escambia area.
The parade was rescheduled from December 6 due to weather.
Line up will be in a field at 4325 Crabtree Church Road at 10 a.m. Vehicles are $50, UTVs are $30, and horses are $20 each. No dirt bikes or ATVs are allowed. For more information, contact Kimberly King at Marcus Pointe, (850) 479-8337 ext. 136. To register online, click here.
Pictured: The 2024 Molino Christmas Parade. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man SentencedFor Cyberstalking, Sending Obscene Material To Young Girls
December 12, 2025
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to federal prison for cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females.
Charles M. Schmaltz, 29, was sentenced to five years.
Court documents reflect that the defendant communicated with multiple minor females between 2022 and 2024 by utilizing 10 or more social media accounts to contact them. The minor females, and later their parents, repeatedly requested that the Schmaltz strop communicating with them.
Instead, the Schmaltz sent sexually explicit content to the minor females, including extremely graphic communications. The minor females in this case ranged in age from nine to 15 years old. Schmaltz was eventually caught through the work of a multi-agency investigation in North Florida and South Alabama, where some of the victims were located.
Upon his release, Schmaltz will be supervised for five years by a United States Probation Officer and have to comply with sexual offender treatment. He faces additional state charges in Alabama.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office and the Dothan Police Department in South Alabama. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
Photos: Santa Visits Molino Library Story Time
December 12, 2025
Santa Claus visited the Molino Library this week for Story Time.
He read stories, sang songs, and introduced all of his reindeer.
For a photo gallery, click here.
There are five more chanced to see Santa at the library, including another visit to Molino.
- Dec. 11, 4:30 p.m. — Westside
- Dec. 16, 3:00 p.m. — Tryon
- Dec. 17, 4:30 p.m. — Southwest
- Dec. 18, 4:30 p.m. — Molino
- Dec. 20, 10:30 p.m. — Pensacola
For photos from Santa’s recent visit to the Century Library, click here.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
WSRE Files Federal Lawsuit To Protect Donor Funds From Pensacola State College
December 12, 2025
The WSRE-TV Foundation filed a first-in-the-nation federal lawsuit today to prevent Pensacola State College from taking control of millions in funds donated by citizens in the region to support WSRE’s popular community programming.
For nearly 60 years, WSRE has been a presence in Northwest Florida and South Alabama — educating generations of children, supporting classrooms, honoring military families, documenting Gulf Coast history, and more.
The WSRE-TV Foundation has long been the engine behind that service, sustaining the station with private charitable gifts from the public.
Today’s legal action seeks to protect those donations after Pensacola State College moved to sever ties with the Foundation and demanded control to sweep the donor-raised funds for use by the college.
According to the Foundation’s federal complaint, PSC’s president went so far as to “require the dissolution of a pre-existing private foundation and demand that funds donated by private citizens be turned over to the government entity, PSC.”
“People generously donated these dollars because they believe in the education, community storytelling, and reliable local service that WSRE provides,” said Amy Day, Chair of the Foundation board. “They did not give so their gifts could be taken away and transferred into a government budget. Protecting the trust of our community and donors’ intent is our absolute responsibility.”
The Foundation emphasized that the lawsuit centers on a simple principle shared across the region: when private citizens step up to support a community mission, government should not be allowed to seize those charitable gifts for its own use.
Individuals, families and businesses across Northwest Florida and South Alabama have donated to the Foundation — from small monthly gifts to major endowments — to support WSRE’s programming and community services. Those contributions were made voluntarily with the understanding that they would be used for public television, not college operations.
“Private generosity built and sustains WSRE,” said Day. “The people who gave these funds deserve to have their trust honored, not broken.”
Earlier this year, PSC voted to end WSRE’s PBS affiliation. The Foundation affirmed that PSC has the right to make programming decisions for the college — but that choice does not give PSC permission to repurpose private charitable gifts.
“PSC made its decision,” said Day. “But donors made theirs, too. And their support was for public television programming that we have been providing for decades.”
Huntsville Havoc Falls To The Pensacola Ice Flyers
December 12, 2025
The Ice Flyers hosted College Night at the Hangar, squaring off against the Huntsville Havoc in what would prove to be a hard-fought battle that went down to the wire. The Havoc came out flying and controlled much of the play through the opening two periods, testing the Ice Flyers’ resolve early and often.
The first period belonged to Huntsville, with Matt Allen finding the back of the net for the game’s opening goal. The Ice Flyers struggled to find a goal of their own outshooting the Havoc 10 to 8.
The second period saw more of the same, with Huntsville continuing to dominate possession and create scoring chances. Dawson Sciarrino dropped the gloves during the period, and the physical play seemed to inject some energy into the Ice Flyers’ game. Still, Allen struck again, this time capitalizing on a powerplay opportunity to extend the Havoc’s lead to 2-0. The frustration was evident as the Ice Flyers searched for answers.
But if the second period showcased the Ice Flyers’ grit, the third period revealed their character. Sciarrino wasted no time getting Pensacola on the board early in the final frame, cutting the Huntsville lead in half and breathing life into the home crowd. Just two minutes later, Cam Gaudette capitalized on the momentum shift, tying the game at 2-2 and sending the Hangar into a frenzy.
The comeback wasn’t complete yet. Captain Ethan Price gave the Ice Flyers their first lead of the night with a short-handed goal. However, Huntsville refused to go away quietly. Ethan Lindsay answered back for the Havoc, knotting the score once again and forcing overtime.
In the extra frame, it was all Ice Flyers. After coming back from two goals down, Zack Bross played hero, finding the back of the net in overtime to secure a thrilling 4-3 victory and send the College Night crowd home happy.
The team will now take a few well-deserved days off to celebrate the holidays with family and friends before returning to the Hangar on December 20th for Star Wars Night, where they’ll face off against the Havoc once again.
Jesse LaCoste Of Cantonment Gets 10 Years For Grand Theft, Contractor Fraud
December 11, 2025
Thursday, embattled contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste of Cantonment was sentenced to 10 years in prison
It October, an Escambia County jury deliberated for just over an hour before convicting LaCoste of grand theft and contractor fraud, both second degree felonies.
He had faced up to 30 years in prison, and still faces trail on additional similar charges in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties .
LaCoste was originally indicted on one count of racketeering and two counts of organized fraud.
The indictment alleged that between June 2018 and August 2022, LaCoste unlawfully managed LaCoste Construction Group, LLC and LaCoste General Contractors LLC by engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity, involving forgery, perjury, false official statements, theft, and insurance fraud.
According to investigators, LaCoste allegedly defrauded homeowners, their insurance companies, subcontractors and suppliers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties of more than $2 million. LaCoste also allegedly forged and falsified applications to obtain his county and state contractor licenses.
LaCoste’s brother-in-law, Matthew Banks, is awaiting trial on similar racketeering and other contracting-related charges.
Cantonment Sexual Predator Charged With Absconding
December 11, 2025
A Cantonment sexual predator remains behind bars in the Escambia County Jail after vacating his permanent residence without notifying authorities, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Bradford Anthony McKune, 55, was charged with four felony sexual predator violations.
According to an arrest report, McKune moved away from 960 Rose Petal Lane six months ago but failed to report the change as required to the Sheriff’s Office and the driver’s license office. Authorities said he also provided false registration information to the Florida Sex Offender/Predator registry.
According to state records, McKune was convicted of sexual battery of a child in 2004 in Pasco County, Florida, and required to maintain his registration as a sexual predator.
He is due back in court on December 23.
Escambia Schools Announce Top 5 Teachers Of The Year
December 11, 2025
Escambia County Public Schools released the top five finalists for ECPS Teacher of the Year.
The five finalists are as follows, listed in alphabetical order:
- Courtney Geiger — Lipscomb Elementary School
- David Dawson — Pine Forest High School
- Trinity Barnett — Blue Angels Elementary School
- Kathryn Cody — Booker Washington High School
- Cameron Peters — Bailey Middle School
The overall Teacher of the Year for Escambia County Public Schools will be announced in the coming months, and honored, along with all district teachers of the year, at a special event.
Northview High Names History Fair Winners
December 11, 2025
Northview High School recently held its 2025 History Fair.
Winners were:
Honorable mentions were: Amy Floyd, Landon Brown, Katelyn Sanchez, Day Randolph, Auna Arredondo, Brielle Garcia, Emma Godwin, and Warner Maxwelloinrry.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Convicted of Animal Cruelty, Firearm Charge
December 11, 2025
An Escambia County man has been convicted of animal cruelty and a firearm charge.
Joseph Henry Broxson, 23 was found guilty by a jury of aggravated animal abuse and discharging a firearm on a residential property .
In the early morning hours of December 29, 2024, Broxson shot his neighbor’s one-year-old dog named Tank. Prosecutors said Tank and another dog got out of their fenced yard and walked into Broxson’s backyard. Broxson told Escambia County Sheriff deputies that the dogs were “snooping around” in his backyard and said they barked and growled.
Broxson said that he was so afraid of the dogs that he went inside his home to arm himself with his firearm. He then went back outside to the front yard and discovered that the dogs were walking in the street, several houses away. Broxson said he waited in his front yard for the dogs to walk past his house again and shot at them, striking Tank multiple times. Tank made a full recovery.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 21, 2026, before Judge Amy Brodersen.