Ernest Ward Eagles Boys And Girls Beat Pollard McCall
November 7, 2025
he Ernest Ward Middle School Eagles boys and girls basketball teams both defeated Pollard McCall Junior High School Thursday night in Walnut Hill.
Up next, the EWMS Eagles will host Flomaton on November 10. The girls tip off first at 5 p.m. with the boys game to follow.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
LSU To Face Vandy For SEC Soccer Title
November 7, 2025
The teams are set for the SEC Soccer Tournament championship match on Sunday in North Escambia.
LSA will take on Vanderbilt at 2:30 Sunday afternoon at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Park off Ten Mile Road.
In Thursday’s semifinal games:
- LSU 3, Mississippi State 1 – LSU advanced to the SEC Championship match with a 3-1 win over Mississippi State, sparked by Ava Galligan’s opener in the 28th minute. A red card in the box led to an Ida Hermannsdottir penalty to make it 2-0, and freshman Sariyah Bailey added a header moments later. Mississippi State scored before halftime, but LSU’s back line and keeper Auder Scheving held strong to finish the match and send the Tigers to Sunday’s final. LSU is now heading to the finals for the third time in program history.
- Vanderbilt 2, Georgia 0 – Vanderbilt secured a spot in the SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament Championship with a commanding 2-0 semifinal win over Georgia.The No. 2 seed Commodores broke a scoreless deadlock in the 67th minute with a goal from Sydney Watts, assisted by Olivia Stafford, and added an insurance goal late in the match to seal the victory. Vanderbilt controlled the pace with 14 total shots and a strong defensive showing that limited the No. 3 seed Bulldogs to just five attempts.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Century Considers Development Fee Increases Up To 900%
November 6, 2025
The Town of Century is considering the first update to their permit fees schedule in 11 years, with proposed fees increasing from 100% to 900%.
The town’s current plans review fee schedule, adopted in 2014, sets rates for planning actions such as development certificates, sign review, and comprehensive plan amendments. The town currently contracts with the planning agency Emerald Coast Regional Council (ECRC) for plan reviews, and that generally is costing more than the fees paid by citizens as the existing fees no longer reflect true administrative costs.
“These (fees) haven’t been adjusted since 2014, so we basically lose money on every permit that we take in the door,” Town Administrator Dave Murzin said.
ECRC has proposed fee updates:
The proposed fees are less than those charged by Escambia County.
“We don’t necessarily want to make a profit,” Mayor Ben Boutwell said. “We just want to break even.”
Before moving forward with any fee changes, the town council decided this week to schedule a meeting with Eric Christianson with ECRC for further discussion.
NorthEscambia.com photo/graphic, click to enlarge.
Jim Allen Elementary Parade Honors Veterans (With Gallery)
November 6, 2025
Jim Allen Elementary School held their annual Veterans Day Parade.
First grade teachers and students worked hard to recognize and celebrate those who bravely served.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Students Attend SEC Soccer Tournament
November 6, 2025
This week, local schools took field trips to watch the SEC Soccer Tournament.
McArthur Elementary School students (pictured below) with perfect attendance through the end of October were able to take a walking field trip to nearby Ashton Brosnaham Park to watch as No. 2 Vanderbilt defeated No. 10 Alabama by a score of 2-1.
Fourth and fifth grade students from Lipscomb Elementary (pictured top) also attended the Vanderbilt versus Alabama game.
The tournament continues Thursday with the championship game on Sunday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
School Breakfast And Lunch: Have Your Say In Choosing Menus For Next Semester
November 6, 2025
What would you like to see on the menu for breakfast and lunch for Escambia County Public Schools?
The Escambia County School District is asking for input into menus for next semester.
Surveys are available the links below, divided by grade level.
Pre-K: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M99W99W
Elementary School: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M9QRVPJ
Middle School: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JZJ2TKM
High School: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/M9NHPJW
Pictured: Teriyaki chicken with rice was on the menu earlier this week at Tate High School. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Annual Walnut Hill VFD Fish Fry Is Saturday
November 6, 2025
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department is hosting its 56th Annual Fish Fry on this Saturday, November 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fire department. The community event promises delicious food, family fun, and the chance to support a great cause.
For just $12 per plate, attendees can enjoy a meal featuring grilled or fried catfish, grilled chicken, baked beans, coleslaw, homemade bread, and a selection of homemade desserts. Door prize drawings will be held throughout the day.
In addition to the food and festivities, a blood drive will be held in partnership with the One Blood Big Red Bus to encourage attendees to “Save Lives, Donate Blood.”
The Walnut Hill Fire Station is at 7760 Highway 97, just north of Ernest Ward Middle School.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Escambia Man Gets Life In Prison For Brutal Second Degree Murder Of His Girlfriend
November 6, 2025
On Wednesday, an Escambia County man was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal second degree murder of his girlfriend.
It took a jury less than 30 minutes to convict Davarius James of the murder of Claudette Robinson.
On February 3, 2025, Robinson was located deceased in her residence. Her injuries included bruises over her body, broken ribs, a broken breastbone, and injuries to her throat. Evidence established that her boyfriend, Davarius James, had attempted to contact friends and family members for help over the course of that day, however, he failed to call 911 or seek medical treatment for the victim. A family member called 911 at 3:29 p.m. and officers and investigators responded to the scene. James was located and apprehended two hours later and taken into custody.
James told investigators that Robinson was injured when she fell twice earlier that morning.
During the trial, polie testified to search terms found in the victim’s phone including google searches asking how to determine if someone was dead, how long someone can live off CPR, and searches about how to tell if someone had been choked by the neck.
Associate Medical Examiner, Dr. Lorraine Lopez-Morell testified that the victim’s cause of death was “multiple blunt force trauma” and that broken cartilage in the victim’s throat and a broken hyoid bone indicated manual strangulation. Robinson’s injuries were described as being similar to injuries seen in a car crash.
Undefeated UWF Football Ranked No. 1 In NCAA Regional Rankings
November 6, 2025
UWF is the No. 1 team in Super Region Two in the Monday’s release of the NCAA Division II regional rankings.
The 9-0 Argos sit atop the list of the top-10 teams in the region. Super Region Two consists of programs competing in the Gulf South Conference (GSC), Conference Carolinas (CC), South Atlantic Conference (SAC) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
The Argos, who are also ranked No. 3 in multiple national polls are coming off a 51-38 road win over No. 15 Delta State, setting up a GSC Title shot on Saturday, Nov. 15 when the team hosts Valdosta State at Pen Air Field for the final game of the regular season.
UWF has beaten three nationally ranked opponents this season including No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne in the season opener, No. 8 West Alabama on the road in October and No. 15 Delta State this past Saturday.
NCAA postseason play will begin on Saturday, Nov. 22.
SUPER REGION TWO RANKINGS (As of Nov. 2)
- West Florida (9-0)
- Albany St. (8-0)
- Benedict (7-1)
- Newberry (7-1)
- Wingate (7-2)
- Kentucky St. (7-1)
- Delta St. (7-2)
- Carson-Newman (6-2)
- UNC Pembroke (8-2)
- Emory & Henry (6-3)
Century Man Facing Felony Charges For Fraudulent Food Orders, Stolen Credit Card
November 5, 2025
A Century man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges related to alleged fraudulent food orders using stolen credit card information.
Toney Maurice Harrison, 28, was charged with two counts of felony fraudulent use of credit cards, three counts of petit theft, and two felony counts of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony. He remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $26,000.
The initial complaint, which triggered the investigation, centered on transactions made at Flounders Chowder House in late August. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office report, staff noticed a pattern of to-go orders placed with stolen credit card information, resulting in the restaurant losing payment after the transactions were flagged as fraudulent. Video evidence reportedly showed Harrison retrieving multiple food orders totaling $150.95 on separate dates in August.
The investigation escalated when Harrison was identified by restaurant management while allegedly attempting to collect another alleged fraudulently purchased order. When he was detained, a deputy collected Harrison’s Pink Apple iPhone from the scene as evidence.
A subsequent search warrant executed on the phone revealed evidence. The report states that screenshots found on the device showed receipts for online orders from both Flounders Chowder House and McGuire’s Irish Pub. These receipts were cross-referenced with transaction logs, confirming two additional incidents of fraudulently purchased food totaling $130.06, and linking Harrison to the use of stolen credit card information across both businesses.
The report states that additional orders may be verified as fraudulent.