Escambia Elections Office Warns Residents About Unofficial Mailed Voter Letters
March 29, 2026
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender has a cautionary note this week, alerting residents to a wave of voter registration mailings from a non-governmental group.
Approximately 2,825 residents are expected to receive letters from the “Voter Participation Center” over the next several days. While the mailings include official-looking registration applications and return envelopes addressed to the local Elections Office, Bender clarified that the organization has no affiliation with his office or staff.
The warning comes after reports from other Florida counties described a series of clerical errors associated with such third-party campaigns. In some instances, registration forms were addressed to deceased relatives, minor children, and even household pets.
“I want to assure Escambia County voters we are continually updating our voter rolls with information we receive from multiple sources,” Bender said in a statement, noting that his office follows strict statutory guidelines to maintain accuracy.
Of particular concern is the potential for the mailers to confuse individuals who may have lost their voting rights due to felony convictions, potentially misleading them into believing their eligibility has been automatically restored.
““I would encourage anyone who receives this mailing to contact our office before completing a voter registration application,” Bender said.
Voters can check their official registration on our website at escambiavotes.gov/am-i-registered or by calling the Elections Office. Escambia County residents who wish to register and current voters who need to update their registration can visit RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, Florida’s official online voter registration system.
Residents wishing to be removed from the Voter Participation Center’s mailing list should contact the group directly at (757) 793-2671.
Blue Jacket Jamboree, Livestock Show, Car Show Held Saturday In Molino (With Gallery)
March 29, 2026
Hundreds of people attended the annual Northview High School FFA Blue Jacket Jamboree in Molino on Saturday.
There was a big Easter Egg Hunt, including an egg drop from an EREC bucket truck. The event also included arts and crafts vendors, a car show and more.
All proceeds from the Blue Jacket Jamboree benefit Northview High School FFA students and their scholarship fund.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Blue Jacket Jamboree was held in conjunction with the Gulf Coast Agriculture & Natural Resources Youth Organization Annual Spring Livestock Show.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Century Egg The Park Egg Hunt
March 29, 2026
Kid enjoyed the Century Area Chamber of Commerce’s Egg the Park Egg Hunt on Saturday at Showalter Park.
Children of all ages found hundreds of eggs, and had a chance to visit with the Easter Bunny.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pie In The Mayor’s Face, Egg Hunt, Touch A Truck, As Flomaton Celebrates Spring (Gallery)
March 29, 2026
From a pie in the face for the mayor to an Easter egg hunt, to vendors and a touch-a-truck event, Flomaton celebrated on Saturday with a Downtown Spring Bazaar.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Water Outage Planned For Stallion Road, Monica Lane Area
March 29, 2026
Residents in the area of Stallion Road south of West Roberts Road will be without water Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
ECUA is planning a water service outage from 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1. During this time, water service will be unavailable as the utility conducts updates to the water system. The affected area will include:
- Monica Lane
- The portion of Stallion Road that is south of West Roberts Road
- Colt Lane
- Pierce Road.
As part of standard protocol, crews will flush the system after the work is completed. A precautionary boil water notice will be issued in a separate notice on Wednesday. If customers observe discolored water as a result of the utility work, residents are advised to flush their home’s plumbing by running their taps for a few minutes.
For more information or issues, call ECUA at 850-476-0480 or email customer.service@ecua.fl.gov.
$2.6 Million Klondike Road Bridge Replacement Project Set To Begin
March 29, 2026
Next month, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will begin a $2.6 million project to replace the existing Klondike Road Bridge just south of Cedarbrook Drive in northern Escambia County
During construction, a temporary roadway and bridge will be constructed, just west of the existing structure to allow crews to demolish and reconstruct the bridge in the existing location. Two travel lanes, one in each direction, will remain open.
Additional improvements will include:
- New guardrail.
- Drainage enhancements.
- New pavement markings.
During construction, the speed limit will be reduced to 30 mph and drivers may encounter periodic lane closures and brief traffic disruptions. Driveways within the project limits will be redirected to the temporary roadway and will be restored to their permanent locations once bridge construction is complete. Additionally, piledriving operations will be limited to only occur between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
This project is scheduled for completion in late 2027.
Tate Tennis Boys And Girls Defeat Washington
March 29, 2026
The Tate Aggies boys and girls teams earned Friday wins over the Washington Wildcats at Washington. The Aggie boys won 5-2, and the girls won 4-3 on Friday.
Next up, Tate will host the Navarre Raiders on Tuesday.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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Tate Lady Aggies Head Softball Coach Melinda Wyatt To Retire; Event Planned
March 28, 2026
Longtime Tate High School Lady Aggies softball head coach Melinda Wyatt will retire at the end of this season, and she will be recognized before an upcoming game.
Wyatt has coached generations of Aggies since joining the school in 1989. During her tenure, she has coached swimming, golf, girls basketball, track and field, volleyball, and softball. She has served as the softball head coach since 2005.
A standout athlete herself, Wyatt was named to the All-Time Roster at UWF from 1986 to 1987 and earned All-Conference honors at Pensacola State College in both softball and basketball.
Wyatt will be recognized on Friday, April 17, before a 6:30 p.m. game against the Pace Patriots at Charlene Varnell Field at Tate High School.
All former players, students, and community members are invited to pack the stands to honor Coach Wyatt.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Patronis Calls On VA For Hospital Update, Improved Care Access In Northwest Florida
March 28, 2026
Northwest Florida Congressman Jimmy Patronis is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address a critical healthcare gap in Northwest Florida, formally requesting a strategic analysis for a new full-service VA hospital in the region.
In a letter (pictured below) sent late Thursday to VA Secretary Doug Collins, Patronis highlighted the significant “deficiency” in local care, noting that thousands of veterans in Florida’s First Congressional District are forced to travel hours for essential medical services.
“For veterans seeking inpatient and other specialty care in my district, their options are to travel nearly two to three hours one way to receive treatment at a VA hospital,” Patronis wrote.
The Congressman pointed out that for many, the closest option is the VA hospital in Biloxi, Mississippi. According to the letter, approximately 140,000 individuals in the service area covering his district must travel these great distances for acute inpatient care or same-day surgeries—a figure Patronis claims represents “the largest number anywhere in the country in the last assessment.”
Beyond the travel burden, the Congressman expressed concern that current Community Care (CC) guidelines, which allow veterans to see private providers, are not sufficiently filling the void. He cited “provider shortages, a lack of specialists, as well as administrative delays” as primary reasons veterans are struggling to receive timely care in the Florida Panhandle.
The request for a new facility is not without precedent. Patronis noted that the Department of Veterans Affairs has previously recommended building a full-service hospital in the district to meet the growing demand.
“For my constituents, these realities delay necessary care and burden our veterans, especially older individuals and those with complex medical needs,” the letter stated.
The proposed strategic market analysis would evaluate whether the VA is currently positioned to meet the region’s needs and how future resources should be allocated. Patronis concluded by emphasizing the obligation to those who served.
“Our veterans made tremendous sacrifices for our country,” Patronis wrote. “I look forward to working with you throughout this process to ensure these heroes have access to the care and support available to veterans across the country.”
File photo.
Mikayla McAnally Pitches Perfect Game As NHS Beats Milton; Chiefs Beat Miller
March 28, 2026
The Northview Lady Chiefs won two on Friday in games played at T.R. Miller in Brewton.
Northview 4, Milton 0
Junior Mikayla McAnally pitched her first career perfect game on Friday as the Northview Lady Chiefs shut out the Milton Panthers 4-0.
In seven innings, McAnally allowed no runs and no hits while recording no walks and eight strikeouts.
Kylie Langham led the Chiefs with two RBIs as she went 1-3 for the afternoon, while Aubrey Hadley went 2-3 with one RBI.
Northview 18, T.R. Miller 1
The Northview Lady Chiefs beat T.R. Miller 18-1 on Friday.
Mikayla McAnally opened in the circle for Northview, giving up one hit and no runs in two innings, walking one and striking out one.
Bailey Burkette went 2-3 with four RBIs for the Chiefs.
Pictured: Mikayla McAnally pitches for the Northview Chiefs. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.