AAA: Florida Gas Prices Decline Slightly As Market Pressures Linger
April 27, 2026
Despite a small 3-cent uptick, Florida gas prices declined most of last week. Sunday’s state average of $3.95 per gallon is seven cents lower than a week ago, seven cents higher than last month, and 88 cents lower than last year, according to AAA.
“Florida gas prices have seesawed week to week, after peaking earlier this month,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “They may move higher again soon, following increases in both oil and wholesale gasoline prices.”
The average price per gallon in Escambia County was $3.69, which is down seven cents from last week, up three cents from a month ago, and 78 cents higher than a year ago.
Sunday night, a low of $3.62 was available in North Escambia at stations on Highway 29 in Cantonment.
File photo.
Grand Slam Sinks Wahoos In 6-0 Loss To Biscuits
April 27, 2026
One big swing cost the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in a bid to win their weeklong series against the Montgomery Biscuits on Sunday afternoon, as an Austin Overn grand slam lifted the Biscuits to a 6-0 final.
Luis Palacios was stellar in his first start of the season for the Blue Wahoos, scattering just a single and a walk in 4.0 scoreless innings. Along the way, he passed Daniel Wright to become the franchise’s all-time innings pitched leader and moved into second place on the club’s strikeout leaderboard.
The Blue Wahoos had early opportunities against Montgomery’s Michael Forret, but left a man in scoring position in three of their first four innings. TJ Fondtain (W, 1-0) picked up the game in the fifth inning for the Biscuits, and worked 2.0 effective innings of relief in his season debut.
The debut of Blue Wahoos reliever Luis Moreno (L, 0-1) didn’t go as well, as the righty allowed a double and a pair of two-out walks in the fifth inning before Overn launched his grand slam over the right field wall to break a scoreless tie. Overn added on in the seventh, lacing a two-out RBI triple to center field to extend the lead to 5-0.
Xavier Isaac capped a strong week at the plate with a solo homer, his fourth of the series, in the eighth inning to put Montgomery ahead 6-0. Owen Wild worked around a pair of two-out baserunners in the ninth to close out the game for the Biscuits.
After an off day Monday, the Blue Wahoos begin a six-game home series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday.
written by Erik Bremer
Highway 29 To Be Temporarily Reduced To One Lane In Each Direction At Highway 97
April 26, 2026
Northbound and southbound traffic on Highway 29 is set to be shifted to a single lane in each direction at Highway 97 on Sunday evening.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said that the temporary shift is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Sunday. During this time, both northbound and southbound lanes on Highway 29 will be reduced to a single lane at the intersection to accommodate necessary drainage improvements.
The work is a key component of a larger $14 million resurfacing and improvement project. The initiative covers approximately 22 miles of Highway 97, stretching from the Highway 29 intersection all the way to the Alabama state line at Atmore, Alabama.
The 22-mile project will include milling and resurfacing the roadway, updated signs and pavement markings, and drainage improvements. Many of the stormwater drainage improvements will be made at the Highway 29 intersection to alleviate historic flooding by installing an additional box culvert across the southern leg of the intersection and two additional cross drains on the northern leg of the intersection.
This overall project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2027.
NorthEscambia.com graphic.
Escambia Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Obscenity Charge
April 26, 2026
An Escambia County registered sex offender has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of obscene materials involving minors.
Jordan Tyler Quinones, 30, entered the plea in federal court in Pensacola.
According to court documents, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted routine checks on Quinones as a registered sex offender in late 2025.
When suspicious materials were associated with the defendant, law enforcement followed up with an interview of Quinones, which led to obtaining a search warrant of his cellular telephone. Law enforcement located images that depicted obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children and Quinones was maintaining them in an online account.
Prosecutors said the images were cartoon or computer generated files, which depicted sexual abuse, sadomasochistic abuse, and bestiality involving minors. Quinones remains detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
“Thanks to the vigilance of our state law enforcement partners in closely monitoring this sex offender, they were able to detect his continued criminal sexual deviance and help bring him to justice. Keeping our kids safe from sexual predators like this defendant remains one of my office’s top priorities, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin of the Northern District of Florida.
Quinones faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years imprisonment, and up to 20 years imprisonment when he is sentenced on July 14.
The case was jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.
Northview High, Beulah Middle FFA Programs Named State Agriculture Advocacy Award Finalists
April 26, 2026
The FFA programs at Northview High School and Beulah Middle School are among five in the state to be selected as 2026 Chapter Agriculture Advocacy Award finalists.
Formerly the Food for America program, the program is designed to encourage FFA members to participate in agricultural literacy and awareness projects on the local level. The overall chapter winner will be awarded on stage this June during the 98th Florida FFA State Convention at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.
For a photo gallery from the 2026 Northview event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos, click to enlarge.
EREC Holds 87th Annual Meeting (With Photo Gallery)
April 26, 2026
Escambia River Electric Cooperative members held their 87th annual meeting on Saturday at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. Dozens of door prizes were awarded, most of them electric, and member Betty Davis won the grand prize of a $500 credit on her electric bill.
Members met in a business session after voting on trustees. Incumbent Brian Davis retained his seat as an Escambia County trustee, defeating challenger Heath Bryan 246-149. An amendment to the cooperative bylaws was approved 292-92.
Guest speaker was Damon Morgan, COO of Powersouth. He is a 1978 graduate of the former Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill.
Savannah Hudson from Northview High School and Brea Lyle from Jay High School were recognized as winners of four-year Herman D. Johnson Scholarships; and Tyler Carach from Northview High School and Nicholas Baxley from Jay High School were recognized as recipients of EREC Trade/Votech Scholarships.
EREC was formed in 1939 with 88 members in their first month. The cooperative now serves about 13,409 members in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with 1,823 miles of energized line and has 1,629 water meters in Escambia County.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two 19-Year-Olds Killed In Rural Santa Rosa County Wreck
April 26, 2026
A two-vehicle crash late Friday night in rural Santa Rosa County claimed the life of two 19-year-olds.
The double fatal crash occurred at approximately 11:35 p.m. at the intersection of American Farms Road and Cornfield Way. The Florida Highway Patrol said a pickup truck with six occupants was traveling east on Cornfield Way when it collided with an SUV driven by a 57-year-old Milton woman.
The pickup truck overturned, ejecting a 19-year-old male and a 19-year-old female; both were declared dead at the scene. A 19-year-old female passenger was critically injured, while the 20-year-old male driver and two other passengers, ages 18 and 19, were seriously injured. All were from Milton.
The SUV driver sustained minor injuries.
The FHP Traffic Homicide unit is conducting a comprehensive investigation.
File photo.
FCA Game Changer Awards Presented To Local Athletes
April 26, 2026
This week, the Northwest Florida Fellowship of Christian Athletes presented their “Game Changer” awards to local high school athletes.
The awards honored their participation in flag football, lacrosse, and tennis. The winners were chosen by their teammates based upon their integrity, dedication, character, and FCA values.
Lacrosse:
- Abigayle Keever- Tate
- Ashley Saiter- Gulf Breeze
- Graham Pennington- Gulf Breeze
- Maisy Archangel- Milton
- Gavin Archangel- Milton
- Gretchen Lamar- Pensacola
- Ella Adams- Pensacola Catholic
- Dade Cutter- Pensacola Catholic
Tennis:
- Manera Lampe- Escambia
- Christian Villarreal- Escambia
- Lilly Dye- Milton
- Winston Ward- Milton
- Zella Trahan- Pensacola
- Cash Schweigert- Pensacola
- Mayan Chavan- Pensacola Catholic
- Gavin Tubban- Pensacola Catholic
- Syndey Grace Hudspeth- Washington
- Linxi Niedbala- West Florida HS
- Jack Cavnar- West Florida HS
Girls Flag Football:
- Makenzie Levins- Northview
- Rivers Gurney- Gulf Breeze
- Aurianna Luckett- Pine Forest
- Dani Slattery- Washington
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Win Extra-Inning Thriller in Montgomery
April 26, 2026
Brendan Jones led the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to their first extra-inning win of the season on Saturday night, driving in a pair of crucial runs in a 3-1, 10-inning victory over the Montgomery Biscuits.
Jones opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo home run, and delivered the eventual game-winning hit with an RBI single to lead off the top of the 10th inning.
In between, the Blue Wahoos and Biscuits played a crisp, competitive pitchers’ duel. Karson Milbrandt became the first Pensacola pitcher this season to complete 6.0 innings, allowing just a run on two hits while striking out six, and Montgomery’s Garrett Edwards completed 7.0 innings by retiring 16 men in a row after a second-inning Cristian Hernández double.
The Biscuits tied the game 1-1 on a fifth-inning solo homer from Xavier Isaac, his third of the series. As the Blue Wahoos turned the game over to the bullpen, Justin King and Logan Whitaker (W, 2-0) kept the game tied to force extras.
In the 10th, Jones greeted Biscuits reliever Alexander Alberto (L, 0-1) with a quick RBI single to bring home placed runner Fenwick Trimble for a 2-1 Blue Wahoos lead. Dillon Lewis followed with an opposite-field RBI triple off the top of the right field wall for added insurance.
Whitaker returned for the bottom of the 10th and retired the Biscuits in order to preserve the 3-1 win.
The Blue Wahoos wrap up their series against the Biscuits on Sunday.
written by Erik Bremer
Cantonment Murder Suspect Extradited From Arizona; Shooting Linked To Winning $20K Sports Bet
April 25, 2026
The suspect in a March Cantonment homicide who was later arrested in Arizona had been extradited and is now in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
Devaughn Kentrell Williamson, 29, is accused of shooting Tyshawn McDowell in the chest during an incident at a residence on Booker Lane. He was located on April 17 at a bus stop in Phoenix with a bus ticket in his pocket for El Paso, Texas, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons. The sheriff said he had cut off his dreads, which were in a bag in his possession (pictured bottom), and he also had a handgun (pictured below).
He was captured with the assistance of a U.S. Marshals Task Force. He is being held in the Maricopa County Jail in Arizona, before being extradited back to Escambia County.
First Report
According to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, deputies responding to a deadly missiles call on Booker Lane on March 4, 2026, discovered blood and shell casings at the scene, along with a bloody firearm discarded in a nearby wooded area.
After deputies spoke with the reporting person, they first developed Williamson as the possible victim and were unable to locate him. On March 6 at 8:30 a.m., Williamson was located at Carver Park on Webb Street and he told deputies that he was fine and elected to leave after a fight with his girlfriend, according to the report. He also told deputies that he had no knowledge of anything occurring, and that it had nothing to do with him.
Victim Reported Missing
At 1 p.m on March 6, Tyshawn McDowell was reported missing by his mother who told deputies that family members had attempted unsuccessfully to contact him. She told deputies that McDowell was last know to be going to meet with Williamson because Williamson’s twin brother owned him approximately $20,000 from a winning sports bet.
McDowell’s brother received a Facebook call from someone wishing to remain anonymous and stating that McDowell had been shot and was dead, the report continues.
GPS Tracker and Bloody Palmprint
A GPS tracker place by an automotive company was used to locate McDowell’s 2016 Nissan Altima on Greek Cemetery Road east of Robertsdale, Alabama. Investigators located the vehicle on the side of the road and observed blood inside and outside the car. Florida deputies learned the vehicle had previously been stopped by a Baldwin County deputy, and Williamson was the driver and sole occupant. The Alabama deputy noted money scattered around the floorboard in the car.
Also on March 6, investigators determined that palm prints on the bloody weapon’s magazine belonged to Williamson.
Victim’s Phone Data Leads To His Body
ECSO obtained geolocation records for McDowell’s phone, tracing its path from Booker Lane in Cantonment, along Highway 112 in Baldwin County where the phone was stationary for 15 minutes before moving back to Pensacola. Based upon the cellular data from the victim’s phone, investigators conducted a search and located McDowell’s body in a secluded wooded area just north of Highway 112 near Goodlander Road. He had a single gunshot wound to the chest.
An arrest warrant for second degree murder was obtained for Williamson.
