Attic Fire Damages Molino Home Saturday Evening
January 26, 2025
An attic fire damaged a Molino home Saturday evening.
The fire was reported about 5:20 p.m. in the 6000 block of Highway 95A, across the street from Highland Baptist Church.
Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control, but they were forced to cut a hole in the roof during the effort. The home also suffered water damage.
The fire was believed to have been sparked from a chimney. There were no injuries.
For additional photos, click here.
The Molino, Cantonment, Walnut Hill, and McDavid stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Troopers Investigating Cottage Hill Rollover Crash
January 26, 2025
One person was reportedly injured in a single vehicle rollover crash Saturday afternoon in Cottage Hill.
The crash happened about 4:45 p.m. at Wishbone Lane and Wishbone Road. The driver of a Kia lost control, with the vehicle come to rest on its roof between a utility pole and a wooded area.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has no released the cause of the crash.
NorthEscambai.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Overeaters Anonymous Meetings To Be Held At Bratt Church
January 26, 2025
Overeaters Anonymous, A Twelve Step Program, will be meeting at Bratt First Baptist Church on Monday morning from 10-11 a.m.
According to the organization, OA offers unconditional acceptance, ongoing and readily available support, and a program that brings about physical, emotional, and spiritual recovery from compulsive eating and compulsive food behaviors.
Bratt First Baptist Church is located at 4570 West Highway 4, just west of Northview High School.
Ribbon Cutting Set For New ‘Paper Park’ At Former IP Golf Course
January 25, 2025
An official ribbon cutting has been set for Escambia County’s new Paper Park on the 68-acre former International Paper golf course in Cantonment.
The ribbon cutting will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 30.
Paper Park features a walking path, playground, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a704 square feet covered pavilion with picnic tables. Once opened, the recreational area will be open to the public free of charge from sunrise to sunset.
The new playground offers play features for children of all ages, including six slides, a swing set, climbing structures, and more. The playground also features shade sails and benches.
Escambia County Parks and Recreation also added 49 parking spaces on Mintz Lane (opposite end of the park from Highway 29) to make the park easily accessible.
Area residents have been using the park for week, even though it was not officially open.
Pictured: The new Paper Park in Cantonment. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment 10,000 Pound Food Distribution Set For Tuesday
January 25, 2025
The Cantonment Improvement Committee will hold a 10,000 pound food distribution Tuesday, January 28 at Carver Park, 208 Webb Street.
The event will start at 3 p.m. Attendees should like up facing north on Webb Street. Must have an identification to receive food.
The event was originally planned for January 21, but rescheduled due to winter weather.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Historic, Once In A Lifetime Snowfall Totals Broke 130 Year Old Record
January 25, 2025
This week’s snowfall was truly a historic event, being called a once in a lifetime snow.
At the “official”, Pensacola weather gauge at the airport, a 130-year-old record for two-day total snowfall was smashed. The record, set in 1895, was a mere three inches. The all-time Florida snowfall record was four inches.
This week, Pensacola set a new record of an astounding 8.9 inches.
Some other North Escambia area numbers included:
Molino – 10 inches
Century — 9 inches
Bratt – 9 inches
Jay — 9 inches
Walnut Hill – 8.5 inches
Northeast of Molino: 8 inches
Cantonment – 8 inches
Beulah – 7 inches
Some of these measurements are from trained weather observers and law enforcement. Other totals were reported by the general public. Snow measurements can vary greatly between nearby locations.
NorthEscambia.com and submitted photos.
Flomaton Man Charged With Drug Trafficking After Atmore Traffic Stop
January 25, 2025
A Flomaton man was arrested for drug trafficking after a traffic stop in Atmore.
The Atmore Police Department pulled Michael Depew over on North Main Street for an unspecified traffic violation.
The officer noted suspicious behavior and Depew consented to a search, APD said. During the search, officers reported finding over a dozen grams of methamphetamine and “items used to package narcotics”.
Depew was charged with drug trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Lipscomb Elementary School Recognizes Leaders Of The Month
January 25, 2025
Lipscomb Elementary School recently recognized their December Leaders of the Month with a pizza party. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ribbon Cutting Held For Brazilian Manufacturing Company’s Expansion In Century
January 24, 2025
A ribbon cutting was held Thursday for Algaplast, a 50-year old Brazilian manufacturing company in the Century Industrial Park.
In May 2023, AlgaPlast Corp. inked a lease for a town-owned industrial park building commonly known as the Helicopter Technology Building. AlagaPlast is the new American subsidiary of Grupa GA230 of Arujá, Brazil.
In Century, the company produces a variety of projects, including plastic injection products such as the front panels of retail gas station fuel pumps and laser cut and welded metal parts for other companies. Some of their custom metal parts are used by Blue Wind Technology and GE Vernova in Pensacola. The metal parts for GE are used to secure wind turbines as they are transported by train out of Pensacola.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“We also deal with special engineering for developing these devices and industrial automation solutions,” AlgaPlast CFO Marcos Martins told NorthEscambia.com after Thursday’s ribbon cutting.
He said the company is proud to call Century their American home.
“Being in Century makes a difference for use and for the town,” Martins said. “This place was chosen carefully in order to allow us to deal with two very important customers to us, one in Austin (Texas) and another in North Carolina. And we’ve gained the opportunity to deal with Blue Wind and General Electric.”
Algaplast current employs five people in Century, but the company hopes to double that workforce soon with additional growth to come.
Martins said the company has already invested $2.5 million in the new Century facility, and they are looking to invest another $2 million into expanding the facility.
Interim mayor Alicia Johnson said she is proud to welcome AlgaPlast to Century, and she looks forward to the company’s growth and contribution to the community.
Algaplast is renting the industrial park building from the town. The town re-acquired the 40,000 square foot industrial space at public auction for less than $1 out of pocket back in August 2009, following the town’s foreclosure judgment against the now defunct Helicopter Technology company. The building has sat empty since empty from 2009 until AlgaPlast’s occupancy.
The Florida foreign direct investment economic development project was facilitated by the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, the economic development organization for Escambia County.
Those interested in potential job opportunities at Alagapast should visit employflorida.com.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Killed In Highway 97 Crash In Walnut Hill
January 24, 2025
Two people were killed in a three-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon in Walnut Hill.
The crash happened on Highway 97 just south of North Highway 99 and involved two pickup trucks and a passenger car.
One pickup truck came to rest upside down in Highway 97. That driver was airlifted to the hospital as a trauma alert. The second pickup ran off the road and struck a ditch; that driver was not seriously injured.
A Mazda car left the roadway and struck a large fence post. Both occupants of the car were pronounced decease on the scene.
It did not appear that there was any snow or ice on the roadway before the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released the cause of the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
