DeSantis ReAppoints Nick Patronis, The Congressman’s Brother, To Northwest Florida Water Board
August 29, 2026
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the reappointment of Nick Patronis to the Northwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board.
Patronis is the brother of U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, who served as Florida’s CFO before his election to represent Florida’s 1st Congressional District.
This marks Nick Patronis’ fifth appointment to the nine-member governing board. First appointed in July 2011 by then-Gov. Rick Scott, he was subsequently reappointed in 2015, 2020, and 2022. He currently serves as board secretary and holds an at-large seat representing Panama City.
Patronis attended Gulf Coast State College and serves as vice president of Captain Anderson’s Restaurant in Panama City. He has also served as a member of both the National Restaurant Association and the Florida Restaurant Association.
The reappointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate. Although his term technically concluded on March 1, state law permits board members to continue serving in a holdover capacity. The Florida Legislature is scheduled to convene for its next regular session on March 2, 2027.
Governing board members serve in an unpaid, volunteer capacity.
The Northwest Florida Water Management District is one of five regional districts established by the Florida Water Resources Act of 1972. The district manages water resources, operates regional flood-control systems, issues environmental and water-use permits, acquires conservation land, and works to protect water supplies across 16 counties: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton, Washington, and western Jefferson County.
Matheus’ Multiple RBIs Leads Wahoos to 5-3 Win
August 29, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos saw their magic number shrink again on Friday night, with a come from behind 5-3 win over the Montgomery Biscuits.
The game went scoreless for the first inning and a half before Montgomery broke the seal. Three singles off of Orlando Ortiz-Mayr put the Biscuits up 1-0. In the top of the third, Pensacola evened the score with an RBI single from Juan Matheus to make it 1-1.
The tie didn’t last long as Theo Gillen ripped a two-out RBI-double into left field in the bottom of the third, bringing the lead back to Montgomery. An inning later, a leadoff triple from Connor Hujsak came around to score on a Kamren James groundout, giving the Biscuits a 3-1 lead. With Ortiz-Mayr done after 4.0 innings, it was up to the Pensacola bullpen to keep Montgomery off the board.
In the meantime, the Wahoos offense began mounting a comeback. It started in the top of the 5th when a perfectly executed double steal brought the ‘Hoos to within a run. With Aiva Arquette on first and Adrian Santana on third, Arquette broke for second. As the throw came down, he stopped, because right when the ball was released, Santana took off for home. With a crafty feet-first slide, Santana was safe and the score was 3-2. The steal of home was just the 11th in Wahoos franchise history.
Then in the 6th, following Cristian Hernández’ 27th double and 30th steal of the year, Ethan O’Donnell tied the game up with a single into left. The top of the 7th also brought fortune as Adrian Santana reached on a dropped third strike to begin the frame. Two batters later, Juan Matheus unleashed a double into the gap to give the Blue Wahoos their first lead of the game.
And finally in the 8th, with men on the corners and nobody out, Connor Caskenette bounced into a 5-4-3 double play, bringing the score to 5-3 in favor of Pensacola. They scored four unanswered in four consecutive innings. As this was going on, Jaydenn Estanista (W, 2-0) and Luis Palacios (S, 4), locked down the final 5.0 innings allowing no runs on just a hit, a walk, and four Ks. Palacios earning saves on back to back days was the first occurrence since Jeffery Yan in 2023.
Luis Guerrero (L, 0-1) was tagged with the loss for Montgomery, as they fell to 63-61 overall and 28-27 in the second half. The Blue Wahoos improved to a season high 21 games over .500 with a 72-51 overall record and a 36-18 record in half two. They also tied a season and franchise best in stolen bases with 7 as a team. The win coupled with a Columbus Clingstones loss dropped their magic number down to 7 games with 14 to play.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series with Montgomery on Saturday night.
written by Charlie Hobert
Jury Convicts Cantonment Contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste Of Racketeering, Fraud
August 28, 2026
For a sentencing update, click here.
A six-person jury deliberated for less than one hour Thursday before convicting embattled contractor Jesse Wayne LaCoste of Cantonment on charges of racketeering and organized fraud over $50,000.
Jurors found LaCoste guilty under Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as organized fraud, for using his company, LaCoste Construction Group, to defraud dozens of area homeowners out of $2 million between 2018 and 2022.
Chief Judge John Simon is scheduled to sentence LaCoste on Monday.
Both counts are first-degree felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 30 years in state prison. Depending on Simon’s ruling at sentencing, LaCoste could face up to 60 additional years behind bars.
LaCoste is already serving a 10-year state prison sentence following a 2025 conviction for grand theft and contractor fraud.
Court records indicate LaCoste still faces additional trials across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties on accusations of taking payments from clients and failing to complete the work.
Jay Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison On Multiple Child Sex Abuse Charges
August 28, 2026
A Jay man was sentenced to 40 years in state prison this week on multiple felony child sexual abuse charges.
Judge Clifton Drake sentenced Kyle Wesley Allen Stover to 40 years in state prison followed by lifetime sex offender probation for lewd or lascivious molestation (victim less than 12 years of age, defendant 18 years of age or older).
Judge Drake also sentenced Stover to 30 years in state prison each for two counts of attempted sexual battery, 30 years for attempted lewd or lascivious molestation, 16.9 years for lewd or lascivious exhibition in the presence of a victim less than 16, and 16.9 years for battery of a child by throwing, tossing, projecting, or expelling certain fluids or materials. In addition to the prison term, Judge Drake designated Stover as a sexual predator.
The offenses took place between December 10, 2023, and September 12, 2024, at a residence in Jay. The victim was 8 years old at the time the offenses occurred.
The case was investigated by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Historic Upset: UWF Beats No. 16 Southern Illinois In Division I Debut
August 28, 2026
The University of West Florida won its first Division I football game on Thursday night at home.
UWF beat No. 16 Southern Illinois University 34-31.
UWF will be on the road next week against Central Arkansas on September 5.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Update: Grand Jury Findings Called ‘Politically Motivated,’ Spurs Call For Resignations
August 28, 2026
Democrats on Thursday called for more investigations and resignations of top state officials after a leaked state grand jury report found Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration “misappropriated” Medicaid money in 2024 that ended up in political committees.
But since the grand jury also didn’t find enough probable cause to pursue criminal charges against anyone, DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Tampa, responded to the grand jury findings as a “misrepresentation” of facts, a “hoax” and an effort to “smear people.”
“As we’ve said from the beginning, this has been a politically motivated witch hunt driven by the Democrats and a far-left Democrat state attorney in Tallahassee,” Uthmeier said during an event in The Villages.
The report, though, shows it was “allegations of fraud and abuse” made by Rep. Alex Andrade, a Pensacola Republican who led the House probe in the matter in 2025, that led to the grand jury proceedings.
On Wednesday, CBS Miami obtained and published the Leon County grand jury report that found $10 million from a total $67 million settlement in 2024 between Florida and Centene Corp., a vendor for the state’s Medicaid program, was sent to the Hope Florida Foundation, the charity arm of an initiative helmed by First Lady Casey DeSantis. The money was then split equally between two nonprofit groups — Secure Florida’s Future and Save Our Society From Drugs.
Days later $8.5 million was given from the two groups to Keep Florida Clean, a political action committee staffed by Uthmeier, who was DeSantis’ chief of staff at the time.
Then Keep Florida Clean sent $9 million to the Republican Party of Florida and another $1.23 million to the Florida Freedom Fund, another political committee chaired by Uthmeier.
The committee was dedicated to opposing two measures on the November 2024 ballot. One would’ve installed a right to an abortion in the state constitution, the other would’ve legalized recreational marijuana. Both measures failed to get the 60 percent support required to pass.
David Jolly, a former Republican U.S. representative who is now the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said if elected he’d support renewing the investigation.
“It’s a highly orchestrated scheme to launder Medicaid money from childrens’ health services into the First Lady’s charity, to be passed through to political committees for the governor. It is clear it’s a violation of the law,” Jolly said in an online call with reporters on Thursday.
The Florida Senate Democratic Caucus issued a statement Thursday calling for the resignations of Uthmeier and Moody. The Democrats pointed to the grand jury report finding Uthmeier “was in a position of authority over those involved in settling with Centene” and Moody, then Florida’s Attorney General, authorized her deputy to sign the settlement agreement.
“The grand jury report in the Hope Florida case is truly damning. $10 million in Medicaid settlement money — money that the grand jury found was ‘compensation for ripping off sick poor children’ — was knowingly and willingly misappropriated in a sophisticated scheme that the grand jury found was motivated by partisan political purposes,” all 12 state Senate Democrats said in a joint statement.
In a statement posted on X, Moody disputed the characterizations of the attorney general’s office.
She noted the settlement was negotiated by the Agency for Health Care Administration, the state department in charge of the Medicaid program; that her office was “one of multiple agencies that signed the final agreement;” and that her office “had no knowledge of how funds would be spent” by the Hope Florida Foundation.
“Attempts to characterize this any other way are disingenuous,” Moody stated.
Uthmeier during his stop in The Villages responded when the report was brought up that “nobody did anything wrong here” and “there was not even probable cause to move forward.”
“This is a hoax, and all it did was show that the Democrats can’t win on policy and they can’t win on the law,” Uthmeier said.
Uthmeier added that he couldn’t comment further as grand jury proceedings are confidential.
DeSantis, during an event in Lake City on Thursday, said “the only crime that was apparent was with whoever leaked the grand jury report.”
“The settlement that AHCA did was legally sound,” DeSantis added. “It was appropriate, and it advanced the interests of the state.”
DeSantis appointed Moody, twice elected Florida’s attorney general, to the U.S. Senate in January 2025 after Marco Rubio was appointed U.S. Secretary of State. Uthmeier was appointed as Moody’s replacement by DeSantis in February 2025.
Both Uthmeier and Moody are up for election in November.
by The News Service of Florida
Man Facing Multiple Drug Trafficking, Distribution Charges After Task Force Raid
August 28, 2026
An Atmore man is facing a slate of felony drug offenses after a multi-agency task force raided a residence in the city.
Kelvin Owens was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute ecstasy, unlawful possession of marijuana first degree, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, and attempting to elude law enforcement following the execution of a search warrant at 166 Maxwell Street in Atmore.
The operation was conducted by members of the Lower Alabama Drug Task Force, which included personnel from the Atmore Police Department, the Escambia County (AL) Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Brewton Police Department, and the Flomaton Police Department.
Wahoos Best Biscuits In Extras As Magic Number Narrows To Nine
August 28, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos battled back from an early deficit on Thursday night to force extra innings and beat the Montgomery Biscuits 5-4.
The numbers favored the Blue Wahoos entering play; a 7-1 second-half record after losses and wins in all of Eliazar Dishmey’s previous seven starts. Fortune, however, favored the Biscuits early with two hits dividing outstretched defenders, giving Montgomery a 1-0 lead.
Dishmey bent but didn’t break in his start, allowing consecutive singles in the second before a weak pop-out ended a Biscuits two-out rally. In the third, Dishmey quickly found himself in a hole, surrendering a run on back-to-back doubles to extend the Biscuits’ lead to two and consecutive walks to load the bases. Thankfully, the ever-dependable Juan Matheus turned a soft grounder to a 5-2-3 double play and caught a fly ball in foul territory to erase the threat and end the inning.
The wheel of fortune finally spun in the Wahoos’ favor in the fourth when Brandon Compton drove a liner just inside the right field foul line for a double, eventually scoring on a Fenwick Trimble single to right that snuck just underneath the Biscuits’ first baseman, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.
Mason Vinyard would relieve Dishmey with two outs in the fifth, allowing two baserunners on a hit-by-pitch and a walk, but getting a groundout to quell the Biscuits’ rally.
All offense would be on hold until the top of the sixth, when Fenwick Trimble again stepped up in the clutch, driving home Compton and Dillon Lewis with a two-out, two-run single for the first Blue Wahoos lead.
The pendulum rapidly swung back the Biscuits’ way in the bottom half of the inning, as three more perfectly-placed singles loaded the bases for Mac Horvath, who subsequently drove in two to put the Biscuits back on top 4-3. Poised to add on, Montgomery’s rally was snuffed out when Blue Wahoos catcher Ryan Ignoffo picked Ryan Spikes off of third base.
The Wahoos would tie in the eighth after a squeeze bunt single by Juan Matheus scored Adrian Santana. Nigel Belgrave (W, 5-5) replaced Vinyard in the home half, silencing the Biscuits through regulation.
Santana wasted zero time putting the Wahoos on top in the tenth, lacing a leadoff double into right off Justin Yeager (L, 0-1) to score pinch runner Jay Beshears and give Pensacola a 5-4 lead. Brandon Compton walked and stole second base to slot two runners in scoring position, but Yeager limited the damage and stranded both men aboard.
Santana’s RBI was all that was needed. Belgrave continued his no-hit relief appearance until Luis Palacios (S, 3) was called upon to record the final out in the 10th, cementing another one-run and comeback victory for the Blue Wahoos.
The Blue Wahoos improved to 71-51 overall and 35-18 in the second half, and are now 9-1 in extra-inning games. With a win and Columbus loss, the Blue Wahoos’ magic number decreased to nine with 15 games remaining.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series with Montgomery on Friday night.
written by Luc Maho
Century Issues Drinking Water Warning After Elevated Lead Found In Home Samples; Town Says Its System Is Clear
August 27, 2026
The Town of Century has issued a “Drinking Water Warning” after sampling showed elevated lead levels in some homes.
“We collected samples and analyzed them for lead. The results of more than 10 percent of our samples exceeded the action level for lead,” the notice stated about the samples collected at faucets inside the homes August 16-17.
A report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection showed those homes were on Fannie Road at 18 parts per billion (ppb) and Clancey Way at 22 ppb—nearly 50% above the EPA action level of 15 ppb.
Wednesday, town officials emphasized that the samples were taken by residents inside their homes, while noting that the municipal water system does not contain lead. The town is responsible for all piping to, and including, the meter. All plumbing beyond the meter is the customer’s responsibility. Town officials said water customers may contact a licensed plumber to determine what type of plumbing is on their side of the meter.
“The Town of Century is focused on protecting the health of every household in our community; however, lead from service lines and lead plumbing and fixtures can dissolve or break off into water and end up at the faucet,” the warning notice states. “The Town of Century conducted a Lead Service Line Inventory in 2024 and found no lead piping or material in the water system. We found that plumbing in homes constructed before 1989 is a potential source of lead in your drinking water. This does not mean that every property that receives drinking water from the Town of Century has lead in the drinking water.”
The home on Fannie Road was constructed in 1960, and the home on Clancey Way was constructed in 1994, according to Escambia County Property Appraiser records.
To read the complete “Drinking Water Warning” issued by the town, click here.
A “lead service line inventory” that shows 964 individual service addresses on the water system is available for viewing a Century Town Hall. This inventory does not show lead testing results; it shows the type of pipe (plastic, copper, galvanized, etc.) that was found to be connected to the meter at each service address.
Pictured: The Town of Century’s out-of-service water well on Academy Street. NorthEscmbia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Farm Share Food Distribution Saturday In Walnut Hill
August 27, 2026
Justified Incarcerated Ministries will host a Farm Share Food Giveaway in Walnut Hill on Saturday, August 29.
The distribution will begin at 9 a.m. and continue while supplies last at the Walnut Hill Community Center (Ruritan Building), 7850 Highway 97, just north of Ernest Ward Middle School.
Pictured: A 2024 food distribution in Walnut Hill. File photos, click to enlarge.
