Escambia Man Charged With Pensacola Boulevard Motel Murder
August 6, 2026
An Escambia County man has been charged with a shooting last week at a motel on Pensacola Boulevard.
Mario Antwean Wiggins, 38, has been charged with murder and remains in the Escambia County Jail for the shooting at the Quality Inn about 10:55 p.m. on July 31.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said a caller reported hearing a gunshot and looked out to saw a man face down suffering from a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, deputies found the man dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Colorado State Lowers ‘Well Below-Average’ Storm Forecast
August 6, 2026
Colorado State University researchers further reduced their projections for the number of named systems, including the odds of landfalls, during the remaining months of the Atlantic hurricane season.
But they also advised people to stay prepared.
“We are forecasting a well below-average probability for major hurricane landfalls along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean,” the researchers posted Wednesday. “As with all hurricane seasons, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season.”
In the update on their storm season, the research team cut its number of forecast storms from 9 to 7 before the season ends November 30. The count includes two tropical systems that have already formed this year.
The forecast maintains the chance for four hurricanes to form, with one reaching Category 3 or greater status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, where maximum winds are at least 111 mph.
The update is the third for the school since they initially forecast 13 named storms in April. The predicted storm count was lowered to 11 in June and 9 in July.
As with other forecasters that have downgraded their outlooks, the university researchers pointed to the effect of El Niño weather conditions suppressing tropical activity in the Atlantic.
“Sea surface temperatures across the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic are slightly above their long-term averages,” the researchers posted online. “We anticipate the powerful El Niño being the dominant factor for the upcoming hurricane season, driving very high levels of tropical Atlantic vertical wind shear.”
Last week, the meteorological company AccuWeather recently maintained its revised forecast for the nearly two-month-old hurricane season of 8- to 14-named storms of which four to seven will grow into hurricanes.
Before the season started on June 1, AccuWeather forecast between 11 and 16 named storms.
The season has so far seen two tropical storms, Arthur and Bertha, both of which affected parts of the nation’s Gulf coast.
by The News Service of Florida
Wahoos Ninth Inning Rally Falls Short In 9-7 Loss To Biscuits
August 6, 2026
Despite a late-inning rally, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos dropped game two of their series with the Montgomery Biscuits by a final score of 9-7.
After batting seven through the first two innings, the Biscuits had 10 batters come to the plate in the top of the third inning. Luis Moreno (L, 5-6) struggled, giving up 6 runs on 4 hits, three walks, and a balk. Caden Bodine and Will Simpson each had two RBIs with Xavier Isaac driving in a run as well. Moreno was pulled with just one out recorded and ended his day with just 2.1 innings on the day.
Pensacola struck back in the 4th when Brandon Compton took Biscuits starter TJ Nichols (W,1-4) deep to left-center field, his 15th home run in 29 games. Rays top prospect Theo Gillen answered with a solo home run of his own, bringing the score to 7-1.
With Josh Hejka on the mound in the 7th, Will Simpson brought home two more runs with an RBI double over the head of Colby Shade in left field. The 9-1 score remained until the bottom of the 8th, when the Wahoos bats started to pick up steam. Ethan O’Donell led the inning off with a single and Jay Beshears followed with his second triple of the season, a line drive down the right field line that scored O’Donnell. A Colby Shade groundout brought Beshears home and made it a 9-3 game.
With Junior William making his Double-A debut in the 9th, the Pensacola offense jumped all over him. Juan Matheus rolled a ball just inside the third baseline for a leadoff double. Brandon Compton proceeded to bring him in with a single to left, lowering the deficit to five runs. With Compton on first, Connor Caskenette singled to the opposite field, setting the stage for Brendan Jones to smack one into right-center field, scoring both runners on the double and bringing the score to 9-6.
All the offense prompted Biscuits manager Kevin Boles to pull William for Roel Garcia III (S, 1). Garcia would allow Brendan Jones to score, bringing the ‘Hoos to within two runs, but ultimately set down the home team in order. Garcia III earned his first save of the year in the 9-7 Wahoos loss.
Pensacola’s record dropped to 56-48 overall and 20-15 in the second half while the Biscuits improved to 54-50 and 19-16. Most importantly, the Montgomery win brought them within a game of Pensacola in the Southern League South Division standings.
The series continues on Thursday night.
written by Charlie Hobert
Cantonment Man Arrested On Multiple Sexual Battery, Minor Exploitation Charges
August 5, 2026
A 70-year-old Cantonment man has been arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office following allegations of sexual battery and explicit communications involving a minor.
Gonzalo Quinones is facing multiple felony charges, including sexual battery by an adult on a victim under 12 years of age, lewd or lascivious conduct, and transmitting information harmful to minors.
According to the arrest report, the investigation began in late June after the victim’s family discovered inappropriate and explicit text messages sent from Quinones’ phone number. The family noted that similar messages had been received previously, but they initially believed the texts were sent to the minor by mistake and had been intended for someone else.
A subsequent forensic interview conducted at the Gulf Coast Kids House with the now 14-year-old girl uncovered additional allegations of physical abuse dating back several years, beginning when the victim was 9 years old.
Deputies noted that Quinones initially claimed he was not in his right mind when sending the messages. He later declined to meet further with investigators upon consulting legal counsel.
Quinones remained in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $345,000. An Escambia County Judge has appointed an expert for a competency evaluation in response to a motion filed in the case, according to court records.
ECUA Debuts Upgraded Website
August 5, 2026
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority has launched a newly redesigned website featuring a modern layout, streamlined navigation, and enhanced accessibility. Built on the CivicPlus platform, the site marks ECUA’s first major website redesign in nearly a decade.
Key upgrades include a prominent top-page alert bar for service advisories, an interactive calendar, a new “Notify Me” subscription feature for local updates, and full compliance with accessibility standards.
“Taking on this project was truly a labor of love for our staff and our customers,” said Maria Del Aguila, ECUA public information specialist for digital communications and records. “My goal was to create a website that is easier to navigate, ADA compliant and, of course, nice to look at. Gathering feedback from our residents and staff, especially hearing what they disliked about the previous site, helped shape many of the decisions we made during the redesign. We put a lot of time and care into making this a better experience, and I hope our customers enjoy the new site and feel that it is a real improvement.”
Customers can explore the new features and submit feedback by visiting ecua.fl.gov.
Judge Orders Rewrite Of Florida Property Tax Ballot Measure
August 5, 2026
The title and summary of a property tax cut proposal to be placed on the November ballot contain political rhetoric and are misleading, and must be redrafted, a Leon Circuit Court judge ruled late Monday.
“Voters are entitled to a fair, clear, accurate and non-misleading ballot statement to assist them in making their critical determination,” Judge David Frank wrote in his 18-page ruling. “The present ballot language would deprive the voters of the opportunity to make a meaningful decision.”
The proposal was drafted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has toured the state slamming the spike in property tax revenues over the last six years by local governments. The measure increases the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and raises it to $250,000 in 2028. Another provision reduces the annual cap on assessment increases for non-homestead properties from 10 percent to 5 percent.
But before passing it the GOP-led Legislature changed the measure to carve out the portion of property tax bills that pay for public schools from the increase in the homestead exemption.
A spokeswoman for DeSantis did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment Tuesday.
The ruling is a win for the groups that initially brought three different lawsuits against the proposed amendment before they were consolidated into one case.
Among those who brought the legal challenges were Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language, a nonprofit formed to challenge the proposal, Thomas Campenni, former Mayor of Stuart, and Michael Davey, former Mayor of Key Biscayne, former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, and former Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg.
But the victory doesn’t mean the measure will be tossed from the ballot. Under state law, if the ruling isn’t appealed Attorney General James Uthmeier has 10 days to rewrite the ballot summary in line with Frank’s instructions.
“Our goal here right from the beginning was not to take this off the ballot,” Jamie Cole, attorney for Save Our Voters From Misleading Ballot Language, told the News Service of Florida. “We want the voters to have the opportunity to make an informed decision and in order to do that they need fair and accurate language.”
At an event in Panama City Beach on Tuesday, Uthmeier told reporters he’s still evaluating the ruling but he supports property tax cuts.
“I want to give people property tax relief. I would like to see people find that relief,” Uthmeier said. “A lot of people are struggling. They are hurting. I am going to be voting for the amendment.”
Brandes noted the court faces a deadline near the end of the month to get the proper ballot language settled before November ballots are finalized, so any appeal could jeopardize the measure.
“It’s an option but we’ll see if the (Attorney General) exercises it, but they run into a real time crunch if they start doing that,” Brandes said.
In his ruling, Frank detailed specific changes that should be made to the ballot summary.
For example, after stating “this amendment benefits Florida taxpayers by:” the ballot summary uses the phrases “exempting homestead properties from taxation,” “ensuring funding for core services,” “protecting small businesses” and “ensuring fairness for Florida residents.”
None of those phrases should be used, the ruling states, as they are “political rhetoric, not neutral, not explanation.”
Frank also took issue with the ballot summary’s omission of how the measure could change the nature of the “home rule” provisions of the state constitution, which give local governments broad discretion to spend property tax revenues.
Under the proposed amendment, cities and counties would have their property tax spending restricted to a list of approved uses: “public safety, education and schools, infrastructure, natural resources, bond debt service, retirement benefits for employees, operations and administration and, except as prohibited by general law, other expenditures approved by county officers or county or municipal governing bodies.”
Critics of the proposal have argued that would give the Legislature, not local governments, the final say over their budgets.
“The amendment purports to change the constitutional baseline of city and county power by placing in the Constitution for the first time the Legislature’s right to control ad valorem tax spending,” Frank wrote.
by Gray Rohrer, The News Service of Florida
Century’s New ‘Backyard Apartment’, Tiny Home Rules Move Forward To Legal Review
August 5, 2026
The Town of Century is moving closer to modernizing its rules on backyard homes, shifting from its previous “Accessory Apartment” regulations to a newly drafted Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance.
Following guidance from town council workshops held in June and July, Emerald Coast Regional Council planner Eric Christianson submitted the draft update to Section 90-81 of the town’s Land Development Code. The proposed policy aims to expand housing options and support multigenerational living while protecting the character of residential neighborhoods.
Under the draft ordinance, property owners could construct up to one ADU on conforming lots where a primary home already exists. The draft allows ADUs in Low Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, Rural Residential, and Mixed Use categories. However, planners noted that explicit language in the town’s Comprehensive Plan is clearer for Low Density Residential and Medium Density Residential zones, meaning the inclusion of Rural Residential and Mixed Use properties will undergo special review by the town attorney.
Key structural and utility standards in the draft include:
Structure & Size: Units can be attached or detached, capped at a maximum of 700 square feet. ADUs cannot exceed the floor area or height of the main dwelling.
Separation & Setbacks: Detached units must maintain at least 10 feet of separation from the main house and sit in the rear yard. Roofline setbacks are set at five feet for attached structures and 10 feet for detached structures.
Utilities & Parking: Every ADU must have separate water, sewer, and electric meters, generating tap fee revenue for the town. Shared utility setups will be treated as standard home additions rather than ADUs. Each unit also requires one dedicated off-street parking space.
Strict Compliance: The ordinance explicitly prohibits any variances, waivers, or adjustments to these requirements.
The proposed ordinance now moves to legal review by the town attorney, while the regional council prepares an impact report assessing how the policy change will affect Century. Town council members will have the opportunity to review both reports and make further adjustments before scheduled public adoption hearings.
Christianson said Tuesday night that he estimated just over 450 parcels, about half of all parcels, in Century might qualify for an ADU. Once legal review is completed and the ordinance is complete, he places to present an impact report to the town council.
Pictured: A citizen addresses the Century Town Council on Tuesday night regarding a proposed implementation of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Teachers Head Back To School In Escambia County (With Gallery)
August 5, 2026
Escambia County Public Schools teachers returned to school on Tuesday.
Many were welcomed back with a festive atmosphere or food, sponsored by school PTAs or local businesses.
The first day of school for students in Escambia County is Wednesday, August 12.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Sex Offender Faces 20 New Felonies Including Registration Violations, Crimes Against Children
August 5, 2026
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Missing Persons and Offender Enforcement (MPOE) Division arrested Sebastian Christopher Ballensky, 22, on numerous felony charges. Ballensky is a registered sexual offender.
Ballensky is charged with two counts of failure to register an internet identifier, three counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child, 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), two counts of use of a computer to seduce, solicit, lure or entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct, and three counts of transmission of materials harmful to minors.
In April, members of the MPOE Division assisted the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) in an interview with Ballensky to determine whether he had been in compliance with Florida’s registration laws. FDC subsequently located cocaine hidden within Ballensky’s residence and arrested him for violation of probation. Ballensky was booked into the Escambia County Jail. He was eventually transferred to the Holmes County Jail where his probation sentence had originated.
Further investigation by FDLE MPOE revealed Ballensky had allegedly used unreported Snapchat accounts to communicate with minors, as well as solicit and send them explicit content.
On July 28, FDLE obtained an arrest warrant for Ballensky and charged him with the previously mentioned felony offenses. Ballensky was still incarcerated in the Holmes County Jail for the April arrest.
FDLE’s Missing Persons and Offender Enforcement Division partners with sheriff’s offices, police departments and federal law enforcement across Florida to verify compliance with Florida’s registration laws for sex offenders, predators and career offenders.
Wahoos Walk Off Suspended Game, Fall 10-2 To Biscuits In Follow Up
August 5, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos ended up going 1-1 on Tuesday evening against the Montgomery Biscuits. The day started with the resumption of a suspended game that was started back on July 12th, and the Wahoos won that one in walkoff fashion 3-2. The regularly scheduled 9-inning contest went to the Biscuits by a final score of 10-2.
Before Pensacola could play a game that had been on the schedule since its release, they had to finish off a game that was suspended due to rain back in mid-July. Before the rain started to fall on that fateful day, the Wahoos and Biscuits were locked in a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the 9th inning with a runner on second and one down. That’s exactly where the game picked up on Tuesday and the Wahoos stranded that runner on second.
In the top of the 10th inning, Jack Sellinger (W, 2-3) loaded the bases with nobody out, but induced a forceout, strikeout, and flyout to the Montgomery 2, 3, and 4 hitters to keep the game tied. In the bottom half, Jay Beshears would be the runner on second to start the inning and ended up scoring without the benefit of a batted ball. Two wild pitches from Tommy McCollum (L, 3-8) got Beshears to third and then home, giving the Wahoos a 3-2 walkoff victory, their fourth walkoff win of the year. Sellinger earned the win and McCollum earned the loss.
In “game 2” the Wahoos offense went stagnant. Biscuits starter Santiago Suarez (W, 6-3) continued his dominance over the ‘Hoos with 6.0 innings of one-run ball on eight hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. The lone run for Pensacola came on Ian Lewis Jr.’s 9th homer of the year, an opposite field shot over the left-center wall. However, it was already 4-0 by the time that homer came.
Montgomery put up 3 runs in the 4th off of Luis Palacios (L, 4-1), though all of them were unearned. An early throwing error from Cristian Hernández opened the door for the Biscuits, and Will Simpson knocked an RBI single into center. A batter later, Mac Horvath blooped a base hit into left-center field that snuck past both Brenan Jones and Emarrion Boyd. Horvath ended up at third with a two-run triple and a 3-0 lead.
In the 5th, Cooper Kinney got the best of Holt Jones with an RBI knock of his own. The score stayed 4-1 until four homers in the 8th and 9th innings increased the lead to 10-1 capped off by a three-run moonshot from Will Simpson.
Ian Lewis Jr. sent his 10th longball over the right field wall in the bottom of the 9th, his second multi-homer game of 2026. This, however, would be the end of the road for the Pensacola scoring, as Jonny Cuevas (S, 1) cemented the 10-2 victory. The Wahoos ended the day with a 56-47 record overall and 20-14 in the second half. The Biscuits now sit at 53-50 and 18-16.
The series continues on Wednesday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.