Century Correctional Inmate Assaulted Multiple Officers, FDC Says
March 5, 2026
A Century Correctional Institution inmate assaulted multiple correctional officers recently, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
Maurice Davis, 47, assaulted multiple correctional officers by striking them in the face, causing injuries, according to the FDC.
Since 2014, Davis is serving a 30-year sentence out of Leon County for assault with a deadly weapon.
UWF Awarded $2 Million National Science Foundation Grant To Support STEM Students
March 5, 2026
The University of West Florida has received a $2 million, six-year S-STEM Track 2: Implementation grant to support academically talented, financially disadvantaged students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The award will provide scholarships to 38 Pell-eligible STEM students while embedding expanded mental health resources within the existing STEM Living Learning Community.
The project, led by Dr. Karen Molek, professor of chemistry and associate vice president of Computational Intelligence and Student Scholars Programs, builds on UWF’s 14-year history of successful STEM Scholars programming and lessons learned from a previous NSF S-STEM award. The initiative integrates academic, social and emotional support to strengthen student resilience, persistence and graduation outcomes.
“We are thrilled to receive another six years of NSF funding to expand our support for STEM students,” Molek said. “This funding will create a seamless partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services, adding a layer of professional and peer support to our existing successful STEM Living Learning Community in partnership with Housing and Residence Life and the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. It’s impossible for students to focus on learning if they aren’t sure how they will afford their next meal or aren’t connected to the resources readily available on campus. Deploying resources strategically will help mitigate financial and mental health barriers while strengthening student resilience and persistence through graduation.”
Through the grant, UWF will award scholarships to two cohorts of first-time-in-college Pell-eligible STEM students and provide six years of comprehensive support. The program expands the four-year STEM for Life Seminar Series with a focus on resilience and mental health, implements peer mentoring in the STEM Living Learning Community and embeds a staff member in the residence hall in partnership with UWF Counseling and Psychological Services to provide preventative and just-in-time mental health support. The project will also examine the impact of embedded support and peer mentoring on student well-being and retention.
“This sizable grant is befitting the various efforts led by Dr. Molek and her team in supporting academically talented but financially disadvantaged students,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of UWF’s Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. “These efforts have had an impressive effect on students, including outstanding on-time graduation rates and acceptance into prestigious graduate and professional schools.”
As the region’s only four-year university in a county where 74% of students are first-generation college students, UWF plays a critical role in expanding access to high-impact STEM education. By integrating destigmatized mental health resources with structured academic support, the Resilient STEM Students Program aims to strengthen the pipeline of prepared graduates ready to meet growing regional and national workforce demands.
The new knowledge generated from this program will be shared via national conferences and journals in student affairs, housing and residence life, and national counseling to inform the creation of scalable mental health programming that increases the retention and graduation rates of Pell-eligible students in STEM fields.
Student Athletes Honored At FCA Basketball, Soccer Banquets
March 5, 2026
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes recently presented Above the Rim Awards for basketball and the Beyond the Goal Awards for soccer.
The winners were chosen by their teammates based upon their integrity, dedication, character, and FCA values.
BASKETBALL
Northview — Makayla Plato, Bryson Orso
Tate — Zoe Dailey, Keon Whaley
Central — Tambrey Frady, Keaton Henry
East Hill — Addison Wheeler
Escambia — Chloee Roberson
Gulf Breeze — Kaia Seeley
Milton — Madilyn Hall
Pace — Trace Perkins
PHS — Jatina Brown, Catino Mobley
Pensacola Catholic — Krystiana Chatman, Sam Quebedeaux
Pine Forest — Cymone Mckinney, Jacorie Thomas
Washington — Chamiah Francis, Brody Michael Dykes
West Florida — Solise Beeks, Frank Likely
PSC — Shania Beeks
UWF — Amelia Bell, Christian Valarezo
SOCCER
Tate — Ruth Oaks ,Tyler Clarke
Escambia — Sabrina Corleone
Gulf Breeze — Jaida Gelsinon
Milton — Addison Burne, Nicco Grancagnolo
Navarre — Dominique Acosta
Pace — Lillian Espinosa, AJ BonJorno
PHS — Peyton Chester
Pensacola Catholic — Allison Bennet, Atticus King
Pine Forest — Azharia Knight, Job Friere
Washington — Brooke Stubblefield, Brendan Boyer
West Florida Tech — Laney Jackson, Austin Jackson
Pensacola State College — Alexis Parscal
It’s Getting Warmer: When Is Spring Breaking?
March 5, 2026
Warmer days and sunshine have students anticipating Spring Break.
For Escambia County Public Schools students, Spring Break is March 16-20. Students will also be out of school on April 3 (Good Friday), but teachers will have a work day.
Pensacola State College and University of West Florida, will have Spring Break March 16-20.
Highway 97 Crash Snaps Power Pole; Over 500 FPL Customers Lose Power
March 4, 2026
A driver was airlifted after crashing into a power pole on Highway 97 on Wednesday afternoon.
The crash happened around 2:40 p.m. near Molino Park Elementary School.
The power pole was snapped during the crash. Florida Power & Light reported that up to 530 customers lost power due to the wreck, which also cut power to the traffic signal at Highway 29 and Highway 97 for a brief period. FPL reported that power had been restored by about 4 p.m.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating, and has not released more information. Escambia County Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Teen Seriously Injured When His Pickup Crashes Off Kingsfield Road Bridge
March 4, 2026
A teen was seriously injured when he crashed his pickup truck off a Cantonment bridge on Wednesday afternoon.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the 17-year-old lost control of his Toyota pickup truck on the East Kingsfield Road bridge over Eleven Mile Creek, just eat of Highway 297a. The vehicle overturned off the bridge and landed on solid ground.
He was airlifted to an area hospital in serious condition. There were no passengers in the vehicle.
For additional photos, click here.
The FHP investigation is continuing.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Former Escambia Firefighter Assigned To Beulah Gets 75 Years In Federal Prison For Child Porn
March 4, 2026
A former firefighter assigned to the Beulah Fire Station has been sentenced to 75 year in federal prison on child porn charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said 48-year-old Garey Anthony Buscaino had a decade long pattern of producing and possessing child porn.
Multiple victims of Buscaino’s crimes were present at the sentencing hearing in federal court. In addition to serving 75 years in federal prison, Buscaino was ordered to pay approximately $30,000 in restitution to the victims. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life.
“Protecting our children from exploitation and the predations of sick individuals like this offender remains one of my office’s highest priorities. I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who helped stop this predator from continuing to sexually exploit minor children and brought him to justice. As this substantial prison sentence demonstrates, my office will relentlessly pursue offenders who victimize our children, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, and seek maximum punishment for their heinous crimes,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida John P. Heekin.
Court documents reveal that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an online user in Northwest Florida possessed what appeared to be child pornography in a cloud account. Upon looking into the account and obtaining a search warrant for it, law enforcement determined that it not only contained child pornography from the internet but also what appeared to be hidden camera produced pornographic videos of unsuspecting minor females.
Based upon the content of the cloud account, and further investigation, FDLE linked the account to Buscaino and obtained a search warrant for his local residence and the Beulah firehouse. Located within, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task force seized dozens of electronic devices from the defendant.
“Our agents worked diligently to identify the offender and secure the evidence needed to protect these victims,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We appreciate the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in ensuring this individual is held fully accountable and cannot harm another child. Protecting Florida’s children is one of our highest responsibilities, and we will continue to pursue anyone who seeks to exploit them.”
Prosecutors said those devices contained hidden camera produced porn videos of five minor females in various states of undressing in bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as thousands of graphic images and videos of sexual child abuse from the internet. Some of these images and videos captured victims as young as toddlers being sexually abused, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to protect children from exploitation,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas G. Ingegno. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice and victims receive the support they deserve.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Century Water Rates Could Nearly Double In Effort To Keep System Afloat
March 4, 2026
Town of Century water system customers are facing a potential rate hike that would nearly double the cost of water usage, alongside smaller increases for wastewater.
Dyana Jo Stewart of the Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA) told the Century Town Council this week that it must raise rates in order to remain financially viable and make payments on six outstanding loans. As a member, Century received the rate study at no cost from the non-profit FRWA.
FRWA presented two rate hike recommendations: one with a large increase now, the second with three small increases over the next two-and-a-half years that will actually cost consumers more. The town council did not choose either scenario this week, but is expected to finalize plans at its March 17 meeting.
The council has also scheduled a public meeting for next Tuesday, March 10, at 6:15 at town hall to hear public input.
“Do you want to go ahead and take the hit and be done, or look at doing it for the next few years?” Stewart asked. She said the current rate structure will only lose money and not sustain the water utility. “If you don’t do it by April 1, you will have to use more of your reserves; you might have to borrow more money to balance out the end of the fiscal year.”
“That’s a hard decision we have to make,” Councilman John Bass said. “We are going to have to do this. I want to make sure we are transparent with the citizens.”
“It’s going to be an increase,” Council president Dynette Lewis said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s right after something we just came off of,” she added, referring to a recent sanitation fee increase.
Click any table below to enlarge.
SCENARIO – BIG INCREASE NOW
The first scenario would double the current base rate for 2,000 gallons from the current $13.59 to $26.64 beginning April 1 and continue for three years before incremental increases to $29.11 in 2029. Usage tiers over 2,000 gallons a month would increase nearly double up to 5,000 gallons (from $2.59 to $5.08) with other increases for additional usage.
For an average customer using an average 5,000 gallons of water per month, the water cost would rise from $21.36 to $41.87 while the study says combined water and wastewater cost would rise from $48.95 per month to $70.84 in April, with additional increases to $80.56 by 2029. That study says that is comparable to other towns of similar size.
SCENARIO 2 — SERIES OF THREE STEP INCREASES
In the second scenario presented by the FRWA, there would be three smaller increases — April 1, 2026; October 1, 2026; and October 1, 2027.
Under the second option, the base rate would increase from $13.59 for 2,000 gallons to $20.39 before going to $25.48 in 2027 and $29.74 by 2029.
The average user consuming 5,000 gallons per month would see their water and wastewater bill increase from a current $48.95 to $61.01 in April and eventually $81.95 in 2029 for water and wastewater.
Under both scenarios, there would be additional small increases for wastewater and, in future years, increases based upon the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to account for inflation.
Pictured top: Dyana Jo Stewart of the Florida Rural Water Association (FRWA) addresses the Century Town Council. NorthEsscambia.com photo/graphics, click to enlarge.
Walnut Hill Man Charged With Alleged Hammer Assault
March 4, 2026
A Walnut Hill man was charged with the alleged battery of a female relative.
Gary Glenn Roley, 55, was charged with second degree felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and misdemeanor battery, all domestic violence related. He was later released on a $22,500 bond.
Deputies responded to the home after emergency dispatch advised that a woman had called stating a male was going to murder her with a hammer. Upon arrival, the responding deputy heard the victim’s cries for help and made an unannounced entry into the home, where he discovered Roley and the victim on the floor near a doorway. The deputy drew his agency issued firearm, and Roley was immediately detained and placed in a patrol vehicle without incident.
Deputies said Roley then retrieved a hammer and began beating on the door to reach her. While forcing his arm through the door, Roley struck the victim with the hammer at least twice before entering the room to punch, kick, and pull her hair.
Responding officers noted that the victim had blood on her arms, face, and clothing, and she appeared to have difficulty using her right arm. Deputies also observed broken drywall, a damaged door, and a hammer on the laundry room floor.
Evan Taylor’s Third Home Run Of The Night Gives Tate Walk-Off Win Over Crestview
March 4, 2026
Evan Taylor’s third home run of the night gave the Tate Aggies a 7-6 walk-off win over the Crestview Bulldogs on Tuesday night at Tate.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Aggies were down 6-5 when Taylor hit a two-run homer to right field. His other two home runs came in the fourth and sixth innings.
Taylor went 3-4 overall with four RBIs. Kaden Posta and Griffin Cook added two hits each while Conner Dethlefs and Cooper Halfacre had one each.
Nathan Conners started on the mound for Tate, giving up three hits and one run in four and one-third innings while striking out four and walking six.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
