Wanted Suspect Crashes, Arrested In North Escambia After Fleeing Atmore Police
July 30, 2026
A vehicle pursuit on Wednesday afternoon in Atmore ended with the arrest of a wanted suspect following a crash in North Escambia.
The Atmore Police Department said officers spotted 47-year-old Michael Darnell Pleasant in a vehicle outside the Dollar General on South Main Street near Lindberg Avenue. APD said Pleasant was wanted on active Alabama warrants that included felony attempting to elude law enforcement and intent to distribute a controlled substance, and outstanding Florida warrants.
Police said as marked patrol units arrived to assist undercover officers, Pleasant fled the scene in the vehicle. Officers initiated a pursuit south on Main Street, but APD said they called off the chase near the Alabama-Florida line.
According to Atmore Police, Pleasant’s vehicle was located following a crash on Greenland Road, off Highway 97 in Davisville. He was taken into the custody at the scene.
Pleasant was booked into the Escambia County (FL) Jail without bond to await extradition to face Alabama charges. Two Florida warrants were also served for failure to appear in two misdemeanor cases in Escambia County, Florida.
APD said he is expected to face additional charges for Wednesday’s incident, including felony attempting to elude law enforcement.
Reno’s Reptiles Visit The Library (With Gallery)
July 30, 2026
Visitors had a chance to get up close and personal with slithering snakes, lizards, turtles, and spiders this week at the Molino Library.
The program will also be presented at:
- The Century Library on Thursday, July 30 at 10:30 a.m.
- The Molino Library on Saturday, August 1 at 1 p.m.
For a photo gallery from Reno’s reptiles earlier this week at the Molino Library, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge
Handwritten Tag, Expired Registration Leads To Cocaine Arrest of Semi Driver In Escambia County
July 30, 2026
A California truck driver was arrested in Escambia County after an agricultural inspection led to the discovery of cocaine inside his semi-truck.
Officers with the Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) arrested Mukesh Mani, 30, on a felony cocaine charge. According to authorities, Mani was driving a semi-truck and trailer that displayed a handwritten tag with no state designation. A registration check revealed the trailer’s registration had expired in 2021.
The standard agricultural inspection escalated when OALE K-9 Officer Thomas deployed narcotics detection dog K-9 Mojo to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the semi tractor. K-9 Mojo gave a positive alert for the presence of narcotics, which provided officers with probable cause to search the cab.
During the search of the interior, officers uncovered a tube containing a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
Mani was taken into custody and transported to the Escambia County Jail. He was released on a $2,500 bond.
Moving Forward: Tensley Grain Owners Working On Plan To Reopen After Devastating Fire
July 30, 2026
The owners of Tensley Grain in Walnut Hill were busy on Wednesday, making plans to get the business up and running again following a devastating fire Tuesday evening.
The fire destroyed the business office and warehouse, which contained mostly animal feed.
“We are working on a plan to get up and going again as soon as we can,” said Gretchen Wiggins, who owns Tensley Grain with her husband, Wesley. It’s named after their daughter, Tensley.
The elevated grain silos were not damaged, and Tensley will continue its grain operations.
“Wesley plans to start shelling corn in about two weeks and we have to be up and going by then,” Gretchen Wiggins added. “As far as the feed store side of things, as soon as our scales are inspected and they can get us back set up with them, we will resume bulk feed sales.”
The State Fire Marshal is investigating the exact cause of the blaze, but officials believe the fire was started by an electrical problem.
Multiple Escambia County Fire Rescue stations responded to the blaze, along with the Poarch Fire Department, Atmore Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Firefighters battled not only the fire, but also intense heat and humidity. There were no injuries reported.
The business was formerly known as Escambia Grain, with concrete silos that were constructed in 1965. The warehouse and office space that was consumed by the fire was constructed many years later. The Walnut Hill landmark is one of just a handful of grain elevators in Florida. First opened in 1965, the facility has six storage silos, each about 100 feet tall, and multiple other buildings.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Florida Sold $9.7 Billion in Lottery Tickets Last Year
July 30, 2026
Sales have been brisk for state lottery games after a brief period where inflation apparently caused consumers to dial back purchases of scratch-off tickets.
The Florida Lottery reported $9.7 billion in sales for all games in the fiscal year that ended June 30, a 6.35 percent increase from the prior year.
“Scratch-Off games continued to be a strong contributor to the Lottery’s success, generating $7.14 billion in sales, an increase of more than $308 million compared to Fiscal Year 2025,” Lottery Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships Alecia Collins wrote in an email. “Draw game sales also experienced significant growth, reaching $2.56 billion, an increase of more than $271 million.”
The draw game sales figure doesn’t include state revenue from the recent rollover jackpots in the multi-state games of Powerball and Mega Millions, where the winning ticket on Tuesday was sold at a Wawa in Bradenton.
But the overall total indicates a potential reversal of an expected two-year slowdown in play, with sales down to around $9.1 billion in fiscal year 2024-2025 and $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2023-2024 after reaching $9.8 billion in fiscal year 2022-2023.
In September 2024, state economists attributed the drop in play to a decline in scratch-off sales as consumers faced inflationary pressures coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic period, which saw a spike in Lottery purchases.
At the time, the economic forecast for the games projected Lottery sales to decline to $8.8 billion in the 2024-2025 fiscal year and slowly return to the $9 billion mark by the 2027-2028 fiscal year.
By January of this year, however, the Revenue Estimating Conference noted the increase in people playing scratch-off games as it revised its economic outlook for the state.
“The gain to the (Lottery) forecast in the current year was largely attributable to higher-than-expected Scratch-Off sales,” the conference wrote on Jan. 15. “The new sales data suggests that there will be stronger year-over-year growth than originally anticipated.”
“In its new forecast, the Conference projects 5.2 percent growth in the current year, before a return in the outer years to growth rates that mirror population growth as expected in August 2025,” the conference report continued.
State economists will again look at the Lottery numbers on Aug. 7, ahead of an overall update of the state’s general revenue on Aug. 14.
Collins noted that sales in the past fiscal year, along with earnings on investments and unclaimed prizes, generated about $2.36 billion from the Lottery to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
by Jime Turner, The News Service of Florida
Blue Wahoos Comes Up Short In 4-3 Loss To Smokies
July 30, 2026
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos lost game two of their six-game series on Wednesday night, falling to the Knoxville Smokies by a final score of 4-3 in Knoxville.
Knoxville got off to a hot start, scoring four runs in the first inning off of Wahoos starter Luis Moreno (L, 5-5). After inducing a flyout to start the night, the Smokies strung together four consecutive hits: Jefferson Rojas doubled, Andy Garriola singled, Miguel Useche singled, and Carter Trice doubled. This series of knocks gave the Smokies a 3-0 lead before Alex Madera singled home Trice to give the home team a four-run lead.
Moreno settled down after that first inning, pitching the next four scoreless. This performance kept Pensacola in it, and in the top of the fourth, they started to chip away. Without the aid of a hit, the Wahoos managed to load the bases on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. Jay Beshears then drew a walk with the bags packed, getting the Wahoos on the board. Before the next pitch could be thrown, a balk was issued to Smokies starter Dawson Netz, plating the second run and cutting into the lead.
Netz would be pulled after the fourth and be replaced by Frankie Scalzo Jr. (W, 2-1), who proceeded to pitch the next two innings scoreless. But, in the top of the seventh, Pensacola would add one more off of Tyler Schlaffer.
Following a leadoff single from Jay Beshears, Emaarion Boyd laid down a sac bunt to get him into scoring position. Brendan Jones rewarded the bunt by knocking a single into centerfield and bringing the score to 4-3.
Holt Jones put up a flawless three innings, striking out 4 in the process, but the offense stayed quiet as Marino Santy (S, 6) closed up shop in the 9th. The ‘Hoos threatened, getting a runner to second base with only one down, but came up just short when Juan Matheus struck out with men on the corners to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Smokies on Thursday.
written by Charlie Hobert
Breakfast And Lunch Are Free For Every Student At 44 Escambia Schools; Others Must Apply
July 29, 2026
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students, regardless of income, during the upcoming school year at 44 schools and centers in Escambia County. Applications must be submitted for free or reduced price lunches, or payment made, at 11 other schools.
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program means that parents of the students at these schools are not required to submit an application for the Free and Reduced Meal program at that school.
The free meal schools are selected based upon income levels.
Parents at these schools should plan on providing their child with money for their meals until eligibility is established to avoid creating a deficit in their account. Funds can be added to student accounts online at myschoolapps.com.
This federally funded program has been in place since 2015 in Escambia County.
Meal applications, or payment, will be required at:
- Beulah Elementary
- Blue Angels Elementary
- Cook Elementary
- Cordova Park Elementary
- Hellen Caro Elementary
- Kingsfield Elementary
- Suter Elementary
- Brown Barge Middle
- Ransom Middle
- Tate High
- West Florida High.
Free meal schools are:
Elementary Schools
- Bellview Elementary
- Bratt Elementary
- Brentwood Elementary
- Byrneville Elementary
- C.A. Weis Elementary
- Ensley Elementary
- Ferry Pass Elementary
- Global Learning Academy
- Holm Elementary
- Jim Allen Elementary
- Lincoln Park Elementary
- Lipscomb Elementary
- Longleaf Elementary
- McArthur Elementary
- Molino Park Elementary
- Montclair Elementary
- Myrtle Grove Elementary
- Navy Point Elementary
- Oakcrest Elementary
- Pine Meadow Elementary
- Pleasant Grove Elementary
- Scenic Heights Elementary
- O.J. Semmes Elementary
- Sherwood Elementary
- Warrington Elementary
- West Pensacola Elementary
Middle Schools
- Bailey Middle
- Bellview Middle
- Beulah Middle
- Ernest Ward Middle
- Ferry Pass Middle
- Workman Middle
High Schools
- Escambia High
- Northview High
- Pensacola High
- Pine Forest High
- Washington High
Other Schools and Centers
- Acceleration Academy
- Achieve Academy
- Capstone
- Escambia Westgate Center
- Hope Horizon
- Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
- Success Academy
Pictured: An Escambia County School lunch as served to students. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Fire Destroys Grain Elevator Business Office, Warehouse Space In Walnut Hill
July 29, 2026
Fire destroyed the office building and warehouse at Tensley Grain in Walnut Hill on Tuesday evening.
The building on Arthur Brown Road was heavily involved in fire when the first firefighters arrived on scene. The elevated grain silos were not damaged.
There were no injuries reported and no word yet on the cause of the blaze as the investigation was just beginning. Officials believed the fire started in the office area.
The warehouse reportedly contained mostly animal feed.
The business was formerly known as Escambia Grain, with concrete silos that were constructed in 1965. The warehouse and office space that was consumed by fire was constructed later.
The Walnut Hill landmark is one of just a handful of grain elevators in Florida. First opened in 1965, the facility has six storage silos, each about 100 feet tall, and multiple other buildings.
Multiple Escambia County Fire Rescue stations responded to the blaze, along with the Poarch Fire Department, Atmore Fire Department, Escambia County EMS and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Firefighters battled not only the fire, but also intense heat and humidity.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Aerial photos by Jeff Amerson for NorthEscambia, click to enlarge.
Jay Man Gets Maximum 5-Year Prison Sentence for Killing Kitten
July 29, 2026
A Jay man has received the maximum sentence for killing his former girlfriend’s kitten.
Gunner Cole Bush, 21, was convicted by a Santa Rosa County jury of aggravated animal cruelty after a one-day trial. This week, he was sentenced to five years in state prison.
In the early morning hours of December 9, 2023, Bush tortured a kitten to death, according to prosecutors. He moved into the home of his then-girlfriend and her family in the summer of 2023.
During that time, two other cats went missing, the State Attorney’s Office said. One of the cats had been in the family for five years. Bush was also the last person seen with one of the cats. After the death of the kitten on December 9, 2023, the family discovered the remains of the two other cats nearby.
The State Attorney’s Office said a tool used to mutilate the kitten was found in Bush’s truck.
The case was investigated by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Rosa County Animal Services. Special assistance was provided by the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, which conducted DNA analysis on a tool used to harm the kitten and performed a necropsy on the deceased animal.
Florida Executes Two Inmates In One Day
July 29, 2026
Florida completed a rare double execution on Tuesday, putting Dominick Anthony Occhicone to death about five hours after James Aren Duckett was pronounced dead.
After a flurry of emergency applications and petitions were turned down the past few days at the federal level, including the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday, Occhicone, 80, became the oldest inmate executed by the state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. He was declared dead at 6:13 p.m. by the Department of Corrections.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty described the twin executions as an “unprecedented escalation” of the state’s use of the death penalty.
“These are two profoundly different cases, but they point to the same troubling reality: Florida continues to expand the use of capital punishment, despite mounting evidence that it is not what Floridians want,” said Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Occhicone and Duckett were put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison, bringing the number of inmates executed this year to 12.
A modern era record 19 executions were carried out by Florida in 2025.
The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers issued its own statement claiming that conducting two executions on the same day, a first in six decades, “should give every Floridian pause, especially considering that Florida leads the nation in death row exonerations.”
Attorney General James Uthmeier has pointed to the legal appeals process to defend the state’s use of the death penalty.
“We used to have a lot of litigation on execution nights, where sometimes we’d be up till midnight waiting for courts to decide,” Uthmeier said during an event in Brooksville in May. “We don’t see that as much anymore. I think people realize that the state is carrying out its obligation. We all take an oath to enforce the law.”
Occhicone was executed for killing his former girlfriend’s parents four decades ago in Pasco County.
According to court records, Occhicone went to the Pasco County home of Raymond and Martha Artzner where his former girlfriend was living with her child on June 10, 1986.
Occhicone initially knocked on a sliding glass door, but his former girlfriend refused to talk and threatened to call the police. Occhicone appeared to leave, only to return a brief time later armed with a handgun. He cut the telephone lines to the home and was confronted outside by Raymond Artzner.
Occhicone shot and killed Artzner and then broke into the home. While his former girlfriend was able to flee with her child, Occhicone fatally shot Martha Artzner four times.
Charged with two counts of first-degree murder, Occhicone received a life sentence for Raymond Artzner’s death and a death sentence for killing Martha Artzner.
The jury voted 7-5 to recommend death in September 1987.
Duckett, 68, was declared dead at 1:19 p.m. for the 1987 murder of 11-year-old Teresa McAbee in Mascotte where he was a police officer.
The execution was delayed about an hour awaiting the final action from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Duckett maintained his innocence. Recent DNA testing that required a court-ordered stay in Duckett’s first death warrant signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in March failed to exonerate him.
Duckett was a police officer for the Lake County city of Mascotte in May 1987 when Teresa McAbee was last seen getting into his patrol car outside a convenience store. Her body was found in a lake less than a mile away. She had been sexually battered, strangled, and drowned.
He was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual battery on May 10, 1988 and sentenced to death on June 30, 1988.
Duckett was also a suspect in the deaths of an unidentified young woman whose body was found in a water-filled ditch near Lakeland in 1986 and 14-year-old Jeanifer Shyan Weldon whose body was found in a rural part of Polk County in October 1987.
William Frances Silvia, 61, is the next inmate scheduled to be executed.
Silvia’s Aug. 18 execution is for the fatal shooting of his estranged wife at her mother’s Casselberry-area home in 2006.
The last time two executions by the state occurred on the same day was May 12, 1964, when inmates charged with murder were put to death in Bay and Gadsden counties.
The executions were the last conducted by the state until 1979, while waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to make a final decision on whether the death penalty was legal.
In 1972, the court in Furman v. Georgia ruled that the way the death penalty was being applied was unconstitutional. But the court reversed itself four years later, determining the death penalty could be used when applied with clear rules for judges and juries.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Pictured: (L-R) Occhicone and Duckett.