Bratt Elementary Students Donate To Area Nursing Home Residents
December 17, 2025
Bratt Elementary School students collected items for area nursing home residents.
The donations—including socks, lip balms, gloves, tissues, and lotions—were delivered Tuesday afternoon.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tax Collector’s MILO, OneBlood, Help A Neighbor At Thursday Walnut Hill Community Outreach
December 17, 2025
A community outreach event will take place Thursday in Walnut Hill with the Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO), blood donations with the Big Red Bus, and a donations will be accepted to help neighbors.
MILO Tax Collector Services
The Escambia County Tax Collector’s Mobile Identification and Licensing Office (MILO) will be at the Walnut Hill Community Center on Thursday, December 18, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
MILO offers a convenient way for residents to access essential tax collector services, including:
- Driver License Services: Renewals, replacements, out-of-state license conversions/reciprocations, and address/name changes.
- Identification Cards: First-time issuance and renewals.
- Vehicle Services: Registration renewals and replacements, title transfers, and parking placards.
- Tax Payments: Property tax payments.
- Business Tax Receipts: Applications and renewals.
- Certified Driver Transcripts
Written and driving tests are not available at the MILO unit.
Help A Neighbor
From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., new socks and new underwear in original packaging will be accepted, along with new blankets with tags attached to help needy individuals in the community.
Blood Donations
OneBlood’s Big Red Bus will be onsite at the community center from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Donors will receive a sweatshirt and a $20 egift card.
Location
The Walnut Hill Community Center is located at 7850 Highway 97, just north of the fire department and Ernest Ward Middle School.
Escambia County Warning Contractors About License Payment Scam
December 17, 2025
The Escambia County Building Services Department has received reports of fraudulent emails claiming to represent Building Services, requesting immediate payment in order to receive an electrical license or other county license.
The county said do not respond to these fraudulent messages, pay the attached invoices, or click any links. These emails are not legitimate and are not associated with Escambia County Building Services.
Escambia County Building Services will never ask for payment via an email link, credit card, or wire transfer. Escambia County only accepts contractor license payments via cash or check.
Man’s Body Found Not Far From Jim Allen Elementary School
December 16, 2025
An adult male was found deceased Monday afternoon in a wooded area of Eden Lane and Highway 95A, across the railroad tracks from Jim Allen Elementary School.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s office, the man died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Foul play was not suspected.
The investigation is continuing by the ECSO and the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office.
Further details have not yet been released.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Council Votes To Name Justin Hetrick As Permanent Police Chief
December 16, 2025
The Town of Flomaton has hired a new police chief.
The town council voted unanimously during a Monday night special meeting to promote interim Chief Justin Hetrick to Flomaton police chief.
Hetrick said transparency and community engagement will be crucial to his administration with the department, which has seven certified officers.
After serving since May 2024, Dereck Lowry resigned as police chief on December 5. On December 8, the council stopped short of promoting then-captain Hetrick as police chief at Mayor Arthur Odom’s recommendation.The council instead appointed Hetrick as interim chief and set the Monday, December 15 special meeting to interview Hetrick.
For more photos from Monday night’s meeting, click here.
Monday night, only council members Roger Adkinson and Kay Wagner asked Hetrick any questions before the vote.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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Camper Fire Claims Life Of A Dog Near McDavid
December 16, 2025
A camper fire claimed the life of a dog Monday afternoon near McDavid.
The camper was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived in the 1800 block of Lambert Bridge Road, just off North Pine Barren Road.
A dog died in the blaze, and there were no injuries to people.
The camper was a total loss. Firefighters were able to prevent the spread of the fire to a nearby home, but heat caused damage to the home’s siding.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FDLE Arrests Escambia County Sex Offender Who Now Faces 30 New Charges
December 16, 2025
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested a registered sex offender in Escambia County who now faces 30 new charges.
Donschee Ricky Montrell Foster, 33, was charged with 20 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, one count of failure to report a change in residence, one count of failure to report vacating a permanent residence, three counts of knowingly providing false sexual offender registration information by act or omission and five counts of failure to report internet identifiers. He remains in the Escambia County Jail without bond.
he investigation began in early November, when FDLE discovered Foster was residing at an unreported address, which violates Florida’s sexual offender registration laws. The investigation revealed that Foster had not been at his registered residence for nearly a week but was living at an apartment in Pensacola which was also occupied by a juvenile family member. On November 17, FDLE obtained an arrest warrant for Foster for failure to report a change in residence, failure to report vacating a residence and knowingly providing false sexual offender registration information by act or omission.
During a post arrest interview of Foster, FDLE discovered that he was using multiple online accounts that had not been properly reported to the appropriate authorities in accordance with his registration requirements. FDLE obtained a search warrant for Foster’s cell phone. Agents said the digital forensic analysis resulted in the identification of five unreported online accounts including Facebook Messenger, Roblox, X, YouTube and Discord. The analysis also identified multiple files which appeared to depict the sexual abuse of children on his device. FDLE worked to obtain another search warrant to allow for a more thorough review of the contents of the device. The expanded search revealed numerous images involving the sexual exploitation of children.
On December 5, FDLE obtained a second arrest warrant for Foster for charges of failure to report an internet identifier and possession of child sexual abuse material.
No Serious Injuries Reported In Walnut Hill Highway 97 T-Bone Crash
December 16, 2025
There were no serious injuries in a T-bone crash Monday afternoon on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
The driver of a silver SUV reportedly pulled out of the parking lot of a Dollar General on Highway 97 at South Highway 99 and was struck by a white vehicle, according to witnesses. Both vehicles came to a stop in a field across the road from the Dollar General.
Both drivers initially refused transport by Escambia County EMS.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Cantonment Wreck When SUV Rear-Ends Tractor Trailer
December 16, 2025
One person was injured when they crashed their SUV into the rear of a tractor-trailer hauling a shipping container Monday afternoon on Becks Lake Road.
The crash occurred just before 1:30 p.m. near the railroad tracks, just east of the Highway 29 intersection. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour and reader submitted photos, click to enlarge.
Free Cantonment, Farm Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Set For Wednesday
December 16, 2025
A neighborhood cleanup for residents in Cantonment and Farm Hill are will take place Wednesday, December 17. This is a chance for residents to dispose of items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge.
The cleanup was originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 15 and was rescheduled to Wednesday, December 17.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items for pickup should be at the curb by 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. (Click map above to enlarge.)
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
- Yard debris (tree cuttings, branches, etc.)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
For questions,contact Escambia County Neighborhood and Human Services at (850) 595-3130.
Since 2016, more than 7,435 tons (16,393,574 pounds) of waste have been disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. During neighborhood cleanups, crew members and volunteers visit different neighborhoods in the county to remove a variety of debris and waste free of charge.