Escambia Schools Announce Their Teachers Of The Year
October 12, 2025
Teachers of the Year have been announced by the Office of Community Involvement for Escambia County Public Schools. Nominated teachers will compete for selection as the school district’s overall Teacher of the Year.
Editor’s note: We will feature each of the Teacher of the Year from each of the North Escambia area schools over the coming weeks, if submitted by the school.
- Jim Allen Elementary – Michelle (Shelly) Helton
- Bellview Elementary – Teswanna Johnson
- Beulah Elementary – Shelly Mitchell
- Blue Angels Elementary – Trinity Barnett
- Bratt Elementary – Angela Stuart
- Brentwood Elementary – Sarah Long
- Hellen Caro Elementary – Lori Walsh
- N. B. Cook Elementary – Megan Habayeb
- Cordova Park Elementary – Brittany Foster
- Ensley Elementary – Susannah Wright
- Ferry Pass Elementary – Nikki Cole
- Global Learning Academy – Whitney Osborne
- Holm Elementary – Etter Wright
- Kingsfield Elementary School – Melissa Venable
- Lincoln Park Elementary – Ashley Phillips
- Lipscomb Elementary – Courtney Geiger
- Longleaf Elementary – Gena Keszthelyi
- McArthur Elementary – Laura Sellers
- Molino Park Elementary – Chad Hetherington
- Montclair Elementary – Felicia Hudson
- Myrtle Grove Elementary – Brigit McAroy
- Navy Point Elementary – Jana Arnett
- Oakcrest Elementary – John Herber
- Pine Meadow Elementary – Tara Garic
- Pleasant Grove Elementary – Carol Larsen
- Scenic Heights Elementary – Amanda Pinckard
- O.J. Semmes Elementary – Jessica Zent
- Sherwood Elementary – Bridget Wakeman
- A. K. Suter Elementary – Juliana Barrett
- Warrington Elementary – Christina Myers
- C. A. Weis Elementary – Julia Hodo
- West Pensacola Elementary – Debra Jewell
- Bailey Middle School – Cameron Peters
- Bellview Middle – Clareta Broadnax
- Beulah Middle – Kenneth Atkinson
- Brown Barge Middle – John Blackwelder
- Ernest Ward Middle – Megan Bryan
- Ferry Pass Middle – Velvet Kalber
- Ransom Middle – Holly Kendrick
- Workman Middle – Quintarries Upshaw
- Escambia High School – Kristy Davis
- Northview High School – Brandon Korinchak
- Pensacola High School – Lora Fairhurst
- Pine Forest High School – David Dawson
- Tate High School – Richard Coleman
- Washington High School – Kathryn Cody
- West Florida High School – Tyler Mertz
- Alternative Education – Adam Stumpf
- Beulah Academy of Science – Molly Villanueva
- Achieve Academy – Brenda Baldwin
- Success Academy – Gregory Steen
- Escambia Virtual Academy – Tristan Harris
- Escambia Westgate – Kimberly Ripley
- ESE – Joyce “Kelton” Boykin
- Hope Horizon – Tara Hagan
- George Stone Technical College – Maria Moultrie
- Pensacola Beach Charter – Kimberley Talbert
Free Cantonment, Farm Hill Neighborhood Cleanup Set For Wednesday
October 12, 2025
A neighborhood cleanup for residents in Cantonment and Farm Hill are will take place Wednesday, October 15. This is a chance for residents to dispose of items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge.
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.
Northview, Tate Volleyball District Tournaments Begin Monday (With Brackets)
October 12, 2025
Volleyball district tournaments begin Monday for schools including Northview and Tate.
Northview is seeded No. 4 in the rural district and will host No. 5 Laurel Hill on Monday at 6 p.m. at Northview. In two previous matches this season, Northview beat Central 3-2 in both outings. The winner will face No. 1 Jay on Tuesday. Northview is currently set to host all district matches.
Tate is the No. 4 seed In District 1-6A and will host No. 5 Crestview at 6 p.m. Monday. In previous meetings this season, Tate beat Crestview 3-1 and Crestview defeated Tate 2-0. The winner will travel to No. 1 Gulf Breeze on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
6A District 1
ALL MATCHES ARE AT THE HIGHER SEED
Monday, Oct. 13
- No. 7 Milton at No. 2 Niceville, 6 p.m.
- No. 6 Navarre at No. 3 Pace, 6 p.m.
- No. 5 Crestview at No. 4 Tate, 6 p.m.
- No. 1 Gulf Breeze has a bye
Tuesday Oct. 14
- Crestview/Tate winner at Gulf Breeze, 6 p.m.
- Milton/Niceville vs. Navarre/Pace winner at higher seed, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16
- Championship at higher seed, 6 p.m.
Rural District
ALL MATCHES ARE AT NORTHVIEW
Monday, Oct. 13
- No. 5 Laurel Hill at No. 4 Northview, 5 p.m. (moved up from 6 p.m.)
- No. 1 Jay, No. 2 Baker and No. 3 Central all have byes on Monday.
Tuesday, Oct. 14
- Laurel Hill/Northview winner vs. No. 1 Jay, 4 p.m.
- Central at Baker, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 16
- Championship, 6:30 p.m.
NorhEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
UWF Argos Attain Best Start in Program History With Homecoming Win
October 12, 2025
For the first time in its acclaim-filled history, UWF’s football team is 6-0 through the midpoint of a season.
And now, the defining portion awaits.
The 3rd-ranked Argos produced 533 yards of total offense and quarterback Marcus Stokes accounted for six touchdowns in a 40-10 win against Chowan, delighting a festive homecoming crowd of 5,156 at Pen Air Field on a spectacular blue-sky Saturday.
It was the kind of prelude performance UWF sought before the showdown on Oct. 18 at unbeaten, No. 9 West Alabama in the first Gulf South Conference game for both teams. The Argos’ double-overtime loss (35-33) a year ago in Pensacola cost UWF a chance in the NCAA Division II postseason – only the third time UWF has missed the playoffs.
This next rivalry meeting shapes up as pivotal game for both teams in a four-team conference race.
“Our guys know it’s going to be tough,” said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles after the game. “We’ve got to handle preparation the right way and be ready to roll.”
UWF started its 2019 national championship season 5-0 before dropping a conference loss against West Georgia. It was the only time in the program’s nine seasons when the Argos began with five consecutive wins.
They easily went one better on Saturday. After Chowan scored the game’s first points on a field goal, this game became a third quarter blowout when UWF scored 20 points, including two touchdowns just two minutes apart.
The win did contain some flaws. The Argos were penalized 13 times for 130 yards. They also missed a short field goal and two extra points.
But UWF outgained Chowan, which was without its starting quarterback, by a whopping 533-181 and limited Chowan to just eight first downs in the game.
FIRST HALF
The Argos had a quick first possession, forced to punt after three plays. They never had a 3-and-out series the rest of the game.
Stokes produced a pair of touchdowns on consecutive possessions. He completed a seven-play 75 yard drive with a 1-yard run midway through the first quarter. The Argos defense forced a quick stop and short field after a punt return. Stokes then finished a 6-play, 30-yard possession with an 8-yard run.
With 2:59 left before halftime, he threw the first of four TD passes on a 20-yard strike to Javon Swinton and it gave UWF a 20-3 halftime. Another possession resulted in a missed field goal
Chowan’s offense, meanwhile, operating under backup quarterback Nyjal Johnson, did not have another possession longer than five plays after its opening drive.
SECOND HALF
The Argos wasted no time putting this game away early in the third quarter. On their first second-half possession, UWF needed just three plays for its fourth touchdown on a 9-yard pass from Stokes to Corey Scott.
Two minutes later, following an interception by linebacker Walker Robinson, who returned the ball 14 yards to the Chowan 13, Stokes connected with Swinton on a 21-yard touchdown pass for a 33-3 lead with 9:42 left in the quarter.
The Argos wrapped up scoring on Quinn Sieger’s 45-yard touchdown pass from Stokes – the Argos’ longest play – with 3:05 left in the quarter.
In all, UWF had 12 different players catch passes, five different rushers.
KEY PERFORMANCES
- QB Marcus Stokes completed 21 of 34 passes for 292 yards, four touchdowns, just one interception and he was sacked just once in the game.
- RB TJ Lane had 11 carries for 91 yards and averaged 8.3 yards per-carry.
- RB Jay Sharp had 81 yards on 16 carries and had zero lost yards.
- WR Corey Scott led a big day for the receiving corps with five catches for 67 yards and one score.
- TE Jack Robinette had three catches for 59 yards.
- WR Quinn Seiger had two catches for 57 yards and the long TD catch.
- WR Javon Swinton had two catches, both for TDs and 41 yards combined.
- LB Walker Robinson had six tackles, two for lost yardage, one sack, one interception.
- LB Carson Ratliff had five tackles, two for lost yardage.
COACH NOBLES
“Very excited about our guys and how they played. They handled homecoming week… there are a lot of things going on external outside the game… and they did a great job of keeping the focus on the game and minimizing things outside. So, I’m proud of these guys and we know we have a tougher game coming up, so looking forward to playing West Alabama next week.”
NEXT UP: UWF will travel Friday and face No. 9 West Alabama (5-0) at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Tiger Stadium in Livingston, Ala. West Alabama has an extra week to prepare, after being off Saturday. In a common opponent, the Tigers beat Chowan 38-28 on Sept. 6. They won at UWF 35-33 in double OT last season.
2025 Escambia County Agriculture Tour Held In Molino And Walnut Hill (With Gallery)
October 11, 2025
The 2025 Escambia County Agriculture Tour was held Friday in the Molino and Walnut Hill areas.
A tour bus full of participants was able to explore farms, area agricultural processing facilities, meet local farmers, and discover the positive impact of agriculture in Escambia County.
Those on the tour included a group from Germany through the Gulf Coast Diplomacy organization.
The group visited the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino, saw forestry, cotton, soybean and peanut operations in Walnut Hill, and enjoyed lunch at the Walnut Hill Community Center. After lunch, they toured the West Florida Gin, a cotton gin near Walnut Hill, and Steve’s Farm, a retail farm and catfish operation in Walnut Hill.
Pictured: One of the stops for the 2025 Escambia County Agriculture Tour 2025 on Friday was Steve’s Farm in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP Arrests Interstate 131 MPH ‘Super Speeder’ For DUI After Crash
October 11, 2025
The Florida Highway Patrol has made another arrest on the interstate in Escambia County for DUI and under Florida’s new “super speeder” law.
FHP said Daniel Josiah Powell, age 24 of Grove Hill, Alabama, was driving 131 mph in a 65 mph zone on I-110 in Escambia County, early Friday morning. As the trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop and prior to activating lights and sirens, Powell then rear-ended another vehicle east of the Pine Forest Road exit on I-10.
After the collision, a FHP trooper made intentional contact with Powell’s vehicle to prevent him from fleeing the scene.
The second vehicle that was struck came to a controlled stop on the north shoulder of the westbound lanes. The second driver, a Tennessee man, was not injured.
Powell was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries but was later released.
Powell was charged with DUI, operating a vehicle over 100 mph (under the “super speeder” law), and refusal to submit a lawful breath test. Powell was also cited for not wearing a seatbelt and failure to provide vehicle insurance. He was later released on a $3,500 bond.
Earlier this month, FHP arrested an Escambia County man for driving 110 mph on the interstate in Escambia County and DUI.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Tate Falls To Pace In District Showdown (With Photo Gallery)
October 11, 2025
The Pace Patriots defeated the Tate Aggies 30-8 in a big district showdown Friday night in Pete Gindl Stadium.
The Patriots held a 27-0 lead at halftime.
The Aggies’ only score of the night came on a 3-yard Ethan Pittman touchdown run with about 10:30 to go in the third quarter. On a keeper, Tanner Clark converted the 2-point attempt for the Aggies.
For a photo gallery, click here
*Look for cheerleader and fan photos by Monday.
The win pushed Pace to 6-1 and into the District 1-6A lead at 2-0. Tate slipped to 5-2; 1-1 in the district.
Next Friday night, Pace will be at Pine Forest (2-4), while the Aggies will be at Washington (4-3).
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Jay Tops Northview 28-20 In District Matchup (With Gallery)
October 11, 2025
The Jay Royals defeated the Northview Chiefs 28-20 Friday night, the first time the Royals have won in Bratt since the two teams began district play in 2009.
The Royals were on top for most of the night after an early first-quarter touchdown. Northview’s Tyson Phifer had the first TD for the Chiefs, but the extra point kick was no good. By halftime, the Royals were up 21-6.
After a scoreless third quarter, Chief Caleb Levins scored on a short 3-yard run with about eight minutes to go in the game. With a good two-point conversion from Nate Duffy, the Chiefs narrowed their deficit to 21-14. Levins then returned an interception 32 yards for another Chiefs touchdown, but the two-point attempt fell short.
For a photo gallery, click here.
*Look for fan and cheerleaders photos by Monday.
With the win, Jay improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Rural District. Northview fell to 1-6 overall and 1-3 in the district. Jay will host South Choctaw Academy from Alabama next week, while Northview will host Blountstown in a rural district matchup at Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
High School Football Scoreboard
October 11, 2025
Here are Friday night football scores from across the North Escambia area.
FLORIDA
- Pace 30, Tate 8 [Read more, photos...]
- Jay 28, Northview 20 [Read more, photos...]
- Bay 38, West Florida 37 (OT)
- Pine Forest 32, Washington 9
- Escambia 46, Pensacola High 6
- Pensacola Catholic 24, Walton 7
- Milton 42, Gulf Breeze 0
- Central: Bye week
ALABAMA
- W.S. Neal 51, Escambia County (Atmore) 6
- Escambia Academy 42, Cornerstone Christian 14
- T.R. Miller 21, Excel 14
- Flomaton: Bye week
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
New Details: Over $100,000 In Stolen Property Recovered In Cantonment Search Warrant
October 10, 2025
Over $100,000 in stolen property was recovered when the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a Cantonment home on Wednesday, according to Sheriff Chip Simmons.
The recovered property includes motorcycles, lawn equipment and more.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies, including the SWAT team, executed a search warrant stemming from several incidents involving grand theft, burglaries, and dealing in stolen property, specifically three stolen motorcycles.
Colby Chase Myrick, 34,was charged with felony possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, felony dealing in stolen property, and resisting an officer without violence. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
When deputies arrived to serve the search warrant, Myrick was observed immediately walking toward a storage shed in the backyard, where he was reportedly living alone. Despite receiving multiple verbal commands from the tactical unit to stop, the Myrick entered the shed and closed the door, according to an arrest report obtained by NorthEscambia.com.
Authorities reported that Colby Myrick then used a chain to secure the door from the inside, preventing entry. After several more commands to open the door were ignored, deputies forced entry. Due to continued non-compliance with orders to place his hands behind his back, a sergeant used force to effect the arrest.
Following the apprehension, a search of the shed revealed a Marlin .22LR rifle, along with 17 rounds of ammunition, located under the bed where Colby Myrick was sleeping. A criminal history check confirmed the suspect had previous felony convictions dating back to 2008, making the possession of the firearm illegal.
A 2005 Honda motorcycle, confirmed to have been stolen from a Santa Rosa County, was located in the backyard near the shed.
During a subsequent recorded interview, Colby Myrick told investigators that the motorcycle had been dropped off at the address by another individual. The arrest report also noted that a jail phone call dated September 18, 2025, recorded a conversation between Colby Myrick and his brother, Hunter Myrick, which is being reviewed as evidence. The specifics of that conversation were redacted from the arrest report.
Additional arrests may be forthcoming in the case.
Hunter Myrick was arrested late last month on charges including dealing in stolen property for trying to sell a stolen boat in a recorded jail phone call after being arrested on burglary and drug charges.
Three other people at the residence on Wednesday were arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants and booked into the Escambia County Jail:
- Tyrel James Disney, 41, felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, no bond
- Justin Michael Odom, 31, parole violation, no bond
- Shelby Danielle Totty, 30, felony dealing or trafficking in stolen property, $15,000 bond
Pictured above: Colby Myrick. Pictured below: (L-R) Tyrel Disney, Justin Odom, and Shelby Totty.
