Tate Lady Aggies Fall To Gulf Breeze In District Tourney
October 15, 2025
In the 6A District 1 Quarterfinals Tuesday night, the top-ranked Gulf Breeze Dolphins defeated the Tate Aggies 3-1, ending the season for the Lady Aggies.
Gulf Breeze defeated Tate 25-13, 21-25, 25-19, and 25-17. The loss ended the season for the Lady Aggies.
Tate made the quarterfinals with a 3-0 weep of Crestview on Monday, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23.
Gulf Breeze will face Niceville on Thursday for the district championship.
FHP: Log Truck Ran Red Light Before Crashing Into Cantonment Building
October 14, 2025
A tractor trailer hauling logs ran a red light before crashing into a building in Cantonment Tuesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a report released Tuesday afternoon.
The truck hit the Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway office at 106 South Highway 29 (which is across the railroad tracks that cross Highway 29, next door to the World Gym). The semi came to rest inside the building.
FHP said a northbound car (pictured below), driven by a 36-year-old Pensacola man, had a green left turn arrow when an unknown sedan ran the red light, heading southbound, in front of the car. As the car’s driver continued to turn, the southbound tractor-trailer ran a steady red traffic signal, according to troopers. The truck driver, a 30-year-old Marianna man, veered but clipped the car that was turning through the intersection, ripping the vehicle’s bumper cover off. The car’s driver said he was “lucky to be alive.”
The log truck continued to travel to the left while skidding, traveled off the roadway, over a ditch and through an unpaved parking area between the roadway and the railroad tracks. The truck then traveled across the tracks and collided with the building. The truck came to a final stop with the front portion stuck in the building’s break room and the loaded trailer across the railroad tracks.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the 7:30 a.m. crash. The log truck driver was able to get out of the truck on his own and was transported with serious injuries by Escambia County EMS to a local hospital.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge. NorthEscambai.com graphic (at bottom), click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Found Passed Out In His Vehicle Sentenced On Drug Charges
October 14, 2025
A Cantonment man has been sentenced, on drug charges.
Henry Allen Miller, 51, was convicted of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 270 days in the county jail on a drug possession charge and was immediately remanded into custody. He was also sentenced to one day of time served on the drug paraphernalia charge, and his driver’s license was suspended for six months.
On July 18, 2025, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1100 block of Adobe Trail to investigate a suspicious vehicle complaint. They found Miller passed out in the driver’s seat of the vehicle at the dead end of the road with foil and a straw in his lap. He told deputies that he had just finished smoking fentanyl.
A substance on the foil, straw and a bag tested positive for opioids.
Tate Showband Of the South Earns Straight Superiors For 54th Consecutive Year
October 14, 2025
The Tate High School Showband of the South earned straight superior ratings in the Florida Bandmasters Association District 1 Marching MPA on Saturday. This marked the 54th consecutive year that the showband has earned straight superiors.
The Showband spent five months preparing for the competition.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Distracted Driver Crashes Pickup Through Gas Company Building
October 14, 2025
Two people were seriously injured when a pickup truck plowed all the way through a Blossman Gas building on Michigan Avenue Monday afternoon.
Inside the building, a 59-year-old Cantonment woman was seriously injured, and a 61-year-old woman from Pensacola was critically injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of the pickup truck, a 39-year-old Elberta, Alabama, man, was seriously injured in the crash. Troopers said he was distracted by his phone, and looked up to realize he was running off the roadway. The pickup suffered a blowout to the right front wheel when it hit a curb, and the driver failed to maintain control of the vehicle. The pickup traveled across the curb and curb stops of a dentist’s office at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Montgomery Avenue. The truck traveled across the dentist’s office parking lot, across Montgomery Avenue and collided with the Blossman Gas building.
Troopers said the pickup traveled all the way through and a third of the way out the back side of the building, finally stopping when it hit a pallet of concrete blocks.
There was no gas leak or other Hazmat issues from the crash.
Images courtesy WEAR 3 for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Man Arrested On Drug Charges After Trespassing Report
October 14, 2025
An Century was arrested following a drug investigation that began with a trespassing complaint in Bratt.
Dustin Shelby Smith, 35, was taken into custody after a deputy responded to a call regarding a person refusing to leave a residence on Perdue where he had been staying for about a week. The subject had left the residence on foot prior to the deputy’s arrival.
While on the scene of the initial complaint, the deputy was alerted by dispatch that Smith had an active felony warrant out of Escambia County, Alabama. The deputy located Smith near the intersection of Breastworks Road and Purdue Road and, after confirming the out-of-state warrant, placed him in custody.
A subsequent search o Smith revealed a small baggie containing a white, crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, along with seven ephedrine tablets, according to an arrest report. A search of his backpack uncovered two glass smoking pipes with residue, a glass jar with residue, four lithium batteries, a bottle of lye cleaner, a bottle of lighter fluid, and a soft drink bottle containing an unknown brown substance, the report continues.
Deputies noted in their report that the collected items—the ephedrine, lye cleaner, lighter fluid, and lithium batteries—are components commonly used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Smith denied manufactoruring the drug.
Smith was transported to the Escambia County Jail and booked on charges of possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond was set at $4,500, but he remained jail awaiting extradition to Alabama.
He was not charged in connection with the reported trespassing incident.
Tate Aggies Sweep District Quarterfinal Match Over Crestview (With Gallery)
October 14, 2025
The No. 4 ranked Tate Aggies secured a decisive victory Tuesday night, sweeping the No. 5 Crestview Bulldogs 3-0 in the 6A District 1 quarterfinals at Tate.
The Aggies took control immediately, narrowly clinching the first set 25-23. Building momentum, Tate’s defense tightened in the subsequent sets, winning 25-22 and 25-23 to complete the clean sweep and end Crestview’s season.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The Aggies (20-5, 4-2) will travel to No. 1 ranked Gulf Breeze (22-3, 8-0) at 6 p.m. in Tuesday’s semifinals. No. 2 Niceville will also hot No. 6 Navarre ahead of Thursday’s final.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Laurel Hill Hoboes End Northview’s Season In District Quarterfinal Match (With Gallery)
October 14, 2025
The No. 4 Northview Chiefs’ season ended Monday with a 3-1 loss to the No. 5 Laurel Hill Hoboes in a gritty Rural District 1 quarterfinal match at home.
The Chiefs delivered an energized start on their home court, securing a tight 25-23 win in the first set. This early momentum, however, was quickly halted by the Hoboes. Laurel Hill adjusted quickly, taking the final three sets with scores of 25-22, 25-17, and 25-20.
The Hoboes advanced to the District 1 semifinals Tuesday to face the top-ranked Jay Royals at 6 p.m. No. 2 Baker will take on No. 3 Central at 4 p.m. Both semifinal matches will be played at Northview.
Northview concluded their season with a final record of 7-11 overall and 2-2 in the district.
NorthEsccambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
FHP: Speeding Driver Caused Fiery Fatal Highway 29 Crash
October 13, 2025
The Florida Highway Patrol says a speeding driver was at fault for a horrific fiery crash Saturday night on Highway 29 in Cantonment that took the life of a Cantonment man and seriously injured two Flomaton residents.
The two-vehicle crash occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on Highway 29 south of the paper mill, near Woodbury Circle, and involved a Chevrolet Equinox SUV and a passenger car.
In a report released Sunday night, FHP said a car driven by a 28-year old Pensacola woman was traveling southbound on Highway 29 at a high rate of speed when the vehicle crossed over the median and into the path of a northbound SUV.
The driver of the car, a 28-year-old Pensacola woman, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in critical condition. Her passenger, a 30-year-old Cantonment man, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of the Chevrolet Equinox SUV, a 72-year-old Flomaton man, was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in serious condition. His passenger, a 70-year-old Flomaton woman, was also transported to Sacred Heart in serious condition.
The rear portion of the car was ripped away in the collision, with the front and passenger compartment crossing all lanes of Highway 29 before bursting into flames.
The crash completely shut down Highway 29 for several hours.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Portion Of North Escambia Now Officially In A Drought
October 13, 2025
Portions of North Escambia are now experiencing drought conditions, according to the latest data released by the National Drought Mitigation Center.
The Walnut Hill, Enon, Molino, and McDavid areas are experiencing drought conditions, according to the center (map below). The remainder of Escambia County is officially just “abnormally dry.”
There is no rain in the forecast for the next week. Farmers in the area are taking advantage of the dry weather to harvest crops.
Pictured: Dust rises as peanuts are harvested in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
