NAS Pensacola Implements To Visitor Access Rules, Including Background Checks
March 6, 2026
As the war continues in the Middle East, Naval Air Station Pensacola has implemented new visitor access rules, including a background check.
Public visitation to NAS Pensacola’s areas of public interest – including the National Naval Aviation Museum and the Pensacola Lighthouse – remains open from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m.
Until further notice, all visitors over the age of 18 must be vetted through the NAS Pensacola Visitor Control Center (VCC) at the south end of Navy Boulevard before being granted access to the installation. Screened individuals must then use the installation’s West Gate at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway.
The NAS Pensacola access control center will open for public visitors at 8 a.m.
All individuals who do not hold a Department of War Identification Card who are 18 years of age and older planning to visit areas of public interest such as the National Naval Aviation Museum or the Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum will need to follow these steps:
- Visitor Control Center: Before accessing the installation, all visitors must first go to the Visitor Control Center located at the main front gate at the south end of Navy Boulevard. Use the left lane when approaching the installation. All visitors 18 and older must present a valid government-issued ID, such as a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or a U.S. passport.
- Background Check and Pass: At the Visitor Control Center, individuals will undergo a routine background check and be issued a visitor pass.
- Proceed to the West Gate: Once a visitor pass is granted, individuals will then proceed to the West Gate entrance, located at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway, to access areas of public interest onboard the air station.
- Anticipate longer than normal wait times: Visitors are encouraged to plan and allow extra time to transit through the security process. Although visitation is encouraged, installation operations take precedence.
- Security Searches and Forbidden Items: All vehicles and personnel are subject to security searches. Weapons, backpacks, coolers, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
McLellan Throws Shutout As Tate Beats Southwest Christian
March 6, 2026
Tate 3 Southwest Christian School 0
Bryton McLellan threw a complete game shutout as the Tate Aggies shut out the Southwest Christian School Eagles 3-0 on Thursday.
Bryton McLellan pitched seven innings, allowing just one hit, no runs, walking one and striking out four.
Kaden Posta, Evan Taylor, and Brody White had one hit each for the Aggies.
Tate will take on George County on Friday.
FDOT Officially Announces Highway 97 Resurfacing Project To Begin
March 6, 2026
The Florida Department of Transportation on Thursday officially announced a $14 million project to resurface Highway 97 from Highway 29 in Molino to the Alabama state line at Atmore.
As we previously reported, the project will begin this month, but FDOT’s Thursday update did not provide an exact start date.
The 22-mile project will include milling and resurfacing the roadway, updated signs and pavement markings, and drainage improvements. Many of the stormwater drainage improvements will be made at the Highway 29 intersection to alleviate historic flooding by installing an additional box culvert across the southern leg of the intersection and two additional cross drains on the northern leg of the intersection.
Drivers may experience intermittent lane closures and restrictions between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. This project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2027; the contractor has 567 days plus any weather delays for completion once work begins.
Highway 97 was last resurfaced in 2009-2010 at a cost of $5 million.
NorthEscambia.com graphics.
Tate Boys Tennis Beats Pace
March 6, 2026
The Tate High School boys tennis team earned another win Thursday, defeating Pace 5-2. The Aggies, now 7-1 overall, will host Escambia at home on Tuesday, March 10.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click any image to enlarge.
Firefighters Extinguish Grass Fire At FPL Solar Farm In Molino
March 5, 2026
Firefighters battled a brush and grass fire midday Thursday at the Florida Power & Light Sparkleberry Solar Energy Center on Pilgrim Trail in Molino.
According to Joe Zwierzchowski from the Florida Forest Service, the fire was in 4-5 inch grass around rows of solar panels. Forestry allowed the fire to burn towards a road and used a “small amount” of water to extinguish it.
Multiple units of Escambia County Fire Rescue also responded.
There was no damage to any equipment, and the solar center continued to function normally, Sarah Gatewood, an FPL spokesperson, said. The cause of the fire fire remains under investigation.
Pictured: Solar panels at the FPL First City Solar Energy Center in McDavid, similar to those at Sparkleberry in Molino. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
No Serious Injuries In Fiery Cantonment Wreck (With Gallery)
March 5, 2026
There were no serious injuries reported in a fiery crash on Wednesday night in Cantonment.
The driver of a Hyundai Elantra apparently rear-ended a Dodge Ram pickup truck on Highway 95A at Neal Road. Following the collision, the Hyundai burst into flames, but everyone was able to escape the fire.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. Escambia County EMS and Escambia County Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Northview NJROTC Cadets Undergo Annual Inspection (With Gallery)
March 5, 2026
Northview High School’s NJROTC Annual Inspection was held Wednesday morning at the school, with cadets undergoing face-to-face scrutiny with a Navy commander.
The inspection was conducted by Navy Commander Jonathan Shaw, NJROTC Area 10 manager. Shaw went face to face with the cadets, asking them questions about their NJROTC experience.
Click here for a photo gallery.
The day’s events included a command brief, drill, and personnel inspections, exhibition teams, and a pass in review. Several cadets were also promoted.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Schools Will ‘Unplug’ On Friday
March 5, 2026
Escambia County Public Schools will observe ‘National Day of Unplugging’ across all campuses on Friday.
ECPS said in order to draw attention to the serious mental and social harm addiction to technology causes for our youth in the United States, the will take a day to ‘unplug’ and focus on intentional personal interaction. Schools are encouraged to promote activities which bring students together, without technology.
“It’s a small step, but an important one,” said ECPS Superintendent of Schools Keith Leonard. “Actually, this idea came from our Student Advisory Council, who collectively saw reliance on technology as a real problem at their schools. We are proud they recognized this and wanted to do something about it.”
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.