Wahoos Miss Chances In Extra-Inning Loss (With Gallery)
September 12, 2025
Local Law Enforcement Will No Longer Enforce Florida’s Open Carry Law
September 11, 2025
Local law enforcement agencies said Thursday morning that they will stop enforcing Florida’s open carry law.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pensacola Police Department all said they will not enforce the state law banning the open carry of firearms. The move follows a decision Monday by the First District Court of Appeal that found the law unconstitutional.
“Recently, the First District Court of Appeals declared Florida Statute 790.053 (Open Carry Ban) unconstitutional. While it is possible that the State of Florida could appeal this ruling, it seems unlikely. As such, I am instructing my deputies to no longer enforce the open carry ban found in FSS 790.053,” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said Thursday morning.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and the Pensacola Police Department also said they will comply with the court decision.
New Military And Veteran Resource Center To Expand Into Century
September 11, 2025
A soon-to-open military and veterans resource center in Milton will expand with services, in Century.
The “Mission Next Center,” which opens later this year in Milton, is a partnership with the VetCV Foundation.
“We have one of the largest veteran populations in Florida,” said Rep. Michelle Salzman. “As a veteran myself, it has always been one of my priorities to try to help veterans however I can. Creating a resource center that provides care for that veteran not just for the education, or for the benefits that you receive from the federal government, but maybe you need a wheelchair ramp, maybe you need help on getting to and from doctors appointments or whatever the case may be.”
“There’s a lot of nonprofits out there that don’t have a way to connect. So, we’ve created that, I think.”
“There are a lot of fantastic organizations that are ready to do a tremendous amount of work,” said VetCV Foundation Chairman and Secretary Niels Andersen. “We are just excited about this.”
The Milton location is expected to open in October in donated space at Pensacola State College in Milton and will soon thereafter offer services at space in Century donated by PSC. More details on the Century opening will be available here on NorthEscambia.com as the date nears.
Pictured: VetCV Foundation Chairman and Secretary Niels Andersen explains the Mission Next Center. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Preorder Northview High Homecoming Day Sack Lunches By Friday
September 11, 2025
The Northview FFA Alumni is selling sack lunches for NHS Homecoming Parade day, Friday, September 19.
Meal options include either a pulled pork sandwich meal for $12 or a hot dog meal for $8. All meals include the entrée of choice, chips, dessert, and a water. Lunches will be available for pick up from First Baptist Church of Bratt on Friday, September 19 from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
Meals will only be available by preordering online here. The deadline to order and for payment is 4 p.m. on Friday, September 12.
All proceeds will benefit the Northview FFA Alumni, which helps provide scholarships, travel funding, and more for members of the Northview FFA Chapter. For more information, email nhsffaalumni@gmail.com.
Remembering: Our 9/11 Museum, World Trade Center Site Photos
September 11, 2025
The images are burned in our minds. The sight of two planes crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
The site where the towers fell is a quiet spot in lower Manhattan that is home to 9/11 Memorial.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
The Memorial remembers and honors the 2,983 people who were killed in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993. The design, created by Michael Arad and Peter Walker, consists of two reflecting pools formed in the footprints of the original Twin Towers and a plaza of trees. The Museum displays monumental artifacts linked to the events of 9/11, while presenting intimate stories of loss, compassion, reckoning and recovery that are central to telling the story of the 2001 and 1993 attacks and the aftermath.
The Museum’s mission is to bear witness to 9/11. This place of violence is resurrected into a place of peace; a safe gathering place to mourn, comfort, heal and think.
We took our NorthEscambia.com cameras to New York to bring you a look at the museum and reflection pools.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Quick facts:
- There are 2,983 names on the 9/11 Memorial, honoring the 2,977 people killed at the three attack sites on September 11, 2001 and the six people killed in the February 26, 1993 bombing at the World Trade Center.
- The 9/11 attacks killed 2,977 people. 2,753 people were killed in New York, 184 people were killed at the Pentagon and 40 people were killed on Flight 93.
- The largest loss of life of rescue personnel in American history occurred on September 11, 2001. 343 FDNY firefighters, along with 37 Port Authority Police Department officers and 23 New York Police Department officers, were killed. In total, 441 first responders representing over 30 agencies died on 9/11.
- The Memorial pools stand in the footprints of the Twin Towers. Each pool is one acre in size. There are 413 swamp white oak trees on the Memorial plaza, and one callery pear tree known as the Survivor Tree.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
In Local Case, State Appeals Court Rules Open Carry of Firearms Is Protected By The Constitution
September 11, 2025
An appeals court has ruled that Florida’s open carry gun ban is unconstitutional, a ruling applauded by the governor and attorney general.
Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeal said the open-carry band is not compatible with the nations “historical tradition of firearm regulation” under the Second Amendment.
“No historical tradition supports Florida’s open carry ban,” Judge Stephanie Ray wrote in a 20-page opinion joined by Judges Lori Rowe and M. Kemmerly Thomas. “To the contrary, history confirms that the right to bear arms in public necessarily includes the right to do so openly. That is not to say that open carry is absolute or immune from reasonable regulation. But what the state may not do is extinguish the right altogether for ordinary, law-abiding, adult citizens.”
The ruling from the three-judge panel came in an appeal by Escambia County. Stanley Victor McDaniels , who ran unsuccessfully in the past for local offices including county commission and supervisor of elections. He was convicted for an open-carry violation after he was arrested July 4, 2022.
RELATED: Local Law Enforcement Will No Longer Enforce Florida’s Open Carry Law
“Because the Second Amendment’s plain text encompasses the open carrying of firearms in public, that conduct is presumptively protected by the Constitution,” the court opinion stated. “The state therefore bears the heavy burden of establishing a relevant historical tradition of firearms regulation that justifies its prohibition. The state has not met that burden. It is not enough to rely on a generalized tradition of firearms regulation, for at that level of abstraction almost any law could be sustained.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier both spoke out in support of the ruling.
“This decision aligns state policy with my long-held position and with the vast majority of states throughout the union,” DeSantis said. “Ultimately, the court correctly ruled that the text of the Second Amendment — ‘to keep and bear arms’ — says what it means and means what it says.”
“Our office fully supports the Court’s decision.This is a big win for the Second Amendment rights of Floridians,” Uthmeier said. “As we’ve all witnessed over the last few days, our God-given right to self-defense is indispensable.”
Pictured: Stanley Victor McDaniels was arrested for an open carry violation in Pensacola on July 4, 2022.
‘Amazing News’ — Atmore Police Dept. Says Violent Gun Crime Down Over 46%
September 11, 2025
The Atmore Police Department on Wednesday said crimes involving weapons and violence are down this year to date when compared to last year.
Calling the statistic “amazing news,” APD said Wednesday that crimes with weapons and violence are down 46.43% from January 1, 2025, to September 10, 2025, when compared to the same period in 2024.
“This achievement is a direct result of the tireless efforts of our officers working day and night with strategic responses to keep our community safe,” Atmore Police said in a social media post. “We also want to commend our community as a whole for partnering with us in the fight against crime. Together, we are making Atmore a safer place for everyone.”
The department did not provide specific numbers by type of crime.
Pictured top: Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks listens to a citizen speak during a community meeting to seek solutions to violent gun crime in January 2025. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Let Late Lead Steal Away In Loss To Clingstones
September 11, 2025
Columbus stole seven bases Wednesday night against the Blue Wahoos. The last two proved decisive.
The Clingstones rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the sixth inning, scoring two ninth-inning runs set up by stolen bases, for a 6-5 victory against Pensacola at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The loss spoiled a strong start by Blue Wahoos righthander Jake Brooks, part of a revamped pitching staff of prospects elevated the past six weeks from the Beloit Sky Carp, the Miami Marlins’ High-A affiliate.
Brooks completed six innings, allowing four hits and two runs, struck out six batters and did not allow a walk. He left with a 5-2 lead. It’s been the kind of advantage the Blue Wahoos this season have normally turned into wins.
That changed when Columbus got its third run on an errant throw to second base by Blue Wahoos catcher Connor Caskenette on a steal attempt. The Clingstones’ Ambioris Tavarez then followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 5-4.
In the ninth, Tavarez reached on a single, stole second and scored on John Gil’s RBI single. Gill then stole second and scored the go-ahead run on Ethan Workinger’s two-out RBI single off Blue Wahoos reliever Xavier Meachem, who had joined the team a day earlier from Beloit.
The Blue Wahoos were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth. They had staked a lead in the second inning when Emaarion Boyd singled and Caskenette doubled him home. Another newcomer, shortstop Cam Clayton, followed with an RBI single.
Clayton’s sacrifice fly in the fourth scored Payton Green for a 3-1 lead. In the fifth, Fenwick Trimble smashed a line drive, 2-run homer over the left field wall for the 5-1 lead.
The Blue Wahoos fell to 66-68 overall. and will need to win the remaining four games to extend their streak of eight straight winning seasons. Columbus improved to 57-74 overall.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Blue Wahoos Final Series Of 2025 Season
WHO: Columbus Clingstones vs. Blue Wahoos
WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium
WHEN: Thursday Through Sunday. Gametimes are at 6:05 p.m. through Saturday; a special
Woman Charged With Election Petition Fraud In Local Counties
September 11, 2025
A 24-year-old Miami woman has been charged with 72 counts each of petition fraud and perjury by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The FDLE investigation into Jessica Sonia Humphreys began in January 2023 when agents received information from the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections about what appeared to be numerous fraudulent petitions related to the constitutional amendment regarding marijuana use. The fraudulent petitions were submitted by Humphreys who was a paid petition gatherer for “Smart and Safe Florida”. The investigation revealed that 38 counts of petition fraud.
During the investigation, FDLE agents also contacted the Santa Rosa County Supervisor Elections (SOE) and inquired about any petitions that may have been submitted by Humphreys in their county. The SOE notified the investigators about several potentially fraudulent petitions submitted by Humphreys and ultimately revealed that Humphreys had submitted 34 petitions using fictitious names.
FDLE agents contacted Humphreys at her residence in Miami Gardens and she confirmed she was a paid petition gatherer for several counties in North Florida, including Escambia and Santa Rosa.
In November 2023, FDLE agents obtained two arrest warrants for Humphreys: one for the crimes committed in Escambia County and one for the crimes committed in Santa Rosa County.
On January 29, 2024, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Humphreys on 34 counts of petition fraud and 34 counts of perjury derived from the FDLE arrest warrant issued for the Santa Rosa County crimes. Humphreys posted bail and failed to appear in the scheduled court hearing.
On August 15, 2025, the Coral Springs Police Department arrested Humphreys during a traffic stop on 38 counts of petition fraud and 38 counts of perjury based on the FDLE arrest warrant issued for her Escambia County crimes. She was transported to the Broward County Jail and later extradited to the Escambia County Jail. She will also face charges for her failure to appear at her Santa Rosa County court hearing.
The Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit, is prosecuting the case.
Legislators Hear Funding, Policy Requests During Molino Meeting
September 10, 2025
Local governments, nonprofits and citizens had a chance to address the Escambia County Legislative Delegation Tuesday evening at the Molino Community Center. The delegation is comprised of Florida Rep. Michelle Salzman, Rep. Alex Andrade and Sen. Don Gaetz.
A few members of the general public addressed the delegation on issues ranging from concurrency, development and flooding, to long-term and healthcare and comments about the legislators’ responsibility to citizens. Most of the speakers had funding and program requests for the non-profits community service organizations and programs.
Local governments were also able to bring forth appropriation requests for the upcoming legislative session.
Gaetz cautioned that the legislature cut $3 billion from the state budget last session, and the cuts will continue.
“My prediction is that this year, we will spend $2 billion less,” he said. “So consequently, if you think were tight last year, you ain’t’ seen nothing yet.”
Some of those governmental requests or comments were:
CENTURY
Century Mayor Ben Boutwell thanked the legislators for previous state funding that is currently leading to ongoing projects in the town.
“We realize the state will face fiscal constraints in the coming years. With that in mind, our request will be focused and strategic. We will be asking for assistance with projects stimulating economic growth, directly address health and safety issues for residents,” Boutwell said. “These are the investments that will have the greatest long term impact on Century’s future,” Boutwell said. “Together, we can strengthen what we call Blackcat Pride…Thank you for your continued support. With your help, Century will continue to rise.”
ECUA
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Executive Director Bruce Woody said ECUA was requesting funding for a sewage expansion project in West Ensley. The project service boundaries would be Jones Street to the south, Highway 29 to the west, Barber Street to the north, and Orange Avenue to the east.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Escambia County will request funding for a South Navy Boulevard improvement project, public safety improvements for the Escambia County emergency communications system, and a water quality and flood mitigation project. The county will also support legislation to allow county code enforcement to designate vessels as derelict, which must now be done by other agencies.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Let’s do what we can during the legislative session to make certain that students are being educated in their public schools and that those school districts are receiving the funding. There is some discrepancy in how the vouchers are being used versus school district funding,” Escambia Public School Superintendent Keith Leonard told the delegation. “We need your help.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
