PensaKeyla! Pensacola’s Keyla Richardson Makes American Idol Top 3
May 5, 2026
Pensacola’s Keyla Richardson has reached the top 3 on American Idol, which means Keyla Fest is on for Wednesday.
Monday night, Richardson performed Ike & Tina Turner’s “River Deep – Mountain High” and Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City.”
“Ms. PensaKeyla” is how host Ryan Seacrest announced her in the top 3.
Now, the free Keyla Fest is on for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hunter Amphitheater, just behind the Blue Wahoos Stadium. The amphitheater tickets are all gone, but as of late Monday night, free tickets were still available for overflow seating inside Wahoos Stadium:
https://www.milb.com/pensacola/tickets/americanidol
Richardson is joined in the top 3 with Hannah Harper and Jordan McCullough. The winner we will be named live on Monday, May 11, locally on WEAR 3.
More details will be posted here on NorthEscambia.com.
Photos: Disney/Eric McCandless
Cantonment Woman, Working As Daycare Director, Charged With Failing To Report Child Abuse
May 5, 2026
A Cantonment woman, director of a Pensacola daycare, has been charged with failing to report the suspected abuse of two children.
Teanesha Latoria Woods, 40, was charged with felony failing to report suspected child abuse. She was released on a $3,000 bond. According to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, she was director of Children’s Pointe Learning Academy in Escambia County, where two allegedly abused children attended.
“What we found out was that on three different occasions, abuse was suspected, it was documented and even photographed,” Simmons said. “Unfortunately, Ms. Woods did not report this suspected abuse to the DCF hotline as required by law.”
Woods’ arrest follows the arrest of Dynisha Blunt and Etantania Williams on April 27 for child neglect with great bodily harm of a child they fostered.
Blunt and Williams were suspected of abusing a 3-year-old boy and 1-year-old girl in their co-parenting foster care. Blunt took the 3-year-old to a local hospital with serious injuries.
“Blunt brought the child to West Florida Hospital suffering from life-threatening injuries to the head and face, consistent with severe abuse,” the ECSO said. “As hospital staff initiated an investigation, Blunt removed the child from the hospital and fled the area. The child was located a short time later and received medical treatment.”
Blunt’s arrest report alleged the following injuries:
Injuries for Victim 1
- Bruising to the right temple and cheek
- Abrasions on his mouth and chin
- Bruising on the back right of his head, and also missing hair
- Bruising on left ear, left temple, and along his spine
- Abrasions on his right shoulder and the right side of his back
- Bruising on the left side of his chest
- Abrasions and bruising along his left arm and left abdomen
- Bi-lateral knee bruising
- Abrasions on his right ankle
- Bi-lateral burns to his buttocks
- Abrasions to his right thigh
- Bi-lateral abrasions to his feet
- Swelling to the right of his head, caused by a hematoma
- Believed to be malnourished
Injuries for Victim 2
- Bruising to the left front forehead
- Bruising to her right cheek
- Bruising to her right upper arm
- Bruising to her left shoulder
- Bruising to her left hand
- Bruising to her fingers on her left hand
- Bruising on both thighs and lower legs
- Bruising on her right foot
- Bruising on her buttocks
- Bruising on her right axillary (armpit)
- A torn frenulum
- Laceration on her lower lip
“The medical team in the room stated that it looks like he has not eaten in days with the way that he has been eating,” the arrest report states about one child.
Escambia County Man Indicted On Federal Fentanyl, Meth Charges After Undercover Sting
May 5, 2026
An Escambia County man has been indicted on federal drug distribution charges after allegedly selling drugs to an undercover law enforcement officer.
Kamron Jasmane Fountain, 22, was indicted on three counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.
Fountain allegedly sold a large quantity of fentanyl, along with methamphetamine and marijuana to the undercover Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy in January.
His trial is scheduled for June 22 at the federal courthouse in Pensacola.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas S.P. Geeker.
Fountain remains in jail without bond.
Century Utility Customers Receiving Dramatically Higher Bills After Rate Hikes
May 5, 2026
The first utility bills with new, dramatically increased rates are arriving for Town of Century customers, and many residents are not happy.
In April, the town council voted to nearly double the cost of water usage, alongside smaller increases for wastewater to keep the system financially viable.
In addition, the town had to replace water meters, many of which were 25 or more years old. That, according to Town Administrator Dave Murzin, means more accurate usage readings because decades-old meters tend to under-record usage.
Effective April 1, the base rate for 2,000 gallons of water nearly doubled from $13.59 to $26.64. Usage tiers over 2,000 gallons a month almost doubled for up to 5,000 gallons (from $2.59 to $5.08) with other increases for additional usage. Wastewater rates increased from $16.94 to $17.79 for 2,000 gallons, plus additional usage fees above 2,000 gallons.
The utility bills arriving the past few days are the first billing cycle to reflect the new rates.
And the bills also include a recent garbage rate hike of $10.47 per month that went into effect a few months ago.
All of it adds up to a new base bill of $82.94 now for water, sewer and garbage for a customer using 2,000 gallons and with one garbage can.
Century Leaders Make Personal Donations to Northview Construction Academy For Town Bat Houses
May 5, 2026
Century Mayor Ben Boutwell and Town Administrator Dave Murzin made personal donations on Monday to the Northview High School Building Construction Academy for bat houses constructed for the town.
In early April, the town installed 30 bat houses constructed by students in the Northview academy to provide a safe habitat for local bats, which have been causing issues and risking damage to municipal equipment.
There was no cost to the town for the bat house project. Gibbs Equipment of Cantonment installed donated poles for the bat houses across the town at no cost
“It’s great to see our community come together on a project like this,” Mayor Ben Boutwell said recenthly. “From our students to our partners, this effort shows what we can accomplish when we work together to make Century a better place to live.”
The bat houses will be located at the Century Town Hall, Showalter Park, Nadine McCaw Park, McMurray Park, Century Business Center, and the Century Wastewater Treatment plant.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ECSO: Walnut Hill Man Charged After Tossing Meth During Traffic Stop
May 4, 2026
A Walnut Hill man was arrested after allegedly throwing meth from a vehicle during a traffic stop.
Anthony Michael Williams, 53, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) without a prescription, felony tampering with evidence, driving while license suspended, and failing to register a motor vehicle. He was also issued a citation for the open container. Williams was was later released from the Escambia County Jail on a $6,500 bond.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a blue Honda Odyssey with no tag traveling on Nokomis Road.
When the deputy activated their lights and sirens, he witnessed the driver throw a bag of white powder out of the window as he came to a stop in a driveway on Nokomis Road, about a quarter mile east of Highway 97, according to an arrest report.
Williams was detained after deputies recovered a bag, which contained 0.7 grams of a white powdery substance that tested positive for methamphetamine
Investigators also located two open containers of alcohol in the vehicle’s cupholder.
A records check revealed Williams’ license had been suspended since May 2022 and the vehicle was not registered.
State Fire Marshal Continues Investigation Into Fatal Cantonment House Fire
May 4, 2026
The cause of an early April fire that claimed one life in Cantonment remains under investigation.
The fire was reported just after 8 p.m. April 6 on Arena Road, about a quarter of a mile west of County Road 97.
The house was involved with heavy fire when firefighters arrived a few moments later, and the adult victim was located inside the brick home. There was no one else inside, but a dog and a cat were also found deceased.
The Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office on Friday told NorthEscambia.com that the investigation is continuing.
For additional photos, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Inducts New Honor Society Members
May 4, 2026
New members were inducted last Friday into the National Junior Honor Society during a ceremony at Ernest Ward Middle School.
The NJHS is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle school students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview’s Season Ends In Regional Semifinals
May 4, 2026
Northview was at bat, down 9-7 in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded with one out. Everybody in the dugout was up and loud. A standing-room only Chiefs family cheered. There wasn’t a cloud in the blue skies over Bratt on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for baseball. A regional championship for the Chiefs seemed like a very real possibility.
Everything was perfect.
Until it wasn’t.
A groundball up the middle and one, two…a double play by the Chipley Tigers earned them a 2-1 series win and a Rural Region 1 semifinal win.
“It hurts.”
That’s how first-year Northview Chiefs head coach Justin Raley reacted to Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Chipley Tigers.
“It hurts because you know how much it means to the seniors, to everybody that’s a part of this program. It hurts. I know what it’s like to win it, and I know how it feels to lose it, and it hurts so bad,” he said. “Especially when you know you had a chance. Oh yeah, so many chances, and we just kind of left it out there.”
Friday rain had forced two games on Saturday in the regional semifinals, with Chipley taking the first game 10-3 in a best-of-three series, and Northview powering back with a big 16-8 win in the nightcap.
Chipley held a 5-2 lead in the top of the third on Sunday, but the Chiefs battled back before Chipley took the lead 9-6 in the top of the seventh.
Bryant Mason went 2-5 to lead the Chiefs in hits on Sunday, while Grayden Sheffield, Dane King, Grayson Burns and Cole Davis each added one hit.
Portwood went four innings on the hill for NHS, allowing five hits, five runs (four earned), striking out three and walking six. Jackson Bridges went for three innings, surrendering four hits and four runs (one earned), striking out five and walking three.
For a photo gallery, click to enlarge.
“Guys, I’m proud of you,” Raley, who last year was an assistant coach at Jay, told the team after the game. He pointed out the team was 19-10, and had beat Jay three times, including once to claim the district championship.
“It was a great year and we did so many great things with this group of guys. They changed some stuff around here, and I’m proud of them,” he said, already looking forward to next season.
“We’ve got a lot of good guys coming back, a lot of guys that are going to return and do good things,” Raley said. “There’s a good chance we can be back in the same spot next year, if we do what we are supposed to do.”
Chipley will now travel to Holmes County for the Rural Region 1 final on May 8-9.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
First Responders Sunday Honors Local Heroes and Their Families
May 4, 2026
The annual First Responders Sunday was held on Sunday at Marcus Pointe Baptist Church to honor the brave men and women who serve Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The event was a day of gratitude and celebration for all firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTs, paramedics, dispatchers, and their families.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Escambia County Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS, Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office were among the participants.
Escambia County officials, including District 1 Commissioner Steve Stroberger, District 3 Commissioner Lumon May, District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger, and Administrator Wes Moreno, attended.
The day’s event included activities and programs for children, family portraits, a free meal, and an exclusive Marcus Pointe pocket knife to commemorate the day.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
