Impact 100 Names Finalists For $1.3 Million In Grants
September 17, 2026
IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has announced 20 nonprofit finalists that will share $1,313,000 in grants.
Thirteen of the 20 nonprofit Finalists will each receive a grant of $101,000 at the IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area Annual Meeting on October 11.
IMPACT 100 membership in 2026 is at an all-time high with 1,313 women. As a result of this record-breaking growth, IMPACT 100 will be able to celebrate and showcase more transformational nonprofits.
This is the 23rd year that IMPACT 100 will award grants to local nonprofit organizations. Since its inception, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 177 impactful grants totaling $18,700,000 to nonprofit organizations serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties
The 20 Finalists selected by IMPACT 100’s Focus Area Committees are as follows:
Arts, Culture & History
- Ballet Pensacola, Inc.—A Holiday Classic Restored: Updating The Nutcracker Costumes and Lighting. New costumes, scenery and LED lighting to refresh the company’s signature holiday production.
- Pensacola Children’s Chorus, Inc.—Driven to Sing: Connecting Choir & Community with Transport & Performance. A 15-person van and portable risers to bring free concerts to underserved neighborhoods.
- Pensacola Museum of Art Guild, Inc.—Best in Show: Projecting the PMA into the Future. Funding to bring the William Wegman retrospective to Pensacola and upgrade gallery technology and seating.
- University of West Florida Foundation, Inc.—WUWF Mobile Live Events Access and Preservation Project. Equipment and a dedicated vehicle to expand WUWF’s mobile live-event production and archival work.
Education
- Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc.—Flight Adventure Deck: Elevating the Future. Upgraded flight simulators and classroom furniture to strengthen middle school STEM programming.
- Santa Rosa Education Foundation, Inc.—Little Red School House: Expanding Access, Increasing IMPACT. A retrofitted utility trailer and facility upgrades for the teacher supply depot serving Santa Rosa County.
- The Pensacola MESS Hall, Inc.—Moving Science After School. Transportation, staffing and equipment to expand hands-on STEM programming to 200 elementary students.
- Umbrella Learning Academy Corporation—Regulation Station: A Secure Sensory & Social-Emotional Learning Center. A custom sensory-regulation space and ADA-rated flooring for neurodivergent students.
Environment & Recreation
- Friends of Pensacola State Parks—Rebuilding Long Pond Boardwalk. Rebuilding 750 feet of damaged boardwalk at Big Lagoon State Park.
- Keep Pensacola Beautiful, Inc.—Moving Beyond Trash: Reforestation and Invasive Species Removal. Two heavy-duty trucks to expand tree-canopy restoration in high-need neighborhoods.
- Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program, Inc.—Stories from the Bay: Inspiring Stewardship through Estuary Encounters. A new outreach vehicle and two short films supporting oyster and creek restoration work.
- Winterfest of Pensacola, Inc. (dba Five Flags Trolley)—IMPACT 100 All Access Express. A 28-passenger, ADA-accessible trolley with wheelchair lifts for residents with disabilities and seniors.
Family
- A HOPE, Inc. (dba Snip Happens)—Safer Surgeries for Family Pets. Advanced surgical and monitoring equipment for the organization’s high-volume spay/neuter clinic.
- Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Inc.—Building Promise: A Habitat–Family Promise Partnership. Construction of a 4-bedroom, 2-bath home to house two homeless families at once.
- Pregnancy Resource Center, Inc. (dba Life Options Clinic)—Parenting Education and Resource Building. A new 2,500-square-foot building dedicated to parenting classes and resource services.
- South Santa Rosa Interfaith Ministries, Inc.—Driving Hope for Families. An 18-foot box truck to grow thrift store donations that fund financial and emergency assistance programs.
Health & Wellness
- 4EVR DEZ—Beyond the Dress: A Resource Hub for Teen Girls. Furnishings for a new wellness center for teen girls and a van for mobile outreach.
- Health and Hope Clinic, Inc.—Expanding Access to Dental Care. A 400-square-foot addition with two new dental suites to cut the backlog for uninsured adults.
- Sacred Heart Foundation—The Willow Boutique, An Impactful Space. Northwest Florida’s first dedicated oncology boutique, offering wigs, head coverings and support for women in cancer treatment.
- The Seven Project, Inc.—Pedaling Beyond Limits. Two Functional Electrical Stimulation cycles for adaptive fitness serving people with paralysis and spinal cord injuries.
Officers Rescue Fox Entangled In Netting Near Molino
September 17, 2026
An entangled red fox is recovering thanks to a quick response from Escambia County Animal Welfare officers near Molino.
A concerned citizen called animal welfare dispatch after spotting the wild fox trapped on their property on Stout Road. Two lead animal welfare officers, Sgt. Roberson and Sgt. Agrecy, responded to the scene.
Upon arrival, the officers found the fox tangled tightly in a pile of netting on the ground. Working carefully to prevent further injury to the animal and avoid being bitten, the officers managed to cut and free the fox from the mesh.
Once freed, the fox was secured in a carrier and transported to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, where it will receive medical evaluation, care, and rehabilitation before eventually being returned to the wild.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia County Man Convicted Of Second Degree Murder For Gas Station Shooting
September 17, 2026
An Escambia County man has been convicted in a 2024 fatal shooting at a gas station.
Arrington Marcellas Moultrie, now 37, was convicted of second-degree murder, shooting into a vehicle, and tampering with physical evidence.
The charges stem from an incident on November 16, 2024, when deputies responded to a shots-fired call at a Raceway gas station on Pensacola Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered Darnell Robertson had sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound to the back.
When sentenced, Moultrie faces a 25-year minimum mandatory sentence and a maximum of life plus 20 years.
Vehicle Fire Quickly Extinguished At Davisville Community Center
September 17, 2026
Firefighters quickly extinguish a vehicle fire on Wednesday afternoon in front of the Davisville Community Center on Highway 97.
The incident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol because the vehicle was in motion on Highway 97 before the fire started.
No injuries were reported.
The Walnut Hill and McDavid stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded, along with the Atmore Fire Department.
Photos by Sean Kahalley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Volleyball: Tate Beats Pace 3-1; Northview Chiefs Fall To Central
September 17, 2026
Tate 3, Pace 1
The Tate Aggies earned a 3-1 varsity volleyball victory over the visiting Pace Patriots on their home floor on Tuesday.
Tate edged out a hard-fought opening frame 25-22 before finding their rhythm to take the second set decisively, 25-16. Pace answered back in the third, staving off the sweep with a 25-22 win of their own. The Aggies quickly regrouped and shut the door in the fourth, claiming a 25-19 victory to seal the home match.
Up next, the Aggies will host Navarre on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Central 3, Northview 0
The visiting Central Jaguars swept the Northview Chiefs in straight sets on the volleyball court in Bratt on Tuesday.
Central took control early, taking the opening set 25-12. The Chiefs battled back to make things tight the rest of the way, pushing the Jaguars to the wire in each of the following two frames, but Central held on to claim both sets by identical 25-23 scores to secure the 3-0 sweep.
Northview will travel to W.S. Neal on Thursday.
Accused Of ‘Gross Negligence,’ Century Employee Defends Record Before Council
September 17, 2026
This week, the Century Town Council tabled action on firing a street department employee for “gross negligence” and “causing monetary and hardship with citizens”.
The town charter requires the mayor to hire, and fire, employees only after getting approval from the town council. And over recent years, there has been a lot of tension and even a stalemate between the mayor and council over hiring employees. The mayor can’t hire, or fire employees without council approval, even down to the lowest-level employee.
In 2024, voters were asked to change the charter to expand the mayor’s powers to make employment decisions for all employees, except the town clerk, town attorney and town manager. The charter amendment failed, with 62.09% voting against and 37.91% agreeing.
That left the town council responsible for hearing the request to terminate Ricardo Dortch, who was in attendance at the meeting.
An agenda item accused Dortch of three offenses and requested his termination:
- Driving a mower in reverse on Highway 4 to blow clippings off the roadway, followed by a citizen complaint that she nearly hit the employee.
- Directing mower debris towards homes and cars while mowing, leading to the town paying to replace a broken storm door and a broken vehicle passenger window.
- When directed to remove two specific water meters, the town alleged he removed the wrong meters, leaving a gas station without water for two days and “a gentleman in a wheelchair with dementia” without water for over 24 hours.
Dortch, who was hired in April 2025, chose to stand before the council and defend himself, saying the reverse lawnmower incident on Highway 4 actually involved a prison work release inmate that he was supervising. He said the broken windows were his fault.
“The window I won’t argue with,” he said. “That’s one window out of 450 windows in Century.”
Council member John Bass questioned if all accusations against Dortch had been properly documented and if he had been properly trained after any incident during his tenure. He also questioned why the council was not given more documentation.
“I don’t know that we necessarily need to get into the weeds and specifics for legal implications,” Town Manager Dave Murzin said. “I can certainly talk to people offline about that, but I would be hesitant to expound.”
“The employee was properly trained and instructed multiple times,” Murzin said.
“I want to make sure the employee was properly trained,” Bass said.
“I guarantee you I would not bring things before this council without executing those steps,” Murzin said.
“If we’d like to address that in some executive session where the newspapers and the public are not present, we would probably need to do that.”
Under Florida’s Sunshine Law, personnel files for public-sector employees are generally open to the public, with only a few statutory exemptions such as social security numbers and medical records.
Ultimately, council member Sparkie Harrison made a motion, which died for lack of a second, to terminate Dortch. A Bass motion passed to table action until the council’s next regular meeting on October 6 to allow time to review documentation. Harrison voted against the postponement.
Dortch will remain on paid administrative leave pending any further action at that meeting.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Traffic Light or Restricted U-turn? Residents Voice Opinions On Highway 29, Highway 196 Intersection Safety Options
September 16, 2026
A large crowd gathered late Tuesday afternoon at a Florida Department of Transportation public meeting in Molino to weigh in on proposed safety improvements at the deadly Highway 29 at Highway 196 (Barrineau Park Road) intersection. Area residents had the opportunity to weigh in on two alternatives being considered for the intersection: a traditional traffic signal or a Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT).
FDOT is considering two options for the Highway 29 safety project at Highway 196 (Barrineau Park Road). One option is a traditional traffic signal, and the other is an RCUT (Restricted Crossing U-Turn) intersection that would force vehicles to make U-turns on Highway 29 to cross over.
For more photos (and design drawings), click here.
“We did a full look at the intersection, reviewed it to see what options that we had to particularly make the locations safer,” said Assistant District Traffic Operations Engineer Alana Webb, P.E. “Alternative one, we called it an R-cut. It’s a restricted U-turn crossing; it’s basically median modifications. The second alternative is for a traffic signal.”
“This is important to us, and I know it is important to you guys,” she told the crowd. “There’s pros, cons. Let’s kind of figure out what’s good, what’s going to work. You guys are the ultimate users…we want your input.”
“We are going to take everything back with us, and we are going to use that as part of the decision-making process to determine which alternative we move forward with,” Webb added.
When an attendee asked the crowd, which nearly filled the Victory Assembly of God Fellowship Hall, for a show of hands in favor of the traffic light, the light appeared to be a strong choice over the U-turn solution in the informal poll.
During the public meeting, area residents were able to look at displays showing the two options (as previously published on NorthEscambia.com), ask officials questions, and submit written public comments.
According to Kohen Johns Brannon with FDOT, a decision on the project design could come in a few weeks, after public comment is accepted through September 25. She said the project is set for 100% design by early 2027 with bids out for construction in late 2027. Under that timeline, construction will take place in late 2027 or early 2028. Both design and construction are funded.
To submit your public comment to FDOT, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
SEC Soccer Tournament Returns To North Escambia In November
September 16, 2026
The Southeastern Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament will return to the North Escambia area in November.
The top 12 SEC teams will compete for the conference championship from Sunday, November 8, through Sunday, November 15, at Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park off East 10 Mile Road. The winner of the single-elimination tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
Vanderbilt enters the season as the defending tournament champion after defeating LSU in the 2025 championship match.
This marks the fifth consecutive year of the tournament in Escambia County, where it has set attendance records.
“Hosting the SEC Soccer Tournament gives us another opportunity to showcase Pensacola’s hospitality, energy and passion for sports,” said Ray Palmer, president and CEO of Pensacola Sports. “We look forward to welcoming the teams and their fans back for another memorable week of championship soccer.”
Pictured: Vanderbilt defeated LSU for the 2025 SEC Soccer Championship. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
‘Two Major’ Natural Gas Leaks: Century To Spend Nearly $70K To Fix
September 16, 2026
The Town of Century has allocated up to $70,000 to repair “two major” natural gas leaks.
The leaks — described only as being “in Byrneville” and on “Highway 29″ — have been ongoing since they were discovered by a consulting company over a year ago. Town Clerk Carrie Moore said Tuesday night that the leaks are not a danger to the public because “they are underground.”
She told the Century Town Council that the leaks are costing the town an estimated $60,000 per year in lost gas.
Town Manager Dave Murzin said it is necessary to repair the leaks before conducting a natural gas rate study in order to reduce system losses and obtain a more accurate picture of the gas system’s actual usage and costs.
“You are losing money every day,” Moore said of the leaks.
The Town Council voted unanimously to spend up to $70,000 in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds to make the repairs, which the clerk described as being beyond the town’s certifications and equipment.
Pictured: Century Town Manager Dave Murzin and Town Clerk Carrie Moore explained “two major” natural gas leaks to the Century Town Council on Tuesday evening. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Ascend Reports Non-Hazardous Wastewater Spill
September 16, 2026
Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road reported a non-hazardous wastewater spill on Tuesday.
“Due to equipment malfunction, non-hazardous process wastewater overfilled a containment dike and overflowed onto the ground in excess of 1000 gallon,” a report filed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection stated.
The spill occurred between 7:35 a.m. and 8:50 a.m., according to the report.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.