Tate High Ag Student Completes 54-Hour Custom Fire Pit Build By Hand
March 25, 2026
Tate High School senior Ian Stinnett recently completed a custom hanging fire pit, finishing the 54-hour project entirely by hand in the school’s agricultural mechanics shop.
While many modern shop projects utilize the Torchmate CNC machine for automated precision, this specific design required manual fabrication. Working under the supervision of Ag Mechanics teacher and FFA advisor Travis Ackerson, Stinnett used a plasma cutter, MIG welder, and angle grinder to cut and join every component.
The project required manual measurements and steady-hand cutting for each piece. Stinnett also had to manually level the pit using a chain system to ensure the finished product hung evenly.
The project highlighted the technical problem-solving and manual craftsmanship taught within the Tate agricultural program, particularly when automated equipment is not an option for a specific build.
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Escambia Sheriff Faces Tough Questioning In Molino
March 25, 2026
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons faced some really tough questioning in Tuesday evening in Molino.
“Do you have to eat a specific meal?”
“Do you have other sheriff friends?”
“Do villains name themselves or do you name them?”
Those were just a few of the questions Simmons said he was asked by BSA Troop and Pack 430 at Aldersgate Methodist Church in Molino. Simmons helped the scouts earn their Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge, which required them to interview an elected official. The sheriff said the questions were among the most interesting he’s received.
“It is always refreshing to spend some time with a group of future leaders that are this engaged and eager to learn,” Simmons said.
Escambia Woman Charged With DUI Manslaughter After Fatal Pedestrian Crash
March 25, 2026
A 20-year-old Escambia County woman was charged with DUI manslaughter for allegedly hitting and killing a 51-year-old Pensacola woman along Lillian Highway on Sunday night.
The victim, identified by family as Sharon Woolfolk, was pushing an e-bike along the paved apron of Lillian Highway around 2:45 a.m. when she was hit by a sedan driven by Summer Leigh Townsend, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Townsend fled the scene heading east on Lillian Highway before turning around and heading west, but she was later located and arrested.
She was charged with DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene of a crash with death, driving with a suspended license causing death, and failing to maintain a single lane.
Northview Chiefs Shut Out The Baker Gators (With Gallery)
March 25, 2026
Northview 10, Baker 0
The Northview Chiefs shut out the Baker Gators 10-0 on Tuesday night.
Mikayla McAnally started in the circle for the Lady Chiefs, allowing two hits and no runs in four innings, striking out nine and walking just one. Daviona Randolph pitched two shutout innings in relief.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Randolph was a force at the plate, going 3-4 on the night with two RBIs. Riley Brooks, Kylee Langham, and Avery Stucky each added two RBIs for Northview.
It was Teacher Appreciation Night for the Lady Chiefs, as players honored their favorite educators.
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Three Federally Indicted In Stolen Identity, Bank Fraud Ring
March 25, 2026
Three Escambia County residents have been indicted by a federal grand jury in an alleged stolen identity and bank fraud ring.
Donny Bernard Ross, 49, Elizabeth Ann Rogers, 39, and Vontavius Jamaal Bradley, 23, face charges of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, use of a false passport, and aggravated identity theft.
All three defendants appeared for their arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola. A jury trial is scheduled for May 4, 2026, before United States District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to commit bank fraud count; up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the use of a false passport count; and a mandatory two years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence on the aggravated identity theft count.
The case was a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Crashed Drone At Century Prison Leads To 81-Year Contraband Sentence
March 24, 2026
A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to decades in prison for using drones to smuggle drugs and other contraband into state prisons, including Century.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured an 81-year prison sentence for 36-year-old Mario Crawford. Crawford, a career criminal with at least 49 prior convictions, orchestrated a scheme to smuggle drugs and contraband into Florida Department of Corrections facilities utilizing drones. Uthmeier made the announcement on Monday outside the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.
The investigation was launched on September 22, 2022, when Century Correctional Institution officers located a crashed drone with a package of contraband attached. The contraband items found near the prison on Tedder Road included cell phones, SIM cards, charging cords, tobacco, cocaine, methamphetamines, and razor blades.
The crashed DJI drone and the contraband, sealed in a plastic bag, were located on the property of the then-closed Century Correctional Work Camp, just west of the main prison on Tedder Road.
Investigators collaborated with the FAA to trace the drone’s ownership back to Crawford. In March 2023, Crawford was arrested on charges of introduction or possession of contraband at state facilities, conspiracy to introduce or possess contraband at state facilities, trafficking in over 10 grams of cathinone (a stimulant drug), illegal use of a drone, and use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
Investigators identified additional drone deliveries of similar contraband items at Liberty Correctional Institution and Okaloosa Correctional Institution. These incidents also traced back to Crawford.
On March 12, 2026, a jury found Crawford guilty on all counts.
“Trafficking drugs and razor blades into our prisons puts the lives of Florida’s corrections officers at risk, and that risk is not something we are going to tolerate,” said Uthmeier. “Someone with 49 prior convictions for dangerous crimes should’ve never been allowed to walk free again, but my office is cracking down on career criminals, and he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. I thank Secretary Dixon, his team, and our Statewide Prosecutors for their commitment to justice and the safety of Floridians.”
“The criminal use of drones is a growing crisis that demands immediate action if we want to keep our officers and institutions safe. I’m thankful for Attorney General James Uthmeier and our law enforcement partners who recognize this security threat from above, and are committed to helping us thwart this dangerous criminal enterprise,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon. “The impact of eliminating these threats cannot be overstated, and Florida will continue to lead when it comes to drone mitigation and contraband prevention.”
“We are proud a drug dealer is off the streets and going to prison where he belongs,” said Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson. “His actions dropping drugs into and around prisons endangers all the amazing staff that work inside the prison. We will continue to aggressively pursue these types of drug dealers and put them in jail.”
Crawford’s criminal history includes 49 convictions, including armed burglary, grand theft, various weapons charges, fraud, and trafficking in stolen property.
Crawford will serve his 81-year sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections.
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Outside Fire Spreads To Destroy Home North Of Ten Mile Road; Pets Rescued
March 24, 2026
Escambia County Fire Rescue said a Sunday morning fire that destroyed a home north of Ten Mile Road was caused by an outside fire that spread.
The fire was reported at 11:42 a.m. in the 10000 block of Senegal Drive.
ECFR said fire crews were initially dispatched to an outside fire that spread to two nearby homes. The first-arriving crews saw heavy flames coming from the roof of one of the homes. While firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the flames, an ECFR crew from Bellview searched the home and rescued two family pets.
The fire was brought under control by 12:07 p.m. The first home was a total loss, while the home next door sustained exterior damage. There were no injuries or fatalities.
The American Red Cross provided assistance to the displaced occupants.
Young Men, Including Three Ransom Middle Students, Graduate From Sheriff’s Blazer Academy
March 24, 2026
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office recently held graduation exercises for the Sheriff’s Blazer Academy Class of 2026.
The young men spent weeks developing lifelong skills. They learned how to do a proper handshake, how to put on a tie, how to present themselves, and much, much more.
After the ceremony, the graduates had a celebratory dinner at The Global Grill, where they made a toast to completing the academy and their futures.
From Ransom Middle School, Sheriff’s Blazer Academy graduates included Keylin Stallworth, Caiden Gremillion, and John Bosson V.
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Molino Man Arrested Months After Alleged Domestic Assault With Axe
March 24, 2026
A Molino man was recently arrested on an outstanding warrant in connection with an alleged domestic violence battery and assault late last year.
Kevin Ashton Pippins, 29, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on charges of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, and domestic battery by strangulation. He remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $15,000 on the felony charges.
On November 03, 2025, Pippins’ girlfriend alleged he choked her and beat her, grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground, before choking her. She said he swung an axe at the floor multiple times just inches from her toes while stating, “I’m going to kill you,” according to an arrest report.
The deputy noted the victim suffered small spotty bruising on her legs and had red marks on her neck, the report continues.
A warrant was issued following the incident.
Tate Grad Wine Named Sun Belt Softball Player Of The Week
March 24, 2026
Tate High School graduate Kara Wine was recenthly named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week.
Wine, a freshman, was instrumental in helping South Alabama post a 3-1 record, including a Sun Belt series sweep of in-state rival Troy.
In her four outings, Wine led the club with a .500 batting average and reached base safely in seven of her 12 plate appearances while drawing a pair of walks. The freshman catcher drove in five runs, homered twice and posted three extra-base hits, as she had at least one hit and one RBI in each game.
Against ninth-ranked Florida State, Wine went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and a walk. In the series against Troy, she broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-out, RBI-single in the Jags’ 3-2.
In a 7-0 win, Wine lined a bases-loaded, two-run single up the middle in the top of the first inning. Behind the plate, she helped the Jaguar pitching staff secure its conference-leading eighth shutout of the season. In Sunday’s 5-4 victory, Wine’s sixth-inning home run provided insurance and proved to be the game-winning run.
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