No Injuries In Highway 29 Rollover Crash Near Bogia Road
February 22, 2026
There were no injuries in a single vehicle rollover crash midday Saturday on Highway 29.
About noon, the driver of a Kia sedan lost control, left the roadway, and overturned in a muddy ditch alongside Highway 29 near Bogia Road.
Both the driver and passenger escaped without injury.
The McDavid Station of Escambia County Fire Rescue responded to the scene, along with the Florida Highway Patrol, but FHP has not released further details.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Correctional Officer Sexually Assaulted By Inmate, FDC Says
February 22, 2026
A correctional officer at Century Correctional Institution was sexually assaulted by an inmate, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Inmate David Gutierrez, 34, sexually assaulted the officer, the FDC said.
The FDC said the officer was injured but did not provide further details. All assaults are investigated, and disciplinary action is imposed in accordance with policy.
Gutierrez is serving just over two years on a 2025 robbery with a deadly weapon and multiple grand theft convictions from Broward County.
Baby Reportedly Injured In Cantonment Crash Involving SUV, Escambia Deputy
February 21, 2026
An infant was reportedly injured during a crash involving an SUV and an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office cruiser late Friday night in Cantonment.
The crash occurred around 11:40 p.m. on West Roberts Road near Sutton Place Drive. The deputy was reportedly just off the roadway when her cruiser was struck by the SUV.
The infant was transported to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. There were no other injuries.
For additional photos, click here.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating and has not released the cause of the crash.
NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Escambia Westgate’s Very Special Mardi Gras Parade (With Photo Gallery)
February 21, 2026
Let the good times roll!
The 33rd annual Mardi Gras parade was held Friday morning at Escambia Westgate School — a very special parade for the school’s special needs students.
With plenty of beads, trinkets, smiles, and Mardi Gras krewes, the parade rolled through the school parking lot for students with sensory issues that might not otherwise be able to attend a regular Mardi Gras parade.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Man Convicted Of Manslaughter For Fatally Shooting Teen At 2024 Cottage Hill Party
February 20, 2026
A Cantonment man has been convicted of manslaughter for the April 2024 fatal shooting of a 16-year-old at a party at a Cottage Hill home. He was also convicted of evidence tampering as a two-day trial concluded on Friday.
Ethan Alexander O’Brien, 21, will be sentenced on April 16.
The investigation determined that during a large gathering at the residence, O’Brien, then 19, was showing off his firearm, at which time it discharged, hitting 16-year-old Bryson Allen (pictured below).
The incident happened about 11:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, 2024, at a home in the 600 block of Wishbone Road.
The victim grabbed his side after being shot and said, “You just shot me bro” before falling to the ground, a witness told law enforcement. He said O’Brien had an “AR style” rifle and he was playing with it before the shooting.
Allen was pronounced deceased at the scene, and investigators said O’Brien fled the scene. The weapon was never found.
Pictured top: The scene on Wishbone Road in Cottage Hill late Friday night, April 12, 2024, after a teen was shot and killed. Pictured below: Crime scene tape still surrounded the home the following morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Man Charged With Arson For Torching His Own Jeep
February 20, 2026
A Cantonment man has been charged with arson after allegedly torching his vehicle last Sunday morning.
As we previously reported, a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo was discovered burning with no one around alongside Neal Road near Pine Top Lane shortly before 9:30 a.m.
Now, Jerry Kent Calvert, 24, has been charged with felony arson in connection with the fire that destroyed his vehicle.
After the fire, deputies attempted to contact Calvert and his relatives, noting that he would not answer his phone for anyone. His parents later located him walking near the Escambia County Road Department’s Camp 5, and deputies responded.
He stated that the vehicle ran out of gas and he parked on the side of the Road at Pine Top Lane and Neal Road, an arrest report states.
His exact statement to deputies was redacted from the report, but the report states it was “because he was tired of his grandmother yelling at he and his uncle and kicking them out of the house.”
A Florida State Fire Marshal detective told deputies that burn patterns indicated that the fire was not accidental.
NorthEscambia photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Century CRA Reemerges with $191K Balance For Blighted Area; First Meeting in Years Held
February 19, 2026
The Century Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) now has $191,151.89 in the bank and will soon begin to consider how potential projects can improve blighted areas of the town.
The five members of the Century Town Council and one citizen currently sit as the CRA board, which is expected to meet quarterly. However, a meeting this week was the first in years, and financial information has not been published since the 2021-2022 operating year.
Eric Christianson, a planner for the Emerald Coast Regional Council, met with the CRA board this week for a presentation on what the CRA is and how the agency can work to improve a portion of the town.
In October 2018, the council approved a Tax Increment Financing plan for their redevelopment area, allowing the CRA to receive property tax revenues each year in excess of an established base rate. The appraised value of the property within the designated district was “frozen” in 2018, with that amount of tax revenue generated still designated for the town’s general fund, the county, and other taxing authorities.
The redevelopment area receives 95% of the property tax generated in excess of the frozen base value as property values rise. Along with small interest earnings, the CRA has spent nothing on improving the area to date, as far as we know from financial reports that were last published nearly three years ago.
The CRA funds can be used to improve conditions in the 510 acres bounded by Jefferson Avenue to the south, Jefferson Avenue to the east, East High 4 to the north and the center line of North Century Boulevard to the west. It also extends north on the east side of North Century Boulevard to include commercial properties up to, and including, the former Burger King (see map below).
Tax Increment Financing is a unique tool available to cities and counties for redevelopment activities. It is used to leverage public funds to promote private sector activities in the targeted redevelopment area. Property owners in the CRA pay the same tax rate as those in the remainder of the town.
TIF revenue can be used on a “pay as you go” basis, where the annual stream of revenue is used to fund small projects, or used to pay debt service costs over the life of a project lasting 10 or more years. Historically in Florida, TIF has been effective at generating large amounts of funding for capital investments for roadway improvements, flood control programs, water and sewer and drainage infrastructure improvements, parking lots and garages, neighborhood parks, sidewalks, street and sidewalk tree plantings, signs and building construction.
After a February 2016 tornado damaged or destroyed 40 homes and businesses, the town looked to address the long-term effects on the community of a downturn in economic development. That led to the redevelopment area.
The CRA plan sets a roadmap for future development and spending to eliminate existing conditions of blight and to encourage continued private investment. The plan also provides a framework for coordinating and facilitating public and private redevelopment within the area.
This week, the CRA board set future meetings for 5:30 p.m., before regular 6:15 council meetings, on March 2, June 23, September 15, and November 17. The board is expected to receive current financial details at the March 2 meeting.
Pictured: The Century CRA held a workshop meeting this week. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Pictured below: The Century CRA boundary map, click to enlarge.
