Two Highway 29 Crosswalks Coming To Century Following Fatalities, Injuries
April 16, 2026
There have been numerous pedestrians struck and killed or seriously injured on North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) in the town of Century over the last several years. And now, the Florida Department of Transportation is planning safety improvements that will include two new crosswalks on the busy roadway by next year.
The Florida Department of Transportation will put a federally-funded safety improvement project out for bid in October, with construction expected to begin in early 2027, Ian Satter, FDOT spokesperson, said.
The first crosswalk will be located on North Century Boulevard (Highway 29) north of Bradley Street, at the Century Food Mart — the exact spot where a man using a walker while crossing was hit in late March. The second will be about half a mile away between West Highway 4 and Pond Street.
Both crosswalks will include a concrete divider in the median, signage and handicap accessibility features. According to construction documents, pedestrians will press a button to activate the crosswalk and flashing lights, which will require North Century Boulevard traffic to stop. There will be an island, a “safe zone” in the median where pedestrians may pause.
Worship And Witness: Fields Of Faith Held At Northview High School
April 16, 2026
A large crowd attended the Northview High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes Fields of Faith service Wednesday evening in the school’s Tommy Weaver Memorial Stadium.
“This is what needs to be happening in our world,” Pastor Ted Bridges of Walnut Hill Baptist Church told those gathered for the worship service. “It is for us to take out into a lost and dying world.”
The event included praise and worship music and concluded with people forming a prayer circle on the Northview football field. There was also an Easter Egg hunt for the children in attendance.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Fields of Faith is a national student-led initiative. “Students invite, pray for, share with, and challenge their peers to read the Bible and follow Jesus Christ. An athletic field provides a neutral, rally point where a community can come together,” according to national organizers.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Woman Charged With Aggravated Battery At Downtown Restaurant
April 15, 2026
A Saturday afternoon lunch at Nick’s Boathouse turned violent in the parking lot after an argument led to a woman allegedly using a firearm to pistol-whip a victim.
According to arrest reports, Martaina Conner, 47, was charged with felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after witnesses told Pensacola Police she brandished a handgun during a fight at the West Main Street restaurant.
The altercation reportedly began as a verbal dispute involving Conner’s son and another group. Investigators say Conner retrieved a Ruger LCP from her vehicle and waved it in the air before using the bottom of the firearm to strike a victim multiple times in the head and face.
While Conner claimed she acted in self-defense, police noted that witness accounts and social media video appeared to show her initiating the physical attack with the weapon. Officers later recovered the handgun from Conner’s purse.
Conner was released from jail on $12,000 bond.
EREC Awards Four Scholarships To Northview And Jay Seniors
April 15, 2026
Escambia River Electric Cooperative has announced four scholarship awards to students in the utility’s service area.
Four-year Herman D. Johnson Scholarships are being awarded to Savannah Hudson from Northview High School and Brea Lyle from Jay High School. Savannah plans to pursue a law degree, and Brea plans to earn her master’s in nursing.
EREC Trade/Votech Scholarships are being awarded to Tyler Carach from Northview High School and Nicholas Baxley from Jay High School. Tyler will be heading to the Southeast Lineman Training Center in August, and Nicholas plans to attend Locklin Technical College to study HVAC.
The students will be recognized at the EREC Annual Meeting on April 25 at Ernest Ward Middle School.
Pictured: (top, L-R) Savannah Hudson, Brea Lyle, (bottom, L-R) Tyler Carach, and Nicholas Baxley. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Alleged Battery Of Escambia County Jail Inmate Leads To Arrest Of Two Corrections Officers
April 14, 2026
Two Escambia County corrections officers have been arrested following an investigation into the battery of an inmate that occurred at the Escambia County Jail.
Sharif Dawud Hale, age 42 of Cantonment was arrested on charges of felony battery with great bodily harm and tampering with physical evidence. Larry Ken Martin, age 32 of Flomaton, was charged with providing false information to law enforcement regarding a felony.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after an inmate was found on March 15, 2026, with a severe hand laceration requiring surgery and a rod insertion, a cracked rear molar, and head injuries. According to the reports, investigators determined the injuries occurred during an overnight shift between 03:53 a.m. and 03:55 a.m. after two officers entered the inmate’s cell for an unsanctioned encounter.
According to internal records and witness statements detailed in the reports, the officers failed to notify supervisors before entering the cell, which is required protocol during “lights out” hours. One witness told investigators she heard an officer state he “had to teach [the inmate] a lesson” because the inmate was “talking smack”.
Investigators said the inmate alleged that Hale “stomped” on him while he was on his bunk and intentionally twisted his finger. According to the reports, investigators observed security footage showing the Hale and Martin re-entering the cell approximately 10 minutes later. Investigators stated it appeared this second entry was an attempt to remove physical evidence, specifically beads that had broken off a bracelet during the struggle and a fragment of the inmate’s tooth.
While investigators noted that Martin appeared to attempt to calm Hale down after the initial encounter, the reports state he maintained a false account of the events during multiple interviews. According to the reports, Martin claimed the inmate was already bleeding and suggested the injuries were self-inflicted by “hitting the walls” or using a metal table, a theory investigators said was inconsistent with medical evidence and intake records.
Both men were booked into the Escambia County Jail and each released within minutes on bond — $50,000 for Hale, and Martin on a $5,000 bond.
According to the arrest reports, medical staff at the Escambia County Jail concluded that the victim needed further care and he was ultimately transported to Baptist Hospital. Hospital records indicated that he was admitted and required surgery for his injuries, which included the surgical implantation of a rod and pins in his hand, the reports state.
According to jail records, the inmate victim, a 35-year-old Pensacola man, remains in jail without bond on an unrelated charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a probation violation.
Mugshot for Hale and Martin were not released.Under Florida’s public records laws, the identities and photographs of correctional officers are often protected from disclosure.
Pictured: A cell in the Escambia County Jail. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.