Escambia County Set To Move Forward On Robinson Street Paving In Cantonment
February 1, 2026
Escambia County is set to pave the dirt portion of Robinson Street in Cantonment.
On Thursday, the Escambia County Commission is set to consider a design and engineering services contract for $214,000 to Panhandle Engineering.
The design will include roadway realignment and drainage system on the unpaved portion of Robinson Street. The existing dirt road begins at Taylor Street and continues about three-quarters of a mile.
The county intends to acquire 50 feet of right of way to construct a 24-foot wide roadway with a drainage system. The north end will have a 90-foot diameter asphalt turnaround within a 100-foot diameter right of way. Realignment of Robinson Street at Taylor Street is proposed to align the roadway with the current paved portion of Robinson Street.
The design and engineering services for the project should be complete within one year, and there’s not yet a timetable for construction.
Funding of the project will come from Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds.
NorthEscambia.com graphic and image for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Man Arrested For Animal Cruelty For Abandoning Dogs On Cantonment Road
January 30, 2026
A man was arrested Thursday on animal cruelty charges after he allegedly dumped two dogs with no food or water on Becks Lake Road in Cantonment.
Bryan Wayne Mott, 60, was booked into the Escambia County Jail on two counts of animal cruelty — abandonment of an animal.
The incident occured on January 21 when an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a red Chevy Silverado traveling on Becks Lake Road with two dogs in the bed of the truck. A short time later, the same truck passed the deputy again, this time without the dogs.
Moments later, a concerned citizen flagged the deputy down and reported that a red truck had just dumped two dogs and fled the area. The deputy immediately responded, located the dogs on a dead-end portion of Becks Lake Road, and safely placed them in the back of his patrol vehicle.
After running the vehicle tag and reviewing surveillance footage, the deputy identified Mott as the driver and owner of the red Silverado.
When contacted, Mott initially denied any knowledge of the dogs, then provided several conflicting explanations about how the dogs ended up abandoned without food or water and the end of Beck’s Lake Road. Surveillance video later confirmed his truck traveling north with the dogs at Old Chemstrand Road and Highway 29.
Animal Control responded, and the dogs were safely turned over to their care.
McDavid Sex Offender Arrested; FDLE Searches Home
January 29, 2026
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested a McDavid man on a sex offender violation and searched a home in McDavid on Wednesday morning.
According to jail records, Daquan Eric Ball, 22, was charged with a felony count of failing to report an email address or other internet identifiers. He was booked into the Escambia County Jail without bond.
FDLE has not yet released details of its investigation or the exact reason for an operation at a house in the 100 block of Highway 164, about one-third of a mile west of Highway 29. However, the FDLE sex offender registry shows Ball is a resident at the home.
In October 2018, Ball was adjudicated as a juvenile for sexually battery on a victim under 12 in a Santa Rosa County case.
Shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, numerous FDLE agents were seen entering and exiting the small 1,500-square-foot single family home, and around campers located on the property.
“FDLE is on-site as part of an active investigation,” FDLE confirmed to NorthEscambia.com by email. “We don’t have additional information to share, as the investigation is still active and ongoing.”
Before the operation, the agents gathered on Main Street in McDavid, across from the Post Office, to organize and prepare.
This story will be updated as we learn more details.
Pictured: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducts an operation on Wednesday morning on Highway 164 in McDavid. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: FDLE gathered with their Bearcat tactical vehicle across from the Post Office to prepare for the operation (reader submitted photo).
Two Now Charged With Attempted Murder For MLK Day Shooting In Atmore
January 29, 2026
Two suspects have now been charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Atmore.
The first suspect arrested, Nathaniel Crenshaw (pictured left), surrendered at the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton. He is charged with two counts of attempted murder, four counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied building or vehicle, and one court of shooting into an unoccupied dwelling or vehicle. He is being held without bond.
His brother, Tobijah Keimond Crenshaw (pictured top), was arrested during a traffic stop for two counts of attempted murder, four counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied building or vehicle, and on court of shooting into an unoccupied dwelling or vehicle. He is being held without bond.
APD said Tobijah Crenshaw’s arrest followed the results of ATV ballistic testing and the continued investigative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies.
“The case remains active and developing, with investigators continuing to process evidence and pursue additional leads from multiple angles,” Atmore Police said in a statement.
Police are still searching for 23-year-old E’monee Demontae Long (pictured left) in connection with the investigation on the charge of certain persons (felon) forbidden to possess a firearm. Additional charges are expected, according to police.
On January 22, Atmore Police executed a search warrant at 310 Everette Street. As officers arrived to begin the search, multiple people fled the residence and ran into a wooded area, prompting a manhunt.
MLK Day Shooting
A day of celebration ended in gunfire Monday night as a shooting following an MLK Day block party in Atmore left two people injured and investigators searching for those responsible.
According to the Atmore Police Department, officers responded to the intersection of Carver Avenue and Ashley Street at approximately 9:06 p.m. on January 19. The shooting occurred shortly after a day-long “MLK Car Meet and Block Party” had concluded. The event had been widely advertised on social media and drew a large crowd to the area.
Patrol officers arrived on the scene in less than one minute to find that over 30 rounds had been fired. Police confirmed two victims suffered gunshot wounds. One of the victims, a male subject, was reportedly shot while attempting to assist another person to safety. Both individuals were transported to a local hospital and are currently listed in stable condition.
Six Months Later, Walnut Hill Post Office Remains Closed Over Issues With USPS
January 28, 2026
It’s been six months since the Escambia River Electric Cooperative Walnut Hill office reopened after being closed for nearly a year due to mold. But EREC’s contract post office for Walnut Hill remains closed.
The Walnut Hill post office is officially known as a Contract Postal Unit, a small office shared with the electric utility on Highway 99A across from Ernest Ward Middle School. It provided the Walnut Hill community with post office boxes, package pick up and shipping, and normal postal services like mailing and stamps.
The building was closed by EREC in August 2024 due to mold, and post office box customers were able to collect their mail from the U.S. Post Office on Main Street in McDavid. Post office box mail that was uncollected in McDavid was boxed in Walnut Hill on July 29, 2025, and EREC announced the reopening of its office and the post office.
EREC soon learned it was a one-time drop of the previously held mail, and it would not be able to operate the post office until conditions were met and a new contract was established.
Now, EREC says the USPS contract is complete, but they lack access to a USPS scanner required for operation and that they have had difficulty in getting cooperation from the postal service to fix the problems.
“We are working with post office management and trying to get the two IT departments together,” EREC CEO Ryan Campbell said this week. “We are trying to fix the problem configuration with the package scanner.”
In the meantime, the USPS has denied an EREC offer to provide mail services and not packages until the scanner problem is rectified.
“As an added convenience to its customers, the Postal Service offers Contract Postal Units (CPUs) around the nation, such as the one located in the Escambia River Electric Cooperative CPU. Local postal management continues to work with the CPU operator to resolve any outstanding issues at this location,” Tiffany Rowland, Strategic Communications Specialist for the U.S. Postal Service, told NorthEscambia.com this week. She said Walnut Hill post office customers may continue to access mail services by driving to the McDavid Post Office during regular hours.
Campbell said EREC is continuing to work with postal officials for a solution.
“We look forward to getting the post office back open for our membership,” he said.
Pictured top: EREC employee Kim Lambert boxes old mail Tuesday afternoon in contract post office inside the EREC Walnut Hill office. It was the last time the U.S. Postal Service delivered mail to the Walnut Hill Post Office. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
