Here’s What Went Viral On North Escambia During 2023

January 1, 2024

Here’s a look at the NorthEscambia.com stories that went “viral” on social media in 2023.

They are not necessarily the biggest local stories of the year. Rather, these are the stories that gained the most views on social media. All of the stories listed below had at least a 100,000 reach on Facebook.

The most viral story of 2023 was a big boom felt and a fireball seen across the Gulf Coast in late May as a Space X AX-2 capsule entered the atmosphere and landed in the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City. Our quick coverage reached over a half million people on Facebook.

  • January – top stories on social media included plans for Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast, an Arbor Day tree giveaway, the reopening of the Ascend Community Park and the Tate cheerleaders winning regionals.
  • February — We broke the story of WaWa coming to Nine Mile Road, lanes reopened on the Pensacola Bay Bridge, and those Tate cheerleaders took third at state on the way to nationals where they took third place. Another big story was more problems found on two other Century bridges as the Freedom Road bridge sat closed for three years.
  • March — NAS Pensacola opened to the public for a weekend, a sci-fi movie was filmed in Molino and all the lanes opened on the Pensacola Bay Bridge while North Escambia had tennis ball sized hail.
  • April — The Pensacola Airport warned travelers to arrive early due to TSA upgrades, and winning $1 million lottery tickets were sold in Beulah and Cantonment.
  • May – There was the SpaceX return. NAS Pensacola opened to the public seven days a week; it was high school baseball season and Nine Mile growth saw us break stories about WaWa, Panera Bread and Chipotle plans for the area. It was also big news about high school graduations.
  • June – A Pensacola Police officer shot and killed a man during an altercation in Cantonment; an Escambia County deputy and a citizen were sucked about 100 feet through a drainage pipe under a 4-lane road with both surviving.
  • July — July on the Gulf Coast means the Blue Angels at Pensacola Beach, and we ran multiple photo galleries. Two pedestrians were killed crossing North Century Boulevard in a construction zone, and big development was announced for Molino with thousands of homes and apartments.
  • August — Residents learned that their local Winn Dixie stores will be sold to Aldi; a new Waffle House was proposed for Beulah and more winning lottery tickets were sold in North Escambia.
  • September — D.R. Horton withdrew an offer for OLF-8 and high school football got into full swing.
  • October – It was time for homecomings, plans were approved for a WaWa store in Beulah, and a semi truck careened through a Highway 97 mobile home in Walnut Hill. IP announced they would permanently cease operation on one local production machine at their Cantonment plant.
  • November - November saw the Blue Angels homecoming weekend; a dog adopted after 300 days in the county animal shelter and the opening of the new Navy Federal Recreation Center.
  • December – big stores included Christmas lights with goats in pajamas in Bratt; graduate number  100,000 walked the stage at UWF, a high speed FHP chase and crash on Highway 29, and the return on the Molino Christmas parade.

Pictured above: A SpaceX Dragon capsule streaks across the night sky above Highway 164 between McDavid and the Christian Home community Tuesday night. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Photos below courtesy SpaceX.

Comments

2 Responses to “Here’s What Went Viral On North Escambia During 2023”

  1. Eric M on January 2nd, 2024 1:02 pm

    Thank you William for bringing us the news. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what we would do for news in North

  2. 2024 on January 2nd, 2024 7:35 am

    Excellent news as always!!! Thank you for your hard work to keep us in the know.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News