Jacky Cunningham, Champion For Local Youth And Agriculture, Passes Away At Age 79
November 30, 2025
Jacky Cunningham, a champion for local agriculture and youth, has passed away. He was 79.
Jacky was one of the founding members of the GCA-NRYO (Gulf Coast Agriculture and Natural Resources Youth Organization), which still presents a youth livestock show each spring in Molino.
“He helped many children develop a love for cattle, a skill set of leadership and the art of showing cattle for competition,” according to his obituary. “His joy was witnessing a steer raised by young hands being paraded through an arena showing the result of hard work and perseverance that ends at success.”
Jacky attended Molino Elementary School through the ninth grade, and he was a 1964 graduate of Tate High School. At Tate, he was a member of the Tate High School FFA program where he raised and showed steers for FFA and the Pensacola Interstate Fair. He was also an avid baseball player and was a member of the 1962 Aggies state championship team.
He is survived by sons Gregory James (Sabrena) and Leslie Andrew (Christina).
Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 2 from 5-7 p.m. at Faith Chapel North. The funeral service will be held Wednesday, December 3 at 11 a.m. at Highland Baptist Church in Molino, with visitation prior at 10 a.m.
For the complete obituary, click here.
Ashton Brosnaham To Host NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship
November 30, 2025
Sixteen of the nation’s top National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) women’s soccer programs are set to compete for the Red Banner as the 2025 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship returns to the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in North Escambia next week.
From December 1-8, they will bring lite collegiate play and a week of championship-level excitement to the Escambia County Park off 10 Mile Road.
In the 42nd annual competition, the top 16 women’s soccer teams will compete for the championship title:
- Marian (Ind.)
- Taylor (Ind.)
- MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
- Oklahoma Wesleyan
- College of Idaho
- Cumberlands (Ky.)
- Life (Ga.)
- John Brown (Ark.)
- William Carey (Miss.)
- Embry-Riddle (Ariz.)
- Truett McConnell (Ga.)
- Grace (Ind.)
- Indiana Wesleyan
- Keiser (Fla.)
- Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
- Missouri Valley
Tickets are on sale at here. All-tournament passes are $32 for adults and $17 for military, students, seniors, and children. Individual game tickets are $11.60 for adults and $6.60 for students, children, military, and seniors. Free admission for kids ages five and younger. Kids wearing jerseys with a paying adult get free entry for the entire tournament!
Game Times (bracket at top, click to enlarge)
- Monday, Dec. 1 – 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, Dec. 2 – 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 4 (Quarterfinals) – 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 6 (Semifinals) – 1:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 8 (Finals) – 12:00 p.m.
Argos Season Comes To An End After Second Round Loss to Newberry
November 30, 2025
A season of special moments and championship aspirations with UWF’s football team ended Saturday in a difficult way.
As fate proved, it was Newberry College returning five years later to pull off another playoff upset.
After overcoming a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter, tying the game early in the third quarter the Argos lost their starting quarterback and Newberry scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown for a 24-17 victory in their NCAA Division II Super Region 2 semifinal game at PenAir Field.
It created a stunned, silent home crowd as the Argos players fought back emotions while exiting the field.
“Obviously, overall it’s a locker room that’s hurting pretty bad,” said UWF coach Kaleb Nobles. “They put a lot of hard work into this, coaches and players, trainers and equipment managers…. everybody is hurting.”
“Because you put a lot of hard work into the season and for it to end like that is not easy. Very frustrated. Myself, I didn’t do enough personally to get this one done for us and I take all the responsibility for it.”
The Argos (10-2) were in position for a go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Marcus Stokes sustained an apparent head injury on a head-on collision while trying to score during a third-down run inside the 5-yard-line. A field goal was then missed and Stokes never returned.
“As soon as I got out there, I heard the conversation and I kind of knew where it was trending towards.” Nobles said. “He’s a great player. We’re not in this game without him. I’m very proud of his journey and what he’s done.
“I know he’s hurting right now in that locker room, because it’s not fair – that game ends like that. But life isn’t fair and he’s learned that over the years.”
Newberry (11-1), which reached a region final for the first time in school history, pulled off their final big-play pass of this game when quarterback Reed Charpia connected with Keith Desaussare on a 22-yard scoring pass with 4:55 left in the game.
UWF’s chance to tie was thwarted when backup quarterback Tony Bartalo’s fourth-down pass from the Newberry 28 to Trevon Dirden was knocked down by a Newberry defender inside the 5 with 1:16 remaining. It concluded a nine-play drive by Bartalo.
“Very proud of Tony Bartalo coming in and giving us a chance to win it,” Nobles said. “We just couldn’t do enough at the end.”
Newberry has only faced UWF twice. Both in the post-season and both resulting in upset wins.
The Wolves stunned the Argos in 2021 with an overtime win that became the final time the Argos played in Blue Wahoos Stadium before moving to their campus venue.
“Coming into the game, I felt like West Florida was the best team we’ve seen since the last time we handled them,” said Newberry coach Todd Knight, in his 17th year with the Wolves. “An excellent football team. They do it right. It’s a first-class program. I felt really fortunate to come away with the win.”
It was Newberry’s ninth straight win and seventh time this season the Wolves have won a game by a touchdown or less. Four wins occurred by a field goal or less.
“I kind of felt if it came down to the end, we have been there many times and found a way to pull it out,” Knight said. “I felt if we could get it to the last couple of minutes on the clock and we had a chance, I like our odds, because they have been there and done that and always found a way to win.”
Here’s how Saturday’s game unfolded:
FIRST HALF
An explosive start for Newberry. The Wolves scored on the game’s first snap following the kickoff. Charpia connected with running back Quez Spells, who broke free on a route coming from the backfield and was wide open for an 82-yard touchdown play that stunned the crowd.
It also set a tone for how this game would evolve.
Later in the quarter, Newberry completed an 11-play, 65-yard drive to take a 14-0 lead. Ironically, the Wolves did the same thing in their 2021 victory, scoring in the first minute of the game and then taking a 14-0 lead.
“They have good coaches and they prepared to get to an unbalanced set,” said Nobles, describing the first touchdown. “Not an easy play to defend and they did a good job scheming it up. Really that was a big play, but after that I felt we weathered the storm. We came back and tied it up.”
The Argos got their first touchdown with 6:40 left in the half when Stokes powered his way into the end zone on a designed run from the 7 yard line. The drive began with a 22-yard completion to tight end Jake Robinette.
The Wolves then kicked a field goal to take a 17-7 lead, but UWF answered with Tyler Patterson’s field goal as 1:15 remained. That ended the half with Newberry up 17-10.
“I said hey, we’ve done a good job,” said Nobles, relaying his message to players. ”We took every punch. We took a lot of haymakers and we’re still standing. We’ve done this all year. We’ve done a great job coming out of the half all year.
“Our guys answered the challenge like I talked about at halftime, we just didn’t make enough players down the stretch.”
SECOND HALF
The Argos got the third quarter kickoff. They drove 81 yards in seven plays, finished by Robinette’s 22-yard scoring pass from Stokes. The drive included a great diving catch by Corey Scott at the Newberry 22.
But from this point, UWF’s offense stalled. Stokes had a pass interception later in the quarter.
UWF drove to a first down at the Newberry 5 to start the fourth quarter. On second down, TJ Lane broke free into the end zone. But UWF was whistled for an illegal shift, which infuriated UWF coaches.
Two plays later, on a designed run Stokes was hurt and the fans, along with UWF’s entire sideline went silent. Patterson’s field goal missed to the right and the game remained tied.
UWF’s defense forced a stop, but the next time the Wolves got the ball, it resulted in the game-winning score with 4:55 left.
“Other than that big play at end of game where we had a miscommunication, I thought our defense played really well in the second half,” Nobles said. “Very proud of those guys. We’re not in this game without our defense. They had a phenomenal year.
“Credit Newberry for good plays and the quarterback (Charpia) is what he is… a very good player and we knew that.”
COACH NOBLES:
“There are lot of hours put in. The players have done a lot of good things. I love this team. It hurts that we don’t get to keep playing because this is a very good team and a team I feel should still be playing. But very proud of this team, very proud of the coaches and the work they put in to get our guys ready. Proud of the senior class because it’s not easy to do what they have done and get that many wins in the regular season and go 10-1. Hard to reflect right now, but I love this team and I love UWF.”
by Bill Vilon, UWF Argos.
Free Ensley North Neighborhood Cleanup Set For Wednesday
November 30, 2025
A neighborhood cleanup for residents in Ensley North (south of Nine Mile Road) will take place Wednesday, December 3. This is a chance for residents to dispose of items such as old furniture, appliances and household waste free of charge.
Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items for pickup should be at the curb by 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. (Click map above to enlarge.) The area is general south of Nine Mile Road south to Johnson Avenue and from Pensacola Boulevard to Jernigan Road.
Items eligible for removal include:
- Household appliances and electronics
- Household junk and debris
- Bicycles and toys
- Old furniture and mattresses
- Barbecue grills
- Household hazardous waste (old paint, motor oil, chemicals, batteries)
- Tires (limit 10 per household)
- Yard debris (tree cuttings, branches, etc.)
Items NOT eligible for removal include:
- Building materials (concrete, bricks, blocks, roofing, drywall or lumber)
- Explosives or ammunition
- Auto parts
- Dirt or sod
- Vehicles or vessels
- 55-gallon drums of fluids
For questions,contact Escambia County Neighborhood and Human Services at (850) 595-3130.
Since 2016, more than 7,435 tons (16,393,574 pounds) of waste have been disposed of through the Community Redevelopment Agency’s Safe Neighborhood Program. During neighborhood cleanups, crew members and volunteers visit different neighborhoods in the county to remove a variety of debris and waste free of charge.
Ice Flyers Beat The B’ham Bulls (With Gallery)
November 30, 2025
The Pensacola Ice Flyers beat the Birmingham Bulls 4-2 Saturday night at the Hanger.
The Birmingham Bulls scored early in the first period with the lone goal of the opening frame, but the Ice Flyers didn’t falter.
Coming out strong in the second period, the Ice Flyers found the back of the net twice. Lukas Jirousek scored first, followed by Blake Wells scoring the second to make it 2-1 heading into the second intermission.
Shane Bull got an early goal in the third period, and Tyrone Bronte followed up shortly after to extend the lead to 4-1. The Bulls scored their second goal halfway through the third but couldn’t mount a comeback.
West Quintette Reopens After Weeks of Delay; Work Continues On Stacey Road
November 29, 2025
After a weeks-long delay, West Quintette Road has reopened as a drainage project continues in the area.
About 950 feet of West Quintette Road was closed July 18 and was originally estimated to be ready to reopen on September 6. However, work on Quintette Road continued into November.
The Quintette Road work is part of a $2.5 million project that has been underway since late March on Stacey Road. The purpose of this project is to replace the undersized drainage infrastructure from the northwest corner of Stacey Road and West Quintette Road to the outfall approximately three-quarters of a mile south on the east side of Stacey Road.
As Quintette Road reopened, Stacey Road remained closed this week as work continued.
The project includes replacing the existing drainage system with approximately 350 feet of 4-foot x 10-foot box culvert, including the installation of 100 feet of a 10-foot-wide paved concrete ditch upstream of the existing system, reconstruction of about three-quarters of a mile of Stacey Road, milling and resurfacing the intersection of Stacey Road and Quintette Road, and regrading the existing downstream ditch.
Pictured: A reopened West Quintette Road (ab0ve) and a closed Stacey Road (below). NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Trial Date Set For Sexual Battery Of Child, Murder, Arson And Animal Cruelty After Trailer Fire
November 29, 2025
A trial date has been set for an Escambia County man indicted for murder, sexual battery of a child, arson and animal cruelty.
A grand jury returned indictments earlier this month against John Henry Walston, Jr., for two counts of first degree murder, one count of sexual battery of a child under 12, one count of arson, and one count of animal cruelty.
A jury trial date was set for January 26, 2026, following a docket court appearance on January 13, 2026. Any motions that may be filed in the case could delay the trial date.
In the early hours of November 7, 2025, emergency responders were called to a house fire on Flaxman Street where two children and a dog were found deceased inside the home. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Walston allegedly sexually battered one of the children before he killed both children and then set his house on fire.
Want To Run For Office? Candidate Workshop Set For Tuesday
November 29, 2025
On Tuesday, the Escambia County Supervisor of Election’s Office will hold a candidate workshop to prepare candidates for qualifying for office in the 2026 election cycle.
The workshop is aimed at those seeking to run for public office or any member of the public interested in learning about the process. It is designed to educate those interested about the appropriate procedures and documents required to run for office in Escambia County.
Those who attend will be introduced to each step of the process including pre-filing, collecting petitions, qualifying and reporting. The workshop will take place on December 2, at 11:30 a.m. at 221 Palafox Place, Pensacola, on the first floor
Participants can register by emailing qualify@escambiavotes.gov or by calling (850) 595-3900.
Century Council To Hold Envisioning Town Hall Meeting
November 29, 2025
The Town of Century has set an envisioning town hall meeting for local residents to help set a plan for the future of the town.
The meeting and council work session will be held Tuesday, December 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Century Town Hall, just prior to a regular council meeting.
In October, the Century Town Council held a workshop to discuss goals and a clear direction for the town’s future. At the meeting, council member John Bass made a recommendation to solicit input from local citizens.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Win Florida Invitational Tournament Semifinal Over Chiles
November 29, 2025
The Tate Aggies beat the Chiles Timberwolves 35-14 to win the 4A-7A Florida Invitational Tournament semifinal Friday night at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The No. 2 Aggies (10-3) will face the Dr. Joaquin Garcia High Bulldogs (10-3) from Lake Worth next Thursday, December 4 in the FIT championship at The Villages High School in Sumterville.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
