MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER

A 30-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for a November 2023 murder in Escambia County. Circuit Judge John Simon sentenced Shybri Steverson to life in prison without parole following his conviction for Second Degree Murder on Nov. 19. Steverson shot and killed Guy Dixon, Jr. on November 1, 2023,in the 2300-block of West Blount in the Brownsville area. Authorities say the shooting happened after an argument about a missing package. Dixon Jr. sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back area before later passing away at the hospital.

County Passes Ordinances Targeting Homelessness While Acknowledging Affordability Crisis

Escambia County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) — Escambia County commissioners on Thursday unanimously approved two ordinances aimed at giving law enforcement stronger tools to address visible homelessness in public spaces — though board members stressed the measures won’t fix the region’s deeper affordability crisis.

The first ordinance expands the county’s ban on illegal camping to include daytime activity, not just overnight sleeping. The second prohibits panhandling and camping on road medians narrower than eight feet, a change commissioners said is meant to reduce safety risks at high-traffic intersections such as Mobile Highway and New Warrington Road, where residents have complained about trash and hazardous pedestrian activity.

County Attorney Allison Katz said the update closes a loophole in state law. “The state law currently indicates that camping is only overnight,” she told commissioners. “This opens it up to be if you're camping even during the day. Meaning you just can't hang out with your coolers and cook out on our sidewalks in public spaces day or night.”

The Waterfront Mission — the county’s largest homeless services provider — urged commissioners to strengthen enforcement. Representative Clay Romano said people camping outside the Mission have refused services and created dangerous conditions. On December 8, a homeless individual was struck in a hit-and-run on Herman Street.

Still, commissioners cautioned that enforcement alone won’t address the root causes of homelessness.

Commissioner Lumon May highlighted the case of a woman with three children who works full-time at a Red Roof Inn but sleeps in her car because she can’t afford $1,500 in monthly rent. “She’s not lazy,” May said. “She just can’t make enough to pay for her children.”

Commissioner Steven Strohberger, a Navy veteran, shared his own experience inviting a homeless man to Thanksgiving years ago, saying the issue is rarely simple. “I don’t think anybody on the dais here believes that being homeless is a crime,” he said.

The board agreed to take up broader solutions — including mental health services, addiction treatment, and affordable housing strategies — at an upcoming budget-season committee meeting.

PPD Searching for Man That Assaulted Two Elderly Men in Parking Garage

Pensacola, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Pensacola Police are searching for a man who assaulted two people in the Baylen Street Parking Garage downtown Monday evening. A 79-year-old man was confronted by the suspect while returning to his vehicle. The suspect shoved him and forced him to the ground. A 71-year-old man who tried to help was then attacked in a nearby parking lot. The suspect repeatedly struck him in the head and face. Both victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-20s, about 5-foot-9, wearing a gray hoodie and blue jeans. Police say he appeared heavily intoxicated. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Angela Nieto at 850-435-1980 or Crime Stoppers at 850-433-STOP.