Independent News‘Politics’ Archives
County Jail cited by DOJ as unsafe, needs more staff and better mental health program
The Civil Right Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has concluded its five-year investigation of the Escambia County Jail and its findings are as bad as Sheriff David Morgan tried to warn the Escambia County Commission. While the report commends Morgan for his efforts to reform the [...]
Maritime Park mismanaged, not by CMPA, but by City
The daily newspaper, Mayor Ashton Hayward and City Administrator Bill Reynolds want the public to believe the financial woes of the Maritime Park are solely the fault of the Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees. They conveniently overlook the under-performance of the city’s [...]
Council passes panhandling ordinance, ‘Cosson Rule’ for internet use
By Brandy Volovecky The Pensacola City Council voted to approve an ordinance to the city code that would prohibit aggressive panhandling in downtown Pensacola at its Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday. Councilwoman Sherri F. Meyers, District 2, expressed serious concern about the [...]
Oliver’s final report recommends mayor take control of maritime park
The Independent News has gotten a copy of consultant Randy Oliver's final report on the Community Maritime Park--the one that the mayor didn't share with the Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees. The report has two recommendations not included in the draft that city circulated [...]
Toll Plaza Construction Update
Here’s an update from Escambia County on the toll plaza construction project: Today, May 16, one lane is closed on the Pensacola Beach Boulevard bridge until the foot of the roadway approaching the toll plaza and three toll plaza lanes are open to motorists. Tomorrow, Friday, May 17, all [...]
Grover Robinson and Marie Young get a summary judgment in Gibbs case
County Attorney Alison Rogers sent the following email to the county commissioners: Commissioners, Please be aware that today Judge Nobles granted summary judgment for the remaining Gibbs defendants, Marie Young and Grover Robinson. This means that the lawsuit is effectively decided in the [...]
Low, low, low voter turnout in House Dist. 2 GOP primary
Gulf Breeze Recreation Center at noon today, only 290 votes cast. In 2007--the last special election-- 955 votes cast, 589 for Ford. In Scenic Heights, one voter called to say only 95 votes had been cast by 10 a.m.
Negative ads appear to work, Hill surging ahead in latest poll
SaintPetersblog.com is reporting that Mike Hill has surged to a 12-point lead in the House District 2 GOP primary over former Gulf Breeze mayor Ed Gray, with Hill receiving 36 percent of respondents’ support and Gray receiving 24 percent. Former Pensacola City Councilman Jack Nobles is in third [...]
Commissioner Barry’s Town Hall
Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry will hold an open forum town hall meeting on Monday. The May 13 town hall is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., in the Ransom Middle School cafeteria. The school is located at 1000 West Kingsfield Road, in Cantonment. For more information, contact [...]
Mike Hill gets taste of his own medicine
In Republican primary for House District 2, Mike Hill and his supporters have taken several swings at Ed Gray and Jack Nobles. As we get closer the May 14 vote, Hill's supporters have focused the most on Gray, the frontrunner. Yesterday, District 2 Republicans started to receive in the mail a [...]
Transition audit blasts Magaha
After she was sworn in as Escambia County Clerk of Court, Pam Childers engaged Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC to perform an independent evaluation of compensation practices and other internal control matters of her predecessor, Ernie Lee Magaha, who had been the Clerk since 1957. The audit report was [...]
Hayward announces he is running for a second term
Mayor Ashton Hayward used his press conference on Southwest Airlines to announce that he is running for a second term. According to the daily, Hayward said deals like Southwest adding Houston and Nashville flights are "evidence he is delivering on the residents’ desire for strong, CEO-like [...]