Independent News‘Escambia County’ 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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Viewpoint: More Practical Approach to Medicaid
By Grover Robinson, Escambia Co. Commissioner Another Florida Legislative Session has just ended and for 19-million Floridians there are a host of new issues and opportunities that have been created. For local government in Florida no issue was perhaps bigger and more dominant that Medicaid. [...]
Sheriff Morgan submits $95 million budget
Sheriff David Morgan has officially submitted his 2013-2014 budget to the Board of County Commissioners: Law Enforcement: $50,773,658 Detention: $40,251,178 Court Security: $4,033,002 Total: $95,057,838 This is a $18,864,552 increase over last year. Here is the breakdown of the [...]
County tries to block Jail Study from being released
There is a budget battle about to break out between interim County Administrator George Touart and Sheriff David Morgan. The fight is inevitable. This first volley has been over the Escambia County Jail—which is severely understaffed according to the county’s consultants National Center for [...]
Commission Meeting Moved to Tuesday
There has been a schedule change for next week’s regular meeting of the Escambia County Commission. Originally scheduled for Thursday, the meeting has been moved up to Tuesday, April 2. Public forum will begin at 4:30 p.m., with the regular meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. in commission chambers [...]
Molino Library Opening
The Molino Branch of the West Florida Public Library will open April 1. The public is invited to attend an opening-day reception. Located on Highway 95A, the branch will serve Molino residents, as well as surrounding communities. It will be open 52 hours each week. The facility will be open from [...]
Grover’s Town Hall
Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson will host a public forum this evening. Here’s the county press release: Escambia County Commissioner Grover C. Robinson, IV, will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, March 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., in the cafeteria of Ferry Pass Middle School, 8355 [...]
Stand down, fumbles and Act II this week
Last week was one of those rare weeks when news seemed to come from every direction. We had Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll, the first African-American female to ever hold that position, resign hours before Attorney General Pam Bondi and other law enforcement agencies announced nearly 60 arrests [...]
RESTORE Committee Outlined
During this week’s Escambia County Commission Committee of the Whole, the board will discuss the RESTORE Act advisory committee’s purpose and role. The following is an informational sheet included in the agenda packet. March 14, 2013 Committee of the Whole Agenda Item #4 RESTORE Advisory [...]