Independent News‘Escambia County’ Archives
Escambia’s RESTORE Rethink
Though it wasn’t on this morning’s agenda, the post-November incarnation of the Escambia County Commission—officially meeting for the first time—began discussing the “revamping” of the yet-to-be formed RESTORE Act advisory committee. “I have some real reservations with the current [...]
BTW: Florida has one of the worse high school graduation rates in the country
The U.S. Department of Education released data last week listing state four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-11---the first year for which all states used a common, rigorous measure. Prior to the new methodology, varying methods used by states to report graduation rates made comparisons [...]
Touart protest is not going away
Some citizens still aren't happy about the lame duck Escambia County Commission hiring George Touart as the interim county administrator. They plan further protests. I got the following email this morning: A group of people against the hiring of George Touart is planning to attend the [...]
County Considers Settlement Over Accident
Escambia County commissioners will consider this week if the county should settle with a woman who was involved in an accident with a county vehicle. In June 2011, Sharmaine Dixon was driving a vehicle that was struck by an Escambia County Road Department vehicle. According to a staff report, [...]
Magaha Governmental Complex
Escambia County’s downtown complex will be formally unveiled this week as the Ernie Lee Magaha Governmental Complex. A ceremony will be held Thursday at 3 p.m., prior to the public forum and regular meeting of the Escambia County Commission. The county commission decided to honor longtime [...]
What happened at WalMart on Blue Angel….we want your accounts of the arrest
On Thanksgiving night, a local woman, Annette Bennett, was arrested at Wal-Mart and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting an officer without violence and trespassing after a warning. The arrest stemmed from Bennett allegedly taking a cell phone from a display before the item was scheduled to [...]
Grover given Environmental Leadership award
Press Release: Florida Local Environmental Resources Agencies Awards Commissioner Grover C. Robinson, IV with the Outstanding Environmental Leadership Award.. The Florida Local Environmental Resources Agencies (FLERA) presented Escambia County Commissioner Grover C. Robinson, IV with the [...]
Reader Viewpoint: Valentino Maximus
By Arnold L. Seligman, Cantonment... Your recent interview with Mr. Valentino was enlightening ("Buddha and the Godfather"). I didn’t realize that Escambia County had anointed a new emperor, Gene I, the Pompous, to steer the BCC. After all, the Chair of the BCC is not even first among equals [...]
Commission Wilson Robertson blasts media as the county’s ‘worst enemy’
Three Escambia County Commissioners were sworn into office today--Lumon May, Steven Barry and Wilson Robertson, who told the packed house that this would be his final term. May and Barry thanked their family and supporters and talked about looking forward to serving. Robertson, however, asked [...]
Commission Passes Gas Tax
After nearly four hours the crowd had thinned, but there were still plenty of people left in the gallery to watch the Escambia County Commission pass a four cent gas tax on a 4-1 vote. It was a predictable move, follow-through on a decision made during last week’s meeting. “Just shut up and [...]
John Powell enters pre-trial diversion program
Press Release: The Office of the State Attorney announced today that John Powell has entered a Pretrial Diversion Program in his pending case. Powell was charged with nine counts of Election Law violations for accepting cash contribution in excess of the legal limit. The conditions of the [...]
Commission: 3% All Around
The Escambia County Commission began the discussion last night by talking about three percent cost-of-living increases for county employees, but in the face of a gallery full of disgruntled sheriff officers who were not afforded the increase, the conversation had grown to include the sheriff’s [...]