Independent News‘Pensacola’ Archives
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 [...]
Camelot’s Town Hall
Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers will host a town hall March 19; the forum will focus on the development of Camelot Park. Here’s the city press release: Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers will hold a town hall meeting next week for residents of the Camelot Neighborhood to [...]
Another Hayward staged showdown on YMCA and CMP
The stage is set for another melodramatic showdown. This one is on whether the YMCA will be allowed to lease a parcel at the Community Maritime Park for its new $10-million downtown facility. Alas, as of this writing, no one is sure where Mayor Hayward stands on the lease or even if the [...]
Where is Mayor Hayward?
Today, Nate Monroe has a column in the daily newspaper regarding the new YMCA. One sentence early in the article struck me: "But it will be up to council members to decide if those financial benefits — as well as others that advocates of the waterfront Y have argued would materialize — are [...]
Reynolds forgot about this email
The cover up is always worse than the original actions. And the trouble with lies, it's hard to keep up with them. While City Administrator Bill Reynolds was quick yesterday to place blame on former Chief of Staff John Asmar for Derek Cosson's anonymously posting on this blog and other websites, [...]
ATU 1395 video to City Council
The city council will discuss the new gas tax today:
Asmar steps down as Chief of Staff
City of Pensacola Press Release: The City of Pensacola announced today that John Asmar would step down as Chief of Staff and Special Counsel in order to devote more time to his private law practice. Asmar was a member of Mayor Ashton Hayward’s transition team and joined the Office of the Mayor [...]
Who at City Hall is anonymously pushing mayor’s political agenda?
Somebody is using the Pensacola City Hall’s server to promote Mayor Ashton Hayward’s political agenda on this blog, using a variety of names. Some of are clearly fake. Some of the comments attack the Pensacola police and the city council. Derek Cosson, the mayor’s public information [...]
State wants further audit of Okaloosa County finances
The state’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee ordered yesterday a countywide audit of all Okaloosa County finances as well as an audit of the Clerk of Court’s Office. The Auditing Committee, composed of six state representatives and five senators, has direct oversight of the Auditor [...]
ATU opposes Mayor Hayward’s decision to withhold gas tax from ECAT
Press Release: The ATU Local 1395 will be holding "X" Day next Thursday, Feb. 14. At the Press Conference/Event the Union and customers will be painting big giant "X" on buses. The Union will be showing the public, bus riders, and elected officials one possible result of $700,000 to a million [...]
Sorry, Bollards not on order
The bollards aren't on order as Mayor Ashton Hayward told the board of directors of the Greater Pensacola Chamber on Jan. 22. A bollard is a short vertical post arranged in a line to obstruct the passage of motor vehicles. The mayor's Urban Redevelopment Advisory Committee had recommended [...]
Valentino challenges City on its pulling gas tax revenues from ECAT
Our reporter Jeremy Morrison is covering the Escambia County Commission agenda workshop. He just texted me that Commissioner Valentino has made a statement against Mayor Ashton Hayward's intention of using the city's portion of the new gas tax for its proposed Project Stallion (a 'top secret' deal [...]