Independent News‘Pensacola’ Archives
Miami Gardens tackles its 25 homicides in 2012
Pensacola and its population of 52,197 has had one homicide since the first of the year- the 18-year-old that was beaten in Morris Court and later was taken off life support. It was the third violent crime in the city's Morris Court neighborhood in less than four weeks, the second resulting in [...]
Hayward cans Zimmerman Agency
PNJ reporter Nate Monroe is reporting that Mayor Ashton Hayward has sent a termination letter to his Tallahassee-based ad agency. Effective Feb. 28, The Zimmerman Ad Agency will no longer do the marketing for the City of Pensacola. Last week, I reported on the State Auditor's report on the [...]
Taking Shame issue statewide with Florida Voices column. More lipstick to remove
My Florida Voices column today talks about how conservatives are looking at the wrong figures when they complain about Medicaid expansion. I figure that I might was well take the lipstick of the Tallahassee pigs, too. The James Madison Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Tallahassee, [...]
Mayor asks ECUA for right of first refusal on Main Street plant site
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward has informed the Pensacola City Council that he has sent a letter to Steve Sorrell, the executive director of the Emerald Coast Utility Authority, requesting that the city be granted a right of first refusal on the utility's 19 acres across from the Maritime Park. The [...]
PNJ fumbles editorial on Penzone
The daily newspaper and its weekly columnist missed the point about the Pensacola City Council's rejection of the appointment of Dave Penzone as the city's representative on the the Escambia County RESTORE Advisory Committee. They portray the council has fumbling the process and playing petty [...]
Deleting text messages may be a crime for public officials
Watch a county commission or city council meeting and you will see some of the board members scanning their cell phones every few minutes. Then the council member or commissioner types something in reply. The public and media don't know if the message is from a loved one reminding him to pick [...]
So much for city transparency. Special meeting not televised
Unless there is some super-secret code to the City of Pensacola website, I can't find the online stream to today's Special Council Meeting on the city's RESTORE Advisory representative. What the heck is going on? This isn't that hard, but maybe it's there and I just can't find the right link.
Bare asserts Friday meeting was unlawful, asks for more citizen input. Plus there is an ironic twist
Pensacola Councilman Charles Bare issued the following press release to the media this afternoon: CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO PUT CITY RESIDENTS FIRST Adjourning Today’s Meeting Provides More Time for Citizen Input and Participation PENSACOLA, January 25, 2013 — This morning, seven members [...]
Simple tasks still hard for Mayor Hayward
The city of Pensacola has one position on the Escambia County RESTORE Advisory Committee. The appointment needs to made before Jan. 31. The only requirement for the member is that the person not be a city employee or contract employee. Mayor Ashton Hayward has had five months to present his pick [...]
Battle brewing over Penzone appointment. Bare asks Mayor Hayward to reconsider
Mayor Ashton Hayward announced early this week that he was appointing David Penzone as the the city of Pensacola's representative to the RESTORE Advisory Committee. The well-timed announcement came days after a huge spread in the daily newspaper praising Penzone for his efforts on closing the [...]
Mayor’s marketing firm cited in Auditor General’s audit of Okaloosa TDC
The Florida Auditor General’s Office has released its audit report of the Okaloosa County Commission’s oversight of the Tourist Development Council and the TDC's use of bed taxes and BP funds. The report points out the lack of oversight by the county commission and TDC board over its [...]
Mayor’s Financial Prosperity Partnership
city of Pensacola press release: Representatives from Wells Fargo joined Mayor Ashton Hayward today to announce a $10,000 contribution in support of Mayor Hayward’s Financial Prosperity Partnership. Mayor Hayward has launched the Mayor’s Financial Prosperity Partnership in an [...]