Author: Rick Outzen
Andrade ultimatum: No Reports, No Salary [podcast]
Florida’s budget negotiations are heating up in Tallahassee, and State Rep. Alex Andrade isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to government waste. In a…
Daily Outtakes: See latest renderings for Reverb by Hard Rock
Inspired Communities of Florida has requested a final aesthetic review of a new mass-timber luxury apartment building and the Reverb by Hard Rock hotel from…
Breaking: Hemmer will not fight OLF 8 deal
Beulah Town Center, LLC sent a brief letter to the Escambia County Commission today ahead of the Commission’s planned discussion of OLF 8 on June…
Breaking: DeSantis names Stasi Education Commissioner
As I reported on May 19, Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas the new Florida Commissioner of Education. Official Announcement TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor…
Presser Takeaways: Shelters, Childcare, Baptist showdown
Mayor D.C. Reeves covered a wide range of pressing issues facing the City of Pensacola, from homeless shelters to major infrastructure projects and community development…
Podcast: What are the Clerk’s secret rules?
Pensacola’s vital tourism industry faces an unprecedented crisis as over $2.5 million in marketing bills remain unpaid, threatening to derail the county’s economic engine during…
Breaking: Pensacola mayor endorses Byron Donalds for governor
At his weekly press conference, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves officially endorsed Congressman Byron Donalds for governor, adding another high-profile endorsement to Donalds’ campaign that already…
Podcast: OLF 8 Development Deal Finally Within Reach
The piece of property that could define Escambia County’s economic future for generations is finally moving toward development. After years of negotiations, stops and starts,…
Daily Outtakes: What happens if tourism marketing halts
Florida could lose $37 billion in economic impact and 682,000 jobs if proposed legislation redirecting tourism marketing funds becomes law, according to a new analysis…
UWF team develops how to analyze security levels of apps
A team from the University of West Florida has developed groundbreaking software that could revolutionize how we evaluate app security. Dr. Hossain Shahriar, associate director…
Hofberger TDT flyers do not match Florida statute
Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger’s “Tourist Dollars At Work” and “Prohibited Uses of TDT Funds” flyers are supposedly based on “Florida Statute 125.0104. The commissioner said the…
Escambia BCC considers adding EMS staff to meet demand
The Escambia County Board of Commissioners (BCC) will consider a significant expansion of Emergency Medical Services at its June 5 meeting, adding 11 new full-time…
Does Ono contract foretell UWF offer to Diaz?
On June 12, Rebecca Matthews, chair of the University of West Florida Board of Trustees, is expected to present to the board a compensation agreement…
BCC considers $42.5M deal for OLF-8
On Thursday, the Escambia County Commission will consider selling the 541 acres of OLF-8 for $42.5 million to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises…
Where have the internal auditors gone?
Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers’ much-publicized Office of Independent Internal Audit (OIIA) has lost John Greene, her Chief Audit Executive, and his right-hand CPA, Scott…
Daily Outtakes: How to ground Escambia’s tourism to a halt
In the hallways of the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, between cold beers at Intermission across the street, over Bushwackers at the Sandshaker, and even…
History of Showcase Pensacola, How much Childers is withholding
Why was Showcase Pensacola formed? In 2012, Visit Pensacola was the tourism arm of the Greater Pensacola Chamber, which hired the Nashville, TN-based BOHAN Advertising…
Top Stories for the week ended May 31, 2025
Readers found State Rep. Michelle Salzman’s viewpoint in the PNJ supporting new UWF president Manny Diaz less than 24 hours after the Board of Trustees…
‘Gentleman Warrior’ Thrasher dies
Former Florida State University President and House Speaker John Thrasher died Friday at age 81 after battling cancer. The Republican served over three decades in…
PNS joins the Global Movement for Inclusive Travel
Traveling can be challenging for people with non-visible disabilities – those living with conditions like autism, chronic pain, anxiety, or hearing impairments that aren’t immediately…
