Category: Education
Oops, Somerset Didn’t Know Diaz Only Wanted A Pilot
Somerset Academy’s Board of Directors approved on Oct. 14 to open a private school on the University of West Florida campus in January 2026, according…
Gaetz’s Major School Choice Reform Bill Passes
Legislation aims to fix “whatever could go wrong has gone wrong” problems plaguing scholarship programs. The Florida Senate unanimously passed sweeping school choice reform legislation…
UWF School Pilot Program: Benefit, Not Charter?
The University of West Florida Board of Trustees, maybe unknowingly, has entered into a licensing agreement with Somerset Academy, Inc. to operate an educational facility…
Children’s Trust Moves Toward Settlement with City Over CRA Tax Dispute
The Escambia Children’s Trust board moved closer to resolving a longstanding CRA funds dispute with the City of Pensacola during discussions at their recent meeting,…
Trust Cites Several Breaches with New World Believers
Last night, the Escambia Children’s Trust’s executive director explained to her board of directors why she suspended funding to New World Believers’ H.O.O.P.S. (Healthy Opportunities…
Escambia County’s Graduation Rate Jumped
Escambia County’s graduation rate jumped over five percentage points for the 2024-25 school year: 2021-22: 78.4% 2022-23: 80.5% 2023-24: 84.2% 2024-25: 89.5% The state average…
Children’s Trust Suspends New World Believers Grant
The Escambia Children’s Trust has suspended its grant to New World Believers, Inc. for its mental health program, Healthy Opportunities and Options Promoting Success. (H.O.O.P.S.)…
UWF Gets New Trustee from Destin
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced an appointment and reappointment to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. The appointments are subject to confirmation…
Four Locals Appointed to Pensacola State College Board
Yesterday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Richard Holzknecht, Todd Leonard, and Audrey McDonald and the reappointment of Dr. Troy Tippett to the Pensacola…
Diaz OK’d for University of West Florida President
By Jim Turner, News Service of Florida The University of West Florida Board of Trustees this morning approved former state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.,…
UWF Interim President Diaz Offered $162K More Than Saunders
Late Monday afternoon, the University of West Florida Board of Trustees (BOT) Chair Rachel Matthews had staff post the supporting documents on the board’s website…
Departing UWF Trustee Calls for Unity as Another Letter Raises Serious Questions About Presidential Selection
Pressure mounts as the University of West Florida Board of Trustees prepares to confirm Manny Diaz Jr. as its next president on Thursday, Jan. 8….
UWF Women’s Basketball Charging Toward Tournament Play
Argos Sitting at 10-4, Tied for Second in Highly Competitive Conference — The University of West Florida women’s basketball team has reached the midpoint of…
New Era for Port of Pensacola Officially Begins Tomorrow
Tomorrow’s ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. will formalize what Mayor D.C. Reeves calls years in the making—a $20 million, 56,000 square foot Center for Maritime…
Formal Complaint Calls For Matthews’ Resignation; Diaz’s Disqualification
The community has noticed irregularities in the governance of the University of West Florida and has begun to push back. A detailed complaint has been…
Concerned Argos Question UWF President’s Charter School Ties
A letter submitted to the Florida Auditor General raises serious questions about UWF Interim President Manny Diaz’s connections to the charter school industry and his…
Why Sources Trust Us: The Major Stories We Broke in 2025
When I started my newspaper 27 years ago, I talked with publishers, editors and reporters with successful alt-weekly newspapers around the country. They said that…
Top News Stories: Week Ended 12/20/25
Weekend Buzz: One Energy Place for Sale – Rick’s Blog Florida Power & Light wants to unload Gulf Power’s HQ—another sign of Pensacola’s business community…
Weekend Buzz: Florida DOGE Coming for School Districts
—Florida CFO Targets School Districts, Claims They’re “Most Wasteful Spenders”— At a press conference in Winter Park on Thursday, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia…
Children’s Museum reopens Saturday, honors Rev. Theo May
On Dec. 20, the Pensacola Children’s Museum will reopen to the public with a new exhibit, “Our Town: A Space for All,” featuring historic businesses…
