Viewpoint: Jail transfer negotiations should be open to public

We are hearing that today’s meeting between Interim County Administrator George Touart and Chief Deputy Eric Haines and their staffs didn’t go well. We have…

Continue Reading

Search, Sound also covered at BCC meeting

By Brandy Volovecky The search for a new Escambia County Administrator has begun anew. The Escambia County Board of Commissioners passed a motion reopening the…

Continue Reading

Sheriff Morgan willing to delay jail transfer until Oct. 1, 2014

Sheriff David Morgan has to offered to delay transferring the county jail to the Board of County Commissioners for an year—until Oct. 1, 2014. Clearly…

Continue Reading

Sheriff Morgan names Haines Chief Deputy, promotes Yuhasz to commander

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has announced the promotion of Senior Commander Eric Haines to Chief Deputy effective July 20. Haines has been employed at…

Continue Reading

Jail transfer is anything but smooth (video)

At the Committee of Whole meeting on July 18, Interim County Administrator George Touart gave his first written weekly report on the jail transition–nearly month…

Continue Reading

Mr. Outzen video, just when you thought it could not get crazier

At the Escambia County Commission’s Committee of the Whole meeting on July 18, Chairman Gene Valentino demanded that I show myself in commission chambers. He…

Continue Reading

Mr. Outzen, come and defend yourself…another bizarre chapter in Escambia County folklore

Just when we thought county government couldn’t get any more bizarre, Escambia County Commissioner Chairman Gene Valentino called me out yesterday afternoon during the board’s…

Continue Reading

Oh, and about the county privatizing jail medical services

Sheriff David Morgan shared this email exchange regarding the rumor that George Touart was working a backroom deal to bring back Armour to handle medical…

Continue Reading

Mythology of George Touart. He was not that great

Today the Board of County Commissioners will decide if George Touart will be given a contract to become the full-time county administrator. Touart didn’t finished…

Continue Reading

Stand Down, Mr. LeRoy or how Valentino broke his gavel

I’ve heard repeatedly about Commissioner Gene Valentino breaking his gavel last week when he got upset with a citizen addressing the board. Admiral Leroy knows…

Continue Reading

George’s version of the truth

For $50, I got five DVDs of the Escambia County BCC Budget workshops. The videos show some troubling inconsistencies regarding the County’s takeover of the…

Continue Reading

Jail death this morning, no foul play expected

The Medical Examiner’s Office is currently investigating a death in the Escambia County Jail Central Booking Division. Richard Craig Adams Jr., age 47, had been…

Continue Reading

More video on George Touart’s application for county administrator

Interim County Administrator George Touart used his position to campaign publicly before all the commissioners to sell why he should be given the job full-time….

Continue Reading

Sheriff’s Office responds on its internal service fund

Gerald Champagne, the attorney for the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, has sent County Attorney Alison Perdue a letter concerning Interim County Administrator George Touart’s recommendation…

Continue Reading

Grover and Wilson took off the gloves (video)

You have to see this YouTube video on last night’s meetings. Commissioners Wilson Robertson and Gene Valentino are getting more upset when it anyone challenges…

Continue Reading

We found why Valentino and Touart have attacked Sheriff and DOJ so vigorously

Escambia County Commission Chairman Gene Valentino and Interim County Administrator have it in for Sheriff David Morgan. In open meetings they have repeatedly cast doubts…

Continue Reading

County replies. ‘Test’ email was not a plot to circumvent the law

Assistant County Administrator Larry Newsom has responded to Douglas Underhill’s email that was published on this blog yesterday. Newsom explains that the emails, highlighted by…

Continue Reading

Raises still possible for county employees

By Brandy Volovecky The Escambia County Commission completed the first day in its two-day Committee of the Whole Budget Workshop on Tuesday July 9. Interim…

Continue Reading

Sheriff’s medical services for jail approved for continued accreditation

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care has voted to continue accreditation the Sheriff’s medical services at the county jail. There are 35 essential standards,…

Continue Reading

Perdido Key Master Plan Meetings

The first of two public meetings on the Perdido Key Master Plan will take place Wednesday night. Escambia County Development Services is hosting the meetings….

Continue Reading