Despite concerns about what might eventually be developed on the site, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority voted this afternoon to take the next step toward selling its 19-acres of prime downtown…
Category: Escambia County
IN cover #4: Get Out of Jail Free
This story by Jesse Farthing was largely ignored by mainstream media. An inmate at the Escambia County Work Release Facility checked himself out of lock-up every day to go to a job…
Outtakes #5: How Do You Like Us Now
Last year, Escambia County Commissioner Wilson Robertson blasted the local media declaring we were the worst enemy of the county. Most of his ire was directed at the Pensacola News Journal for…
News story #6: Into the Sunshine
The control over Escambia County’s tourism marketing and its $5.5 million was moved this fall out of the Greater Pensacola Chamber and into the hands of Visit Pensacola, Inc.–an independent non-profit formed…
December timeline for ST Aerospace MOU
I thought it might be helpful to have a timeline of this month’s events regarding the MOU with ST Aerospace. The sequence of press releases and statements made to the media is…
Escambia County will discuss ST Aerospace in January, City says it has a Plan B
The County has said they will discuss ST Aerospace in January. Meanwhile Tamara Fountain, the mayor’s spokesperson, told Pensacola Digest: “Of course we are still hoping that the county wants to participate….
Stephanie George gets sentence commuted by Obama
Pensacola native Stephanie George was sentenced in 1997 to a mandatory life sentence when police found drugs in a lockbox in her attic. The drugs were her ex-boyfriend’s who testified against her…
DOJ sends County settlement agreement on jail
The Department of Justice has sent Escambia County its settlement agreement regarding the Escambia County Jail. Brief History: DOJ finished its five-year of investigation of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the…
County and City Council: “We have no idea what is going on”
I had a conference phone call this morning with Interim County Administrator George Touart and past Pensacola City Council President P.C. Wu about Mayor Ashton Hayward’s announcement that he signed yesterday a…
Mayor surprises County on ST Aerospace announcement
Yesterday at 6 p.m. Hayward issued the following statement: “Today Mayor Hayward signed a Memorandum of Understanding between ST Aerospace, Mobile, Inc. and the City of Pensacola. The non-binding MOU is the…
Grover tops campaign fundraising for second consecutive month
Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson (R-District 4) raised in November the most of any local candidate–$18,075. Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward was second ($3,550) and School Board candidate (District 3 race) Sabrina Wallace-Jordan…
Study says Escambia County is the 13th worse election offender
Escambia County Election Supervisor David Stafford questions validity of recent report that ranks his office as the 13th worse “election offender” in Florida. The Democrat-leaning Center for American Progress Action Fund issued…
Weekend Buzz: Wilson, new TDC head, Fish House lawsuit and laughing at Hayward
Touart Decision Aftermath Commissioner Wilson Robertson wasn’t too happy about the 3-2 vote to remove George Touart from the list of candidates to be considered for the county administrator’s job. He openly…
Walton County TDC has BP gift card issue, too
One of my favorite investigative reporters, Tom McLaughlin with the Fort Walton Daily News, reports today that auditors found the Walton County TDC had “inadequate” controls that prevented completely accounting for $121,000…
Mayor takes communications adminstrator with him to Germany
The Northwest Florida Daily News listed yesterday some members of the 35-person delegation headed to Germany in hopes of landing companies in the supply chain for the Airbus assembly plant being built…
Commission agenda review notes
Escambia County Clerk of Courts Pam Childers has told the Board of County Commissioners that she has heard from the federal government that the BP RESTORE funds could start being dispersed to…
Escambia County State Legislative Delegation sets date for hearing on local bills for Jan. 21
The Escambia County State Legislative Delegation will a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014 from 5-7 p.m. at the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, located at 1000 College Blvd. in…
Game of Thrones, Escamiba County edition debuts today
Today the Escambia County Commission will discuss, possibly as early as this morning, who will be the next county administrator. Here is the list: Vincent Akhimie, Lakeland, FL – Management Consultant Peter…
Weekend Buzz: Possible indictment, another town hall and fundraisers
Are the Feds about to indict a local elected official? That is the rumor that has dominated county politics over the Thanksgiving weekend. The daily newspaper has been calling county commissioners. INweekly…
Passing of the gavel at Escambia County Commission meeting had humor and gratitude
A standing room-only crowd packed the commission chambers to see the gavel passed from outgoing chairman Gene Valentino and his successor Lumon May. May took the opportunity to both honor and poke…
