The Florida Department of Health has issued a health advisory pertaining to the fire at an Escambia County landfill. Here is the DOH press release: HEALTH ADVISORY – ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA RESIDENTS…
Category: Escambia County
Touart predecessor in running for Walton County job
Robert T. Halfhill served as interim Escambia County Administrator for sixteen months, from December 4, 2001 until April 21, 2002. One April 22, Touart took over and had one of the longest…
Video: Hot Stove Politics in Escambia and Pensacola
On Jan. 8, I was invited to sit in with attorney Bill Rankin on his television show “Within Reason.” Segment One – Ernie Lee Magaha handing out bonuses and pay raises to…
Library Focus Groups
Escambia County press release: The West Florida Public Library System is looking for individuals interested in participating in focus groups to help shape the future of libraries in Escambia County and the…
The escalating violence in crimes committed in Pensacola is troubling
The violent crime in Pensacola is escalating to a much more dangerous level. In 2009, I was writing about drive-by shootings. Shots were fired over crowds, few people were injured. In 2010…
Buybacks and a Floating Holiday
The Escambia County Commission paved the way this morning for county employees to buyback accrued leave time and also approved a “floating holiday,†which this year will fall on New Year’s Eve….
County Looks for Lorax
Escambia County needs someone to represent environmental concerns on an advisory committee being formed to prioritize uses for the expected RESTORE Act money. The county commission is forming a RESTORE Act advisory…
The Discussion Will Not Be Televised
The Escambia County Commission is holding a special meeting Thursday to discuss the specifics of the employee-leave buyout voted on last week, as well as the possibility of a “floating holiday†for…
Big Deal at the Airport
A big deal is brewing at the Pensacola International Airport. While local officials have kept the lid on the details fairly tight, it appears something is in the works. During last night’s…
Easy decision: Give county employees Dec. 31 off
The Escambia County commissioners debated yesterday how to live up to the old commission’s vote (i.e. Gene Valentino, Wilson Robertson and Kevin White) to give all county employees a three-percent raise. “Crazy…
Buzz: Touart and pals do not want a citizen advisory committee on BP millions
There has been a persistent rumor that interim George Touart and his supporters (both on and off the county commission) don’t want to have a citizen advisory committee reviewing how Escambia County…
New Kids on the Block
Escambia County’s two new commissioners are forgoing any honeymoon. From the get-go, their voices have become pivotal in weighty conversations. During their initial meeting last week, commissioners Lumon May (District 3) and…
Wilson’s Town Hall
Escambia County Commissioner Wilson Robertson will host a town hall meeting tomorrow night. The meeting will include a discussion about the upcoming Merlin Road drainage project and will conclude with an open…
A Building Named Ernie Lee
The Escambia County downtown complex was renamed yesterday. It is now the Ernie Lee Magaha Governmental Complex. During an afternoon ceremony, a crowd of about 100 people stood in front of the…
Touart’s Reception
The couple of dozen people that showed up at the Escambia County Commission’s public forum Thursday afternoon to voice their dissatisfaction at the hiring of George Touart as interim county administrator had…
Escambia’s RESTORE Rethink
Though it wasn’t on this morning’s agenda, the post-November incarnation of the Escambia County Commission–officially meeting for the first time–began discussing the “revamping” of the yet-to-be-formed RESTORE Act advisory committee. “I have…
BTW: Florida has one of the worse high school graduation rates in the country
The U.S. Department of Education released data last week listing state four-year high school graduation rates in 2010-11—the first year for which all states used a common, rigorous measure. Prior to the…
Touart protest is not going away
Some citizens still aren’t happy about the lame duck Escambia County Commission hiring George Touart as the interim county administrator. They plan further protests. I got the following email this morning: A…
County Considers Settlement Over Accident
Escambia County commissioners will consider this week if the county should settle with a woman who was involved in an accident with a county vehicle. In June 2011, Sharmaine Dixon was driving…
Magaha Governmental Complex
Escambia County’s downtown complex will be formally unveiled this week as the Ernie Lee Magaha Governmental Complex. A ceremony will be held Thursday at 3 p.m., prior to the public forum and…
