Daily Outtakes: 14 families get affordable homes

This week, Escambia County and Pensacola Habitat for Humanity hosted ribbon cuttings to celebrate 14 new affordable homes, as part of a partnership between Escambia…

Continue Reading

Salzman’s Mental Health (Task Force) Reconvenes

The Mental Health Task Force of Northwest Florida will convene noon on Friday at Pensacola Christian College, 250 Brent Lane, for its quarterly meeting. It…

Continue Reading

Do We Need to Resurrect Underage Drinking Task Force?

The recent decision by NAS Pensacola to place two local establishments off-limits to military personnel has brought renewed attention to a long-standing challenge in military…

Continue Reading

County Commission to Consider $318K in Retirement Costs for Officials

Escambia County commissioners will vote tonight on authorizing over $318,000 in back retirement contributions for Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender and Commissioner Steven Barry, stemming…

Continue Reading

Foo Foo releases 2025 Event Schedule

The Pensacola Foo Foo Festival Committee announces the launch of the 2025 Foo Foo Festival website, detailing the day-by-day calendar of events for the 12th…

Continue Reading

BCC, Clerk may finally resolve FRS dispute

Fifteen months after Judge William Stone ruled that Escambia County Commissioners cannot legally participate in the County’s Local 401a Retirement Plan instead of the Florida…

Continue Reading

More on Mystery Poll Bashing Mayor D.C. Reeves

Readers have sent us more information about the anonymous poll targeting Pensacola Mayor Reeves. One individual shared the telephone number of the pollster, (850)-350-5802, but…

Continue Reading

‘Biting the Hand That Feeds You:’ Sheriff Simmons Calls Out ICE’s Deputy Recruitment Tactics

A troubling development in federal-local law enforcement cooperation has caught the attention of Florida sheriffs. Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons spoke openly yesterday about what…

Continue Reading

Daily Outtakes: Superintendent sees tax increase as an investment in children

Last week’s special school board meeting wasn’t easy for anyone involved. Escambia County School Superintendent Keith Leonard knows that proposing a tax increase is never…

Continue Reading

Salzman sics Florida DOGE on Escambia County, Children’s Trust, Public Schools

State Rep. Michelle Salzman has asked Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia to audit Escambia County, paying close attention to…

Continue Reading

Top 10 Stories of July 2025

Even though the post was up less than 24 hours, the article on University of West Florida General Counsel Susan Woolf being fired drew the…

Continue Reading
Lego Wonder Woman

R.I.P Office of Independent Internal Audit

The once-touted Office of Independent Internal Audit (OIIA) and its publicized policy manual have disappeared from Clerk Pam Childers’ website. Background: Last summer, Childers launched…

Continue Reading

By the Numbers: City District 6 has lost 1,600 Black voters since 2012

The News Journal’s analysis of the chaotic Fricker Center town hall prompted me to examine the City of Pensacola’s voter registration statistics. In our archives,…

Continue Reading

Land Exchange Closes Fire Safety Gap

When the Paradise Beach fire station closed its doors in 2018, area residents faced the troubling reality that their nearest emergency response would be miles…

Continue Reading

Top Reads: Week Ended July 26, 2026

By far, the story receiving the most attention was my exclusive interview with Dr. Martha Saunders. Mayor D.C. Reeves had a rough week—the curbside recycling…

Continue Reading

Jesse Casey passes away

General contractor and frequent county commission candidate Jesse Casey passed away suddenly due to complications caused by gallstones. The Republican first filed to run for…

Continue Reading
laughter

What, what? PNJ reports funding pulled for Galvez Landing

This popped up on my feed: Escambia postpones Galvez Landing project, opts to fund Perdido Key beach access instead Pensacola News Journal Escambia County initially…

Continue Reading

County’s Summer Youth Employment Program Celebrates Another Year

Last week, Escambia County concluded another transformative cycle of its Summer Youth Employment Program, offering over 200 local youth invaluable work experience and career development…

Continue Reading

Jeremy Cassidy and the Power of One Moment

Earlier this week, I talked with Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons about retired deputy Jeremy Cassady, who passed away last week and will be buried…

Continue Reading

Deputy Jeremy Cassidy’s Unwavering Decision

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jeremy Cassady, 50, passed away last week, after a long battle with cancer that his family and colleagues believe was…

Continue Reading