Nearly four months after a long-delayed confirmation by the state Senate, Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch left the office last week.
Shooting Victim Identified; Suspects Still At-Large
PPD names the victim as Philip “PJ” Sheppard, says 2+ weapons were fired in the downtown shooting tied to an ongoing feud. Curfew talk continues.
227-Unit Apartment Complex Next to Veterans Park Challenged
Neighbors sued the city over Helm at Hawkshaw’s approval. Major differences between 2017 & 2026 designs. Planning Board has to redo it. Rehearing Tues, 2 p.m.
WUWF Loses Director, Is NPR Next?
WUWF’s exec director just quit for Ohio. The same UWF trustees who watched WSRE dump PBS now oversee NPR’s future here, too.
Press Conference Today on Targeted Downtown Pensacola Shooting
Winstrom briefs media Monday 11am on targeted downtown shooting that killed a teen, wounded 6. Curfew now on the table. Full story on ricksblog.biz.
UPDATE: Mass Shooting Downtown Pensacola: Six injured, One Dead
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Chief Says Downtown Shooting That Killed 19-Year-Old Was Targeted; Six Others Wounded Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom says at least one gunman opened fire on a crowded block of…
Grassroots Charity Raise $$$ for Mental Health Effort
He lost a friend to suicide. Now Ryan Goldberg’s Campfire Fund has put 80 people through therapy — and it’s throwing a bash July 11
City’s 311 tests AI Customer Service with Penny
Pensacola’s 311 is getting an AI assistant named Penny. Who’s really behind her, and what’s the cost to taxpayers? Full story on ricksblog.biz
Meet Pensacola State College’s Next Prez
I don’t know who Zach Smith will pick as the next president of Pensacola State College, but the last three Education Commissioners have been chosen for similar positions: Richard Corcoran—New College of…
Florida Humanties Skips Over WF Public Libraries
Santa Rosa Co. got $4,500 in America 250 book grants. Escambia’s WFPL got $0—as its qualification crisis raises questions why.
Gotcha or Notcha on Data Centers. You Decide
Same emails, two very different stories: Did Kohler secretly push a data center he later opposed — or was it always just a battery factory? You decide.
ALICE Still Lives in Escambia County
Community & Economy Half Our Neighbors Are One Car Repair Away From Crisis United Way’s ALICE Report shows nearly 50% of Escambia and Santa Rosa households are working hard and still falling…
South Navy Blvd Project Survives Veto; Public Safety Not So Much
Commissioner Mike Kolher’s South Navy Blvd Project funded, but DeSantis vetoed Salzman’s $2.4M public safety items requested by Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger.
Escambia Public Schools Show Marked Improvement
FL hits 60%+ proficiency in reading & math for the first time ever. Escambia’s middle schools are improving even faster.
County Publishes Meeting Schedule Sans Library Board
Moreno left the library board’s special meeting request off this week’s calendar—pushing BOG oversight to September, after the budget’s set.
Pennies for Progress & LOST Renewal
If Escambia voters reject the LOST renewal in November, the $5M jail bond payment doesn’t disappear—it shifts straight to your property taxes.
Top Posts for the Week Ended June 26
Escambia politics boil over: Moreno’s library power grab, Childers’ $50 settlement offer, Gaetz joins Triumph Board. The receipts are in. Read more.
iHeartMedia, owner TK101, Dumps On-air Talent Nationwide
News outlets are reporting that iHeartMedia, owner of the popular TK101, has laid off on-air talent nationwide as the company restructures its radio programming. Some have reported as many as 1,200 staff…
Vouchers, Florida Tax Questions Change School Bond Outlook to Negative
Fitch just put Escambia schools on Negative Outlook—reserves below the safe line. It’s the preview of what the property tax amendment could do countywide.
Crickets from Escambia County Administration on WFPL ask
Wall demanded answers and a special meeting by July 1. Three days later, Moreno and Bell-Rivera have given him neither. The silence speaks for itself.