By Ryan Dailey, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Calling it a move toward “universal choice,” House Speaker Paul Renner on Thursday announced a proposal that would make every student in…
Real News: Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023
Commissioner Robert Bender discusses the Florida’s Auditor General’s preliminary findings of its operational audit of the Tourist Development Tax collections. The search warrant of Moscow Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger’s Pullman, Washington…
Another Escambia County Fire Rescue statewide honor
ECFR’s Joel Richardson Named FFCA Instructor of the Year Escambia County Fire Rescue is pleased to announce that Captain Joel Richardson has been named the 2022 Instructor of the Year by the…
UWF announces $250k gift to name undergraduate communication program
Pensacola, Fla. – The University of West Florida announced a $250,000 gift from Rhonda and Jerry Maygarden to the Maygarden Family Scholarship Endowment at the UWF Foundation and to name the Jerry…
Miraflores Burial Ground Study group announced
Mayor D.C. Reeves has selected 10 individuals to serve as the Miraflores Burial Ground Study Community Advisory Group, which will assist the City of Pensacola in the assessment and future commemoration of…
Real News: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023
Escambia School Superintendent Tim Smiths discusses the drop in graduation rates and the challenges facing children in the post-pandemic world. SNAP (Stop Now and Plan) is a life-changing offered by Lutheran Services…
Podcast: Japanese New Year Celebration
The Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida (JAS) will usher in the “Year of the Rabbit” with its 29th annual Japanese New Year Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Wright Place in…
Auditor releases preliminary findings on TDC collections
Florida’s Auditor General has sent the Escambia Board of County Commissioners (BCC) three preliminary and tentative audit findings with recommendations that may be included in its report on its operational audit of…
Mobile, Ala. has lowest life expectancy
According to MoneyGeek, life expectancy at birth in the United States has experienced a significant decline in recent years, dropping from 77 to 76.1 from 2020 to 2021, the lowest level since…
Progress reports to measure schools
A Senate panel on Tuesday reviewed some of the early results of a new “progress monitoring” system of student assessments in public schools. Lawmakers last year passed a measure (SB 1048) that…
Zip Codes, Pockets of Poverty, School Grades: Go where the need exists
Earlier this month, I recommended that Escambia Children’s Trust target the pockets of poverty for its funds. School Board member Kevin Adams shared on WCOA that he’s concerned about the county’s lowest-performing…
Real News: Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2023
We Are Perdido is holding a neighborhood meeting to discuss incorporating the Perdido area. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 23, at Liberty Church, 2221 S. Blue…
DeSantis targets prescription drug ‘middlemen’
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Calling for “long overdue reforms,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday outlined proposed legislation that would target pharmacy benefit managers to try to…
Southwest takes action to improve
During the holidays, Southwest Airlines had a major meltdown as the winter forced several cancellations. This is the letter CEO/President Bob Jordan to Southwest customers: During the week between Christmas and New…
Before you blame Tim Smith for graduation rate
Escambia County’s 2021-22 high school graduation rate was 78.4%. Some want to blame School Superintendent Tim Smith, but the class of 2022 spent the majority of public education under Superintendent Malcolm Thomas…
Santa Rosa Education Foundation receives grant
Santa Rosa Education Foundation, a local nonprofit that supports education in Santa Rosa School District, today announced it has received a grant for $15,000 as part of a two-year $500,000 grant from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation…
Real News: Monday, Jan. 16, 2023
Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler discusses the Living the Dream celebration and the issues in District 2. Escambia County School Board School Board Member Kevin Adams shares his concerns about keeping the…
Perdido looking at incorporation
The media and residents of Perdido are invited to join We Are Perdido on Monday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. for the first neighborhood meeting about the possibility of incorporating as a…
Nearly a third of Escambia Black students failed to graduate on time
Graduation rates in Escambia County fell last year, bucking the statewide trend, according to newly released data from the Florida Department of Education. Even more troubling, only 67.4% of Escambia County’s Black…
DIB Board Vacancy
Mayor D.C. Reeves is accepting applications to be considered for a vacant position on the Downtown Improvement Board. Qualified individuals interested in serving on the DIB must fill out an online application…