In 2015, we noticed the rising number of deaths in the Escambia County Jail since the county had taken control of the facility and since the jail explosion. From Nov. 1, 2014,…
Top Reads: Week Ended Nov. 22, 2025
The local economy trended this week. Shipbuilding City On Monday, we broke the news that the City of Pensacola has applied to Triumph Gulf Coast seeking $86 million to help finance construction…
Breaking: Manny Diaz Named Sole Finalist for UWF President
The University of West Florida has narrowed its presidential search to a single candidate: the man who’s already been doing the job, according to a press release sent before Saturday noon. UWF’s…
This Week in Pensacola: Audio Version
I stepped up my podcast interviews this past week, and both the individual episodes and the reels performed well. I have put together the interviews into one long-form audio version. The interviews…
IHMC Unveils Alex: Pensacola’s Next-Generation Robot
The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition is taking its robotics research out of the lab and into the real world with Alex, a newly developed humanoid robot designed for extreme…
State Rep. Andrade Pushes Bill to Force Government Compliance with Public Record Requests
State Representative Alex Andrade is taking aim at Florida’s public records problem with HB 436, legislation designed to compel government agencies to comply in good faith with transparency laws. The bill comes…
Gaetz Targets School Voucher Flaws with Accountability Bill
—Major reforms proposed after audit reveals state can’t locate 30,000 scholarship students— Senator Don Gaetz filed legislation today to restructure how Florida funds and tracks its Family Empowerment Scholarship programs, responding to…
StudioAmped Band Wins CMA Vocal Group of the Year
The Red Clay Strays from Mobile, Alabama, won “Vocal Group of the Year” at the 2025 CMA Awards. Last year, they won the “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the 2024 Americana…
Exclusive: Studer Palafox Assistance Program
—Studer Establishes Interest-Free Loan Program for Businesses Impacted by Palafox Construction— Quint Studer is setting up an interest-free loan program to help downtown Pensacola businesses impacted by the upcoming Reimagine Palafox street…
All I Want Campaign Starts Strong
“All I Want” Holiday Promotion is having a great start for the first two weeks with $24,000 in receipts submitted, according to DIB Executive Director Walker Wilson. All I Want runs through…
FPL Bills Will Drop Here, for a year
Immediate Impact: For typical residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours monthly: Northwest Florida (former Gulf Power area): Bills actually decrease from $143.60 to $141.36 in 2026 Bills are going up in other…
Achieve Escambia & the Uncomfortable Question Pensacola Must Answer
Achieve Escambia has quietly shut down its nonprofit and has asked United Way of West Florida to take over the initiative. And if you’re wondering what we learned from this expensive, well-intentioned…
United Way Launches Emergency Relief Fund for Families
As Northwest Florida begins to recover from the recent federal government shutdown, United Way of West Florida has stepped up to address a growing crisis facing local families struggling with delayed SNAP…
African American Heritage Society Celebrated its 35th Anniversary in Style
A sold-out crowd of 200 attended the African American Heritage Society‘s black tie affair, which was dedicated to the late Dr. Christine B.J. Fulwylie, a co-founder and founding president of AAHS. Organizers…
Florida’s School Choice Expansion Collides with Funding Reality
— New Audit Reveals $398 Million Shortfall— Florida’s expansion of school choice programs has left the state nearly $400 million short and school districts scrambling for fund during the 2024-25 school year,…
Pensacola Shipbuilder Patti Marine Expands
Shipbuilding has been part of Pensacola’s economy for centuries. Patti Marine has completed construction of an 800-ton dry dock, which was funded with a matching $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department…
Former UWF VP Named St. Cloud State President
Dr. Gregory Tomso, who has been on sabbatical leave from his job as the University of West Florida’s vice president of Academic Engagement and Student Affairs, has been named the 26th president…
My interview with Wilmer Mitchell
Attorney and business leader Wilmer Mitchell passed away last week. Wilmer was one of my “windows” into Pensacola’s history. We would have lunch at Apple Annie’s, and Wilmer would regale me with…
UWF Business 2025 HOF Class Inducted
The University of West Florida Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business inducted its 2025 Hall of Fame class on Nov. 17 at the UWF Conference Center. “The Lewis Bear Jr. College of…
When “I Do” Means “I Can’t Escape”: The Child Marriage Crisis That Shocked Florida
—Podcast: Ryan Wiggins on a Legislative Battle That Should Never Have Been— Between 2000 and 2015, Florida was the child marriage capital of the South. Over 16,000 children—some as young as 10…
