Greg Urban, owner of Wild Greg’s Saloon, has a plan to bring back Gallery Nights to downtown Pensacola after the Downtown Improvement Board ends its sponsorship of the program in September. “As…
Boyd Forum: Citizens admonish empty chairs of MIA Pensacola mayor and administrator
Several citizens appeared the Boyd Forum held at the beginning of the Pensacola City Council on Thursday, May 12. Many wore red bands on their arms in support of Fire Chief Matt…
Pensacola City Hall adds more files to ‘Transparent’ page on fire chiefs
On Tuesday, May 10, when the mayor’s office published the mayor’s decision to terminate Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover, the city posted the investigative reported prepared…
State Weekly Roundup: Waiting to inhale
By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, it’s getting easier to be green in Florida. With more than 3,000 people descending on Central…
Podcast: Second Annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival
Robert Turbin, Escambia County Marine Resources Division Manager , discusses this weekend’s Second Annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day Festival on News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks.” Here is this press release…
Olson skips public forum, defends Allen during his monthly report
City Administrator Eric Olson avoided the public by not showing up for the Pensacola City Council meeting until after the Boyd Forum. Several people in crowd, mostly supporters of the recently fired…
Kaylen Findley named SR Rookie Teacher of the Year
The Santa Rosa Education Foundation announced Kaylen Findley, a 7th-12th grade Agriculture teacher at Jay High School, as the 2016 Santa Rosa Rookie of the Year during their Rookie of the Year…
Hmmm, Florida Board of Governors weighs president search rule
By BRANDON LARRABEE THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA The Florida Board of Governors has taken the first steps toward approving a standard search process for university presidents, with a final vote on…
Pensacola Speaks: Beyond Integration, The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 1960-1980
On News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks,” I will open the show with Dr. Michael Butler. His latest book is “Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 1960-1980.” We…
Inside Fire Chiefs Report: Deas complaint, failed to follow union grievance process
Chief Human Resources Office Ed Sisson complained, “Schmitt and Glover intentionally and deceptively severely retaliated against Edward Deas, an African-American Fire Lieutenant, merely because Deas made a written complaint about Glover.” This has…
Inside Fire Chiefs Report: Drug test, questioned but taken, nothing improper found
Chief Human Resource Officer Ed Sisson also complained that “Glover improperly tried to obstruct a random drug test.” Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle did not find that the Deputy Fire…
Inside the Fire Chiefs Report: Sisson upset about dinner remarks, really?
Chief Human Resource Officer Ed Sisson claimed that Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover publicly demeaned him during the Firefighters Annual Awards ceremony Beggs & Lane attorney Russell Van Sickle wrote on the…
Inside Fire Chiefs Investigation: Battalion chief raises, ‘blame to go around to all’
Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson complained that “(Deputy Fire Chief) Glover and (Fire Chief) Schmitt handled raise requests for the battalion chiefs poorly, and then improperly tried to place the blame…
White, Williamson rake in cash for House races
With two House seats opened up in Northwest Florida, Republicans Jayer Williamson and Frank White have quickly moved to raise campaign cash, newly filed finance reports show. Williamson, a Santa Rosa County…
Inside Pensacola Fire Chiefs Report: Apprenticeship and BMW complaint ruled unfounded
Among Chief Human Resources Officer Ed Sisson’s six complaints was an allegation about Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover and the Fire Apprenticeship Program: “Glover poorly managed a “Firefighter Apprenticeship Program,†unnecessarily antagonizing…
Inside Pensacola Fire Chiefs report: Jan 2016 was first time PFD handled hiring process without HR, but given no written protocols
Last night, I reviewed Exhibit VII that supports the section of Russell Van Sickles’ report regarding the first of six complaints that Chief Human Resource Officer Ed Sisson filed in late January…
Podcast: Bergosh praises Newpoint whistleblower
On Tuesday, Escambia County School Board member Jeff Bergosh appeared on News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks” to discuss the recent indictment of Newpoint Education Partners, the company that ran the Pensacola…
Pensacola council president wants council to discuss fire chiefs with mayor
Pensacola City Council President Charles Bare plans to ask the council to add on tomorrow’s agenda at a discussion item regarding the termination of Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief…
Another rehearing denied, this involves beach tax case
The First District Court of Appeals released a ruling Wednesday rejecting an attempt by the Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones and Tax Collector Janet Holley to rehear a case holding that…
Inside the Pensacola Fire Chiefs report: Unwritten hiring practice not followed by chiefs, but all applicants passed
According to the attorney Russell Van Sickle, the primary reason Chief Human Resource Officer Ed Sisson filed his complaints against Pensacola Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief for their “alleged…