THIS WEEK IN REVIEW
The Stories That Mattered This Week
From a coordinated smear campaign against a library job candidate to $900K in questionable grant money, this was a week that reminded us why local government accountability journalism exists.
The biggest story this week wasn’t just about who got a library director job—it was about what county officials were willing to do to make sure the right person didn’t get it. Text messages. False claims. A coordinated effort to destroy a qualified candidate’s reputation. Public records laid it bare, FloridaPolitics.com picked it up, and Escambia County still hasn’t answered for it.
That story ran alongside a troubling look at the Escambia Children’s Trust handing $900,000 to a family operation with little oversight, a legal reckoning over whether Pensacola’s library board is advisory or actually governing, and John Oliver’s national spotlight on the DeSantis playbook—one that’s already playing out here at UWF.
There was also good news: Mayor D.C. Reeves made history this week, and Pensacola’s CRA is poised for its biggest expansion in two decades. Not every story is a scandal—but every story this week mattered.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Plot to Smear Bradley Vinson
County officials hide facts about a library director candidate while spreading false claims about her interview, shoes, experience. Public records show how. After FloridaPolitics.com picked up this story, people began asking whether Escambia County officials are corrupt or merely inept. County Administrator Wes Moreno has repeatedly told his commissioners that the controversy surrounding his choice for library services director will go away. Four months later, residents are still enraged.
Escambia Children’s Trust and Its Rodney Jones Problem
The Escambia Children’s Trust handed $900K to a family operation with questionable financials and little oversight. Now the public is left holding the bag. Commissioners Mike Kohler and Lumon May want Trust officials to come before the Committee of the Whole. County Administrator Wes Moreno hasn’t. Stay tuned – I will explain why next week.
Busting a West Florida Public Library Myth
The library board isn’t advisory—it governs. City Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier says Pensacola has standing to fight back. The documents prove it.
Mayor Reeves Gets A Seat Where It Happens
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves makes history—first Pensacola mayor ever named to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Board of Trustees. What it means for our city.
Community Rallies Against Proposed Data Centers in Pensacola
Pensacola residents are fighting back against big data centers—and Pasco County may hit pause entirely. This battle is over water, power & your future.
City Sets Stage for Biggest Expansion of CRAs in 20 years
Pensacola’s CRA is eyeing its biggest boundary expansion in 20 years—and $57 million in new redevelopment money for long-overlooked neighborhoods.
John Oliver Shines Light on New College Takeover
John Oliver exposed New College’s $500K-per-degree political takeover—and the DeSantis playbook is running right now at UWF in Pensacola.
Sure, it’s included in “Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 6.9.26.”
Can you provide the link to the library director story on the Florida Politics site, I can’t find it.