Top Reads: Week ended Nov. 1, 2025

Rick Outzen

1 month ago

Officepowerandhandofpersonwithcrumpledpapercomputer - Rick's Blog

The City of Pensacola’s relationship with local businesses took center stage this week. Readers wanted the latest details on the Reimagine Palafox project and how downtown retailers felt about the five- to six-month closure of South Palafox Street.

Retailers appeared before the Pensacola City Council on Oct. 23 and voiced their concerns: Recap

Mayor D. C. Reeves addressed those concerns at this press conference on Tuesday: Recap.

On Thursday, the mayor laid out the latest details of the project after meeting with the contractor – here, and we covered how retailers reacted – here.

Late Friday, the City of Pensacola announced at a council workshop on the plan for Wednesday, Nov. 15. Read more.

—

Then, there is the news that the City of Pensacola is suing Joe Patti’s Seafood over access for the new stormwater system to reach Pensacola Bay. The optics are good on this one. Read more.

Late-breaking News

Former Pensacola Blue Wahoo Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning in the final game of the World Series last night. He also throw out a runner at home plate that would have won the game for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers and Rojas won the game and series 5-4.

Rojas played for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos during their inaugural season in 2012. This is his second World Series victory, having won with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024 also.

Read 2025 World Series: Miguel Rojas becomes a Fall Classic hero

INWEEKLY

Fall is actually the best time of year in Pensacola, and that’s thanks in large part to Foo Foo Fest.

If you’re unfamiliar with this annual festival or you just need a quick refresher, this issue is for you. Now in its 12th year, Foo Foo Fest is a 12-day celebration dedicated to arts and culture. Some events are generously funded through grants by Art, Culture, Entertainment, Inc. (ACE). Others are what they call “Friends of Foo” and are basically just other cultural events happening during the same timeframe.

Here are our features:

Opera Amplified
DIY Together
Rock ‘n’ Roll Shakespeare
Pass It On
Main Character Music
Calendar of Events

Winners & Losers 10/30/25

Winners: Mike Craney—Global Connections to Employment (GCE) has named Craney the general manager of its GCE Designs, a new business venture offering custom apparel, embroidery and promotional products nationwide and creating meaningful jobs…

Outtakes—An Unexpected Drop

In June 2018, Shannon Nickinson wrote a viewpoint for the Pensacola News Journal, declaring we were failing our schoolchildren in Escambia County. She backed up her argument with facts. For the…