Where Have All the Editors Gone?

Local & State

A historic Kentucky Derby win, a lawsuit against Clerk Pam Childers, NAS Pensacola’s reopening, and the PNJ’s silence on a hiring-process breach at the county.

---

First: Historic Derby Win

Golden Tempo, a 23-1 longshot, rallied from last place to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs—delivering one of the storied race’s most dramatic finishes. Trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman ever to win the Run for the Roses.

Ridden by jockey José Ortiz, Golden Tempo appeared out of contention deep in the field before charging through to victory. A winning $2 bet paid $48.24.

“He was so far behind, but he maintained immense faith in this horse.”
— Trainer Cherie DeVaux

Video clips of the race and DeVaux’s reaction went viral. She admitted she “kind of blacked out” during the stretch run, credited Ortiz with a “fantastic, masterful ride,” and said she was “so incredibly proud” of her horse.  See overhead video.

---

Number: 10

Ten days ago, two Pensacola nonprofits filed suit in Escambia County Circuit Court after Clerk of Court Pam Childers missed a deadline to release $7,000 in commission-approved funding. The Pensacola News Journal has yet to report on the filing.

The Greater Pensacola Junior Golf Association (First Tee Gulf Coast) and the Warrington Emergency Aid Center filed a complaint seeking a writ of mandamus, declaratory relief, and Childers’ personal repayment of years of similar payments under Florida Statute § 129.09.

• First Tee Gulf Coast — $4,500 blocked by the Clerk
• Warrington Emergency Aid Center — $2,500 blocked by the Clerk
• Both amounts were unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners

Attorney Alex Andrade of Moore, Hill & Westmoreland argues Childers violated her ministerial duty by withholding the funds. The filing carries a significant warning: if Childers is correct that such payments were always unlawful, she may personally owe the county more than $600,000 in discretionary spending since 2020.

---

NAS Pensacola Reopens

The National Naval Aviation Museum—our area’s #2 tourist attraction—is once again open to the general public.

At 3:39 p.m. on Friday, May 1, Bruce Cummins, public information officer for Naval Air Station Pensacola, issued the following statement:

“NAS Pensacola’s areas of public interest will now be open daily from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Visitors to the air station must enter through the West Gate at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway. Visitors 18 and older must present a Real ID or passport to visit the installation.”

---

PNJ MIA on Library Tampering

In October 2011, the Pensacola News Journal—under publisher Kevin Doyle and executive editor Dick Schneider—aggressively investigated reports that County Commissioner Wilson Robertson had tampered with the hiring process for the Escambia County Equestrian Center’s marketing director, then secured his preferred candidate a higher salary than was advertised.

Robertson issued a press release defending his actions. The PNJ editorial board called his conduct “indefensible.” He said he got involved because the facility was in his district and losing money, and defended allowing two applicants to list him as a reference—noting that after 50 years in Escambia County, many people knew him.

He told the PNJ that “in all honesty” he believed Forrest Gibbs was “the most obviously qualified candidate.” The paper pointed out that Gibbs had only a high school education, almost no marketing experience, and a career mostly in road paving and heavy equipment sales.

PNJ reporter Jamie Page reported that County Attorney Alison Rogers urged commissioners to stay out of personnel and hiring matters, warning that such behavior could trigger ethics charges. He also noted that state law bars public officials from using their positions “to secure a special privilege, benefit or exemption” for others.

Commissioner Grover Robinson called Gibbs’ hiring inappropriate and said it should be reversed.

• The PNJ Editorial Board—Doyle, Schneider, Managing Editor Ginny Graybiel, Opinion Editor Carl Wernicke, Market Development Director Rebecca Boles, Deputy Managing Editor Kim Thomas, Editorial Cartoonist Andy Marlette, and Editor Emeritus Earle Bowden—declared that Robertson owed “a sincere apology to taxpayers for engaging in one of the most egregious cases of insider influence peddling exposed at the county in many years.” The board added that one way he could do that was by resigning.

The editorial had real consequences. On Oct. 20, 2011, Robertson moved that job applicants may not list a commissioner as a reference. His motion also created a recruitment selection blackout period, prohibiting commissioners or their aides from contacting Human Resources or the selection committee about the recruitment, hiring process, or salary until an offer had been accepted.

• Robinson seconded; the motion carried 4-0. County Administrator Randy Oliver removed Gibbs, and the position was re-advertised.

The state attorney’s office and the Florida Commission on Ethics later determined Robertson broke no laws. But the new policies remained in place—a transparency victory that restored public trust.