GULFARIUM SEA TURTLE RELEASE TODAY
OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla (June 19, 2024) Four sea turtle patients are being released today by the Gulfarium Care Center. According to Gulfarium..."the release of four of our current sea turtle patients, LaPinta, Charlette, Lilith, and Dorothy will occur on June 19 at Topsail Hill State Park."
"https://gulfarium.com/careing-for-turtles/
Video courtesy of Gulfarium.
LOCAL ATTORNEY JOE ZARZAUR EXPLAINS THE CHARGES AGAINST DR. BEN BROWN
PENSACOLA, Fla (July 17, 2024) Pensacola Civil Trial Lawyer Joe Zarzaur explains the law behind charges today against Gulf Breeze Surgeon Dr. Benjamin Brown. https://zarzaurlaw.com/joe-zarzaur/
Video by Zarzaur Law P.A.
PERP WALK...GULF BREEZE SURGEON DR. BEN BROWN ARRESTED
MILTON, Fla (June 17, 2024) Dr. Benjamin Brown arrested today for Homicide: Culpable manslaughter in the death of his wife in 2023.
Read investigation and arrest report here: https://bit.ly/3VoPfJr
Video released by the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office
PENSACOLA BLUE WAHOOS WIN AT BIRMINGHAM
By Bill Vilona/Blue Wahoos
BIRMINGHAM, Al (June 11, 2024) "Joe Mack stayed hot, hitting his seventh homer in his past 12 days, and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos opened an important road series against the Birmingham Barons with a 3-1 win on Tuesday night.
Mack hit a two-run blast in the first inning against Jairo Iriarte (L, 2-4), setting the tone for a night in which the Blue Wahoos kept the high-powered Birmingham offense at bay. Luis Palacios (W, 3-4) led a strong Pensacola pitching effort with 6.0 innings, allowing just an unearned run.
Pending the results of a late game between the Biscuits and Lookouts in Chattanooga, the Blue Wahoos are tied with the Biscuits in the first half South Division race with 11 games to play.
Mack, who homered in four straight games last Wednesday through Saturday, handed the Blue Wahoos a lead they would carry the rest of the night with his ninth long ball of the season. After two Pensacola errors gave the Barons a run in the sixth, the Blue Wahoos got insurance in the seventh with a bases-loaded walk to take a 3-1 lead.
Patrick Murphy contributed 2.0 hitless innings of relief before Raffi Vizcaíno (S, 5) worked a perfect ninth for the save.
The five-game winning streak matches Pensacola's longest of the season, and puts them at 32-25 to match their season-high at seven games above .500.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series against the Barons with a matinee on Wednesday. First pitch from Regions Field is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., with a live broadcast beginning at 10:55 on BlueWahoos.com/radio and the MiLB app. Fans can watch Birmingham's video broadcast through Bally Live or with a subscription to MLB.tv."
PENSACOLA MAYOR UPDATES PROPOSED HOTEL AND RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS AT COMMUNITY MARITIME PARK.
Ahead of a July 31 deadline, negotiations underway to use surface parking instead of a parking garage.
By John Singley
Sometimes in deal making perfect can be the enemy of good. That pretty much describes Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves' approach to bringing two Maritime Park projects in for a successful landing.
Thursday, the Mayor will ask the City Council to extend two lease options at the park until July 31; Inspire Communities of Florida on lots 4 and 5, and Valencia Hotel Group's option on lot 7.
See Community Maritime Park map showing parcels here: https://bit.ly/3yUHD9T
Both have been stalled out due to pending decisions by the city over parking.
Inspire had originally planned to develop lots 4 and 5 for multi-family housing with a wrap around parking garage on lot 4. Inflation has driven the cost of building parking garages so high that in 2023, Inspire backed away from proposing a garage on lot 4.
Valencia Hotel Group proposes building a hotel on lot 7, adjacent to Nick’s Boat House but that depended on shared use parking in the garage Inspire would build. See artist rendering of Valencia hotel: https://bit.ly/4euN3c6
At today’s press conference, Reeves said good progress was being made with Valencia and Inspire by continuing to use lot 4 as it is now, a public, shared use, surface parking lot with some exclusive spaces for the hotel and whatever gets built on lot 5.
The Mayor said negotiations were underway with both parties while city staff determined how the shared use agreement would be drafted. The challenge is how to honor commitments to the Maritime Place office building, the Blue Wahoos, and while accomodating Maritime Park and Bruce Beach recreation users.
Reeves also added that this process is raising new questions about what city code should be for hotel parking requirements. Are downtown hotels needing less parking than suburban hotels locate
JUDGE HEARS ARGUMENTS FOR DISMISSAL AND SANCTIONS IN ESCAMBIA COUNTY’S LAWSUIT OVER BERGOSH TEXT MESSAGES.
By John Singley
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla (June 10, 2024) Escambia County’s lawsuit to recover and prohibit use of text messages from Commissioner Jeff Bergosh’s cell phone got another hearing today in Judge Jonathan Schlechter’s Zoom courtroom.
Lat last year, the County sued Gannett Media for the Pensacola News Journal, Jonathan Owens, and Alex Arduini.
On March 27, the Judge denied the County’s motion for return of the text messages saying the County had no “possessory” interest in the texts and the County had provided no evidence that “the associated storage device” was property of the County.
See previous reporting: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/zbPbyczuJVNwr3go/
This time, the Judge was hearing motions from the defendants, the Gannett Media for the Pensacola News Journal, Jonathan Owens, and Alex Arduini for dismissal, attorney’s fees under Florida Anti-SLAPP law, and sanctions against the County and County attorney’s for bringing a frivolous case.
Defendants motion for sanctions under Florida Statute 57.105 is based “Upon the court’s initiative or motion of any party, the court shall award a reasonable attorney’s fee, including prejudgment interest, to be paid to the prevailing party in equal amounts by the losing party and the losing party’s attorney on any claim or defense at any time during a civil proceeding or action in which the court finds that the losing party or the losing party’s attorney knew or should have known that a claim or defense when initially presented to the court or at any time before trial:
(a) Was not supported by the material facts necessary to establish the claim or defense; or
(b) Would not be supported by the application of then-existing law to those material facts.
According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of The Press “Florida’s general anti-SLAPP provision, which was adop
MORE DETAILS REVEALED IN ESCAMBIA'S BAYOU CHICO CLEAN-UP AND JACKSON LAKES FUTURE
By John Singley
PENSACOLA, FLA (June 9, 2024) Our story this week about the likelihood that no contaminated dredge spoils will be dumped in West Pensacola's Jackson Lakes mentioned County planning to not only dredge the navigation channel, but also, remove toxic sludge from the historic Bayou Chico.
This has been a long time coming. Scientists now know the location of toxic sludge hotspots in the Bayou and the county is nearing the 60% design stage of cleanup planning. See County presentation here: https://bit.ly/3VzVMSI
Still to be determined is how to physically remove the sludge, where to send it, and how long it will take.
With Jackson Lakes apparently off the table for sludge disposal ,county officials are determining where the sludge can be dewatered safely without harm to the land or people.
Bayou Chico has been an important part of Pensacola's history. It's said that Bernardo de Galvez once encamped there, as did Andrew Jackson because of nearby artesian springs.
In the 19th and early 20th century Bayou Chico was important to Pensacola's early economic prosperity, treating and handling wood products via ships. See reporting on the Bayou's history here: https://www.pnj.com/story/life/2016/03/06/appleyard-what-happened-bayou-chico/81272904/
Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler, who represents D2 where the Bayou and Jackson lakes are located, says upstream clean up efforts along Jackson Creek to the west are helping bring more marine life back into Bayou Chico.
"We're already seeing improvements based on ongoing-efforts to prevent storm water flows bringing nutrient-rich material and contaminants into the upstream watershed feeding the Bayou." Kohler told 850 News. "Now, we're making good progress on getting ready to remove dioxin-deposits in the Bayou's bottom sludge."
As for the Jackson Lakes future, Kohler says there are possibilities to create a nature preserve w
BLUE WAHOOS LET LEAD GET AWAY IN THE EIGHT INNING AND DROP A GAME AGAINST M-BRAVES.
Game sees veteran major league infielder, now a knuckle ball pitcher, start his first game as a Mississippi Brave.
By Bill Vilona/Blue Wahoos.
PENSACOLA Fla. (June 4, 2024) "First pitches quickly became outs. Innings flew by in minutes. There was still sunlight during the seventh-inning stretch.
And then, the Blue Wahoos had a potential record-speed win fade into darkness of a laborious eighth inning and loss.
The Mississippi Braves followed a leadoff out into a six-run rally for an eventual 6-3 victory against the Blue Wahoos to start an intriguing Tuesday night of their six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The Blue Wahoos led 1-0 into the eighth inning.
This game on “Doggone Tuesday” with fans bringing their beloved dogs to the ballpark, featured a repurposed, veteran Major League infielder David Fletcher continuing his bizarre buzz in the baseball world as a knuckleball pitcher.
Making his M-Braves debut, his second minor league start, Fletcher raised attention by throwing six, solid innings with his fluttering, 60-something, miles-per-hour knucklers. He allowed just two hits, both in the first inning, as the Blue Wahoos couldn’t get solid contact with his pitches.
Fletcher was recently acquired in a December trade with the Atlanta Braves. When joining the Braves, Fletcher mentioned his desire to become a knuckleball pitcher. He is being paid $6.1 million this season, part of a $25 million contract extension he signed with the Angels following his best MLB season in 2020 when he garnered American League MVP votes as a second baseman.
Fletcher, who turned 30 on May 31, made his first mound start last week with the Gwinnett Braves, the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate. He is scheduled to start twice this week in Pensacola with the M-Braves. He’s down to be the starter on Sunday to close out the series.
In the first inning, Fletcher’s flutterers were hit th
PENSACOLA BLUE WAHOOS DROP GAME TO BILOXI FRIDAY NIGHT.
By Erick Bremer/Blue Wahoos.
BILOXI, Ms (May 31, 2024) "The Pensacola Blue Wahoos saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with an 8-5 loss to the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday night.
Despite a pair of two-run homers from Zach Zubia and Joe Mack, the Blue Wahoos couldn't overcome a five-run sixth inning for Biloxi that proved to be the difference in the game.
With the loss, the Blue Wahoos fell to 1.5 games back of first-place Montgomery with 20 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits were rained out in Mississippi, and will play a doubleheader on Saturday.
Jakob Marsee began the game by drawing a walk against Brett Wichrowski, and stole two bases before coming in on a Mack RBI groundout for a 1-0 Pensacola lead. Zubia's two-run homer in the third put the Blue Wahoos up 3-1.
Pensacola starter M.D. Johnson worked 5.0 innings, surrendering an RBI double to Noah Campbell in the second and RBI singles to Mike Boeve and Carlos Rodriguez in the third to depart the game tied 3-3.
Chandler Jozwiak (L, 1-3) entered in the bottom of the sixth, and recorded only one out while allowing five runs on four hits. Campbell's second double of the night gave Biloxi a 5-3 lead, and an Ethan Murray RBI single plus a pair of sacrifice flies put the Shuckers ahead for good.
Mack hit a two-run homer in the eighth against T.J. Shook (W, 3-6), but that was all the Pensacola offense could muster. Blake Holub (S, 1) recorded the final four outs for the Shuckers to nail down the win, snapping a franchise-record 10-game losing streak in the process.
For the second straight night, the umpire crew kept their pen and paper handy. Biloxi first baseman Ernesto Martinez Jr. and manager Joe Ayrault were tossed arguing an out call in the bottom of the first, and Pensacola reliever Austin Roberts was ejected arguing balls and strikes in the bottom of the eighth.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Saturday. First pitch fr
PENSACOLA BLUE WAHOOS SHUT OUT BILOXI SECOND NIGHT IN A ROW.
By Erik Bremer
BILOXI, Ms. (May 29, 2024) "The Pensacola Blue Wahoos locked down their second consecutive shutout win over the Biloxi Shuckers on Wednesday night, riding a ninth-inning RBI single from Bennett Hostetler to a 1-0 victory.
Luis Palacios, Dale Stanavich and Matt Pushard (W, 2-1) held the Shuckers to five hits, one night after a six-hit shutout win in the series opener.
The Pensacola pitching staff hasn't allowed a run in 20.0 innings dating back to the seventh inning of their Sunday game against Tennessee.
The victory helped the Blue Wahoos climb to within 1.5 games of first-place Montgomery with 22 games to play in the first half. The Biscuits were idle in Mississippi due to rain, and will play a doubleheader on Thursday. It marked Biloxi's ninth consecutive loss, tying a franchise record.
Palacios worked 6.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out two. Dale Stanavich was impressive in his Double-A debut, striking out three batters in 1.1 innings. Pushard entered with two on and one out in the eighth, working out of the jam to keep the game scoreless to the ninth.
Paul McIntosh led off the ninth inning with a double against Adam Seminaris (L, 0-2), who to that point had turned in 3.0 hitless frames in relief of starter Shane Smith. Two batter later, Hostetler grounded a single to left field that scored McIntosh for a 1-0 Blue Wahoos lead.
Pushard retired the Shuckers in order in the ninth to complete Pensacola's second shutout win in a row.
The Blue Wahoos continue their series in Biloxi on Thursday. First pitch from Shuckers Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with a live broadcast beginning at 6:30 on BlueWahoos.com/radio or the MiLB app. Fans can also watch Biloxi's video broadcast on Bally Live or with a subscription to MLB.tv."
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND 2024.
By John Singley
PENSACOLA, Fla (May 26, 2024) Today, I remember Navy pilot and FSU alum Scott Speicher with a visit to his replica F/A-18 at NAS Pensacola. It was windy and the sound was noisy. Only appropriate, I thought. That's what a carrier flight deck sounds like when the ship turns into the wind to launch aircraft.
PENSACOLA MAYOR PROVIDES UPDATE ON DOWNTOWN VEHICLE NOISE CRACKDOWN
By John Singley
PENSACOLA, Fla (May 21, 2024) Stepped up enforcement this past Thursday and Saturday, of state laws downtown regarding vehicle noise, whether modified mufflers or booming music, yielded 25 muffler violations, six loud music violations, one citation for drifting/stunt driving, four arrests for unregistered vehicles, outstanding warrants, and habitual driving on a suspended license.
Mayor D.C. Reeves said this morning at his weekly press conference that "this data shows we have a real issue with noise downtown." Earlier, the Mayor said “No one goes downtown just to be deafened by after-market mufflers.”
The crackdown is partially funded by the CRA and Downtown Improvement Board. DIB Director Walker Wilson told Studio 850 news today that stronger enforcement has been something his group had been advocating for several years but a 2022 legislative change concerning loud music coming from cars enabled the Pensacola Police to enforce the law. The loud after-market muffler law had already been illegal in Florida.
Escambia County Commissioner District 4
Candidate Forum
Presented by Finley Dr., JoJo, and Woodrun Neighborhoods.
Candidates: Ashley Hofberger, Buck Mitchell, Walker Wilson, Ron Helms.
Escambia Board of County Commissioners, May 20, 2024
OLF8 discussion. Escambia Board of County Commissioners, May 20, 2024
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, Public Forum, May 20, 2024
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, Public Forum, May 20, 2024
Women For Responsible Legislation
Escambia School Board Candidate Forum
Candidates for District 4 and 5.
May 16, 2024
HEAVY RAINFALL FLOODS PENSACOLA STREETS TODAY
PENSACOLA, Fla (May 13, 2024) More than two inches of rain fell in one hour downtown at noon today. Viewers sent us imagery of streets and cars flooded.
In this video, at Garden and L streets, the road was impassable. A Cadillac is stalled out awaiting a tow truck while residents warn vehicles to avoid the street.
Video courtesy Vanessa Jean.
PENSACOLA NEIGHBORHOOD SUFFERS REPEAT FLOODING
By John Singley
PENSACOLA, Fla (May 13, 2024)
Flooding, once again, along Monarch Lane in Pensacola with storm water runoff from newly developed Monarch Place subdivision. Monarch Lane residents warned Esambia County this would happen if a development permit was issued. Yet, the County approved the development.
See more on this story with previous reporting here: https://bit.ly/3WF1uUl
Video: Michelle Tyler
STUDIO 850 NEWS ROUNDABOUT CAM.
Perdido Key, Fla. 11:30am, Saturday, May 11, 2024
Escambia County Board of County Commissioners at the May 20 meeting will consider options requested by Commissioner Bergosh to improve traffic flow through this intersection.
To the right of the roundabout, you can see the just completed east portion of the Perdido key multi-use path. This now completes the path from the Flora-Bama to almost the Baars Bridge.
OKALOOSA COUNTY SHERIFF RELEASES BODYCAM FOOTAGE OF THE SHOOTING DEATH OF SENIOR AIRMAN ROGER FORTSON
Official investigation by Florida Department of Law Enforcement is not complete, according to the Sheriff.
