Coming off a long Fourth of July holiday weekend, I was concerned about getting back into a news frame of mind. We had finished six months of some of our most intense investigative reporting in years, and faced a week that usually focuses on the Blue Angels. Would readers care about we reported?
The answer was a resounding “yes.” The District 1 issues about the public beach access on Perdido Key and a proposed expansion of the Galvez Landing boat launch attracted readers. Fortunately, Commissioner Steve Stroberger listened to the Innerarity residents, pulled the $5-million boat launch project, and restored funding for beach access.
Sorrento Road
At his town hall on June 30, public safety on Sorrento Road was the first topic discussed. Commissioner Stroberger and Sheriff Chip Simmons presented starkly different assessments of Sorrento Road’s safety crisis, revealing the complexity behind a corridor that has generated significant community concern and over 116 accidents since January 2024. Also the commissioner’s town hall style of telling personal stories didn’t play with an audience hungry for facts.
Palafox Street
Mayor D.C. Reeves and his staff had two meetings with downtown business owners at the end of June. The Monday meeting went well with the mayor explaining the plan. The Wednesday meeting—without Mayor Reeves—didn’t.
At his Tuesday presser, I asked him about it.
Pensacola Police Chief Resigns
The announcement of Chief Eric Randall’s resignation drew community-wide attention when the media received the press release Thursday morning. I waited a day, made a few phone calls and dug deep into the city’s data. Randall had problem with his rank and file…