Escambia County Commissioners have approved funding for body cameras. Sheriff Chip Simmons says deputies should start using the cameras in two months and all deputies will have them by October. Greg Marcille, Assistant State Attorney, says the cameras can reduce the number of trials because the evidence is available, which can result in a larger…… MORE
BAY CENTER FUNDING
Escambia County Commissioners have approved spending $100,000 to keep the Pensacola Bay Center open for at least another month. Bay Center operators told commissioners the facility would need about $500,000 to stay open and pay all of its staff for the rest of the year because so many events have been canceled. Since March 2020,…… MORE
CECIL HUNTER DIES
Former longtime Pensacola City Council member and local civil rights advocate, Cecil Hunter, died last week at the age of 96. Hunter served on the Pensacola City Council from 1983 to 1995. He was one of three Black council members elected in 1983 after a federal court ruled the city’s at-large voting system discriminated against…… MORE
SHOOTOUT SUSPECT ARRESTED
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department says a 32-year-old man – said to have been involved in a shootout with a group of motorcyclists Sunday afternoon – has been arrested after a SWAT team standoff yesterday afternoon. Delanie Jamal Battle-Donso, was taken into custody without incident after barricading himself in a home off 10 Mile Road.…… MORE
GOLF CART TRAFFIC FATALITY
The Florida Highway Patrol says an 81-year-old man is dead after being hit by a truck while driving a golf cart in Warrington yesterday afternoon. Troopers say it happened just after 5 p.m. at Barrancas Avenue and North Cary’s Lane when a pickup hit the golf cart. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.… MORE
ALVIN’S ISLAND IN DESTIN BURNS
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said the Alvin’s Island building in Destin at Highway 98 and Airport Road was heavily damaged by fire yesterday afternoon. Destin firefighters responded to the blaze around 3 p.m. There are no injuries reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.… MORE
COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS
The City of Pensacola says Ascension Sacred Heart, Baptist Hospital and West Florida Hospital – had 28 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Wednesday. This comes after the hospitals reported 113 COVID hospitalizations as recently as February 20th. The total has slowly declined since then. Florida residents age 50 and older are now eligible to receive the…… MORE
ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHOOTING FOLLOWUP
More information has come out about the shooting Tuesday night involving a 43-year-old woman and Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Escambia County Sheriff’s Deputies. The woman – who may have overdosed on drugs – exchanged gunfire with troopers and deputies Tuesday evening before being taken into custody. She was transported to a hospital for medical…… MORE
SANTA ROSA COUNTY SCAMMER WARNING
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office says scammers posing as Gulf Power representatives are attempting to steal personal information. They have been calling County residents, saying the county has changed their address and Gulf Power needs to update their billing information. Both the Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Power advise residents not to give any personal…… MORE
RED SNAPPER STUDY
According to a recent study there are about three times as many red snapper as previously estimated in the Gulf of Mexico. That study estimated that the Gulf holds about 110 million adult red snapper. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration marine fisheries’ estimate was about 36 million fish. More than 60% of the red…… MORE
