News

In this Gulf Stories Moment our guest is April Mendez, a student majoring in earth and environmental studies at UWF. She is looking into whether or not a commercial grade drone that can cost thousands of dollars is really worth the extra money when collecting data for research. 

Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson used his weekly virtual news conference to remind everyone to be vigilant and continue to monitor the progress of Hurricane Sally.

Escambia County is under a tropical storm watch, and a state of emergency for the city of Pensacola was declared by the mayor shortly after his news conference.

“The city is continuing the monitor Sally and we’re in close contact with Escambia County Emergency management,” said Robinson. “We encourage our residents to monitor the storm as well.”

President Trump’s announcement that he’s extending the moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico is leaving some ecstatic, and others scratching their heads.

The president spoke in Columbia, South Carolina, where Trump ally Lindsey Graham is facing a strong challenge for his Senate seat.

“In a few moments I will sign a presidential order extending the moratorium on offshore drilling on Florida’s Gulf Coast; and expanding it to Florida’s Atlantic Coast as well as the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina,” the president said.

The University of West Florida’s Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday to return about $2.4 million requested by the Florida Board of Governors, bringing closure to a disagreement between the two boards over fiscal management of the now defunct Complete Florida Plus online learning program. 

State education officials had voiced concerns in September of last year about UWF’s withdrawal of unclaimed administrative fees from previous years out of carry forward funds, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

While most of the community was still asleep today, students with Navarre High School NJROTC quietly set up for their annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony.

Guided by lights from smart phones, the cadets placed 2,977 American flags around the front of the school Friday morning — representing the number of people killed in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvaina, on Sept. 11, 2001. 

Gulf Power Company is partnering with the City of Pensacola, on a solar power demonstration project using public property. And the project is drawing more than just casual attention.

The city has a number of solar projects on the drawing board, according to Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, to provide a showcase for such energy and how to use it.

In this Gulf Stories Moment, Dr. Jamin Wells, an assistant professor with the History Department at The University of West Florida, returns to tell us about the digitization of historical documents, and who can benefit from the process.

After a late start due to the pandemic, all public school students in Northwest Florida are back in class, whether in-person or via Remote Learning. To find out what both approaches look like, from the student perspective, I’m checking back with two of my young relatives on their return to school in the Escambia County School District. One is reporting for face-to-face instruction and the other has opted to stay at home.

Choices, Anxiety and Preparation

A local art gallery is giving a UWF student some scholarship money, and a chance to make a little more. “It’s really a fantastic opportunity for our students and we couldn’t be more grateful to Blue Morning Gallery for doing this,” said Dr. David Earle, the interim chair of the Department of Art and Design at the University of West Florida.

Northwest Floridians are being reminded that time is running out to complete their 2020 Census forms, with the deadline Sept. 30.

Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender adds that providing information to the Census leads to more efficient numbers-crunching.

“Completing the census means more education programs and housing assistance; better funding for public transportation and highway planning programs,” said Bender. “It also helps fund hospitals, fire departments, and other important services for our county.”