Dave Dunwoody

After a quarter-century as president of the First Amendment Foundation in Florida, Barbara Petersen is stepping down at year’s end.

“I think it’s time for a change; 25 years is a long time and I think we need to take a fresh look at what we do and how we do it,” said Petersen.

Petersen has not been at the Foundation since day one – it was created in 1984 -- but she says when she did get there a decade later, there wasn’t much foundation to be had. As the first hired president, Petersen says she was handed the keys to an empty office.

Work is underway at the University of West Florida, on the next generation of video surveillance for both the nation’s military dogs, and canines used in first response.

The Guided Fur Missile Tactical Camera System is a part of UWF’s “Hacking for Defense” program. H4D began at Stanford University in 2016, and now is at around 50 universities nationwide.

Veterans Day 2019 was celebrated in many different ways and at several venues across Northwest Florida on Monday, including the annual event at Veterans Park in downtown Pensacola.

The annual parade downtown was a bit late getting to the park but once there, a large crowd was on hand to honor those who have worn the nation’s cloth.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to your Veterans Memorial Park; why are we here today? We’re here to celebrate the veterans, right?” said Paul Entrekin, the president of the Veterans Memorial Park Foundation.  

Records from Escambia County government are in the hands of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, as part of an ongoing investigation. 

The probe began earlier this year, focusing on the Emergency Medical Services division of the Public Safety Department. At issue, allegations by county medical director Dr. Rayme Edler that at least five EMS employees had falsified training documents.

Stargazers are in for a treat this month, for the first “Transit of Mercury,” in three and a half years, and the last one to be seen here for the next three decades.

Just what is a “Transit of Mercury?” We asked retired Pensacola State College astronomer Wayne Wooten.

Thirty years ago this weekend, perhaps the foremost symbol of the Cold War between East and West was consigned to the rubble of history.

The fall of the Berlin Wall after 28 years of infamy followed a series of radical political changes in the Eastern Bloc, fueled by changes in its authoritarian systems and erosion of political power. On November 9th, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, the East German government announced its citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin.

Escambia County health officials are out with a rabies advisory for the West Pensacola area, after a raccoon tested positive for the disease last weekend.

“There was a scuffle between a raccoon and a couple of domestic dogs; and when the raccoon — who died during the scuffle — was tested [it] was found to be positive for rabies,” said Dr. John Lanza, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Escambia County.

The shooting death of Tymar Crawford in July continues to loom over City Hall, and is expected to do that into the near future at least.

Crawford, 28, was shot five times by Pensacola police detective Daniel Siemen following a slow-speed chase and confrontation near downtown. A grand jury last month declined to file criminal charges.

Can Pensacola prepare for, and adapt to, a higher risk of flooding from rising seas and strong storms? That’s the topic of a talk tonight at the West Florida Public Library’s main branch in downtown Pensacola. WUWF’s Dave Dunwoody has a preview.

The argument is that rising sea levels are already underway, in large part because of human activities – specifically, the burning of fossil fuels. Christian Wagley, executive director of event sponsor 350 Pensacola, says there’s tangible evidence that the levels here are on the rise.

“Serving Us” is the theme for the second annual TEDx show in Pensacola, set for Saturday, Nov. 2 at the University of West Florida’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

It's a one day full-day event; catering and refreshments are included. Eleven live speakers, 2 TEDtalk videos, along with short performances and experiences. Liz Allen is chief organizer; the decision to choose “Serving Us” was hers, because she says service is ingrained in the Pensacola community.

Floridians are being urged to take the bus – or make other multimodal transportation choices, during the 2nd annual “Mobility Week” held by the state Department of Transportation this week. One such event was Wednesday in Pensacola.

Area officials and just plain folks climbed aboard a bus at Escambia County Area Transit’s Rosa Parks Terminal, for the short ride to City Hall. Among them, Escambia County Commission Chair Lumon May.

Last week’s grand jury decision not to return charges against a former Pensacola police officer in the shooting death of Tymar Crawford has begun the next chapter in the case.

“I’d just like to thank the family of Tymar Crawford and the entire community for their patience as they’ve waited for this investigation to be completed,” said Mayor Grover Robinson. “We understand it’s been a difficult process for everyone, and we are hopeful that we can continue to come together as a community and move our community forward.”

Millions of Americans – children and adults – will dress up and celebrate Halloween Thursday evening. But where did this unique holiday come from?

What we celebrate today as Halloween – has its origins among the ancient Celtics who lived across what’s now Europe.

“They divided their calendar year into four major holidays; and according to the calendar year, based off of the beginning and end of calendar years, they would have different celebrations,” says Andy Barbero, who teaches history, languages and social sciences at Pensacola State College.

University of West Florida President Emeritus Judy Bense was among three new members of the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame, inducted Monday night in Orlando. In the second of two parts, WUWF’s Dave Dunwoody spoke with her about her tenure as UWF President.

In 2008, Judy Bense had a number of irons in the fire, including running the School of Anthropology and Archaeology. Then, President John Cavanaugh stepped down to take a position in Pennsylvania. Bense – who was in Mexico at the time -- was asked to take over on an interim basis.

University of West Florida President Emeritus Judy Bense is one of three inductees, at the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday in Orlando. In the first of two parts, WUWF’s Dave Dunwoody sat down with Dr. Bense to talk about this honor and her career.