Independent Stories from the Gulf Coast

Reading Time: 4 minutesPensacola may appear on the national map primarily as a Gulf Coast city known for beaches and military aviation, but its political footprint extends far beyond tourism brochures. Representing a district that includes Pensacola means navigating a complex intersection of defense policy, coastal infrastructure, environmental regulation, disaster preparedness, and small business development. In Washington, local […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen scaffolding rises around a historic theater, it signals more than construction. It signals a city deciding what kind of future it wants. The faded marquee, the peeling velvet seats, the cracked plaster ceiling — these are not just architectural details. They are fragments of memory. Yet restoring a historic theater inevitably raises a difficult […]

Reading Time: 5 minutesNeighborhoods rarely disappear all at once. They fade gradually — a storefront closes, a porch light stays off a little longer, a school enrollment drops year after year. In many American cities, older districts that once anchored civic life quietly slipped into neglect. North Pensacola is one such place. Yet its story is not one […]

Reading Time: 5 minutesA growing controversy surrounding a municipal transport contractor has prompted formal reviews, public scrutiny, and renewed debate about oversight in public service agreements. City officials confirmed this week that an internal audit and independent review are underway following allegations involving financial management, safety compliance, and procurement procedures connected to the company responsible for operating a […]

Reading Time: 7 minutesThere is a particular kind of silence inside old photographs. It is not the silence of emptiness, but the hush that arrives when time pauses and the ordinary becomes historic. A century ago, Pensacola looked familiar in outline and unfamiliar in detail. The bay was still the city’s constant, the streets still funneled people toward […]

Reading Time: 6 minutesThe first shovels in the ground mark more than the start of a building project. They mark a shift in how a school district thinks about learning spaces, long-term costs, student well-being, and the environment. With construction now underway on the district’s first green school, the community is watching the promise of a healthier, more […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesYou probably know where to find Pensacola’s best burgers and craft beer or great fishing spots and knockout views. You might even know the exact number of stairs at the historic Pensacola Lighthouse — 177, for those counting. Living in America’s First Settlement, we know it can be laborious to know all the history of Pensacola. With so much history to pride […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesFor centuries, the exact location of Tristán de Luna y Arellano’s 1559 settlement in Pensacola — the first multi-year European settlement in the United States — has been a mystery. Not anymore. Archaeologists from the University of West Florida announced on Thursday the discovery of one of the most significant historical sites in the nation: the archaeological […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe city council has approved a new set of emissions regulations aimed at reducing air pollution and aligning local policy with broader environmental and public health goals. The decision follows months of debate, public hearings, and technical review, reflecting growing pressure on cities to address the impact of emissions on climate and quality of life. […]

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe history of European presence in Florida has long been shaped by written chronicles, expedition reports, and later historical interpretations. For centuries, these sources defined who the “first Europeans” were, when they arrived, and where they traveled. In recent decades, archaeology has begun to refine, challenge, and sometimes complicate these narratives. New discoveries across Florida […]