Rah-San "Sage6" Bailey
3 WAYS TO VOTE
BY MAIL
Voters are eligible to receive their ballot in the mail and return to the Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. For more information on voting by mail, visit EscambiaVotes.gov/vote-by-mail
EARLY
ELECTION: AUGUST 18
Deadline to Register: July 20
Vote-by-Mail Request Deadline: Aug. 6
Early Voting: Aug. 8–15
10 Early Voting sites will be available across Escambia County prior to Election Day. Voters are able to cast their ballot at any site from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit EscambiaVotes.gov/early-voting-locations
ELECTION DAY
On Election Day, polls are open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Voters must vote in their home precinct on Election Day. Visit EscambiaVotes.gov/precinct-finder to view your home precinct.
Robert D. Bender, Supervisor of Elections
Phone: (850) 595-3900
Fax: (850) 595-3914
Email: soe@escambiavotes.gov
winners & losers winners losers
QUINTARRIES UPSHAW The Workman Middle School teacher and Inweekly Rising Star has been selected for the Jack Miller Center's American Civic Tradition Fellowship, joining 14 teachers nationwide in the yearlong program. The fellowship begins with an in-person institute in Philadelphia July 19-24, where educators study American historical documents and primary sources, followed by virtual sessions throughout the academic year in which fellows present lessons built from the summer coursework. "Fellows will return to their classrooms in the fall with deeper knowledge, new teaching strategies and more confidence to educate students in American history and civics," said Lauren Altobelli, the center's Founding Civics Initiative director.
MANSON CONSTRUCTION CO. The company committed $250,000 to the 2026 Pensacola Beach Air Show, one of the event's largest private sponsorships. The 2026 show will be designated "Nourished By" Manson, honoring the company's recent completion of the Pensacola Beach Nourishment Project, which restored more than eight miles of Gulf shoreline in June. SRIA Executive Director Mike Burns called Manson a fitting sponsor given its role in protecting the beach that hosts the show. Manson Vice President Henry Schorr said the sponsorship builds on that work. The air show runs July 15-18, marking the Blue Angels' 80th anniversary and America's 250th birthday. Organizers expect more than 100,000 spectators. The event is presented by the Santa Rosa Island Authority, Visit Pensacola, Escambia County and the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY COMMISSION The board unanimously approved a one-year moratorium on data center development, calling it a first step toward a permanent policy. The July 9 vote was the first of two required public hearings. Residents who spoke urged commissioners to skip the moratorium and impose an immediate, permanent ban, citing concerns over impacts to local waterways and the power grid. Commissioners said no data center proposals or discussions had been brought before the county, and that largescale data centers conflict with the county's economic development goals and its commitment to protecting natural resources and quality of life.
PAULA STARK A Leon County judge rejected Rep. Stark's effort to qualify for the ballot to retain her District 47 seat, ruling that she failed to prove she submitted the required financial disclosure form before the June 12 noon deadline. Judge Joshua Hawkes sided with elections officials over Stark's campaign treasurer, finding that no stamped copy of the form was presented to the court. Stark has seven days to file evidence challenging the dismissal. If the ruling stands, Democrats would flip the toss-up seat, which covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties. Democrats Jorge Figueroa and Anthony Nieves will face off in the primary. Stark won her past two elections by margins under 2% of the votes cast.
ANDREW GILLUM The former Florida gubernatorial candidate was arrested July 2 in Daphne, Ala., after police stopped him for erratic driving and reportedly found a glass pipe, methamphetamine, marijuana joints, straws and a bong in his vehicle. He was booked on charges of marijuana possession and unlawful possession of a controlled substance and released the next day. Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor, narrowly lost to Ron DeSantis in Florida's 2018 governor's race. He has faced repeated legal and personal troubles since, including a 2020 hotel incident involving suspected drug use and a 2023 federal corruption trial that ended in acquittal on one charge and a hung jury on others.
POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN
Three of its restaurants in the Pensacola area closed as franchisee Sailormen Inc. works through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The closures affected locations at 814 E. Cervantes St. and 6401 N. Ninth Ave. in Pensacola, plus 3716 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze. A Miami-based company operates 136 Popeyes locations across Florida and Georgia and failed to find buyers for dozens of restaurants at a June bankruptcy auction. In court filings, the company said the stores had become a financial burden and that it would lose authority to fund their operations as of July 1, prompting it to reject the leases and vacate the properties.
Quintarries Upshaw / Courtesy Photo Paula Stark / Photo Courtesy of flhouse.gov
outtakes
By Rick Outzen
ANOTHER WORTHY FIGHT
For nearly half a century, Pensacola has turned the dial to WUWF and WSRE without a second thought. That era may be ending, and almost no one saw it coming.
It took nearly a decade for Pensacola to get a public radio station. Finally, on Jan. 15, 1981, University of West Florida President Dr. James Robinson threw a ceremonial switch, and the 100,000-watt station began broadcasting on 88.1 FM.
CIVIC PRIDE The radio station was a great source of civic pride. Pensacola Mayor Vince Whibbs, NPR President Frank Mankiewicz and members of the West Florida legislative delegation commented on the milestone during WUWF's introductory program. The daily programming focused on classical and jazz music, but local news, public affairs segments and National Public Radio provided significant programs, including NPR's "All Things Considered," a 90-minute news show running Monday-Friday.
Pensacola has treasured having public television and radio stations affiliated with a community college and university. WUWF, WSRE and their national affiliations fit well in our town, which touts and celebrates the Pensacola Opera, Pensacola Little Theater, Pensacola Symphony, Pensacola Children's Chorus and the Choral Society of Pensacola.
POLITICAL SHIFT
has treasured having public television and radio stations affiliated with a community college and university.
However, the national political climate recently turned against NPR and PBS. In May 2025, President Trump signed an executive order and legislation that directed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other agencies to cease all federal funding for PBS and NPR. Gov. Ron DeSantis used his line-item veto to eliminate nearly $6 million in recurring state funding for public television and radio stations, affecting every PBS affiliate in Florida.
Across town, Pensacola Junior College had gotten the jump on UWF with WSRE-TV, its public television station affiliated with the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). The station's call letters stood for Santa Rosa and Escambia counties, and it was launched on Sept. 11, 1967.
Excitement in the community ran high for WSRE. The Pensacola News Journal announced the launch above the fold on its front page. Sears Roebuck & Co. sold antennas for $14.99 so residents could watch "one of the finest TV stations in our community, programming entertainment and education at its best. Plus, no commercials."
WUWF was a welcome addition to the local media scene and connected us to educational and cultural programming on a national scale. When it celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2001, NPR newscasters Neal Conan of "Weekly Edition: The Best of NPR News" and Liane Hansen of "Wait, Wait … Don't Tell Me!" visited to join the festivities.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and his past two education commissioners, Manny Diaz Jr. and Anastasios Kamoutsas, didn't care about what we treasure. Trustees appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis voted last fall to discontinue Pensacola State College's PBS affiliation, making PSC the first Florida state college to drop its PBS affiliation. The vote came a month after the "I Love WSRE" pledge drive raised $225,000 from 1,205 donors. Trustee Andy Hobbs made the lone vote against breaking with PBS. DeSantis withdrew Hobbs's name from being considered for a second board term before his Senate confirmation hearing.
On Aug. 13, the UWF Board of Trustees plans to discuss WUWF's NPR affiliation, which is set to expire in October. Three PSC trustees also serve on the UWF board: Ed Fleming, Zack Smith and former chair, Gordon Sprague. Five others— Kevin Mason, Rebecca Matthews, Rachel Moya, Ashley Ross and Chris Young—don't live in Pensacola. The community will have an uphill fight to save the affiliation.
Pensacola fought for these stations once. If we want to keep them, we need to fight again before October, or the choice will be made without us. {in} rick@inweekly.net
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AFTER THE JULY 4TH WEEKEND SHOOTING
By the July 6 briefing, investigators had a name for the victim and new forensic ground to stand on. Detectives, working with the ATF, had determined at least two weapons were fired. Six of the seven people struck, including Sheppard, were found to have social connections to one another, pointing toward what Winstrom described as a possible ongoing feud rather than an attack on bystanders. The seventh victim, struck simply by being in the wrong place, had no connection to
The case accelerated by July 8. At Mayor D.C. Reeves' weekly press conference, the police chief announced two arrests: Nicholas Safford, 26, of Daphne, Ala., charged with aggravated assault, discharging a firearm on scene and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and his girlfriend, Lillian Meyers, 25, of Escambia County, charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact for allegedly removing a gun from the scene. Investigators believed at least three firearms, all handguns, were used, meaning at least three shooters were involved.
On July 10, the attorney's office added an attempted first-degree murder charge to Safford's offenses. According to court documents, PPD has a surveillance video allegedly showing Safford arguing with Sheppard before the shooting. The PPD report states, "Safford is seen with another male. Safford met the male in front of 200 South Palafox Place where that male gave Safford a gun." Safford then raised the firearm and pointed it in Sheppard's direction as shots
HOW PENSACOLA IS ADAPTING
Pensacola's response so far has followed the broad outline other cities have tried, tripling its normal downtown police staffing for the holiday and pairing officers with an outreach approach: talking to kids, reuniting them with worried parents and making arrests only when the scene turned dangerous. Winstrom has said that approach, imperfect as it proved to be, probably kept the night from being worse, pointing to the sheer density of the crowd and the number of separate physical altercations his officers broke up before the shooting occurred.
Mayor Reeves has been developing a curfew ordinance focused on unsupervised minors. Pensacola currently has no downtown curfew of its own; nearby Mobile, Ala., already restricts anyone under 18 from its entertainment district between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The mayor has emphasized that ordinances only matter if they can be enforced, and that the city does not want to create rules it cannot back up on the ground.
Rev. Lonnie Wesley III, pastor of Greater Little Rock Baptist Church, said, "I hope this curfew is not a knee-jerk reaction. I would say certainly name-calling is not the answer, but what can we do? I mean, we've got to do something."
He continued, "What can we do to impress upon the parents to do a better job at knowing where your underage teenager is? What can we do in society, as a whole, to give us more options for the teenager? There're enough layers on this onion for everybody to put their hands on it."
tion and has city leaders contemplating a curfew for minors.
As of our publication deadline, police are still hunting for two of the three individuals they believe opened fire early on July 5. Police Chief Eric Winstrom has held three public briefings in the days immediately following the shooting, each one adding detail to a case that began on a packed downtown street.
HOW IT UNFOLDED
Trouble started building well before the gunfire. Anticipating large Fourth of July crowds, a trend the department had tracked in prior years, the Pensacola Police Department (PPD) assigned more than 50 additional officers downtown.
As fireworks began around 9 p.m., a crowd that would swell into the hundreds had already started gathering in Ferdinand Plaza. Many were middle-school-age children, mostly unsupervised. But as the night wore on, the crowd's composition shifted older, and 19- to 26-year-olds began clustering near the bars on Palafox. By the department's later count, officers had made nine arrests total before the shooting, involving people ages 14 to 22, and had responded to more than 20 fights that night.
followed, and any doubt vanished.
Officers already stationed nearby, along with the chief, ran toward the sound. They found a scene that would ultimately stretch a full city block, with victims scattered among the fleeing crowd. Seven people had been shot. Officers began first aid immediately, applying tourniquets, and performed CPR on 19-year-old Phillip "PJ" Sheppard Jr., but it was ineffective. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fire department and Escambia County EMS crews arrived quickly despite the crowds and traffic, according to Winstrom, who said he was struck by how fast the response came together.
The other six victims, ranging in age from 16 to 26, were transported to area hospitals. All were eventually released; one sustained what Winstrom called a catastrophic, likely life-altering hand injury.
THE INVESTIGATION TAKES SHAPE
At the first briefing, held at 8 a.m. on July 5, Winstrom offered little beyond the basics: no suspects identified and an early belief, based on preliminary witness accounts and surveillance video, that the shooting was targeted rather than random.
Police made another arrest on July 11. Kanye Dewayne Walker, 16, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18 and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. PPD identified Walker on surveillance video handing Safford the firearm that he used to fire shots.
A NATIONAL PATTERN
What happened on Intendencia Street likely did not occur in isolation. Pensacola's shooting may have sprung from the phenomenon known nationally as a "teen takeover:" large, loosely organized gatherings of teenagers and young adults, coordinated largely through social media, that show up en masse at a mall, beach, park or entertainment district, sometimes with little warning to local authorities. The takeovers have intensified this year, with incidents documented in cities including Chicago, Washington, D.C., Tampa and Newport Beach, Calif., where more than 400 arrests were made over the same holiday weekend.
In several cities, the gatherings have turned violent in ways that echo what happened here: crowds swelling, fights breaking out, fireworks weaponized against bystanders and police, and, increasingly, gunfire. Researchers who study the trend point to a mix of factors, including how easily large crowds can now be summoned through social media, reduced structured activities for teens since the pandemic and, in some cases, underlying rivalries that spill into these gatherings once they're large enough to provide cover.
Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May would like a community discussion about expanding programs for teens. "You'll hear people say, 'The idle mind is the devil's workshop.' It's not a matter of whether our kids are going to go somewhere. No matter how many curfews we do, no matter what we say, they're going to find somewhere to go. Whether it's going to the beach, parking lot surfing or takeovers, they're going to do something. It's up to us to put the parameters in place."
May co-founded the Southern Youth Sports Association and has used sports to reach youth for nearly four decades. "I serve on the Escambia Children's Trust board and have talked with the mayor about this. It's great that we have afterschool programs and summer programs, but the most vulnerable at-risk population [is] African American children between the ages of 13-18."
He continued, "We have to give them something that they can do in order to keep their minds focused and to keep them structured."
For now, Pensacola sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: additional suspects at large, a curfew ordinance being drafted and a community sorting out what, if anything, could have stopped a feud from turning a holiday crowd into a crime scene.
The debate over a curfew is likely to run alongside a separate one, less about policing and more about prevention. The downtown shooting exposed gaps that policing alone cannot fill.
For the latest developments on this story, visit ricksblog.biz. {in}
Eric Winstrom / Photo by Rick Outzen
sory and has canceled its monthly meeting until late September.
Reeves said he asked the city attorney's office to analyze what role, if any, the city could play in the standoff with Moreno, who has refused to recommend board replacements until they pass his loyalty test.
According to the mayor, City Attorney Adam Cobb concluded the library system is a county operation, and the city has no legal authority to call a meeting or otherwise intervene in the underlying dispute. Reeves said, "It is a county operation function."
Pressed by a reporter on whether the city might use its influence to pressure the county to resolve the standoff, particularly given the library board's role in setting a budget for libraries many city residents rely on, Reeves pointed to his personal history with the library system, recalling attending a summer camp at the downtown branch as a child while his mother worked at Baptist Hospital.
"I think they provide great value to our community," Reeves said, but added that the bigger unresolved issue is funding. The Escambia County Library Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) was established in 2013 to fund the WFPL system. Set at a millage rate of 0.3590 per $1,000 of taxable value, it generates around $11.8 million annually. The city handed over control of its three libraries to the Board of Governance, a separate department in county, as part of an interlocal agreement.
The mayor said the city currently has no active role in the dispute and that further deci -
they'd like to have," Reeves said, "and we certainly understand the value of the library."
CEMEX CALLING Mayor D.C. Reeves also said at his July 8 press conference that he believes Cemex is likely behind the anonymous push poll circulating in the Pensacola area, pointing to the survey's heavy focus on testing support for keeping the company's lease at the Port of Pensacola.
"I'm going to speculate that that came from Cemex because of the intensity of testing language of keeping leases on port," Reeves said.
Reeves said he received the survey directly, and it caught him off guard. The mayor added the poll doesn't change how the city approaches decisions about port tenants.
"We've had conversations with Cemex many times since I've been here, and we do the same," Reeves said. "You can run as many surveys as you like and test messaging as much as you like. Really comes down to the same thing: what is the good that you can do for the community in terms of jobs, in terms of building revenue to be able to provide services? So we're going to evaluate every one of those situations objectively as we always would."
Asked whether the city is in active negotiations with Cemex over its lease, Reeves said he wasn't aware of any. He said. "Certainly you'd have to speak to them about that."
Reeves also clarified that no formal action has been taken on Cemex's lease status in either direction. "We have not notified to vacate. We have not sent them a note saying we aren't going to renew at any point," he said. "Nothing with
any finality that has been provided by the city to I think it's just continuing conversations of their desire for an extension, but there hasn't been some final decision made anytime recently."
On the substance of the lease itself, Reeves said the city has to weigh Cemex's contributions against the broader value the port site could generate. "There is lots of value in wharfage and tonnage and activity at the port. There's a great value that Cemex brings there," he said. "But we have to balance what the commitment is [with] how many jobs it creates. We have to know that before we commit to this type of
He continued, "What is the cost benefit to the taxpayer? That's why I think I was elected, and I think that's why our administration and port staff has been hired—to make sure that
Reeves said nothing on the city's end appears to have prompted the poll's timing. "I don't want to misspeak … but from the seventh floor of City Hall, nothing has changed from a timely or substance standpoint recently that would trigger something like that."
The survey, which also tested candidates in the Aug. 18 municipal primary, did not disclose a sponsor.
DROPPING NPR The University of West Florida Board of Trustees will discuss ending WUWF's affiliation with National Public Radio at its next meeting, three independent sources have confirmed. The board meets at 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Museum of Commerce in downtown Pensacola.
WUWF has carried NPR programming since its first broadcast on Jan. 15, 1981, when the 100,000-watt station signed on at 88.1 FM. Then-UWF President James Robinson threw the ceremonial switch, and the station joined the NPR network that afternoon for "All Things Considered." The affiliation traces back to Dr. Tom Perry, UWF's Director of Instructional Services and WUWF's first general manager.
If trustees vote to sever ties, UWF would follow Pensacola State College, whose board voted last fall to end its PBS affiliation.
Critics on the right argue NPR's coverage leans left and should not draw public funding without stricter neutrality. NPR has disputed claims of ideological bias, saying its journalism is guided by professional standards, not partisan interests, and that its newsroom operates independently of corporate leadership.
WUWF Public Media is licensed to the UWF
Board of Trustees and operates as a member-supported service of the university.
Citizens wishing to speak at the Aug. 13 meeting must register 24 hours in advance for virtual comment or 15 minutes before the meeting's call to order for in-person comment. Speakers must direct remarks to the board, provide their name, address and relationship to the university, and keep comments to three minutes. The board is not obligated to respond. Full procedures are available in UWF's Public Comment Policy.
The Board of Trustees includes Edward Fleming, Eli Schatz, Janice Gilley, Kevin Mason, Rebecca Matthews, Dr. Rachel Moya, Kishane Patel, Dr. Heather Riddell, Chris Roney, Ashley Ross, Zack Smith, Gordon Sprague and Chris Young. Several live and work in the Pensacola area; others are based elsewhere. Visit uwf.edu/ offices/board-of-trustees.
TEACHERS SHAFTED
As Escambia County Public Schools celebrates its first-ever district
A grade, the local teachers' union says the school district has rejected nearly all of its requests at the bargaining table, even as it acknowledges there is little money available for raises this year.
Carol Cleaver, president of the Escambia Education Association, said the district's reserves were cut in half over the past year while more than $18 million was spent on vouchers for private schools. She attributes the shortfall to state voucher policy and said Florida's Teacher Salary Increase Allocation, the main funding source for raises, is restricted this year to classroom teachers with 10 or more years of experience, excluding guidance counselors, behavior deans and librarians.
Knowing raises were unlikely, Cleaver said the union instead asked for contract language changes, including guaranteed duty-free lunch periods, bereavement leave separate from sick leave and protected classroom prep days before the school year begins. She said Escambia is the only Florida county without duty-free lunch or bereavement leave guarantees, and that the district rejected nearly every request, citing costs.
The rejections came weeks after the Florida Department of Education released school grades showing Escambia with 19 A schools, 16 B schools and no schools rated D or F—the district's best performance on record. Several schools posted multi-year turnarounds, including Montclair Elementary, which rose from an F to an A in three years, and Navy Point Elementary, which posted the district's largest point gain.
State officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, credited state reforms for the improvement. Superintendent Keith Leonard thanked teachers, students, administrators and support staff.
The bargaining session between the district and the union on July 9 brought no significant changes. Cleaver said, "We got some good things that we were asking for as far as supports for new teachers that they had originally said no to, but they are still saying no to duty free lunch and bereavement leave."
Photo by Rick Outzen
PENSACOLA'S PROGRESS Pensacola City Council President Allison Patton credited careful planning, contractor performance and business flexibility for the success of the New Palafox project during an appearance on "Rick's Blog Live" on BLAB-TV last week, days after attending the dedication of a plaque marking the project's completion.
Patton said she initially had reservations about the project's timeline and its potential impact on downtown businesses. She said a meeting with contractor Site & Utilities' teams changed her mind once she learned roughly 80% of the work was infrastructure-related rather than cosmetic, and after she reviewed the contractor's track record of completing projects on time.
"After that meeting, I felt a lot better about the fact that this really could get across the finish line," Patton said.
The project ran from Jan. 6 to May 24, finishing on time. Patton said Quint Studer's offer to backstop loans for affected businesses helped ease concerns, and she pointed to the addition of outdoor tables at Plaza Ferdinand as a lasting improvement that outlived its original purpose as a temporary dining alternative during construction.
Turning to economic development, Patton described the Port of Pensacola's transforma-
tion from what she called long-perceived "dead weight" into a driver of the local economy. She cited the opening of American Magic's headquarters, the port's role as a SailGP training base and interest from shipbuilder Birdon America as evidence the port is not only fulfilling but exceeding the community's long-term vision.
On airport growth, Patton said parking at Pensacola International Airport has been expanded three times since she took office, with additional hangar construction underway to keep pace with rising passenger traffic. She credited Airport Director Matt Coughlin's leadership and said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis has helped secure funding to address parking capacity.
"It's a huge part of our economic development formula because we've got to have the connectivity through the airport," Patton said.
Asked to reflect on her time leading Council meetings, Patton said the role extends beyond parliamentary procedure to improving communication between the council, mayor's office, city staff and the public.
"I've had my moments in those meetings where I've just wanted to put the gavel to the side," Patton said. "But I really think we're doing a good job as a community, as an elected body, in really trying to hash through some difficult things."
Patton was reelected last month to her council seat without opposition.
HEALTHY EXPANSION United Way of West Florida is expanding its Healthy Schools Escambia initiative for the 2026-2027 school year, adding Ensley Elementary School and Navy Point Elementary School and bringing the total number of participating campuses to six.
Healthy Schools Escambia (HSE) is a partnership between United Way of West Florida, the Escambia Children's Trust and the Escambia County School District aimed at connecting students and families with resources that support academic success, physical and mental well-being and family stability. The program is built on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child framework, which links student health outcomes to academic performance by addressing physical, social, emotional and environmental factors that affect learning.
Global Learning Academy and O.J. Semmes Elementary School are entering their third year in the program, while Brentwood Elementary School and West Pensacola Elementary School are entering their second year.
According to the Florida Department of Education, Ensley Elementary serves about 465 stu-
dents in pre-K through fifth grade, with nearly 98% considered economically disadvantaged, about 7% experiencing homelessness and roughly 31% classified as English language learners. Navy Point Elementary serves about 450 students in pre-K through fifth grade, with 100% of students economically disadvantaged and more than 4% experiencing homelessness.
"Every school has unique strengths and unique challenges, but every student deserves the opportunity to succeed," said Matthew Teston, program director for Healthy Schools Escambia at United Way of West Florida. "As Healthy Schools Escambia continues to grow, we're able to build stronger relationships with educators, support families in meaningful ways and connect children with the resources they need to reach their full potential."
HSE works directly within schools to reduce barriers to learning through family engagement, wellness programming and connections to community services, with the goal of building sustainable support systems for students both in the classroom and at home.
United Way of West Florida serves Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, working to advance local resilience, health, youth opportunity and financial security. More information is available at uwwf.org. {in}
Don't expect a screamo album from Destin Conrad.
While the Grammy-nominated singer has surprised listeners with different genres backto-back—his debut R&B album "LOVE ON DIGITAL," jazz album "wHIMSY!" and an upcoming reggae project—he admits that screamo isn't a path he's likely to trek.
"I probably will never give people a screamo album or something. I love all kinds of music, and there's just so many different styles that I'm inspired by. I don't feel like I ever want to just make one style, and even when I do get back into making R&B music, I think that there will still be like, references of all different kinds of genres and whatever I'm interested in at the time."
"I'm not doing anything new; I feel like even with within these last two Beyoncé albums, she kind of set the standard," Conrad said.
Despite keeping his fans fed, Conrad isn't working on music as often as you'd think; he said he approaches projects in blocks. The majority of his jazz album was created in only two weeks.
"I do feel like I immersed myself in it, though," Conrad said. "Like, I've been listening to a lot of reggae to put myself in that headspace."
Conrad has already dropped the first single "Nervous" and its music video as a taste of the reggae album to come. He's working on it now in a Miami studio.
"I'm Jamaican, so I grew up listening to reggae and being inspired by it," Conrad said. "It's something I've incorporated in my music already throughout my albums, but I just felt the need to make a specific project dedicated to it."
His lyrics are inspired by both his life and others', with a bit of storytelling incorporated.
"I wanted to be a songwriter for a long time, and I feel like I am pretty good at like, putting myself in other people's shoes," Conrad said.
Conrad is also open to collaboration beyond lyrical inspiration—like in "A Lonely Detective," a track he made with Vanisha Gould.
"[She] is an artist that I was listening to a lot while making the album, and I was so ecstatic that she wanted to be a part of it at any capacity," Conrad said. "I think that song came about really fun. My producer is in the room, and he said, 'It sounds like a lonely detective.'
Vanisha started singing and I was like, 'Wait, that's cool,' and we just kind of built on it. It was a really organic process coming up with that one. That was one of my favorites to write on the 'wHIMSY!' album."
Growing up in Tampa, another one of Conrad's major influences was church, he said.
"My aunt is an evangelist, so she used to put on a lot of the church functions, and she would pay me to sing," Conrad said. "So, very early on,
TELLING STORIES AND TRYING OUT GENRES WITH SINGER-SONGWRITER DESTIN
I was aware of the fact that I could make money singing … I'm very grateful for those opportunities, because I carry those lessons into my life now as an adult, but she is a big part of why I started singing."
While most kids thought it far-fetched to become a singer, Conrad said he grew up feeling like it was a real possibility.
Conrad's singing career started on Vine, the short-lived short-form video-sharing platform. He remembers begging his mom to get him an iPhone as a teenager and then spending the summer with his aunt Michelle enjoying it.
"Me and my cousins were just obsessed with Vine; we just thought it was the funniest thing ever, and we started making them, and it kind of just snowballed. I would sing on there too," Conrad said. "It kind of just happened. It wasn't like an intentional thing at all."
It seems surreal for Conrad, who received his first Grammy nomination at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in the Best Progressive R&B Album category for "LOVE ON DIGITAL." He was also recently nominated for Best New Artist at the BET Awards.
"The Grammy nomination was like, 'Oh, wow, like, this is really my job,'" Conrad said. "I think getting asked to go on tour was like one of the moments I was like, 'Okay, this is a real thing.'"Despite his rise, Conrad wants people to
CONRAD
By
know his career and life aren't as calculated as it might look from the outside.
"I feel like people like to trivialize certain parts of my career and existence, and I want people to know that everything I do is just intuitive and not contrived," Conrad said. "Some things are meticulous, of course, and specific, but majority of it is just me having a ball and just having fun making things and creating."
While Conrad grew up in Florida, he's never been to Pensacola and isn't named after the city of Destin—but he said the area sounds "up my alley." He's absolutely a beach person, he said.
Conrad added that he's enjoying performing his jazz album at jazz festivals, because it's still new and fun. But his Pensacola show will likely lean more R&B until he can find transitions to add some of his jazz songs in, he explained.
"'KISSING IN PUBLIC' off of my debut album, now that's one that I noticed some people really like, and I do it at the end, so it's a special moment," Conrad said {in}
DESTIN CONRAD AT THE HANDLEBAR
WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23
WHERE: The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. COST: $36.16 ($30 + $6.16 service fee)
DETAILS: destinconrad.com, tickets.thehandlebar850.com
Savannah Evanoff
Destin Conrad / Photo by Rah-San "Sage6" Bailey
Arts & Entertainment
Burn Beautiful Brought the Heat
In the world of slam poetry, all you get is three minutes, a microphone and the courage to say what needs saying. That's what Burn Beautiful brought to this year's Southern Fried Poetry Slam.
The Pensacola slam team traveled to Orlando in June, where veteran performers and firsttime competitors alike tested their work against some of the region's strongest poets. Burn Beautiful finished 17th out of 35 teams, returning home with its sights set on an even higher ranking next year.
"There's poetry, there's spoken word and then there's slam poetry," explained team coach Asia Samson. "Spoken word is when you take a poem and memorize it, turning it into a performance. Slam is when you take those performance poets and have them compete. They get scored by judges on their poems."
The origins of slam poetry trace back to 1980s Chicago, where poet Marc Smith sought to make poetry more engaging by inviting audience members to score performances. While each slam has its own variations, the core rules are simple: no props, no costumes and three
minutes to perform an original poem, with a 10-second grace period. Five judges selected from the audience score each poem on a scale of 1 to 10, using decimal points for added precision. The highest and lowest scores are dropped to remove any bias, leaving the three middle scores to determine the final total.
"There are people who say, 'I hate poetry,' but you know, I think you hate poetry because you don't know what it can be yet," Samson said. "Turning your poem into a story or a performance really invites the audience in, which is what slam is all about. It's not about getting up there to scream and yell."
Samson has built a career as a touring spoken word poet, competing at Southern Fried and national poetry slams since 2004. While living in South Florida, Samson met a poet from Pensacola who had performed with P5, the city's slam team in the early 2000s. That connection introduced him to the competitive slam scene. When Samson later moved to Pensacola, he saw an opportunity to revive that legacy, leading the first Burn Beautiful team to Southern Fried in 2019.
For Burn Beautiful, the journey to Southern Fried began long before the team arrived in Orlando. In October 2025, Samson hosted a qualifying slam to select the poets who would represent Pensacola. Over the following months, the team refined poems, workshopped performances and built the trust necessary for team poems.
The team consisted of poets Shelby Drummond, Zakara Parker and Ebony Bradley, who were supported by Slammaster Francesca "Frannie" Scarpatti, timekeeper Dee Herbert and assistant coach Keegan Anderson. "Coaching is like 50% work and 50% strategy," Samson said. "When I get a new team, I first take inventory of what three or four individual poems each poet is bringing to the slam. Next, we find out what group poems can we come up with. The more poems I have in my pocket, the more I can strategize us to win."
Samson said Burn Beautiful came into the competition overprepared in one sense—the poets had spent months practicing, revising and rehearsing— but underprepared for the level of experience they faced from teams that have been competing together for years.
Moving forward, Samson hopes to bring more team pieces to the stage and continue building the chemistry that comes with time.
Samson was also honored in June with the Southern Fried Legacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant, longlasting, positive contributions to the organization and its community.
"I never expected it," he said. "I've always loved Southern Fried and volunteered to help however I could, from designing logos to competing and bringing my own teams. It felt like a really big deal to be seen and respected by my friends and peers, especially during the year that I brought a team from Pensacola. The whole team was standing up and cheering for me, telling people, 'That's my coach!' Seeing them cheer felt better to me than the whole room cheering, because those were our people from our town, and that recognition meant everything."
For Shelby Drummond, a newcomer to slam poetry, the stage itself wasn't intimidat-
ing. As a theatre kid, she was already familiar with memorizing lines and performing for an audience. The harder part was learning to share her own words.
"Coming from the theatre, I was accustomed to telling other people's stories," she said. "I was not as comfortable doing the intensely vulnerable part of sharing my story, and even more importantly, in this arena, my voice. This was one of the hardest hills to climb in all of the prep leading up to the slam—[learning not to change] who I was as a poet to fit into the established slam scene. Instead, I had to become comfortable with my form of expression."
Writing has become an essential part of Drummond's life and a way to explore topics that are difficult to grapple with aloud. Slam introduced her to a new kind of real, human vulnerability.
"The most important lesson I learned was that your story is what matters, no matter your chosen medium," Drummond said. "In the age of AI, the population is looking for what is real. I saw how people wanted to be able to see themselves in the pieces. We all want to feel like we are not alone in our experience. So, no matter what one's perceived level of talent may be, I hope everyone will be brave enough to create. The world needs your art. The poems that I still think about are the ones who assumed no outcome of their work. They just wanted the chance to be heard. That level of honesty is what I will continue to seek in my own work."
As she works to finish her first book of poetry, Drummond said Southern Fried reminded her why she returned to writing in the first place. The experience reinforced the importance of making art simply for the joy of creating.
"I left my creativity on the shelf for ten years because I let myself be convinced, by the wrong people, that if I couldn't make money from it, then it was a waste of time," she said.
For Drummond, that freedom is what makes poetry so powerful— the ability to take something personal and turn it into something shared.
"I love the art of poetry. It condenses a story to its most important parts while still using some of the most vivid language you can find. [Then adding] a level of performance that took you into that story was breathtaking. I was on the edge of my seat for so many of the pieces. Those poets had me invested in the journey they had crafted for the audience. That is an experience I will never forget," Drummond said.
Burn Beautiful plans to hold more workshops and slams to build a stronger Pensacola slam community, as well as a qualifier in fall to identify the next cohort of poets for the Burn Beautiful slam team. Follow @pensacolapoetry or @theasiaproject to stay updated. {in}
Courtesy Photo
a&e happenings
NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS
THE GREATEST SHOWCASE: BENEFITTING RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
CHARITIES OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Fundraiser featuring Sasha Farber of "Dancing with the Stars" 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19 at Saenger Theatre, 119 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.
ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Beef 'O' Brady's, 1 New Market St., Cantonment (on Nine Mile Road near Pine Forest Road). The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. For more information, visit facebook.com/animalalliesflorida.
ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOP -
TION Visit Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month at 6857 N. Ninth Ave. to meet your furever friend. Visit aaflorida.org for details.
CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD
DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens 10 a.m. and also has clothing. Food donations needed are poptop canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women, as well as sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 7233390 for details.
ARTS & CULTURE
GALLERY NIGHT: FUTURE MAKERS This family-friendly Gallery Night focuses on the Future Makers Market with young entrepreneurs. Gallery Night is 5-9 p.m. Friday, July 17 on South Palafox Street. Details available at gallerynightpensacola.org.
PENSACOLA BEACH AIR SHOW FEATURING THE BLUE ANGELS The weekend-long event includes a full practice show 2 p.m. Thursday, July 16 and a dress rehearsal show 2 p.m. Friday, July 17. Official air show is Saturday, July 18. For a detailed calendar of events, visit visitpensacolabeach.com/whats-happening-blue-angels.
MOVIES IN THE PARK The next outdoor movie is 6-9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 18 with a screening of "Zootopia 2." Movies are at the Hunter Amphitheatre, 251 Cedar St. There will be music, kids activities and more. Pre-show activities and movie are free.
PENSACOLA HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SOCIETY MONTHLY LUNCHEON Event is 11
a.m. Saturday, July 18 at Golden Corral Meeting Room, 2260 Langley Ave. Lunch buffet is $15 at the door. This month's meeting will cover the experiences of an American Revolutionary soldier in a talk entitled "Life, Liberty and Hard Rations." No reservations needed.
PENSACOLA VINTAGE FEST Shop 75 vintage vendors 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 19 at the Pen-
sacola Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. Details available at pensacolavintage.com.
READ PENSACOLA BOOK CLUB Join the Read Pensacola Book Club for upcoming book discussions. On Tuesday, July 21 the book discussion is "Not Good Neighbors" by Violet Lumani and on Tuesday, July 28, the club will discuss "When the Moon Hatched" by Sarah A. Parker. Book club takes place 5-6 p.m. at Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. Details available at instagram.com/readpensacola.
BLIND DATE WITH A BOOK (AND CATS!)
Perfect Day Bookstore and Coastal Cat Café present this surprise book pop-up. For $50 you get a hot drink of choice, 75 minutes in the cat lounge and a "blind date" book of your choice. Event is 7 p.m. Thursday, July 23. Details and more available at coastalcatpcola.com/event-details/blind-datewith-a-book-and-cats.
WHEN TWO OF US MEET Play by Emily Simonian will make its debut on the PenArts stage 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23; Friday, July 24; Saturday, July 25; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26 located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Tickets are $20 and available at penarts.org.
FRIENDS OF THE WEST FLORIDA PUBLIC LIBRARY'S TWO-DAY SUMMER MULTIMEDIA SALE Shop books and more 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 25 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, July 26 at the Downtown Library, 239 N. Spring St. Free admission.
COASTAL COLLECTORS EXPO Buy, sell or trade with hundreds of vendors at this collectors' trade show 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, July 25 at Pensacola Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. Free admission. Visit flcoastalcollectors.com for details.
SAENGER THEATRE SUMMER MOVIE SERIES The historic Saenger Theatre has announced the lineup for the summer movie series. Its theme is "The Sound and the Story: Five Decades of Steven Spielberg and John Williams." Screenings are 3 p.m. at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $7 per person. Full concessions are available at each screening. Dates are: "Jaws" on Sunday, July 26; "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" on Sunday, Aug. 2; "Jurassic Park" on Sunday, Aug. 9; "Catch Me If You Can" on Sunday, Aug. 16; and "Lincoln" on Sunday, Aug. 23. Details available at pensacolasaenger.com.
ROAD TO REVOLUTION EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF HISTORY "Road to Revolution: Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the American War for Independence" highlights how Pensacola helped shape the outcome of the American Revolution. Developed in partnership with America250, the exhibit explores how a Gulf Coast port played a pivotal role in a global conflict. The exhibit is on display through May 2027. The museum is located at 330 S. Jefferson St. For more information about the UWF Historic Trust, visit historicpensacola.org.
BLACK AND WHITE SHOW AT ARTEL GALLERY Currently on view at the Artel Gallery un-
til July 31. Exhibit also features works by Man Stanly at the Vault, Stephanie Nowlin at the Pandora Room, Kris Billhorn at the Backroom and Bruce Men Ne at the Award Alcove. Location is 223 S. Palafox St. Hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit facebook.com/artelpensacola.
THE POETICS OF PAINTING: A CELEBRATION OF THE LINEAGE AND LEGACY OF JOHN MARKOWITZ Pensacola Museum of Art exhibit features more than 50 works of art created by Markowitz's mentors and students on view through Aug. 4. The Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.
THE ART OF ANIMATION Pensacola Museum of Art exhibit featuring illustrations from the Gerald and Vicki Adcox collection. On view through Sept. 6. Visit the museum at 407 S. Jefferson St. Find more details and museum hours at pensacolamuseum.org.
HUMANISTS OF WEST FLORIDA MONTHLY MEETING The Humanists of West Florida meet at the Ever'man Education Center, 351 W. Garden St. 10:15 a.m. every second Sunday of the month. For more information, visit facebook.com/ humanistsofwestflorida.
WEST GARDEN DISTRICT ARTISAN MARKET Shop local vendors and artisans 1-6 p.m. Fridays starting May 1 at Del Mar Plaza, 1617 W. Garden St. For more information, contact info@ ub-pensacola.com.
FIRST FRIDAY AT BLUE MORNING GALLERY Visit Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox St., 5:30 p.m. every first Friday of the month for a reception with wine, live music and occasional artist demonstrations. Visit bluemorninggallery.com for details.
MOVIE NIGHTS AT MUGS & JUGS Mugs & Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway, hosts monthly movie nights. Watch their website for dates and movie announcements at mugsjugsbar.com. All movies are screened 9 p.m. on select Saturdays.
CLUB 27 COMEDY SHOW Visit Lili Marlene's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. on the first and third Sundays of the month for a night of comedy. Doors open at 6 p.m. show starts at 7 p.m. Visit sevillequarter.com for details.
PENSACOLA HERITAGE FOUNDATION
LECTURES Learn Pensacola and Northwest Florida history through interesting, informal lectures every other Tuesday at The Wright Place, 80 E. Wright St. Doors open at 11 a.m., and lunch is served at 11:30 a.m. The lecture starts at noon and lasts one hour. Lecture cost is $5 for non-members and is free to members. Lunches are $12. For reservations, call (850) 380-7759.
PENSACOLA CINEMA ART FILM SCREEN-
INGS Pensacola Cinema Art will screen films select weekends during the summer season at 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $10, and payment is cash only. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for their complete schedule.
a&e happenings
PENSACOLA ROSE SOCIETY Monthly meetings are normally 6 p.m. the second Monday of the month at the Pensacola Garden Center, 1850 N. Ninth Ave. Visit pensacolarosesociety.org for more information.
BTB COMEDY Watch live stand-up comedy in open mic style 7 p.m. Mondays at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Follow BTB Comedy on Facebook for updates.
SCRIPTEASERS Join writers at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St., for Scripteasers every second Saturday of the month. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com for details.
PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is 9 a.m.2 p.m. Saturdays. The event features local farmers, artists and crafters on North and South Palafox Streets at Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza and Plaza Ferdinand. For updates, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.
SUNDAY MARKET ON PALAFOX Rain-orshine market is Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Located in downtown Pensacola, between Chase and Gregory Streets in the MLK Plaza. Market features handmade crafts, art, baked goods, international cuisine and fresh produce. Visit smopalafox.com for details.
CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret Drag Showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors open 8 p.m. Showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, contact show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at taizesinclairsanti@gmail.com.
SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pensacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equipment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.
AFTER DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner happens inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with real ghost-hunting equipment 6-8 p.m. Sundays. Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more related to Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. After your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E. Government St. Reservations are required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.
LIVE MUSIC
BANDS ON THE BEACH The weekly concert series takes place 7-9 p.m. every Tuesday through Oct. 27 at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. Free to attend. Upcoming dates: On the Rod on July 21 and Vinyl Revival on July 28. For more information, call the SRIA at (850) 932-2257 or go to visitpensacolabeach.com for the latest updates.
LIVE MUSIC AT FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ
Enjoy live music Thursdays through Sundays at Five Sisters, 421 W. Belmont St. Upcoming dates: Gene Labbe & The Reverberators Friday, July 17; The Glenn Parker Band 6-10 p.m. Saturdays; Curt Bol Quintet 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays; and John Wheeler 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays.
MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER
Show is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
OVERSIGHT Show is 7 p.m. Friday, July 17 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
HOUSE PARTY: A SWEATY LOVE LETTER TO THE 2010S RAGER Show is 9 p.m. Friday, July 17 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at vinylmusichall.com.
FATTMACK Show is 9 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets and information available at vinylmusichall.com.
BACK N BLACK: THE AC/DC EXPERIENCE Show is 8 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at Pensacola Saenger, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.
90S & 2000S HIP HOP NIGHT Event is 8 p.m. Saturday, July 18 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
IN GLOOM Show is 7 p.m. Sunday, July 19 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
REMEMBERING NATE FLORES Memorial show featuring Pierce, Basilissa, Stress Wound, Serrated FL, Rotted Remains and Accursed Creator. Show is 3:30 p.m. Sunday, July 19 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Details available at vinylmusichall.com.
HIGH FADE Show is 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
NO COMPLICATIONS Show is 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
DESTIN CONRAD Show is 6 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
OBITUARY Show is 7 p.m. Friday, July 24 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
JUVENILE & THE 400 DEGREEZ BAND Show is 6 p.m. Friday, July 24 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at vinylmusichall.com.
SAFETY TRAINING Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25 at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.
a&e happenings
KEYLA RICHARDSON & FRIENDS Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.
REGGAETON RAVE Show is 9 p.m. Saturday, July 25 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets and details at vinylmusichall.com.
BANDS ON THE BAYOU Bay Kings Bang will perform at Bands on the Bayou 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, July 31 at Bayview Park, 2001 E. Lloyd St. Details available at bandsonthebayou.com.
OPEN MIC AT ALGA BEER CO. Country Club is hosted by Brett Patterson of Snake and the Rabbit every Monday night. Sign-ups start at 6 p.m. and music starts at 6:30 p.m. All ages welcome. Visit facebook.com/algabeerco for more details.
MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE
QUARTER The Blues Society of Northwest Florida brings blues to Florida 7 p.m. Mondays at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Food and drink specials start at 8 p.m. Details are at sevillequarter.com.
PENSACOLA PICK NIGHT AT ODD COLO -
NY Music pickers of all levels are invited to play 7-9 p.m. every last Monday of the month at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Bring your acoustic instrument and jam. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for details.
LIVE MUSIC NIGHTLY AT THE DISTRICT
Enjoy music and fine dining at The District: Seville Steak & Seafood, 123 E. Government St., every Tuesday through Thursday starting at 6 p.m. Their regular weekly schedule is Tuesday Night Jazz with Love Brynnevere, Wednesdays with Platinum Bones and Thursdays Dan Lovelock on the piano. They also have live music on Fridays and Saturdays during happy hour starting at 4 p.m. Visit facebook.com/districtsteaks for details and updates.
MUSIC RX: JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED Jazz Pensacola and Escambia County Medical Society present free concerts on the first Wednesday of the month in the cafeteria of Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, 5151 N. Ninth Ave. from 1:30-3:30 p.m. For more information, visit jazzpensacola.com.
ROSIE O'GRADY'S DUELING PIANO SHOW
Watch the famous dueling piano show 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at Rosie O' Grady's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Doors open at 7 p.m.
NOCHE TROPICAL: LATIN NIGHT AT SEVILLE QUARTER Presented by Latin Flavor Entertainment every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Phineas Phogg's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.
OPEN MIC NIGHT AT GARY'S BREWERY
Open mic night is hosted by Renee Amelia 6 p.m.
every other Wednesday at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. Visit facebook.com/garysbrew for details.
VIBE IRIE REGGAE: LIVE IN THE COURTYARD Enjoy Vibe Irie Reggae band 4-10 p.m. Sundays at the End O' the Alley Courtyard at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St.
LIVE MUSIC AT CALVERT'S Listen to live music 5-8 p.m. Sundays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. Visit facebook.com/calvertsintheheights for details.
FOOD + DRINKS
SAN MARZANO SUPPER CLUB Five-course food and wine event at Angelena's, 101 E. Intendencia St. 5:30 p.m. Thursday, July 16. Cost is $150. Reservations can be made online at angelenaspensacola.com/reservations or by calling (850) 542-8398.
PERFECT PLAIN X INSOMNIA COOKIES
Beer and cookie pairing at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. 11 a.m. Sunday, July 19. Details available at facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.
PLANT BINGO AT ODD COLONY Event with Jade Tree Succulents & Evie's Eclectics 6-8 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at facebook.com/oddcolony.
HALFWAY TO PAW-DI GRAS KARAOKE NIGHT Wolfgang presents this karaoke night where you can also learn how to get involved with Paw-di Gras. Event is 8-11 p.m. Friday, July 24 at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. Details available at wolfgangparkandbrews.com.
DOWNTOWN HAPPY HOUR AT SEVILLE QUARTER Drink specials and laid-back vibes are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. every weekday throughout the entire Seville Quarter complex with $2 off all liquor drinks and $1 off all beer and wine. Must be 21 or older. Visit sevillequarter.com for details.
MARTINI MONDAYS AT DOROTHY'S Martini menu with specialty prices at Dorothy's, 309 S. Reus St. Visit dorothyspensacola.com for details.
MEN'S NIGHT AT WISTERIA From 3 p.m. to close Mondays, guys can play free darts and enjoy $6 craft tallboys. There are more than 150 craft beers to choose from at Wisteria, 3803 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.
BAR BINGO AT SEVILLE QUARTER Bar Bingo is 8 p.m. Mondays at Apple Annie's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Bingo is free to play with prizes, giveaways and bar tabs up for grabs for winners. Visit sevillequarter.com for details.
for more listings visit inweekly.net
The Team Behind Pensacola’s Biggest Sporting Moments
BEHIND THE SCENES, THE ORGANIZATION CREATES, RECRUITS, HOSTS AND SUPPORTS AMATEUR, COLLEGIATE AND PROFESSIONAL EVENTS THAT SHOWCASE THE PENSACOLA AREA AS A PREMIER SPORTS DESTINATION.
If you’ve ever cheered runners across the finish line at the Pensacola Double Bridge Run, watched championship basketball at the Pensacola Bay Center, or seen athletes competing across our community, you’ve experienced the work of Pensacola Sports.
71 YEARS OF Competition
Founded in 1955, Pensacola Sports is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing high-quality sporting events to Pensacola and Escambia County. Working behind the scenes, the organization creates, recruits, hosts and supports amateur, collegiate and professional events that showcase the Pensacola area as a premier sports destination.
Many locals know Pensacola Sports through its signature events. The Pensacola Double Bridge Run, one of the most scenic 15K races in the country, attracts thousands of runners each year. Events like the Bayou Hills Run and DeLuna’s Open Water Swim have also become community traditions that celebrate both competition and the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Through partnerships with event rights holders, local governments, volunteers, sponsors and sports organizations, Pensacola Sports helps deliver events that draw athletes and visitors from across the country. These events generate significant economic impact for local hotels, restaurants and businesses while creating opportunities for residents to experience top-tier competition close to home.
Beyond events, Pensacola Sports celebrates athletic achievement through the Annual Sports Awards Banquet and Senior Scholar Athlete Program, honoring athletes, coaches and community leaders who have shaped the region’s rich sports legacy.
Whether you’re running across the finish line, cheering from the stands or volunteering to support an event, chances are Pensacola Sports is part of the moment.
Learn more about upcoming events and how to get involved at
free will astrology
WEEK OF JULY 16
ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In honor of the intensive homecoming phase of your astrological cycle, I have homework for you. 1. Make a prediction about how old you will be when you know precisely who you are. 2. Forecast the day when you will look in the mirror and recognize your face as an intricate portrait of every experience you have ever loved. 3. Imagine the dawn when the boundary between your own longing and life's longing will dissolve, revealing they've always been the same current. 4. Predict when your heart will be as wild and free and brave as you have always wanted it to be.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Ornithologists studying migration know that some birds don't fly directly to their destination. They follow "leading lines." These are geographical features like coastlines and mountain ranges that provide orientation. Even when this means taking a longer route, the certainty of having a guiding landmark outweighs the efficiency of a straight line across nondescript terrain. I recommend the birds' approach to you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Follow your own leading lines: practices and intuitions that provide lucid orientation even when they don't offer shortcuts. The indirect path offers the surety you need.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): What's an important truth you keep forgetting about? Maybe it's a promise you once made to yourself, or an understanding that your younger self knew or a wisdom your body keeps trying to communicate while your mind ignores it. What truth returns again and again in different guises: through synchronicities, seemingly random comments from friends, recurring dreams or the same lesson repeating in new situations? What crucial insights about life do you remember during crisis or ecstasy, only to abandon them once normalcy returns? Now is a favorable time to fully recover this lesson and install it firmly at the heart of your life.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Make a list of your five greatest pleasures. These are experiences that stir your senses, steady your pulse and remind you why love being alive. Write them down as if they were sacred prayers. Sing a spontaneous
By Rob Brezsny
song of praise of them. Then set out on a quest to discover pleasure number six. This is a delight you have never tasted, touched or imagined before. Maybe it will come from saying yes to a possibility you usually decline. Treat this experiment as a form of worship and a way to boost your devotion to your healing life force.
Don't
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): According to neuroscientists, the "default mode network" is the area of your brain that lights up when you're daydreaming, drifting through thoughts and feelings and letting your imagination roam around. This is when your deep self does crucial work: weaving memories into stories, making creative connections, rehearsing possible futures and forging your sense of identity. I mention this, Leo, because the coming days will be prime time for you to indulge lavishly in this healing and restorative activity. Don't let a task-obsessed world shame you out of your reveries. Your genius will bloom from their slowly swirling flow.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Here are three gentle nudges: 1. One of your trusty tools or assets still seems to be working fine, but I suggest you look into the possibility that it will soon need repair. 2. Unless you act proactively to ease the strain on your system, a mini-breakdown could be on the horizon. 3. The monster hiding in your closet is hibernating, which makes this the perfect time to summon an exorcist before it rouses. Here's the very good news, dear Virgo: because you are reading this oracle, you are now armed with all you need to stave off turmoil and head in the direction of an exciting renaissance.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Researchers who study improvisational jazz have found that master musicians often anticipate each other's ideas milliseconds before anyone actually plays the notes. Their brains become exquisitely synchronized through deep listening rather than rigid planning. Maybe more than any other sign, you Libras possess a similar aptitude in managing your intimate alliances and social connec-
tions. In the coming weeks, this superpower will be even more necessary and available than usual. I'll provide a reminder: pay less attention to what people claim to mean and more attention to the rhythms beneath their words. Let your intuition guide you. The subtly shared timing will generate elegant cooperation.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "It's bad luck to be superstitious!" is a delightful paradox that I enjoy playing with. It makes fun of our tendency to believe that invisible forces are constantly keeping score on our behavior. On one level, the phrase pokes at the way superstition multiplies anxiety instead of easing it. If you really believed it's bad luck to be superstitious, then your belief about bad luck would itself be a superstition. So you'd have to avoid the very thinking pattern you're using to feel safer. It exposes how easily the mind can tie itself in knots trying to control the uncontrollable. On another level, "it's bad luck to be superstitious" is an invitation to examine which of your little rituals are entertaining and nourishing and which are cages. Keeping a lucky stone in your pocket is fine if it amuses you, but believing you're doomed if you don't carry the stone isn't so fine. My advice: notice when your charm or taboo is no longer a quirky companion, but starts being a tyrant that shrinks your freedom.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Are you the type of Sagittarius who pushes open doors with "pull" signs on them? Do you get a secret kick out of opening boxes from the end that says "open other side"? Maybe you even yack on your phone in designated quiet zones. If so, I'd like to suggest channeling your rebellious spark into grander acts. In the weeks ahead, you will be carrying some potent renegade energy. Used wisely, your radiant defiance could topple a stagnant situation that's overdue for change.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Many healers favor the slow-and-steady path. They often meet with people once a week, trusting that even stubborn issues must be unwoven with patience and gentleness. But there are also bold experimenters who work differently. I know an acupuncturist who invites clients to live at her clinic for six days straight, offering a new treatment every two hours during
the waking hours. She creates a healing immersion chamber. That's the spirit I recommend for you in the coming weeks, Capricorn. You're at the threshold of resolving a long-standing imbalance. What will serve you best isn't dabbling at it but offering it focused, sustained, wholehearted attention until the shift activates.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): You can refresh and boost your ambition if you give it a firm, precise adjustment sometime soon. Your raw vitality will surge back if you refrain from indulging in a careless habit that has been draining it. Your willpower and determination have been weakened by the fallout from an old misstep, but you now have the clarity needed to repair that error. Your libidinous energy is not as clear and potent as it could be, but it will become so once you get more honest about what truly excites you.
The subtly shared timing will generate elegant cooperation.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): You're like an arrow that has been shot from a bow and is three-quarters of the way to the target. You're a delicious meal still simmering on the stove, or a pregnancy at seven months or the last two weeks before a major election. When I tuned my inner vision to you, I glimpsed a honeybee wriggling a dance to show its coworkers where a stand of blooming lilac awaits. Have you ever been on the verge of speaking a new language with ease? That's where you are now, Pisces: just before true fluency clicks.
HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: Do a ritual in which you vow to attract more blessings into your life. tinyurl.com/ommm777 {in}
freewillastrology.com newsletter.freewillastrology.com freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com BrezsnyAstrology@gmail.com © 2026 Rob Brezsny
news of the weird
IN THE HEIGHTS A pair of Russian climbers have been charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct after climbing to the very top of the Empire State Building spire, some 1,454 feet (443 meters) above the ground. Reuters reported that around 12:30 p.m. on July 1, daredevils Angela Nikolau, 33, and Vanya Beerkus (also known as Ivan Kuznetsov), 32, raised a black banner with white lettering that read, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace." Their daring feat concluded with Beerkus appearing to propose to Nikolau and the couple embracing. NYPD closed the streets below the building, and the couple was taken into custody. The building has an observation deck on the 102nd floor, and official policy is that visitors are not allowed to go higher than that. How the pair gained access beyond that remains a mystery. An Empire State Building spokesperson called it an "unauthorized incident." Meanwhile, Nikolau's father, an acrobat himself, had a more relaxed take on the climb. "I think it is normal to climb up a roof in any country, including the United States, according to any constitution," he said. "Why should I be worried? I climb up roofs myself." [Reuters, 7/1/26]
SPOOKY A company in China is ready to take the next step in robotics: humanoid robots powered by A.I. On July 2, Oddity Central reported that UBTECH plans to mass-produce the robots, complete with synthetic skin and humanlike facial expressions. The machines are about 5 feet, 6 inches to 6 feet tall, but weigh half as much as the average human adult. The company says it has received 10,000 orders and that each robot retails for up to $145,000, depending on its features. The humanoids will be delivered in September and are "designed to support a wide range of consumer and commercial applications, including daily companionship, emotional support, lifestyle enhancement, and social assistance, as well as reception and hospitality services, elder care, psychological support, tourism and exhibitions, research and education, and premium domestic service applications," a UBTECH press release said. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26]
NEWS YOU CAN USE Two teens in San Mateo were detained by police after their Waymo vehicle reported their unruly behavior, KLTV reported on July 8. The robotaxis are equipped with interior cameras that allow Waymo personnel to observe passengers. A Waymo representative contacted police when they saw a live feed of the 15-year-olds drinking and firing a gun that shot Orbeez gel pellets. "We got a call from a Waymo rep saying there were two people in their vehicle, and they saw them shooting out of the vehicle," Jeanine Luna of the San Mateo Police Department said. "And then they also described the passengers maybe being intoxicated as well." A Waymo rep told the passengers that the car was having trouble and disabled the vehicle until police arrived. The teens cooperated with law enforcement, and no one was hurt. They await charges from the district attorney. [KLTV, 7/8/26]
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
SILLY CRIMINALS
On July 2, Jalen Godard, 29, of Odenton, Maryland, robbed a Verizon store ... and then promptly called police to report his vehicle stolen. The two robberies were called in separately but within minutes of each other. When officers arrived, they observed blood on Godard's glasses, hands and shirt, as well as blood on the store's window, and put two and two together. "That's some karma right there, dude," one officer said in the body cam footage. Godard denied being at the store, but the stores cameras show him robbing it. No word yet on a suspect in the vehicle theft. [Fox 5, 7/2/26]
•A South Korean bank manager stole an unspecified but large amount of money from his bank's vault by replacing the stolen cash with play money printed with cartoon animals, Oddity Central reported on July 2. As manager, the man ensured he was the only one depositing bills in the vault, pocketing the real money for himself and replacing it with the cartoon copies. A bank employee eventually reported his odd behavior to the credit union, and the matter was handled internally. The man returned all the money and was fired from the bank, and the theft was never reported to the authorities. [Oddity Central, 7/2/26]
NATURE GONE WILD You've probably heard of iguanas falling out of trees when it gets cold in Florida, but how about bats stuck on the ground when it's too hot in Kansas? According to a July 2 report from KCWH, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says that hot spells stress bats, and they fall, unable to take flight in the intense heat. Experts say not to try picking up the bats without protective gear. "They will try to bite you if you pick them up," Blake Nash, an animal control technician, said. "They're just going to be scared and try to defend themselves." He also says to be wary of bats that appear dead. "Even if they're alive, they can sit there and almost seem like they're dead, so they may not make any sounds or move until you touch them," he said. If the bat must be moved, he advises wearing thick, protective gloves and using a bucket or blanket to cover the nocturnal creatures. [KWCH, 7/2/26]
•Customers and employees at a shopping mall at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, were surprised when a black bear triggered the automatic doors and wandered in, stole a peach and defecated on the floor before leaving, KTUU reported on July 7. "My coworker, who is cutting hair in front of me, she yelled, 'Bear!' And I looked up from my phone, and the bear was walking into the barber shop right in front of me," barber Kory Godbout said. "And we all ran into the break room and shut the door behind us." Conservation Law Enforcement officers were able to herd the bear into the woods, away from the mall. [KTUU, 7/7/26] {in}
