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VOTE? Independent News | October 1, 2026 | Volume 27 | Number 39

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winners & losers

feature

outtakes 5

It's a deeply human story.

news

buzz

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Joshua Encinias, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Dakota Parks, C.S. Satterwhite, Tom St. Myer

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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2026 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Make sure you come back here October 22 for our Inweekly Election Guide. We'll have information on all the candidates and amendments, plus details on early voting locations. Voters in Escambia County can also start planning ahead by checking out their sample ballot at escambiavotes.gov/sample-ballots.

winners & losers

Nelson Prada / Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Wes Moreno / Photo Courtesy of myescambia.com

winners

losers

NELSON PRADA The Pensacola Blue Wahoos manager was named Southern League Manager of the Year, Minor League Baseball announced last week. In his second season at the helm, Prada led the club to a league-best 79-58 record, the third-best winning percentage in franchise history. The Blue Wahoos set a Southern League record with 312 stolen bases and tied for thirdmost home runs in league history with 184. Prada becomes the second Blue Wahoos manager to win the honor, following Kevin Randel in 2023, and the third Marlins Double-A manager ever recognized by his league.

WES MORENO The Escambia County admin-

TONY LYLE The Visit Pensacola Board of Di-

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rectors chose the Visit Galveston chief tourism officer as its new CEO and president last week. In Galveston, Tex., Lyle led a 26-person staff with a $10 million budget. His sales team booked an all-time high of 84,692 definite room nights in FY2025, 4% above the prior year, representing over 145,000 projected visitors and over $62 million in direct spending. Seventyone percent were booked during off-peak periods. Lyle restructured the organization to create dedicated Sports Sales and Travel Trade roles. Sports now account for more than one-third of group room nights. Before Galveston, he spent more than a decade as chief marketing officer at Visit Lake Tahoe.

DARREN T. SNIPES The Escambia Coun-

ty Fire Rescue lieutenant is retiring after more than 24 years of service, capping a firefighting career spanning over 26 years. Snipes joined Fire Rescue in February 2000 as one of the original 36 career personnel hired when the county established career firefighting. After a stint with the City of Crestview, he returned in April 2004 and was promoted to lieutenant in January 2013. He served at nine stations across all three watches and responded to major incidents including Hurricanes Ivan and Sally, the 2014 county jail explosion, the NAS Pensacola shooting and the January 2025 winter storm. He also served on the department's Hazardous Materials Team. The Escambia County Commissioners honored Snipes with a proclamation last month.

istrator drew pointed criticism at the Sept. 24 Board of County Commissioners public forum for canceling West Florida Public Libraries Board of Governance meetings since April 20 and leaving two board seats vacant since January. Speakers accused Moreno of overstepping into board appointments that belong to the commission and ignoring the board's required meeting process. One asked the commissioners to state, on the record, whether the board still has value. A commissioner called the situation a "debacle" and vowed to force an agenda vote if Moreno won't act. Moreno pushed back, saying that libraries had record traffic this summer. He said he is "vetting" two new applicants but gave no timeline for restoring meetings.

DONALDS-JOLLY DEBATES The two top contenders to be Florida's next governor can't agree on a debate schedule. GOP candidate Byron Donalds backed out of a Tiger Bay Club forum in Tallahassee and a roundtable with CBS Miami's Jim Defede. After Democrat David Jolly's campaign called out Donalds on social media, he abruptly announced three debates—FAMU on Sept. 29, News4Jax on Oct. 13 and Telemundo/NBC 6 on Oct. 22—without coordinating with Jolly's team. None would include an audience or town-hall format. On Sept. 20, Jolly announced he wouldn't debate Donalds amid the current contentious environment. Notably, Donalds refused to debate any opponents during the GOP primary, drawing criticism from Gov. Ron DeSantis. NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA The state's liberal arts honors college fell to No. 150 in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings, down from No. 76 in 2023—a drop of 74 spots in four years. The Novo Collegian Alliance, an independent alumni organization, is calling on the Board of Trustees to respond. The group points to faculty turnover, changing admissions standards, new spending on athletics facilities and rising per-student costs as factors behind the decline. NCA President William Rosenberg also accused college President Richard Corcoran of "cherry picking" data to downplay the slide. The college has not yet responded publicly. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

WHEN CITIZENS ROAR Since March, County Administrator Wes Moreno has given county commissioners the same assurance about the West Florida Public Libraries: no one really cares who leads them, and the public will lose interest in two weeks. We are now in month seven. At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 24, residents lined up for the Board of County Commissioners' public forum to discuss the library board. These taxpayers use the libraries and noticed something was wrong. Jennifer Yannuzzi described what it looked like from her seat. She attended the Library Board of Governance's April meeting, spoke and was heard. Then the May meeting was canceled, then June, July and August. "Here's September," she said. "Oh no, canceled." Citizens asked commissioners to explain the process for fixing the problem. They asked them to do the job voters elected them to do and rein in Moreno. The speakers cared, and their passion for libraries and good governance stood out. Lori NeSmith, a former library board chair, refused to accept the argument that the board was merely advisory. She challenged the commissioners to watch the January 2013 county commission meeting that led to the board's authority. She pressed each of them to say on the record whether the board is still viable. Several did, and their answers were more supportive than the silence of the past five months.

THE WAITING GAME Moreno has never told the public why he has taken over the county's libraries. Since its formation in 2013, the Library Board of Governance has helped build a thriving library system without political interference or melodrama. That changed in August 2025, when Moreno anointed Christal Bell-Rivera, who had no librarian experience, as library director. Our reporting showed how Moreno and his leadership team manipulated the job qualifications, forced out a board member who objected and then launched a smear campaign when the board rejected Bell-Rivera. When the Board of County Commissioners backed his choice, Moreno was in a posiOctober 1, 2026

tion to dissolve the board or fill its two vacancies with people of his choosing. That takes work, and Moreno did what many bureaucrats do: he waited, hoping the controversy would die. The result of canceling meetings is no minutes, no votes and no public comment. The vacancies stayed open. Board Chair Blaine Wall's letters and special-meeting requests went unanswered. A board that never meets generates no news. Moreno bet that people would get tired before the institution did. That bet only pays off when no one keeps the record. Journalists keep the records. We are the institution's memory when the institution would rather forget. We dig, make public record requests and point out inconsistencies. We refuse to let those playing the waiting game win.

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YOUR VOICE MATTERS But reporting alone

changes nothing. It matters only when readers send the email, make the call or show up at a public forum. Commissioner Lumon May called the library situation a "debacle." He said he interacts daily with these citizens on the campaign trail and in the community. He vowed to put the board on the agenda himself if the administrator won't. I'm not declaring victory. A promise from the dais isn't a motion that passes. But look at how far this has moved. In March, the message was that nobody cared. In September, a commissioner is promising to force a vote, another says the board should either be presented or dissolved and the county attorney is explaining on the record that the commissioners, not Moreno, hold the power. No one in that room can claim the issue disappeared. Bureaucrats who say the public doesn't care are often betting the public won't prove them wrong. So we must prove them wrong, and you did on Sept. 24. Let your commissioners know how you feel. Email them. Sign up for the public forum. Make your points respectfully. We will keep tracking their answers and helping you hold them accountable, but you need to keep showing up. {in} rick@inweekly.net 5

RAFFERTY CENTER: NEW HOPE FOR PENSACOLA YOUTH

That responsibility goes well beyond sports. "We find food when they're hungry," May said. "They come into the center and get a hot shower. Sometimes they don't have clothes to wear to school and we get them clothes." "We're a big fellowship, a big family," he added. The new building gives that family more room. May's connection to and belief in community centers traces back to his grandmother. Miss Ruby worked as a custodian at the Fricker Center and also served as a coach and tutor. "She's why I'm in the community centers every day," May said. He sees the center as a response to a neighborhood that has changed dramatically since he was a young man. "People who grew up in this neighborhood can't afford to live here anymore," May said. "This building is the only thing they have that they can relate to." May said the center will serve as a physical link between the people who grew up in the neighborhood and the children who live there today. It also represents May's belief that the children who need the most support should not have to travel somewhere else to find it.

Photo by Sena Maddison

By Tom St. Myer More than 30 years ago, Theophalis May made the first donation to an organization founded by his son, Lumon May. Its goal was providing children a place to play, learn and grow. The elder May donated $16,000 to the fledgling Southern Youth Sports Association—a significant contribution from a man Lumon said was not wealthy, but who believed in what his son was trying to build. Now, a new chapter in that story has opened next door. The Rafferty Center, a 10,000-square-foot youth facility at 1301 W. Gregory St., officially opened Sept. 29 beside the Theophalis May Community Center, a physical reminder of the man whose early investment helped make SYSA possible. For Lumon May, the new center's location is more than convenient. It connects three decades of work with Theophalis' legacy: helping kickstart an organization that serves nearly 1,600 children each year through sports, educational programs and other youth services. The Rafferty Center is his dream turned into reality. "For me, this has been a 15-year vision, working on this for 15 years, hoping," May said. The roughly $3 million facility was made possible through private donations and state funding. It includes a full-sized basketball court capable of holding about 800 people for community events, two meeting rooms for afterschool programming, office space for staff and coaches and a concession stand. 66

The facility is designed around four pillars May calls the "4 B's": Bible, books, ball and balance. May knows the building is much more than a sports facility. It is intended to be a place where children can find structure, mentorship and opportunity, particularly children who might not have many other places to go. "Whether they're Black or white, no matter the pigmentation of their skin, they deserve this," May said.

A PLACE TO GO

May has spent decades working in a part of Pensacola where the needs of children have not always been easily visible. He said young people increasingly lack places where they can gather safely, particularly during the hours when school and organized activities have ended. "Junior high and high school kids are getting in more trouble than ever," May said. "We have more kids in juvenile detention than ever." He noted that young people sometimes gather on Palafox Street at night because they have nowhere else to go. He also points to a lack of athletic opportunities in some middle schools and the limitations of high school athletics, where students who are not gifted athletes can find themselves without a team. SYSA is intended to fill some of those gaps. "Eighty-five percent of kids come from singleparent homes," May said. "We have those kids in the evening from six to nine, all day Saturday, all day Sunday. We are the bridge over troubled waters for many children."

A MILLION-DOLLAR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

The center carries the name of Troy and Ashley Rafferty, whose $1 million contribution was the largest single donation in SYSA's history. The donation anchored the fundraising effort for the project, which received state funding secured by Rep. Alex Andrade and contributions from other members of the Pensacola community. Rafferty said the motivation was simple. "We asked, 'What do the kids need?' and the answer was hope," Rafferty said. "It manifests itself in brick and mortar, a place to go, a place to have tutoring, a place to have sporting events." Rafferty has spent much of his career giving back to the Pensacola community, particularly through youth programs. He and his wife support scholarships for local students, including the Rafferty Scholarship and Rafferty Award for high school athletes and the Rafferty Hope Scholarship for underprivileged Pensacola children. Their investment in SYSA grew from that same philosophy. "It gives them a safe place, some community behind them, lifting them up and supporting them," Rafferty said. "It's giving them the tools and mentorship they need. Right now, that's what we need more than anything." Rafferty credited May for making the project possible. "This project would not have happened, period, hard stop, without Commissioner May," Rafferty said. "Not only his passion. It's his

commitment to the children in our community that's inspiring." May's ability to draw investors came from decades of work with children and families. For Rafferty, that made the decision to put his name on the building less important than what happens inside it. "I'm honored they chose to have my name on the center, but the reality is this is a community project," Rafferty said. "I'm thrilled once we got it underway that so many people in our community got involved." The community rallied behind the project, donating money and manpower to bring the center to fruition. The list of people who helped make the center possible includes some familiar names in Pensacola. Former NFL receiver Doug Baldwin, who played eight seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, is among those who contributed. Baldwin led all Seahawks receivers with five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown in Seattle's 43-8 victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. In 2015, he led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions. May sees Baldwin as part of a larger cycle—young people who receive help from their communities eventually returning to help the next generation. "Doug Baldwin is one of those kids who gave back," May said. "He put a lot of money into making this happen." That cycle is precisely what May hopes the Rafferty Center will create. "I'm just so proud that we're grassroots, that we're able to do what we believe is right for children," May said. "They're young men and young women who are contributors to society." The city of Pensacola also has a stake in the new facility. Rather than paying for construction, the city receives access to a completed facility while assuming maintenance responsibilities estimated at approximately $52,500 annually. The city retains access from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, with additional availability when SYSA is not using the building, provided reasonable notice is given. Mayor D.C. Reeves said requests for use by the public will be handled through the city's Parks and Recreation Department, similar to requests for other city facilities. Reeves praised the project as an example of what can happen when private citizens and community organizations bring resources to a public need. Last year, some council members raised questions about the city's future operational costs, but the arrangement allows Pensacola to add a new community facility without paying the construction costs. The Council approved a 46year land lease for the construction of the center. Like his grandmother and father before him, May believes a community center can help provide children a place to play and flourish. Now, next door to the center bearing his father's name, the Rafferty Center stands as the community's latest investment in children. {in} inweekly.net

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He said the Madison County deal effectively paved the way for the Monroeville transaction: systems, planning and regulatory relationships built for the first acquisition made the second move faster. Souers said Gulf Winds' branch in Monroeville sits just minutes from Peoples Exchange Bank's building, giving Gulf Winds staff a close view of Daniel Souers and Harvey Gaston Jr. / Photo Courtesy of Gulf Winds Credit Union the bank's commuANOTHER ACQUISTION Gulf Winds Credit nity reputation beUnion announced plans Friday to acquire Peofore pursuing a deal. The move also gives Gulf ples Exchange Bank of Monroeville, Ala., markWinds access to Peoples Exchange's commercial ing the credit union's second bank acquisition banking expertise—a capability he said memof 2026. bers have repeatedly asked the credit union to The agreement, which still requires sharebuild. In exchange, Peoples Exchange customers holder and regulatory approval, brings togethgain Gulf Winds' digital banking platform and acer Gulf Winds and the 119-year-old community cess across its three-state footprint immediately bank and its parent, Peoples Exchange Bancupon integration, he said. shares, Inc. It follows Gulf Winds' August agreePeoples Exchange Bank CEO Harvey Gaston ment to acquire Madison County Community Jr. said in the release that the bank, in business Bank in Madison, Fla., and comes as the credit since 1907, found in Gulf Winds "a like-minded union prepares to rebrand as TruWorth Credit financial institution that shares our values and viUnion in spring 2027. sion for the future." Once both deals close, the combined orFinal regulatory approval is expected by midganization is expected to serve nearly 90,000 2027, with full integration targeted for early 2028. members with more than $1.75 billion in assets across 16 branches, according to the release. THE SURVEY SAYS Inweekly obtained the "Growing for Good represents our ability Downtown Improvement Board's public pato do more for our members, our communirade survey results. Between Sept. 16 and Sept. ties and our team," Gulf Winds President and 23, 623 submissions were received for the surCEO Daniel Souers said in the release, calling vey that asked about future parade routes, the Monroeville deal "the first chapter of Truwhat matters when selecting a route, perWorth Credit Union." ceived safety, a pre-parade street party and In an interview with Inweekly, Souers said possible improvements. the timing reflects four years of behind-theThe traditional Palafox route led overall and scenes preparation rather than a sudden push. among respondents who said they had experi"You're seeing the efforts of four years of us enced both routes. The survey also drew a particworking to make this happen," he said, noting ularly large share of crew and parade participants. Gulf Winds has added roughly 80 employees Of 623 submissions, 421 (67.6%) favored since he became CEO.

the traditional Garden Street and South Palafox route for major parades; 108 (17.3%) favored the Garden Street and South Jefferson route. Fiftyeight (9.3%) respondents favored either route, while the other 36 chose different routes by parade, another configuration or were unsure. Nearly two-thirds (401, 64.4%) stated their connection to downtown was either parade participant or crew member, while 400 (83.7%) said they attended almost every parade. Among the 431 who reported experiencing both routes, 276 (64%) preferred the Palafox route, and 81 (18.8%) preferred Jefferson. Parade viewing and atmosphere were the most selected route criteria (440, 70.6%), followed by public safety (285, 45.7%) and business access or economic activity (225, 36.1%). Additional security measures made 384 (61.6%) feel safer. A proposed pre-parade party drew 383 supporters (61.5%), 64 opponents (10.3%), 109 neutral responses and 67 unsure responses. The DIB noted that the voluntary survey submissions are not a representative poll of all Pensacola residents or a verified count of distinct people. The high share of crew members and frequent parade attendees is a central context for board use.

PSC GETS NEW PRESIDENT J. Alex Kelly is about to become the new face of Pensacola State College. The PSC Board of Trustees unanimously approved him as its next president on Sept. 21, succeeding Ed Meadows, who is retiring after nearly 20 years at the helm. Kelly will take office by Oct. 19. Kelly, the Florida secretary of commerce, emerged as the lone finalist after a national search attracted 107 applicants. The search committee, comprised only of trustees, interviewed four candidates in person before recommending Kelly. His first priority will be listening. "I want to make sure I'm in a listening posture, not prejudging that, but moving quickly at the same time," Kelly told students, faculty and staff during a morning meet-and-greet at the PSC Jean and Paul Amos Performance Studio. "There are always pain points. There are always

things, whether it's students or faculty, who think things could be better." His approach will be to identify those problems without arriving with a predetermined list of solutions. He said, "I think everyone has a voice. It's important to have a work environment, to have an educational environment, where people feel heard." For Kelly, that culture matters, particularly with students watching how faculty and staff handle disagreement, leadership and difficult conversations. He said, "They're watching how we engage in discourse. If we do that in a hands-on, professional way, I think they're learning the best values there." Kelly is not a traditional academic like his predecessor, Meadows. He has led the Florida Department of Commerce since 2023, overseeing economic development, workforce and community development programs. Before that, he served as deputy chief of staff in the governor's office and chief of staff to then-Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. Kelly sees an opportunity to capitalize on what makes Northwest Florida unique from other parts of the state. He said healthcare, life sciences, aerospace, aviation, maritime and the military all position PSC to be a statewide brand. He said, "President Meadows, the team here has created such a great platform to build on and to add to." The incoming president suggested that he intends to make Pensacola more than the next stop on his résumé. He said, "I really want to be here for quite a long time. This is a community for both my wife and me, and we look at this as hopefully the final step in our professional journey." The trustees honored Meadows last week by unanimously approving a motion to bestow him the title of president emeritus.

HELP FOR TEENS At his Sept. 23 press conference, Mayor D.C. Reeves said he is ready to commit city money to a program for at-risk teens, but that deciding what to build will be harder than paying for it. Reeves was responding to Commissioner Lumon May's request at the Escambia Children's

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Trust's budget hearing to set aside $1 million in reserves for youth ages 14 to 17. Reeves described a scenario in which May secures the $1 million and the city adds "a couple hundred thousand dollars" for a joint effort. "In this job, 80% of the time the difficulty of getting something done is finding the funding to do it," Reeves said. "This one is an outlier." On "Rick's Blog Live," May said the Escambia Children's Trust has spent close to $18 million to $20 million on after-school programs for children up to about age 12 but offers little for teenagers. He said Escambia County has the highest number of teens on juvenile probation and one of the highest civil citation rates, and that young people gather downtown at night because they have nowhere to go. May urged officials to launch a pilot instead of commissioning another study. "We don't need to study the problem. We have the data and the statistics," he said. His ideas include middle school football, golf, tennis and performing arts, paired with counselors, tutors and social workers through the school district. Reeves shares the urgency but warned about delays. He said, "We might spend two years figuring out what we want to do." The mayor said the push for teen programs does not change his support for a curfew. "That doesn't slow our trajectory on the curfew. I still support that," he said. Reeves said he has talked with council members about possible changes, including "maybe lowering that age to 16 from 17." He said he will defer to police. "As long as our police department is good with it, I'm good with it," he said. Reeves said neither the teen pilot program nor the curfew ordinance has to wait on the other. "It doesn't matter which one goes first. I think they're both needs."

CHARITY CARE JUMPS Local healthcare for

the uninsured has surged $33.5 million as Medicaid rolls shrank over the past three years. Charity care costs for hospitals and community health centers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have climbed 48% since FY 2022-23—an increase of $33.5 million, according to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration's annual Low Income Pool Model Summary. Baptist Hospital, the area's newest hospital, absorbed 45% of that increase—$15.2 million— with its charity care cost nearly doubling from $13.1 million to $28.7 million. Ascension Sacred Heart posted the highest total this year at $42.4 million, followed by Baptist at $28.3 million and HCA Florida West at $20.9 million. Combined, the region's seven LIP-reporting providers logged $103.2 million in charity care for FY 2025-26. Not every provider saw costs rise. Community Health Northwest Florida, the region's federally qualified safety-net clinic, saw its charity care cost drop $439,413—about 7%—even as Medicaid enrollment in its service area collapsed. The increase traces back to the end of pandemic-era Medicaid protections. During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, states were required to maintain continuous Medicaid coverOctober 1, 2026

age in exchange for a temporary boost in federal matching funds. That requirement expired March 31, 2023, and the DeSantis administration chose not to adopt any of the 23 flexibilities the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offered states to soften the effects of redeterminations. In the first month after protections ended, 249,427 Floridians lost coverage, more than any other state in the country. About 82% were closed for procedural reasons, not because they were found ineligible. Locally, Escambia County's Medicaid enrollment fell from 87,328 in 2022 to 65,003 in 2025— a drop of 22,325 people, or 25.6%. Santa Rosa County fared better, losing 8.7% of its enrollees. Two counties that had 23.2% of residents on Medicaid in 2022 now have 17.5%. People who lose Medicaid coverage don't stop needing care. They show up at hospitals and clinics without a way to pay, and providers are still obligated to treat emergency patients regardless of insurance status. That unreimbursed cost becomes charity care, funded in part by state and local dollars matched with federal Medicaid money, meaning taxpayers and insurance ratepayers ultimately absorb the cost of Florida's decision not to soften the Medicaid unwinding.

ACADEMIC RANKINGS DROP The University

FILL THE OVAL CORRECTLY

ELECTION DAY IS NOVEMBER 3! CLEARLY INDICATE YOUR CHOICE

When marking your ballot, completely fill in the oval next to your choice. A properly completed oval allows the voting system to accurately read your selection. Avoid using check marks, X marks, circles or partially filled ovals, as these markings may not clearly indicate your choice.

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The Correct Way to Mark Your Ballot Correct

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Take a moment to review your ballot before submitting it. Confirm that each selection is marked with a fully filled oval and that you have followed all instructions provided on the ballot. A few extra seconds of review can help ensure your vote is counted.

Robert D. Bender, Supervisor of Elections Phone: (850) 595-3900 Fax: (850) 595-3914 Email: soe@escambiavotes.gov

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of West Florida dropped four spots among South Regional Universities in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, falling from No. 14 in 2026 to a tie for No. 18. Despite the decline, UWF remains ahead of its standing of No. 23 two years ago. The school also slipped in two other categories. Among Top Public Schools-Regional South, UWF fell two spots, from No. 6 to No. 8. In the Best Colleges for Veterans-Regional Universities South category, the university dropped one spot, from No. 6 to a tie for No. 7. UWF's press release framed the results positively, noting that this marks the fifth consecutive year the university has ranked in the Top 10 for both Public Schools and Best Colleges for Veterans in the Regional South category. The school also highlighted a No. 4 finish in a newly established category, Best Value Schools for In-State Students-Regional Universities South. "These rankings reflect the strength of our academic programs, faculty and the success our students achieve," UWF President Manny Diaz Jr. said in the release. UWF's slide mirrors a statewide trend. The Tampa Bay Times reported that nearly every Florida public university fell in the rankings this year, with only Florida A&M University and Florida Atlantic University bucking the trend—FAMU jumped 13 spots to No. 79, and FAU rose one spot to No. 99. Meanwhile, the University of Florida dropped to No. 8, Florida State University fell eight spots to No. 59 and the University of South Florida fell 12 spots to No. 100. UWF is not ranked among national universities, as it is classified as a regional school. This year marks the 42nd edition of the U.S. News rankings. {in}

Big Moments. Live Performances. Foo for the Soul. Oct. 29 – Nov. 9 foofoofest.com 010 1

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Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

A Deeply Human "Frankenstein" By Joshua Encinias

Photo Courtesy of Ballet Pensacola

Inside Pensacola Ballet's third-floor rehearsal studio, Gonzalo Galguera is teaching his new ballet's final scene to company performers. In the scene, Victor Frankenstein is beside his dying father, and his Creature stands over both men. Before asking his dancers to move, Galguera talks them through what it means to lose a parent. "For me, death is something intimate," he says. He compares it to birth. "You are born from your mother, and the intimacy of the moment is similar to death." That scene closes "Frankenstein," a two-act world premiere opening Ballet Pensacola's 48th season this weekend. Galguera says Mary Shelley's novel is not a horror story, and the ballet shouldn't be one either. "It's more than the monster," he says. "It's a deeply human story." He means that literally. In Shelley's text, the Creature speaks. It reasons. It pleads to be loved, the way a child pleads with a parent who has turned away. Galguera reads the book as a father-son story first and a monster story second. The real horror, he says, has nothing to do with the Creature's body. It's what the people around him do. October 1, 2026

Galguera came to Pensacola through a dancer he once directed. Veronica Ramirez Casanova, now Ballet Pensacola's company director, danced in almost ten of his productions with a company in Colombia and later retired under his direction. When Ballet Pensacola wanted a ballet for the season's spooky slot, something beyond the usual "Dracula" or "Phantom of the Opera," she called him. "Not many companies have 'Frankenstein,'" she says. "We are one of the few in this whole country that have built it." Executive Director Bianca Villegas points out how rare it is to see "Frankenstein" as a ballet at all. The first full-length version, a joint effort between the Royal Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, didn't premiere until 2015. Carolina Ballet built its own in 2019. Pensacola Ballet is the latest company to attempt it. Before Galguera choreographed a single step, he needed to answer a question for himself: what does the story mean to him? He read the novel three times, in German, Spanish and English, gleaning something new each time.

Villegas describes his take on "Frankenstein" as psychological, dense with multiple stories happening at once, and unlike anything Ballet Pensacola has ever staged. There's no dialogue in the performance, which matters for anyone planning to see it. Ballet doesn't work like film or theater. Knowing the plot beforehand won't spoil anything. The story is carried entirely by movement, and the audience has to interpret it, not just watch it. At the center of Galguera's version is one idea: nobody in this story has proof of the Creature's guilt, but he's blamed anyway. Elizabeth's death, Sofie's death, the father's death—none of them are witnessed, and the town condemns the Creature for all three regardless. He reversed Shelley's timeline to make that point. In the novel, Victor builds and abandons the Creature years before his wedding, and the Creature kills Elizabeth on their wedding night. In Galguera's version, Elizabeth dies first, during a blackout at the wedding itself; nobody, including the audience, ever learns what happened to her. Grief drives Victor into the laboratory. In this staging, ambition alone doesn't explain him. "We only see a mark on the neck of the deceased," Galguera says, pointing to how Shelley's original text handles violence. "But there is no proof that the creature killed Elizabeth, the father and all the other people." He built that ambiguity into the performance on purpose. "I don't want to take the audience by the hand and say, look, this is this," he says. "This is theater. It opens something in you and makes you." Every death onstage becomes a test of what the audience is willing to assume, and who they're willing to blame. That's the point where the ballet moves past its Gothic surface and starts arguing something. The choreographer traces the town's persecution of the Creature to something plainer than horror: "When we don't know something, there are two reactions. First there's rejection, and then violence," he says. Ramirez Casanova has watched him draw the comparison directly in rehearsal. "He even said a couple of rehearsals ago, it's how immigrants are being treated," she says, describing how fast people turn an unfamiliar figure into a threat once something in their community goes wrong. The Creature never has to be proven guilty. Its unfamiliarity is guilt enough. "The creature is a victim, not a victimizer," Galguera says. He backs that reading up with the book itself.

In Shelley's text, he points out, the Creature thinks, speaks and begs to be loved. "It's Hollywood that made a monster," he says. None of that means Galguera set out to make the evening a hard sit. He wants the audience moved, not worn down. The score was not written for this "Frankenstein." Galguera assembled it from existing Romantic and early twentieth-century composers, among them Mahler, Glazunov, Dvořák, Britten and Barber, reaching for the sounds Shelley herself would have known rather than a soundtrack built to cue fear. Villegas calls the choice unusual. Most new ballets either commission a score or inherit one that already belongs to the story. Building one from scratch out of individual composers, she says, puts the weight of the ballet's whole musical logic on Galguera alone. Galguera made a similar choice with the set. A German designer built it remotely, working with a collaborator who handles the production's video, which Galguera says runs through nearly every scene. Rather than building a literal forest for the Act II scenes set among the peasants, the designer rendered it through projected images reflected in mirrors onstage. His costume philosophy comes from the German modern dance pioneer Mary Wigman, who believed dancers didn't need costumes at all. "The skin is the costume," he says, borrowing her words. His instinct with any designer is to cut rather than add. "Take away, take away, take away," he says. "The body is our instrument. The movement is our words." Nothing onstage is there to decorate. Every choice, in sound, set and costume, comes back to the same bodies telling the same story. Galguera doesn't want to give the audience an answer to the question upon which he's spent months building "Frankenstein." "Who is the monster?" Galguera asks. "Finding the answer is why we go to the theater." {in}

BALLET PENSACOLA'S "FRANKENSTEIN"

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2; 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 WHERE: The Clark Family Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. COST: $35-50 DETAILS: balletpensacola.org 11

a&e happenings NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

10TH ANNUAL DANETOBER FEST Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue will take over Seville Square on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year's theme is "Not All Heroes Wear Capes … Some Drool." Visit nwflgdr.com for more information.

SIPPING FOR SNIPPING The next Sipping for

Snipping social will be Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. This funds the SOS (Save our Shelters) program. Location is First Impressions Boutique, Nursery and Outdoor Solutions at 11545 Sorrento Road. All are invited. $20 donation. For more information contact sossaveourshelters@gmail.com.

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS Presented by Women United of United Way. Taste test culinary boards and support ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. Event is 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at 5-K Via de Luna Drive. Details available at uwwf.org/battle-boardswomen-united. SEA NO LIMITS FREE FISHING CLINIC Arc Gateway is hosting a free fishing clinic for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 at Vince J. Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. Registration is required. Sign up at seanolimits.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 ADOPTION 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 pop-top 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) 723-3390 for details.

ARTS & CULTURE

BROADWAY BALCONY CLUB RETURNS TO PENSACOLA Broadway in Pensacola has

announced the return of its Broadway Balcony Club for the 2026-2027 season, offering patrons the opportunity to attend three Broadway productions and receive one drink at each show for $99. The Broadway Balcony Club package allows patrons to select three of the four 212 1

productions featured in the upcoming season: Legally Blonde, The Wiz, Mystic Pizza and Waitress. Packages are available for purchase online at broadwayinpensacola.com, while supplies last. instagram.com/readpensacola.

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. Tickets available online at zendenbonsai.com.

2026 PUMPKIN PARTY The Strong Street Studio Pumpkin Party will host its in-person sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 109 N. A St. Visit strongstreetstudioglass.com for more information.

8 at 514 N. Baylen St. Details available at celestinebedandbreakfast.com/event-details/mossart-workshop-with-jade-tree-succulents.

GULF COAST MINORITY CHAMBER 8TH ANNIVERSARY 90S THEME CELEBRATION Event is 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St. Details and tickets available at gcmcc.info.

UWF PRESENTS: ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Oct. 2 and Oct, 9, Saturdays Oct. 3 and 10 and 2:30 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 4 and 11 at University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. For tickets and information, visit uwf.edu/cfpa.

BALLET PENSACOLA PRESENTS: FRANKENSTEIN Performances are 7 p.m. Friday, Oct.

2 and Saturday, Oct. 3; and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets and information available at balletpensacola.org.

POP-UP ART SHOW AND SALE Discover

original art and artisan goodies from local artists 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Framing by Design, 4718 N. W St.

FOLKLORE & COTTAGECORE MARKET

Shop and enjoy activities 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Visit the Little Adventurers Station with free woodland-themed crafts for kids, along with the Woodland Wander—a property-wide quest where children search for hidden forest friends throughout the market. Kids who complete the adventure receive a handcrafted wooden medallion necklace, while participating adults are entered into an Oktoberfest basket drawing. Details at wisteriatavern.com.

CIVIC LEADER SUMMIT Event is 7:30 a.m.-

4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 through Thursday, Oct. 8 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details available at civicleadersummit.com.

READ PENSACOLA The next Read Pensacola Book Club meetings are 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 with a discussion about "The Birthing Tree" by Amanda Peters and Tuesday, Oct. 13 with a discussion of "Grim Tidings" by B.K. Borison. Meetings held at Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. Details at instagram.com/readpensacola.

MOSS ART WORKSHOP WITH JADE TREE SUCCULENTS Event is 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct.

PERDIDO KEY LIGHTED NIGHT MARKET Nighttime market features arts, artisan goods and live performances 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 at Villagio Town Centre, 13700 Perdido Key Drive. Details available at business.perdidochamber.com/events.

DANIEL TOSH: MY FIRST FAREWELL TOUR Event is 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.

IMPROVABLE CAUSE The next improv show is 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Cost is $15. Details and tickets at pensacolalittletheatre.com. RODNEY CARRINGTON Show is 7 p.m. Sat-

urday, Oct. 10 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.

ANNUAL CRAFT & VINTAGE MARKET

Event is 12 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Details at facebook.com/oddcolony.

INDIOS AMIGOS This traveling exhibit high-

lights the overlooked contributions of Aztec artisans and warriors who accompanied Tristán de Luna's 1559 expedition to establish the first permanent Spanish settlement in Pensacola. The exhibit runs through Oct. 17 at panhandle libraires. See where it's heading next at fpan.us/ events/indios-amigos.

CINCO BANDERAS Artel Gallery's contemporary art show Cinco Banderas is on view through Oct. 23. Also present are exhibits by featured artists Diane Brim, Wendy Emeny, Michael Curri and Ronson Stewart. Located at 223 S. Palafox St. For details visit. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Entrance is free. HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS Home is Where the Art Is, featuring Jasmin Busbee's Accommodations, is a temporary exhibit co-hosted by FPAN and The Art Gallery (TAG). The exhibit is on view at Destination Archaeology, 207 E. Main St. through Nov. 2026. Learn more at fpan.us/ events/home-is-where-the-art. MAKE IT LAST AT TAG Six artists ranging

ket is 3-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 with a "Spooktacular" theme including trick or treating. Markets are held at Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave. Details at myeasthill.org.

in both medium and imagery come together in The Art Gallery (TAG), 11000 University Pkwy., to form a unified statement of resistance through mindfulness and rest. Exhibit is on view Oct. 1-Nov. 12. Details about the exhibit available at uwf.edu/cassh/departments/art-anddesign/art-gallery.

DWARF JADE BONSAI WORKSHOP Event hosted by Zen Den Bonsai Workshops 5:30-

HOUSE SHOW: 309 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE This exhibition features artists from the

EAST HILL MAKER'S MARKET The next mar-

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October 1, 2026

a&e happenings 2025 cohort of the 309 Punk Project Artist in Residence Program. Curated by Valerie George and Christopher Satterwhite, the exhibition brings together works made during each artist's residency alongside select pieces gifted to the 309 Punk Archive, preserving their contributions as part of our community's living history. The exhibit is on view through Nov. 29 at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St.

study and unique collaborations. This national exhibition is a community-centered experience that integrates multifaceted art practices with science, new technologies and thought-provoking research. On view at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. through Jan. 17. For details, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

ROAD TO REVOLUTION EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF HISTORY

meet at the Ever'man Education Center, 327 W. Garden St. 10:15 a.m. every second Sunday of the month. For more information, visit facebook.com/ humanistsofwestflorida.

"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.

THE 72ND ANNUAL MEMBERS SHOW

HUMANISTS OF WEST FLORIDA MONTHLY MEETING The Humanists of West Florida

WEST FLORIDA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY MEETINGS Monthly meetings start at 10:30

a.m. the first Saturday of every month (except March and July) at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. Informative lectures and resources to begin your ancestry research. Visit wfgs.org for more information.

WEST GARDEN DISTRICT ARTISAN MARKET Shop local vendors and artisans 1-6 p.m. Fri-

The annual juried exhibition is open to all PMA members. On view through Jan. 3. The museum is located at 407 S. Jefferson St. Details available at pensacolamuseum.org.

days at Del Mar Plaza, 1617 W. Garden St. For more information, contact info@ub-pensacola.com.

STEAM2026 STEAM2026 highlights themes of exploration and wonder through investigative contemporary art, interdisciplinary fields of

days at Mathison Brewing Co., 500 E. Heinberg St. Signup starts at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Adam Bowles and Russell Douglas. Details available at talktothemooncomedyclub.com.

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TALK TO THE MOON COMEDY CLUB OPEN MIC Weekly comedy open mic is 7 p.m. Wednes-

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 SCREENINGS 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.

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. STAND UP COMEDY WITH PENSACOLA COMEDY CLUB Join the Pensacola Comedy

Club 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturday at Betty's on Belmont, 506 W. Belmont St. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit Eventbrite.

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.

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••••Dream. Inspire. Remember.••••

Visit Your

NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION Museum

• More than 150 beautifully restored aircraft • Hangar Bay One with an expanded Apollo Space exhibit, Marine One helicopter and F/A-18 Hornet • Giant 4K Screen Digital Theater, simulators, cafe’, museum store and more!

See free Blue Angels practices most Tuesday and Wednesdays. Scan the QR code for all the details and premium seating options.

NavalAviationMuseum.org October 1, 2026

FREE ADMISSION 15

a&e happenings 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.

WRETCHED TONGUES Show is 8 p.m.

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret

dioLive is 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 at the Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. Featuring Cyrus Nabipoor, James Adkins and David Gautreau. Tickets are $10. Virtual stream tickets also available. Visit radiolive.org for details.

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 Pen-

sacola'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 Para-

normal 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: The Astronauts on Oct. 6 and SheAndTheIts on Oct. 13. 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: The Glen Parker Band 6-10 p.m. Saturdays; Curt Bol Band 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays; John Wheeler 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays.

BANDS ON THE BLACKWATER Enjoy live music along the Blackwater River in downtown Milton 7-9 p.m. Friday nights through Oct. 30. On Oct. 9 is Bone Dry Band. Visit facebook.com/ bandsontheblackwater for details. PENSACOLA BEACH SONGWRITER'S FESTIVAL Listen to songs by the people who

wrote them at various venues across Pensacola and Pensacola Beach Oct. 1-11. Details available at pensacolabeachsongwritersfestival.com.

UWF JAZZ ENSEMBLE Concert performance is 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1 at the UWF Commons, Bldg. 22, 11000 University Pkwy. Event is free and open to the public. Details at uwf.edu/cfpa. 616 1

Thursday, Oct. 1 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.

WUWF PRESENTS: RADIOLIVE The next Ra-

XTR HUMAN Show is 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at

The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.

BANDS ON THE BAYOU: THE NEW CAHOOTS The last concert of the season is Friday,

Oct. 2. Food trucks on site at 4:30 p.m. and show starts at 6:30 p.m. at Bayview Park, 2001 E. Lloyd St. Free and open to the public.

PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: OPENING NIGHT Performance is 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 3 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Dress rehearsal is 1:30 p.m. and tickets are $10. Details and more available at pensacolasymphony.com.

HEAVY KID Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at

The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets at thehandlebar850.com.

PUNCHIS PUNCHIS BANDA RAVE Show

is 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at vinylmusichall.com.

ROMAN STREET WITH ANDY VARGAS

Show is 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.

TOAST: TASTE OF BREAD Show is 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com. RUNGE STRINGS Concert performance is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 at UWF Rolfs Music Hall, 11000 University Pkwy. Bldg. 82. Details available at uwf.edu/cfpa. XASTHUR Show is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6 at

The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.

BELMONT Show is 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Details and tickets available at thehandlebar850.com.

UWF CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT The first chamber music concert of the season is 12-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Old Christ Church, 405 S. Adams St. The event is free and open to the public. For ticketing information, visit uwf.edu/cfpa.

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October 1, 2026

free will astrology WEEK OF OCTOBER 1 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Orchids may

lure pollinating insects with ingenious illusions rather than nectar. Some mimic the look or fragrance of other flowers. Others resemble female insects so convincingly that hopeful males unknowingly assist with pollination. From this, we might conclude that nature can be as duplicitous as humans. But rather than being bummed out by the facts of life, let's use this as a lesson for you to wield in the coming days. Appearances can be deceiving—for both better and worse. If a situation initially seems disappointing or confusing, linger before drawing conclusions. Likewise, if something looks irresistibly attractive at first glance, investigate further. I predict your intuition will be extra skilled at distinguishing authentic richness from glamorous distraction.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): I propose we make 93-year-old Taurus musician Willie Nelson your patron saint and role model for the foreseeable future. Earthy, unflappable and unhurried, he has kept making his distinctive, soulful music for over 70 years, devoted all the while to the land and the people who work it. He has never pushed to sound like anyone else; he has patiently, inexorably become more fully himself. It's your birthright to live like Nelson, Taurus, with a steady, sensual, enduring devotion to what you love. In the coming weeks, I invite you to tend to your deepest roots.

Glow and dazzle in ways that inspire others to glow and dazzle. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): I may be

preaching to the choir here, but there's a fun kind of magic that thrives when you decline to be consistent. You Geminis are least likely, of all the signs, to exhaust yourself in trying to maintain a unified self-presentation. Like the Gemini poet Walt Whitman, you're often pleased with the fact that you contain multitudes. It's a potential superpower! The you who loves solitude and the you who craves connection can both be true. The skeptic and the mystic can coexist in

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By Rob Brezsny

the same nervous system. Your assignment: honor three contradictory impulses without trying to make them coherent. You're boisterously excused from having to make too much sense.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): In certain

caves, like the Cave of the Crystals in Naica, Mexico, crystals grow to astonishing sizes. Why? Because the environment remains stable for thousands of years, with steady temperatures, minimal disturbances and slow mineral flow. Under these stable conditions, ordinary molecules assemble into lavish structures. I believe you're cultivating a similar sanctuary, Cancerian, as you invoke the powers of steadiness and devoted dedication. Even if progress appears slow, the underlying process is gradually generating a beautiful strength and/or lasting treasure. Now's a good time to redouble your faith in your good work.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The cosmic powers

have granted you a license to be magnificent. Not arrogant, please note, but majestic, resplendent and marvelous. You know the difference, right? Arrogance is parasitic, demanding that everyone reflects your glory back at you. Magnificence is expansive, making everyone feel more vital and attuned to their own splendor. The second option is far more nutritious and delicious for you in the long run. In the coming eons, and especially now, I hope you'll be lavish with your praise and generous with your attention. Glow and dazzle in ways that inspire others to glow and dazzle.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): A Zen teaching says, "Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water." But being the post-Zen teacher I am, I protest and say, "No, the chopping and the carrying ARE the enlightenment. There is no separate 'after.'" The sacred is ALWAYS lurking in the mundane, disguised as ordinary tasks. And you Virgos are potentially the zodiac's supreme master of this controversial truth. Others may chase after astral bling and transcendent glitter, but you know that divinity lives in the earthy details that are right in front of you. That's how you transmute seemingly unremarkable stuff into the sublime. It's time to wield your superpower to the hilt, please! LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Let's make Libran writer Ursula K. Le Guin your patron saint. She

believed that any human arrangement, however permanent it seems, was made by people and can therefore be unmade and remade by people. The divine right of kings once seemed eternal and inevitable, she liked to remind us. Be like her in the coming weeks, Libra. Refuse to accept that the way things are is the way they must continue to be. Imagine more beautiful, more just and more loving arrangements in every area of your life, including your relationships, your work and your inner life. Then take three steps toward making it so.

Refuse to accept that the way things are is the way they must continue to be. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Volcanologists distinguish between two different eruptions. In the effusive type, lava flows slowly and steadily, while the explosive eruptions eject material fast and hard. What does this have to do with you? In my astrological estimation, you currently contain building pressures that need release. Here's the good news: you can maneuver yourself in the direction of effusive expression and thereby make the explosive kind unnecessary. So my advice is to find small, controllable outlets for what's gathering inside you. Don't wait until the only option is a massive, sudden discharge. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): You'll

flourish in the coming years if you ask daring questions and befriend sweet ambivalence and welcome adorable uncertainty. You'll stumble upon weird but interesting success and project potent authenticity if you let your curiosity lead you to situations outside of your cozy bubbles and velvet ruts. On the other hand, you'll flounder if you cling to folk wisdom foisted on you by the algorithms, treat all your opinions as facts, or pretend you always know what the f*ck is going on in this dazzling mess of a world. Keep it generous and exploratory, Sagittarius. Seek out wide-ranging conversationalists and playful skeptics.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): A river delta is where a river finally meets the sea. Instead of

arriving as one bold channel, it fans out into dozens of branching streams, depositing the rich silt it has carried for many miles. Deltas are fertile places because of everything the river gathered along the way and finally lays down. You're approaching a metaphorical delta, Capricorn. All the experiences, emotions and impressions you've been carrying are ready to be released and turned into fertile ground. Abundance wants to grow from all you've gathered.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In the 17th century, Aquarian astronomer Johannes Hevelius mapped the moon with surprising accuracy. Yet he worked with funky homemade telescopes perched on a homemade observatory that he built on the rooftops of his three connected houses. I recommend you borrow his approach, Aquarius. You might feel tempted to postpone action until conditions are ideal, but I hope you'll begin with what you already possess. Prediction: As you proceed, your tools and strategies will evolve. Momentum will become one of your key resources. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In tradition-

al Chinese medicine, wei qi is a protective energy that circulates beneath the skin, forming a shield against harmful influences. To nourish it, you revel in sleeping and eating well. You work diligently, with tender discernment, to maintain healthy boundaries. How are you doing with that, Pisces? Is it possible you've been working so hard on your deep transformations that you've semi-neglected this outer layer of strength? I hope that in the coming weeks, you'll nurture the subtle shields that prevent you from absorbing every stray particle of psychic weirdness in your environment. Think of this task not as building walls, but tending to your garden's edges. HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: What's a great thing about you that no one knows? tinyurl.com/ b7b7b7b {in}

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news of the weird PLOT TWIST A woman who fled from police in Bunnell, Florida, ended up needing their help. WFTV reported that Tiffani Driggers, 28, ran into a wooded area after the Flagler County Sheriff's Office responded to a trespass complaint at a self-storage business on Sept. 17. Driggers had an active fugitive warrant and fled when she saw the deputies. The sheriff's office utilized its drone unit, K-9 team and deputies to search for Driggers but didn't find her. However, a resident from the area called the sheriff's department later that day after hearing a woman calling for help nearby. Upon responding, deputies made voice contact across a canal with the woman in distress, who turned out to be Driggers. According to a news release from the sheriff's department, Driggers said "she was exhausted, unable to cross the water, and may have injured her ankle." An area resident offered to loan deputies a canoe, which they accepted. Deputies located Driggers and used the canoe to get her across the canal, where she was evaluated by Volusia County Fire Rescue. She was then taken into custody. [WFTV, 9/18/26] HORSEPLAY A runaway horse led a parade of police, drone operators and cowboys down the streets of Santa Fe, People reported on Sept. 16. The horse made a break for it on the morning of Sept. 13, prior to Desfile de La Gente, an annual community parade in Santa Fe. In an aerial video shared by the Santa Fe Police Department, the horse was seen galloping down streets and sidewalks, eventually making its way to the highway. Police eventually confined the horse in a corner near a building by forming a wall with their bodies and motorcycles and attempted to calm the horse. "Motors Officers were able to corral him on Canyon Road and the owner was able to trot him back to the parade starting point in time for a quick drink of water before the parade started," SFPD said. [People, 9/16/26] ASKING FOR HELP A pelican seeking help used its beak to tap on the door of a Florida marine research facility, The Washington Post reported on Sept. 20. Upon answering the knock, a biologist found a brown pelican standing on the facility's stoop, its right wing wrapped with fishing line and speared with a double-barbed treble hook. Additionally, several cactus spines were stuck in one of its feet. The bird was unable to fly. Though the biologists at that laboratory typically study sharks and fish, they didn't hesitate to help the injured bird. Annsli Hilton, a University of Miami research associate, was ready to assist. "I always kind of thought in my head—and liked to think that—animals would know to either come to me for help or to come to the lab for help," Hilton said. After receiving care, the pelican was carried to a nearby basin, where it stretched its wings and then flew away. [The Washington Post, 9/20/26] GOAT CHASE After months of searching, Ohio police finally caught their slippery fugitive: Cardio the Goat. The Washington Post reported on Sept. 24 that the runaway bovid had been wreaking

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

havoc in the Dayton area for months, even going so far as to damage cars. Three police officers responded to a call about a possible goat sighting. "I wanted to find the goat so I could pet it, mostly," Sgt. Salli Jones said. "But also, you know, it is a problem if things are getting damaged." After 90 minutes in pursuit, the officers captured the goat using a snare around its neck and named it "Cardio," in honor of the workout it put them through. Cardio was surrendered to the Humane Society, which put out a social media call for Cardio's adoption. Local goat farmer Cassie Keeton took him home, where she hopes he'll join her other goats for goat yoga and for cuddles at various events. [Washington Post, 9/24/26] TAKE A CHILL PILL Matthew Ware, 34, of Los Angeles, was arrested after witnesses say he pepper-sprayed a fellow moviegoer in a theater on Sept. 15, NBC 4 reported. Two other people were treated at a nearby hospital after experiencing irritation from the aerosol spray. Ware allegedly ran out of the theater and was apprehended after three other patrons chased him down. "The thing that stuck out the most was him saying that the guy on the phone 'got smart' with him," witness Joe Rodriguez said. "This was just a guy who was frustrated and lashed out because a guy was being rude at the movies." [NBC 4, 9/20/26] •Tiffany Booze, 38, of Maryland, is under electronic monitoring after punching a clerk and pulling a gun at a store in Charles County, ABC 7 reported on Sept. 16. The sheriff's office says Booze, who was impatient after waiting in line to make her purchase, punched the cashier in the face, left the store and reapproached the store shortly after with a gun. She then left the area but neglected to retrieve her wallet and phone from the checkout counter, which aided police in tracking her down. [ABC 7, 9/16/26] BIRTHDAY BLUES Danielle Tammone of Long Island spent part of her 47th birthday in arguably one of the last places anyone would want to celebrate—a hole in the ground. CBS News reported on Sept. 18 that Tammone was strolling her backyard when the ground suddenly gave way beneath her, creating a hole about 8 feet deep. Tammone said that when she tried to climb out, stone crumbled around her feet, putting her in an even more perilous situation. "It's my birthday. This might be my death date," Tammone said. "I couldn't breathe well, because I was gasping, and scared and crying." Neighbors heard her screams for help, rushed over and called 911. Responders used ladders to pull Tammone out of the hole. "Firemen, cops, ambulance, special unit, EMTs— they were wonderful," Tammone said. "And they all sang 'Happy Birthday' to me. It was great." [CBS News, 9/18/26] {in}

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