Inweekly Sept 10 2026 Issue

FALL GUIDE

PART 2

FESTIVALS Independent News | September 10, 2026 | Volume 27 | Number 36

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winners & losers

Whitney Lucas / Photo Courtesy of Escambia County Sheriff's Office

James Uthmeier / Photo Courtesy of myfloridalegal.com

winners

losers

WHITNEY LUCAS Women We Admire named Lucas, chief of staff for the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, to its Top Women Chiefs of Staff for 2026. The women recognized work across global companies, healthcare systems, public agencies and academic institutions, shaping the position around the needs of each leader and organization. Lucas reports directly to Sheriff Chip Simmons and helps shape the agency's strategic direction. She leads major initiatives, oversees critical projects and cross-functional teams and advises on policy development. Lucas also represents the Sheriff's Office in external communications. She co-founded the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation in 2021 and now serves as its president. Lucas also serves with the Covenant Care Foundation, Loyalty Credit Union Foundation and Baptist Woman's Board.

JAMES UTHMEIER House Democrats are calling for a special session to consider impeaching Attorney General Uthmeier over his role in diverting $10 million from a Medicaid settlement into political committees he controlled. A leaked grand jury report found the funds "misappropriated," though no charges were filed. The money was traced from a $67 million Centene settlement through the Hope Florida Foundation into committees that fought 2024 ballot measures on abortion rights and marijuana. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell wants a committee investigation and possible impeachment of others named. Uthmeier and Gov. DeSantis call the leak a politically motivated attack and defend the settlement as legal.

TRISTA BENNETT The University of West Flor-

tractor was sentenced last week to 30 years in prison after being convicted of racketeering and contractor fraud. The sentence, which runs concurrently across both charges, adds to the 10 years he received last year in an earlier fraud case. Judge John Simon also ordered LaCoste to pay over $2 million in restitution, though LaCoste claims he has no assets left to repay victims.

Prosecutors said only four of 22 Escambia County projects tied to LaCoste were completed, with numerous failed inspections and missing permits. Assistant State Attorney Paul Gillespie said victims spanned every walk of life, including veterans and firefighters. LaCoste addressed the court for nearly 30 minutes, asking for mercy and denying any intent to defraud clients.

ida double major in biology and health sciences has been named a Florida Gubernatorial Fellow for 2026-27—one of just seven to 12 students chosen statewide. Bennett, a Kugelman Honors student and former Student Government Association president, will spend her senior year in Tallahassee, meeting weekly with state leaders, writing policy and doing nonprofit work, with fully funded trips to St. Augustine, the Kennedy Space Center and Washington, D.C. Bennett plans to attend law school after graduation. UWF's John W. Merting Family Office of National Fellowships supported her application.

J. ALEX KELLY The Pensacola State College Presidential Search Committee has recommended Kelly, Florida's Secretary of Commerce, as the sole finalist to become the College's next president. The committee, made up of District Board of Trustees members, voted Aug. 29 following a national search. Kelly has served as Commerce Secretary since 2023, previously working as Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. DeSantis and chief of staff to former Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran. The search drew 107 applicants, narrowed to nine interviews and four in-person finalists. Search Committee Chair Zack Smith praised Kelly as "thoughtful, diligent and highly capable." Kelly will visit PSC's campus in late September before the Board considers his formal appointment.

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JESSE LACOSTE The former Pensacola con-

"CAT IN THE HAT" TREND A viral social me-

dia trend featuring AI-generated images of the "Cat in the Hat" character has prompted heightened security and at least two teen arrests in Florida. The trend shows the character "lurking" near landmarks and schools, sometimes with threatening captions naming specific campuses, including a Pensacola post listing 11 local schools.

Santa Rosa County schools added extra law enforcement last week. A 12-year-old in Pasco County was arrested for a school threat tied to the trend, and a Lakeland teen faces charges after threatening a Kentucky high school. Officials say no credible threats have been confirmed locally, but they're monitoring closely. inweekly.net

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WAITING FOR 9/11 JUSTICE In 2021, days before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I interviewed ABC News Senior Investigative Reporter Aaron Katersky. He had just watched Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-defendants appear before the Guantanamo Bay tribunal—a proceeding timed, it seemed, to reassure a grieving country that justice was finally coming.

It wasn't. Five years later, it still hasn't.

DESIGNED TO FAIL This

week, we mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. Several memorial services will be held in Pensacola and communities across the country, while the victims' families are still waiting for justice.

The trial of the man the U.S. calls the mastermind of 9/11 still hasn't happened. It's now scheduled for June 5, 2028, set three weeks ago by military judge Lt. Col. Michael Schrama. This same judge tossed out a confession Mohammed gave to FBI agents nearly 20 years earlier, ruling it had not been given voluntarily. Prosecutors have not said whether they will appeal the ruling, though the government has signaled a decision is coming soon.

Katersky, who has won several Edward R. Murrow awards for his reporting, saw this coming when I talked to him five years ago. "Because the whole procedure is a mess, I think, Rick. It was almost designed to fail," he said. "This is outside of anything we recognize as law in any other context in our country."

He saw it as political theater, not justice.

"What's really happening is an attempt to put law, or the guise of law, around something that was fundamentally lawless," Katersky said.

"There was torture, there was secret evidence.

This novel process was gerrymandered to handle these cases, and it's alien to anything else in our criminal justice system."

Mohammed was captured in 2003, transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006 and charged in 2008. Pretrial proceedings have run continuously since 2012. Why? Because of the evidence problem Katersky flagged in 2021. The judge's

Aug. 28 ruling found that the coercive effects of Mohammed's torture in CIA custody, including 183 instances of waterboarding, tainted the statements he later gave the FBI. The prosecutor hasn't overcome the "law built on something lawless" problem, which Katersky predicted. In 2021, he doubted the process could ever hold up. "Even if prosecutors succeed in obtaining convictions, it's unlikely the U.S. Supreme Court would ever let this stand," he said, "because establishing a precedent that allows for the trial of defendants who were tortured for years by the U.S. government is just dangerous."

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The families of the 9/11 victims pay the price while the process drags on.

September 10, 2026

WHAT THIS COSTS THE FAMILIES What

stayed with me wasn't the legal analysis. The families of the 9/11 victims pay the price while the process drags on. Katersky shared what he learned from talking to the families. They weren't angry so much as exhausted. Some carried photos and flags to the memorial every year, others stayed away, and nearly all felt the anxiety build every August as the date approaches.

Katersky talked to Patricia Smith, whose mother, Moira Smith, was the only female NYPD officer to die on 9/11 and the first officer to radio in the attack. Moira was killed helping people out of the towers before they collapsed. Patricia was two when her mother died; by 2021 she was 22, with no memory of her mother beyond what others had told her. She had become an advocate for finally getting the tribunal to conclude.

"Every year that passes where the people that you can hold responsible, who are still living—every year that doesn't happen, it just makes it all the worse," Smith told Katersky.

Twenty-five years after the attacks, the government's use of torture has become the biggest obstacle to convicting the man it says planned them. For family members like Patricia Smith, that means more waiting, with a trial date that, if the pattern of the last two decades holds, may not be the last one set. {in} rick@inweekly.net 5

TO FLOCK OR NOT TO FLOCK Speaking on the "We Don't Color on the Dog" podcast, Simmons said the decision had been building for weeks as his office weighed law enforcement value against privacy concerns, and that not every agency runs as tight a program as his.

As an elected sheriff, he said, public trust matters as much as the technology's track record.

"It matters what the public thinks," he added.

"It matters about what they think about how we enforce the laws. We want people to have a certain level of comfort with regards to how we enforce these laws."

The Sheriff's Office had cameras running at 24 locations, seven of them on state highways. Under FDOT's order, roughly a third of the county's camera network would have had to come down within 30 days regardless, which would have gutted the system anyway. Simmons chose to shut it down entirely rather than run a diminished version while he waits for statewide rules.

Photo by halbergman / istockphoto.com

By Rick Outzen Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) went dark across Escambia County last week, capping nearly a year-long local fight over the cameras. Like the debate surrounding data centers, ALPR technology has been a bipartisan topic, pulling together those concerned about government surveillance, privacy and the Fourth Amendment.

STATE PULLS THE PLUG

The impetus for suspending ALPRs was an Aug. 31 memo from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The memo notified every law enforcement agency in the state to stop installing or operating license plate recognition cameras within the right-of-way of any State Highway System road. Agencies that already had permits were ordered to remove their cameras within 30 days. FDOT would not issue any new permits.

FDOT Chief Operating Officer Will Watts explained the reasoning in the memo: "While Florida law limits the issuance of permits for LPR systems to law enforcement agencies, the recent exponential increase in deployments along our roadways, coupled with concerning reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and surveillance schemes merit immediate action to preserve Floridians' sovereignty and quality of life."

Gov. Ron DeSantis backed the directive the same day, telling reporters that law enforcement needs strong tools, but that those tools have to stay targeted at criminals. "If they can create a dossier on your movements, they would be able to make a fortune in selling that to companies for advertising and product placement," he said.

DeSantis warned the network of cameras could create a "surveillance state," pointing to California as a cautionary tale, saying that if the technology had existed nationally during COVID, it would have been turned on people who defied 66

lockdown orders. He credited local sheriffs for using the technology responsibly but said the risk of abuse outweighs that. "You also have to say, 'How can this be misused?'" DeSantis noted. "I don't think we have really strong penalties at all for that type of misuse."

SO DO SIMMONS AND WINSTROM

The next day after receiving the FDOT memo, Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons and Pensacola Police Chief Eric Winstrom both suspended their agencies' license plate readers.

Simmons laid out his reasoning in a lengthy statement posted to Facebook. He said the ALPR technology has helped deputies solve crimes, find dangerous offenders and locate missing and endangered people for years, and that his office has used it under strict internal policy. But he acknowledged that isn't enough on its own.

"Floridians should be able to expect consistent standards for how this technology is used, no matter where they live or which law enforcement agency operates the system," Simmons wrote. With agencies across the state suspending or dropping ALPR programs, and FDOT's new directive on top of it, he wrote that "the Escambia County Sheriff's Office will suspend its use of ALPR camera networks at this time."

He called it a temporary pause, saying his office is working with the local legislative delegation, state leaders and the Florida Sheriffs Association to push for statewide legislation that sets clear rules. "We do not believe public safety and individual privacy have to be competing interests," he wrote. "Good policy should protect both."

Winstrom's statement was shorter and pointed toward the same goal. "The Pensacola Police Department is committed to ensuring every law enforcement tool is utilized in an appropriate and Constitutional manner," he said. "Until further legislative steps are taken to ensure all users of automated license plate reader technology comply with these same standards, we are suspending the use of ALPRs in the City of Pensacola."

A FIGHT NEARLY A YEAR IN THE MAKING

At the center of the local fight was Flock Safety, whose cameras are marketed as "vehicle fingerprint" technology. Powered by machine learning, the systems don't just read plates; they identify vehicle types and details like roof racks, trailer hitches and window stickers, and some units double as gunshot detectors.

The Flock cameras' arrival in Pensacola was anything but quiet. At an Aug. 27, 2025 town hall, then-interim Police Chief Kristin Brown announced that Flock cameras were coming to the city. Residents learned that Mayor D.C. Reeves had already signed off on a two-year, $108,000 contract for 18 cameras. The cameras were paid for with the city's share of the national opioid litigation settlement.

Brown made her case for the contract in a memo to the mayor, writing that "these cameras have proven invaluable across the nation in everything from narcotics investigations, fugitive arrests, kidnapping cases and many other investigations."

Opposition built steadily over the following year. Residents showed up repeatedly at Pensacola City Council meetings demanding the contract be canceled, calling the cameras "warrantless mass surveillance" and a Fourth Amendment violation.

In June, Pepper Wimer and Brandy Johnson, both also vocal opponents of data centers, addressed the council. "We're here to ask you to take the Flock cameras down," Wimer said, noting that county commission chambers had been packed the night before over the same issue. "Everybody was cheering against Flock, and I think that represents the attitude of the people in the city as well as the county … We all want to protect our families against the data centers and the Flock."

Johnson framed her objection around constitutional rights. "I respect any and all law enforcement. My belief is that Flock cameras are a violation of our constitutional rights and a violation

to our privacy," she said. She also questioned the funding source: "Considering the drug issues we have in the county and the city all around, I believe the opioid money should have stayed where it was."

Brook Whitehurst raised the same funding objection. "When I found out that money from the opioid abatement program was used, I was deeply embarrassed and ashamed," she said. "I don't think that it's fair to this community to take from our most vulnerable population to insert a mass surveillance system that no one asked for."

The council did not vote to cancel the Flock contract outright. But when it approved a separate $1.5 million settlement with opioid manufacturer Lupin Pharmaceuticals and related companies, members attached a condition requiring council approval before any future opioid settlement dollars could fund contracts like the Flock deal.

The debate spilled into county government, too. At the Escambia County Commission's Aug. 6 meeting, Commissioner Steve Stroberger raised concerns about Flock cameras and the broader expansion of government data collection. He didn't dispute that public safety is a core government duty, but drew a hard line on surveillance power.

"A government powerful enough to monitor everyone is powerful enough to abuse everyone," he said.

Stroberger tied his objection to the nation's founding, arguing the Fourth Amendment exists precisely because of experience with unchecked government surveillance. "The Fourth Amendment was written because our nation's founders had experienced general warrants and broad government surveillance under the British Crown," he said. "They intentionally placed limits on government power because liberty requires those limits."

He also rejected the argument that only wrongdoers should worry about the cameras.

"That has never been the standard in America," he said, adding, "I believe we should be extremely cautious whenever government expands its ability to collect information on law-abiding citizens."

A WIN, WITH ONE FIGHT LEFT

Inweekly reached advocates Wimer and Johnson within minutes of the news that local Flock cameras were coming down. Both were pleased.

"I'm really glad and happy, and it appears that the public pressure has succeeded," Wimer said.

"We just have to be vigilant and make sure that they're not just trying to sneak in something new."

Johnson called it a win for constitutional rights, plain and simple. She said, "They should've never had 'em."

Johnson added, "I'm glad they're taking it down. That's one win. Now let's just keep the data centers out."

Whether the cameras stay down for good is now an open question. The final decision on what to do next with ALPR technology may be taken out of locals' hands by Tallahassee and decided by the Florida Legislature, the governor's office or the courts. Only time will tell. {in} inweekly.net

September 10, 2026

7

CIVIC DIALOGUE The City of Pensacola last

week launched Civic Dialogues, a new partnership with change.org built to surface and rank the ideas residents care about most. From Sept. 3 through Oct. 12, any Pensacola resident can post an idea or respond to a neighbor's suggestion at civicdialogues.org/pensacola.

After submissions close, change.org will identify the topics that draw the most support and assemble a panel of residents from across the city for a virtual session—tentatively planned for midNovember, around Nov. 10—to turn the top ideas into actionable proposals. Mayor D.C. Reeves has committed to reviewing what comes out of the process to see how the city might support it.

"I rely on the voices of residents every day to help inform the decisions made in their interest," Reeves said.

The city already runs an annual Resident Satisfaction Survey through the University of West Florida's Haas Center, alongside town halls, community meetings and the Strive to Thrive Pensacola 2035 strategic plan. Reeves said Civic Dialogues is meant to work alongside those tools, not replace them, but with a sharper focus.

Where the annual survey asks broad questions about whether the city is headed in the right direction, Reeves said this process is built to drill down to the one or two issues residents care about most. He said, "It's not necessarily complaint-based, it's solution-based."

Reeves said he first heard about Civic Dialogues from fellow mayors through the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Change.org is running the same pilot with mayors in Tulsa, Okla.; Erie, Pa.; Kansas City, Mo.; Jackson, Tenn.; Folsom, Calif.; and Albuquerque, N.M. "Our process engages a wide net of community members and builds consensus around practical policy solutions," said Duncan Lockard, general manager of Civic Dialogues at change.org. "We are excited to engage residents of Pensacola and bring their ideas to city leadership."

Residents can weigh in now at civicdialogues.org/pensacola.

VIVA LAS VEGAS, NOT YET Pensacola International Airport's terminal and concourse mod-

88

ernization program has reached 100% design completion, Airport Director Matt Coughlin said in an interview with Inweekly, putting the $165 million project on track for a construction price to be finalized around Sept. 11.

Coughlin, who has led the airport since 2020, said the milestone triggers the next phase under the airport's construction-manager-atrisk delivery model: a guaranteed maximum price that will set the project's budget and refine its schedule. Completion is expected in roughly two years.

Ramp construction is already underway, funded in part by $37 million in grants scheduled to go before Pensacola City Council on Sept. 10.

The baggage handling system and a reoriented, expanded TSA security checkpoint are among the first major components of the build-out.

Coughlin said travelers should expect minimal disruption but acknowledged some impact is unavoidable. Employee parking is being relocated to preserve public parking capacity, and passengers will see partition walls, additional signage and construction noise as work progresses.

Once complete, the security checkpoint will be reoriented 90 degrees and double in size, opening onto a choice between the existing Concourse A and a new Concourse B.

"We are excited to engage residents of Pensacola and bring their ideas to city leadership." Duncan Lockard The airport's ST Aerospace campus continues to expand. The third hangar in the complex is fully built, with ramp infrastructure now under construction; Coughlin said the facility is expected to reach full production by January. Construction has also begun on a fourth, smaller hangar.

On the airline side, Coughlin said the airport now serves 28 nonstop destinations through seven carrier partnerships. Breeze Airways, which launched service less than two years ago with two weekly flights to Tampa, has grown to more than 30 destinations from Pensacola.

Coughlin identified the western United States, particularly Las Vegas, as the airport's top underserved market. He said rising fuel costs had stalled earlier talks with carriers on a nonstop Las Vegas route but that discussions are ongoing with multiple airlines.

KOHLER ON THE BUDGET Escambia County

commissioners took up the county's budget hearing on Sept. 8. Since the meeting is after our press deadline, we asked District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler to give us a preview.

Kohler said the county has not raised its millage rate since 2006. Last year, the board approved a minor rollback from 6.617 to 6.6 mils. He expects something similar this year, with commissioners waiting to see how November's Amendment 3 vote plays out before making bigger moves.

According to Kohler, a more aggressive rollback now could cost the county roughly $43 million next year if the constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes on homesteads passes— and potentially closer to $140 million if the county also loses its Penny for Progress sales tax.

The commissioner pushed back on the idea that county government carries significant excess, saying residents often call for cuts in the abstract but object once cuts touch services in their own neighborhoods. He said the county controls a much smaller share of its roughly $900 million total budget than most residents assume, about $340 million once state mandates and grant restrictions are factored out.

He identified public works and correctional staffing as the county's most understaffed areas, while saying the Sheriff's Office and fire services are currently keeping pace with need. He pointed to two board decisions he expects to pay dividends for years: a Municipal Service Benefit Unit funding four new fire stations, and the addition of 26 to 27 new ambulances to the county's EMS fleet.

Kohler, a retired Navy officer and nurse with decades of healthcare and emergency medicine experience, named blight and homelessness as the top concerns he hears from District 2 residents. He described the district as the most diverse on the board, spanning affluent areas like

Gulf Beach alongside lower-income neighborhoods in Brownsville and Beach Haven, with sizable Filipino, Vietnamese and Hispanic communities, a historic Black community in Warrington and a large veteran population tied to the district's military bases.

Looking ahead, Kohler pointed to the South Navy Boulevard project with FDOT and a planned library near 57th Avenue and Lillian Highway as priorities—the latter contingent on the county retaining its Penny for Progress revenue. He also highlighted Community Redevelopment Areas as an underused affordability tool, noting his and Commissioner Lumon May's districts hold the county's largest concentration of CRAs. To learn what happened at the budget hearing, check out ricksblog.biz.

NIL 101 The Levin Papantonio law firm has es-

tablished a new legal practice dedicated to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issues, giving local student athletes and their families a resource for navigating a fast-evolving and largely unregulated area of law.

Attorney Brenton Goodman, who is heading the new practice, said the idea grew out of the firm's existing work representing people after they have already been harmed in car accidents, wrongful death cases and other personal injury matters. With NIL, he said, the firm has an opportunity to intervene before harm occurs, helping high school and college athletes and even aspiring social media influencers protect themselves from predatory actors drawn to the stillnew NIL landscape.

Goodman, the grandson of longtime Pensacola attorney Fred Levin, pointed to his grandfather's decades-long relationships with athletes such as boxer Roy Jones Jr. and NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith as part of what persuaded the firm to back the venture. He argued the firm's existing connections and public profile position it well to guide local families through NIL deals, endorsement opportunities and the internshipstyle arrangements some athletes are now pursuing in lieu of direct payment.

The attorney said the risks are significant for

inweekly.net

people unfamiliar with the space. Because NIL rules are new and inconsistently understood, he said, families can be targeted by entities looking to exploit young athletes who don't yet know what fair terms or red flags look like.

Goodman will present on NIL issues at 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, as part of the Levin Papantonio People's Law School, a free community legal education series designed to give Pensacola-area residents practical information about their rights and the legal issues.

The 2026 series will be held on three Monday evenings, Sept. 14, 21 and 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center, 913 S. I St. Attendance is free and open to the public. Register at levinlaw.com/2026peoples-law-school.

NOTHING FOR TEACHERS Escambia teachers say they're being shut out of contract talks despite delivering the district an "A" grade this year, according to Carol Cleaver, president of the Escambia Education Association.

Cleaver told Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen that the union has raised the same issues with district and school board leadership for months without progress, largely because board members haven't had time to meet with negotiators. She said the silence stings given the district's improved grade, which principals across the county have been quick to celebrate.

The frustration comes as the state's new teacher pay raise reaches only a narrow slice of Escambia's workforce. Cleaver said roughly 930 to 940 teachers will qualify, out of the district's much larger teaching staff, because the raise applies only to teachers with 10 or more years in a Florida classroom who currently have a classroom roster attached to them. Guidance counselors, media specialists, behavior deans and instructional coaches don't qualify under those rules, and the state allocated zero dollars for bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and school secretaries.

The union wants the state to send teacher salary money to counties without strings attached, letting each district decide locally how to spend it rather than following legislative mandates Cleaver says pit employees against each other.

Locally, two low-cost contract requests remain stalled: a guaranteed duty-free lunch—Escambia is the only Florida county without one— and bereavement leave that doesn't require employees to first exhaust their sick leave.

A memorandum of understanding on the state raise was signed ahead of an Aug. 31 deadline but hasn't been ratified. The broader contract talks have no formal deadline; the union had hoped to finish by the end of July but didn't.

Cleaver, who taught in Escambia schools for 13 years, urged parents and grandparents to contact school board members and ask about the holdup, and to get involved through the PTA or classroom volunteering, saying teachers want families engaged in what's happening in their schools.

September 10, 2026

THE CORRY PROJECT The Florida Defense

Support Commission awarded the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion & Development Commission (PEDC) $200,000 to continue planning a major overhaul of the Center for Information Warfare Training at Corry Station.

The grant, announced this week, will fund efforts to engage Navy stakeholders, develop project authority agreements, identify prospective tenants, assess opportunities to enhance the base's military value and build a comprehensive implementation and investment roadmap for the site.

It's the third grant PEDC has secured for the project. The first two, from the Defense Reinvestment Grant program, funded a feasibility study and architectural planning. This round shifts the focus to financing strategy and identifying the government contractors and base tenants who would eventually occupy the facility.

FloridaWest CEO Chris Platé said the planned facility spans roughly 260,000 square feet across three sections—an auditorium, classrooms and office space. Because much of the building will function as an SCIF, a secured, signal-proof facility, construction costs are steep: SCIFs typically run $750 to $1,000 per square foot. FloridaWest is projecting about $780 per square foot, putting the total project cost above $200 million.

PEDC is weighing several financing paths, including a full federal appropriation and an intergovernmental service agreement under which PEDC could own the building on a Navy land lease and lease it back to the government. Triumph Gulf Coast funding remains a possibility as well.

Platé said the project is partly about keeping the command at Corry Station, noting other installations would welcome the opportunity to take it over. FloridaWest expects this planning phase to conclude by May 2027.

HOLMAN FINDS NEW HOME Emmanuel

Sheppard & Condon (ESC), one of Northwest Florida's longest-standing law firms, announced that The Holman Law Firm joined its ranks as of Sept. 1, in a move that significantly expands the firm's family law practice.

The Holman Law Firm has built a reputation over the years for providing individuals and families with dedicated, high-quality legal representation. With the addition of Holman's attorneys and staff, ESC said it will be better positioned to serve clients navigating divorce, custody disputes, adoption and other family law matters while maintaining the personalized approach both firms are known for.

The merger comes as ESC marks more than a century of service to Northwest Florida. Firm leadership framed the expansion as part of a broader commitment to clients rather than a shift in direction. "We look forward to this exciting new chapter and to continuing to serve you with the same commitment and dedication that have defined Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon for more than 100 years," the firm said. {in} 9

FALL GUIDE

PART 2

FESTIVALS

By Jennifer Leigh

Festival season is coming. And if you think you're excited, just imagine how the festival planners feel.

"We have been gearing up for this for months," said Fiesta Pensacola Foundation Director Margaret-Anne West, who's busy planning the 49th Annual Pensacola Seafood Festival. "This is our largest event: 100 arts and crafts vendors, 40 food vendors, 100-person committee and 200plus volunteers."

Successful events like the Seafood Festival become traditions for locals and visitors. West said the Seafood Festival in particular is a "melting pot" of attendees who travel across the region to taste some food, listen to music, shop the vendors—or do all the above.

"It's a big economic impact," she said. "We're grateful to celebrate 49 years. Hopefully, we do 49 more."

LEGACY EVENTS

Another longstanding staple is the 42nd Annual Frank Brown Songwriters Festival where artists take over the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast, performing their songs and sharing the stories behind them. The festival has gained a reputation for how it reveres songwriters, said Andy Haynes, di010 1

rector of the Frank Brown International Foundation for Music and Songwriters Festival.

"We are the oldest songwriters' festival in the U.S., and word got out a long time ago about the respect we pay to the songwriters," Haynes continued. "We see them as the unsung heroes of the music business and try to shine a spotlight on them and have been blessed to have most of the icons of the songwriting end of the music business perform for us over the years. We try hard to create a very positive experience for both the songwriters and the attendees, and it seems to pay off."

When it comes to planning, Haynes said the festival has worked to narrow down the number of venues on the festival schedule. The second weekend of performances almost exclusively takes place at Flora-Bama, the bar and lounge where it all started. They also post the schedule to their website and mobile app so attendees can plan around the musicians they want to hear.

"We've got a formula that seems to make a lot of people happy," said Haynes. "We have the best lineup in the history of the festival featuring lots of Nashville hit songwriters as well as great up-and-comers."

Music is a unifier, added Haynes. He quoted Joe Gilchrist, the festival founder who died

in 2022. He was referred to as the "patron saint of songwriters."

"Joe had an expression that we often employ, which is, 'Music brings people together and makes the world a better place,'" recalled Haynes. "That's what we are striving to do."

THE BEST TIME TO BEACH

Fall is also a great time to spend time on Pensacola Beach, said Christine Brewster, vice president of membership at the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce.

"The water is beautiful and clear and still warm enough for swimming, but the air starts to feel a little crisper and we get a break from that summer humidity," she said. "The main tourist season has slowed down, which means lighter traffic, shorter waits at restaurants and a little more room to enjoy everything the beach has to offer. And honestly, fall is when you start seeing the locals come back out."

It's also when the Taste of the Beach Festival comes around. Now in its 18th year, the weekendlong event features a sunset cruise, a progressive dinner by trolley (with a late-night party bus option) and, of course, the best food from the beach.

"I think what surprises first-timers is that Taste

of the Beach isn't just a one-day food festival; it's really an entire weekend of food, drinks and fun," said Brewster.

Brewster attributes the event's longevity to good planning and even better energy around the event.

"People are having fun, vendors are busy, everyone is talking about what they've enjoyed— and before the festival is even over, you're already hearing, 'We're coming back next year.'

That's when you know you've done something right," she said.

Looking ahead to festival season, West advises stepping outside your comfort zone this fall.

"Get out there and try something new," she said. "Don't forget, you're supporting local events."

Brewster adds that while you probably won't make it to everything, you can make the most of the events you choose.

"Just do it," she said. "Pick a few events that sound like fun and go experience them. Better yet, make a weekend out of it. Reserve a stay at one of our local beach hotels, enjoy some amazing restaurants and choose a couple of events you've never tried before. Fall is such a great time to be here, so don't worry about doing everything—just get out there and enjoy it." inweekly.net

SEPTEMBER

Gulf Coast Summer Fest Jazz Edition

Sept. 18-20 gulfcoastsummerfestjazzedition.com Summer might be over, but the music plays on with a weekend of smooth jazz.

Pensacola Interstate Fair

Oct. 22-Nov. 1 pensacolafair.com Whether you go to the fair for the exhibits, the rides, the food or just the atmosphere, you know it's fall when the fair comes to town.

Taste of the Beach

Sept. 25-27 pensacolaseafoodfestival.com All the sights, sounds and tastes you can handle.

Oct. 29-Nov. 1 pensacolabeachchamber.com/events/taste This four-day celebration shares distinct culinary flavors against the backdrop of Pensacola Beach.

A sunset cruise kicks off the festival.

Perfect Plain Brewing Co. Oktoberfest

Foo Foo Fest

Pensacola Seafood Festival

Sept. 26 perfectplain.com/upcoming-events Perfect Plain will release its Festbier and German Tap Takeover for this year's Oktoberfest featuring a Dachshund race, stein hoisting and live music.

Pensacola Latin Salsa Festival

Sept. 26 facebook.com/pensacolalatinsalsafestival Enjoy a night of music, food and salsa dancing in downtown Pensacola.

OCTOBER

Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival

Oct. 1-11 songwriterspensacolabeach.com The songs you love sung by the people who wrote them in venues across Pensacola and Pensacola Beach.

Danetoberfest

Oct. 3 facebook.com/nwflgdr Spend the day with Great Danes, plus vendors, entertainment and raffles, at the 10th annual fundraiser event benefiting the Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue.

Festa Italiana

Oct. 9-10 buonafortunalodge.org Celebrate Italian culture with good food, music, performances and more.

Flora-Bama Annual Oktoberfest

Oct. 11 florabama.com/oktoberfest Hoist a stein in honor of the annual Oktoberfest celebration at Flora-Bama, complete with complimentary German food and plenty to drink.

Barktoberfest

Oct. 18 pensacolahumane.org/barktoberfest Of all the fall festivals, this one might be the furriest. Support the Pensacola Humane Society and enjoy plenty of activities for doggies and humans alike.

September 10, 2026

Oct. 29-Nov. 9 foofoofest.com Foo Foo contains festivals within festivals, with 12 days of events celebrating arts and culture all over Pensacola.

HalloZine Fest

Oct. 29-30 309punkproject.org One of those Foo Foo festivals is HalloZine Fest. The returning event celebrates physical media, focusing on self-published booklets known as zines. There will be markets, films, speakers and an official afterparty featuring The Linda Lindas.

NOVEMBER

Frank Brown Songwriters Festival

Nov. 5-15 frankbrownsongwriters.com Nationally-acclaimed songwriters fill up venues along the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast to perform their songs and tell the stories behind them.

Pensacola Greek Festival

Nov. 6-8 pensacolagreekfestival.com Held annually at the historic Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, this multi-day event offers lots of food and culture.

Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival

Nov. 6-8 ggaf.org GGAF is one of the largest and most popular events in Pensacola, featuring more than 200 artists from all over. There is also live music, food vendors and activities for kids.

Stamped Film Festival

Nov. 12-15 stampedfilmfest.com Watch original films centered around the LGBTQ+ experience. The three-day film festival is free, with the option to purchase VIP experiences and specialized workshops.

Pensacola EggFest

Nov. 15 pensacolaeggfest.com Who's the best BBQ chef or backyard griller? You be the judge at this annual culinary event. {in}

A CRAFTY SOUTHERN PUB WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

MON-THUR 2-10 | FRI-SAT 11-11 HAPPY HOUR MON-THUR 2-4 UNIONPENSACOLA.COM

36 E. GARDEN ST. | 850.607.6320 11

WHERE HISTORY AND MODERN COMFORT MEET Welcome to Hotel Tristan, Pensacola’s newest destination in the vibrant East Garden District. With a nod to the city’s rich history and the explorer Tristan de Luna, our hotel blends timeless charm with modern sophistication.

Whether you’re visiting for leisure, family fun, or a special event, Hotel Tristan offers an unforgettable stay in the heart of downtown Pensacola.

Big Crowds.

Bigger Sounds.

Foo for the Soul.

Oct. 29 – Nov. 9 foofoofest.com 212 1

inweekly.net

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10-16

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

Down the Rabbit Hole with Greg Bond

By Dakota Parks

Greg Bond / Courtesy Photo

Greg Bond is no stranger to falling down. What matters, he says, is what happens next.

For more than a decade, Bond has been a familiar face on Pensacola's music scene, playing gigs around town with the kind of songs that linger somewhere between heartbreak and hope. A classically trained vocalist turned solo-acoustic singer-songwriter, Bond blends elements of altcountry, folk-rock, contemporary blues and soul.

Now, he's turning his attention toward his latest project: "Bold," an album that's been years in the making.

Bond's musical journey began in high school, when his parents bought him his first guitar. But music was already woven into his life in other ways. He grew up around gospel and opera, and an uncle who ran an opera company in New York September 10, 2026

City introduced him to the world of classical music. Bond was fascinated by what the human voice could do and eventually pursued formal vocal training himself.

"I was just in awe of what opera singers could do and how they could manipulate their voice, which is essentially just a muscle," he says.

"Listening to opera singers is kind of like listening to colors."

That eclectic upbringing never really left him.

Among his influences, Bond cites everyone from Motown, blues and soul artists to country, folkrock and even heavy metal bands like Black Flag and Anthrax. When it comes to singer-songwriters, though, he points to Tom Waits, Elliott Smith and Cat Power as key influences.

"Music is really a calling. It's the most natural

or second-nature thing that I am compelled to do," he says. "It's this kind of primitive thing within me that I must create."

That impulse has produced a catalog of songs Bond has spent years writing, testing and refining around Pensacola. His process is decidedly old school. He writes songs out by hand on pen and paper, then takes them into the world, playing them live and letting performances shape what eventually makes it onto a record.

When he's writing, Bond says, whatever he is feeling tends to find its way onto the page.

"When I'm writing lyrics out, you can get that aggression and that really succinct and very potent emotion out on paper, because that's just where I am," Bond says. "It's pretty much just me, just different facets of my emotions that show up in the songs."

Those emotions have often leaned toward loneliness and heartache. Bond's uncle and brother both died in 2020, a period of loss that continues to influence his work.

"It's very interesting how these life events stay with you," Bond says. "I've written upbeat songs since then, but it's still left its influence.

Grief may get less difficult over time, but if you're somebody who writes, creates art or does anything in the creative space, I think you still carry it with you. Those who listen to your music or watch what you create are still able to pick up some of it in your content."

Then, last year, Bond faced a different kind of loss: the possibility that he might not be able to make music again.

In June 2025, Bond suffered an epidural abscess on his spinal cord, and that infection ate away at a vertebra, eventually requiring emergency surgery. After several weeks in the hospital, he had to relearn how to walk, and doctors weren't sure how much mobility he would ultimately regain. For Bond, the prospect of losing his independence was frightening enough, but so was the possibility of losing his voice.

"There was a while there that I didn't think I could sing again," he recalls. "And that was just really, really hard. By the time I was released from the hospital and got home, reality hit, and I was talking to myself like, 'Greg, I don't think this is something we're gonna shake off anytime soon, buddy.' It took a long time to process what happened, but that delusional optimism kept me going."

As he recovered, Bond had to work his way back to singing, rebuilding his lung capacity through breathing exercises and basic vocal training. The experience ultimately changed his relationship with music and changed the

way he hears some of the songs he had written for "Bold."

The songs have been "incubating" for roughly two years, Bond says, and he has been deliberate about how they come together. Rather than rushing them out, he has immersed himself in sound engineering and production, determined to give the nine tracks a cohesive sound.

"All of these songs, they're all very autobiographical," he says. "They all have some sort of a story or story arc." "'Desert Rose' [a song from 'Bold'] has taken on a different connotation for me since the spinal injury," Bond adds. "It's this rare, beautiful plant that seems almost out of place in its environment, yet it's still able to grow and survive. Not many flowers bloom in the desert. Its allure is its resilience—its ability to persevere in an extreme climate and still bloom and flourish," Bond says.

The same could be said of his album as a whole.

"I think the throughline for these songs is perseverance," he says. "I think that each of them sort of has their own nod to this idea that we can withstand anything if we just keep this fire inside our bellies to keep going."

His biggest takeaway from the past year, he says, has been learning not to focus so much on what he lost, but on what he gained: a new perspective on time, gratitude for his physical abilities and a renewed appreciation for simply being here.

"I'm so grateful that I'm here today," he says.

"While I'm not able to go run a marathon or anything like that, it's still a blessing that I'm able to be here today. I'm thankful for my family and loved ones, especially my mother and my partner Mark for helping me through it."

Bond hopes to release "Bold" by the end of the year. And when the songs finally leave his hands and enter the world, he has no intention of telling listeners exactly what they should find in them.

"My songs are intended to allow people to find whatever they want to find in them," he says.

"As soon as I release the song, it's theirs."

For Bond, that's what art is supposed to do: survive its creator, take on new meaning and become something bigger than the person who made it.

"As soon as you offer it up for people to feel how they feel about it, then it suddenly goes from the creative space to being this real thing that's in the world that people can see, enjoy or have for themselves," he says. "That's what art is." {in}

GREG BOND

@gregbondmusic 13

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a&e happenings NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

SAVE OUR SHELTERS FUNDRAISER Save

Our Shelters will host a sip, flip and slide game day fundraiser for Green Acres Animal Rescue on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 2-4 p.m. at the Harley Davidson Dealership, 6385 Pensacola Blvd. Enjoy a wide variety of sips and meet adoptable dogs. $20 per attendee.

FILM SCREENING BENEFIT The Gulf Breeze

mal 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.

Area Historical Society presents a double feature of "Florida Surfing History: The Panhandle" and "Return to China Beach" 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13 at Phineas Phogg's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $15 and support the new Gulf Coast Surfing Museum to be built in Gulf Breeze. For more information, email barbaraudit111@gmail.com.

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION Visit Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every

MATERIAL MONDAYS: RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS Join Florida Public Archaeology Network

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Ani-

first and third Saturday of the month at 6857 N. Ninth Ave. to meet your furever friend. Visit aaflorida.org for details.

at 207 E. I St. or Zoom for a presentation with Dr. Mary Minkoff 12-1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. Details available at events.uwf.edu.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Min-

READ PENSACOLA BOOK CLUB The next meeting will discuss "(Mostly) Human Resources"

by Grace Viall 5-6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. For more information, visit instagram.com/readpensacola.

istry 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

POETS IN THE PUNKHOUSE This event features Dennis Formento (Slidell/NOLA), Jamey Jones, Scott Satterwhite and Ericka Streeter 7 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 10 at 309 N. Sixth Ave. Details available at 309punkproject.org.

DOLLY PAWTON: A TRIBUTE LISTENING PARTY Lounge with adoptable cats and enjoy a

Dolly Parton playlist 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10 at Coastal Cat Café, 1508 W. Garden St. Cost is $20.

Details at coastalcatpcola.com.

LUNCHEON WITH MASTER PORTRAITIST JEFF BASS The Pensacola Museum of Art

Guild will host a luncheon with artist Jeff Bass 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15. Jeff's work is featured in the U.S. Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the CIA and other major museums nationwide, including Pensacola's own National Naval Aviation Museum. Social at 10:30 a.m., presentation at 11 a.m., with lunch immediately following. Location is Pensacola Country Club, 1500 Bayshore Drive. Tickets are $50 per person with all proceeds supporting the Pensacola Museum of Art. Details available at pensacolamuseum.org/about/pma-guild.

BETTER BUILDINGS, BETTER STREETS: HOW TO GET MORE ATTRACTIVE NEW DEVELOPMENT IN PENSACOLA Bike Pen-

CINEMAS IN THE SAND: HOPPERS Watch

sacola discussion with Scott Sallis, AIA, owner and principal architect, Dalrymple-Sallis Architecture; Konstantin Bilyayev, founder and principal, Duet Development LLC; and Realtor Christina Leavenworth. Event takes place 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16 at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Details available at facebook.com/bikepensacola.

GIRLS GONE BIBLE PODCAST REVIVAL TOUR Event is 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11 at Saenger

CONSTITUTION DAY AT UWF UWF will cel-

the Pixar film "Hoppers" starting at sunset Friday, Sept. 11 at Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach. Details available at visitpensacolabeach.com.

Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Details and tickets available at pensacolasanger.com.

WE CAN'T HELP IT IF WE'RE FROM FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT Presented by

Psychic Beef and 309 Punk Project featuring shots from 13 Pensacola photographers. Show is 6-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11 at 309 N. Sixth Ave. Details available at 309punkproject.org.

NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE In partnership with the National Cemetery Administration, the National Day of Service and Remembrance brings volunteers together at

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more than 140 participating national, grant-funded and local cemeteries across the country. Volunteers will help clean headstones at Barrancas National Cemetery, 1 Cemetery Road from 10 a.m.1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Details at carrytheload. org/event/barrancas-national-cemetery-national-day-of-service.

ebrate Constitution Day on Thursday, Sept. 17. At noon, political scientist Dr. Paul R. DeHart presents "Is There No Virtue Among Us?: Interest, Ambition and the Common Good in the Framers' Constitutional Design," in the University Commons Conference Ballroom. The conversation continues at 3 p.m. with historian Dr. James Hankins presenting "Federalists or Anti-Federalists: The Verdict After 250 Years," a public forum in the University Commons Conference Ballroom. The day concludes with a lecture from Dr. Hankins, "The Constitution and the Western Republican Tradition," at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center. Registration is requested at events.

Details available at uwf.edu/cassh/departments/ reubin-od-askew-department-of-government/ news-and-events/constitution-day.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN Pensacola Little

Theatre production showtimes are 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18 and Sept. 25; Saturday, Sept. 19 and 26; and Thursday, Sept. 24. Also, 2:30 p.m.

Sundays, Sept. 20 and 27. Located at 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $15-$40 and available at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

THE MEMBERS SHOW: OPENING RECEPTION The 72nd Annual Members Show: Small

Works Edition opens with a reception 5-7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 18 at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 Jefferson St. Voting for the People's Choice Award closes at 6 p.m. and will be announced at 6:30 p.m.

HEAT PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW The opening night for the exhibit is Friday, Sept. 18 at POP Studio, 103 W. Intendencia. Details available at instagram.com/popstudiopcola.

EXTINCT, THREATENED, RESTORED: ARTIST TALK WITH PIPPIN FRISBIECALDER Printmaker and environmentalist Pip-

pin Frisbie-Calder will lead this talk 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. Details at pensacolamuseum.org.

309 PUNK HOUSE DIY SHORT FILM SCREENING Screening is 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept.

20 at 309 N. Sixth Ave. Details available at 309punkproject.org.

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

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.

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.

ALTERED STATE: BFA SUMMER STUDIO EXHIBITION An exhibition from students of the

Department of Art & Design at the University of West Florida. Students are under the mentorship of Marzia Ransom. Exhibit is on view through Oct. 1 at 52 World, 88511 Mysklak Way. View the exhibit Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 pm. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A reception will take place 6-8 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 17. inweekly.net

A Vote That Changed Pensacola

Pensacola voters approved a bold vision for Community Maritime Park.

Two decades later, we look back at the people, the promise and the progress.

On September 5, 2006, voters approved the building of Community Maritime Park.

The vote authorized the removal of contaminated soil from the 27-acre site, the construction of a stadium, and great public access around the entire development.

THE STATED GOALS WERE • To attract thousands of people downtown and help revitalize Pensacola.

• To attract investment in existing buildings and encourage new development.

• To keep more young people in the area.

• To increase the financial sustainability of the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA).

VISIONARIES WHO HELPED MAKE IT POSSIBLE • Vice Admiral Jack Fetterman • Former Mayor Vince Whibbs Sr. Fetterman’s name lives on at Admiral Fetterman Field, while the park bears the name of Vince Whibbs Sr.

We also recognize former Mayor John Fogg and the City Council members who voted to move the project forward: • P.C. Wu • Jack Nobles • J.D. Smith • Ronald Townsend • Michael DeSorbo • Michael Wiggins • John Jerralds • Jewel Cannada-Wynn

Today, it’s hard to envision Pensacola without the Community Maritime Park.

BEFORE The Trillium property before redevelopment— an abandoned, contaminated site covered in debris and overgrowth on the City of Pensacola’s waterfront.

STUDER

FAMILY OF COMPANIES

September 10, 2026

5Eleven • Blue Wahoos • Bodacious Shops • Bodacious Bookstore • Bodacious Brew Thru Bubba’s Sweet Spot • Great Harvest • Oyster Bay • Studer Community Institute • Studer Properties info@quintstuder.com 15

a&e happenings STEAM2026 STEAM2026 highlights themes of exploration and wonder through investigative contemporary art, interdisciplinary fields of 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.

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. Fri-

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

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

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.

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 art-

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ist demonstrations. Visit bluemorninggallery.com for details.

MOVIE NIGHTS AT MUGS & JUGS Mugs &

the month at the Pensacola Garden Center, 1850 N. Ninth Ave. Visit pensacolarosesociety.org for more information.

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.

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.

CLUB 27 COMEDY SHOW Visit Lili Marlene's

STAND UP COMEDY WITH PENSACOLA COMEDY CLUB Join the Pensacola Comedy

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 nonmembers 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 se-

lect 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

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.

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 Pensac-

ola'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.

PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is 9 a.m.-

AFTER DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investiga-

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.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

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.

tion 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.

inweekly.net

September 10, 2026

17

free will astrology WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 10 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Cheetahs are

the fastest land animals, but they can maintain top tempo for only about 20-30 seconds before overheating. When they're hunting, they usually get just one speedy dash to catch their prey.

They must spend far more time stalking and positioning than running. The velocity is sensational, but their patient and prolonged strategy is even more essential. In the coming weeks, Aries, I urge you to be like the cheetah as you pursue want you need and want.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The danc-

er Mikhail Baryshnikov said that true mastery means performing with complete intensity while making the movement appear effortless. Behind the grace lies years of disciplined practice.

Is there an aptitude or practice you cultivate that fits this description, Taurus? I hope you're ready to showcase it, flaunt it and use it to your maximum benefit. It's time to capitalize bountifully on skills at which you excel. Your well-deserved rewards are more likely to arrive than usual.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "Dear Oracle:

I have contracted a severe case of too-manytabs-open. My brain has 19 windows running at once, and it's hard for me to determine which thoughts are the truly important ones. Everything seems equally urgent and equally trifling.

Any tips on how I can better figure out what actually matters the most? —Overstimulated Gemini." Dear Overstimulated: The secret to fixing this dilemma is to consult your body. Focus your attention on your gut and ask it to send you sweet clues about which yearnings it resonates with most. Check in with your feet and seek their wise counsel about which direction they want to lead you. Pat yourself lovingly on the butt a few times and request its loving guidance about what will make you feel most grounded.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): For some people, laughter is like a spiritual practice. A lot of them are Leos, Aquarians and Sagittarians. They crack up more often and for longer stretches than most, and they tend to howl at ironies everyone else takes too seriously. I bring this to your attention, dear Cancerian, because you're in a time when you could and should

By Rob Brezsny

laugh often in wild, liberating ways. I invite you to explore the weirder areas of your sense of humor and work earnestly to expand what you find funny. P.S.: There's credible evidence that laughter can reduce stress physiology, ease anxiety, lift mood, strengthen social connection and even raise pain tolerance.

sob, and maybe offer them a few kisses and affectionate embraces. Drawing on my long years of coaxing unruly spirits back into semi-sanity, I conclude that a key reason they turned so dramatic and extreme was that they have been starving for your attention. I am very sure that with just a little effort, you can tame their reckless restlessness.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The astronomer Johannes Kepler spent years trying to prove that planetary orbits were perfect circles because he believed the universe should behave that way.

Once he abandoned his cherished assumption, he discovered the truth: the planets travel in ellipses. That revision transformed astronomy forever. With this in mind, Leo, I will ask you: is there an elegant belief you have outgrown?

A theory that was once fun and interesting but now limits your vision? The coming weeks will favor corrections. Changing your mind will show you that reality is even more interesting than you previously understood.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): You're poised at a threshold between what's comfortably familiar and excitingly possible. A certain reliable part of your life has served you well for a long time but is now ripe for evolution. The paradox is that letting go of a serviceable asset can feel more difficult than shedding what's obviously harmful. So here's the riddle I hope you will meditate on: what good old thing could you relinquish so as to attract and make room for a great new thing in your life?

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Master chefs say that diners first taste food with their eyes.

The visual presentation is key to the whole experience. But the beauty must arise from craftsmanship rather than empty decoration.

I believe you Virgos are in a phase when this is an important metaphor. Your outer style and inner substance are ready to become better collaborators. Some suggestions: wear clothes that influence you to feel vividly alive. Relax your face and posture. Beautify your workspace. Polish your presentations. And please make sure the dazzling appearances reflect equally nourishing contents.

Your outer style and inner substance are ready to become better collaborators.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): I just finished a delicate peace mission to the contested inner landscape where your nightmares have been causing a big ruckus. In response to my diplomacy, they have agreed to drop their weapons and release their captives. In exchange, they are asking you to sit with them for a while as they rant and

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): The Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci filled his notebooks with sketches of machines that would not become practical until centuries later. Examples are the parachute, a helicopter‑like "aerial screw," and an armored tank. Many of his designs were simply too advanced for the materials and engineering of his era. I suspect you may experience comparable moments of visionary thinking in the coming weeks and months, Sagittarius. To some people and even to yourself, your ideas might seem overly ambitious or ahead of their time. But please don't dismiss them. Write down your inklings and let them cavort around in your imagination.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Sofia Kovalevskaya was born under the sign of Capricorn in 1850. Early in her life, she displayed mathematical brilliance. She longed to develop her talent, but women weren't allowed to attend college in her native Russia. So she devised a workaround: a marriage of convenience with a man who helped her leave the country and gain the freedom to study in Germany.

There she eventually became the first woman to earn a doctorate. Inspired by her example, I encourage you to consider creative strategies for obstacles that seem immovable. What indirect routes might lead you to your goals better than frontal assaults? Be willing to zigzag toward your destination.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Most of us

have been cursed. The sources of the bad mojo have rarely been evil sorcerers who cast literal spells. Rather, they were harsh pronouncements about our worth or our future, spoken by people we loved or trusted. For example, when I was 20, my astrology teacher dropped an alarming verdict on me: "You will never be seen and appreciated for who you truly are."

That ugly decree became a jinx I spent years struggling with before I finally banished it. Do you carry a comparable hex, Aquarius? Maybe Mommy or Daddy proclaimed you would never amount to anything. Maybe an ex declared that you would never again find real love. Whatever it might have been, here's the good news: you now have the power to at least partially dissolve that old scourge and glide into the future less burdened by it.

Be willing to zigzag toward your destination.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Ravens often

cache shiny objects and interesting novelties that seem to possess no immediate practical value. They apparently delight in collecting intriguing possibilities. I recommend you channel your inner raven in the coming weeks, Pisces.

Assemble an array of quirky treasures and raw materials without immediately deciding whether or why they might be useful. Like what? Like fun ideas, memorable quotations, odd facts, provocative images, curious fragments and fascinating stories. In ways you can't imagine yet, your playful cluster will inspire imaginative innovations and delightful breakthroughs.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: Name a way you think everyone should be more like you. {in}

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news of the weird GAS STATION A teacher in Georgia recently went viral for a special space she made in her classroom—a "fart corner." Today.com reported on Aug. 25 that second grade teacher Candy Sydney-Browning created a "gas station" in her classroom for students who just need to let one rip. "I have a very weak stomach, so I cannot take it," Sydney-Browning said. The gas station is marked with a yellow sign that reads "GUSTY WINDS AREA," and students are not required to raise their hands to ask permission to visit the gas station. The students have taken the corner in stride. Sydney-Browning said some initially turned around or smiled when someone needed to visit the gas station, but soon no one was paying attention. "It just became a norm," she said. [Today.com, 8/25/26] A BAT FOR BREAKFAST Dr. Krista Edelman of Virginia woke up around 6 a.m. on Aug. 20 to find a bat attempting to get inside of her mouth, WWBT reported. "I was dreaming that there was a little mouse trying to get into my mouth," Edelman said. "And then in my dream, I was reaching up to my mouth. And when I did, I grabbed something and ultimately, I had folded the bat's wings back." She began screaming, waking her husband, who—armed with mittens, a plastic net and a bucket—captured the bat.

After the ordeal was over and animal control had whisked the bat away, Edelman cleaned her mouth and went to work seeing patients. However, after speaking to an infectious disease doctor about the risk of rabies—which is fatal if untreated—and learning about the high incidence of it in her area, she went to St. Mary's Hospital, where she started a vaccine series.

When the bat tested negative for the illness a few days later, Edelman ended her treatment.

[WWBT, 8/26/26] OPERATION CARE BEAR Can we all agree that it's been unbearably hot this summer? That could be what sent a mother bear and her cubs into a large water storage tank in La Verne, California, on Aug. 29, as reported by KABC. Officials say the animals were probably seeking water when they squeezed through a 1-foot opening in the concrete structure, only to get trapped inside for at least 12 hours. Three nearby residents found the animals after hearing whimpering sounds during a morning run. "We climbed up top (of the tank), and there's a small hole and right away we see a bear staring at us, kind of holding on to the walls because it was full of water," said Jamie Kirk, one of the runners. State wildlife officials drained water from the tank, then city and county firefighters cut a larger hole in the structure and lowered a ladder for the bears to climb. "They were exhausted, so it took a few minutes," said Keith Navarre with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Ultimately, "Operation Care Bear" was successful, with mom and cubs making their way back into the wild. [ABC 7, 8/30/26]

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND A floating mass of trees in the Williston Reservoir in British Columbia has sparked speculation of a disappearing island. The mass—estimated to be almost as large as two American football fields—was first spotted by satellite imagery in July, then seemed to disappear. On Sept. 1, CBC reported that according to imagery from Aug. 15, the mass had reappeared and was resting along shore near where the Ospika River flows into the reservoir. Electric utility company B.C. Hydro has been keeping tabs on the mass and says the floating trees are intact and not causing any trouble. "We will monitor this just to see what happens, whether it breaks apart and if we then have a debris field instead of one big chunk, that may cause us to take some other action," spokesperson Bob Gammer said. [CBC, 9/1/26] CAUGHT ON CAMERA Kiante Matlock of Houston had a rude awakening when he checked his Ring camera on Aug. 24, Fox 26 reported. Matlock was playing a video game when he got a notification that his DoorDash order had arrived. When he checked his Ring camera, he saw his delivery driver was in his birthday suit. In the buff. Naked as a jaybird.

Matlock threw his food away and asked DoorDash for a refund, which they promptly issued.

In a statement, a DoorDash spokesperson called the driver's behavior "vulgar and completely unacceptable." "What this consumer experienced was abhorrent, and we've reached out directly to offer our support," they said.

"Our team permanently removed [the driver's] access to our platform. We do not tolerate sexual harassment or misconduct of any kind, and we stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation." [FOX 26, 8/27/26] STINKY STUFF Henry Dudley, 27, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested on a charge of indecent exposure. His alleged crime? Defecation.

News on 6 reported on Aug. 28 that Dudley is accused of a yearlong defecation spree that targeted a string of businesses, including Danner Veterinary Hospital. Owner Dr. Dan Danner says that not only did the man use the hospital's outdoor bins—intended for animal waste—as toilets, but he would also smear his own waste on dumpsters and door handles, leaving hospital staff to clean up the mess. "It would come in runs. Once or twice a month, and then nothing for a couple of months. And then he'd be back," Danner said. Surveillance cameras in the area helped detectives from the Special Victims Unit identify Dudley, who is currently booked in the county jail while the investigation continues.

[News on 6, 8/28/26] {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2026 Andrews McMeel

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