Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Shannon NickinsonMay 9, 2016

A child’s work is play, the saying goes. Which is why adults are always trying to sneak learning into places where kids are already having fun. That’s part of the theory behind the Story Walk at Bryan Park in Northeast Pensacola. The park is built around the Tryon Branch of the West Florida Regional Public […]

Shannon NickinsonApril 5, 2016

Sometimes it’s not about having all the answers — it’s about knowing where to go to find them. The Golden Apple roundtable is a gathering of teachers of the year from Escambia Schools. It’s a forum where the best and brightest minds on the front lines of education in Escambia County get together to share […]

Shannon NickinsonMarch 3, 2016

In the Pensacola area, more and more women are starting businesses of their own. Forbes reports that one-fourth of all businesses in the country are owned by women and that a rising number of women-owned businesses are topping the $1 million mark. Nationally women own 36 percent of businesses. In the Pensacola metro area, 38.5 […]

Shannon NickinsonFebruary 29, 2016

Winning the school readiness battle begins way before kindergarten. At T.R. Jackson Pre-K Center in Milton, it goes on every day. Dawn Alt is the director of Pre-K programs for Santa Rosa Schools. She is the former principal of Oriole Beach Elementary School, a high-poverty school in south Santa Rosa County. There are 280 students […]

Shannon NickinsonFebruary 10, 2016

Does Pensacola have the skills to pay the bills? Signs may be turning toward yes. The announcement that Pensacola State will host the state conference for one of the leading career and technical education conferences from 2018 to 2020 may be a sign that we’re getting there. PSC will host SkillsUSA Florida State Leadership and […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 14, 2016

Montclair Elementary School is a long way from the Pensacola Bay Center. It is light-years away from the spectacle that unfolded at the Pensacola landmark when Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump addressed a packed house Wednesday at the 10,000-person capacity arena. There were plenty of movers and shakers at the Trump event, and a lot […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 29, 2015

This should be the University of West Florida time in the sun. Pensacola’s university saw funding restored this year following a marked improvement on the new state-mandated performance metrics. The measurements –10 in all from academic progression rates, to graduation rates to median first-year salaries for graduates — are Florida’s latest salvo in the ever-expanding […]

Shannon NickinsonAugust 9, 2015

I know that the beautiful sunsets and sugar-white sands can inspire flights of fancy in every brain. I know that the heat and humidity can make even the most focused mind wander. But some folks need to come in out of the sun. The July 31 murders of 76-year-old Voncile Smith and her two sons, […]

Shannon NickinsonJune 9, 2015

This map could be the key to improving our relationship with water for years to come. If we make it come alive. A chain of parks that runs underneath Interstate 110 and through the Longhollow neighborhood. A “daylighted” version of Washerwoman’s Creek, which used to empty into Pensacola Bay near what is now the Baskerville […]

Shannon NickinsonJune 4, 2015

Stormwater, like many other things, flows downhill. That was one of the things that last year’s spring floods highlighted. And since water does not respect political boundaries, City of Pensacola and Escambia County officials are venturing into uncharted territory – at least for local governments in these parts. “We’ve chosen to start with city-county cooperation,” […]

Tag: Shannon Nickinson

Shannon Nickinson: Program takes aim at kids’ weight, readiness for kindergarten

Shannon Nickinson: Communities need to make sure kids are ready for kindergarten

Shannon Nickinson: More women are starting businesses, helping local economies

Shannon Nickinson: Educators encourage parents to attend GED classes

Shannon Nickinson: Workers with technical skills vital to Pensacola

Shannon Nickinson: Reading Pals help youngsters get a strong start in school

Shannon Nickinson: University of West Florida’s story is Pensacola’s story — striving to do more

Shannon Nickinson: Murders, gruesome clues, waterfront project, City Hall intrigue roil Pensacola’s bubble

Shannon Nickinson: Hunting for millions with stormwater 'treasure map'

Shannon Nickinson: How Pensacola, Escambia County are responding to floods