Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bill PrescottSeptember 24, 2015

Public education consumes almost 30 percent of Florida’s budget. So what are taxpayers getting for that investment, which this is year about $22.9 billion, compared to other states? Florida TaxWatch, a government watchdog think tank that evaluates government spending, has created its own guide to help answer that question: How Florida Compares – Education. The […]

Shannon NickinsonSeptember 22, 2015

It’s easy to tell what a government values. What it values is what it funds. Escambia County Commissioners were scheduled Tuesday to talk more about their values – in the form of the $412 million overall budget they have before them. It will be the second public hearing on the document, which includes requests for […]

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 16, 2015

Can we tell your future from your ZIP code? To hear Rick Harper tell it, those five numbers may be the closest thing to a crystal ball that we are likely to get for the moment. Harper, the University of West Florida’s assistant vice president for Economic Development and senior fellow of the Studer Community […]

Guest AuthorJune 8, 2015

This is a story about pediatric cancer clusters in Florida. It begins in Durham, N.C., at Duke University, where Dr. David Banks is a professor in the Department of Statistical Science. In 2013 Dr. Banks was the new editor of Statistics and Public Policy, a journal of the American Statistical Association. In early February, Banks […]

Shannon NickinsonMay 14, 2015

There were lots of great questions at the Studer Community Institute’s education town hall on May 5 in Pensacola. Questions about what skills our students lack when they go to Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida to further their education. Questions about how we can address the educational, emotional and physiological impacts […]

Shannon NickinsonFebruary 16, 2015

Judy Bense was the one who brought it home. On Thursday, the business and educational communities got together to announce a new collaborative program called Greater Pensacola Career Pathways. The initiative is a partnership that looks at economic development through the lens of the education system with an eye toward building a strong, educated workforce […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 26, 2015

Pensacola’s business community made its pitch for the 2015 legislative session. Now it will be time to let the chips fall where they may in Tallahassee. At the recent Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Legislative Luncheon, chairman of the board of directors Justin Beck said the group had three broad areas of interest as […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 18, 2015

If the University of West Florida wanted to put down roots in a place to foster community, innovation and connectedness, DeVilliers Square is a natural fit. The building at 321 N. DeVilliers St. has been many things in its life cycle in the historic Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood. All of those things have been rooted in improving […]

Shannon NickinsonJanuary 18, 2015

If the University of West Florida wanted to put down roots in a place to foster community, innovation and connectedness, DeVilliers Square is a natural fit. The building at 321 N. DeVilliers St. has been many things in its life cycle in the historic Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood. All of those things have been rooted in improving […]

Tag: University of West Florida
Sen. Ashley Moody (right) fields questiosn about the space program during a town hall in Melbourne. Image via Ashley Moody.

Shannon Nickinson: Make sure schools measure up as a top Florida feature

Shannon Nickinson: What will be our definition of the future?

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

Shannon Nickinson: The tough nut of Pensacola’s renewal

Alan Farago: Florida Department of Health failing to respond to credible reports of cancer clusters

Shannon Nickinson: What is the future of the Pensacola community worth to you?

Shannon Nickinson: Career planning starts at 13, not 23

Shannon Nickinson: Health care, taxes top business legislative list

Historic building connects Pensacola citizens

Shannon Nickinson: Historic building connects Pensacola citizens