Latest news with #PensacolaNewsJournal
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Check out Booker T. Washington graduation day 2025 photos
High School Graduation Day! A time for celebrating achievements, reflecting on past years, and looking forward to the future. Take a look at Booker T. Washington High School's May 27 graduation ceremony at Pensacola Bay Center. Graduation dates: 2025 ceremonies for all Escambia, Santa Rosa high schools This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T. Washington High School graduation photos
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New bill to repeal Florida's ‘Free Kill' law makes it to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk
Florida's Senate voted May 1 to pass a bill that would repeal the state's so-called 'Free Kill' statute, which restricts who can sue for medical malpractice. Under the 'Free Kill' law, only spouses and children under 25 of someone who died from medical malpractice can sue for pain and suffering due to loss of life. HB 6017 deletes this provision. Also titled "Recovery of Damages for Medical Negligence Resulting in Death," the new bill was filed by House Representatives Dana Trabulsy (R) and Johanna López (D) and is supported by families affected by the 35-year-old law. Florida's House of Representatives already approved HB 6017 in March in a 104-6 vote. The bill will take effect July 1, 2025, unless vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The American Tort Reform Association wrote a letter to DeSantis May 8 urging him to veto the bill because it would "expose Florida's doctors and other healthcare providers to greater, unpredictable liability." Florida escaped ATR's 'Judicial Hellholes' list just two years ago. No more "Free Kill": Pensacola families fight to change Florida's 'Free Kill' law. Here's why. The 'Free Kill' law, found in Florida Statute 768.21, restricts who can sue for medical malpractice. "The Florida Wrongful Death Act dictates who can file a wrongful death claim when a loved one dies due to medical malpractice," Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein law office states. "Unlike other negligence cases, where most surviving family members can seek compensation, medical malpractice wrongful death cases impose strict limitations." Related: Florida begins first prosecutions under controversial 'Halo Law' Florida is the only U.S. state with a 'Free Kill' law. In 1990, Florida's Wrongful Death Act was expanded to include the 'Free Kill' statute, reportedly aiming to reduce medical malpractice insurance costs and keep doctors in the state. It made it so only economic damages for funeral costs and medical expenses could be recovered by the adult children (over 25) of the deceased, but not for pain and suffering. Parents of adult children who die due to medical malpractice cannot receive noneconomic damages under this law. HB 6017 deletes the provision in Florida Statute 768.21 that prevents people other than the spouse or children under 25 of someone who died due to medical negligence from recovering certain damages. Unless the bill is vetoed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, it will go into effect on July 1, 2025. Contributing: Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal, Gray Rohrer, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Will Gov. DeSantis sign, veto bill repealing Florida 'Free Kill' law?
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
We can build better neighborhoods if we dream big and make small improvements
Why do so many places across the country look the same and how we can foster more unique, thoughtful design in our neighborhoods and communities? Coby Lefkowitz, an urbanist, real estate developer, writer and consultant, will be at CivicCon on Monday to answer those questions and more. Lefkowitz is the author of "Building Optimism: Why Our World Looks the Way it Does, and How to Make it Better," which explores the history of the built environment in the United State and offers a series of concrete reforms to make our cities more beautiful, desirable and affordable through dozens of project vignettes. Whether it's planting a tree or taking on a development project, Lefkowitz will highlight practical steps anyone can take to make a difference, including examples of great projects that showcase what's possible for our communities. Meet Coby Lefkowitz: Bland, cookie-cutter development got you down? How about we build optimism instead? "It can seem very pie in the sky to have hopes for where one lives, because we feel as though we don't have any agency over change, especially if we don't have much money to effectuate that change," Lefkowitz said. "But if there's a group of passionate community members who lobby ... to fix up a vacant piece of land and maybe build a community center or affordable housing or start those conversations, that's where it all comes from. If people don't advocate or, more aggressively, agitate for that change, it's not going to happen." Trained as an urban planner at the University of Virginia, Lefkowitz's work explores the intersection of development and urban design to promote more walkable, beautiful, dynamic and sustainable communities. He has worked on dozens of projects ranging from small single family rental, accessory dwelling unit and duplex development, up to master-planned communities thousands of acres in size. Lefkowitz's CivicCon presentation will be at 6 p.m., Monday, April 14, at The Wright Place at First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St. in Pensacola. The free event is open to all. Registration is available by searching "CivicCon" at and during registration attendees will have the opportunity to submit a question for Lefkowitz. The event will be live streamed on Pensacola News Journal's Facebook page at The presentation is part of CivicCon, a partnership of the News Journal and the Center for Civic Engagement to help empower citizens to better their communities through smart planning and civic conversation. More information about CivicCon, as well as stories and videos featuring previous speakers, is available at This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Coby Lefkowitz CivicCon event at Pensacola United Methodist Church
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
We can build better neighborhoods if we dream big and make small improvements
Why do so many places across the country look the same and how we can foster more unique, thoughtful design in our neighborhoods and communities? Coby Lefkowitz, an urbanist, real estate developer, writer and consultant, will be at CivicCon on Monday to answer those questions and more. Lefkowitz is the author of "Building Optimism: Why Our World Looks the Way it Does, and How to Make it Better," which explores the history of the built environment in the United State and offers a series of concrete reforms to make our cities more beautiful, desirable and affordable through dozens of project vignettes. Whether it's planting a tree or taking on a development project, Lefkowitz will highlight practical steps anyone can take to make a difference, including examples of great projects that showcase what's possible for our communities. Meet Coby Lefkowitz: Bland, cookie-cutter development got you down? How about we build optimism instead? "It can seem very pie in the sky to have hopes for where one lives, because we feel as though we don't have any agency over change, especially if we don't have much money to effectuate that change," Lefkowitz said. "But if there's a group of passionate community members who lobby ... to fix up a vacant piece of land and maybe build a community center or affordable housing or start those conversations, that's where it all comes from. If people don't advocate or, more aggressively, agitate for that change, it's not going to happen." Trained as an urban planner at the University of Virginia, Lefkowitz's work explores the intersection of development and urban design to promote more walkable, beautiful, dynamic and sustainable communities. He has worked on dozens of projects ranging from small single family rental, accessory dwelling unit and duplex development, up to master-planned communities thousands of acres in size. Lefkowitz's CivicCon presentation will be at 6 p.m., Monday, April 14, at The Wright Place at First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St. in Pensacola. The free event is open to all. Registration is available by searching "CivicCon" at and during registration attendees will have the opportunity to submit a question for Lefkowitz. The event will be live streamed on Pensacola News Journal's Facebook page at The presentation is part of CivicCon, a partnership of the News Journal and the Center for Civic Engagement to help empower citizens to better their communities through smart planning and civic conversation. More information about CivicCon, as well as stories and videos featuring previous speakers, is available at This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Coby Lefkowitz CivicCon event at Pensacola United Methodist Church
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Here's what you missed: Patronis wins Gaetz' seat, hurricane season predictions
Here's a roundup of our top stories from the past week. With a subscription to the Pensacola News Journal, you will receive full access to the work done by our journalists and photographers as they head out every day to help inform and explain the important issues affecting your community. Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis will be Northwest Florida's next Congress representative. Patronis garnered 56.91% of the vote (97,335 votes) in Tuesday's special election to fill the seat left vacant with the resignation of former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz. Gay Valimont had 72,304 votes, 42.28%. Non-party affiliated candidate Stephen Broden took just under 1% of the total with 1,382 votes. Read the full story: Jimmy Patronis wins election to Congress in Florida's 1st Congressional District Holt resident and three-term Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles beat Jay Mayor Shon Owens and a field of six other Republicans to secure the GOP nomination for the District 3 seat in the Florida House of Representatives. Owens finished 949 votes behind to finish second. The big difference lay in the number of voters each of the front runners were able to pull in from the other's home county. Boyles secured 1,399 votes more in Okaloosa County than the Jay mayor, unofficial results indicated. Owens beat Boyles in Santa Rosa County by only 441 votes. Read the full story: Nathan Boyles wins Florida House District 3 primary AccuWeather is the latest forecaster to toss its hat in the ring of 2025 hurricane season predictions, and it says it could be a bumpy one. Other earlier hurricane season predictions gave indications that the 2025 season could be near-normal in terms of the frequency of storms, but AccuWeather's forecast underlines the trends in recent years: The threat isn't necessarily about the number of potential hurricanes but the intensity. AccuWeather predicts that the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season will see between 13 to 18 named storms, but seven to 10 of those will strengthen into hurricanes. Of those, three to five could intensify into major hurricanes. Hurricane season predictions: Why AccuWeather says 2025 Atlantic hurricane season could be 'volatile' Crafting a nearly perfect New York-style pizza is a worthy legacy to leave behind. Restaurateur Jacob Calloway doesn't get intimidated by the long list of legendary pizza shops out there – he honors them with a photo hung in the dining room of his new Pensacola pizzeria, Lou's Pizza. Joe's Pizza, a New York City staple since 1975, earned a place on his wall neighbored by Ray's Pizza, which first opened in New York City's Little Italy in 1959. 'Hopefully, mine can be in the conversation one day,' Calloway said. Keep reading: This former New Yorker spent years perfecting his pizza. Now he's bringing it to Pensacola Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves is naming retired Rear Admiral Lance Scott to be the city's next port director. The city has been searching for a new port director since January, when Port Director Clark Merritt resigned. Scott retired from the Navy after a 31-year career, where he was commander of the Navy's Patrol and Reconnaissance Group. Before that, he was the global operations center chief for the U.S. Transportation Command. Scott was commissioned in the Navy after graduating in 1991 from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and became a Naval Flight Officer. Reeves announced his selection of Scott on Tuesday, and the Pensacola City Council must confirm his selection. Continue reading: Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves taps retired Rear Admiral Lance Scott as new port director This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola top news: Patronis wins D1, hurricane season predictions
