2 days ago
Pensacola news you missed: PPD chief resigns, rodents shut down beach restaurant
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.
The Blue Angels once again dazzled their hometown crowd, performing a series of shows during the annual Red, White and Blues Weekend.
Tens of thousands of people packed the beach, starting with the largest crowd in recent memory at a Breakfast With the Blues Wednesday morning kickoff, and culminating with a full show on Saturday.
Here's a look at some of the action from the weekend.
Eric Randall stepped down as chief of the Pensacola Police Department effective immediately, the city of Pensacola announced July 10.
Mayor D.C. Reeves named Capt. Kristin Brown as acting chief of police. Capt. Erik Goss is currently serving as acting deputy chief while Deputy Chief Kevin Christman is on medical leave.
Brown is a 29-year veteran of the department and the longest-tenured captain on the force.
A Pensacola native, Randall returned to Pensacola and was sworn in as Pensacola's police chief in 2021 following the city council's unanimous confirmation.
Full story: Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall resigns
Sabine Sandbar Sunset Bar and Grill was temporarily closed July 1 after health inspectors noted 12 violations, with two high-priority violations. Inspectors observed approximately 40 rodent droppings in the following locations: 20 rodent droppings on top of dish machine in kitchen,10 rodent droppings underneath storage compartment on make line kitchen and 10 rodent droppings on floor in kitchen.
Full story: Pensacola Beach restaurant temporarily closed after inspector finds 40 rodent droppings
Lots of restaurants on Navy Boulevard in Warrington have faded and gone through the years, and though they might be remembered by some, they don't conjure up those special memories that only those truly beloved establishments do.
For instance, not many old-timers miss Minnie Pearl's Chicken restaurant that existed for a short time in the late 1960s and early 1970s, serving up fried chicken and other vittles at 1094 Navy Boulevard.
But there are others that hold those special memories and few westside restaurants have stirred as many taste buds and memory banks as Marchelos, that awesome Italian restaurant that was located at the south end of Navy Boulevard, the last stop before entry into Naval Air Station Pensacola. Or the first stop for those military folks looking to get off base for some fancy Italian dining. (And it is "Marchelos" with no apostrophe. The family name of the former restaurant owners is Marchelos.) It opened in 1953 and closed in 1999.
Full story: Marchelos in Warrington is where memories were made, first dates shared, ashes scattered
The Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS) is proposing a significant change to the definition of 'dressed poultry' for small poultry farm producers, which farmers say would destroy their business.
The proposed FDACS rule would mandate that poultry be sold with the head, feet, and internal organs poultry farmers say it's a big change from the previous standard, which follows USDA standards and permits the sale of whole birds with the head, organs and feet removed, like the way chicken appears when purchased from a grocery store.
They say the change will not only turn off their customers, but it's unsanitary to leave the organs intact and would ultimately significantly hurt their bottom line and potentially put them out of business.
Full story: Florida wants small farmers to sell chickens with organs and head intact. Farmers revolt
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PPD chief resigns, Blues Angels wow in top stories of the week
