Round-up, 09.18.09

A few items we wanted to highlight today:

CMP groundbreaking. The long-awaited groundbreaking on the Community Maritime Park project was held last night. In the coming weeks, a security fence will be erected around the site, and crews will begin clearing overgrowth.

UWF Board meets today. The UWF Board of Trustees meets today and will make two important decisions. Firstly, the board will decide the final location of the proposed Maritime Museum at the Community Maritime Park site. If the museum is moved to the northern part of the site, from its current waterfront spot at the site’s southwest corner, the museum project could be eligibile to receive millions in tax credits that it might not otherwise receive. There are, however, elements of the UWF Board that are expected to lobby for the museum to be kept at the current site. Secondly, the board will consider the fate of interim president Dr. Judy Bense. The board can offer her the president’s job permanently, allow her to compete in a nationwide search, or exclude her from such a search.

See more on the museum site issue at Rick’s Blog.

Lay, Freeman not guilty. Two Santa Rosa County School District employees charged with contempt for alleged violations of a court order prohibiting school-endorsed prayer were acquitted yesterday in federal court. The trial was accompanied by large demonstrations outside the federal courthouse on North Palafox Street. Check out Pensacola Beach Blog for photos and commentary, and liberal blog Blast Off! for more photos and more commentary.

BOCC OKs bed tax hike. The Escambia County Commission approved yesterday a one-cent increase to the bed tax, which will be used to aid efforts to lure Southwest Airlines to the Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport.

Airport adds direct service to Miami. American Eagle has announced that it will begin direct service to Miami from the Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport by the end of the year.

ECAT hires new manager. Escambia County Area Transit has a new general manager, Kenneth Gordon. Mr. Gordon replaces Travis Lakin, who was fired late last year after he was alleged to have used ECAT labour and materials to work on his boat.