Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How Florida’s $5,000 bonuses are reshaping Pensacola police recruitment

And on the Pensacola Patch calendar - Free Bra Fittings to Support Breast Cancer Awareness (Sep 18-19)

Thursday September 17th Patch AM
Thursday September 17th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Coffee in hand, Pensacola? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Florida's $5,000 bonuses are reshaping Pensacola police recruitment
  • Planning a Pensacola beach ride? Here's when to actually leave home
  • How $4 gas is changing daily life for Pensacola drivers

Also on today's calendar: Free Bra Fittings to Support Breast Cancer Awareness (Sep 18-19) and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: When geese fly, one side is longer than the other. do you know why that is ? 🤔 (Answer below!)


From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: Less humid with plenty of sun, with a high of 93 and low of 67 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Friday: Partly sunny with a t-storm, temps: high: 92, low: 70.
  • Saturday: A p.m. t-storm in spots, with a high of 93 and low of 72 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Northwest Florida law enforcement share impact of DeSantis' recruitment bonus program (weartv.com) — Pensacola residents will soon see eight new police officers sworn in at Bayview Community Center, several of whom qualify for Florida's $5,000 law enforcement recruitment bonuses. Local chiefs from Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties describe how the statewide incentive is helping them attract officers, including some relocating from out of state, to bolster public safety across Northwest Florida.
   

2. Best Motorcycle Routes Around Pensacola and the Gulf Coast for Summer Rides (pensacolavoice.net) — Motorcyclists in and around Pensacola get a detailed guide to the safest and most scenic summer routes, from SR 399 on Santa Rosa Island to US 98 over Pensacola Bay. The piece stresses early-morning departures to beat heat, storms, and traffic, offers timing tips for each ride, and highlights how local weather patterns can turn a great route dangerous by midday.
   

3. Pensacola-area gas hits just over $4, highest in four years; Florida average near $4.20 (weartv.com) — Gas prices in the Pensacola area have climbed just over $4 a gallon, the highest level in four years, squeezing local drivers and small businesses. Residents are adjusting trips, rideshare drivers are rethinking fares, and one Pensacola grocer says rising delivery surcharges may soon force price hikes, even as a proposed federal gas tax holiday faces an uncertain future.
   

4. Hospitality Workers Train for Medical Emergencies in Pensacola Area (newsradio923.com) — Hospitality workers from across the Pensacola area are getting free emergency-response training so they can better handle medical crises before first responders arrive. Through a partnership between Ascension Sacred Heart and Visit Pensacola, staff from hotels, restaurants, and attractions in Perdido Key are learning lifesaving skills that support visitor safety and the region's tourism-driven economy year-round.
   

5. The Magnificent Twelve: The Legacy of Florida's Black Junior Colleges (evolve2succeed.com) — Pensacola readers will recognize Booker T. Washington Junior College as one of Florida's historic "Magnificent Twelve" Black junior colleges that expanded higher-education access during segregation. This statewide look back explains how these institutions, including the Pensacola campus, opened doors for Black students, later merged into today's Florida College System, and still influence opportunities and community pride across Florida.
   


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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • I am winking at you.....
    with my ear I am a neutered male dog. I need a loving owner. I am 5 years old. My id is A421546 Free adoptions Sept 18-Sept 30 at Escambia Animal… (Nextdoor Navy Point)
  • THE BEST!!
    Food is so fresh, Tuesday Taco night, Sunday kids eat free. Tuesday, they have Dennis singing also. The soups, rice, charro beans, tacos, chicken,… (Nextdoor Coral Creek)
  • Emerald Coast Utilities Authority posted a job opening for Sanitation Equipment Operator I in Pensacola. Apply here.
  • Alsco, Inc. posted a job opening for Part Time Stockroom Supervisor in Pensacola. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Pensacola here.

Ok Pensacola! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: because there are more geese on that side (Thank you jo L. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!


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