Daily editionThursday, August 27th, 2026
Good morning, Pensacola.
The Daily Pensacola Team
Here’s your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 27th of August.
Community
Pensacola Beach is hosting the 2026 Fall Beach Brawl from Sept. 25-27 at Casino Beach – the three-day fitness event includes elite, individual, and team competitions without qualifying rounds and offers free admission for all spectators.
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New Horizons Village, a tiny home community for homeless residents, opened on Aug. 25 in Pensacola.
The project features 14 homes that offer shelter and a path to stability.
Pensacola News JournalRead more
Business
Firefly Cafe opened in West Pensacola at 10447 Sorrento Road today, serving healthy wraps, crepes and locally roasted coffee; the new spot plans to host community events and may soon add evening wine and mimosas.
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Economy
Pensacola is nearing a decision on a $76 million grant to bring Australian shipbuilder Birdon, a 400,000 sqft facility and 2,000 shipbuilding jobs to the Port.
Mayor D.C. Reeves hosted a workforce development roundtable at City Hall on Aug. 26 to connect employers with training partners.
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At a meeting this morning, FloridaWest and PEDC said the firm exceeded its investment goal at 206% with $185M in capital and 600 jobs, giving $5.28 per $1 invested.
The company previewed 44 projects (including plans for The Bluffs and Central Commerce Park) that could add jobs.
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Education
Pensacola State College's board is holding two closed-door meetings at Broxson Hall on Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and Sunday (noon to 4 p.m.) to vet candidates for a new president following Ed Meadows' December 31 retirement announcement, with the nine-member committee led by Zack Smith.
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The renovated Alice S. Williams Center, once Pensacola's first Black library, opens today as a childcare facility for infants and toddlers.
Mayor Reeves said the project, funded by a $500,000 historical grant & a $300,000 redevelopment contribution, will create jobs and expand local childcare access.
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Santa Rosa Acceleration Academies opened its permanent campus in Milton on Aug. 25 — district officials and educators joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new learning spaces.
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Environment
Pensacola secured over $50M in federal and state funds for ACW Superfund cleanup at 701 J Street, with phase one soil remediation set to start in December.
The city will pursue a $19.6M gap for phase two funding — supporting planned barrier wall and thermal extraction remediation.
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Sports
UWF debuts its Division I football program today against a Top 16 team.
Broadcaster Will Kennedy breaks down the quarterback battle on his podcast as a white-out crowd gathers at a stadium still under construction; kickoffs begin at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ with 5:30 p.m. pregame on Sports Radio Pensacola.
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