Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a Pensacola chef’s worry for a regular ended up saving him

And check out Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings on the Pensacola Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Sunday December 14th Patch AM
Sunday December 14th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Good day Pensacola! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a Pensacola chef’s worry for a regular ended up saving him
  • How a Pensacola driver’s mistake shut down U.S. 98 for hours
  • Could part of Pensacola’s $1.8 million in cash be yours?

Also on today's calendar: Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings and 6 more events.

Find out what's happening in Pensacolafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Jimmy, did you crash on your bike again? You’ve lost a tooth! 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Pensacolafor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Windy; a few morning showers, with a high of 58 and low of 25 degrees.
  • Monday: Cold with plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 50, low: 30.
  • Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high of 56 and low of 45 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. When a regular at his restaurant stopped showing up, the chef went looking for him (sandhillsexpress.com) — An elderly regular at the Shrimp Basket in Pensacola was rescued after the chef noticed he’d stopped coming in and found him injured and dehydrated at home. Staff then helped him recover, move into an apartment next to the restaurant, and return to his twice-daily gumbo routine, deepening their close-knit Pensacola bond.
   

2. Pensacola man dies in collision with 18-wheeler (wkrg.com) — A 41-year-old Pensacola man died Thursday afternoon after his car was hit by an 18-wheeler at the Aileron Avenue and U.S. 98 intersection in Escambia County, closing U.S. 98 for three hours. A woman in the car was airlifted in critical condition, while the truck driver was not injured. Authorities say the car stopped but failed to yield before the collision.
   

3. CFO Blaise Ingoglia returns over $55 million in unclaimed property in November (alachuachronicle.com) — Pensacola-area residents had $1.8 million in unclaimed property returned to them in November, and there could be more waiting to be claimed. Florida’s CFO is urging people here to search the state’s unclaimed property website for forgotten bank accounts, insurance proceeds, refunds, and even valuables from old safe deposit boxes. The state still holds more than $2 billion overall.
   

4. Volunteers lay 30,000 wreaths at Barrancas National Cemetery to honor veterans (weartv.com) — Thousands of wreaths now cover graves at Pensacola’s Barrancas National Cemetery, where more than 500 volunteers gathered Saturday to honor veterans and loved ones. The local Wreaths Across America chapter placed over 30,000 wreaths this year, far surpassing its early beginnings and moving closer to its goal of covering every gravesite.
   

5. Is it legal to smoke in public in Florida? New bill could change it (pnj.com) — A Pensacola state representative is backing a bill that would sharply restrict nearly all forms of public smoking across Florida, including marijuana products, starting in 2026. The measure would expand current indoor workplace bans to many outdoor public spaces, add marijuana to the legal definition of smoking, and leave some regulatory power to local governments and school districts. Medical marijuana rules and penalties for violations are also clearly outlined.
   

📸 Around Pensacola

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Pensacola

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

📣 Pensacola Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • MISSING CAT!
    Hi everyone! This kitty showed up at my place of work this morning. He’s incredibly sweet. We are hoping we can find his owners. Does anyone… (Nextdoor East Pensacola Heights)
  • This is John "JT" Thomas.
    Apparently, he likes knocking on people's doors and opening their packages if they don't answer. Stay vigilant. (Nextdoor Sherwood)
  • Until the conclusion of tonight’s Christmas parade, Main Street, Government Street, and Garden Street are no longer open to east and west bound... (X: PensacolaPolice)
  • PENSACOLA Dec 13 Climate: High: 73 Low: 55 Precip:" Snow: Missing... (X: iembot_mob)
  • PruittHealth Corporation, Inc. posted a job opening for Activities Assistant HCC in Pensacola. Apply here.
  • Envoy Air, Inc. posted a job opening for Supervisor, Customer Services 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: I didn’t lose a tooth, Mom. It’s right here in my pocket.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Pensacola