DeSantis Denies Ordering Santa Rosa Schools to Reopen as Questions Remain About State Role

JAY, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis says Santa Rosa County was never ordered to reopen its public schools Wednesday, disputing how district officials initially described the state's role in the reopening timetable.

Superintendent Karen Barber said Monday that the district had been informed, under direction from DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education, that schools needed to reopen Wednesday, Oct. 14.

During a Tuesday appearance in Jay, DeSantis said there was no mandate.

“We never mandated them to do anything,” DeSantis said.

The governor also criticized the pace of cleanup at Santa Rosa schools, saying state resources had to be sent in and that crews initially encountered locked buildings.

DeSantis later said he had never spoken personally with Barber and did not know enough about conditions at individual campuses to have personally directed her to reopen.

His comments do not resolve what the Florida Department of Education may have separately communicated to the district.

Pensacola journalist Rick Outzen has reported that an unnamed participant in a conference call with state officials alleges Florida Education Commissioner Henry Mack pressured district officials to reopen Wednesday. The source further alleges Mack threatened to use Florida Highway Patrol troopers to force open school buildings.

NewsRadio 92.3 has not independently verified those allegations and is seeking a response from the Department of Education.

The Santa Rosa County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to keep schools closed through Friday, allowing additional time for hurricane recovery.

Escambia County subsequently announced that its schools would also remain closed through Friday.

Both districts plan to resume classes Monday, Oct. 19.

GOP Primary Rival Backs Democrat Taddeo's Insurance Record in Florida CFO Race

A Republican who challenged Blaise Ingoglia for the GOP's Chief Financial Officer nomination earlier this year is now publicly praising Democrat Nikki Taddeo's record on insurance reform, marking the latest sign of bipartisan crossover in Florida's competitive CFO race.

Dr. Frank Collige posted on Facebook this week that he is "ashamed" of the current Republican CFO's voting record and sees in Taddeo "someone who has demonstrated a willingness to stand up for Floridians when it comes to insurance reform." Collige, a Republican, argued that insurance reform should transcend party lines and called for an independent CFO willing to hold insurance companies accountable. "My loyalty is to the people of Florida, not to a political party," he wrote.

The statement drew a sharp response from Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power, who suggested on X that Collige's primary challenge against Ingoglia was meant to divide Republicans. The endorsement also came as the GOP's newest attack ad against Taddeo appeared to backfire—critics noted the ad accused her of supporting legislation that Ingoglia himself voted for and Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law. The bill was authored by former Florida GOP Chairman Joe Gruters, now RNC Chairman.

Recent polling shows the race tight. Five public surveys have found Taddeo and Ingoglia tied or nearly even, with the latest from the conservative James Madison Institute putting both at 43 percent among likely voters, even as Republicans lead other statewide races by double digits. Taddeo's campaign is emphasizing affordability, government accountability, and property insurance—issues she says transcend partisan divides.

FPL Restoration Numbers Questioned After Holley Outages Persist

A Santa Rosa County business owner is raising questions about whether Florida Power & Light's reported power restoration figures accurately reflect the actual status of service in some areas, particularly after the recent hurricane-related outages.

Gordon Goodin, who operates a business in Holley with two meters, told NewsRadio Pensacola that FPL's outage app shows his power restored, but his three-phase power line remains disconnected. He says a crew from Oklahoma told him Monday they couldn't restore service until tree-trimming was completed, then left without explanation Tuesday morning despite assessing the repair as "easy." The work required a new pole, about 100 feet of rewiring, and reconnection of the service jack—none of which has been completed as of Wednesday.

"The app says the report is still being analyzed," Goodin said, questioning whether contractors are inflating restoration numbers or whether FPL is aware of the discrepancy. He noted the problem appears widespread, citing friends in East Hill, Reservation Road, Bay Street, East Bay Boulevard, and other Holley locations reporting the same issue: the app shows power restored while they have no service.

NewsRadio Pensacola is investigating whether FPL's reported restoration numbers are accurate. The questions come as the utility continues recovery efforts across the region following recent hurricane damage.