Pensacola top stories: Sinking USS United States, Meet new principals

Here's a roundup of our top stories from the past week.

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USS Oriskany could be getting some company. Escambia considers sinking USS United States

Pensacola is coming up on the 20th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Oriskany . The “great carrier reef” as it’s called was sunk more than 22 nautical miles southeast of Pensacola Pass in 2006. It remains one of the most popular draws in the area for divers, but some say more shipwrecks are needed if Escambia County wants to attract more divers and the business they bring.

Could the long-retired passenger ship, the SS United States be the answer?

Keep reading: USS Oriskany could be getting some company. Escambia considers sinking SS United States

Meet the new Escambia County Public Schools principals for the 2024-25 school year

As parents are wrapping up their summer bucket lists before sending their children back to school next month , Escambia County Public Schools is gearing up to start the 2024-25 school year under Superintendent Keith Leonard.

The school district has hired four new principals to take the reins at the following schools: Pensacola High School, Myrtle Grove Elementary School, Pine Forest High School and George Stone Technical College. Get to know them below.

The school district is still looking to fill positions for the upcoming school year and is holding a hiring event with a focus on educational support and staff professionals from 9-11 a.m. on July 29 at the J.E. Hall Center at 30 E. Texar Drive. Open positions include maintenance, transportation, custodial services, cafeteria/food services and substitute teachers.

Keep reading: Meet the new Escambia County Public Schools principals for the 2024-25 school year

Pensacola furniture store ordered to pay $110K to former manager who refused COVID vaccine

Following a lawsuit by the Unites States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pensacola store Hank's Fine Furniture (Hank's Furniture Inc.) settled for a six-figure sum payout to a former manager fired for refusing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

Federal court records indicate a settlement had been reached Monday, and federal Judge M. Casey Rodgers ordered Thursday that the store pay former manager known as "K.M.O." $110,000 after she denied a companywide COVID vaccine mandate based on religious beliefs.

Keep reading: Pensacola furniture store ordered to pay $110K to former manager who refused COVID vaccine

Escambia County school grades are in. See how your school scored.

Escambia County Public Schools maintained a district-wide grade of "B" for the 2023-2024 school year.

This was the second-year students were tested using a new set of state standards and state assessments called FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking.) This test was written specifically for Florida students , based on the roll-out of the Florida Department of Education’s new B.E.S.T. standards (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking).

Find Escambia school grades here: Escambia County school grades are in. See how your school scored.

Find Santa Rosa school grades here: Santa Rosa County school grades are out. How did your school do?

BarSteak, downtown Pensacola steakhouse, closed for construction of 'new concept'

Downtown Pensacola steakhouse, BarSteak , is now closed and under construction for a “new concept taking over the space,” according to BarSteak social media pages as of Monday.

The restaurant opened last fall at 19 S. Palafox Place specializing in sous vide steaks , velvety French whipped potatoes and butcher-cut specialty meats. The restaurant expanded their menu to offer breakfast, lunch and dinner in the months leading up to the closure.

Johnny Mascia, who was identified as BarSteak’s owner at the time of opening, declined to comment on the closure.

Continue reading: BarSteak, downtown Pensacola steakhouse, closed for construction of 'new concept'

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola top stories: Sinking USS United States, Meet new principals