03/30/26 7AM Pensacola Morning News with Andrew McKay

·51 min·5 clips

Why is the county comptroller refusing to give $1,000 to the state champion Lady Cats basketball team?

The March 30, 2026, episode of Pensacola Morning News begins with host Andrew McKay narrating a contentious Escambia County Board of County Commissioners meeting. The dispute centers on Comptroller Pam Childers refusing to authorize $1,000 from county general funds for the Booker T. Washington High School girls' basketball team, which won the 5A state championship. Commissioner Lumen May argues the funding has been approved for similar groups for 10-15 years and accuses Childers of making the issue about race when he references 'poor young black girls.' Other commissioners, like Mike Kohler and Stephen Berry, weigh in, debating public purpose statutes versus discretionary spending for school teams. McKay acts as a 'logic referee,' explaining Childers's position that the money could come from other sources like the Tourism Development Council or law enforcement trust funds, but not general property tax revenue. The segment concludes with McKay noting the board's frustration and Childers's firm stance. The show then transitions to regular features: John Pickens provides traffic updates, Marion Caldwell gives the weather forecast, and David Wayne delivers news headlines covering local stabbings, 'No Kings' protests, I-10 construction, and international news about President Trump and Iran. A sponsored segment for Frontier Motors airs, followed by the 'Strength for Life' religious message from Pastor James C. Johnson. The core interview segment features Congressman Jimmy Petronas (FL-01) calling in on his one-year anniversary in office. Topics include his request for a VA hospital study for Pensacola, the $15 billion investment in air traffic control modernization and its workforce challenges, his bill to repeal Section 230 to hold social media companies accountable for harm to children, the 'Warrior Road Act' to prioritize military base access roads like Highway 98, and his dismissal of the weekend's 'No Kings' anti-Trump protests. The episode includes more traffic, ads for local businesses like Quality Roofing Solutions, community event announcements, and ends with final news headlines from David Wayne.

As heard by us

A $1,000 team payment sparks a Pensacola morning built around civic debate, listener reaction, and national news.

Escambia County's salute to Washington High's Lady Cats gives this Pensacola Morning News hour its strongest local focus. The Board of County Commissioners honors the girls basketball team's 5A state championship, but a $1,000 payment for the team draws an objection from the…

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You get a $1,000 county-funding fight over Washington High's championship girls basketball team, listener texts, and a White House app in one fast Pensacola morning.

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