Top stories of the week: New 'Sacred Hart' indie film, restaurant inspections and more
This week's top stories include a mix of hard-hitting news, restaurant inspections and a feature on a new, local indie film set in the old Sacred Heart Hospital.
Here is our roundup of the best subscriber-only stories of the week.
Florida law hinders access to state fund for contractor scam victims
Full story: Florida has $21M to help victims of contractor scams. Few local victims will benefit.
The Florida Homeowners' Contractor Recovery Fund seemed like a potential lifeline for area residents who allege they have been scammed out of thousands of dollars by former Pensacola contractor Matt Banks.
Banks had his license revoked in both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in August following numerous complaints from clients who say they paid the contractor thousands of dollars, sometimes tens of thousands of dollars, for remodel projects he never completed.
Banks filed for bankruptcy in August, creating doubt he would ever return clients' money, but the recovery fund was billed as a safety net to help citizens in situations just like these.
However, there is one problem — Banks' clients may not see a penny from the recovery fund because of state laws that gate access to the money.
REAP under fire for management of Moreno Street homeless camp
Full story: Pensacola homeless camp manager fired amid allegations of rats, unsafe food, mistreatment
An employee of Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola was fired after a former volunteer alleged mistreatment of homeless people staying at REAP's outdoor camp on West Moreno Street.
Candy Alcott, a former volunteer with REAP, told the Escambia County commissioners on Thursday that people staying at the camp are living in unhealthy conditions, giving up their food stamp EBT cards to stay at the camp and are subjected to random drug testing, including children.
Melissa Johnson, CEO of Fearless Community Inc., managed the camp for REAP, along with the newly opened Max-Well Respite Center. She was terminated from her position with REAP on Friday, REAP Executive Director Vinnie Whibbs confirmed to the News Journal on Tuesday.
August restaurant inspections: 17 receive administrative complaints
Full story: August restaurant inspections: 17 Escambia, Santa Rosa restaurants receive administrative complaints
Across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, 150 restaurants passed their August Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation inspections, compared to the 38 that didn't. Of those 150 eateries, 59 passed without a single violation. A full list of those restaurants can be found at the bottom of this article.
Not all were ready for inspectors' arrival though, as 17 restaurants spanning the region received administrative complaints.
'Sacred Hart' is Pensacola-centric movie about family, lies and power
Full story: New movie and TV show, 'Sacred Hart,' filming in Pensacola with local actors
"Sacred Hart" tells the fictional story of Dr. Darin Brooks, the patriarch of a powerful African American family who holds a majority share in a Southern hospital. The family deals with lies and deception as drugs run through the hospital, and characters become pawns in one another's manipulations.
The hospital scenes take place at old Sacred Heart Hospital, originally Pensacola Hospital, which opened in September 1915 as the first and oldest Catholic hospital in Florida.
The film will be released in November to introduce an ongoing TV show, which will start filming in January and February and release next year.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Restaurant inspections, new 'Sacred Hart' film among Pensacola top stories
