Top stories of the week: New restaurants, Rebekah Jones and a $5.2 million home sale

New restaurants, record-breaking home sales, bus driver shortages and the continued controversy of Rebekah Jones' whistleblower complaint — it was a busy week in Pensacola.

Here's our best stories from the week that were available to subscribers only.

Rebekah Jones whistleblower closure letter authenticity questioned

Full story: Rebekah Jones' whistleblower complaint was closed, but she claims official letter altered

Democratic congressional candidate Rebekah Jones posted a copy of a letter from the Florida Human Relations Commission this week that appears altered from the version on file with the state agency.

Last month, the commission closed its investigation into Jones' whistleblower complaint against the Florida Department of Health.

The commission notified her with a mailed letter stating there was not a "reasonable cause" for Jones' allegations of retaliation against FDOH.

Is Pensacola a taco mecca? These 8 taco spots will have you convinced

Full story: Is Pensacola a taco mecca? These 8 taco spots will have you convinced

Let’s talk about tacos honestly for a second. It’s weird that there are so many good taco places in Pensacola. California, New Mexico, Texas — these are places you expect to find amazing tacos.

Little Pensacola, with a population of about 54,000, located in the Florida Panhandle, is absolutely not a taco mecca — or is it?

Perhaps El Asador, after being crowned one of America’s greatest tacos joints twice, has drawn the attention of competitors hoping to gain some of that recognition.

As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats.

No matter the cause, one truth remains: Pensacola has some seriously good tacos and they’re hidden everywhere.

Pensacola has a DUI problem. Here's where we rank and how we fix it

Full story: Pensacola's a Florida hotspot for DUI crashes, deaths. Why we stand out and how we fix it.

As more and more people flock to downtown Pensacola's bars, restaurants and weekly events, Pensacola Police Department officers say downtown's increased popularity is leading to an unintended consequence: DUI crashes.

Sgt. James Daniels, who's been with the PDD since 2007 and oversees training and accreditation for the police department, says that drunk and impaired driving is a problem in the city, especially on the weekends.

The Mediterranean Table brings Algerian food to Pensacola's City Hall

Full story: The Mediterranean Table food truck brings taste of Algeria outside Pensacola City Hall

Pensacola food truck owner Ali Kara didn't speak a word of English when he moved his family to the U.S. from the North African country of Algeria in 1995.

Ali, his wife and three small children were forced to sink or swim when it came to adapting to American culture, like finding jobs by day, taking English classes by night and tasting foods that just didn't make sense to them: like macaroni and cheese.

"That was so strange to us," Ali's son, Sami Kara, said.

But Ali was a believer in the American dream and knew that his hard work would pay for itself eventually.

Now, he doubles as an emergency medical technician and the owner of a Mediterranean food truck, The Mediterranean Table, that debuted outside Pensacola's City Hall this month.

Escambia schools scrambling to fill bus routes following driver exodus

Full story: Escambia schools lose 6 bus drivers after minimum wage hike, leaving 100+ routes vacant

The minimum wage increase that recently went into effect has already had devastating consequences for the Escambia County Public Schools Transportation Department.

Six bus drivers have quit since the increase to $11 an hour on Sept. 30, according to Transportation Director Darlene Hart, bringing the bus routes without a driver to more than 100 on any given day.

Several drivers told Hart they left because they could make an almost identical hourly wage working in a different position within the district, such as a cafeteria or custodial role, with a lot less responsibilities than transporting a bus packed with 77 students.

Take a look inside the most expensive home sold in Pensacola in 2022

Full story: Photos: Take a look inside this $5M, 9,390-square-foot East Hill mansion

The most expensive home sold in Pensacola city limits in 2022 was purchased for $5.175 million on Oct. 17 in East Hill.

Before 2020, selling single-family homes for more than $3 million was rare. However, 10 homes sold for that price in 2020 alone. In 2022, so far only one other single-family home has sold for over $3 million in Pensacola, while 41 homes have sold for over $1 million, according to Realtor.com.

Rachael Whibbs, the listing agent for the property and realtor at Levin Rinke Realty, said she expects high-priced homes in the area to continue to sell well.

Destin-based seafood restaurant to replace Tin Cow in early 2023

Full story: Mystery revealed: Popular Destin restaurant moving into former Tin Cow space on Palafox

Earlier this month, Realtor Michael Carro teased that a family-owned restaurant would have control over the space for the next 20 years and that it would be centered around Gulf cuisine.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: New Pensacola restaurants, Rebekah Jones, $5.2M house | Top stories