Top stories this week include new residential development, Blue Zones

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

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Escambia County approved residential development projects during April

Four residential development projects were approved by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee during April, laying the groundwork for nearly 400 residential units to be added to the county.

Each of the projects were approved during the DRC’s first meeting of the month on April 3.

Two residential projects were up for approval during the DRC’s meetings on April 17 and April 24 respectively, but they did not receive the final go-ahead from the county. These projects planned to add 94 lotscombined to the area, according to their site plans filed with Escambia County.

Here are the residential projects that were approved by Escambia County’s DRC in April.

Full story: Four Escambia residential projects totaling nearly 400 homes get green light in April

Panadería y Tienda Sabor Latino joins East Hill community

A new Latin American bakery called Panadería y Tienda Sabor Latino has made its debut in Pensacola’s East Hill neighborhood.

The specialty bakery and mini market located at 1020 B N. Ninth Ave. brings breads and pastries baked fresh daily, market goods, fresh fruit juices and handcrafted coffees to the table.

The shop is owned and operated by Laura Bocanegra and her husband, Iván Jiménez. Since the couple speaks predominately Spanish, Vanessa Mayes, executive director of nonprofit Global Corner, translated for the News Journal in an interview with Bocanegra and Jiminez.

Full story: Meet East Hill's Latin American bakery and market filled with fresh breads and pastries

Blue Zones: Blue Zones VP speaks on bringing one to Pensacola

Netflix users were captivated by the popular 2023 docuseries, “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones” based off a New York times best-selling book. The show landed a spot in the streaming platform’s top 10 most watched titles in the world.

The camera crew followed Guiness-world-record holding cyclist, researcher and National Geographic fellow Dan Buettner as he trotted the globe, interviewing centenarians for their secrets to living a full and happy life. Some of the answers he found have been ingrained in us since childhood, like "eat your veggies." Others were more profound, like being able to find, then articulate, your life purpose.

The kind of people Dan Buettner met still went spearfishing and told Dan they felt sexier at 103 than they did at 102. By the end, viewers wanted what the centenarians had. In 2016, seven years before the series' debut, Pensacola wanted it too.

Full story: Have you seen the Blue Zones docuseries on Netflix? Pensacola might be ready to become one

Escambia County settles Medicare false claim allegations for $5 million

Escambia County commissioners voted to approve a $5 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging the county filed false claims under Medicare through its ambulance service.

Escambia County commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the county's former medical director, Dr. Rayme Edler, under the False Claims Act.

Under the settlement, $3.5 million will be paid to the U.S. government, and the remaining $1.5 million will go to Edler.

Full story: Escambia County settles Medicare false claim allegations for $5 million

Pensacola artist's 118 portraits capture her last days with the love of her life

Some of the best advice Pensacola artist Nina Fritz ever received about portrait painting was from an Austrian master painter. Don’t worry too much about the nose. You don’t even need to include the mouth if you don’t want to. But the eyes – the eyes are where you have “all the fun.”

Nina is widely known throughout Pensacola for a variety of paintings depicting Gulf Coast living, ranging from beachgoers to the U.S. Blue Angels, but portraits of people have always been her signature.

Which is why when her husband of 66 years, Norman "Norm" Fritz, was moved into Life Care Center of Pensacola in the memory care unit due to worsening dementia - painting the faces of residents and staff she encountered on her visits was for her, a way of coping, and for her subjects, a moment of glee.

Now, only weeks after Norm has passed, her 118 watercolor paintings depicting the people and place where she spent her last days with her husband were showcased in a special gallery Thursday night.

Full story: Pensacola artist's 118 portraits capture her last days with the love of her life

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Top stories this week include new residential development, Blue Zones