NAMING OF NEW BAY BRIDGE

The Santa Rosa County Commission has unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the naming of the new Pensacola Bay Bridge after the late General Daniel “Chappie” James, a Pensacola native and a four-star U.S. Air Force general, the first African American to reach that rank in U.S. military history. However, Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender has proposed forming a committee to evaluate other ideas for the Pensacola side of the new bridge. The current bridge is named the Philip D. Beall Sr. Memorial Bridge. Beall was a state senator from Pensacola who died in office shortly after being elected Senate president in 1943. The Escambia County Commission will likely vote on forming a committee at its next meeting on Thursday.