ASHTON HAYWARD DECLINES APPOINTMENT

The Pensacola News Journal is reporting that former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward has declined his appointment to the Triumph Gulf Coast board of directors. Chairman Don Gaetz said the board was notified by the governor’s office. Triumph Gulf Coast is a nonprofit board created by the Legislature to distribute 1.5 billion dollars from a settlement from the 2010 BP oil spill to be used for economic development grants in the eight Panhandle counties affected by the spill. Former Governor Rick Scott had appointed Hayward to an empty seat on the Triumph Gulf Coast board in January.