Top stories of the week: Blue Dot has a big secret, dolphins in Bayou Texar and more

Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal
·4 min read

This week's list of top stories shakes things up with a nice mix of food, luxury real estate, dolphins in the bayou and more.

Keep reading to learn more about our best subscriber-only stories.

Blue Dot has a big secret. Here's what's coming Saturday.

Owner J. Byron Long holds cheeseburger at the Blue Dot restaurant in the Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood in downtown Pensacola on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.
Owner J. Byron Long holds cheeseburger at the Blue Dot restaurant in the Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood in downtown Pensacola on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.

Full story: Blue Dot is teasing the Internet with a 'Cheesy Blue' logo. Its meaning will shock you

With ever-changing development in the Belmont-DeVilliers neighborhood, one artifact has been as steadfast and unchanging over the decades as the Holy Bible itself. And that, my friends, is the Blue Dot hamburger.

But everything regulars once knew changed when a cryptic image was posted to the Blue Dot Pensacola Facebook page Nov. 10 with the words "CHEESY BLUE" typed out in a dripping, macaroni-and-cheese-colored font atop a faint, sketched outline of a burger in the background. One concerned commenter questioned whether the account had been hacked.

Griffin Cerra goes from 'unwanted' to unsung hero for Argos

Griffin Cerra silences crowd after a made field goal. November 5 ,2022.
Griffin Cerra silences crowd after a made field goal. November 5 ,2022.

Full story: UWF Football: Griffin Cerra goes from 'unwanted' to unsung hero for Argos

Pete Shinnick has always found a way to get talented players to come to the University of West Florida and make them stars under his system.

Griffin Cerra is another one of those guys you can add to Coach Shinnick's success stories. The redshirt junior place kicker has nailed a series of big kicks during his time with the Argos.

He'll look to add to it when the team plays Limestone in a Super Region II NCAA Tournament game at 1 p.m. Saturday from Pen Air Field.

'I don't think the dolphins have ever given up on Bayou Texar’

Marty Donovan, 71, paddleboards along Bayou Texar early Tuesday afternoon with a fishing rod baited and dragging behind him.
Marty Donovan, 71, paddleboards along Bayou Texar early Tuesday afternoon with a fishing rod baited and dragging behind him.

Full story: Could the battle be turning in the fight to save Bayou Texar? Signs of life return.

Marty Donovan grew up on Bayou Texar and remembers in the '50s and '60s near daily sightings of pods of dolphins entering the waterway on the fresh clean waters of the incoming tides.

He's 71 now, and, like many longtime residents, bore witness to the steady deterioration of water quality in the bayou. He is among those who recall tens of thousands of dead fish floating to the surface each summer in the early 1990s. The scallops that Donovan and his boyhood friends used to collect by the bucketful disappeared and have never come back.

Despite all that has been lost, he still catches an occasional glimpse of dolphins as he paddles along the bayou. As always, they arrive with the tide.

"I don't think the dolphins have ever given up on Bayou Texar," he said. "They're intelligent. They come in on the incoming tide because that's the cleanest water. They won't go up any further than the tidal exchange, which is around Hyde Park Road. Then they turn around and go out to get out of the dirty water coming from Carpenter Creek."

These 9 restaurants prove West Pensacola is full of hidden gems

Full list: Best restaurants in West Pensacola: 9 places that prove area is full of hidden gems

West Pensacola is frequently slept on when it comes to good eats. And it’s pretty easy to see why. Hop on North Navy Boulevard and you’ll be inundated with big signs for Hardee’s, Popeyes, McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants. Those have their place, but when you’re looking for a local dining experience, you have to look in every nook and cranny.

We’ve written in the past about some of West Pensacola’s hidden gems, but now it’s time to put a bigger spotlight on 10 of our favorite places to eat.

5 of the most expensive homes for sale in the Pensacola area

Full list: Pensacola luxury real estate: 5 of the most expensive homes for sale in the Pensacola area

Home sales in 2022 have slowed down a bit, but the Pensacola real estate scene has also broken a couple of records recently with the most expensive home sold on Pensacola beach, the most expensive interior home on Pensacola Beach and a $12 million home that finally sold in September, marking one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the area, period.

With all of that in mind, we thought it might be interesting to see what other high-priced homes were on the market and what do they look like?

We've put together a list of five of the most expensive homes in the area for sale.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola's top stories: Blue Dot has a secret, dolphins in the bayou