Top stories of the week: Pensacola abortion clinic, STDs, The Handlebar and more
It was a dense week for Pensacola, with hot topics such as abortion and STDs.
Here's a few of our best stories from the past week that are available to subscribers only:
The Pensacola abortion clinic announced plans to appeal an emergency order to close. The order to close was given on May 21 after the ACHA said the clinic allegedly failed to report the hospitalization of three women.
Food Network's Beachside Brawl: Pensacola chef Edward Lordman to compete on Food Network's Beachside Brawl this month
Hurricane season begins: Tropical depression or storm 'likely' as South Florida braces for heavy rain, flash floods
STD infections are also on the rise in Santa Rosa County. However, compared to the national average, the county is still doing better than the rest of Florida.
On a much lighter note, on June 6, you can sit down at Pensacola's newest Vietnamese fusion restaurant, Eurasian Bistro, and be served by a robot.
And last up, the Handlebar is making a return to Pensacola with new music but the same old vibes.
Pensacola abortion clinic to appeal emergency closure, claiming 'overreach'
Full story: Pensacola abortion clinic says order to close was 'overreach,' plans to appeal
Pensacola's abortion clinic plans to appeal the emergency state order that shut it down last week.
Attorney Julie Gallagher with the Tallahassee law firm of Grossman, Furlow and Bayo is representing the American Family Planning clinic on Village Oaks Drive.
Gallagher told the News Journal she would file an appeal to the Agency for Healthcare Administration's emergency order as soon as Monday.
Experts sound alarms on STD trends in Santa Rosa County
Full story: STD infections in Santa Rosa County are on the rise. Here's what you need to know
Between 2007 and 2019, Santa Rosa County saw an in increase of over 68% in the incidence of chlamydia.
And with the most recent certified data from the Florida Department of Health indicating as much as a 28% increase in gonorrhea just from 2019 to 2020, experts in the field are sounding alarms over the fact that Santa Rosa County, along with the rest of Florida, are staring at poor trends in sexually transmitted infection rates.
But what caused these trends, how does the county compare to the rest of the state and what can be done to alleviate the problems? Read more about it in our story.
Pensacola's newest Vietnamese restaurant wows with feline robot staff
Full story: Eurasian Bistro brings robot waiters, Vietnamese fusion to Pensacola area
As restaurant owners continue decorating Pensacola with "help wanted" signs to combat staff shortages, the soon-to-open Eurasian Bistro at 10015 North Davis Highway, Suite 600, seems to have found a solution: robot waiters.
Guests can expect to be greeted by BellaBots — chest-high robots, with a black-and-white cat motif — programmed to perform a table-to-table food service starting June 6 for the restaurant's grand opening debut.
The robots are programmed to deliver drinks and even react to guests with animated facial expressions and high-pitched warnings, such as to "be careful" before reaching for a hot plate.
Handlebar to return this summer with new look, new music and old vibes
Full story: The icon returns! New owners reopening The Handlebar, the center of Pensacola's punk scene
A new set of owners is hoping to restore The Handlebar to its original glory this summer. Only this time, with a few upgrades.
New owners Kathy Sandstrom and Chris McKean were Handlebar regulars themselves through the 1980s and 1990s, so they remember the appeal firsthand.
Debuted in 1983, The Handlebar became a hub for inexperienced but charismatic aspiring musicians to take the stage for the very first time and for seasoned local artists to cement their legacies as local legends.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola abortion clinic, STDs, The Handlebar | Top Pensacola stories
