What were Pensacola’s top stories this week? Take a look

Here's a roundup of our top stories from the past week that are available only to our subscribers.

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Wonder how many Pensacola chefs have appeared on TV? Take a look

Pensacola chef Darian Hernandez won the hearts of Pensacolians, recognition on a national stage and the taste buds of judges when they crowned him and his partner Izzy Buasier as champions of the Food Network show "Chopped” on Valentine's Day.

But he wasn't the only Pensacola chef to make us proud. Here's a rundown of our community's most famous chefs that have put a spotlight on Pensacola thanks to their culinary skills.

Full story:Pensacola now has 2 'Chopped' champions, but our top chefs are no strangers to TV

Fruit smoothies and fresh wraps come to Belmont-DeVilliers

While Belmont-DeVilliers isn't lacking when it comes to good eats, Pensacola business owner Shazmin Gainer wanted to add a refreshing breakfast and lunch spot into the mix. So, she brought Vibes + Smoothies to the neighborhood this month.

Based on her personal recipes, the menu is made up of food she feels good eating.

Smoothie bowls are decorated with freshly sliced fruit, granola and drizzled with honey to appeal to those looking to take on the day with a sweet start, while freshly rolled wraps and sandwiches appease the savory seeking lunch crowd.

Other smoothie creations include her Honey Darling, made with local honey, vanilla Greek yogurt, avocado and pineapple, and the Golden Ratio, a blend of mango, papaya and honey.

Full story:New Belmont-DeVilliers shop brightens your day with smoothies, lunch wraps and good vibes

Santa Rosa considers using bed tax funds to 'reimagine' Navarre Beach

If Santa Rosa County is ever to embark upon a grandiose plan to "instill a sense of place" at its primary tourist destination at Navarre Beach, its county commissioners would like to know that bed tax dollars will be available to cover much of the cost.

The County Commission prepared to vote Thursday to have its county attorney request a Florida Attorney General's Office opinion on whether the county can legally expend tourist development tax dollars to construct such amenities as an amphitheater at Navarre Beach.

The idea of constructing a beachfront amphitheater was at the core of a strategic initiative called "Navarre Beach Reimagined" that was introduced in 2021 by County Tourism Development Director Julie White. Plans envision the amphitheater anchoring a public space offering shopping and dining, areas for sitting and eating, a playground, a Gulf-view gazing deck and creative landscaping "to tie everything together.”

Full story:Can massive 'sense of place' plans for Navarre Beach be funded through tourist tax?

Developer Craig Kruse dies, leaving many East Milton Projects in limbo

Craig Kruse, a notable Florida developer, passed away Feb. 5, 2023, from complications of liver disease, according to his obituary.

The obituary states Kruse arrived in Northwest Florida in the early 1970s as a wallpaper hanger "and left the premier developer from Pensacola to Panama City Beach."

His energy in the last years of his life was largely focused on Santa Rosa County, and he had a hand in projects that have already changed the face of Navarre and East Milton.

But with his death, the future of several ongoing projects in Santa Rosa County has been left uncertain.

Full story:Developer Craig Kruse was shaping Santa Rosa growth. His death leaves the future in doubt.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola News Journal's top stories for the week of February 20-24