The Latino media is booming in recent years, as the community it serves has gained clout and economic as well as political power. But for one pioneering publication in Florida, it is the end of an era as the only bilingual newspaper in Northwest Florida has printed its last edition on Jan. 24.

"As hard as it is to say, this is the last edition of La Costa Latina and the Hispanic Resource Center (HRC) will be closed at the end of January," said owner Grace Resendez McCaffery. "As successful as the festivals have been in terms of attendance, providing something unique to the Gulf Coast, and more importantly UNITING the Latino community, I'm afraid that finances aren't strong enough to continue for another year. I've been able to keep things going by doing almost everything myself including distributing the newspaper, but it would take a much larger team to sustain it."

La Costa Latina began with the observations of one person working in a stressful situation and seeing the need to help her neighbors. McCaffery was a Public Relations director for the American Red Cross when Hurricane Ivan hit the Pensacola area in 2004. Recognizing the need for a source of information to Spanish-speakers she began publication of La Costa Latina the following year.

At the height of publication, La Costa Latina was distributed at more than 150 locations in NW Florida and southern Alabama. As the company grew, McCaffery also opened the Hispanic Resource Center (HRC) in Pensacola. In 2010.

The HRC included a coffee bar, book store, souvenirs, free wireless internet, free computer use, a multi-purpose area for meetings, classes and activities. The HRC also provided continuous services such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, arts and crafts for children and group socials. The HRC too will be closed at the end of the month.

McCaffery said her goodbyes in an editorial on the newspaper's Web site, especially thanking Sandy Sansing Chevrolet of Pensacola for supporting the endeavor with advertising dollars since the beginning.