Community Archive

The public is invited to join Santa Rosa County for a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 16, to celebrate the opening of the new pickleball courts at Lenny James Tolbert Memorial Park (formerly Holley Ball Park), 3124 Bob Tolbert Rd. in Navarre.

As much of the state experiences significantly colder temperatures due to an arctic front, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sharing reminders about what to do – and what not to do – when seeing certain wildlife that could be impacted by the colder weather.

Our own Hansen Hasenberg visited Plains, Georgia, last summer and brought back a story for our readers on the childhood farm and other historic sites associated with Jimmy Carter, whose funeral was held at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9.

Navarre Beach rang in the New Year with a couple of polar plunges, with the Pirate Plunge being held on the Gulf Of Mexico and the Penguin Plunge’n Paddle being held on Santa Rosa Sound. Both events raise money for charity. This year’s festivities saw hundreds brave the cold water.

Community Health Northwest Florida, a nonprofit healthcare organization which serves Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, has instituted a new program to promote healthy pregnancies for medically underserved people.

Announced in July of last year, the Baby Bucks program is designed to provide educational materials and supplies to expectant mothers, as well as incentivize them to keep up with their prenatal checkups.

You may have heard the expression, ‘It takes a village.’ At Navarre High School, the saying is true, as various members of the school community contribute to the overall school environment. This includes volunteers.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will temporarily prohibit possession and harvest of Suwannee bass for no less than 24 months in the Wakulla River and its tributaries, effective immediately. This restriction includes the river’s headwaters at Wakulla Springs and extends to its convergence with the St. Marks River, near the town of St. Marks.

A church in Navarre has found their new home. Founded in 2017 as a plant of the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), COMPASS Community Church has met for services at several locations over the years. First in the homes of its congregants, then at the Holley by the Sea recreation center’s Beach House, and finally, at the old Pet Stylers building in Soundview Plaza (8540 Navarre Parkway). On Jan. 5, 2025, the church will hold its first Sunday service at Gulf Pointe Latin School, a Christian school located at 7624 East Bay Blvd. in Navarre. According to Michael Bannon, the church’s pastor since its inception, the move was expected.

Over a decade ago, Timothy “Christian” Knutson met his wife, Sandra, overseas when he was in the military. They soon fell in love, married, and now have two children, an eight-year-old son named JC, and a five-year-old daughter named Elise. While this may seem like a happy ever after story, the past five years have been a nightmare for the family. In that time, doctors discovered that Sandra, 35, has an enlarged heart due to a heart valve disease. The disease causes the heart to have to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body, leading her to fatigue more easily.

The Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners are sharing their expertise on a variety of topics in monthly lectures at the Navarre Library now through December.