Community Archive

In the midst of the controversy swirling around Holley-Navarre Water System, an annual meeting and election of board of directors is scheduled for Jan. 19.  Four seats are open on the board; three from expiring terms and one from the resignation of Will Goulet.  The meeting will commence at 7 a.m. at the Board of Directors meeting room at HNWS with the announcement of the final slate of candidates running for election.  It will then recess for voting to commence until 7 p.m. when the meeting will be called back to session to discuss business, present the annual report and deliver the results of the election. 

Major Bob Johnson of the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office has been promoted to Chief Deputy with the organization.  Johnson is the first to serve as Chief Deputy since Sheriff Wendell Hall was sworn into office in the year 2000. 

Amy Bridge made a difference in the community during the holiday season.

An unfamiliar truck passes slowly by your house, looking around your yard and house as he drives by.  A solicitor comes to your house and attempts to talk their way into your home.  A distraught person rings your doorbell in the middle of the night asking to use your phone.  A burglar breaks in and is surprised to find someone home, and that homeowner is assaulted. All of these scenarios have happened in Navarre during the past several months. 

The $400,000 engineering study ordered up by Santa Rosa County commissioners two years ago suggests $60 million in possible flood control measures for Holley by the Sea but warns that some may not be worth the money.

Navarre was the scene of the catastrophic foggy night training crash of a UH-60 Blackhawk off Navarre Beach in which 11 servicemen perished March 11, 2015. The Navarre community wasted no time expeditiously melding together to assist emergency personnel and search crews both civilian and military, hoping against hope, even as the search transitioned into a recovery operation.

Under questioning from a prospective lodging “partner” about the company’s recent financial demands in return for promoting Santa Rosa County overnight stays at its event scheduled here next April, a company executive now says its fees are negotiable.

Students at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School lined up with gifts in their hands and smiles on their faces as they waited their turn to donate presents to a good cause Thursday morning.

James and Dolores Coleman, together with business leaders in Navarre, have ensured that 3-year old James Royal will get the service dog he so desperately needs.  In October the Coleman family donated $5,000 toward a $15,000 goal set by 4 Paws for Ability, the nonprofit organization out of Ohio that will train and match up a service dog just for James.  James’ parents Erin and Daryl had raised nearly $5,000 themselves. Several businesses in Navarre stepped up and donated the remaining $5,000.  In addition, the Coleman family also donated money to the family for the trip they will need to take to Ohio.

Taking the “plunge” on New Year’s Day is a tradition just like eating black-eyed peas and collard greens. In Navarre, there are two opportunities this year to ring in the New Year with a rush to the nervous system by swimming in chilly waters.