Community Archive

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man found dead inside a Navarre Park restroom Monday, Aug. 10.

Michael Patrick Long, 64, was reportedly found around 4:15 a.m. by an EMT in the last stall of the men’s restroom.

Last week, nearly 35 children gathered at Navarre United Methodist Church for an introduction to musical instruments, church production capabilities and worship ministry.

The church hosted its second annual Echo Worship Camp. The camp began as an idea to get youth more involved in the church and spark a passion for worship. Children’s Ministry Director Christine Gersic and Worship Director Jamel Boast organized both the 2025 and 2026 editions of Echo Worship Camp.

A research team with the University of Florida and the University of Maryland is looking to create a predictive model for flesh-eating bacteria in the Gulf of America, potentially giving scientists and health officials new insights into how and when the bacteria appear in waterways.

Flesh-eating bacteria, also known as Vibrio vulnificus, are typically found in warm coastal waters and can be exacerbated by flooding and agricultural and stormwater runoff.

First Baptist Church of Navarre Pastor Greg Love recently spent two weeks in Kenya, a country in East Africa.

He was there to teach pastors about theology and take part in a safari. The first leg of the trip, the class, was paid for by the church. The safari was paid for by Love.

Devon Trimble started his baked goods business, Flavorful Indulgences, for something more than money.

Trimble’s girlfriend, Sapphire Policiano-Knutson, and their daughter, Serenity, both have mitochondrial diseases. Policiano-Knutson is from Navarre.

On Monday, Aug. 3, Midway Fire District honored a resident for his heroic actions during a July 5 house fire.

Dylan Wickes, a fire district resident, received a lifesaving award after he helped a neighbor escape a house fire at 1068 Sanibel Lane. The fire took place just after 10 p.m.

With school back in session Aug. 10, now is the time for parents to apply for free and reduced school meals.

According to Santa Rosa County District Schools, the online application portal for free and reduced-price school meal benefits for the 2026-2027 school year opened Friday, July 31, for families in the school system.

School resource officers and school officials gathered at Soundside High School Friday morning, July 31, to celebrate a recent donation from the community.

Approximately 110 Stop the Bleed first aid kits were purchased using donations from a variety of businesses, people and organizations throughout Santa Rosa County. The kits will be placed in every school in the school district.

Navarre High School has a long tradition of Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) excellence. This past week, a new crop of cadets became initiated into the NJROTC family.

The new cadets are called NS1s, short for Naval Science 1, the class they will be taking this school year. According to Naval Science Instructor Maj. Jeremy Wheeler (Ret.), there are 27 NS1s going through the introductory camp this year.

This weekend, a nearly 150 year old tall ship will dock at Palafox Pier.

The Elissa, which was launched in 1877, will be in Pensacola from Friday, Aug. 7 through Sunday, Aug. 9. This marks the third time in the ship’s history that it has sailed into Pensacola, once in 1886 and again in 2018.