Community Archive

Kayla Stanford, a teacher at Holley Navarre Intermediate School and Santa Rosa County’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, has been selected as the statewide recipient of the 2025 “Invested in Excellence” Award, presented by the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations and Florida Power & Light Company.

School officially starts Aug. 11. While most Navarre High School students will be thinking of where their next class is, members of the Class of 2026 have spent the final days of summer break crafting custom parking spaces.

School may not be in session yet, but that doesn’t mean some teens aren’t already learning.

Holley-Navarre Fire District held its summer cadet program Monday, July 28 through Friday, Aug. 1, at Station 45. The cadet program, in its third year, is a weeklong, hands-on opportunity to learn more about the fire service and what goes into being a firefighter.

In January 2017, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office received an over-$12,000 donation to purchase a new K-9 unit. The unit’s police dog, Ziggy, worked with the county until 2022, when he retired with his handler. Now, after three years of retirement, Ziggy has been diagnosed with two different types of cancer: carcinoma in his front nasal cavity, and a transitional-cell carcinoma on his bladder.

Navarre First Assembly of God is all about community outreach, hosting various events throughout the year to give to the needy and invite families to check out what the church has to offer spiritually. This Saturday, Aug. 2, the church will be holding a community outreach event called ‘Day of Hope.’

Stuff the Bus, the annual fundraiser and supply drive benefitting Escambia and Santa Rosa schools, was held Thursday, July 24, at Walmart locations in the two counties. 

Losing a parent or loved one is hard for anyone, let alone a child. When coping with grief, it helps to have a friend to talk to and offer guidance.

Lucas Goss, a young boy using his entrepreneurial spirit to raise money for a dream trip to Disney World, has spent the summer selling lemonade from his stand on street corners and at marketplaces. Most recently, Lucas raised $1,600 at Andy D’s Beachside Restaurant & Dock Bar July 13. Lucas’ stand was at the restaurant as part of a fundraiser coordinated with Andrew DeMartin, owner of Andy D’s, and Cara Davis, a local DJ.

Getting children to eat their fruit and vegetables can be difficult. A recent Summer Reading Program event held at Navarre Library aimed to introduce children to these nutritious foods through color.

Fishing, as both a commercial and recreational endeavor, has been a lifeblood of coastal communities like Holley and Navarre for generations.

Although fishing remains an important part of coastal life, youth participation, from younger children to teenagers, remains a concern for those who want to preserve a way of life.