The FBI learned that Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force officer who killed three U.S. sailors and wounded eight others at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Dec. 2019, repeatedly communicated with al-Qaida operatives about planning in the months leading up to the attack.
A prescribed burn got out of control May 4 near the intersection of Avalon Boulevard and Interstate-10, sparking a wildfire that burned more than 2,000 acres, displaced hundreds of people at a time and destroyed 14 homes.
After ECUA stated that they did not plan to extend their existing contract for waste disposal services in the northern unincorporated parts of the county, commissioners stated during the April 23 meeting that they would negotiate with Waste Pro on taking over the area.
On April 17, the Home Builders Association of West Florida Inc. (HBA) filed to prevent impact fees from being collected in Santa Rosa County on new home construction. The complaint alleged that the fees were calculated using faulty data that was not fully updated.
School closures due to COVID-19 were extended through May 1. Santa Rosa County’s last day of classes was set for May 29 so the decision was made by the school district that students would not return for in-person schooling for the 2019/2020 school year.
Florida Highway Patrol and Florida Department of Transportation coordinated a checkpoint to screen every non-commercial vehicle entering the Florida Panhandle on Interstate 10. The checkpoint was part of an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis legally requiring individuals that had been to COVID-19 hot spots in the past two weeks to self-quarantine for 14 days while in the state. Violating the order was a misdemeanor criminal offense.
