News Archive

A Santa Rosa County gun store owner is alleging the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) harassed him and his store manager after criticizing the agency in the past. Chris Smith, the owner of Gulf Coast Gun in Milton, says the ATF attempted to audit him for a license he had yet to use after he spoke out against ATF policies at a congressional field hearing held June 26 at the Okaloosa County Administrative Complex in Shalimar.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved spending $141 million to buy more than 42,000 acres, including more than 1,500 acres in the Wolfe Creek Forest northeast of Milton in Santa Rosa County.

The Santa Rosa County Commission will have its final Fiscal Year 2024 budget hearing at 6 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, Sept. 19, in the Commission Meeting Room, 6495 Caroline St., Milton. The Board of County Commissioners is expected to officially approve a total overall budget of $251,355,646.

With names like Wicked Wanda, The Ultimate End and Big Daddy, there’s a story behind each aircraft and monument on display at the Hurlburt Field Memorial Airpark. For the first time in more than 20 years, Hurlburt Field plans to open its airpark to the general public in spring 2024 – allowing visitors to see the aircraft first-hand and learn more about the history of Air Force Special Operations Command.

FEMA is standing by its decision not to allow restoration of eastern Navarre Beach, according to Santa Rosa County Assistant Environmental Director Tanya Linzy.

“Currently, the draft SEA – Supplemental Environmental Assessment – indicates that ‘the (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) found the Navarre Beach Renourishment Project as inconsistent with the purposes of the CBRA,’” Linzy wrote in an email to Navarre Press. “With that understanding, FEMA will not allow renourishment in the CBRA zone.”

Santa Rosa County Animal Services is hosting a Community Cats Day for Santa Rosa County residents on Wed., Sept. 20 at Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter, 4451 Pine Forest Road in Milton. Up to 30 stray/feral cats will be accepted for free spay and neutering through community cats program funding.

The Peanut Butter Challenge, UF/IFAS Extension’s annual collection for local food pantries that launched in the Florida Panhandle in 2012, is again spreading statewide this year. The challenge starts Oct. 1 and runs through the entire month. In 2022, citizens of Santa Rosa County (SRC) donated 2,056 jars (for a total of 2,657 pounds) of peanut butter to the SRC challenge.

After months of workshops and debate, the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners will review the final draft of its updated Land Development Code at a special meeting beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 18.

Bring the family out for a wonderful day of food and fun! On Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., St. Sylvester’s Catholic Church will host the Smokin in the Square BBQ Cookoff, an annual event to raise money for charity. This year, the event will send money to two charities, Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida and Little Sisters of the Poor Sacred Heart Residence.

On Wednesday, Sept. 6, retired K9 Idgie crossed the rainbow bridge.