News Archive

With U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis taking 71 percent of the vote districtwide in the Aug. 18 Florida primary, the first-term congressman from Panama City will face off against Democratic challenger Gay Valimont in the November general election.

(By Gray Rohrer) U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds fended off challenges from 10 other Republicans in Tuesday’s primary to carry his party’s nomination for governor into the general election.

He’ll face former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, a former Republican who switched parties and easily defeated five other Democrats.

Santa Rosa County voters flipped one seat on the Santa Rosa County School Board during the Florida primary on Aug. 18, with the race over who will hold that seat moving to the November general election.

Santa Rosa County voters ousted both sitting commissioners on the ballot during the Florida primary on Aug. 18, completing a turnover of four of the board’s five seats in four years.

(Article by Gray Rohrer) Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday released a redraft of the ballot summary of Amendment 3, the large property tax cut measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A Leon County judge last week ordered the ballot summary and title of the proposal to be rewritten, as the originals were misleading and filled with political rhetoric. The new version swaps out the florid rhetoric with staid, straightforward wording.

Military leaders, elected representatives and transportation officials gathered for Air Force Special Operations Command’s traffic roundtable at the Freedom Tech Center in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Aug. 17.

The roundtable served as a platform for key representatives to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce congestion along U.S. Highway 98. Attendees reviewed progress made since the first roundtable in 2023 and explored future projects to improve traffic flow along the busy highway.

UPDATE 2: East Bay Boulevard has reopened completely as of yesterday afternoon (Aug. 19). The gas main which was damaged will need ongoing repairs and the county expects partial closures of the roadway in the future. Dates for those actions have not been set.

ORIGINAL: A gas leak has led to the closure of part of East Bay Boulevard in Navarre. The incident happened just prior to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18, and remains unresolved.

The Breeze Cinema 8 in Gulf Breeze, The Ridge Cinema 8 in Pace and Marquis Cinema 10 in Crestview have been under the ownership of the Offerdahl family since their inception.

Their company, which operates as Ashbrie Cinemas, recently made a rebranding effort with updated logos, site upgrades and a new marketing campaign.

A Gulf Breeze man was arrested after he allegedly stabbed a woman with scissors and took her vehicle without permission.

Eric Lee Welch, 40, is charged with battery with domestic violence and vehicle theft.

Navarre Beach Fire Rescue requested $300,000 from the Santa Rosa County Commission to offset operational and personnel costs.

Earlier this summer, the district’s fire commission board approved pursuing the funding as a way of handling its present financial crisis.