News Archive

Daniel Balsavich, assistant principal at Holley-Navarre Primary School, was unanimously recommended to become the new principal of HNPS at the Dec. 9 Santa Rosa County School Board meeting. Balsavich will fill the vacancy left by Alexandra Timmons, who was recently promoted to director of risk management for the school district.

In northwest Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is formally accepting the Cypress Dunes community in Santa Rosa Beach and U.S. Air Force Hurlburt Field in Okaloosa County into the BearWise Community Recognition Program. Both communities have met the six BearWise Basics, as well as passed ordinances requiring trash be kept secure from bears.

The Board of County Commissioners approved the time extension for the Navarre Bayside Park renovation Dec. 9, making the completion time 215 calendar days.

If all had gone according to plan, the Turner House would have been suitable for occupancy this fall.

Average gasoline prices in Florida dropped four cents during the past week and are expected to continue to fall because of concerns about how the omicron variant of the coronavirus could affect global fuel demand, according to the AAA auto club.

Two teen girls were taken to the hospital by ambulance late Wednesday afternoon after passing out on a Santa Rosa County School District bus. A third girl, who also passed out, was released to her parents, according to district officials.

One of the girls remained unconscious while being taken to the hospital, according to preliminary information from the scanner.

Holley-Navarre Water System (HNWS) customers in the Woodmont Estates area of Holley by the Sea (HBTS) were recently notified that HNWS will begin performing utility easement work on their properties.

Santa Rosa County is steadily growing, and with more people moving to the area, developers are looking for new places to add housing.

Navarre is a particular hot spot, growing by 30% to just over 40,000 people since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Knock on the door of Dave and Lynn Piech’s home in Holley by the Sea and you will be greeted loudly. Five lab mixes – all rescues – rush to greet visitors in various stages of youth and exuberance.

Dr. Karen Barber, superintendent for Santa Rosa County District Schools, was awarded the CivicCon Government Transparency Award for proactively raising the district’s reporting of COVID-19 to “an unsurpassed level of transparency and detail.”