News Archive

The multiyear, multimillion-dollar Santa Rosa Regional Reuse Project is nearing completion in its first phase.

The project, also referred to as the Eglin RIBs Project or simply Eglin Project, involves the county, Holley-Navarre Water System, Northwest Florida Water Management District and the city of Gulf Breeze.

A research team with the University of Florida and the University of Maryland is looking to create a predictive model for flesh-eating bacteria in the Gulf of America, potentially giving scientists and health officials new insights into how and when the bacteria appear in waterways.

Flesh-eating bacteria, also known as Vibrio vulnificus, are typically found in warm coastal waters and can be exacerbated by flooding and agricultural and stormwater runoff.

Santa Rosa County District Schools is awaiting a judge’s order to see if it can fire a suspended employee accused of inappropriate communication with Central School students in 2024 and 2025.

The Florida Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) is hearing a case between the school district and Keith Elliott, an IT professional who was suspended by the district last September.

Several county projects could bring changes to Navarre Beach in the coming years.

Multiple plans are in the works to add a parking lot and restrooms to the south side of Gulf Boulevard, a boardwalk and visitors center with retail and event space just north of the dune line and bathroom upgrades for the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier.

First Baptist Church of Navarre Pastor Greg Love recently spent two weeks in Kenya, a country in East Africa.

He was there to teach pastors about theology and take part in a safari. The first leg of the trip, the class, was paid for by the church. The safari was paid for by Love.

On Aug. 18, voters will decide whether Holley-Navarre Fire District will see a substantial increase in annual fire assessment revenue.

If passed, the measure will bring a 42 percent increase for residential properties and an 11.98 percent increase for nonresidential commercial properties. According to ballot language, HNFD intends to levy the following assessment rates:

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced the closure of a leased shellfish harvesting area in Santa Rosa County.

According to a recent agency release, the state closed the conditionally approved No. 0232 East Bay sites in the Pensacola Bay Shellfish Harvesting Area. The closure went into effect at sunset Monday, Aug. 3.

School resource officers and school officials gathered at Soundside High School Friday morning, July 31, to celebrate a recent donation from the community.

Approximately 110 Stop the Bleed first aid kits were purchased using donations from a variety of businesses, people and organizations throughout Santa Rosa County. The kits will be placed in every school in the school district.

Navarre High School has a long tradition of Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) excellence. This past week, a new crop of cadets became initiated into the NJROTC family.

The new cadets are called NS1s, short for Naval Science 1, the class they will be taking this school year. According to Naval Science Instructor Maj. Jeremy Wheeler (Ret.), there are 27 NS1s going through the introductory camp this year.

On Aug. 18, voters will decide whether Holley-Navarre Fire District rates will increase by 42% for residential properties and 11.98% for nonresidential commercial properties.

The referendum was placed on the ballot to help HNFD get ahead of its own financial limitations. The district, which covers 53 square miles in south Santa Rosa, doesn’t have enough annual revenue to adequately staff Station 44. Adequate staffing is four firefighters on an engine per shift.