News Archive

Santa Rosa County has announced the much-anticipated ribbon cutting of Navarre Park. The ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on Sat., Apr. 30 at Navarre Park, 8543 Navarre Parkway. Santa Rosa County began redeveloping the existing Navarre Park in October 2020 to create a top-notch recreational experience for all ages and abilities.

Earth Day came early to the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge. Earth Day 2022 is April 22, and ECWR went all out Saturday, April 16 to showcase their animal ambassadors and teach folks of all ages the best way to live side by side with animals that inhabit our area.

Is Santa Rosa County a good place to live? Is it headed in the right direction? What are its strengths, and what are its challenges?

Results of the first-ever Santa Rosa County Quality of Life Survey, conducted last year by Mason Dixon Polling & Strategy, will try to answer those and other questions. Pensacola businessman, philanthropist, and consultant Quint Studer will share survey results at a CivicCon Town Hall from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, April 18, in the County Commission Chambers in the Santa Rosa County Administrative Building, 6495 Caroline St., Milton.

The American College of Cardiology has recognized Santa Rosa Medical Center for its demonstrated expertise and commitment to treating patients with chest pain.

Looking for a place to celebrate Easter in Navarre or Gulf Breeze? Here are the times of the upcoming Easter week services in the area.

Justice is being served for the stray mule that was shot and killed on Tuesday, April 12. Philip Alan Hayes has been charged with felony for torturing or inflicting pain, serious injury, or death on an animal, as well as a misdemeanor for the inhumane slaughter of livestock. Hayes turned himself in to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office around 10 p.m. on Monday, April 18, almost a week after the incident on Deaton Bridge Road in Milton. Hayes was released just after midnight.

A controlled burn turned into a wildfire on Friday, April 8, 2022. Firefighters with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center, in addition to other departments, fought a wildfire near Dickerson City Road at Garcon Point in Santa Rosa County beginning early on Friday afternoon.

Just before 10 p.m. Sunday, April 10, the Holley-Navarre Fire District was alerted for a residential structure fire in the 2400 block of Pleasant Point Circle. The dispatch center advised they were receiving multiple 911 calls reporting smoke and fire from the residence.

On Mar. 28, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 1557 also known as the Parental Rights in Education Bill. The bill, which has garnered controversy, requires district school boards to comply with provisions of law for notifying student’s parents of specified information. According to the description on the Florida Senate website, the bill also prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in grade levels Kindergarten through third and authorizes parents to bring legal action against school districts.

The National Weather Service storm survey teams confirmed that two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Santa Rosa County Mar. 31 during a regional tornado outbreak.