News Archive

A week before children began flocking the halls of schools across Santa Rosa County, school administrators and Santa Rosa County District Schools personnel were hard at work getting ready for the 2025-26 school year.

From Aug. 4 through Aug. 8, school employees including teachers and front office staff returned to full time work at their respective school sites for a ‘planning week.’

Code Ninjas, an international afterschool learning center franchise, held an open house Saturday, Aug. 2, marking the first public event the organization has held since moving to their new location in Midway.

The arrest of a Gulf Breeze man for child pornography possession has stirred up anger and calls for accountability in the Gulf Breeze community.

Matthew McChesney, 18, is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of trading child porn. According to a warrant report for McChesney, he accessed, traded and saved child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Discord chatroom.

An animal shelter in Fort Walton Beach is on the verge of shutting down, according to their executive director. If shut down, it may lead to an influx of needy animals for Santa Rosa County Animal Services.

CareerSource ESCAROSA, in partnership with Santa Rosa Economic Development, presents the 2025 Honoring Our Heroes Career Fair. The career fair will take place from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 14 at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium, 4530 Spikes Way in Milton.

Santa Rosa County District Schools is seeking to increase its millage rate from 5.398 to 5.414 for the upcoming tax year. The increased millage rate will mean an increase in property taxes.

The move comes as the district proposes a decrease to its total budget size.

The Sandollar condominiums on Navarre Beach is no more.

The 40-year-old structure, located at 7885 Gulf Blvd., was demolished over a period of several days starting Wednesday, Aug. 6. The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners approved the demolition of the beachfront condominium April 24.

A portion of Tibet Drive, from the golf course to Tiger Point Boulevard, will be down to one lane beginning Thursday, August 7, for road resurfacing.

Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Air Force Base are continuing to address the toxic pres-ence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on their respective properties, also known as “forever chemicals.” PFAS is found in a variety of products, from clothing to heat-resistant pans to adhesives. They are also present in certain kinds of firefighting foams commonly used by military fire-fighters.

U.S. Highway 98 can be a traffic nightmare.

From Gulf Breeze in Santa Rosa County to Mary Esther in Okaloosa County, there are few, if any, alternative routes to Highway 98 if traveling east and west. Combine ever increasing amounts of tourists, people commuting to and from work and school traffic and you have a serious congestion problem.