News Archive

Coastal Connections Academy is in hot water with school board officials after receiving an “F” grade for this past school year. The online public charter school has contracted with Santa Rosa County for the past four and a half years. CCA is managed through Pearson Virtual Schools, which has two schools in Florida and operates more than 40 across the U.S.

Santa Rosa County hosted a CivicCon event on Aug. 12. The event was held by CivicCon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the community “a better place to live, play, work, and invest through smart planning and by driving unparalleled and continuing com-munity engagement,” according to their website. The county was responsible for hosting the event, and provided a space for the meeting after the organization reached out express-ing interest in a Santa Rosa County event.

A vehicle ran into Ace Hardware in Navarre Monday morning, Aug. 18, prompting a response from Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol. 

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.