News Archive

A proposal to add an amphitheater, shops, food trucks, playgrounds and other amenities to Navarre Beach was greeted with enthusiasm March 4 by members of the Tourist Development Council.

Director Julie White had rolled out her vision to the Santa Rosa County Commissioners at their Feb. 23 strategic planning workshop.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge will not reopen as scheduled and announced.

The need for additional repair work was discovered, and completing it takes the March 22 reopening date off the schedule. Instead, local officials were told by Florida Department of Transportation Thursday that the Memorial Day reopening date is still viable.

The Santa Rosa County Commission voted 5-to-0 at its recent special rezoning meeting to withdraw a controversial amendment to the Comprehensive Plan that would have opened the East Milton Wellfield Protection Area to more open-pit mining.

“This should put everybody’s mind at ease,” said District 2 Commissioner Bob Cole, shortly before the vote that came at the end of public input about the doomed amendment. “It’s done. It’s over.”

The Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 25 to deny a variance that would have allowed a new gas station to be built at 8006 Navarre Parkway.

The zoning board had unanimously voted against approving the variance two weeks ago.

A 50-year-old Navarre father and grandfather was killed Tuesday by a driver who hit him and fled the scene.

Robert Triplett was walking to work just before 6 a.m. when a box truck driver swerved into the bike lane on U.S. Highway 98 in front of the Navarre Walmart.

The truck fled. Florida Highway Patrol is asking anyone with information about the accident to call 850-287-8090.

A small group of citizens concerned about speeding on Ortega Street met with Commission Chair Dave Piech and representatives from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office last week.

The citizens say that speeding is a recurring and dangerous problem along their residential street, where the speed limit is 20 miles per hour, only increasing to 30 mph as it approaches the high school.

U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz discussed what’s on the horizon for NAS Whiting Field in the near future during a livestream on Facebook Thursday afternoon.

Gaetz said Leonardo is partnering with the Naval airfield to bring upgrades that will significantly improve training opportunities at a base that is home to the largest air wing in the United States Navy.