News Archive

Incorporation decided (for now)

In 2024, a new chapter was written in the long fight of whether Navarre should maintain its status as an unincorporated community or become a city. Throughout the year, pro-incorporation community members, namely the organization Preserve Navarre, attempted to get the issue of incorporation on the ballot. In previous years, similar ballot measures had failed to pass.

The sheriffs of four counties in Florida’s 1st Congressional District have endorsed Jimmy Patronis in his run for Congress. Sheriff Chip Simmons of Escambia, Sheriff Bob Johnson of Santa Rosa, Sheriff Eric Aden of Okaloosa, and Sheriff Michael Adkinson Jr. of Walton County announced their support for the Florida Chief Financial Officer’s campaign on Dec. 20.

Hurlburt Field – Nov 29, 2024, marks one year since a CV-22 Osprey, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, crashed near Yakushima, Japan, while participating in a joint interoperability exercise resulting in the loss of the eight crew members aboard.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, ACC command chief, visited the 505th Command and Control Wing, Nov. 14. Wilsbach and Wolfe were accompanied by their spouses, Mrs. Cindy Wilsbach and Dr. Doniel Wolfe.

On Dec. 18, 2024, a Santa Rosa County jury found Aubrey Luker guilty of First-Degree Premeditated Murder. He was immediately sentenced to life without parole in Florida state prison system.

Santa Rosa County Animal Services is temporarily closing all cat adoption operations at the shelter facility until Friday, Dec. 27 due to illness.

On Dec. 9, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act, directing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally enroll the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) into the National Estuary Program and designate Pensacola and Perdido Bays as “Estuaries of National Significance.”

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has announced its intent to close six prison camp facilities across the United States, including Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Pensacola. In addition to the prison camp facilities, the Bureau of Prisons is also closing Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin in California.

At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Dec. 12 they announced that a developer whose construction has caused runoff into Mulat Bayou was heavily fined.

A UWF Usha Kundu, MD College of Health student is taking a look at how people with autism or ADHD process sensory information compared to neurotypical people, or individuals without ADHD or autism, to get a better understanding of their sensitivities to stimuli.