News Archive

Digital billboards are giving motorists along U.S. Highway 98 notice that the busy highway will have some closures on Saturday, Oct. 23. The signs are placed along both sides of the road at various spots.

Ian Satter, spokesman for the Florida Department of Transportation, said more information will be released later but that the closure is required for work to be done on the pedestrian walkway over the highway near Hurlburt Field.

More than 120 colorful vehicles lined the parking lot of Navarre High School Oct. 9 at the 20th annual Navarre Car, Truck & Bike Show.

“These are the best cars we’ve ever had,” organizer and president of Pirates on the Panhandle Mark Miller said. “They’re not just cars, they’re like works of art.”

The Santa Rosa County Tourism Development Council received an update Oct. 7 from Julie White, director of the TDC, about issues with maintenance, vandalism, pavilions, parking lots, beach sand and trash. According to officials, residents have complained about the conditions of Navarre Beach as of late and officials are working to find solutions.

Council members called the conditions “unsatisfactory” after the presentation concluded, citing a need to expand maintenance crew staff to handle the growing number of visitors.

District 4 Commissioner Dave Piech gave an update on the proposed traffic light on Gulf Blvd. at Thursday’s Tourism Development Council meeting. The new traffic light system will cost $350,000 and will require over 250 days to execute.

Emily Jones, an eighth grader at Avalon Middle School, was riding the bus home down U.S. Highway 90 on a Sept. 17, when her bus driver, Roberta Temple, started feeling tightness in her chest.

Temple pulled over in a Dunkin’ Donuts plaza to ensure the safety of about 70 middle schoolers on her bus. She reached for the radio but couldn’t get words out.

Gulf Islands National Seashore will reopen the Fort Pickens Area, Oct. 8 at 8 a.m.  

Residential recycling services will resume on Mon., Oct. 11 for customers in all unincorporated areas of Santa Rosa County who utilize Waste Pro, the county’s waste collections franchisee.

With the decline in active COVID cases, Santa Rosa County District Schools have adjusted their health guidelines for the second nine-week period which begins Oct. 11.

From The Club at Hidden Creek Facebook page: “Due to the excessive rain we have accumulated over the past few days the course and driving range are closed. We do not have a date at this time when we will be able to re-open or book tee times. Please check our website, facebook page and instagram page for additional updates.”

At its October meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved temporary closures to recreational harvest of gray triggerfish, red grouper, blackfin snapper, queen snapper, silk snapper and wenchman in Gulf state waters starting Monday, Oct. 11. These closures are consistent with recent closures in Gulf federal waters.