News Archive

A divided Santa Rosa County Commission voted 3-2 last week to permit Adams Sanitation to provide trash hauling services south of the Yellow River, despite an “exclusive” franchise agreement with Waste Pro USA.

Holley Navarre Water System meetings have drawn a packed room since the termination of former CEO, Dallas Peavey, Jr. The September meeting was no exception. Below we have listed the top three things you should know:

1. Forensic Audit

The perceived lack of oversight of the water system, especially following the revelations surrounding former HNWS CEO Dallas Peavey Jr., has become a hot button issue once again.

A Navarre man is behind bars after repeatedly harassing his neighbor in her yard, one time while completely nude. Thomas Phillip, 60, was arrested after Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office investigated a pattern of behavior all caught on video by the victim, Phillip’s neighbor.

According to the arrest report, the incident began on Sept. 17, when a Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to the 8100 block of Molina St. in Navarre for a mentally ill person.

Gulf Islands National Seashore has closed the Florida areas of the park to all visitors since 8 p.m. on Sun., Sept. 25, in preparation for then Tropical Storm Ian.

Closed areas include the Fort Pickens Area, Perdido Key Area (Johnson Beach), Opal Beach, and Okaloosa Area.

The Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center is issuing words of warning for anyone considering any outdoor burning activities in the coming days: Use extreme caution or simply don’t do it.

According to the Florida Forest Service, it has been more than two weeks since most of the three-county area (Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties) has seen rainfall and wildfire danger is on the rise. Add to that a forecast calling for increased winds and low humidity for the next three days and firefighters are bracing for the possibility of significant fire activity.

At this time, Hurricane Ian is not projected to hit our area, but that doesn’t mean it won’t have an impact.

The latest update from US National Weather Service Mobile says that while Hurricane Ian is expected to generally stay east of this area of the Florida Panhandle, Northwest Florida will still see some impacts.

Santa Rosa County Animal Services has received a $25,000 grant from Florida Animal Friend to assist with the community cat program.

The program provides free or reduced-cost neuter/spay for community cats. This funding will allow free neuter/spay and rabies vaccination services for up to 500 cats in Santa Rosa County communities. Participants can begin scheduling appointments Sat., Oct. 1.

A change in the land development code now allows CEFCO to move forward with building a gas station and convenience store in Navarre at High School Boulevard and Highway 87 South after Santa Rosa County Planning and Zoning approved the plan on Sept. 12.

According to Santa Rosa County Community Planning, Zoning, and Development Director Shawn Ward, the County Commissioners adopted a new land development code in August 2021, which eliminated the requirement for 500 feet between residential housing and underground fuel tank storage.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget for Santa Rosa County includes a record investment in capital projects, thanks partly to federal stimulus spending and higher property values.

“This is new for our county to have this much money set aside for infrastructure in the budget process, so it’s a big deal,” Sabrina White, the county’s assistant budget director, said. “It’s exciting times in Santa Rosa County.”

Hurricane Ivan made landfall Sept. 16, 2004, just west of Navarre as a Category 3 storm. Ivan packed winds of 120 mph sustained and a historic storm surge, according to the National Weather Service.

Coastal areas from Mobile to Destin felt the brunt of Ivan’s wrath; aerial photographs taken days after the storm showed much smaller barrier islands (including Santa Rosa Island, which lost virtually all of its dunes and beaches).