News Archive

Labor Day weekend was at capacity for rentals on Navarre Beach and the traffic was what one would come to expect for a busy holiday weekend. Two incidents during the weekend dampened what were otherwise festive spirits for tourists and residents alike when they learned of two separate deaths of tourists from Louisiana who were visiting Navarre Beach to relax and enjoy their Labor Day weekend.

Holley Navarre Primary School (HNPS) reported that the school was in lockdown for approximately thirty minutes around noon Sept. 2. School staff said an irate parent in the front office caused them to initiate safety protocols that resulted in the 30 minute lockdown procedure. On the same morning, police were dispatched due to a “suspicious trespasser” over the police scanner.

The Gulf Breeze Zoo is expanding again, but not in land mass. Two rare Grévy Zebras were born within hours of each other from two different moms, Blitz and Twitch. Both babies are called “colts” because they have been identified as being male. The new Zebra moms and colts are being kept in an area all to themselves, “so they can concentrate on just being moms,” said Zookeeper Christy Barnes. Barnes is responsible for the Zoo’s large mammals to include the rhinos, deer, antelope, hippos, watusi, gorillas, chimps, and kudu. Barnes also said that Zebra moms can be aggressive toward other animals if she feels that the colt is being threatened. Hence the separate area just off of

A Craigslist search for a “female companion” apparently turned into a violent robbery in the early hours of Aug. 27 in Gulf Breeze. Steven Carl Struck told Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies that he had been corresponding via e-mail and text messaging with a woman as a result of the ad. The woman, later identified as Holly Caudle, identified herself as “Gloria,” upon arrival at his home at 2 a.m.. She was accompanied by another man, later identified as Robert Fraser. According the report, Struck allowed both into his home after they asked to use the restroom.

Labor Day weekend was busy for the Holley Navarre Fire District which received 19 calls on Aug. 29 alone.

Just 11 provisional votes decided whether or not there would be a recount in the tight race between two seated county commissioners. In the end, Bob Cole received enough provisional votes to eliminate the need for a recount against fellow commissioner Jim Melvin, who also had to seek the District 2 seat after redistricting in 2010.

One of the issues in front of voters in Santa Rosa County for the November general election is to decide if a proposed county-wide one cent local option sales tax should be adopted to fund a new judicial center.  The option would increase sales tax by one percent, and if approved, would be limited to five years, beginning on Jan. 1, 2015 and ending at midnight on Dec. 31, 2019. 

There can only be one best friend for man. That is according to a new study conducted at the University of California, San Diego that found dogs were capable of the seemingly-human emotion of jealousy.

When someone catches sight of a panther or black bear and reports it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the agency’s biologists may use that sighting to help research and manage those species.

The strength, stamina and fighting ability of a “silver king” make tarpon one of Florida’s most popular game fish. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently announced it is seeking help with their Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study.