News Archive

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP) – The Veterans Affairs Department says more than 8,500 new patients are still waiting for initial medical appointments at six VA hospitals and clinics throughout Florida 90 days or more after requesting them.

The United States Air Force is exploring the use of Florida’s two largest state forests for nonhazardous military training. Dozens of locals protested that possibility at the final public meeting on the issue held June 5 in Bagdad.

The bodies of two brothers were recovered from Blackwater River after swift currents near Deaton’s Bridge pulled them underwater June 3. The incident report indicated neither could swim.

At Monday’s commission meeting, the board moved to revisit the current courthouse site as a third possible option for this year’s ballot. Today the board will officially vote to fund further study on the matter and take action on several other issues, including creating a short list of applicants for further consideration for the County Attorney position

Seven months ago, Randy Stokes thought he hit the jackpot. After his landlord asked him to move out of his Destin home in order to make room for her son returning from Afghanistan, Stokes was unsure he and his wife Marsha would find another home they loved as much.

County crews and contractors have been working for more than four weeks to repair infrastructure in south Santa Rosa County that was damaged by flood waters at the end of April. The good news is that the majority of repairs have been made but more remains to be done.

A Milton man is charged with aggravated child abuse, a first degree felony, and is being held without bond for allegedly beating a six-month-old child. The victim is currently in intensive care. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office reported 27-year-old Joseph Shawn Walker was arrested June 4.

Escambia County court records show 33-year-old Joseph Graves, a former crime lab chemist in Pensacola, was arraigned June 5 on 33 counts of drug trafficking.

Kite flying has been known to be child’s play, but not necessarily for a group of kite flying enthusiasts who have formed The Emerald Coast Kite Flyer’s Club. Members like Tonya Layton take a lot of pride in their handmade kite creations. She showed off the kite that she made herself, a dolphin she named Marty, at the club’s recent gathering at Opal Beach. Many club members bring family and friends to weekend “Club Fun Flys” the third Sunday of each month or whenever the club wants to get together.  

The Florida Highway Patrol reported a Gulf Breeze man is hospitalized after being struck by a car, while riding his bicycle Saturday along Highway 98 in Santa Rosa County.