News Archive

A development company has decided not to pursue rezoning of about 185 acres on Soundside Drive based on concerns shared by local residents at an informational meeting hosted July 31.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson met with local leaders Aug. 6 in Pensacola, pushing for release of hundreds of millions of dollars intended to help Florida’s coastal communities recover from the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion, which resulted in the largest oil spill U.S. history.

The numbers are in, and the proposed Santa Rosa County courthouse will cost about $50 million, regardless of which of three locations is selected. Commissioners Thursday, Aug. 14 will hold a public hearing to discuss related ballot language, leading up to the general election.

Folks on the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier (NBFP) jumped into action Aug. 12 as two sea turtle were rescued after being accidentally hooked.

A Fort Walton Beach woman accused of killing her newborn child by putting her inside a plastic bag and placing her outside in a garbage can in February has been indicted on charges of First Degree Premeditated Murder and/or First Degree Felony Murder and Aggravated Child Abuse.

Local attorney Roy V. Andrews officially became counselor for Santa Rosa County commissioners Aug. 4, following the resignation of former County Attorney Angie Jones, who had a $136,000 annual contract. Andrews’ negotiated $145,000 per year, plus a $400 monthly travel stipend.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office reported Aug. 11 that one person apprehended Friday night in Atmore, Alabama, following a high-speed pursuit had been arrested earlier the same week in Santa Rosa County and accused of narcotics-related crimes.

The Gulf Breeze Area Chamber of Commerce and United Peninsula Association (UPA) hosted a candidate forum Aug. 11 that included invites to all statewide candidates, as well as candidates for Congress, the Florida House of Representatives, Circuit Judge and Santa Rosa County Commission and School Board.

The last time stormwater rates went up in the City of Gulf Breeze was 2012 when the monthly cost increased from $4.25 to $4.50. The city council Aug. 7 reviewed the stormwater fund’s projected budget for next year, which showed it would need an infusion of general fund revenue to be balanced.

The Santa Rosa County Zoning Board is meeting in south Santa Rosa County Thursday evening and will consider a rezoning request for about 185 acres on Soundside Drive that is proposed for a new single family development. The request would change the property’s zoning from R1 to R1A, which provides for smaller lot sizes.