News Archive

Only 14.62 percent of Santa Rosa County’s 123,472 voters cast a ballot in Tuesday’s primary election. “That’s extremely low,” said Commissioner Lane Lynchard, a member of the county canvassing board.

Picketers stood outside Portofino Island Resort July 12 to protest the decision of the Tower Two Board to trap 12 feral cats that live on the island. Sharon Berg, of Emerald Coast Animal Allies, has worked to have each of the cats that live under and around the Portofino Towers spayed or neutered, micro chipped and vaccinated in order to ensure they were able to remain at the resort.

Dirt bikers and other off-road enthusiasts won’t have to wait much longer to enjoy an off-highway vehicle (OHV) area, which was initially projected to open three years ago in Blackwater River State Forest.

The Santa Rosa County chapter of the national charity Ducks Unlimited (DU) hosted a “Greenwing” event July 26 in Milton. The event targeted aspiring hunters and conservationists.

Longleaf pine restoration efforts in Blackwater River State Forest will continue thanks to a recent multi-million-dollar grant announcement in Washington, D.C. The project includes prescribed fire on 20,000 acres, controlling invasive species on 350 acres, treating 1,100 acres of hardwoods and restoring 330 acres of longleaf pine. The project also aligns with the natural resource and encroachment protection goals of Eglin Air Force Base by expanding potential off-base habitat for protected species, including the flatwoods salamander.

The Navy’s Blue Angels have announced the selection of nine new team members for the 2015 season. The squadron selected an executive officer, three F/A-18 demonstration pilots, an events coordination officer, two C-130 demonstration pilots, a flight surgeon, and a supply officer to join the 2015 team.

Washington – The official rollout of the first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force is a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

Tallahassee, Fla. (AP) – Any way you look at it — age, gender or party registration — Florida voters overwhelmingly support the idea of legalizing medical marijuana, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday.

The rate of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is falling in the United States where more than 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. It has no cure and current drugs only temporarily ease symptoms.

Students entering the 7th grade are required to have a current Tetanus-Diphtheria-Pertussis (Tdap) shot. The local department of health has scheduled outreach clinics to provide additional opportunities for parents to update their child’s middle school shots.