News Archive

Last week, Florida Sen. Doug Broxson, Gulf Breeze-R, told Santa Rosa County residents that he will sponsor a bill creating an authority to oversee water-related utilities north of the Yellow River and bills to reform how county fire districts are funded.

Air Force Special Operations Command welcomed Air Attachés from 12 various allied and partner nations to Hurlburt Field, Florida, October 23, 2023. 

Attaché tours are a key function of the Department of the Air Force Foreign Liaison Office, which organizes the engagements to enhance partners’ understanding of American history and culture and enable firsthand experience with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force operations and structure.

Late into the special zoning board meeting Thursday night, Santa Rosa County Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve an amendment to Santa Rosa Development’s lease to allow an RV Park on the beach. Commissioner Sam Parker, Colten Wright and James Calkins voted in favor of the amendment, and Commissioners Kerry Smith and Ray Eddington opposed.

The decision to raise your right hand and take the Oath of Office can feel like a huge leap of faith. This was the case for U.S. Air Force Capt. Donsha Watkins, 9th Reconnaissance Wing chaplain, who pondered this decision for many years.

The ex-boyfriend of Cassie Carli, the woman who was found in a shallow grave in Springville, Alabama, will have his day in court in January 2024. Marcus Spanevelo, 36, is facing the charge of abuse of a corpse.

Under Alabama law, a person commits the crime of abuse of a corpse if they knowingly treat a human corpse in a way that would “outrage ordinary family sensibilities.” The abuse of a corpse charge carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years if a conviction is obtained.

Santa Rosa County Commissioner Kerry Smith is expected to file a defamation lawsuit against local builder Edwin Henry after learning Henry bankrolled a campaign mailer in 2022 claiming Smith had been convicted of domestic violence “several” times.

“Yes, I want to go after him,” Smith told Navarre Press on Thursday, Oct. 19. “I know Edwin Henry; he knows me. He knew this wasn’t true.”

Cameron Dain Gillilan, 31, of Navarre, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The Santa Rosa County school board approved a health insurance program for school district teachers and other employees at a special meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24.

The health insurance program for 2024 was a point of contention at the Oct. 12 board meeting and was tabled until the special meeting. The insurance committee, which comes up with recommendations for the school board when it comes to insurance and risk management, met twice in October to hammer out the details of a plan that would be agreeable to district employees and the district itself.

The Holley Navarre Water System is looking to rectify past issues with their procedures and policies, as well as mend public trust in the system’s management. To do this, the system’s board of directors considered and approved an implementation schedule for reforms based on findings from the forensic audit, which was presented to the board in September.

The Panhandle Butterfly House and Nature Center celebrated the grand opening of its new butterfly vivarium Saturday during its Third Annual Monarch Madness event.