News Archive

Football is the focus of the day. Navarre is getting set to take on Choctaw in a 7-on-7 game at Hurlburt Field. Before things get rolling here on a hot and humid July morning in Northwest Florida, Col Allison Black steps onto the logo at midfield, the players gathered around her, and talks a little bit about the opportunity the athletes have to play this game and a little about what special operations are all about here on the base.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Robert Patrick Jernigan, 53, of Milton, Thursday night in connection with the murder of Stephen Lee Jernigan.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) this week arrested Aaron Dedecker, 52, of Gulf Breeze on 30 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of promoting a sexual performance by a child and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device. All charges are felonies.

Stephen Lee Jernigan, 70 was found dead at his home in the 1800 block of Schnoor Road north of Chumuckla on Wednesday. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating. The Sheriff’s Office in a news release said detectives believe foul play was involved and that the death was not a random act; there is no threat to the general public. The Press Gazette will report further details as they become available.

Cheetahs are famous for being the fastest land animal, and now you can “spot” not one, but two in Northwest Florida. In early July, the Gulf Breeze Zoo welcomed two cheetahs – Big Mike and Safi. The four-year old brothers came to the Gulf Breeze Zoo from their sister Zoo, the Virginia Safari Park.

In the nearly 40 years the Gulf Breeze Zoo has been open, this is the first time they have had a cheetah exhibit, which can be seen daily next to the lions.

“It’s definitely a new adventure and I’m excited to be able to work with them and get to know them and build that relationship with them,” said McKenna Kuntzi, one of the cheetah keepers at the Gulf Breeze Zoo. “That’s pretty much the best part of our jobs is building relationships with the animals.”

East Bay Boulevard will be open by the end of the day (Tuesday, July 18) to thru traffic between Bergren Road and Edgewood Drive in Navarre but will remain an active construction zone. According to assistant county engineer John Studstill, the open cut roadwork requiring the road closure is complete.

Florida’s 2023-2024 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday is almost here! From Monday, July 24, to Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, consumers can purchase qualifying back-to-school supplies exempt from tax. A second sales tax exemption period will begin Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, and extend through Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.

For Rashelle Stewart, executive director of Tiny Acres Northwest Florida, Inc., helping horses is the ‘mane’ thing. Tiny Acres Northwest Florida, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting and rehabilitating abused or neglected horses in Santa Rosa County.

The Holley Navarre Water System held a special meeting of the board of directors Thursday, July 6, to discuss the Eglin RIBs Project and impact fee solutions for local businesses. The Eglin RIBs Project will be coming back open for bid after HNWS didn’t get what they wanted during the first bidding process.

Anyone with access to NAS Whiting Field is invited to a ceremony commemorating the installation’s 80th anniversary beginning at noon Monday, July 17.