News Archive

By Terry Spencer – The head of the Florida Republican Party, whose wife is a founder of one of the nation’s most prominent conservative groups, has been accused of rape, leading Gov. Ron DeSantis to call for his resignation, roiling the state’s conservative politics and creating accusations of hypocrisy from Democrats and LBGTQ+ activists.

A Mexican restaurant in Tiger Point remains closed following a fire early morning, Wednesday, Nov. 27. The blaze began sometime before 12:35 a.m., Nov. 27, at Rio Bravo Mexican Grill, located at 3755 Gulf Breeze Parkway.

The heavy rain forecasted for Saturday has led organizers of a few Christmas events to cancel or reschedule. Here is what we know so far:

Hurlburt Field’s Annual Winter Wonderland and Tree Lighting is RESCHEDULED for Thursday, Dec. 7 from 4-7 p.m. at Memorial Air Park.

Santa Rosa County District Schools will host a groundbreaking for the new Southend High School on Wednesday, December 6, 1:30 p.m. at 5760 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Gulf Breeze.

Hurlburt Field will ring in the holiday season with the annual Winter Wonderland Celebration Friday, Dec. 1 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event, hosted by the 1st Special Operations Wing (SOW), is at Hurlburt Field’s Memorial Air Park.

An inmate at Santa Rosa County Jail died Sunday, Nov. 26. According to Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the inmate died during a use of force incident. The inmate was from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and was being housed at their facility.

The cold weather shelter for the homeless and/or heatless will open on the nights of Monday, Nov. 27 through Wednesday, Nov. 29 at Ferris Hill Baptist Church, 6848 Chaffin St. in Milton. Those who would like to stay at the shelter must arrive between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Only service animals (with verification of rabies vaccination) are permitted to stay with guests. No one will be admitted after 8:30 p.m. unless brought in by law enforcement. The shelter closes at 7 a.m. each morning.

Hurlburt Field – The sounds of gunfire woke U.S. Air Force Captain James Ryan on an early August morning in 2021.

“There’s a problem, we have to go now,” his aircraft commander, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Hardman, told Ryan from their deployed location in Afghanistan.

Escambia County District 3 Commissioner Lumon May joined in celebrating the history and future of Black aviation during Aviation Community Day, honoring special guest Capt. Victor Glover, who made history in 2021 as the first Black astronaut to live long-term aboard the International Space Station.

Hurlburt Field – U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Travis J. Hackett, a member of the 1st Special Operations Security Forces Squadron, has an inspiring story that intertwines his love for baseball and his dedication to serving his country.