News Archive

Five Navarre students among those nominated to military academies

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz was at Navarre High School Thursday, Jan. 25, to announce the recipients of nominations to military service academies. Amongst the many names called out were five Navarre High School students, four of which were in attendance. Benjamin Johnson, Gennaro Smith, Jesse Lee, Brenner Mavity, and Katelynn Johnson all received appointments to either the Naval Academy, U.S Military Academy at West Point, the Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, or the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

New board members elected

At Holley Navarre Water System’s annual membership meeting on Jan. 16, two board members were voted in. Incumbent director Mark Miller and newcomer Rob Low were selected out a field of four. In addition to the election of board members, the water system’s membership also voted against a change to the utility’s articles of incorporation. The change would have provided a lower threshold for altering the utility’s bylaws to “at least 5% of the members of the corporation” participating in a vote. As it stands now, a change to the bylaws requires approval by the “majority of membership.” The total membership of HNWS is 14,000.

Incorporation decided (for now)

In 2024, a new chapter was written in the long fight of whether Navarre should maintain its status as an unincorporated community or become a city. Throughout the year, pro-incorporation community members, namely the organization Preserve Navarre, attempted to get the issue of incorporation on the ballot. In previous years, similar ballot measures had failed to pass.

The sheriffs of four counties in Florida’s 1st Congressional District have endorsed Jimmy Patronis in his run for Congress. Sheriff Chip Simmons of Escambia, Sheriff Bob Johnson of Santa Rosa, Sheriff Eric Aden of Okaloosa, and Sheriff Michael Adkinson Jr. of Walton County announced their support for the Florida Chief Financial Officer’s campaign on Dec. 20.

Hurlburt Field – Nov 29, 2024, marks one year since a CV-22 Osprey, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing, crashed near Yakushima, Japan, while participating in a joint interoperability exercise resulting in the loss of the eight crew members aboard.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, ACC command chief, visited the 505th Command and Control Wing, Nov. 14. Wilsbach and Wolfe were accompanied by their spouses, Mrs. Cindy Wilsbach and Dr. Doniel Wolfe.

On Dec. 18, 2024, a Santa Rosa County jury found Aubrey Luker guilty of First-Degree Premeditated Murder. He was immediately sentenced to life without parole in Florida state prison system.

Santa Rosa County Animal Services is temporarily closing all cat adoption operations at the shelter facility until Friday, Dec. 27 due to illness.

On Dec. 9, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary of National Significance Act, directing the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to formally enroll the Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) into the National Estuary Program and designate Pensacola and Perdido Bays as “Estuaries of National Significance.”

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has announced its intent to close six prison camp facilities across the United States, including Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Pensacola. In addition to the prison camp facilities, the Bureau of Prisons is also closing Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin in California.