Editorial Archive

We at Sandpaper Publishing have much to be thankful for, beginning with our members and readers. You fuel the passion we have for publishing three newspapers each week for three communities. We work hard to report and write the stories the matter most to you. We are your voice and are privileged to be in that role. Thank you for choosing us as your news and information source. We hope you stay tuned because we have so much more work to do for you.

Yes, it’s campaign season – and all the ugly that comes with it. What you may not know is if you contribute money to Rob Williamson’s opponent he will shut you out. And apparently he has a long memory.

Last Thursday we said goodbye to two county commissioners whose bid for re-election failed…and failed miserably. Sam Parker and James Calkins are moving on down the road, one is literally moving. Calkins sold his house in Milton and has moved out of Santa Rosa County. Not a bad idea, one we can all get behind. There probably would have been a line of volunteers to pack the moving truck if he had asked for help.

Hey Santa Rosa County – we want better roads. We want a way to get some traffic off Highway 98. We want you to do something about flooding. We want our infrastructure to match our growth!

On Nov. 11 we will honor the brave men and women who answered a sacred call to duty for our country. It is a day to reflect on the courage, dedication and resilience of our military personnel. It is a small way to say, “thank you for your service” and we should add the words “and sacrifices.”

In 2020, in one of the most spirited presidential elections in the history of our country, approximately 66% of the population voted.

That was a record turnout, clearly one of the best turnouts ever, if not the best.

In just a few weeks, voters in Santa Rosa County will head to the ballot box to make important decisions that will impact our community for years to come.

If we learned anything this weekend, it’s that talk of incorporating Navarre is out.

It’s old news.

There are games of Monopoly, filled with House-rules galore, that are less complicated than the issue of Navarre incorporation.

At one point last week, 64 of Florida’s 67 counties were under a hurricane or tropical storm warning. Santa Rosa County, Okaloosa County and Escambia County were the three not under that type of warning.