Editorial Archive

Some of my favorite childhood memories are summer days spent running around my grandmother’s yard in DeFuniak Springs. Back then, a “vacation” for our family meant a four-hour drive to Florida to see family for a few days.

Ten years ago, a group of local citizens considered what it would mean for Navarre to become its own town. This group raised over $38,000 and held meetings that led to a vote. They very nearly succeeded, earning 44% of the vote in 2014.

On April 11, award-winning investigative journalist for CBS News and Fox News prior to that, gave strong and compelling testimony on Capitol Hill regarding the Press Act, and the importance – no, the necessity – in journalists protecting the name and identity of sources.

We listen to the residents who speak at the county commission meetings. Growth is an issue. Maybe growth is THE issue. We want the residents to be informed about development and how it works.

We recently published a story about a situation at Lighthouse Private Christian Academy. Most people are familiar, but if you are not, the school came under scrutiny from the Midway fire marshal and fire chief after an inspection. The inspector determined two campus houses needed a sprinkler system and he shut down the houses immediately, displacing 24 students. Things got a little out of hand in how the chief responded.

For Christians around the world, Easter represents a time of renewal, and a time of remembrance of the death of Jesus and his resurrection. However you choose to celebrate Easter, whether it is in Church or in your backyard hunting for Easter eggs or both, we at Navarre Press wish you a day of renewal. Consider it perhaps a transfiguration of sorts; a shedding of whatever is old and stale and an embrace of new things, habits and ideas.

Residents in the southeast corner of Santa Rosa County regularly debate two evergreen questions: Should some combination of Navarre, Navarre Beach and Holley incorporate? And second, should the county dredge a channel to the Gulf of Mexico?

In February, Santa Rosa County commissioners approved letting RaceTrac install underground fuel storage tanks in a wellfield zone that supplies clean drinking water to about 100,000 residents. On Monday, Commissioner Colten Wright, who voted to approve the variance allowing the tanks, proposed updating the wellfield protection ordinance to address issues raised during the RaceTrac debate – including what to do about existing underground tanks in the area.

Did Santa Rosa County compromise the integrity of its water protection zone by approving a variance to allow RaceTrac to install underground storage tanks at a station on State Road 87? We don’t think so, but the unpopular decision raises some questions about how the county manages its various overlay districts.

“In Santa Rosa County, our sense of safety is a testament to the dedication and hard work of my men and women in uniform and the other First Responders, whose partnerships we greatly appreciate and depend on. Yet, this safety net faces a critical threat—one that originates from unsurmountable growth within our county.