In the latest issue of Editor & Publisher Magazine, they tackle the issue of Freedom of the Press and some of the perils that come with it. Leonard Woolsey, a respected publisher of the Daily News in Galveston, Texas, and the 2025 president of Southern Newspapers, had a lot to say about the perils of reporting the truth. The following is a portion of what was published in the February 2025 issue, with Gretchen A. Peck reporting.
It wasn’t the state weightlifting meet, but it was pretty darn close.
Talented boys weightlifting teams from around Northwest Florida competed at the Navarre Invitational last Wednesday afternoon.
So I took my first trip over to the new track at Pine Forest a couple of weekends ago. Let me just say that I was impressed.
It kind of felt like I was walking into a stadium for the state meet with the way the rubberized track looked as the sun beat down on it. It is indeed a thing of beauty.
About 35 years ago, my wife and I purchased a house next to an older, Lebanese couple. One afternoon, after lunch, I was about to head back to the church, when I saw my neighbor. I waved to him. He gently called to me, “Mike, please, come for coffee.” I hesitated, did a quick mental assessment of my busy afternoon schedule, sighed, then answered, “Sure. Thank you.”
We are happy a judge decided to dismiss the case local community agitator, Romi White, filed against the Holley Navarre Water System to try to stop the election at the annual meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if she files something else in the future just to keep the drama going. I’m fairly sure she is filing these injunctions on someone’s behalf and with someone’s credit card or check book. I didn’t miss-type the “s” on the end of injunctions. She filed two but didn’t file the first one correctly and was told to try again, and that will be an additional $410. Actually, $410 is pretty cheap to file an injunction just so you have something to write about. Because, otherwise, she wouldn’t. The funniest part is she writes blogs and interviews herself. It is quite comical.
Bullying is a widespread issue that lurks in the hallways and classrooms of schools across Northwest Florida. While the silence of it can be deafening, it will leave invisible scars that can last a lifetime. Despite school districts trying to implement increased awareness and initiatives aimed at combating bullying, its effects continue to ripple through our educational system, creating an environment of fear and insecurity for many of our young students.
Another college announced it will close at the end of this academic year. This time it’s Northland, which is an NCAA Division III school in Wisconsin.
It certainly won’t be the last school to close its doors forever because the reality in this ever-changing small college landscape is that plenty of other colleges are in danger of being shuttered.
After four years of loyal service, my laptop keyboard seems to be failing. Certain, high-volume letters now require more persuasion. Often, I must double back to coax their participation. One frequently used letter that now requires extra attention is the letter ‘G.’ Based on a video about regional accents produced by a linguistics expert, it seems that my laptop has embraced life here in the south and has developed a drawl. The first pass at typing this column yielded words like “failin’” and “typin’,’’ and in certain contexts I could get away with leaving them as is. It is a different matter with the reluctant keys for “A” and “T.” They have decided to renegotiate their contract since without their participation, many words are not words at all.
Navarre is 100 years old this year, 2025, and Navarre Press turns 25 years old in May of this year. We wish we had been here to record the entire 100 years or more of history. However, we have the next best thing. When we purchased the Santa Rosa Press Gazette, we also acquired the archives of the Milton Gazette which has been around since 1910. That is a lot of history. A huge part of our job is to preserve local history. Each issue is a snapshot into the life of our community. Today’s news is tomorrow’s history. We record celebrations, challenges, and the everyday events that shape our collective identity.
The Navarre Press recently reported on efforts by Navarre Beach Leaseholders and Residents Association (NBLRA) leaders Gary Buroker and Drew Ruthrauff to pursue fee simple title for beach properties. While resolving issues such as double taxation is an understandable goal, we, as concerned residents, believe it is essential to carefully consider the potential long-term impacts of such a fundamental shift in land ownership on our community.
