Opinion Archive

One Sunday morning before a worship service, a young girl in the congregation, her face alight with a bright smile, handed me a piece of scratch-pad paper.

“Pastor, I made this for you,” she said. I am grateful anytime anyone is thoughtful enough to make something for me, so I thanked her.

One year ago, Johnny Lee Akins of Crestview, Florida sought treatment for severe mental health issues at a hospital with a psychiatric receiving facility, and despite his wife’s desperate pleas, the facility released him because he apparently did not meet commitment criteria.

Moving traffic through or around Milton isn’t a new concern. The city considered building a second bridge over the Blackwater River to connect Berryhill Street to U.S. Highway 90 and create a bypass at least 20 years ago.

But now that the Florida Department of Transportation is moving ahead with a plan to widen Caroline Street (U.S. 90) from two to four lanes between Stewart Street and Ward Basin Road, the debate over downtown’s future has taken on a new urgency.

We are excited for the fun of the Beaches to Woodlands tour to begin as they celebrate their 19th anniversary of connecting north and south Santa Rosa County with events.

We hope you will take part in the fun and venture up to the north end of the county for some adventure there as well. There is an outline of events with dates in this issue.

Some of you feel as if college athletes owe you something. Or that they aren’t entitled to an opinion.

I see this sense of entitlement all the time on social media. I’m baffled by it. Usually, I shake my head. You typically see it in football more than any other sport.

My wife will occasionally ask me to read to her because she says that my voice is soothing and puts her to sleep.

She asks at bedtime, and I confess, I don’t often comply because I am tired. I like the fact that my wife finds my voice that soothing; it’s kind of like a superpower.

This week we have included our Fall Sports Guide which will give you a lot of information on all the sports that will be played this fall along with pictures of the teams, rosters and the calendar of games that are currently scheduled to be played.

We hope you use it throughout the fall to follow your favorite teams or team member. We will be updating each week in the paper – of course.

The Holley Navarre Water System board of directors is once again a divided mess.

Unfortunately, the board members demanding transparency to the membership are in the minority. The other half of the board is being as transparent as mud.

We, Ronnie (Linda), Gina, and Bettye (Rick), were so very fortunate to have our mom, Aileen Brandon, in our lives! Our youngest sister, Alyson, preceded Mom in her death. Mom, 97, was born and raised on a farm in rural northern Alabama, where she loved riding her horse, Prince, going fishing, and cheerleading throughout high school. Her mother taught her to sew on a pedal sewing machine, how to cook and can, and how to do the chores related to farm life. In her day, social events centered around the home and the community. Beds were removed and square dances were held in homes, complete with musicians. Women would sit around a wooden frame and quilt as they socialized with each other. Beautiful quilts were produced with lots of love and care! After high school, Mom worked at Brookley AFB,

I have a good friend, Frank Manno, who is a professional photographer like no other.

What makes Frank unique is that he is legally blind. Retinitis pigmentosa is slowly robbing him of sight, and yet he takes amazing photographs.