News Archive

Holley Navarre Water System board of directors met Feb. 17 to discuss, among other things, strategic planning options.

Earlier this year, the board told HNWS staff of its desire to create a five-year strategic plan. The plan would lay out a series of goals for the system and how the board could reach them with respect to budget constraints.

Recently, a string of bear depredations has raised concerns among some Navarre residents.

A depredation is the act of attacking or plundering in a destructive assault. The term is used when bears attack livestock, crops, beehives or other property.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were 63 depredations in the agency’s West Panhandle Bear Management Unit in 2025, an increase from 29 reported in 2024 and 21 reported in 2023. Other statistics for the region indicate an increase in bear-human interactions, which could signal a growing bear population.

Midway Fire District Station 37 hosted firefighters from multiple departments across south Santa Rosa County late last month.

Over three days, Midway, Holley-Navarre and Navarre Beach fire departments participated in high-intensity firefighter rescue training. The three districts are part of the South Santa Rosa Fire Alliance and work together for training and other events.

Northwest Florida Construction Career Days celebrated a record-breaking sixth year in 2026.

The annual construction and transportation career fair drew more than 1,400 students and chaperones from schools across seven Northwest Florida counties. Counties involved in this year’s event included Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.

The Love’s Travel Stop at I-10 Exit 26 near Bagdad is adding a place for RV owners to park their vehicles overnight. The truck stop and gas station is located at 3840 Garcon Point Road.

According to plans submitted to Santa Rosa County Development Services, Love’s corporate is looking to add four designated RV sites, which will include an expansion of 6,000 square feet of additional asphalt.

Every Valentine’s Day, while many families exchange cards and candy, 11-year-old Zeph Hay and his mom, Liz Knight, of Milton, return to the place where love once meant the fight to survive.

Their annual visit to Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola marks the anniversary of the day Zeph nearly died.

Holley Navarre Water System board of directors approved a plan to send out Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to a handful of qualified companies for the purpose of bad debt service solicitations.

Since October, the board has repeatedly inquired about pursuing the outstanding debt of current and former customers through a collection agency. The board instructed staff to solicit information from debt collection agencies to give the board a better understanding of process.

Plans for a Navarre Beach Boardwalk are slated to be complete by March.

Last July, the Santa Rosa County Commission heard design plans for a boardwalk along the Gulf side of the beach and requested revisions.

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating a homicide that occurred in the 5000 block of Nowling Drive in Milton.

The claims process for veterans to acquire their benefits can be burdensome, to say the least.

According to the VA, the average time to complete a disability related claim this year is 84.7 days. The claim review process can take even longer depending on the type of claim filed, how many injuries or disabilities claimed, how complex the injuries are and how long it takes the VA to collect evidence needed for a decision.