With the growth of Santa Rosa County’s human population comes an influx of pets, such as cats and dogs.

To keep pets, and their owners, in check, the county has leash laws enforced by Santa Rosa County Animal Services. The leash laws pertain to various areas of the county, namely in population centers such as Navarre, Midway, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Pace and Jay.  

The congregation of First Baptist Church of Navarre came together late last month to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their church.

The celebration included a speech by West Region Catalyst of the Florida Baptist Convention Brian Nall, a dinner and a host of scrapbooks capturing four decades of memories. Greg Love, who has pastored the church since October 2023, said the event was a great chance to reconnect with the church’s history and members.

June 20 marked International Horseshoe Crab Day. While that day has passed, horseshoe crabs remain one of the most important creatures along the Florida Gulf Coast.

Described as ‘living fossils,’ horseshoe crabs were around before the dinosaurs and haven’t evolved much in the last 445 million years. They are unmistakably recognizable with their horseshoe-shaped prosoma (the front shell), opisthosoma (back shell) and a spike-like tail called a telson.

With a population of 200,000 and growing, Santa Rosa County first responders must be as prepared as ever to meet the needs of the community. Add an influx of tourists each spring and summer and you have a serious need to be ready for disasters and incidents.

Despite rain clouds in the distance, weather wasn’t a deterrent for the Emerald Coast Amateur Radio Association’s annual American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day. ECARA was joined by the Santa Rosa County Citizens Corps’ Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) group.

With the growth of sports tourism, as well as a desire from county residents for more recreational amenities, Santa Rosa County officials are looking to add more sports recreational opportunities on the south end of the county.

One place the county is currently planning to add sports recreation is Navarre Beach.

Navarre residents and visitors flocked to Navarre Beach to catch a large scale fireworks display Friday night, July 4. The Independence Day celebration is put on by Navarre Beach Fishing Pier and Santa Rosa County. 

June was a busy month on Navarre Beach in more than one way. On top of the sugar-white sand, visitors play and lifeguards patrol. Beneath the sand, sea turtle eggs lay in nests across the beachfront, incubating.

The sound of children hollering and music blaring filled the Navarre United Methodist Church sanctuary June 25 as the church held its third day of Vacation Bible School.

This year’s VBS featured approximately 260 children, ranging from prekindergarten to fifth grade. The theme of this year’s VBS was “Live it Out,” a mantra designed alongside daily curriculum, to teach children how to live out their faith and be more like Jesus.

Although school’s out for summer break, local educator Angie Taylor is still being celebrated for her accomplishments in the classroom and community.

An Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher at Navarre High School for the past 23 years, Taylor was recently recognized as “Educator of the Year” by the Arc Gateway, an organization providing academic, social skills and workforce training for people with special needs.