The popular saying “you can’t understand someone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes” encourages empathy and understanding. For the family of Lilliana Boczar, an 11-year-old Navarre resident with two rare genetic disorders, they found out just how empathetic their community can be when a child is in need. Over the past few weeks Lilliana’s church, Ignite – A free Methodist Community, organized a shoe and donation drive to get Lilliana a new bed. At a cost of roughly $16,000, the Cubby Bed is designed for people with special needs and includes a protective mesh and a seizure monitoring system. Mari, Lilliana’s mom, said the bed will ensure that Lilliana is safe and secure throughout the night.

Plans have been submitted to Santa Rosa County for a new church building at 7484 Autumn Trace Blvd., near Harvest Village in Navarre. The church, Bethel Community Worship Center, has been around in its current form since 2018, meeting at Betty J. Pullum YMCA for services. The 0.674-acre Autumn Trace property has been in the church’s possession since 2020, but it is currently vacant.

A major Burger King franchisee, who owns 57 restaurants throughout Florida and Georgia, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Among the list of franchise locations impacted is Navarre’s Burger King, located at the intersection of Highway 98 and Navarre Beach Causeway.

The Florida State Senate recently passed a bill which will ban fluoride in drinking water supplies across the Sunshine State. The proposed ban, included in the “Florida Farm Bill,” would prevent adding substances to public water supplies which aren’t about “water quality.”

Whether it’s on the baseball diamond or in the classroom, Mycah Daniel is always looking to make a positive impact. Daniel, a 2016 Navarre High School graduate, was recently named rookie of the year at Gulf Breeze High School. He has been teaching and coaching at was once his rival school for two years.

Navarre resident and former State Representative Dr. Joel Rudman’s chances of staying on the Pensacola State College Board of Trustees have taken a hit after he was unanimously voted down by the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education during an April 15 hearing. Appointed by Gov. DeSantis, Rudman still needs to go before the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee before a vote is taken on the Senate floor, which will decide whether he maintains a seat on the board of trustees. The Ethics and Elections Committee meets Tuesday, April 22.

Whether it’s working on planes or educating middle school students, Frank Veres feels at home. Veres, who served for 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, recently was named rookie teacher of the year at Holley Navarre Middle School. He is in his second year of teaching.

If you were on the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier April 5, then you caught a whale of a sight.

Two North Atlantic right whales, dubbed “Koala” and “Curlew,” were spotted just off the pier and have been seen numerous times along the Gulf Coast, with sightings from Southwest Florida to Alabama. Most sightings have taken place since January.

For the past decade, Santa Rosa District Schools have been participating in ‘The Amazing Shake,’ a professional communication and soft skills competition geared toward middle school age students. Held in conjunction with local businesses such as Navy Federal Credit Union, the Amazing Shake features several stages of competition, ultimately coalescing into a regional final between nine students from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Each student represents a different school.

The low heavy roar of the motorcycles could be heard from a couple of blocks away. The riders were definitely on their way. American Legion Post 382, located on E Esplanade Street in Navarre, was preparing to house Flags of Honor Escorts, a veterans’ motorcycle group, for the night, Friday, April 4. The group, which had close to a dozen members stop by Navarre, had just held a memorial service at Pensacola’s Veterans Memorial Park to honor Gold Star families and servicemembers who paid the ultimate sacrifice.