The Holley-Navarre Fire District has seen an uptick in calls related to gas main leaks in the past couple of months, outside of the typical calls for medical emergencies or structure fires.

According to HNFD Fire Chief Kevin Lewis, within the last six months there have been six calls for gas leaks. Lewis says he knows the reason why.

Late last month, Dr. Natalie Dyson of St. Francis Veterinary Center got a call late in the afternoon asking if she could open the clinic after hours for a patient in desperate of need of help.

She didn’t hesitate to say yes.

It wasn’t that long ago that local Navarre resident Juliet Martinez was going to college to become an Emergency Medical Technician. One at-risk pregnancy later, she decided to pursue a different path: making jewelry.

A bill recently signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis will require teenagers earning their learner’s permit to complete a six-hour driver’s safety course, in addition to a driving rules knowledge test.

The current safety course, known as Traffic Law and Substance Abuse Education, is four hours in length.

St. Paul United Methodist Church has entered its golden years.

In July, the church will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding. The church began in 1955 with a single building as its sanctuary. That building still stands but now serves as the church’s fellowship hall.

When the Holley-Navarre Fire District doesn’t have its hands full with calls, some of its firefighters can be found helping a new generation find its footing in the fire service.

Through its monthly cadet program, teens interested in firefighting come together once a month to train, familiarize themselves with equipment and learn more about what it takes to be a firefighter.

As a strong line of severe weather made its way through the Navarre area Monday evening, June 23, emergency crews from across south Santa Rosa County had their hands full.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., there were at least five calls for service answered by first responders, namely Holley Navarre-Fire District and Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District. Midway Fire District also ran a call in HNFD’s district at the time.

Navarre Beach is often thought of as a vacation destination, somewhere to put your feet up after a long journey. For Kyndal Ray Edwards, that journey has been longer than most.

The Gulf Breeze Zoo has announced the birth of Kahlani, a female reticulated giraffe calf.

Andrew Rowe, a commercial banker with Synovus Bank, was recently named a member of 850 Business Magazine’s “Thirty-Under-Thirty,” a list honoring the top 30 young business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals working in Northwest Florida.