Every May, Keller Williams offices across the country close for one day to give back to the community. In Navarre, Keller Williams Emerald Coast, used their day out of the office, called “Red Day,” to serve the people (and animals) of Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center.

A 2022 fuel spill near Navarre Park is at the center of a legal case brought forth by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) against Navarre Boardwalk and Marina, LLC, owned by Navarre local and businessman James Dabney.

Standing at 6’7”, it’s hard to miss Akok Chan (pronounced shawn) when you see him on or off the basketball court. Originally from Sudan, he first arrived in the U.S. in 2020 on a student visa and became a scholar-ship athlete at Lighthouse Private Christian Academy, a school in Midway. He was 16 at the time.

Navarre High School welcomed family members and friends of students to the annual NHS Art Show. Set up in the school’s media center/library, the show presented works from students across skill and grade levels in a variety of genres. 

Family, friends and firefighters across Northwest Florida gathered Sunday, May 4, to honor the life of Dave Stone, 78, who devoted much of his life to the fire service.  Held at The Club at Hidden Creek, the Celebration of Life featured speeches from Dave’s sons, Shannon and DJ, his pastor, Jack Kale, and others. Stone was a Commissioner for Holley Navarre Fire District and a Retired Assistant Chief with Ocean City Wright Fire Control District. Stone passed away April 14. 

May 31, 2025, The Vine Wine Bar, Bistro & Shoppe’s owners, David and Erin Crumbley, will say goodbye to the wine business and hello to their next venture in life.

Vine Wine Bar, which has been open since 2013 under various owners, will close permanently at the end of the month unless a buyer is found. The Crumbley’s, who bought the bar in spring 2020, said they are hopeful to find a buyer but committed to leaving by May 31, when their lease expires.

UPDATE: The bill discussed in this article has been postponed indefinitely and will not be signed into law this session. As Florida’s Legislative Session winds down, a bill focused on reforming Florida laws around tourism taxes and how they are used is raising eyebrows and some alarm amongst Florida’s counties and tourism industry.

Ahead of Mother’s Day, Ignite Church is holding a car wash to raise funds for Pregnancy Resource Center of Navarre. “Clean Cars, Safe Starts” will take place Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Ignite Church (8173 East Bay Blvd. Unit B) in Navarre. The fundraiser is being done through donations.

CareerSource EscaRosa, a regional nonprofit employment services agency, has been assisting both employers and people seeking employment for well over a decade. Among the agency’s top focuses is veterans affairs. In 2024, veteran unemployment in the U.S. was lower than (3%) nonveteran unemployment (3.9%). While the unemployment rate for veterans is lower, agencies like CareerSource EscaRosa say it just shows the kind of impact employment services can have.

Easter is a time of death and renewal.

For the Catholic Church, this symbolism of Easter was especially poignant this year as Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome, died at 88 years old Monday, April 21.