It was during an AP Psychology class at Navarre High School, Dr. Drew Swem learned what he wanted to do with the rest of his life.

Holley Navarre Fire District personnel spent part of this fall getting Public Safety Water Rescue Dive certified. The training consisted of open water diving, scuba diving and public safety diving, which is a weeklong class in swimming pools, the East River and Santa Rosa Sound.

While the Navarre Beach Lifeguards are no longer patrolling the beach, they are still working to get ready for next year. Navarre Beach Safety Division Chief Austin Turnbull said the work required to be ready for 2026 is complicated by the fact they don’t have anywhere to practice.

Navarre’s newest coffee drive-thru is open. 7 Brew opened its newest location along the Emerald Coast Monday, Dec. 1. In the days leading up to the grand opening, 7 Brew was offering drinks to friends and family of those working at the coffee stand.

Its not everyday grown men get excited over a sticker, but Nov. 26, Holley-Navarre Fire District Station 45’s firefighters were.

In her 20th year of educating students, Sandra Kale is East Bay K-8 School’s teacher of the year. Kale, who teaches kindergarten, said she is very humbled to be recognized for her effort in the classroom.

The beginning of the holiday season marks the end of lifeguard season on Navarre Beach. The official final day for the Navarre Beach Lifeguards was Oct. 26. The 2025 season (March 8 to Oct. 26) saw a busy beach with 1,991,487 people in attendance but not too much action, according to Navarre Beach Safety Division Chief Austin Turnbull.

Florida State Representative Nathan Boyles, who represents District 3 in the State House, has introduced a bill to bring greater transparency to Florida’s judicial system.

Around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, Holley-Navarre Fire District personnel were busy tending to a fire engine at Station 45 when a man came by to tell the firefighters about a crash which had just taken place. Just a minute later, the call for service came in for a vehicle crash on Highway 98 in front of Dunkin Donuts in Navarre.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Mint printed its final penny in Philadelphia. First printed in 1793, the penny, which is really a one-cent coin, has become an oft-overlooked staple of American life. It’s an item that has been seen as good luck, influenced pricing and marketing strategies and even impacted the name of a shoe.