There’s a new McDonald’s in town (almost).

Coastal Connections Academy is in hot water with school board officials after receiving an “F” grade for this past school year. The online public charter school has contracted with Santa Rosa County for the past four and a half years. CCA is managed through Pearson Virtual Schools, which has two schools in Florida and operates more than 40 across the U.S.

A vehicle ran into Ace Hardware in Navarre Monday morning, Aug. 18, prompting a response from Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol. 

A week before children began flocking the halls of schools across Santa Rosa County, school administrators and Santa Rosa County District Schools personnel were hard at work getting ready for the 2025-26 school year.

From Aug. 4 through Aug. 8, school employees including teachers and front office staff returned to full time work at their respective school sites for a ‘planning week.’

Bishop Mark Williams spends most weekends preaching the Word of God at New Life Deliverance Temple Church (NLDTC) in Navarre.

Code Ninjas, an international afterschool learning center franchise, held an open house Saturday, Aug. 2, marking the first public event the organization has held since moving to their new location in Midway.

Dogs can be man’s best friend; they can also help save their lives.

Legacy K-9 Search Team, an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit based in Milton, has been helping locate missing persons for law enforcement and emergency response agencies since August 2022. The team, which currently consists of 11 people, was formed when the Pensacola branch of Klaas Kids dissolved.

The arrest of a Gulf Breeze man for child pornography possession has stirred up anger and calls for accountability in the Gulf Breeze community.

Matthew McChesney, 18, is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of trading child porn. According to a warrant report for McChesney, he accessed, traded and saved child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Discord chatroom.

An animal shelter in Fort Walton Beach is on the verge of shutting down, according to their executive director. If shut down, it may lead to an influx of needy animals for Santa Rosa County Animal Services.

Santa Rosa County District Schools is seeking to increase its millage rate from 5.398 to 5.414 for the upcoming tax year. The increased millage rate will mean an increase in property taxes.

The move comes as the district proposes a decrease to its total budget size.