On July 4, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an 870-page piece of legislation designed to make the tax provisions Trump enacted in 2017 with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.

The Soundside Conservation Project, a movement for Santa Rosa County to purchase a 27-acre plot of land in Gulf Breeze off Soundside Drive and designate it for conservation, has been approved by a unanimous vote of Santa Rosa County Commissioners July 10. The land encompasses 4 acres of uplands and 23 acres of “high quality wetlands” according to an appraisal of the property. The wetlands feed into a creek that empties into the Santa Rosa Sound. 

First responders have a difficult job. They are often the difference between life and death, a stressful profession in which it’s necessary to keep yourself mentally healthy. For Santa Rosa County’s Lifeguard Ambulance Service, this is where therapy dog Langley comes in.

The Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners reviewed the county’s current funds and revenue at their draft budget meeting on June 23. The board weighed opportunities to limit current construction projects taking place within the county and pull funding to supplement other parts of the budget. The balanced budget must be delivered by July 15, with the final budget hearing in September.

“It was time,” University of West Florida President Dr. Martha Saunders said when asked about her decision to resign from her role.

Florida Power and Light has been working throughout Santa Rosa County to harden the power grid ahead of hurricane season.

“We are planning for storm season year-round,” vice president and general manager of FPL’s Northwest Florida region, JT Young, told the Gazette. “Year-round, we’re in the process of either preparing for the storm by strengthening our grid…or we’re responding to storms, which can occur outside storm season as well.”

The scenario: A category 4 hurricane has struck Santa Rosa County and now it is all hands on deck for the aftermath.

In preparation for the 2025 hurricane season, Santa Rosa County Emergency Management gathered its partners needed in a crisis and held their annual hurricane exercise.