The Milton Police Department has arrested Mohamed Bakayoko in connection with a large-scale fraud investigation that resulted in the theft of $852,983.06 from the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court & Comptroller’s Office. Mr. Bakayoko has been charged with Grand Theft – 1st Degree Felony (Florida Statute 812.014(2)(a)1), a charge punishable by up to 30 years in state prison.

At the Board of County Commissioners meeting May 22, Cat Country 98.7 presented a check of more than $20,000 to Santa Rosa Kid’s House.

Cat Country Morning Show personality and program director Brent Lane said they organized the Spring Jam at Juana’s Pagodas & Sailors’ Grill as a way to raise funds to benefit the community.

At the Board of County Commissioners meeting May 22, local middle school students and one high school student received awards for their essays about the American government.

The Board of County Commissioners recognized and honored service members with a Military Appreciation Month proclamation on May 5.

Ahead of the county adopting an ordinance to reflect the state statute requiring sewer connection, county commissioners assuage concerns.

At the special zoning meeting on March 27, commissioners rejected District 3 Commissioner Rhett Rowell’s proposal to extend the Rural Protection Zone. At the following regular meeting on April 7, Rowell said he was taken aback by the 180 the board had done.

Rachel Wallace founded Ladies Skill Share in January 2023. Now she has hosted several classes, and a large-scale event dedicated to teaching the community homesteading skills.

Ladies Skill Sharing is a women-based group that teaches homesteading skills. The group began because Wallace could see the need to learn and teach the skills that generations before us utilized in their daily lives and sometimes to survive hard times. Wallace believes there is power in knowledge and in wanting to share that with the community she founded Ladies Skill Sharing.

With tax season in full swing, local churches are facing financial hardship they have never faced before. One local church was charged $16,000 for their non-ad valorem assessment that funds fire districts.

The Florida Department of Health and Students Working Against Tobacco, support the banning of not just cigarettes at public parks, but all tobacco use. At the county commission meeting Feb. 10, they shared why.

Carl O’Neal has long been a resolute educator. This year marks his 59th year teaching and he was named one of five finalists for 2024 Teacher of the Year in Santa Rosa County.