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Stories by Wendy Victora Rudman

Stories by Wendy Victora Rudman

SOS: Baby formula needed for 97 possums at wildlife refuge

May 31, 2021

As mothers go, possums probably wouldn’t win any awards.

Baby possums ride on their mothers, but if one falls off, mom just keeps going.

That’s likely what happened to a young possum found in a basket of dirty laundry in a Fort Walton Beach garage last week.

UPDATED: Man escapes serious injury after long jump into shallow water

May 28, 2021
Memorial Day weekend has started out on a tragic note for a 22-year-old man who jumped off the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier into shallow water to impress his friends, according to Navarre Rescue Fire Chief Danny Fureigh.

Sally shortcomings will help future forecasts

May 28, 2021
Emergency operations officials in Santa Rosa County are gearing up for the hurricane season, though perhaps not as aggressively as in years past.

After 8 months and 12 days, bridge traffic flows again

May 28, 2021

At 5:45 a.m. Friday, May 28 Santa Rosa Commission Chair Dave Piech got a call with the news everyone has been waiting to hear for more than eight months.

“Chairman, I just wanted to let you know that we are 15 minutes from flowing traffic on the bridge,” Carter Johnson, government affairs liaison with the Florida Department of Transportation.

Pensacola Bay Bridge is open again

May 28, 2021

The Pensacola Bay Bridge quietly reopened early Friday morning with no ribbon-cutting, fanfare or official advance announcement. It has been closed since it was damaged by a barge Sept. 16 that broke loose during Hurricane Sally.

Construction on the bridge continues, but two lanes are open from end to end.

Check back for more information and photos

Number of fully vaccinated long-term care residents, staff unknown

May 27, 2021
Florida is not keeping track of the number of nursing home staff and residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The state requires nursing facilities to report to the state Emergency Status System the number of residents and staff who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The facilities also must report the number of residents and staff who have not been vaccinated.

Brawl at Navarre pub leaves multiple people injured

May 27, 2021
Multiple people were injured during a May 15 brawl at Stripes Pub and Grill, according to two of the individuals’ Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office arrest reports.

Officials prepared for record crowds this weekend

May 27, 2021
Officials are expecting this Memorial Day weekend to bring record crowds to Navarre Beach and have adjusted staffing in preparation.

UPDATED: Here’s the official unofficial statement about the Pensacola bridge opening

May 26, 2021

From the Gulf Breeze Area Chamber and the Pensacola Beach Chamber:

Chamber officials realize the completion of the first phase of the Pensacola Bay Bridge project is not dated. “Our chamber simply wants to utilize the opportunity to promote our City, the beach, and their businesses alongside such a momentous milestone as the bridge reopening to traffic,” the statement said.

Milton woman triggers four-vehicle interstate crash

May 26, 2021
A 24-year-old Milton woman triggered a four-vehicle accident on Interstate 10 that caused traffic to be diverted to the shoulder for an hour. The accident happened about 8 a.m. near mile marker 7 in Escambia County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol media release. The woman failed to notice that traffic had slowed in front of her. She was seriously injured, while the other drivers either had minor or no injuries, the release said.
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