In the six months I have been editor of the Navarre Press, I have met just one family who lost a loved one to COVID-19 in Santa Rosa County.

Evelyn Keating, whose husband Dennis was hospitalized for months before passing away, was known locally as the As You Wish Handyman. He died Sept. 15.

A 50-year-old Navarre father and grandfather was killed Tuesday by a driver who hit him and fled the scene.

Robert Triplett was walking to work just before 6 a.m. when a box truck driver swerved into the bike lane on U.S. Highway 98 in front of the Navarre Walmart.

The truck fled. Florida Highway Patrol is asking anyone with information about the accident to call 850-287-8090.

A small group of citizens concerned about speeding on Ortega Street met with Commission Chair Dave Piech and representatives from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office last week.

The citizens say that speeding is a recurring and dangerous problem along their residential street, where the speed limit is 20 miles per hour, only increasing to 30 mph as it approaches the high school.

When County Administrator Dan Schebler met with department heads last year and asked them to prepare a plan to share with commissioners Feb. 23, he wasn’t specific about what he expected.

What Tourism Development Director Julie White came up with was “Navarre Beach Reimagined,” a proposal that suggests giving Navarre Beach an amphitheater, shopping area, gathering places, a playground and art in public places, among other ideas.

Slight revisions have been made to ease the process for students returning to school after being quarantined for a school-based COVID exposure, according to Santa Rosa Superintendent of Schools Karen Barber.

She told the school board Thursday night that students can now return to school with a negative COVID PCR test at Day 8.

The Santa Rosa County Board has leased the former Bealls store at 6209 Highway 90 West in Milton’s Parkmore Plaza to become a mass
vaccination site.

County administrator Dan Schebler signed the paperwork last week under the COVID-19 Local State of Emergency that’s under effect. Commissioners formally supported the action Thursday.