Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners approved plans for the expansion of Twelve Oaks Recovery Center with some minor caveats based on community input.

With the expansion, Twelve Oaks will increase their patient capacity by 26 beds and add a 7,500 square foot facility for therapy meeting rooms and dining. Additionally, the recovery center is adding or updating the fencing surrounding its property to better accommodate a neighboring subdivision’s residents. A parking lot with 50 to 60 spaces is also being added to meet the facility’s needs.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing listing the rare, swamp-dwelling ghost orchid as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Only found in Florida and western Cuba, the ghost orchid is at risk of extinction due to multiple threats, including poaching, habitat loss, and habitat degradation. The Service is not proposing critical habitat given it would increase the threat of poaching on this species.