The owners of homes near the defunct west course of Tiger Point Golf Club are expressing concern they may have new neighbors—either a public school or a sizable housing development.

In their first meeting Tuesday, the Santa Rosa County Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Citizen Committee has turned a critical eye on potential projects for the 2018 school year.

The first steps toward the state purchase of Garcon Point Bridge, and the reduction or elimination of tolls, are being taken faster than proponents previously expected.

The 2017 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday runs Aug. 4 through Aug. 6.

A fire near Eglin Air Force Base’s McKinley Climatic Laboratory sent a towering plume of smoke into the sky shortly before 10 a.m. July 5, according to a public affairs report. The plume dissipated by noon, but not before base officials warned that the smoke may have contained methyl chloride, a potentially hazardous gas.