Major Bob Johnson of the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office has been promoted to Chief Deputy with the organization. Johnson is the first to serve as Chief Deputy since Sheriff Wendell Hall was sworn into office in the year 2000.
As many South Santa Rosa County residents have noticed, gas prices at the pump continue to hover around $2 and just over per gallon. One recent change, which brought some increases in gas prices for Navarre citizens, was the result of the Santa Rosa County amending ordinance no. 2015-19. This amending ordinance, passed in 2015, included a 5-cent local option gas tax.
The current executive director of CareerSource Escarosa, Susan Nelms is retiring after 20 years of leadership with the organization. Nelms began serving as executive director in 1996 and has more than 30 years of experience administering federal employment and training programs in the area. Her official retirement date is Apr. 29.
TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel sites, has listed Navarre Beach on a list of 10 Affordable Hidden Gem getaways for the winter season. The TripAdvisor website says of the list, “TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals has rounded up 10 super affordable US getaways this winter for staying in a rental, many of which are worthy of the “hidden gem” moniker due to their great attractions and recreation yet relative anonymity.”
The lease fees collected by a developer from the owners of 14 Sugar Dunes condominium units since the late 1980s, but never paid to Santa Rosa County as normally required, total more than $180,000.
Pier managers, Scott Rayner and Stephanie Maddox addressed the county commissioners Monday. Management company, Coastal Concessions, (Coastal) is current on the admission fees owed Santa Rosa County and is seeking equitable relief on portions of their pier maintenance contract with Santa Rosa County. County Commissioner Rob Williamson met with Coastal prior to the Monday meeting to talk through the proposed changes in the way the county is doing business with its pier partner, Coastal.
Two Georgia residents suspected of shopping with credit card numbers stolen from members of Eglin Federal Credit Union are behind bars after an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigator working the crimes spotted them in a parking lot.
Washington (AP) — Florida’s unique system for sentencing people to death is unconstitutional because it gives too much power to judges — and not enough to juries — to decide capital sentences, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The Dec. 16 announcement by Santa Rosa County that recycling services would no longer be available led to a community outcry for the county to find a resolution. The past agreement was for waste service providers to pick up customers’ recycling at curbside and transport it to Central Landfill for pick-up by Emerald Coast Utilities Authority to transport it to a recycle processing center. ECUA did not charge the county for transportation of the recyclables and the county did not receive any proceeds from the recyclables given to ECUA.
The local hospitality industry’s quest to delay the Navarre Beach restoration project may get inadvertent support from Sheila Fitzgerald, director of Santa Rosa County special projects and grants.
