Outgoing Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Jim Melvin not only left a mark for himself as a member of the board, but also he carried on a family legacy of public service. Upon leaving office, Melvin received appreciation from the board and praise from a local government watchdog.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Nov. 17 announced $34.3 million in funding for nine Florida conservation projects related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including one award specific to Santa Rosa County.

Three Santa Rosa County commissioners were sworn in for four-year terms Tuesday morning. Incumbent Robert “Bob” Cole is beginning his fourth term, and two commissioners with the same last name, Williamson, are now serving on the board.

At least six years ago a local Weimaraner  owner went through the effort of having his puppy micro chipped at the Wynn Haven Animal Hospital in Mary Esther. Unfortunately, that owner failed to register the information with the Bayer Health Services database, the company that manufactured the chip.

If you build it, they will come. That’s not exactly what Judd Smith had in mind when he put up volleyball nets at Lagerheads four months ago. But since then, local interest in beach volleyball has continued to grow.

Thirteen percent of 18 to 20 year olds who were involved in an automobile crash admitted they were sending or receiving text messages, according to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. The institute also found text messaging increased the risk for crashes by 23 percent.

Do you remember in elementary science class when you looked at light through a prism you saw many different wavelengths, or colors, of light? Did you know that those different wavelengths of light affect you differently? One of the most potent wavelengths is the non-visible blue-violet wavelength that comes from that big, bright ball in the sky: the sun.