The race to fill the Santa Rosa County Commission District 4 seat and to represent the greater Navarre area is getting crowded.  A fourth candidate, Andrea McDermott, has pre-filed to run for the position presently held by Commissioner Jim Melvin, who must face off against District 2 Commissioner Bob Cole next year due to redistricting after the 2010 census.

Police are looking for a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run accident that occurred in Gulf Breeze on October 24.

The Navarre Community Center on Navarre School Road is still being rented out to interested parties as usual while awaiting the final closing on the sale of the property and the search for a spot for a new, bigger community center.

Local businesses praised the county’s consolidation of several department functions at a public workshop hosted by the Santa Rosa County Chamber Legislative Coalition last week, and expressed hope other local and state government processes could also be refined to increase efficiency.

Sitting dormant for four months after suffering fire damage earlier this year in late June, the Taco Bell in Navarre is getting close to beginning the comeback process.

Parents planning a trick-or-treat route for their little goblins tonight might want to consider one very important fact before finalizing plans. Real-life tricks could be awaiting, as some registered sex offenders are not prevented from handing out treats on Halloween. 

“I always look forward to this day, it’s one of my favorite days of the year,” said Santa Rosa County Tax Collector Stan Colie Nichols, who handed county commissioners a check for $676,597.78, representing unspent revenues earned by his office during fiscal year 2012-2013. At the same meeting Thursday, Clerk of Court and Comptroller Don Spencer returned excess fees from his office in the amount of $619,339.80, totaling approximately $1.3 million returned to commissioners.