A 60-year-old Milton man has been charged for multiple sexual-related crimes in Navarre. Paul Powell has been charged with sexual battery with weapon or force of victim as well as indecent exposure and obstructing justice by hindering with communication information, according to Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office documents.

He was arrested 10 days ago, but the information was not released by the Sheriff’s Office until Jan. 31. 

After several months of relative stability, Santa Rosa County is again facing staffing challenges, with three of its top employees resigning in the last few weeks.

James Cook, the interim head of Public Works, Chris Phillips, the head of Development Services, and Erica Grancagnolo, the associate director of the Economic Development agency have all resigned.

Nearly 200 people, many of them young teens, attended Wednesday’s Celebration of Life service for 13-year-old Sophia Fenner.

They sat quietly as photos of Sophia filled the twin screens in front of Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church.

It’s hard to imagine today, but just over 100 years ago the coastal plains of America from Virginia to eastern Texas were covered by about 92 million acres of longleaf pines.

Fortunately, we have folks like Vernon Compton who care about preserving and restoring the 1.3 million acres left in northwest Florida and South Alabama.