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.

After receiving feedback from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Santa Rosa County Commissioners suspended an existing lease credit policy. The board also nixed plans to reduce beach lease fees to $1.

Commissioner Bob Cole would like to see the county animal shelter renamed in honor of Dominic Persichini, former director of county animal services. Prior to his September 2013 retirement, Persichini started an annual adoption drive which will take place Saturday, Oct. 18.

For the second year in a row Santa Rosa County School District has qualified as a Healthy School District, earning a gold level designation. To achieve the recognition the district had to conduct a thorough self-assessment of activities such as health and physical education, nutrition services, psychological and social services, and staff wellness efforts.

Expect to see a lot of news stories and editorials highlighting the need for a new Santa Rosa County courthouse leading up to the Nov. 4 general election.

Local customers pay a 5-percent franchise fee on their electric utility bills. That money comes back to Santa Rosa County and adds up to roughly $6 million annually. Commissioners Sept. 11 decided to allocate a larger portion of that amount to district recreation budgets.