The Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 on Feb. 26 to deny a $147,078 contract for renovations to its boardroom, citing economic uncertainty and public concern over spending amid debates about property tax and a “tough” upcoming budget process.
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West Florida Fire & Nature Festival to be held this weekend
On Saturday, March 7, the University of West Florida will host a community event spotlighting the importance of prescribed burns in wildlife conservation efforts.
UPDATE: All lanes of Highway 90 just east of the Blackwater River Bridge in East Milton reopen after crash
UPDATE: All lanes of Highway 90 just east of the Blackwater River Bridge in East Milton have reopened. They were previously closed due to a traffic crash.
Santa Rosa, Okaloosa agencies rescue injured elderly man on Blackwater River
Multiple first responder agencies responded March 2 to a medical emergency at Kennedy Bridge on the Blackwater River, near the Santa Rosa-Okaloosa County line.
New details emerge in the shooting death of a 19-year-old woman in Harold.
An 18-year-old man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his 19-year-old girlfriend inside a camper in Harold, according to an arrest report by the Santa Rosa County Sherriff’s Office.

Shoutout to unnamed very caring individuals
My husband and I were waiting outside a local restaurant to meet friends for dinner. We observed a woman holding the arm of a man with a cane. He was having great difficulty stepping down from the curb to get to his vehicle. It appeared that he might have been recovering from a stroke. My husband walked over to assist them. The three were quickly joined by other adults, young and old. After awhile, the group was able, with care and patience, to help him step off the curb and to his vehicle.
Shoutout to Co-Workers
Priscilla W. is giving a shoutout to BURNS and MCRAE. You guys are awesome to work with. I love working with you guys. We work great as a team!!!
Shoutout to the Milton Community!
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Leaving an impression: New art gallery opens in Navarre

With an art career spanning 40 years, Dan Beck has built a name for himself.
Beck, an impressionist painter, has won numerous awards and recognitions for his artwork, which bridges traditional impressionism and contemporary art concepts.
Florida Now
Sports

Pace wrestlers enjoy success at regional meet
Pace’s wrestling team has several wrestlers enjoy success at the FHSAA Region 1-2A meet in Tallahassee this past weekend, including Aden Cortez, who won a regional championship in the 132-lbs. weight class.
Congrats to our Athletes and Students of the Week!




Meet Jackson Morton, Milton’s 19th Century U.S. Senator
Despite being a well-known figure in Northwest Florida in his time, Jackson Morton’s name has fallen into obscurity.
Born in 1794 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Morton moved to Milton in the 1820s and began a successful brickmaking enterprise, selling mainly to those building Pensacola’s Naval fortifications.
He later parlayed his business success into a political career, eventually serving a term in the U.S. Senate from 1849 to 1855. Years later, he served in the Confederacy’s version of the Senate.
Leaving an impression: New art gallery opens in Navarre
With an art career spanning 40 years, Dan Beck has built a name for himself.
Beck, an impressionist painter, has won numerous awards and recognitions for his artwork, which bridges traditional impressionism and contemporary art concepts.
Construction Career Days attracts record 1,400 students
Northwest Florida Construction Career Days celebrated a record-breaking sixth year in 2026.
The annual construction and transportation career fair drew more than 1,400 students and chaperones from schools across seven Northwest Florida counties. Counties involved in this year’s event included Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Jackson and Washington counties.



















