News Archive

On Thurs., Oct. 6, the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Pea Ridge closed its doors for the last time in 2022. But don’t worry, they plan to be back in early January.

The franchise is remodeling the store after continually serving the Pea Ridge area since 2005. Mark Nicholson, the owner and operator of the Pea Ridge Chick-Fil-A, said they have been planning a remodel since January 2022.

Three months ago, the District One Medical Examiner’s Office Board of Directors – DOMES – was focused on buying property in Milton for its new facility.

Last week, the number of potential sites blossomed to four.

NAS Whiting Field will be the place for comedy next week when the Gary Sinise Foundation and NAS Whiting Field Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) present ‘The Almost Red, White, & Blue’ Comedy Tour to members of Whiting Field on Wed., Oct. 5.

The event is set to begin at 2 p.m. and doors will open at 1:30pm.. The tour will perform in Sikes Hall on the installation.

The Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center is issuing words of warning for anyone considering any outdoor burning activities in the coming days: Use extreme caution or simply don’t do it.

According to the Florida Forest Service, it has been more than two weeks since most of the three-county area (Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties) has seen rainfall and wildfire danger is on the rise. Add to that a forecast calling for increased winds and low humidity for the next three days and firefighters are bracing for the possibility of significant fire activity.

At this time, Hurricane Ian is not projected to hit our area but that doesn’t mean it can’t still impact local weather.

The latest update from US National Weather Service Mobile says that while Hurricane Ian is expected to generally stay east of this area of the Florida Panhandle, but Northwest Florida will still see some impacts.

Santa Rosa County Animal Services has received a $25,000 grant from Florida Animal Friend to assist with the community cat program.

The program provides free or reduced-cost neuter/spay for community cats. This funding will allow free neuter/spay and rabies vaccination services for up to 500 cats in Santa Rosa County communities. Participants can begin scheduling appointments Sat., Oct. 1.

The Santa Rosa County Commission will decide (Thursday, Sept. 22) whether dump trucks can use Daybreak Lane to reach a new dirt borrow pit in Chumuckla.

Residents claim that Daybreak Lane is not wide enough or properly paved to accommodate heavy trucks and that the intersection of Chumuckla Highway and Daybreak Lane isn’t suited for such vehicles.

On Sept. 18, at approximately 6:50 p.m., Milton Police Department officers responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 5500 block of Dogwood Drive in Milton.

Police found a man lying on the ground who was shot by a homeowner after allegedly charging the man. The man who was shot is in critical condition at an area hospital.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget for Santa Rosa County includes a record investment in capital projects, thanks partly to federal stimulus spending and higher property values.

“This is new for our county to have this much money set aside for infrastructure in the budget process, so it’s a big deal,” Sabrina White, the county’s assistant budget director, said. “It’s exciting times in Santa Rosa County.”