News Archive

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — After a quick taxi out to Duke Field’s runway, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Geraghty spun up the 21-foot, electric aircraft’s 80-horsepower engine and zoomed forward.  The Pipistrel Velis Electro quietly lifted off heading north as the sun dipped in the west around dusk April 22.

In celebration of its 30th Arbor Day, the City of Milton hosted a tree planting ceremony at Milton High School on April 26. The event will feature the planting of a three-foot Caliper Live Oak, purchased from Panhandle Growers, on the east side of the campus next to the anchor, along Stewart Street.

The founder of a horse farm in Milton found himself behind bars Monday, May 5 for pointing a rifle at an Uber driver. Sean Hollonbeck, 54, faces kidnapping – false imprisonment and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill charges stemming from a May 4 incident involving his daughter and an Uber driver.

Tyndall Air Force Base — In 2024, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, became the first Air Force installation to transition to the fluorine-free foam within its fire departments, effectively replacing the aqueous film-forming foam that contained Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. The new foam is a primary component of a Department of Defense-wide effort to phase out PFAS-containing AFFF from land-based firefighting equipment.

The Tourist Development Office (TDO) closed its doors Monday for an indefinite period of time. The reason: a faulty AC system. That period of time turned out to be for one day and the office has reopened. When TDO staff came into work Monday morning, May 6, they noticed a strange smell and a sediment heavy liquid coming out of the unit. The unit started malfunctioning at some point over the weekend.

After a contentious, nearly 6-hour long meeting earlier in May, the Santa Rosa Board of County Commissioners spent time during Monday’s committee meeting discussing decorum during their meetings.

Col. Patrick Dierig, the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing (1SOW), is hitting the ground running after taking command from Col. Allison Black Feb. 23. As installation commander, Dierig oversees Hurlburt Field’s base support for the wing’s four groups and 24 squadrons, as well as more than 40 tenant units, including Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command.

Since President Ronald Reagan designated the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer in 1988, the faith community celebrates the day as a time to come together and form a safe space to pray.

The day is an opportunity for communities to gather and connect through shared beliefs.

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners is oferring the R.I.S.E – Readiness Internship for Skills and Experience program this summer, from Monday, June 3 to Friday, Aug. 2.

The Santa Rosa County Commission officially hired Brad Baker as its new county administrator on Thursday.