News Archive

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.

Elementary students from 16 schools across Santa Rosa County gathered at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium in Milton on April 26 for “Battle of the Books.” Each school was represented by a team of five students. 

An issue with a double-sided milk cooler caused Bagdad Elementary to score “unsatisfactory” on two recent inspections by the Department of Health in Santa Rosa.

The Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District will be facilitating a cost share program for Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties from a grant funded by the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). This program is for fencing in agricultural lands and is intended to help improve areas affected by feral hogs.