’Tis the season…for looking to the year ahead. Sandpaper Publishing asked Santa Rosa County Public Information Officer Sarah Whitfield to help us preview the county’s 2023 to-do list. She consulted County Administrator DeVann Cook and Assistant County Administrator Brad Baker to provide the following issues to watch:
Santa Rosa Medical Center (SRMC) welcomed the first baby born in Santa Rosa County this year on Jan. 4.
The first baby, Andorra, was born at 8:46 a.m. Jan. 4 to Katherine and David in the Baby Suite at SRMC. According to SRMC, both mom and baby are recovering well.
Santa Rosa County will host a drop-in open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at the Santa Rosa County Extension Office, 6263 Dogwood Drive in Milton, to discuss broadband.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rolled out a new national broadband map and Santa Rosa County residents are urged to validate the accuracy of the information on the map. Challenges to the FCC broadband map are due by Friday, Jan. 13. View the map at broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home.
Want to pursue a career in agriculture? There may be a scholarship opportunity for you.
Farm Credit of Northwest Florida is offering one scholarship up to $24,000 to a high school senior, college freshman or sophomore with plans to go into the field of agriculture.
The scholarship will cover $3,000 for eight semesters totaling $24,000 for a student’s tuition throughout their four year undergraduate degree. Additionally, Farm Credit will provide a paid internship during their junior or senior year of college.
At its first meeting of 2023, the Milton City Council will consider a New Year’s resolution confirming its commitment to existing plans for a new wastewater treatment plant and asking Santa Rosa County to continue its support.
New Year’s Day turned tragic as one person is dead and another has been arrested for a fatal shooting that took place during what is believed to be a domestic disturbance.
At about 1:40 a.m. Jan. 1, Santa Rosa County sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting at the 3900 block of Deerwood Circle in Pace. Upon arrival, deputies located a male victim and performed medical aid until EMS arrived on scene.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Dec. 15 signed Senate Bill 6A, establishing the Toll Relief Program through the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which will provide account credits to frequent commuters using toll roads across the state. The program will give Floridians with 35 or more toll transactions per month a 50% credit to their account.
The legislation, originally proposed by DeSantis in September of this year, was successfully passed during the recent Legislative Special Session. The Toll Relief Program begins on Jan. 1, 2023, and runs through Dec. 31, 2023.
The Florida Department of Transportation “will make every effort, within reason” to accommodate stakeholders’ wishes when designing the expansion of U.S. Highway 90 through downtown Milton, a spokesperson said last month.
“Remember, this is the beginning of a process that could take two or three years,” Ian Satter, FDOT District 3’s public information director, told the Press Gazette in December. “The project development and environment study (completed in 2019) analyzed every possible route and concluded that expanding the existing corridor is the best solution, but it doesn’t determine the design. That’s what this project will do, and we will do our best to make sure we include the city and the public in the process.”
Beginning Monday, Jan. 9, the Santa Rosa County Commission will limit public forum to an hour before each meeting.
“We felt like this was a reasonable compromise,” Chairman Colten Wright said at the commission’s regular meeting Dec. 8. “Once again, there was never any effort to squash anyone’s First Amendment rights or anything like that.”
