If I told you Erik Harris played seven seasons in the NFL, you’d probably ask me what major college he went to.
If I told you he attended NCAA Division II California University of Pennsylvania, you might say, “No way.”
Labels can get you into trouble if you don’t know fully what it is to which they refer. A case in point: I was born and raised in a part of Canada where all Americans, northerners and southerners alike, are called “Yankees.” You can imagine the firestorm that ignited when, after I moved to South Florida, in ignorance, I called a native Floridian a Yankee. His eyes blazed, his body went rigid, his face blossomed red, and his nostrils flared to accommodate the building steam. I was grateful that all I received that day was a short, very intense lesson in American history with extra emphasis on what my friend called, “the war of northern aggression.” The label “Yankee” no longer resides in my vocabulary.
In a place where powdery beaches meet vibrant community aspirations, the Navarre Beach Boardwalk proposal was supposed to be a rallying point for growth, tourism and smart public investment. Instead, it’s stirred up an uncomfortable debate: Who exactly should be enjoying the county’s most coveted waterfront real estate?
The following was originally published July 12, 2025, at editorandpublisher.com and is a transcript of a vodcast series hosted by Mike Blinder. This perfectly encompasses how our newspapers and reporters feel about the role of newspapers.
It seems to be a tradition now for me to write about the comments made from people about a newspaper pay wall.
I get the frustration. People love free. And there seems to be this mindset that you shouldn’t have to pay for the news.
I have found that few people object to hearing me say, “I will pray for you.” Most thank me, even those I know who do not believe in God. They understand from my words that I care about them.
The governor’s veto pen hit Santa Rosa County hard this year, striking down more than $2 million in requested funding for local projects. Among the casualties were the wetlands conservation of a 27.57-acre parcel, the expansion of the Whiting Field taxiway, and continued support for our Veterans Treatment Court. These aren’t frivolous expenses; they’re strategic investments in environmental protection, infrastructure, and justice for those who’ve served our country. The impact of these cuts is not just fiscal — it’s deeply personal for the communities depending on them.
We have officially reached the point of the year where we are stuck between the continuation of summer and the start of high school sports season.
But it’s not as if the local sports world has completely hit a wall.
