In January, Santa Rosa District Schools announced the Sunshine State Scholars for the district. Each high school chose one student to represent the very best of their school’s math and science education.

A cacophony of celebration ignited inside Kayla Stanford’s fifth-grade classroom Tuesday, Feb. 4, as Santa Rosa District Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Barber and others surprised Stanford with the announcement that she was District teacher of the year.

The announcement came as happy news to teacher and students alike, although for different reasons.

The Friends of Santa Rosa Veterans Treatment Court received a $9,000 check from Pirates on the Panhandle, a social club based in Navarre. The money was raised at the Pirate Plunge, held Jan. 1, 2025. The photo was taken by Santa Rosa Press Gazette Reporter Hansen Hasenberg.

Santa Rosa County 4-H recently celebrated an outstanding achievement as its archery team showcased bow skills at the Florida 4-H State 3-D Archery Competition.

The Senior Team, comprised of three high school age children, netted third place in the highly competitive Florida 4-H State 3-D Archery Compound Division Competition. In the Florida 4-H State Intermediate Individual 3-D Archery Compound Division Competition, Hailey Marsh, 13, earned second place.

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, as well as county, state, and Florida Department of Transportation officials, met at the corner of Highway 90 and Avalon Boulevard Wednesday, Jan. 29, to commemorate two public servants of yesteryear.

Soup kitchens are nothing new in the Christian church. Every day you can find churchgoers preparing and serving meals for the needy.

While the soup kitchen is a well-known fixture of ministry work, St. Paul United Methodist Church is using theirs to serve more than just sustenance.

November through January is generally known as the holiday season in the United States, as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day are celebrated and observed as days employees have off. Other holidays are also celebrated during that time of year, including Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. While the holiday season may be a short period of the year, there are many other holidays observed throughout the calendar year. In Florida, there are state-specific holidays, which are observed in state offices.

A celebration of the lives of two former Santa Rosa County Sheriffs turned into a scary situation Wednesday morning, Jan. 29, in Milton. State Sen. Don Gaetz, 77, suffered what has been described as a “medical emergency” during his remarks at a roadway dedication ceremony. The ceremony was in honor of Bart D. and John R. Broxson, two former Santa Rosa County Sheriffs and members of the well-known Broxson family.

For the past 17 years, Melissa “Joni” Weaver has been teaching science to middle schoolers. While the topics in science can be academically heavy and, at times tedious, Weaver said she enjoys being able to bring fun into the equation.

Our own Hansen Hasenberg visited Plains, Georgia, last summer and brought back a story for our readers on the childhood farm and other historic sites associated with Jimmy Carter, whose funeral was held at Washington National Cathedral on Jan. 9.