Santa Rosa's Press Gazette

Santa Rosa County Superintendent Karen Barber speaks at a briefing at the county Emergency Operations Center in Milton on Oct. 12. Records released by the district show Education Commissioner Henry Mack told Barber a day earlier that the governor wanted schools open that Tuesday.

Records detail dispute over Santa Rosa school reopening

Two days after Hurricane Isaias made landfall, Santa Rosa County Superintendent Karen Barber told the state when she thought schools could safely reopen: That date was Monday, Oct. 19.

Eighteen minutes later, Florida’s education commissioner had a different day in mind.

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Santa Rosa: debris crews haul in 62,000 cubic yards a day

Santa Rosa County officials say that debris crews had hauled away nearly 62,000 cubic yards of debris from Hurricane Isaias by Oct. 19, with the county on pace to collect nearly all of the debris within the next 30 days, according to County Administrator Brad Baker.

Milton suspends city events amid hurricane recovery

Milton will not support any city events for the rest of 2026, including the Veterans Day Parade, Light Up Milton and the Milton Christmas Parade, as the city recovers from Hurricane Isaias, Mayor Heather Lindsay said Oct. 21.

NAS Whiting Field resumes flight training after storm

NAS Whiting Field resumed flight training operations Oct. 19 after Hurricane Isaias uprooted trees and damaged buildings across the base.

Santa Rosa County issues warning on unlicensed contractors

Santa Rosa County is urging residents to use caution when hiring contractors to clean up from Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall Oct. 9.

The county announced that the area may see a rise in unlicensed contractors who could take advantage of residents.

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Sports

Milton Panthers have tough night against Gators

Advertorials

The activities you give up first may tell you something about your joints

Community

A moment of light in a time of darkness after the hurricane

Shoutout to Milton High School

I want to give a shout-out to the staff at Milton High School! It is obvious how deeply the staff cares about the kids and how hard they work every day to ensure every student’s needs are met. While no school is perfect, their genuine concern and dedication truly make all the difference.

Shoutout to unnamed very caring individuals

My husband and I were waiting outside a local restaurant to meet friends for dinner. We observed a woman holding the arm of a man with a cane. He was having great difficulty stepping down from the curb to get to his vehicle. It appeared that he might have been recovering from a stroke. My husband walked over to assist them. The three were quickly joined by other adults, young and old. After awhile, the group was able, with care and patience, to help him step off the curb and to his vehicle.

Shoutout to Co-Workers

Priscilla W. is giving a shoutout to BURNS and MCRAE. You guys are awesome to work with. I love working with you guys. We work great as a team!!!

Shoutout to the Milton Community!

Give a shoutout to someone who went above and beyond for you or our community!

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News

Santa Rosa clears way for debris pickup on private roads

Residents on private roads in Santa Rosa County who have watched debris trucks pass by their neighborhoods since Hurricane Isaias should start seeing crews soon.

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Sports

Area runners compete at EscaRosa meet

For the first time in October, area runners competed in a big invitational. They put their running skills to the test on a mild Thursday afternoon at the Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola.