The U.S. Construction industry, like many other skilled trade job sectors, is facing an “acute crisis,” according to Ed Brady, CEO of the Home Builders Institute.
In 2026, the construction industry is projected to need approximately 350,000 jobs. A surge in infrastructure projects, AI data facilities and manufacturing construction has driven the demand.
Santa Rosa County is in preliminary talks with the U.S. Navy to acquire a 694-acre airfield adjacent to the Northwest Florida Industrial Park at I-10.
The airfield, known as Santa Rosa Outlying Field, is still in use by the Navy. If you’ve driven on Highway 87 South near Interstate 10 exit 31, then you’ve likely seen orange and white helicopters flying.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Mint printed its final penny in Philadelphia.
First printed in 1793, the penny, which is really a one-cent coin, has become an oft-overlooked staple of American life. It’s an item that has been seen as good luck, influenced pricing and marketing strategies and even impacted the name of a shoe.
The 44th-annual Homemakers’ Holiday Fair, hosted by the UF/IFAS Extension, brought the din of conversation and sales to the Santa Rosa County Auditorium. At the fair, vendors spoke about prices, displayed handmade crafts or home goods on carefully arranged tables and demonstrated why patrons should buy them, with their business cards stacked where everyone could see.
Walmart has found a new home on Berryhill Road in Pace. Last Wednesday, Sept. 17, hundreds of area residents enjoyed taking part in the Pace Walmart Neighborhood Market’s grand opening festivities. The store is an addition to a rapidly growing community, with convenience being a major factor welcomed by residents.
Pullum Commerce Park in East Milton is set to get three new warehouses as part of a planned development. The site, currently vacant, is on the north side of Technology Avenue.
Locklin Technical College’s Heating, Ventilation Air Conditioning/Refrigeration building is tucked away in an unassuming corner on campus. It’s plain: dark brick, the number 15 signifying the building number on its corner, a red and white sign telling you what program is held inside. From the outside, you wouldn’t think anything about the building. It would just be one of many on the campus; inside, however, is where the magic happens.
Grover’s 2.0, the second location of popular local restaurant Grover’s Fingers and Wings on Davis Highway in Pensacola, held its grand opening on July 24 after breaking ground over a year ago. The ’50s-themed diner had a soft opening on July 23, inviting members of law enforcement and first responders to get the first taste of the new Grover’s.
The owner of several Mexican restaurants in Northwest Florida and Alabama has been ar-rested on a slew of charges related to the mishandling of COVID-19 era federal loans.
Cesar Campos-Reyes, 52, is charged with four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama, the charges stem from an alleged scheme involving federal program fraud.
