Whether Santa Rosa County flies Florida’s tallest American flag depends on where it would be installed.

When most people want to experience an authentic experience in another culture, they usually have to get on a plane and fly far away to a foreign destination. For those northwest Floridians looking to explore Japanese culture, you need only hop in your car and drive to St. Sylvester Catholic Church (6464 Gulf Breeze Parkway).

Navarre’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) held a training session Sunday, March 3, at Holley Navarre Fire District Station 45. The training session was part of a six-session training course to prepare residents of Santa Rosa County for emergencies and how they can help their community. Five people participated in the course. Four were from Navarre and one from Pace.

The 25th anniversary of the Blackwater Heritage State Trail in February was bittersweet for Richard Collins. In 1996, the Pace man earned recognition as a National Conservation Hero for helping create the trail.

The UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners invite the public to attend an educational session to learn about native Florida wildflowers that can be easily grown in your home gardens and landscapes.

Students can drive their tractors to Jay High School on a designated day during FFA Week.

A Milton man is counting more than just his blessings after he won a grand prize from the Florida lottery. Bernard Waters, 63, claimed the $5 million top prize from the $20 Monopoly Doubler Scratch Off game this month. According to the Florida lottery, Waters chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump-sum payment of $3,994,698.

The Arc of the Emerald Coast announced that on Wednesday, Jan. 31, it received a generous donation of $25,000 from the Fort Walton Beach Rotary. The funds were raised at the North Florida Pickleball Brawl, the Rotary’s annual pickleball tournament.

The sound of rain couldn’t drown out the sound of Santa Rosa’s All County Band Saturday, Jan. 27.

In spite of the gloomy weather, parents, school district employees and the community packed Pace Assembly of God to hear both middle school and high school students perform a variety of tunes from classics such as the Wizard of Oz and Star Wars to more recent compositions such as Tarantella by Carol Brittin Chambers.

Consider the variety of needs in our community: beds for children who are sleeping on floors. food, clothing and care for at-risk foster children, STEM and mentoring programs to spark brighter lives for children and teens, marine and wildlife conservation and protection programs.