Santa Rosa County Commissioners on July 7 expressed their unanimous support for grant funding that will allow the Bagdad Village Preservation Association (BVPA) to expand their facility by relocating the historic post office back to the museum.

With the outpouring of public backlash the Town of Jay received over the past couple of weeks, the town council voted 4-1 on July 7 to not move forward with hiring April Watson as the new town’s manager.

Santa Rosa County officials are moving forward with a proposal that would turn an unused portion of East Milton Park into a BMX track, a project some elected officials and local residents believe could put Santa Rosa County on the map for competitive cycling.

Residents will have the chance to speak their minds as the Santa Rosa County Commission begins deliberations on a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers at 8:30 a.m. July 9 in the Santa Rosa County Commission boardroom.

Randy Roy is paid, in part, to think about a war that hasn’t happened yet and the pilots who’ll fly it.

With little discussion and no members of the public speaking on the issue, the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on June 29 to renew a local option six-cent gas tax for the next ten years.

With the stroke of a pen, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed about $2.2 million in local projects championed by State Rep. Nathan Boyles, R-Baker, for Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, including equipment for three North Okaloosa fire departments and a footbridge that would have closed a gap on the Florida National Scenic Trail.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pilot, Cole Ward has not accepted to date the proposed settlement agreement. In a statement issued by Industrial Helicopters, LLC, they refute and contest the purported violations contained in the Administrative Complaint and have requested an informal hearing before the allegations can be confirmed or disproven. 
A helicopter pilot who reportedly sprayed herbicides along a Florida Power & Light right of way in East Milton faces $20,100 in fines, and a year of probation, after state investigators found that he conducted improper spraying practices.

The City of Milton has fired its chief financial officer, ending a nearly 19-year career and capping weeks of public dispute over a six-figure accounting discrepancy, a months-long computer outage and a contentious payroll system transition that Curtis Krebs says set the stage for his dismissal.

There are many ways and places to celebrate our 250th Independence Day.