When Southern Raceway in East Milton went up for sale, some in the local racing community feared the property would be sold to a developer and that days at the dirt track would be a thing of the past.

That was also the fear of the Joiner brothers, Jonathan, Joseph and Joshua. As Joshua puts it, the brothers were practically raised at the track.

Sit on a front porch facing Forsyth Street long enough and you’ll see the traffic.

Large trucks breezing by, people speeding and the twice-a-day congregation of cars coming and going from Bagdad Elementary School are fixtures on the main drag through this otherwise sleepy community.

A Jay man has been charged with 10 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and five counts of animal cruelty after several animals were seized from his property.

The City of Milton is moving closer to its goal of constructing a new wastewater treatment facility.

The city announced it has received official permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to construct and operate a new wastewater treatment plant and associated sprayfields.

The Santa Rosa County Library System will mark its 20th anniversary in 2026, with celebrations planned throughout the year.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recently announced a change in policy regarding how driver license exams are proctored.

Starting Friday, Feb. 6, all driver license knowledge and skills examinations will be administered exclusively in English. The state also mentioned in a press release that exams must be taken without an interpreter.

The City of Milton has appointed Jacob Hullett as the City’s new Planning Director. He will replace Tim Milstead.

A lifelong Santa Rosa County resident, Hullett was born and raised in the Milton area and is a graduate of Milton High School.

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.

Kimberly McChesney, a former Gulf Breeze Elementary School assistant principal, has been placed in a new role within the district after an investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing related to events at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

McChesney, who was placed on administrative leave in August 2025 after her son, Matthew McChesney, was arrested in July on a charge of possession of child pornography, has been reassigned to the Blended Academy. She will serve as assistant principal of the school, which offers a hybrid model of online education and in-person support.

The Milton Fire Department entered Tuesday night, Jan. 13, without full staffing but began Jan. 14 with three new firefighters and fully staffed A and C shifts.

During the City Council’s work session, Fire Chief John Reble said the department had vacant positions during the latter half of 2025. He told council members the department was able to hire new firefighters who recently completed training at Northwest Florida State College’s fire academy, as well as one firefighter from George Stone Technical College.