A seventh grader from Avalon Middle School took home the top prize in this year’s Amazing Shake competition, impressing a panel of community and corporate judges with his poise, professionalism and a business pitch; walking away with $250, a crystal trophy and a vision of his future.

Naval Air Station Whiting Field cut the ribbon on a new air traffic control tower at North Field on April 6, marking what installation leadership called a significant step forward in Naval aviation training infrastructure.

Ascension Sacred Heart on April 13 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new freestanding emergency department in the Five Points area, bringing expanded emergency care services closer to north Santa Rosa County residents.

Researchers at Colorado State University are predicting a quieter-than-normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2026, citing an expected shift to El Niño conditions as the primary driver of the subdued outlook.

An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 15-year-old girl last seen in Milton, authorities said. 

The Santa Rosa County School District has devised a temporary, cost-neutral transportation plan to help families navigate the split grade-level transition to Soundside High School, Superintendent Karen Barber told the school board April 2.

The Santa Rosa County School Board voted April 2 to table a proposed student ID card policy after members raised concerns about child safety, data security and the burden the cards could place on low-income families.

Florida’s native and beneficial bat species typically roost in trees, caves or other natural spaces, but are sometimes attracted to buildings and other human-made structures, including buildings still undergoing construction. With bat maternity season starting soon, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding the public April 15 is the last day to legally exclude bats from buildings without a permit, until Aug. 15.

A new internal report by Northwest Florida State College obtained by the Crestview News Bulletin says the college improperly stored more than 170 pounds of live medications, including controlled substances such as morphine, fentanyl and a paralytic drug, in its School of Nursing building for an unknown period.

A Pace man was arrested for allegedly hitting, choking and threatening his girlfriend.

Kayden Lee Socha, 21, is charged with battery with domestic violence, misdemeanor battery, felony battery by strangulation, resisting an officer and intimidation.