JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas —  The Air Force Recruiting Service reached a significant milestone as it marked the achievement of its Fiscal Year 2024 recruiting goal with a time-honored bell-ringing ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Oct. 1.

A longtime Milton restaurant has closed its doors.

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A U.S. Marine whose adoption of an Afghan war orphan has spurred a yearslong legal battle and raised alarms at the highest levels of government will remain on active duty.

The 46th Test Squadron celebrated their 30th anniversary Oct. 1 with a small-time capsule ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base.

In a span of 12 days, Florida has been hit by two major hurricanes. And this season, it is the third hurricane to ravage the state. Yet, this is not the worst season Florida has seen.

On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 in near Perry, Florida, with winds reaching 140 mph. It is ranked as one of the most powerful to hit the state.

On Oct. 7, the Santa Rosa County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution against the abortion amendment that will be on Florida ballots in November.

Commissioner James Calkins added the resolution against Amendment 4 to the meeting agenda, and it was passed unanimously. Several other Florida counties have taken a similar stance.

Milton’s new director of economic development went on a vacation before starting his job with the city. Unfortunately, that vacation went awry as Hurricane Helene tore across the south after making landfall in Florida.

A week before taking on his role as Milton’s Director of Economic Development, Stephen Prestesater, decided to go on his annual trip with friends. The destination was Asheville, North Carolina, which ended up being one of the hardest hit areas in the aftermath of Helene.

Pace held a homecoming “redo” on Oct. 11, a week after a rainstorm washed out the homecoming court, requiring the school’s king and queen to be crowned in the gymnasium with little fanfare. But the “redo” came with a twist. The Patriots crowned an entirely new queen.

4-H Club is a youth-based program that provides hands-on experience in a variety of activities and fields to local students, and Santa Rosa County didn’t pass up on an opportunity to highlight all the program does in the community.

Santa Rosa Medical Group has opened an urgent care to provide residents in Pace access to a medical facility seven days a week.

Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce held the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and the healthcare providers at the location had the honor of cutting the ribbon with a large pair of gold-colored scissors.