Soon the sounds of shuffling paper, bells, children walking and the scratching of pens and pencils against paper will fill Santa Rosa District Schools’ newest addition, Wallace Lake K-8.

On Friday, July 28, Santa Rosa District Schools cut the ribbon and opened the doors of Wallace Lake K-8 to the public.

In a special meeting of the Milton City Council Tuesday night, Mayor Heather Lindsay called out city attorney and State Representative Alex Andrade for what she called unprofessional communications in 54 pages of emails and text messages between the two.

Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Robert Patrick Jernigan, 53, of Milton, Thursday night in connection with the murder of Stephen Lee Jernigan.

Stephen Lee Jernigan, 70 was found dead at his home in the 1800 block of Schnoor Road north of Chumuckla on Wednesday. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating. The Sheriff’s Office in a news release said detectives believe foul play was involved and that the death was not a random act; there is no threat to the general public.
The Press Gazette will report further details as they become available.

Bethany Anderson, the City of Milton’s Public Information Officer, released this short statement from City Manager Randy Jorgenson at 3:45 p.m. Monday: “At this time there is no need for a special meeting and the city is in continued contact with the candidate.”

NAS Whiting Field will commemorate the installation’s 80th anniversary beginning at noon Monday, July 17.

Santa Rosa County District Schools have almost 200 vacancies to fill three weeks before teachers return to the classrooms, but district officials aren’t worried – yet.

Casting Crowns, Tauren Wells, for KING & COUNTRY, and Passion will join evangelist Scott Dawson on stage for UNITE: Gulf Coast beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 21-22, at the Pensacola Bay Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
To reserve free tickets or reserve tickets and donate to the UNITE Movement, go to unitesdea.org.

The Milton City Council voted 8-0 Tuesday to enter into contract negotiations with Scott Collins to replace Randy Jorgenson, who will retire Sept. 1.

Not too nice. That was Mayor Heather Lindsay’s plea to staff preparing to advertise a request for proposals to develop city-owned property along the Blackwater River.

“My fear is that this will attract the kind of investor who wants to create a glamorous development for very wealthy individuals to have riverfront property,” Lindsay said at the city council’s July 3 executive committee meeting.