Santa Rosa County officials joined executives from Hershey’s Ice Cream on Oct. 24 to break ground on the company’s planned 30,000-square-foot distribution center located at the new Northwest Florida Industrial Park @ I-10, just south of the interstate.

Florida Sen. Doug Broxson and Reps. Alex Andrade and Joel Rudman met with Santa Rosa County residents Tuesday at St. Sylvester Catholic Church in Navarre to preview key bills and hear public concerns before the 2024 legislative session.

It was a successful first year for the Special Olympics swim program in Santa Rosa County.

Two athletes, Jezrell Dofita, and Alaina Moraino both placed at the state meet.

After a nearly seven-hour meeting Oct. 12, the Santa Rosa County School Board is still waiting to approve the health insurance program for district employees. The current plan expires Dec. 31.

Milton City Councilman Jason Vance has announced that he expects to move outside the city’s limits by Oct. 30, which would disqualify him from serving on the city council.

Milton Councilwoman Roxanne Meiss is asking the council to consider – again – revising the city’s Unified Development Code to allow property owners to apply for a “local historic resource” designation. The council’s agenda workshop meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19.

Meet prominent residents from Bagdad’s past and learn their stories during the Bagdad Cemetery Association’s free Legends and Lore Tour. The event was suspended because of COVID, but volunteers have revived the educational two-hour presentation, which takes place between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday at the cemetery, 6800 Pooley Street in Bagdad.

The Milton City Council voted last week to install benches in the city’s parks dedicated to sexual assault survivors, including a plaque with contact information for support resources.

Butterflies in Motion, Inc., unveiled its “Wow! World of Water” presentation Friday, Oct. 6, at an end-of-season party at Beardless Brewhaus in Milton.

The Santa Rosa County Budget Office has scheduled a budget workshop beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, to discuss how the county’s budget is funded and additional ways in which the county could increase revenues.