Eglin Air Force Base – A tactical air-to-surface missile, known as the Stand-in Attack Weapon, successfully released from a 40th Flight Test Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time Nov. 7 over the Gulf of Mexico.

New Milton City Councilmembers drew a large crowd at the Milton City Hall on Dec.10 for their commencement ceremony.

Hurlburt Field – “There were bushfires and famine; people were dying of hunger—it was horrible.”

Growing up in Ghana, Staff Sgt. Barfi’s younger years were marked by conflict and adversity, but it was not the challenges that defined him rather, it was the kindness of strangers that shaped the course of his life.

The community drive-through food distribution event on Dec. 2 provided hundreds of families with free food. Last year 10,000 pounds of food was donated within one hour, this year both of those figures doubled.

Tallahassee – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced record-breaking visitation numbers in 2023. Tourists to Florida were found to have spent a record $131 billion in the state—an increase of 5% over 2022—in addition to $36.9 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue. Florida remains the premier travel destination of the nation and the world.

The rain stopped and the sun started to shine moments after a groundbreaking wrapped up on a stadium for the Pensacola State women’s soccer team.
It’s symbolic in that even brighter days are ahead for a program that has enjoyed a wealth of success in its first two years of existence.

The cold weather shelter for the homeless and/or heatless will open on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at Ferris Hill Baptist Church, 6848 Chaffin St. in Milton. Those who would like to stay at the shelter must arrive between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Only service animals (with verification of rabies vaccination) are permitted to stay with guests. No one will be admitted after 8:30 p.m. unless brought in by law enforcement. The shelter closes at 7 a.m. each morning.

With Kerry Smith acting as the new Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, he laid out a new set of rules for the meetings.

The UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners hosted a demonstration on how to plant, harvest, and process sugarcane from home.

Residential Horticulture Agent Josh Criss hosted the class alongside Master Gardener and volunteer Francis Andrews. Together they shared their combined knowledge of how to have sugarcane become a part of your garden or landscaping.

Drivers may encounter intermittent U.S. 90 lane closures, between Avalon Boulevard and Stewart Street through Thursday, Dec. 12, from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., for milling and paving operations.