As fireworks sales ramp up ahead of Independence Day, Milton Fire Chief John Reble is urging residents to leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals.

A Pace man has pleaded guilty to eight counts of bank fraud, one count of embezzlement of labor union funds and three counts of falsifying labor union reports, according to a July 1 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pilot, Cole Ward has not accepted to date the proposed settlement agreement. In a statement issued by Industrial Helicopters, LLC, they refute and contest the purported violations contained in the Administrative Complaint and have requested an informal hearing before the allegations can be confirmed or disproven. 
A helicopter pilot who reportedly sprayed herbicides along a Florida Power & Light right of way in East Milton faces $20,100 in fines, and a year of probation, after state investigators found that he conducted improper spraying practices.

It has been more than 10 years since Eglin Air Force Base opened its gates to the public for an air show. In April 2027, that will change.

With the June 12 deadline passed, the list of candidates running for office in Santa Rosa County during the August primary has been set.

The city’s outside auditors said June 18 that cash reconciliations were left incomplete for nearly all of fiscal year 2025, a failure traced to Chief Financial Officer Curtis Krebs, who was placed on paid administrative leave earlier this month. The issue has delayed the annual audit and placed the city at risk of losing state revenue-sharing funds.

Central Landfill towers over the surrounding area in the Galt City section of Milton.

A permitted site for processing trash since 1978, Central Landfill handles thousands of tons of material daily and averages about 500 customers per day.

School is a little over a month away and the Santa Rosa County School District, along with the United Way of West Florida, is once again asking for school supplies during their annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign.

A precautionary boil water notice has been announced for Bagdad-Garcon Point Water System. The notice affects Winwood Lane.

Santa Rosa County emerged largely unscathed after the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur swept through the area last week, dumping several inches of rain, prompting the county to activate the Emergency Operations Center to level two status.