Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser Greg Brown II wants residents to mark their calendars. From Jan. 1, 2025, to March 1, 2025, residents can file for a homestead exemption. Two other exemptions, one for persons 65 and over and the other for deployed servicemembers, has a five-month filing window from Jan. 1, 2025, to June 1, 2025.

Live trees are a festive and fragrant holiday decoration for many families during the Christmas holidays, and Santa Rosa County Public Works offers an environmentally friendly option for disposal. Residents who would like to “treecycle” their tree for mulch may drop off their clean Christmas trees in the designated areas listed below by Jan. 20:

Waterfront Mission is spreading joy and compassion this holiday season by offering Christmas Lunch to those who are hungry or alone on Wednesday, December 25th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at both the Pensacola and Mobile Mission locations.

Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Homicide Investigations is looking for information and witnesses regarding a fatal crash that occurred in Pensacola, Florida.

Milton City Council were presented with two options on Dec. 19 during their special meeting to discuss the wastewater treatment plant: Fast-track or start over with a blank page.

City of Milton starting over on wastewater treatment plans

Looming deadlines, possible fines, and losing more than $47 million in awarded grants didn’t sway the city council from a unanimous vote to reject all bids on the wastewater treatment plant and disposal system. For months now discussion has centered around whether the locations of spray fields 1 and 2 would be a risk for contaminating the wellfield protection area. Citizens of Milton implored the council to move their plans elsewhere. The current location puts the effluent spray field over a wellfield protection area, which leads to the Florida aquifer. Without a plan to eliminate or reduce the amount of PFAS in the water, there is a risk of contaminating the aquifer.

City council changes seats

After the November election, four incumbents gone; Milton City Council will have a whole new look. On Nov. 5, Milton residents voted on four new city council members who were up for re-election. Now all four of those seats will be held by Ashley Fretwell, Tom Powers, Robert Leek, and Larry McKee.

Liberty Church to hold its first service since purchasing the historic Imogene Theatre

The Imogene Theatre is now the Milton campus for Liberty Church, and on Sept. 29 the church held its first service since purchasing the property in 2023. Renovations have been made, but the historical significance of the building still remains. The theater opened in October of 1913 and became a landmark of downtown Milton. The historical society sold the property under the terms that the building would still be available for community events and gatherings. Liberty Church saw it as a perfect fit and has now turned the building into its seventh overall location. The Pace campus has members that drive from Milton, and this space will allow room for existing members and newcomers.

Farm Field Day draws best turnout in event’s history

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) held its annual Farm Field Day in Jay on Aug. 22. The event took place at the UF/IFAS Research Facility.

Sheep project yielding results at FPL solar site

Florida Power & Light (FPL) has been using sheep to help maintain vegetation at the Blackwater River Solar Energy Center site for a year as a pilot program, and the early results are in. The idea was that the sheep would supplement traditional mowing to help maintain the vegetation at the solar site located in East Milton. The flock has nearly doubled over the past year, with approximately 100 sheep and lambs on site to maintain the vegetation, as well as traditional mowing, according to an FPL press release.