Arrest made in $850,000 grand theft case following business email compromise scheme
May 29, 2025
The Milton Police Department has arrested 22-year-old Mohamed Bakayoko in connection with a large-scale fraud investigation that resulted in the theft of $852,983.06 from the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court & Comptroller. Bakayoko has been charged with grand theft, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in state prison.
For God’s Sake
May 28, 2025
Whenever my wife and I visit a restaurant for the first time, we ask our server the same question: what one dish on this menu would make us want to come back? The servers typically smile and cock their heads to the side as they ponder a question they have never considered. Their recommendations rarely fail to satisfy.
To the Class of 2025: The future is yours
May 28, 2025
Graduates, take a deep breath and soak in this moment. You’ve reached the culmination of years of effort, determination, and resilience. Today, as you stand on the cusp of your future, you are not just closing one chapter—you are stepping into a world filled with boundless possibilities, a world waiting for your imprint.
The hidden costs of overdevelopment
May 21, 2025
Growth is a sign of vitality—proof that a community is thriving. But unchecked expansion, often driven by profit rather than thoughtful planning, can wreak havoc on a county’s infrastructure, environment, and overall quality of life. Overdevelopment is a problem that many regions face, as booming populations and business interests push the limits of responsible urban planning.
For God’s Sake
May 21, 2025
Perhaps you’ve had the experience of seeing or hearing a bird fly into a picture window. Our home backs up to a woodlot and birds, seeing the woodlot’s reflection in the kitchen window, attempt to fly to it. Whenever that happens, regardless of the species, I mutter, “Crazy cardinal.”
More than 130,000 pounds of food collected during 2025 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
May 16, 2025
Pensacola, FL – Thanks to generous community donations and the hard work of local letter carriers, more than 130,000 pounds of food was collected on May 10th during the National Association of Letter Carriers’ 2025 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive to benefit neighbors in need in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Pace pharmacists busted for pill mill scheme
May 14, 2025
Pace Pharmacy pharmacists Stephen Allen Burklow and David Barron Winkles, and the pharmacy office manager Monique Burklow, were arrested on May 14. The three were charged with conspiring to traffic prescription drugs.
Safety in Schools
May 14, 2025
A child’s safety is always on the forefront of a parent’s mind. Angel Force Protection (AFP), a veteran-owned-and-operated school protection service, is committed to ensuring the safety of the children in this community.
For God’s Sake
May 14, 2025
I used the Waze app on a recent road trip and was a good “Wazer,” reporting and confirming road hazards along the way. “Vehicle on shoulder ahead,” the digital assistant would announce, sounding to me like she was annoyed. Sometimes there was a vehicle and sometimes it was there no longer, and I would dutifully give a status update by selecting the appropriate button. It was on that road trip that I realized that I needed to have my eyes checked. Sometimes I reported that the vehicle was no longer there when in fact it was. I needed a “whoops, my bad” button.
Zoning board has had enough
May 14, 2025
In Florida, zoning boards are statutorily required and used to ensure controlled land development. They review applications for variances, special uses and rezoning requests and send their decisions and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners.