Community Archive

On Thursday, May 9, Keller Williams Emerald Coast in Navarre presented a check for $4,800 to Emerald Coast Exceptional Families, a 501c3 nonprofit which provides support services to special needs families. The money will go toward funding for the SAFE program, something ECEF started with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in 2022. The SAFE program is meant to foster better communication between law enforcement agencies and the special needs community.

For the first time in roughly 20 years, the Hurlburt Field Airpark is open to the general public.

While the airpark has been unofficially available for public use since April 11, 1st Special Operations Wing (1SOW) Commander Col. Patrick Dierig and others with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) held a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday to formally welcome community members to the outdoor museum.

“An answered prayer.” That’s how Austyn Evans describes knowing her two-year-old son, Conrad, now has a kidney after an agonizing search for a donor. Although the search took them from Northwest Florida to Texas and then to Georgia, the donor turned out to be closer to home (in fact, the donor lives in their home).

The American Red Cross of North Florida is hosting a Shelter Fundamentals and Simulation event on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Clyde L. Gracey Community Center, 5629 Byrom St. in Milton. Potential evacuation shelter volunteers, observers, and partners are welcome to attend by registering online.

Eglin Air Force Base’s Fire and Emergency Services recently lost one of their own in a motor vehicle crash, which occurred Wednesday, March 13. Battalion Chief Matthew Becker, who served with Eglin Fire and Emergency Services for 17 years, left behind a wife, two children and countless loved ones.

Whether Santa Rosa County flies Florida’s tallest American flag depends on where it would be installed.

When most people want to experience an authentic experience in another culture, they usually have to get on a plane and fly far away to a foreign destination. For those northwest Floridians looking to explore Japanese culture, you need only hop in your car and drive to St. Sylvester Catholic Church (6464 Gulf Breeze Parkway).

The UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners invite the public to attend an educational session to learn about native Florida wildflowers that can be easily grown in your home gardens and landscapes.

A Milton man is counting more than just his blessings after he won a grand prize from the Florida lottery. Bernard Waters, 63, claimed the $5 million top prize from the $20 Monopoly Doubler Scratch Off game this month. According to the Florida lottery, Waters chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump-sum payment of $3,994,698.

The Arc of the Emerald Coast announced that on Wednesday, Jan. 31, it received a generous donation of $25,000 from the Fort Walton Beach Rotary. The funds were raised at the North Florida Pickleball Brawl, the Rotary’s annual pickleball tournament.