Candidates Enter Race to Replace Term Limited Rep. Andrade
Candidates Enter Race to Replace Term Limited Rep. Andrade
Alex Andrade is facing term limits, so he cannot seek re-election to the Florida House District 2 seat during the 2026 election cycle. Currently five Republican and one Democratic candidate have entered the race for that seat. Candidates have until early June to qualify for the race. Andrade was first elected to serve in the … read more
Gulf Breeze Mom Challenges School Board Chairwoman for District 3 Seat
Gulf Breeze Mom Challenges School Board Chairwoman for District 3 Seat
On the heels of a South Santa Rosa News op-ed submitted by current Santa Rosa County School Board Chairwoman and District 3 Board Member Carol Boston, defending her recent vote against a recurring 2% raise for district teachers, Gulf Breeze Mom and social media influencer Kyle Connolly has entered the race. Connolly has three children … read more
Trump-Endorsed Byron Donalds Holds Commanding Lead in Governor’s Race Polling
Trump-Endorsed Byron Donalds Holds Commanding Lead in Governor’s Race Polling
New polling from Fabrizio Lee & Associates found Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds’ decisive lead continues to grow in the GOP primary for Florida Governor, with Donalds at his strongest showing of any poll to date, while the other candidates remain stuck in single digits. The poll shows Donalds with 54%, a 9-point improvement since the last … read more
Local Prison Guard Jailed for Child Abuse Connected to Fentanyl Case
Local Prison Guard Jailed for Child Abuse Connected to Fentanyl Case
Ke Anthony Blackmon, 29, and Averee Savage, 27, are both in Santa Rosa County Jail facing federal charges, including possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing Fentanyl. Savage reportedly recently became an informant against Blackmon. On Monday, Dynisha Blunt, a corrections officer at Santa Rosa Correctional Institute, … read more
Family Opens Tropical Smoothie Café in Pace, Plans Milton Café
Family Opens Tropical Smoothie Café in Pace, Plans Milton Café
On any given day in Pace, you might walk into Tropical Smoothie Café and think you are just grabbing a smoothie. But for Amanda and Jarrett Melvin, this café is something much deeper. It is personal. It is purposeful. And at the center of it all is their daughter, Aeris. Aeris is not just part … read more
DCF Settles Infant Death in Foster Care Lawsuit
DCF Settles Infant Death in Foster Care Lawsuit
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) took custody of an infant from a hospital, placing it with foster caregivers Kevin and Tiffany Herrman of Milton. The boy died while in their care in 2023, and a related lawsuit was recently settled. No news of the infant’s death happened when it occured; however, a … read more
OP-ED on Teachers Salary Impasse Vote from School Board Chairwoman Carol Boston
OP-ED on Teachers Salary Impasse Vote from School Board Chairwoman Carol Boston
Public school funding in Florida is not a future concern—it is a present and growing crisis. Here in Santa Rosa County, that reality is no different. As Chairwoman of the School Board for the last two years, I have ensured every board member understands the financial trajectory we are on. State funding constraints, rising costs, … read more
Is Due Process Dead in Santa Rosa County Family Dependency Court?
Is Due Process Dead in Santa Rosa County Family Dependency Court?
Justice isn’t blind in dependency court in Santa Rosa County, Florida. She’s brazenly doing the bidding of the Florida Department of Children and Families, which needs to be investigated by a third party. The problems include: Children taken from their homes under armed police escort and sometimes kept by DCF without due process and placed … read more
UPDATE: Navarre Child Back in Santa Rosa County, DCF Workers Replaced
UPDATE: Navarre Child Back in Santa Rosa County, DCF Workers Replaced
A Navarre girl has reportedly been returned to Santa Rosa County after the Florida Department of Children and Families took her to a foster caregiver in Jacksonville nearly two years ago. The agency had also sought to terminate the parental rights of her mother, Joy Zuraff, over differing opinions regarding the child’s cystic fibrosis treatment. … read more
Santa Rosa Teachers “Win” Raise Despite Peden and Boston Opposition
Santa Rosa Teachers “Win” Raise Despite Peden and Boston Opposition
It’s a win for Santa Rosa County District Schools teachers, who will receive a 2% recurring salary increase for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, following an impasse. District 4 School Board Member Charles Elliott made the motion, seconded by District 2 Board Member Elizabeth Hewey. District 1 Board Member Linda Sanborn was the deciding vote for it. … read more
