2020-01-30 E-Edition

Oriole Beach students crochet for creativity, dexterity and charity




The things Donna Godfrey teaches her fifth-graders at Oriole Beach Elementary School change their view of the world. Sometimes they change the students’ view of themselves, as well. About 10 years ago, Godfrey began teaching her students how to crochet. It’s an exercise in creativity she has continued for at least eight of those years, and 2019 was no exception. […]

HOA suggests district abandon TP school site




The president of Santa Rosa Shores Inc. brought an alternative idea for a school site to the school board last week. The president reminded board members that people living around the Tiger Point Golf Course are concerned about a new school possibly being built there and brought a suggestion for another site “just right down the road” from the golf […]

Spay/neuter clinic approved




A Hope for Santa Rosa’s proposed spay and neuter clinic inside the county will move forward with plans and property purchase, thanks to the county commissioners. At the last special rezoning meeting of 2019 in December, which involved only the five county commissioners, members approved the non-profit’s request to purchase property and build the specialty clinic the group has proposed […]

Sexual offenses ‘exploding’ at schools




Every month since school began in the fall of 2019, the school board has received expulsion recommendations for students involved in “sexual offenses” across the school district, in both middle schools and high schools. Santa Rosa County School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick told school board members last week that the administrators across the district are working together to figure out a […]

GB doc guilty of fraud

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael T. Harris, 45, of Gulf Breeze entered a guilty plea to the charges of acquiring controlled substances by fraud and using a means of identification of another person in connection to the offense of acquiring controlled substances by fraud. The guilty plea was announced by Lawrence Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. […]

5G tech as safe as baby monitors, Verizon rep says




“We are here to be a partner, not to be a problem,” said Verizon Communications Permit Consultant Willis Wilcox at the Jan. 21 meeting of Gulf Breeze City Council. Wilcox was one of two representatives for the company attending the City’s business session. Verizon and ATT are the two communications companies that expect to install equipment that will bring the […]

It’s My Job




Chelle Vail of Pensacola is senior accountant for the City of Gulf Breeze. It’s a job she began in April 2014, “right before the big flood,” she says. Although she comes to the job with an accounting degree from Auburn University, she says her years of experience as an auditor, staff accountant and controller helped her learn best practices and […]

Santa Rosa Teacher of the Year finalists named

Santa Rosa County-Santa Rosa Education Foundation announced the three finalists for Santa Rosa Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to: Elizabeth Mann, Oriole Beach Elementary; Tish Boozer, Santa Rosa Online; Courtney English, West Navarre Intermediate. The Santa Rosa Teacher of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 29, after the News’ deadline. Teacher of the Year nominees will be recognized […]

Gulf Breeze finance department earns Certificate of Excellence




In announcing a significant award for the City of Gulf Breeze’s finance department, City Manager Samantha Abell reminded Gulf Breeze City Council members at the Jan. 21 session that Director of Finance Jeanne Griffin and Senior Accountant Chelle Vail deserve credit for the official and highly regarded recognition of the department’s solid financial accounting best practices. She said that commitment […]