The Florida Forest Service says the River Birch Fire in Santa Rosa County is 75 percent contained and is estimated to cover about 5 acres off of Bergren Road. Forest Service spokesman Joe Zwierzchowski (“Zwier-Chow-Ski”) said crews will return today to extinguish and hot spots and says smoke may still be visible for several days.…… MORE
Yearly Archives: 2018
FORT WALTON BEACH BLACK BEARS SEEN
A mother bear and three cubs have been spotted in Okaloosa County behind Santa Rosa Mall in Fort Walton Beach. The bears have apparently found a source of food and have been seen in a small patch of woods nearby. The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the black bear population in Florida to be about…… MORE
RABID RACOON
A raccoon captured in the neighborhood near Highway 79 in Panama City Beach has tested positive for rabies. This is the fifth confirmed case of a rabid animal in Bay County this year. According to the Bay County Health Department, another raccoon suspected to be rabid, attacked a dog in the Glades neighborhood in Panama…… MORE
GREYHOUND RACING BAN AMENDMENT
The Florida Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Amendment 13, a proposed ban on greyhound racing, should go on the November ballot. The Florida Constitution Revision Commission this spring approved placing the proposed racing ban on the ballot, but the Florida Greyhound Association filed a lawsuit arguing that the proposal, known as Amendment 13,…… MORE
RUSSIANS HACK FLORIDA ELECTIONS SYSTEMS
The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that Florida U.S. Senator Bill Nelson is saying that Russian operatives have penetrated some of Florida’s election systems. He said they could delete some registered voters ahead of the November elections if the systems are not adequately protected. However, the Florida Department of State, which oversees elections, says it…… MORE
NEW EMERGENCY ROOM FOR PACE
Santa Rosa County will soon be getting a new emergency room. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on yesterday in Pace for the Santa Rosa Medical Center. It will be located on Woodbine Road and will have most of the emergency services expected at a big hospital. The new emergency room is expected to open sometime…… MORE
NAVARRE ARTIFICIAL REEFS
Santa Rosa County officials say a project to deploy artificial reefs at Navarre Beach is expected to start next week. The reefs will be installed about a mile off Navarre Beach and more than 500 modules will be deployed to create 27 individual reef sites. Reefs will include 15-feet tall and 8-feet tall tetrahedrons as…… MORE
NAKED MAN FACES ARREST
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says a man who took off all his clothes and ran naked around outside of the Santa Rosa Mall and through surrounding neighborhoods last week will be charged. On Friday the man stripped naked and began to run around the mall’s parking lot, jumping on light poles and yelling. When…… MORE
FLORIDA MEDICAID CHANGE DELAYED
A change in the policy about patient eligibility for Medicaid in Florida will be delayed. The change was supposed to take effect on July 1st, but it will probably not happen until January 1st because Florida has not gotten the necessary approval from the federal government. A projected 98 million-dollar reduction was included in the…… MORE
BUBBA WATSON ON THE MATCH GAME
PGA Tour golfer, Bubba Watson will be a celebrity guest on the ABC game show, the Match Game. Bubba Watson previously appeared during the summer premiere of the Match Game on June 21st with Sheryl Underwood, Jason Alexander and comedian Gabriel Iglesias. The Match Game is hosted by Alec Baldwin and will air this Thursday…… MORE
