Santa Rosa County

Leonardo Helicopters US, a world leader in aerospace, defense and security, opens a new 73,000-square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Whiting Aviation Park in Santa Rosa. The company is expected to generate new high-wage jobs and boost the local economy.

The Santa Rosa County Commission is set to adopt an updated ordinance that establishes a new fee schedule that is more consistent and provides for escalating redemption fees after the third time.

Col. Patrick Dierig, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, advises Santa Rosa County commissioners that traffic congestion on U.S. 98 is a threat to their mission and asks for more help to address the gridlock.

The discovery and required removal of state-protected gopher tortoises from the site has temporarily halted Santa Rosa County's $5 million Pine Blossom Road Drainage Project north of Milton.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a list of vetoes last week as he signed the state’s budget into law. One of the local programs affected by the cuts is the newly established Santa Rosa County Veterans Court. The program has lost a full-time position and is running on a “shoestring” to keep serving veterans.

A week after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the project, the Santa Rosa County Commission has worked out a plan for raising the money to buying for conservation 27 acres of land on Santa Rosa Sound.

Residents have until July 15 to comment on the Cost Feasible portion of the 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan being developed by the Florida-Alabama Transportation Planning Organization.

The Santa Rosa County Commission has set rates for new and existing Municipal Service Benefit Units (MSBU) in the areas of fire protection, street lighting, stormwater maintenance, and road paving.

While Municipal Service Taxing Units (MSTUs) for road improvements and public safety were rejected, commissioners unanimously approved an MSBU for stormwater maintenance.

After residents of Avalon Estates successfully lobbied Santa Rosa commissioners to halt construction of an access road on county-owned property at the end of their Ibis Road cul de sac, the long-debated issue of whether such a road could be built appears to be headed to court.