News Archive

State Sen. Don Gaetz said he will file legislation overhauling the Florida Department of Children and Families in the next legislative session, outlining 10 provisions at a news conference at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse on Sept. 4.

In a recording made sometime before his death, Antonio Austin Haner described what he believed was a campaign against him that went all the way to the federal level.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office will remove automated license plate readers (ALPRs) and suspend the program following a decision by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that revoked permits allowing their use on state roads.

A 13-year-old Crestview boy has been arrested on felony charges accusing him of posting TikTok messages that threatened three Okaloosa County schools, according to a news release by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

A Crestview woman being held without bond in Oklahoma on explosives and firearms charges is the widow of a 29-year-old who died in a standoff with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office last month.

After 38 years of serving the Okaloosa County School District, Sheila Lightbourne is retiring from her position as assistant superintendent.

(By Gray Rohrer) Amid a growing backlash to license plate reader (LPR) cameras and citing concerns over privacy, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Monday moved to shut down the newly ubiquitous technology on state roads.

The cameras, made by Flock Safety and other companies, use artificial intelligence to track suspects and flag speeders. But reports of abuse by police in Florida and around the country have sparked a bipartisan push to rethink their use.

(By Ana Goñi-Lessan) Pensacola State College is poised to tap Alex Kelly, Secretary of the Florida Department of Commerce, as the school’s next president.

The school’s board of trustees made its recommendation Friday for Kelly to be the sole finalist after a national search.

Two Santa Rosa County commissioners said they would not support removing license plate readers from county right of way, a day after commissioners in Walton County voted 5-0 for their removal.

Utility customers would see increased bills as the Crestview City Council unanimously approved three ordinances on first reading Aug. 24.