-- The City of Gulf Breeze wants to add a fee of $14 per month to the bills of 94 percent of city customers to help cover the cost of expansion of the Tiger Point Wastewater Treatment Plant Mayor JB Schluter and the City Council will hold a public meeting on Monday to review financing options for the $64 million project "The focus will be on how to responsibly fund half of the project’s cost — $32 million in debt — through a fair and transparent rate structure," the city says which the city is calling "Alternative #2," introduces a $14 monthly fee per Equivalent Residential Connection (ERC) most customers will see their monthly bill for sewer increase to approximately $38 "The ERC method is an industry-standard approach used to measure how much capacity a customer requires based on their meter size," the city says "The City already uses ERCs to set impact fees and monthly base charges and engineers use these same factors to size wastewater plants This approach ensures a strong connection between what customers pay and the capacity reserved for their use." Reporter Samantha Serbin is looking more into this proposal today one of the founding members of a group called Save Our Soundside notified county planning officials about the glitch in the proposal put forward by property owner William Coots for Santa Rosa County Zoning Board consideration Coots has subsequently pulled his request to rezone the property from single family residential to highway commercial development from the board's May 8 meeting agenda "The applicant has tabled his request until next month," said County Planning and Zoning Director Shawn Ward Ward said the 4.9 acre easement in question had been identified as a road on county zoning maps and a former owner had wanted the land vacated at that time the District 5 county commissioner representing the Gulf Breeze area called upon fellow board members to support a resolution to establish a permanent conservation easement on the property He received unanimous support to do so with one commissioner absent from the meeting The resolution codifying the easement states that the county "shall prohibit the construction of any structure intended for residential or commercial use." "Any use of the subject property shall be limited to those that protect the environmental integrity of the subject property," it said Ward said paperwork generated through the creation of the easement seemed to indicate Lynchard had determined the vacated parcel to be a wetlands area that the county would be unable to do anything with and had therefore decided to create the easement Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser records show purchased the conservation easement property in April of 2024 for $100 despite it being clearly labeled on the agency's website as such He also bought two other parcels the same month all in the 6100 block of Gulf Breeze Parkway Beckie Cato who was to represent Coots at the Zoning Board meeting said May 2 the existence of the perpetual conservation easement "had just come to light in the last week." "That's the reason for the delay," she said "The county attorney contacted us and we agreed it would be better if we wait for a month." Cato declined to provide contact information for Coots Coots purchased the land protected by the conservation easement from David May In correspondence between Ward and Pavelick Ward responded to a question about whether a seller would be required to inform a buyer of the perpetual conservation easement "But a title search would identify the conservation easement (and) the Property Appraiser’s Office identifies it as a conservation easement as well A potential buyer would hopefully do their due diligence to identify any wetlands or potential stormwater issues." Last year the Zoning Board approved without objection a request from Coots to rezone land on the 6200 block of Gulf Breeze Parkway for highway commercial development His application for the pending rezoning notes that a previous rezoning "straightened out the southern boundary of an area now zoned for highway commercial development." The developer later decided that extending the area zoned commercial down to an existing wetland barrier would be "more amenable for cohesive development" and remove a small area of land zoned residential it would impact the northern 653 feet of three individual parcels and add approximately 3 acres to the existing highway commercial development zoning A wetlands assessment report conducted by Wetland Sciences Incorporated on behalf of the developer states that more than half of the parcel reviewed is comprised of wetlands but makes no mention of the existence of the perpetual conservation easement "the actual area proposed for rezoning to highway commercial development is predominantly upland." "The adjacent wetlands will be protected as required by the county Florida Department of Environmental Protection and U.S Army Corps of Engineers," the application states the senior scientist who signed off on the wetlands report did not return a phone call seeking comment just because it says perpetuity doesn't mean it's permanent," he said Pavelik said she wants to see the entire 4.9 acres protected under the easement remain free from development "I'm not sure how much they wanted to rezone but once you start cutting into it who knows what will happen?" she said "If it's a conservation easement that means there's wildlife on it an iconic midcentury modern sign in Gulf Breeze welcomed drivers to veer east along the Gulf of Mexico for a scenic drive to Pensacola Beach Featuring a cartoon sailfish and encircled by palm trees the sign has been restored multiple times since it was erected in 1960 Though its message to take a picturesque route leading to the "world's whitest beaches," along with motels and restaurants The sign now invites travelers to "drive east along Gulf of America," reflecting a January executive order issued by President Donald Trump to change the name of what was known for centuries without much controversy as the Gulf of Mexico Three months later, the renaming of the basin — which Trump said was part of his pledge to honor "American greatness" — continues to be a contentious subject across the nation. Polls collected by Harvard CAPS and Harris Poll in January found that 72% of registered voters oppose the executive order The name changes issued by Trump and DeSantis were ultimately what drove Mike Kohler the chairman of Escambia County Commission who also worked for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign to lead efforts in modifying the Pensacola Beach sign Kohler discovered the change would cost the county $2,600. Refurbishing the sign has cost significantly more in previous years, such as in 2019 when $263,000 was put into replacing it with a modernized version "I said go ahead and move forward with it," Kohler recalled "To be in alliance with the executive orders both from the president and governor." Kohler added that before the modification, the commission was periodically hearing concerns from residents of Escambia County — where nearly 47% of registered voters are Republican and about 30% are Democratic, according to the Florida Department of State — about the sign remaining the same Kohler said the commission has received mainly positive feedback other commissioners of the county supported the change who Kohler said devised filling the word "America" with the patriotic colors of red Hoffberger could not be reached for comment on Monday The percentage of the Florida population who support the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is unclear. A public opinion survey from the University of North Florida found that out of 871 registered voters Sean Mullins, a photographer who runs a popular social media platform named Pensacola Vibes, posted an image on Facebook earlier this month that went viral for featuring "Gulf of Mexico" carved in the sand of Pensacola Beach the responses were divided — some praising the name changing others disapproving and many who resorted to referring to the body of water as the Gulf Political turmoil appeared again in the comments section when Mullins posted a photo of the modified Pensacola Beach sign "It's just "the gulf" to me," one commenter wrote "But I'll call it Gulf of America for sure." "Can we change it back though?" another asked Millions will see the updated sign while traveling to Pensacola Beach in 2025, as the tourism group Visit Pensacola found over 2 million people visited Escambia County in 2024. That number is expected to grow this year, according to local media outlets Email Poet Wolfe at poet.wolfe@theadvocate.com Email notifications are only sent once a day News Tips:nolanewstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: The area's lone boys volleyball team is back in the postseason Gulf Breeze, in its second year as a program, has made it to the region tournament for back-to-back years and was guaranteed a trip this time after beating North Bay Haven in a sweep in the District 1-2A championship game The region tournaments for boys volleyball begin on May 6 for the quarterfinals followed by the semifinals on May 9 and the finals on May 13 Teams that advance to the state championships will head to Polk State College in Winter Haven for the Final Four from May 15-17 Here's the bracket that features Gulf Breeze could host up to two region tournament games assuming the higher-ranked team wins each contest across the region The Dolphins start with District 3's Menendez Augustine in its district tournament championship Nate Arnold was already playing beach volleyball a bit and was part of the C2 Attack Volleyball Club in Tennessee He and a couple friends, including Spencer Smith – also a beach player – went to a Choctaw boys volleyball practice and had one simple thought. "Why can't we do this in Santa Rosa County?" they asked A group of parents in the Gulf Breeze area gauged interest in creating an area high school boys volleyball team There was already a handful of beach and indoor players involved in different programs throughout the southeast and Gulf Breeze High would be the host school while gaining others from Navarre and Central – like Arnold When the team was announced, Nate's older brother, Jackson Arnold – a Central alum and a standout volleyball player who played collegiately at Webber International University – initially said he'd come and watch the team play After a few weeks without anyone willing to step in and build a program from the ground up Jackson was approached to be the head coach "I started thinking about it and thought this would be a great way for me to give back to the game that gave me everything," Jackson said That's not to say there wasn't any hesitation still tries to play as much volleyball as he can While there are times he wishes he could play the game he loves a little bit more coaching that same game has its own rewards "I still get that same competitive rush and that same family feeling of being part of a team," Jackson said “It did help that Nate was part of the team we didn’t like what happened at practice or this drill and this is why.’ It’s a good feedback loop where there’s no feelings hurt and it all comes from a positive place It’s never an attack or a negative outcome It’s always a good amount of feedback that filters through.” "Hopefully we can extend the season as much as possible enjoying the process of what I was thinking on Day 1 here to what I’m thinking now with the team I have," Jackson said building the culture and a team family was one of the top priorities for Jackson It helped that the not-blood-related family of the growing team was bolstered by blood-related brothers − brothers who had already played high levels of volleyball in Tennessee at C2 and around different parts of the country in both indoor and beach Jackson Arnold had played for about a year-and-a-half before Nate got the volleyball bug though were part of different age-group teams His age group was a little better suited nationally than mine was in his first year," Jackson said "Volleyball’s one of those sports where you learn a lot by traveling with your teammates and your family It’s one of the coolest aspects of the sport.” "It was cool to see more guys play volleyball," said Nate who noted that boys volleyball is more popular throughout the Midwest But a few years of traveling definitely took its toll That's when the opportunity for the Gulf Breeze varsity team took shape "Playing locally is a lot more fun and a lot easier on me instead of having to travel every weekend," Nate said All they had to do was get enough players to field a roster Thanks to the different personalities of the Arnold brothers – Jackson is more of a "vocal and communicative" leader while Nate talks on the "showing" leader – they made it work (Nate's) going to do it himself and show it he’s able to do it Younger players will start picking up on his good habits and replicate those." "I thought we’d be teaching a lot of guys to play volleyball "But I’ve been pleasantly surprised that we have a lot of volleyball players instead of just athletes in Year 1 and Year 2.” Having your older brother as your coach doesn't come without its struggles ‘What’s Jackson doing at practice?’" Nate said with a laugh Teaming up has also allowed the Arnold brothers' relationship to grow even more Jackson and Nate can "deep-dive" into what went right or wrong Opportunities also present themselves for Nate to be a "buffer" or the middle man between the coach and other players "Sometimes players don’t want to tell their coaches what’s going on Nate is good about being able to explain situations," Jackson said if other players don’t understand something I’m saying Nate can put it in better terms so they understand it." Being at practice or in games together allows the duo to see each other grow in different aspects of life and in their own volleyball journeys taking on the responsibility of leading a high-level high school team being just a few years older than the players he's coaching I think that's helped Jackson develop even more as a player," Nate said Jackson's noticed even more of a boost in Nate's volleyball IQ and assessment of the game from both an analytical and "feeling" side of the game "You’ve got to be able to identify who’s in a good rhythm and who’s not I’ve definitely seen Nate grow in his decision-making "As a teammate with emotional intelligence He’s found ways to pick up his teammates.” they're just working together on a common goal for the Dolphins "I just have to forget he’s my brother whenever we’re at practice or at games But whenever he’s on the court and I’m coaching we have a really good understanding of responsibilities and boundaries My responsibility is to provide this team with the best opportunity and Nate’s responsibility is to execute the gameplan on the court," Jackson said But he understands that I’m doing him an injustice if I don’t push him as hard – if not harder – than his teammates Our team will not be as strong as if he is not pushed to his limit Owners Scott and Latasha “Tasha” Day have opened a new “micro sports bar” called Slidsters Tap House at 4584 Gulf Breeze Parkway offering a family-friendly environment built on years of Scott’s recipes The concept was born from combining the comforts of a local restaurant small enough to learn everyone’s name including 20 TVs in their 48-seat restaurant and a state-of-the-art magnetic beer dispensing system The dream of opening his restaurant has been in the back of his mind since working in a restaurant as a teen While he put his dream aside as he and his wife pursued schooling and other careers they felt now was the right time to put the idea at the forefront and make it a reality “I was 15 when I first started there (in a restaurant) that was when it kind of started − the excitement of the restaurant I loved the adrenaline of being on the grill and I left that and went into manufacturing.” “It has been a dream of mine for a long time to have a restaurant,” Scott added While he didn’t return to the restaurant industry right away his special-seasoned smash burgers were always a fan favorite at any function he brought them to this has just been kind of what we've been wanting to do and seeing how happy he is finally being able to fulfill his dream and putting so much into this…it's starting to really take off and everyone really likes it,” Tasha said It's no surprise his menu breaks down into options for over a dozen varieties of his fresh Scott never misses the opportunity to try a burger in any new city he visits and some of the menu items are his all-time favorites the “Oklahoma Onion Cheeseburger,” a tribute to his favorite burger restaurant he frequented when the couple lived in Oklahoma City Scott’s version features two smash patties with crispy edges piled with grilled onions “People would line up around the building an hour before lunch just to try to get in there and get a burger and they served it on a paper towel,” Scott said of his favorite Oklahoma burger Other items remind him of the nostalgia of his younger years a Vienna Beef hot dog loaded with all the traditional toppings of spicy sport peppers and celery salt which were go-tos in Illinois summers when he visited his father He couldn’t find anything like the real thing in the Gulf Breeze area one of the signature favorites is the Slidsters Cheesesteak with the Slidsters' spin of a panini-pressed pita stuffed with sliced steak melted white American cheese and a smear of mayo All burger and sandwich orders come with a hurricane a whole spiral-cut potato seasoned and deep-fried They can also be upgraded to include more toppings or substituted for another appetizer Scott said the goal is for the food to be of the highest quality every time This is why the restaurant is still in its soft-opening stage as he prioritizes pouring into his staff what he considers to be the secret to success “The biggest secret of all is having cooks who are happy Cooks that appreciate the food as much as I appreciate the food and that truly care about the product they're presenting to people,” Scott said And that's kind of the goal − keep people fed Scott hopes they are building something that the community will enjoy for years to come and their whole family is on board to help make it happen the first thing he does is goes and washes up all they (Scott and Tasha’s children) care about is they want to see us succeed They want to build something that they can be proud of and that eventually their kids will be able to enjoy and they'll get the experience - building brands and building the idea that I came up with when I was wanting to create something that took me back to my favorite job,” Scott said “They get to help me − help me see it through and hopefully be a part of it for many years to come.” Slidsters Tap House is open from noon to 9 p.m To keep up with the updates and real-time information, follow Slidsters Tap House on social media. Stay up to date on the latest restaurant news by subscribing to our free Pensacola Eats newsletter Sign up for the newsletter at profile.pnj.com/newsletters/pensacola-eats/ Just 32 Class 2A beach volleyball teams remain active in the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs Santa Rosa County boasts two of those teams. Both Pace and Gulf Breeze learned their opponents and locations in the Region 1-2A quarterfinals after the FHSAA had its selection show for the beach volleyball state tournament on April 25 With a full state tournament this season that includes a three regional rounds, the road to Tallahassee gets a little longer for beach volleyball teams this season The semifinals are slated for May 2 followed by the finals on May 6 All eyes go to Florida State University on May 9-10 for the state championships in Tallahassee after that Gulf Breeze now has its path to defend its state crown after the Dolphins defeated Berkeley Prep, 3-2, in their second season as a program to achieve the immaculate 22-0 season Here's how the region bracket shapes up for both Gulf Breeze and Pace The full regional rankings will be listed below the region playoff bracket once they're updated by the FHSAA Teams with an asterisk (*) are the host for the region quarterfinals Notes: Things are pretty straightforward in Region 1-2A as all four district champions are in the top four teams meaning they will all host the region quarterfinals will have a rematch of the District 1 championship game against Crestview in the quarterfinals The region will run through Chiles as long as the Timberwolves keep winning By Mike BrantleyPublished: Apr. 14, 2025 at 11:59 AM CDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInGULF BREEZE, Fla. (WALA) - Police in Gulf Breeze have put out a warning about a driver who on Sunday allegedly “pulled a firearm on another vehicle.” The GSPD distributed pictures of the white Jeep Cherokee the driver was operating on the Pensacola Bay Bridge when the incident happened at about 4:30 p.m the Jeep was traveling southbound on the bridge toward Gulf Breeze when the driver pulled the gun Police said the driver is a middle-aged white man with a bald head There was a child inside the Jeep at the time of the accident The police department said the Jeep was seen on traffic cameras making a U-turn and traveling back into Pensacola The Jeep Cherokee possibly had a South Carolina tag with a large military-style star decal on the front Police advise citizens to not approach the driver The Odessa-based developers behind the project want to create a single 14,400-square foot building that will house seven different businesses including a space designed for an office in the westernmost end of the building Documents filed with Santa Rosa County show the office space is the only business planned out at this stage of the project Potential occupants for the remaining spaces are not yet available This project was filed with Santa Rosa County on April 21 and a development order hasn’t been issued for it by the time of writing The proposal’s site plans show the building will be developed at 2816 Gulf Breeze Parkway if it’s approved by the county The News Journal reached out to the owner of the project about the proposal and they declined to comment on their plans at this time Strip mall coming to NW Pensacola: Northwest Pensacola getting new strip mall that will bring 6 businesses under one roof created a limited liability company coined after the project’s address They plan to combine three parcels in the area that they already own They bought the land from a local resident a year ago for $1.05 million There are two entrances planned for the strip mall one of which will connect to Gulf Breeze Parkway while the other will lead motorists onto Whisper Bay Boulevard Site plans for the project show that developers will have to remove a few different structures They also plan for the businesses to share one parking lot with 73 parking spaces the proposed site of the project is approximately 1.95 acres GULF BREEZE, Fla. -- It's been three days since a black bear made its way up a tree in Gulf Breeze Florida Fish and Wildlife officials are still monitoring the situation The bear is more than 30 feet in the air on a pine tree Concern for the bear comes from where that tree is -- a median on Highway 98 Many have reached out to WEAR News on social media with concerns about the bear "need a new update did he come down last night?" WEAR News spoke with one resident who watched this all happen and then people started honking their horns," said longtime Gulf Breeze resident Richard Dennis Other viewer concerns include the health of the bear WEAR News spoke with a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist monitoring the bear but says bears can go weeks without food or water While black bears may not traditionally hibernate they do experience “winter lethargy.” The National Park Service says it's a process where the bear will slow their heart rate down and den Other concerns include how the bear will get down The FWC plans to let the bear get down on its own But they ask the public to speed up the process by leaving the bear alone Residents tell WEAR News black bear sightings are not uncommon in that area "We have quite a few black bears that wander through I live in Villa Venyce and we have to keep dogs secure in your backyard," said Dennis "We've had bears in the backyard We've had big bears just walking down the street like 'la da la la' you know so it's not unusual for them to around here I'm a resident of Navarre and the bear population continues to grow I had a momma and four cubs in my driveway a month or so ago The stretch of Highway 98 that the bear has lodged itself up runs along the Gulf Island National Seashore and the Naval Live Oaks area For anyone who may be concerned for the bear’s safety Parkway Animal Hospital is right across the street from the bear And they have a veterinarian that specializes in exotic animals The FWC says there is no reason for residents to be worried about the bear's safety They have no plans to take it out of the tree or relocate it Gulf Breeze is getting a new thrift store after Santa Rosa County approved a development proposal by Goodwill to build its second retail store in the county Goodwill is set to build a 20,126-square-foot building that’ll be split into separate sections that include retail and warehouse areas The retail section will take up most of the building as site plans show it will have 12,847 square feet compared to 7,297 square feet in the warehouse area The new Goodwill will be under construction on the corner of Gulf Breeze Parkway and Tiger Point Boulevard which is down the road from an existing Goodwill donation center Developers also plan to build a parking lot with 99 spots that will provide access onto Gulf Breeze Parkway Goodwill has one retail store open in Santa Rosa County that's located in Pace They also have two more retail stores in Escambia County that are located in Ensley and Ferry Pass Publix opens 8th Escambia store: Publix opens its newest Pensacola store inside Blue Angel Plaza chief operating officer of Goodwill Industries of the Gulf Coast filed this project with Santa Rosa County in August and it required two resubmittals before developers were greenlit for construction County officials voiced a few concerns about the project including encroachment and protecting existing vegetation in the area after looking at the first two proposals and developers incorporated the feedback into their third-and-final proposal Santa Rosa County issued a development order for the project on March 10 Goodwill Gulf Coast was founded in 1956 and is based in Mobile It is currently building a new retail store donation center and opportunity center in Foley The organization serves 10 counties total between Alabama and Florida Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties in the Florida Panhandle Goodwill Gulf Coast has helped people enter the workforce through skills training and placement services and provided support programs for children Eighty-nine cents of every dollar Goodwill Gulf Coast spends provides support for the programs and services offered to the community The body of an apparent drowning victim was recovered Saturday morning on the marsh shoreline in Gulf Breeze according to a Facebook post from the city The individual has since been identified as 54-year-old Norman William Jackson a boat called 911 that a passenger had fallen overboard in the waters near Shoreline Park South Gulf Breeze Fire responded as lead agency with its rescue boat with mutual aid provided by rescue boats from the Midway and Pensacola fire departments Search and rescue operations extended across the coast including private docks along Soundview Trail The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission transitioned to recovery at approximately 11 p.m. and Jackson's body was found the following morning "The City of Gulf Breeze Fire Department extends its sympathies to the loved ones of the deceased and would like to thank our residents who aided rescuers in the ground search," a Facebook statement from the agency said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be released when available -- Santa Rosa County officials say the search for the man has now shifted to recovery efforts as he could not be located Coast Guard and FWC are now handling the situation moving forward -- A water rescue is underway in Gulf Breeze Friday night for a man in his 50s Alerts went out to Gulf Breeze residents just after 9:30 p.m about a water rescue along the 1200 block of Soundview Trail That's the road that runs along the Sound overlooking Pensacola Beach Santa Rosa County officials say the man fell off a boat in the intracoastal A caller reported the incident around 8:20 p.m Midway Fire Department and Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office are on land for the search Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are out on boats for search efforts The county says windy conditions are making the search difficult -- Two people were arrested after an incident following a traffic stop in the Gulf Breeze High School parking lot Friday morning According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office deputies initiated a traffic stop for improper lane change and a window tint violation two suspects reportedly attacked two deputies and a Gulf Breeze Police officer Deputies identified the two suspects as Marcus Duane Griffin Both are currently in Santa Rosa County Jail without bond WEAR News is working to learn more information Gulf Breeze Police alerted the public that it was unrelated to the school -- The boater recovered from the Santa Rosa Sound in Gulf Breeze this past weekend has been identified as 54-year-old Norman William Jackson "This is an ongoing investigation; more information will be released when available," the FWC says GULF BREEZE, Fla. -- The body of a missing boater who fell overboard on Friday night was recovered A call reporting the incident along the 1200 block of Soundview Trail in Gulf Breeze came in at around 8:20 p.m Several agencies were out on scene for search efforts on land and water Santa Rosa County said the man was in his 50s and not wearing a life jacket when fell off the boat The Community YMCA at Gulf Breeze closed four months ago to start a renovation process that revamped the facility from top to bottom its members flooded the gym for its grand opening event that showcased the facility’s latest features The $2 million renovation project was designed to add more functionality to the gym and optimize its atmosphere for use as a third space by residents and gym members members were already working out bright and early in the new space a years-long member of the Y who attended the ribbon cutter for the facility’s grand opening “You can sit and have coffee with a friend after a workout (to) like decompress This facility is the YMCA of Northwest Florida’s first rollout for their planned hub-and-spoke model which they hope to repeat at future local facilities depending on the needs of the communities they enter they want to create smaller "third spaces" to be used for social interaction in addition to the home (the first place) or the workplace (the second place) The revamped facility was designed in tandem by Engagement Director Trentan Kawas and Health and Wellness Director Jen Beres using feedback collected from gym members − including requests like space for activities or specific fitness equipment − since the Y took over the building The YMCA at Gulf Breeze was formerly a gym called Gulf Breeze Aerobics & Fitness before its owners came to an agreement for the Y to take over the facility in 2022 Its membership has doubled since the Y took over and they hope that even more residents find the space appealing after the renovations “It’s really exciting and rewarding because we had talked about it for a long time,” Beres said when discussing the renovations on opening day seeing everybody’s reactions is rewarding because we put a lot of time into it.” In an effort to improve the facility’s atmosphere the main objective of the renovation project was to make the gym feel open and less like retail a fragmented wall bearing the group's logo separates the new lounge area from the revamped workout spaces creating a subtle blend between the activities “We have a lot of community space because it’s really important they might have school but that third spot where they can hang out,” Kawas said “So creating those community areas is really important to us.” The Y installed turf in the main weights section as well in an effort to make the space more functional New equipment can be seen all around the gym locker rooms and trending fitness equipment The gym’s new virtual studios were already available at the YMCA’s downtown Pensacola facility before the project in Gulf Breeze but its popularity among members led staff to include it at the Gulf Breeze gym The virtual studios will be available for members to use 24/7 whether they plan to follow their own routine or follow an online workout Some of the virtual workouts could even be implemented by staff in the future if they’re popular enough among members Beres also said that they purposefully arranged the gym in a way that’s meant to make it less intimidating for fitness beginners The facility’s treadmills are set up in the front while its more difficult and complex equipment are progressively located toward the back They’ve revamped their space for group classes too “It’s something that members wanted for a really long time,” Kawas told the News Journal “Being able to provide something to the community that’s a net positive is a good feeling.” The former childcare room was converted into a multipurpose intergenerational programming space allowing different age groups to simultaneously enjoy the facility The Y has partnered with HCA West Florida as well so that the latter group can hold programs in the space for members which will include health education and nutrition among other related topics Kawas told the News Journal that the Y is open to working with more institutions and businesses on programming groups The YMCA of Northwest Florida doesn’t have any plans set in stone for a new local facility but when they do rollout their plans they’re aiming for a similar reception from the community as they’ve seen from Gulf Breeze Whether they need to build a new space or repurpose an existing building for future spoke sites the most important factors will be proximity to the Bear Levin Studer Family YMCA how many members are in the area and the Y’s ability to “fill in the gaps” for the community Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Mulroy died peacefully of natural causes on Monday She was born Mary Margaret Burke in Scranton who worked his way up from telephone lineman to management in the New York Telephone Company In Brooklyn she worked a series of clerical and retail jobs in banks and Macy’s In 1978 Mary and her family moved to Gulf Breeze where her husband worked for Southern Bell making many friends and taking care of her pet cats She was as comfortable in a large celebratory setting as she was one-on-one talking to someone about their troubles over a cup of tea she continued to live on her own in the same Gulf Breeze home when she moved into a Gulf Breeze assisted living facility especially with her grandchildren; to cook especially for a crowd; and to solve crossword puzzles She and her husband were smooth on the dance floor easygoing demeanor which bred devotion in her many friends and accolades about how ‘sweet’ she was from those who had dealings with her and Molly Mulroy Amarir; and great-grandson Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors After a long string of success with the Gulf Breeze girls volleyball team, head coach Jasmine King is "pursuing an opportunity at the next level." King took over the Dolphins' program in 2016, with six consecutive district championships and trip to the state championship game this past fall She said she had been hesitant to make the leap into the college coaching world because usually "you have to be flexible and be willing to relocate and move to climb up the ladder." I am able to get into the college coaching scene while also maintaining staying locally so I'm really really excited for it," King said To say it's been a journey for King the last 10 years is an understatement. After graduating from Gulf Breeze as the program's all-time leader in kills then playing collegiate at Southern Miss King came back to her alma mater to join the Dolphins' coaching ranks "When I was a junior or senior in high school if you would've told me that I was going to be the head coach for a decade I never really knew that coaching was in my career path," King said I literally did what you're doing right now in this gym in this school.' I think that just made it really special Given Gulf Breeze's success and the superstars who have come and graduated through the program King said it's always hard to leave a team because of the relationships formed This past season, King coached the likes of PNJ Player of the Year Bella Satterwhite – who broke King's kill record this past year – and PNJ Defensive Player of the Year Sarah Frazee. There's always girls that you form relationships with that you want to see through their senior year If I were to have stayed in that mentality I could've I could've stayed for 40 more years you know because there's always there's always there's always no relationships to be made with with these athletes," King said "It's hard to walk away knowing that it's going to continue to be successful but it also makes it easy to walk away because you know that the program is not gonna skip a beat." But after conversations with family members and longtime assistant coach Steven Clay, King described the upcoming job at UWF a "now or never opportunity." maybe I should go out on top.' Then the other part says 'We didn't win the championship,' so you want to keep chasing that "Part of me thinks it's easy to walk away because we were right there But then it's hard because I want to go and chase it again." King and Clay both talked to numerous members of the team recently during a Gulf Breeze beach volleyball practice, which includes a lot of the indoor players plus others who were in town to hear the message over spring break King called it an "emotional" conversation with the team "The girls understood that I wasn't just laving them high and dry and that I was doing this to pursue and opportunity it was also noted that Clay was interviewing for the head coach job He's since been announced as Gulf Breeze's next head coach after serving as assistant coach plus previously being the head coach of the JV and freshman teams Clay's been with King the entire time that she was in charge of the Dolphins King said Clay it "most deserving" of the role after serving as strictly a volunteer all this time putting in the "sweat equity" to now become head coach King said her and Clay were an "unlikely duo" due to the stages of life they were in when King took over as head coach She was fresh out of college with a ton of playing experience who wasn't married and didn't have kids yet but had coaching experience and a "managing style" from his day job "He really watched me grow up and he mentored me through volleyball things and life in general Growing up with a single mom who didn't have a dad in the picture I always joke that sometimes (Clay) was like my dad and sometimes he was like my best friend," King said "It was just this beautiful symphony of trust and friendship and personalities that matched so well "It just it makes my heart you know it warms my heart that it's gonna be a familiar face," King said of Clay taking over Gulf Breeze beach volleyball head coach Chelsea Kroll said last year’s state championship still feels a little “surreal” sometimes In what ultimately became a crazy weekend in Tallahassee, where the state championships were being hosted at Florida State’s beach volleyball courts, storms and tornadoes ripped through the area and a lot of the Florida Panhandle. FSU’s campus took a direct hit. including the hotel where Gulf Breeze’s team was staying and the tournament was postponed a whole day But Gulf Breeze worked its way through the state tournament, defeating Berkeley Prep, 3-2, in the championship match to secure the state crown – in the Dolphins’ just second year of existence as a program. “It’s surreal sometimes to think sometimes limited food and water.’ It was a cluster of stuff thrown at us,” Kroll said at a recent practice “To think the girls came out on top the way they did – and as competitively as they did – it was a lot of work in that match But the memories from that weekend nine months later haven’t faded The state championship rings and trophy constantly remind the team of that amazing weekend The title run gets brought up nearly every day, senior Izzy Beech and junior Peyton McDonald noted And with nearly every player back from the 2024 roster – losing just two seniors – a simple question gets asked a lot ‘Let’s get another state title.’ It was crazy A similar roster to last yearWith limited new players being added to the varsity roster Beech and McDonald noted that practices to start the 2025 season have gotten off to just a little bit better start than last year Everyone has more experience with beach volleyball in general with the drive to bring another state championship back to Gulf Breeze For the most part, the team’s five pairings are the same from 2024. But they will need to find a new fifth pairing after graduating both Riley Bloomberg and Addisyn Tolbert, who played on the team’s second and fifth pairings Everyone’s trying to fight for that spot every day because we don’t know who’s going to be in the top 10,” Beech said now it’s just about adjusting to the “philosophy and strategy” of beach volleyball she plays on the right side in indoor and she’s so aggressive she’s not as aggressive because she’s newer to it,” McDonald said “I think it’ll come out once the season goes on.” but you can also hide it well,” Beech said “But with only two players on the court in beach you can definitely notice a personality a lot more.” ‘We can’t just take plays off just because.’ Every point every practice and every practice rep matters – whether or not a coach is standing next to you and giving you feedback We’ve had a lot of conversations with the captains meeting with them to see what the pulse of the team is to stay on track.” Gulf Breeze completed the immaculate 2024 season posting a 22-0 record en route to the state crown Only eight of those matches weren’t eight-set sweeps Thomas Aquinas and Berkeley Prep in the state semifinals and championship In two seasons as a program, the Dolphins have only lost two matches – both of which came in 2023. against Bishop Kenny and then New Smyrna Beach in the state quarterfinals, and the Barracudas would eventually be crowned state champions. Kroll put together a strong schedule – including a rematch against Berkeley Prep early in the year on March 14 Five of the Dolphins’ opponents played at least one game in the state tournament last year Gulf Breeze will also be playing a few local teams – including county rival Pace – along with first-year programs Mosley and Arnold The Dolphins open the season with a local tournament at Crestview then who was at the state tournament and try to seek those teams out to test ourselves as often as we could in the regular season,” Kroll said of the tough schedule “That way we’re not finding out if we have what it takes at the end.” Kroll noted it’s not tough to find teams to play as beach volleyball continues to grow in the FHSAA but it’s harder logistically to play some teams given where the Dolphins are in comparison to a lot of top competition throughout the state “You want to be mindful of our budget and the players’ time the parents and players are willing to take the trips down south to get that competition,” Kroll said “We’re trying to push each other to strive to do it again,” Beech said but that just wants to make us play better.” -- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is actively monitoring the situation of a black bear that has been in a tree on Gulf Breeze Parkway for over a day now The bear is in a tree in the median just past the Live Oak Village shopping center FWC officers have been to the area to monitor the situation FWC provided WEAR News this statement Thursday afternoon: The playoffs for high school baseball are inching closer and closer The Patriots also remain the top-ranked team for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties which is also the top team in District 1-6A Gulf Breeze has taken the runner-up spot for area teams this week, ranked 32nd in the state with a 17.883 rating and an 11-4 record Currently, the district leaders for area teams include Pace (6A), Escambia (4A) and Central (Rural), which jumped back over Jay this week Here are the third FHSAA baseball rankings for teams from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties Class 4AEscambia (11.550) – first in District 1-4A Washington (-2.187) – fourth in District 1-4A 400th overall in stateClass 3AWest Florida (16.313) – second in District 1-3A 45th overall in statePensacola (-6.969) – fourth in District 1-3A 464th overall in stateClass 2APensacola Catholic (13.866) – second in District 1-2A 80th overall in stateClass 1ALEAD Academy (-4.136) – second in District 1-1A 427th overall in stateRuralCentral (11.892) – first in District 1-Rural 104th overall in stateJay (9.984) – second in District 1-Rural 147th overall in stateNorthview (4.658) – third in District 1-Rural 259th overall in stateWay-too-early region playoff pictureDistrict tournaments aren't for another month but it's still fun to examine what the playoff scenarios would look like if the regular season ended today as far as region tournaments District champions automatically advance to the region tournament after the district tourney and there are four at-large bids per region in Classes 1A-7A The Rural classification only brings two district champions plus two at-large bid teams we'll presume that the top team in each district wins the district tournament and moves onto regionals – that's what we're going to share below Rankings are bound to change after district tournaments as well so we'll pretend that they didn't change at all through districts to make things a little easier Remember: anything can happen in the playoffs Here's what the region tournaments would look like Notes: While Pace continues to rank toward the top of the region (and the state for that matter) the Patriots would host in the quarterfinals against District 2's Forest the four district champs rank inside the top eight teams Milton would sneak in as the final at-large bid for the region That means the Panthers would be on the road at Lincoln to start the region tournament Gulf Breeze also gets in as an at-large bid at the No The four district champs are in the top eight teams would go to Niceville as a higher-seeded district champion Choctaw (1)Notes: As the presumed district champion in District 1 The other two district champions also rank in the top eight squads assuming South Walton wins the district crown The Jaguars would host Baldwin in the region quarterfinals to start All four district champions are in the top eight teams would still be on the road at South Walton Bolles (3)Notes: Things get a little weird in Region 1-2A Because of how many District 3 teams currently rank inside the top eight would miss out on an at-large bid since the presumed District 4 (Keystone Heights) and District 2 (Maclay) champions both get in for automatic bids the Crusaders need to win the district crown to get in North Florida Christian (2)Notes: Region 1-1A is the only region with an area team ranked outside the top eight The four district champions in the region are all within the top eight squads though Rocky Bayou Christian would be on the road at a higher-seeded district champ and Eagle's View would host an at-large bid team from District 4 Jay (1)Notes: If things stay the way they are it'll be district foes squaring off in the region semifinals to start since only four teams get into the region tournament for the Rural class Central would host Jay to start as the presumed district champion How to watch Florida high school boys lacrosse: Gulf Breeze vs April 30Data SkriveGulf Breeze High School will host Nease HS on Wednesday How to watch Nease vs. Gulf Breeze boys lacrosseNease and Gulf Breeze will take the field on Wednesday, April 30, at 7 p.m. CT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Want to track your alma mater, local team or family member's school throughout the playoffs? NFHS Network has high school lacrosse streaming live plus on-demand replays and highlights of all the action from thousands of schools across America Watch Gulf Breeze vs. Nease on NFHS Network! All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and TV Apps for ROKU Thank you for supporting journalism at your local newspaper This article is available exclusively for our subscribers 850.939.8040 © Copyright 2016-2026 Sandpaper Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service - Privacy Policy Designed by Sandpaper Marketing -- The city of Gulf Breeze is working to unveil a years-long project that was delayed due to construction on the Three Mile Bridge Wayside Park is set to re-open later this year with a brand new look by the summer The park has been closed since initial construction began on the bridge in 2017 Damage to the bridge during Hurricane Sally further delayed the renovations "We're bringing the original amenities back to the public -- the boardwalk the sitting sunshade areas," CRA Manager Craig Chamberlin we're rebuilding a new boat launch." The revitalization is funded by $2.3 million in bed tax funds along with additional support from the Community Redevelopment Agency and FEMA FDOT paid the city $5.9 million to use the park as an easement for construction with the promise to return it in the same or better condition Damage to the bridge during Hurricane Sally hindered the plans even more The city officially took back control of the park in 2023 and began the new design "Taking control of the park after Skanska we found the structures to be in almost complete deterioration," Chamberlin said Chamberlin says social media was buzzing over the look of the new pavilions One user shared a photo comparing the new pavilions to a tent "Why were the high quality gazebos replaced with less durable canopy/tent structures?" "The old pavilions were installed after Hurricane Ivan and they were a composite metal product that we found almost immediately didn't hold up well to this coastal environment," Chamberlin said "I think we're not really comparing apples to apples on the Facebook post." "This style is replicated in a lot of the great resorts and hotels and amusement parks and a lot of the great properties around the country," he added City officials say the ultimate goal is to create a more resilient park for the future while also honoring the past Chamberlin says the design is trying to replicate the original vision of the park dating back to the 1960s The reopening is certainly expected to drive thousands back to the scenic spot "We think this is a driver for tourism and locals alike," Chamberlin said "We have 55,000 cars a day that pass this park on the bridge with those numbers only increasing This is a very inviting unique space we're excited to provide back to the public." the city of Gulf Breeze asked the public to weigh in on a name change of the park to fit the long-awaited reopening The city hasn't confirmed the name change yet but says to expect the park to be back open by June The city of Gulf Breeze sent out an emergency call to residents Thursday asking them to check water spigots at their boat docks "The city is losing water rapidly," the call to action said "After severe weather it's very common on a peninsula like ours," she said In a place like Gulf Breeze where many residents have water access and boat docks would have allowed water spigots to run to keep pipes from freezing there are second homes in Gulf Breeze that are not being occupied during this time of year where precautions might have been taken to pipes from bursting "Now that the pipes are thawing we're seeing a loss of pressure," Abell said More: Pensacola snow storm knocks out power for over 1,000 residents in Escambia, Santa Rosa She said the city does have a back up water supply City officials can monitor how far the available water level drops but couldn't immediately produce numbers due to the rapidly changing situation The notification put out appeared to be working early Thursday afternoon and calls were coming in to a local call center and passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior on March 14 Shirley is survived by her devoted husband of almost 75 years Rad Davis (Yvonne); Beth Parker; and Ron Davis (Rita); grandchildren Tyler Cummins (Jessica); Sara Stackpole (Dylan); Emily Oberlin (Austin); Rachel Musolino (John); Kristin Westafer (Ryan) and Thomas White (Shannon); eight great grandchildren; sister Sally Stanford (Bill); brother and sister-in-law Bob and Edie Davis; along with numerous nieces and nephews The family is grateful for the love and support shown during this difficult time A celebration of life service will be held Tuesday March 18th at First Baptist Church Gulf Breeze We've reached the home stretch for both high school boys volleyball and beach volleyball The Florida High School Athletic Association beach volleyball season ends April 18 with district tournaments from April 21-24 For area teams – meaning Gulf Breeze and Pace – the District 1-2A tournament is being held in Fort Walton Beach with the regular season ending on April 23 quickly followed by district tournaments from April 28-May 1 With limited beach and boys volleyball squads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties we combine the rankings every week through the end of the season Here are the fifth FHSAA beach volleyball rankings and the third boys volleyball rankings for area teams BEACH VOLLEYBALL RANKINGSGulf Breeze (24.356) – first in District 1-2A second overall in statePace (12.734) – second in District 1-2A 39th overall in stateWay-too-early playoff watchDistrict tournaments begin next week and there are four at-large bids per region Notes: Beach volleyball is a unique sport that once it gets to region tournaments there's a pair of play-in games before the first round of the state tournament The first play-in game is represented above There will be a re-seeding starting the first round for the Top 16 teams District tournaments aren't for another couple weeks Ponte Vedra (2)Notes: The four presumed district champions are the top four teams making it straight-forward who hosts in the quarterfinals which jumped up two spots in the region rankings going against sixth-seeded Bartram Trail to start the region tournament Santa Rosa County development officials approved plans for six different subdivision projects in February, which are set to add over a thousand new homes across Santa Rosa County Approximately 1,118 new home lots will be created in the county and the Gulf Breeze Milton and Pace areas will be home to the biggest projects out of last month’s bunch though Jay is getting a sizeable addition to an ongoing subdivision project as well Here’s a list of last month’s approved residential development projects Escambia County's February approvals: 250+ new homes coming to Escambia after February approvals NatureWalk at Pond Creek an ongoing subdivision project spanning over 650 acres in Pace will develop new lots for future homes following Santa Rosa County’s approval of construction and preliminary plat plans for its third phase Phase one launched with 41 lots and the second phase brought 49 more to the subdivision The project’s third phase includes 42 lots total 20 new-platted lots and 22 existing ones that they’re providing infrastructure for Lots in NatureWalk at Pond Creek range from 2 to 17 acres in size, and prospective residents can choose from available lots and floorplans at the subdivision's website, naturewalkliving.com Pace will be home to a new single-family subdivision named Pine Leaf Crossing whose construction and preliminary plat plans were approved by Santa Rosa County last month County officials issued a permit for the project to develop 111 lots for the subdivision using an approximately 32-acre site located off of the Pea Ridge Connector Pine HammockSanta Rosa County approved the preliminary plat plans for the development of Pine Hammock last month which will be a subdivision with almost 200 lots upon completion Developers were issued a permit to create a 199-lot subdivision using 200 acres of land in Milton that’s located on the west side of State Road 87 A developing Jay subdivision will gain more than 120 new homes after Santa Rosa County issued a permit for the preliminary plat plans in the next phases of the Rhett’s Run project Phase two and three of the project will add 123 new single-family lots including 10 that were previously planned for phase one A total of 800 homes are planned for the subdivision The completed homes from phase one are listed for sale by D.R The Gulf Breeze Zoo will have an almost 500-home subdivision as its neighbor soon after Santa Rosa County issued a permit last month for the construction and preliminary plat plans of the Soundview Cove Estates project The subdivision will develop 469 single-family lots total 269 lots will be developed into attached single-family residences and 200 lots will be developed as detached single-family residences Soundview Cove will be created by combining four parcels that take up approximately 173 acres of land off of Gulf Breeze Parkway About 83 acres of the subdivision's site are jurisdictional wetlands Taylor EstatesA new subdivision is coming to Milton following approval from Santa Rosa County last month that will add nearly 200 new homes to the area County officials greenlit the project to create 174 single-family lots in the community by issuing a permit for its construction and preliminary plat plans The subdivision is planned at the east end of Manning Road towards the intersection of Lynam Drive and Camelot Road in what is currently a wooded area The medicine game is headed to the region tournament The Florida High School Athletic Association released the 2025 regional playoff brackets on April 18 after district tournaments concluded earlier in the week for all classifications Region tournaments are all spread out due with two classifications split between boys and girls lacrosse begin on April 22 with the Class 2A girls bracket The Class 2A boys quarterfinals are on April 23 eyes go to Naples and the Paradise Coast Sports Complex for the state championships from May 8-10 Along with the updated brackets on MaxPreps regional rankings were also updated on the FHSAA website three programs were guaranteed a spot in the region tournament The Pensacola Catholic (1A) and Gulf Breeze (2A) girls both won their district championships while the Gulf Breeze boys (2A) also claimed a district crown earned their way into the region tournament via at-large bid That means they were still ranked in the top eight of their region's classification The full regional rankings are listed below the four region brackets Dates: Quarterfinals: April 23 | Semifinals: April 30 | Finals: May 3 Notes: After rolling through the District 1 tournament Gulf Breeze earned an automatic bid into the region tournament as the No gets to host all the way through as long as it keeps winning in the bracket South Walton (1)*Dates: Quarterfinals: April 26 | Semifinals: April 30 | Finals: May 3 Notes: It's a District 1 championship rematch as Pensacola Catholic will go against South Walton in the region quarterfinals The Crusaders earned an at-large bid after falling to the Seahawks in the district title game gets to host Pensacola Catholic in the quarterfinals It'll be their third meeting of the season The tournament runs through Episcopal in Jacksonville Dates: Quarterfinals: April 22 | Semifinals: April 29 | Finals: May 2 get to host a region quarterfinal game this time around after having to go on the road last year as the No having to go to Bartram Trail for the quarterfinals Lake Mary hosts the the region tournament as long as it keeps winning South Walton (1)Dates: Quarterfinals: April 25 | Semifinals: April 29 | Finals: May 2 Notes: After winning their fourth consecutive district championship -- The City of Gulf Breeze has decided to keep their six red light cameras City council voted to renew their contract for the cameras and monitoring.Cameras are located at three intersections on U.S Daniel Drive and in front of Gulf Breeze Hospital The city continues to maintain that the red light cameras have reduced the number of crashes at those intersections "The red light cameras are a tool for us," says Gulf Breeze Police Chief Rick Hawthorne "Trying to get people to slow down and get people to pay attention at the intersections." Hawthorne says the cameras have been proven to slow down drivers at intersections and think twice about running a red light "We don't have enough officers to sit at every intersection throughout the day," Hawthorne says "So it's a tool to help get people to slow down." the cameras captured more than 9,600 people and brought in more than a million dollars in citations The city's annual report says 7,300 people paid their tickets which brought in $133,856 after the city paid the state and vendor $622,002 Hawthorne says the city puts it to good use "It's used for 2 cars per year and outfits the cars which is roughly around $120,000," says Hawthorne other equipment by the officer's body armor we're looking at spending $13,000 on new signage in school zones We've had issues of people not seeing the signs." The fine for running a red light in Gulf Breeze is $158 State statute requires $10 of every citation go to the state's medical service trust fund That goes back to local communities and provides funding for trauma centers Three dollars of the citation also goes to the Miami Project Seventy-five dollars is retained by the municipality in which the infraction occurred you want to make sure it's tied to the harm caused to society," Hawthorne says "So it makes sense for those funds to go to trauma centers and the research to cure paralysis." While Andrade believes the money from the citations goes to good causes "From my perspective and the data I've seen I don't think red light cameras improve driver safety," Hawthorne says "They do change habits but oftentimes that change in habit just leads to higher volume Pensacola is installing nine red light cameras at intersections across the city Those intersections include the following: WEAR News called to get an update on the time frame for the installations The new medical cannabis retail location in the Pensacola metropolitan area is the company’s 33rd store nationwide Adobe Stock Posted by Tony LangeDecember 18 2024CMSBrowserComponents.load({ el: '#vue-1746507240756-26' props: {"cookieName":"parallaxState","cookieValue":"1","expires":1} skipWhenExists: false });[PRESS RELEASE] – LAS VEGAS a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company announced the opening of Planet 13 Gulf Breeze on Dec the company’s 29th dispensary in Florida and 33rd nationwide the 4,771-square-foot facility is strategically positioned to serve the growing medical cannabis community in the Pensacola area and will be open 9 a.m.-7 p.m “We're excited to expand the Planet 13 experience to the Gulf Breeze community providing patients in the booming Pensacola metro area with access to our newest dispensary,” Planet 13 co-CEO Bob Groesbeck said “Gulf Breeze’s strong consumer and tourism base and prime high-traffic location make this opening a strategic step toward driving sustained revenue growth.” Located within proximity of Pensacola’s iconic white sand beaches as well as key recreational adult activities including the Gulf Islands Seashore National Park the Tiger Point Golf Club and the Oriole Beach Boat Ramp Planet 13’s new Gulf Breeze location reinforces the company’s growth strategy positioning it well to capture additional market share in Florida’s medical cannabis market For additional convenience and accessibility, patients can order at https://www.vidacann.com/ for express in-store pickup or drive-thru -- The Gulf Breeze Zoo is giving thanks this holiday season for some early arrivals the zoo announced the birth of three baby giraffes Its animal care staff had been anticipating the births for the past 15 months which is the average gestation period for giraffes Artemis gave birth to a female calf named Arrow Sophia gave birth to a male calf named Salem Kelly gave birth to the female calf Kaliape Officials say all three calves are healthy and will soon start spending time on exhibit.