From the Newsroom: Santa Rosa Press Gazette

The man, who has not been identified pending notification of next of kin, “failed to maintain his lane while attempting to negotiate a curve” near the highway’s intersection with Berryhill Oaks Court.

A surprise inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation led to a one-day closure of the Southern Pearl Restaurant, at 3601 U.S. Highway 90 in Pace.

According to the report, the inspector found four dead roaches in the kitchen area and nine rodent droppings in the same area.

Sheila Phillips Mock was arrested Monday afternoon by the Milton Police Department in connection with an accidental shooting that left one juvenile injured and four schools on lockdown as a security measure. 

The shooting took place at a Burke Street home Friday morning.

According to earlier reports, six juveniles were involved but only one was injured.

As of 8 a.m. EDT Monday, the fourth tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season Dorian, was centered about 205 miles east-southeast of Barbados and moving west at 14 mph (23 kph). Maximum sustained winds were at 60 mph (85 kph). Forecasters said it could brush past southwest Puerto Rico late Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane and then strike the southeast corner of the Dominican Republic early Thursday. 

It is still too early to tell how the storm will affect the US mainland and Florida coastal areas

Master Sgt. Luis F. Deleon-Figueroa, 31, and Master Sgt. Jose J. Gonzalez, 35, died as a result of small arms fire in northern Faryab Province.

Meet the nationally ranked Panhandle United Roller Derby league based in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and find out how it empowers these Northwest Florida women to channel their inner athlete. 

NAVARRE — A restaurant was temporarily closed Aug. 14 after an inspection found several violations including roaches and a mold-like substance.

According to a report from the Aug. 14 inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, El Patron Mexican Grill was temporarily closed after investigators spotted eight live roaches coming from the warewash area, wood paneling, and under the clean side of a dish machine. 

VERNON - A 4-year-old passenger was killed in a car crash Wednesday late afternoon and investigators with the Florida Highway Patrol are treating the case as a DUI manslaughter, according to a press release.

Terri Sheffield, 25, of Vernon and the driver of the 2005 Ford F250, was traveling southbound on State Road 79, near Cook Circle, when the vehicle veered off onto the west shoulder of the road. The right side of the truck struck the dirt embankment of the ditch, causing it to overturn onto its right side and partially ejecting 4-year-old Finley Sheffield.

At approximately 1:00 pm, deputies with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single airplane crash near the end of Oil Plant Road in Jay.

The pilot was taken to a local area hospital. There were no others onboard the aircraft.

When four little boys suffered broken legs on the same day at the same Valparaiso day care center, city police launched an investigation into the matter.

Two months later they have arrested center employee Christina Marie Curtis and charged her with four felony counts of neglect of a child that resulted in great bodily harm.

An arrest report states that all four of the toddlers were fine on the morning of May 21 when they were dropped off at the Kids Discovery Learning Center on John Sims Parkway.

“Upon returning to pick them up in the afternoon, the children were showing signs of distress and could not stand or walk,” the report said. “The children were medically evaluated and each was diagnosed with fractures to their legs, said the report

The toddlers ranged in age from 13 to 21 months old and were assigned to the 1-year-old class at the day care center.

Surveillance footage showed Curtis, 25, walking with one of the victims, an 18-month-old, while holding his hands above his head.

“The defendant stopped and quickly moved her hands to (his) upper arms and rapidly jerked him into the air,” the report said. “When (he) was picked up, his feet and legs were in the air and was dropped feet first into a wagon. Other children were placed in the wagon and it was pulled outside.”

Footage showed that when the child awoke from a nap that followed the wagon ride “the teacher attempted to place him on his feet, however, (he) was unable to bear weight on his legs.”