What is happening in Okaloosa County and along the Emerald Coast. Every story is briefed in our own words, with links to everyone who reported it.
The Destin middle school football team lost 7-0 to visiting Meigs on October 1, with the winning score coming in the final 30 seconds of play. Destin's defense held the Wildcats in check through most of the game, but the Marlins could not break through offensively.
Navarre and Pace cross-country teams participated in Booker T. Washington's Wildcat Invitational at the University of West Florida on Saturday. Julia Bailey led the Navarre Raiders' effort at the October 3 event.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for southeastern Okaloosa County until 9:45 a.m., with 2 to 4 inches of rain already fallen and 1 to 3 additional inches possible. Flooding is expected to affect creeks, streams, urban areas and low-lying zones across communities including Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Niceville.
On October 4, 1995, Hurricane Opal made landfall near Navarre as a Category 4 storm after rapidly intensifying overnight, killing ten people and causing over $1.2 billion in damage across Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. The disaster triggered decades of legal disputes over coastal restoration between homeowners and government agencies, ultimately reaching the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Crestview Bulldogs defeated Mitchell 27-21 in New Port Richey, scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half to secure their first win after an 0-6 start. The victory came before the team's bye week.
The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce postponed its Dog Daze event from October 3 to October 17 due to weather. The free community gathering, held at The Landing, typically draws nearly 800 dogs and features contests, local vendors and pet services.
Okaloosa County voters will decide this November whether to renew a half-cent surtax dedicated to infrastructure projects. The Southwest Crestview Bypass received $2 million in funding from the existing surtax program.
The new WoodSpring Suites hotel held its grand opening in Fort Walton Beach with support from the local chamber of commerce. The property targets both short- and long-term guests seeking affordable accommodations.
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Eglin Federal Credit Union committed to a three-year sponsorship agreement with Fort Walton Beach that includes naming rights to The Landing, the city's outdoor event venue. The partnership will support the city's concert series, fireworks displays, and other community programming while the credit union receives signage and promotional recognition.
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The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County issued a water quality advisory for Garnier's Park after tests on September 30 found Enterococcus bacteria levels exceeding state safety standards. Swimmers are advised to avoid the beach until bacteria levels return to acceptable levels.
The Ruckel middle school volleyball team defeated visiting Destin 25-18, 25-19 in a two-set match on Sept. 30. Strong serving performances by Ruckel's Kaitlyn Hendrick and Brinley Lloyd proved decisive in the close contest, improving the Rams to 9-1 while the Marlins dropped to 6-4.
Both Crestview and Okaloosa County have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety and are removing the license plate reader cameras from their jurisdictions. The Crestview Police Department and Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office confirmed the cancellations and ongoing removal process.
Mark and Kylie Thompson, a family from Portsmouth, England, brought their 15-month-old son Navarre back to the Florida town that inspired his name for the second time. The child, who was two months old during his first visit, is part of an annual tradition the family maintains with the community.
Santa Rosa County is distributing free sand at four locations as the region braces for heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding through the weekend, with forecasts calling for 4 to 10 inches of rain depending on location. Residents must bring their own sandbags and shovels to fill at distribution points in Navarre, Gulf Breeze, Pace, and Milton.
A new nonprofit will restore PBS and PBS KIDS programming to the Florida Panhandle starting next month, filling a gap left when Pensacola State College ended its PBS affiliation in July after losing $1.5 million in funding. The station will broadcast on WPAN channels 53.1 and 53.2, serving Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties.
Liberty Culture Church in Baker will host a religious revival November 4-6 featuring three guest speakers. The event is designed to draw attendees from across North Okaloosa County.
Joe Early stepped down as fire marshal for Holley-Navarre Fire District on Sept. 25, concluding 16 years with the agency. Early previously spent 29 years with Okaloosa Island Fire Department, where he rose from firefighter to assistant chief.
The 78th annual Destin Fishing Rodeo launched with anglers landing a 318.6-pound bull shark, a 76.8-pound amberjack and a 23.4-pound red snapper among other catches. Early dark skies kept many boats fishing close to shore during the opening day of the competition.
The Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association and Equity Project Alliance are hosting a free community seminar on name, image and likeness rights Oct. 20 at Brownsville Community Center. Local experts in sports, athletics, finance and law will discuss how student-athletes can navigate NIL opportunities.
A jury deliberated less than two hours before finding former Okaloosa County sheriff's deputy Eddie Duran not guilty in the 2024 shooting death of Senior Airman Roger Fortson of Hurlburt Field. The case centered on the fatal encounter between the law enforcement officer and the military serviceman.
Okaloosa County stabilized 180 miles of dirt roads over four years using a voter-approved infrastructure surtax, surpassing its original target of 50 miles. The project, which began in 2020, has paved nearly all county-maintained dirt roads in north Okaloosa County and is expected to reduce long-term maintenance costs.
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The Okaloosa County School District's on-site health clinic, operated with Marathon Health, logged 1,489 visits over 12 months with a 60% employee usage rate and 95% patient satisfaction score. The school board approved opening a second clinic in Crestview in spring 2027 to serve employees in north Okaloosa County.
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital appointed Dr. Evgenia Slavcheva as Chief Medical Officer, bringing more than 25 years of clinical and healthcare leadership experience. Slavcheva previously served in senior medical roles at St. David's HealthCare and TeamHealth, where she led initiatives in clinical quality and patient safety.
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The Town of Cinco Bayou has paved 11 streets since implementing a half-cent infrastructure surtax, compared to just one street between 2001 and 2017. The town has received approximately $370,000 through the program, which officials say has enabled infrastructure work that would have taken decades without the dedicated funding.
The Crestview Area Youth Association is adding 7v7 football to its sports programs, with the new offering beginning in mid-January. The expansion marks the organization's latest effort to broaden athletic opportunities for youth in the area.
The Navarre high school football team returns from a bye week Friday night to face Fort Walton Beach in its homecoming game at Bennett C. Russell Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Okaloosa County School Board approved the sale of 17.43 acres of vacant property in Fort Walton Beach to Hillpointe Acquisitions for $1.8 million, ending a four-year effort to offload the surplus land. The deal replaces a failed $2.1 million contract with D.R. Horton that the homebuilder terminated after completing due diligence.
The rival high schools are selling $30 commemorative shirts ahead of their Oct. 9 game, with proceeds supporting Fort Walton Beach Head Football Coach Josh Pulliam, who was recently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. Orders close Oct. 4, and organizers are also accepting direct donations through a separate Venmo account to help cover medical expenses and other family needs.
The Niceville Lady Eagles defeated Choctaw 25-18, 25-20, 25-21 on Tuesday, improving to 18-3 and securing an in-season sweep over the Lady Indians. Reserve player Abby Swierzbin sparked a third-set rally with four kills and two blocks to help the team pull away after Choctaw had built an early lead.
Kenneth Daughtery, 64, faces three felonies after Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents posing as an underage girl documented him soliciting sexual activity and offering payment for explicit videos. The investigation began in August and remains ongoing as part of a statewide initiative targeting child exploitation.
Headlines and briefings are written by Emerald Coast Connected. Full articles remain with the publishers linked under each story.