PHOTO GALLERY: Friday at the beach
Warming weather and spring break are drawing folks to Okaloosa County's beaches. See photos of the scene on Friday. >>
View ArticleEthics bill passed without lobbying exemption for sitting legislators
Ethics reform was the No. 1 priority this session for incoming Florida Senate President Don Gaetz. He was able to convince the Senate this week to join him in passing a bill that, it is said, could do...
View ArticleOfficials lobby for trauma center in Okaloosa County
FORT WALTON BEACH — Changes could be made soon to the number of certified trauma centers in Northwest Florida and throughout the state. The Florida Department of Health hosted a workshop Friday...
View ArticleShalimar boy undergoes two surgeries to fix scoliosis
The first time Bill Dubose remembers his son Tanner showing him a lump on the left shoulder blade was about three years ago. It wasn’t hurting his then 9-year-old son or keeping him from doing...
View ArticleFormer Destin mortgage broker sentenced to two years in prison
A former mortgage broker in Destin has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution after he was found guilty of bank fraud in December. Randolph Branham, 46,...
View ArticleTwo arrested after meth lab dismantled
Crestview - Two people were arrested after a methamphetamine lab was dismantled at a home on Kennedy Drive on Friday, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The Multi-Agency Drug Task...
View ArticleBamboo fire damages shed
Mary Esther - A fire that began in a 20-foot-tall bamboo patch on Gregory Drive damaged a storage shed on Lorraine Drive, said Frank Matheny, assistant chief of the Mary Esther Fire Department. No one...
View ArticleCar overturns, hits utility pole on U.S. 98
GULF BREEZE - A man was listed in serious condition Thursday after crashing into a utility pole on U.S. Highway 98, according to Florida Highway Patrol. Ilan Danino, 39, of Gulf Breeze, was driving a...
View ArticleLucky Leprechaun 5K/10K next Saturday
FORT WALTON BEACH - The second annual Lucky Leprechaun 5K/10K for runners and walkers will be held next weekend at Fort Walton Beach Landing. The event scheduled for 7:30 a.m. March 16 is organized to...
View ArticleNWF State to mark 50th anniversary
NICEVILLE — A year of celebration is just a few weeks away at Northwest Florida State College. Festivities for the college’s 50th anniversary will kick off April 17 and continue on at least a monthly...
View ArticleEveryone wins at Special Olympics (GALLERY, VIDEO)
FORT WALTON BEACH — Ann James knew her team would win the bocce ball tournament, but it didn’t stop her from cheering on the competition. “Come on Darryl,” she cheered as an opposing player prepared...
View ArticleChili challenge (GALLERY)
MARY ESTHER — Children craned their necks and pulled on their parents’ hands as they tried to get a glance at one particular table at Santa Rosa Mall on Saturday. Beauty and the Beast sat at a table...
View ArticleStearns challenges Anderson for mayor’s office
FORT WALTON BEACH — Incumbent Mayor Mike Anderson and challenger Al Stearns have more in common than most voters might know. =Both men served in the Air Force. They have lived in Fort Walton Beach for...
View ArticleLegislation aims to reform alimony laws
State Rep. Matt Gaetz has thrown himself into the middle of what could be a spirited battle over alimony reform. Gaetz is a co-sponsor of House Bill 231, championed by a group called Florida Alimony...
View ArticleAccess to court records in Florida varies by county
ORLANDO — It seems like a reasonable idea: before the records in a criminal or civil case can be made public, Florida’s clerks of court must purge them of all Social Security, credit card and bank...
View ArticleMan dies after standoff with SWAT team
NAVARRE — A man is dead after a four-hour standoff with Santa Rosa County sheriff's deputies Friday night. Deputies tried to serve 54-year-old Jeffrey A. Wright an arrest warrant for counterfeiting at...
View ArticleOne critical after three-car crash
EGLIN AFB - A Georgia man was critically injured Friday night in a three-car crash on State Road 285 north of Bob Sikes Road on Eglin’s reservation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. David...
View ArticleTwo charged with animal cruelty
FREEPORT - Two people have been charged with abusing 11 animals, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office. On March 3, deputies went to a home on Four Mile Road on an unrelated matter and saw...
View ArticleSpecial Olympics set to return to Walton County
FREEPORT — It took two determined parents and a passionate educator, but the Special Olympics will return to Walton County. After settling for ifs and maybes for too long, the county is well on its...
View ArticleAshley cleared of ethics charges
An ethics complaint filed against Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley in January 2012 has been dismissed. The complaint, filed by Niceville resident Zeb Watts, claimed Ashley had one Sheriff’s Office...
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