Report: Man skips out on bill, pays bill, then gets mad
FORT WALTON BEACH – A man who had skipped out on a restaurant bill a week earlier returned to the eatery, paid the old bill, then got belligerent with the staff and had to be escorted outside,...
View ArticleWoman, 80, swallows diamond at Fla. charity event
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The idea behind the Tampa Woman's Club charity event was simple. For $20, you could buy a flute of champagne and a chance to win a one-carat, $5,000 diamond. Organizers of the...
View ArticleCrestview finally has updated city map
CRESTVIEW — It took nine months and countless hours’ research, but for the first time in 15 years city officials and staffers can glance at a map and see the municipal boundaries. The City Council...
View ArticleTrio lands shark bare-handed (GALLERY)
No hook, no line, no sinker. No lie. Using their bare hands, Cody Harlan, Jonathan Cook and Robert Trutt hauled in a 277.7-pound bull shark Thursday morning. “It was stupid, but a good memory,” Cook...
View ArticleOkaloosa still recovering a year after TDC scandal
In late April 2012, the title to a 2011 Marquis yacht arrived at the Okaloosa County Clerk of Court’s Office. Mark Bellinger, the director of the county’s Tourist Development Council, had purchased...
View ArticleStorm water runoff polluting some local swimming areas
VALPARAISO — On a recent Monday that was as picture perfect as the day before was miserable and rainy, Steve Jackson was almost certain of what he’d find in the water off Lincoln Park. It would be...
View ArticleChildren and adults celebrate Earth Day at Fort Walton Landing
FORT WALTON BEACH — A group of children were entranced as Gail Meyer showed them different toys and decorations they could make from reused items. They played with a Jacob’s ladder made from ribbon...
View ArticleFire victim named, second man arrested
GULF BREEZE - The man killed in a house fire on Pecos Pass on Thursday has been identified as 31-year-old Corey Webster Busbee. Evidence of methamphetamine production was found in and around the home,...
View ArticleRepairs to continue on Brooks Bridge
FORT WALTON BEACH - Crews will complete the permanent repairs to the Brooks Bridge next week, according to the state Department of Transportation. Eastbound traffic will be restricted to one lane from...
View ArticleResurfacing to begin on Eglin Parkway
SHALIMAR - Resurfacing work is scheduled to begin on Eglin Parkway this week, the state Department of Transportation has announced. Motorists should anticipate lane closures from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m....
View ArticleNY college crew team finds giant floating 'head'
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (AP) — Anyone lose a giant head made of Styrofoam and fiberglass? That's what officials at an upstate New York college are asking after the men's crew team found the unusual object...
View ArticleMan arrested after standoff with police
CRESTVIEW — A 51-year-old man barricaded himself inside his apartment in a standoff with police on Saturday. Police arrived at the Pinnacle Point Apartments in response to a domestic battery call. As...
View Article12-year-old girl just wants to make a difference
To nominate a student for Youth Spotlight, email wvictora@nwfdailynews.com or call 315-4478. SANTA ROSA BEACH — Nothing is impossible for 12-year-old Ally Woodard. The seventh-grader at South Walton...
View ArticleSandpiper Cove stands the test of time
DESTIN — Of all the things that have come and gone, Sandpiper Cove has kept its spot on Gulf Shore Drive for 40 years. Construction of the condominiums began in 1973 and went through 27 phases before...
View ArticleGulf Power program aims to attract industries to the region
MILTON — Santa Rosa County will submit three locations for possible inclusion in Gulf Power’s industrial site certification program. The utility launched its Industrial Site Evaluation and...
View ArticleMan injured in rollover wreck
FREEPORT -- A 54-year-old man was seriously injured when his Jeep rolled over Saturday evening on County Highway 3280, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Richard Lee Hammett, who lives in Fort...
View ArticleFather, toddler escape house fire
FLOROSA -- A man and his toddler son were able to get out of their two-story home before it was mostly destroyed in a fire early Sunday morning. The house at the corner of Lakeview Street and...
View ArticleCrestview looks to promote housing downtown
CRESTVIEW — As most downtown merchants can attest, there’s one thing missing after 5 p.m.: people. However, if Crestview gets a $30,000 Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from the state...
View ArticleFarmers Market taking root at Rosemary Beach
The newest farmers market on Walton County Road 30A began with a rumor. “I heard it from a vendor that there was going to be a market in Rosemary Beach,” said Diane Kolopanas. “So I called Jim and...
View ArticleOkaloosa officials investigating shooting death
FORT WALTON BEACH — A 32-year-old man was killed very early Monday after two men barged into his home and shot him. Officials are investigating the death of Paris Quentin Matthews, who was shot once...
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