Texas launches criminal probe into plant explosion
WACO, Texas (AP) — Texas law enforcement officials on Friday launched a criminal investigation into the massive fertilizer plant explosion that killed 14 people last month, after weeks of largely...
View ArticleNorriego Point foot traffic to be diverted for dredge work
The city of Destin has contracted with Gator Dredging to dredge the Old Pass Lagoon channel adjacent to the Marler Bridge in East Pass beginning Saturday, May 11. The project is scheduled to be...
View ArticleState Dep't sought to change Libya talking points
WASHINGTON (AP) — Political considerations influenced the talking points that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used five days after the deadly Sept. 11 assault in Benghazi, Libya, with State Department and...
View ArticleHarbor dredging to begin Saturday
DESTIN — Gator Dredging will begin clearing the harbor channel in East Pass Saturday. The project is scheduled to be completed by May 24. Foot traffic across portions of Norriego Point will be...
View ArticleLatest budget debate centers on franchise fees
As Okaloosa County faces more than $4 million in additional expenses for the coming budget year, officials are scrambling to find new sources of revenue. In the past month, county commissioners have...
View ArticleBP money approved for artificial reefs (DOCUMENTS)
Gov. Rick Scott’s recent announcement that BP had agreed to cover the cost of installing three artificial reefs in Okaloosa County has brought an eagerly anticipated project one step closer to...
View ArticleFlorida budget now in Scott’s hands
TALLAHASSEE (AP) — The clock is ticking for Gov. Rick Scott. Scott has until May 24 to act on a proposed $74.5 billion state budget. The Republican-led Legislature on Thursday officially put the...
View ArticleMan charged with driving truck onto patrol car
MILTON - A man tried to drive over a Santa Rosa County sheriff deputy’s patrol car Thursday night to escape pursuit, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Cameron Kimmons, 22, of Milton, was being...
View ArticleCleaning at Morrison Springs delayed
PONCE DE LEON - Walton County has delayed the closing of Morrison Springs because it has not yet received a permit to disperse chemicals to remove hydrilla in the water. The spring was scheduled to...
View ArticleREPORT: Man slaps wife, shoots bullet into the air
FORT WALTON BEACH— A 49-year-old man was arrested on April 28 for battery, firing a weapon in public and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office...
View ArticleMan tries to use counterfeit bills
NICEVILLE— A 24-year-old man was arrested on May 4 for attempting to use counterfeit money. According to the Niceville Police Department arrest report, Adam Scott Elking attempted to purchase a...
View ArticleCelebrating moms
Motherhood doesn’t come with a how-to guide. Some parents know this better than others. As families across the nation celebrate the special woman in their lives, the Northwest Florida Daily News found...
View ArticleAlaqua Animal Refuge lands 85 acres
Laurie Hood has received a dream-come-true: 85 acres to house all the residents at Alaqua Animal Refuge. “I am overjoyed. It is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Hood said. Hood founded Alaqua in 2007...
View ArticleLocal schools look to be big winners in state budget
The Florida Legislature has passed a $74.5 billion budget, and a whopping $421 million of it will come to schools in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties. That amount includes the three counties’...
View ArticleFamilies, motorcyclists gather for Down syndrome awareness event
FORT WALTON BEACH — Dustin and Rae Cooper didn’t know where to turn when they found out their son Dylan had Down syndrome. They found the resources Dylan needed over the years, but always wished there...
View ArticleWork on U.S. 331 to require traffic shift
FREEPORT - Traffic will be shifted to different lanes along a stretch of U.S. Highway 331 at Owl’s Head Lane beginning Monday, according to Walton County officials. Southbound traffic will be shifted...
View ArticleDeputies investigate shooting death
DORCAS — Deputies are investigating a shooting death that occurred early Sunday morning. Thomas Rangely, 56, died after he was shot in the chest at a trailer at 5485 County Road 393 about 2 a.m.,...
View ArticleOfficers investigate stabbing incident
CRESTVIEW — A man was stabbed in the shoulder with a knife Saturday night. Christopher Paris, 45, was taken to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola with non-life-threatening injuries, according to...
View ArticleMan charged with careless driving after wreck
CRESTVIEW — A 24-year-old man was charged with careless driving after he caused a wreck on State Road 85 late Saturday afternoon, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Joshua Charles Ray, 24 of...
View ArticleCould 9-year-old be the next celebrity chef?
To nominate a student for Youth Spotlight, email wvictora@nwfdailynews.com or call 315-4478. Jace Barefield, a third-grader at Edge Elementary School, never thought winning third place in a cooking...
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