Community

By Tracy Louthain In January, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County held its 60th home dedication for a very special mom of four. Unlike other home dedications, this dedication was held in partnership with Warrick Dunn Charities, and included a very special surprise by former FSU running back and NFL...

With markers, pencils, crayons and glue sticks in hand, second grade students from Longwood Elementary happily created Valentine’s Day cards with woodland animals not knowing the impact they would soon have. The students, with pep in their step, proudly walked over to the Bob Hope Village Commons with smiles...

If you had told Yvette in 4th grade that the boy who surprised her with an oversized Valentine’s Day card would one day be her husband, she would have laughed out loud. But sometimes life has a funny way of working out, and that’s exactly what happened. Yvette and Richard...

International Women’s Day Celebration The American Business Women Association – Emerald Coast Chapter presents the International Women’s Day Emerald Coast Celebration Saturday, March 4, 10 a.m.--3 p.m., hosted by University of West Florida’s Fort Walton Beach Campus. The theme for 2023 is Embracing Innovation and Technology. The event will...

By Doug Stauffer Kayleigh McEnany opened this year’s President’s Speaker Series at Mattie Kelly Arts Center. While introducing Kayleigh, President Devin Stephenson of Northwest Florida State College invited stated, “Northwest Florida State College is certainly honored to do our part in improving the quality of place in our community by...

By Doug Stauffer Two prestigious organizations revealed their 2023 award winners, both of whom attend Choctawhatchee High School. The Taylor Haugen Foundation awarded Chi Anchors Medina the highly sought-after Taylor Haugen Trophy. The All Sports Association awarded Blake Garland the Male Athlete of the Year. These awards are the first...

By Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, Okaloosa Care of Freeze-Injured Citrus Trees Recent widespread hard freezes more than likely resulted in damage to many of the citrus trees in Northwest Florida. Cold damage will become more evident as we move into the spring and summer. It is best to take a “wait...

By Michelle Ruschman Teenagers in this era are being called “snowflakes,” but to resort to name calling is dismissive of their very real modern-day challenges and overlooks the depth of their compassion. Policymakers, the entertainment industry, and social media influencers have also worked to downgrade parental authority, and this has...

Preliminary construction activities began this month to allow for the construction of the new Brooks Bridge in Okaloosa County scheduled to begin this spring. This work includes relocating utilities on and around Brooks Street, U.S. 98, and the south side of Publix at the Shoppes at Paradise Point shopping center....

By Lauren Reho Each year through the All Sports Association, the Taylor Haugen Foundation, presents a trophy to an athlete who best demonstrates a balance between academics, athleticism, leadership, community service and faith. The winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, a $1,000 donation to the athletic department of his or her...