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Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Celebrates 25 Years! Publisher note: Many in our community are familiar with Mattie Kelly concerts, Festival of the Arts, and some of the other fundraising events. But, do you know the history behind how the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation was founded, its great impact in...

Freeport HS Alumnus Named ASA Collegiate Male By Ford Henley Gabe Moore has never rested on his laurels. We witnessed it at Freeport, where he blossomed from a football star into a D-I multi-sport athlete. We witnessed it at the University of Arkansas, where his decathlon times and scores only strengthened in becoming...

By Lori Leath Smith EOD Warriors are the men and women who graduate as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians through all branches of the military from the Navy’s EOD School at Eglin Air Force Base. EOD technicians are the ones responsible for disarming, rendering safe and disposing of bombs. Highly-trained,...

Turning a Dream into a Home By Heather Bennett “Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” — Proverbs 31:9 BeGenerous Founder and Director Stephanie McMinn has served her local community for the past 10 years by aiding, resourcing and supporting women and their families in desperate...

By Rita L. Sherwood The aging outlook has officially been redefined! Roughly 74 million U.S. baby boomers have focused on what it takes to stay mentally and physically fit, and senior centers have followed suit to accommodate their many interests. No longer are senior centers only a place to play...

Celebrating 50 Years, 1969-2019 By Lori Leath Smith Local Special Olympics Florida founder Charlie McFarland has something in common with Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics iconic national founder. Like Eunice, Charlie believes in the spirit and souls of those who have special needs. Even though Charlie passed the baton to current...

By Rick Gonzalez, FreeportInsider.com As a young child growing up near the Bay, Hannah Brown never dreamed she’d honor her grandfather with a park named after him. All she knew was that when her Nanny would call early in the morning and ask if she wanted to go fishing with...

Lindy Wood dreamed of a day when she could offer more for her son, Weston, and other teens and young adults affected by Autism. “I see my little Weston now and already worry about the fact that, as he gets older, his opportunities to develop and cultivate independent skills...

By Lori Leath Smith We’re not all expected to be pillars of strength—especially when we feel rejected, discarded or unloved. That’s where Crisis Aid for Littles and Moms (CALM) comes in. Finding and teaching beauty in the broken, discarded and homeless is its mission. “We are the hands and feet...

By Rita L. Sherwood What happens when a mom of a five-year-old with autism and a Special Education Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapist put their heads together? They create a local, non-profit school and therapy center for autistic kids, the Emerald Coast Autism Center (ECAC) right here in Niceville. When asked why...