Walton County has the area’s highest opioid deaths. Here’s how officials will try to reduce fatal overdoses:

Walton County’s opioid death numbers are much higher than Bay or Okaloosa’s after you account for population. Officials have a plan to start turning the tide on the issue.
Kemper Hodges Earns First QB Start For Air Force Academy

Junior quarterback Kemper Hodges made his first-ever start at quarterback for the Air Force Academy football team against the New Mexico Lobos, a challenging experience that underscores the unique life of a cadet-athlete.
Walton County Adds ‘Full’ Parking Lot Near Beach. Here’s Where You Can Find It:

A new 83-space municipal parking facility and ‘wave’ inspired Transit Pavilion opens on County Road 393, marking a major step toward a future Beach Tram system designed to alleviate 30A’s chronic traffic and parking woes.
GALLERY: Christmas 2025 on the Emerald Coast (Send in your photos NOW!)

Merry Christmas to all from Mid Bay News! Here are the photo highlights of the season from around Northwest Florida and the Emerald Coast!
Will Walton Commissioners End Wood Bonfires on the Beach?

Walton County Commissioners decide whether or not to ban aesthetic, wood-burning bonfires on the beach.
COVID Beach Shutdowns to Cost Walton County Big

A federal appeals court has ruled that Walton County violated the constitutional rights of private beach owners by barring them from their own beachfronts during the COVID-19 shutdowns. The Eleventh Circuit ruled that the countyβs 2020 emergency ordinance amounted to a βtextbook physical taking,β clearing the way for landowners to seek compensation and legal fees.
Scenic Walton Urges Community Support to Save Specialty License Plate Funding

Scenic Walton’s mission to preserve Walton County’s beauty and safety is jeopardized by low specialty license plate sales, making community support essential to secure vital funding for local improvement projects.
A $60 Million Business – No Direction, For Now, In Walton County.
A heated debate among Walton County Commissioners over a new tourism executive role leaves the future of the county’s “60 million dollar business” and beach operations in limbo.
Tee’d Off With the Potential PGA Event – BCC Says “Not Now!”
Walton County commissioners have teed off a potential PGA Tour event, unanimously voting against a sponsorship proposal that sparked months of intense debate and divided the community.
What Will Walton County Tourism Look Like in the Future? A Special Meeting Gave Us Some Clues:

These are the three priorities on the list after a joint meeting between the Walton Tourism Development Council and the Board of County Commissioners