Hope Behind Bars: How Some in Okaloosa County are Igniting Change

Inside the Okaloosa County Jail, inmates in the Anchored program are choosing accountability, healing, and hope—addressing trauma and addiction to break the cycle for good.
Okaloosa Investigators Uncover Juvenile Trafficking Linked to Social Media

Two Okaloosa County residents were arrested after investigators linked them to the sex trafficking of juvenile girls at local bars and through social media.
Fort Walton Beach Man, Ole Miss DB Arrested in Andalusia

An Ole Miss football player from Fort Walton Beach was arrested in Andalusia after police stopped his vehicle for speeding at 111 mph.
Fatal Shooting Under Investigation in Mary Esther

Deputies found a woman dead inside a Kanuha Drive home after a late-night 9-1-1 call. Investigators are working to determine what happened.
Largest Missing Child Operation in North Florida History

A U.S. Marshals-led operation recovered 43 critically missing children across North Florida, marking the region’s most successful child recovery effort.
With Walls’ Execution, Northwest Florida Confronts Its Serial Killer Past

As Frank Walls is executed today, Northwest Florida reflects on how many serial killers have impacted the region over the last 50 years.
Florida Set to Execute Okaloosa County Serial Killer

Frank Walls, convicted of five Okaloosa County murders, is scheduled for execution tonight after courts rejected his final appeals.
Deputies Probe Possible Link Between Fort Walton Shootings

Deputies Probe Possible Link Between Fort Walton Shootings Staff Reports December 16, 2025 5:24 pm Crime, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County In Brief: Deputies responded to a shooting on Fenwick Drive, where multiple rounds were fired at a pedestrian who was not located. Several nearby homes and properties were struck by gunfire during the incident. […]
Gunfire Erupts on Dates Avenue, Two Injured Inside Fort Walton Beach Home

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an early morning shooting on Dates Avenue in Fort Walton Beach after unknown suspects fired multiple rounds into a home, injuring two people inside.
Deadly Morning Shooting in DeFuniak Springs Leads to Murder Charge

A Thursday morning shooting in DeFuniak Springs left a Crestview man dead, and deputies have arrested 44-year-old Michael Rediker on a murder charge.