High School Football Playoff Bracketology Week 9
With eight weeks of play in the books, local high school football teams are making their final push for postseason positioning. From Walton and Choctawhatchee battling for first-round hosting rights to Niceville fighting to break into the regional playoff field, the race for November football is heating up across the region.
After the Hurricane: Damaged HVAC Systems Can Pose Hidden Safety Risks. Here’s five tips to stay safe
As residents and businesses begin recovering from Hurricane Isaias, a local heating and air-conditioning company warns that storm-damaged HVAC equipment may pose serious hazards long after the wind and rain have passed.
DEVELOPING: Niceville PD shut down part of John Sims Parkway after a traffic crash. Here’s what we know:
A morning traffic crash on John Sims Parkway in Niceville left one person dead and closed a major roadway for over five hours. Police are investigating reports of racing or road rage after a truck crashed into a tree near Partin Drive, prompting detours through local roads and Niceville High School.
Post-Isaias Update from the Emerald Coast: October 12
As post-Hurricane Isaias recovery continues across Okaloosa County, city facilities in Crestview and Niceville have reopened, though Turkey Creek and Children’s Park remain closed. CHELCO has restored power to over 50,000 members, while DOH-Okaloosa issued a health advisory for Choctawhatchee Bay and Santa Rosa Sound following wastewater overflows.
Damage and disaster update: Hurricane Isaias
This is our damage and disaster update for the Emerald Coast cities of Niceville, Valparaiso, Eglin Air Force Base, DeFuniak Springs, Freeport, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and surrounding areas.
Liveblog: Hurricane Isaias Coverage for the Emerald Coast
Niceville declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches the Emerald Coast. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, and storm surge up to seven feet are expected. Meanwhile, Okaloosa County School District has canceled all Thursday and Friday classes, rescheduling major high school football games to next week.
DEVELOPING: Isaias resources and updates
Here are our links to good resources for information and help as we prepare for tropical weather this weekend.
Hurricane Opal – the start of the legal battle for Emerald Coast Beaches
Hurricane Opal’s 1995 landfall remains a defining moment for Okaloosa County, exposing critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and reshaping the Emerald Coast. From the rapid intensification that caught residents by surprise to the long-term legal battles over coastal restoration, this historical review examines the storm’s enduring impact on our community.
HISTORY: Hurricane Opal Makes Landfall in Navarre
When Hurricane Opal rapidly escalated into a Category 4 storm overnight in October 1995, it caught Northwest Florida off guard. The storm caused massive traffic gridlock, over $1.2 billion in destruction, severe coastal erosion, and sparked decades of legal battles over beach restoration across Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties.
He tried to kill a priest and start a bloody rebellion – at nearly 90 years old!
In 1675, Juan Fernandez Diocasale, a leader of mixed Euchee and Chatot heritage, stood accused of plotting the assassination of a Spanish friar. His attempted rebellion against Spanish authority in the Florida Panhandle sparked a violent struggle for power, eventually reshaping the region’s tribal dynamics forever.
