“We are on a war footing” Pentagon brass’s blunt message for the Emerald Coast:
When Dale Marks, Assistant Secretary of War for Energy, Installations, and Environment, spoke to the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce, he delivered a blunt message: Northwest Florida is on the front line of America’s industrial “arsenal of freedom,” and time is now the nation’s most dangerous adversary. Marks, who is also Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, credited his time on the Emerald Coast with shaping his view of defense, stating, “The military does not operate in a vacuum… We operate within the strength of our host communities”.
College dedicates newly renovated Sikes exhibit
The legacy of Bob Sikes, the legendary politician who served Florida’s District 1 in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly four decades, is being celebrated with a newly renovated exhibition at Northwest Florida State College’s Robert L.F. Sikes Center in Crestview. Local dignitaries and the public gathered for the dedication of the exhibit, which features artifacts from Sikes’ illustrious career, including campaign memorabilia and a collection of taxidermied raccoons, a nod to his nickname “The He-Coon.” NWFSC President Devin Stephenson and current District 1 Rep. Matt Gaetz highlighted Sikes’ enduring impact on the region and the significance of his contributions.
