Emotional Blow for Candidates as Filing Errors Trigger Special Election
A filing oversight has left the Okaloosa County School Board District 1 race without any qualified candidates, forcing a special election.
Plew plants a prophetic mustard seed for Eglin AFB
On June 14, 1937, the Valparaiso Gunnery Range was established with a small post of 14 enlisted men and a single officer, marking the beginning of what would become the largest industry in Okaloosa County. Local business leader James Plew leased the original land to ensure government money bolstered the flagging local economy. The base quickly grew and shifted to a more lucrative test-and-evaluation mission, a transition encouraged by Congressman Bob Sikes. Sikes intentionally drove significant construction, ensuring the base’s indispensability and making the cost of shrinking the military presence after World War II too painful for the Department of War. Plew’s initial investment proved highly effective, as the Air Force Base accounted for nearly 70 cents of every dollar made in Okaloosa County businesses in 2025.
‘Let me take that weight’: Congressional candidate Gay Valimont hears voter concerns at Niceville meet-up
In Brief: Florida congressional candidate Gay Valimont held an open discussion at Tango 3 Coffee Roasters on Saturday, inviting residents of the area to share their biggest concerns and considerations they’ll take to the polls on Nov. 3. Running for Florida’s 1st district, encompassing the western panhandle, Valimont lives in Pensacola. “All over the state […]
City Manager secures lease agreement for Twin Oaks Park
After years of discussion, the Niceville City Council unanimously approved a resolution to execute a 30-year lease agreement with the U.S. Department of Air Force for the Twin Oaks Park Mullet Festival Site at Tuesday’s meeting. City Manager David Deitch said he’d been negotiating with Eglin Air Force Base, which owns the land, for “almost […]
Night Operations Will Be Launching at Eglin
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — Residents across portions of Okaloosa County may hear increased aircraft activity next week as fighter pilots conduct nighttime training missions out of Eglin Air Force Base. According to Eglin officials, the 58th Fighter Squadron is scheduled to conduct night flying operations from June 15 through June 17. Training flights are […]
Eglin Issues a New Gulf Warning Ahead of Munitions Testing
Eglin Air Force Base will conduct munitions testing in the Gulf of America from June 1-6, prompting safety warnings for boaters near Destin.
JD Peacock believes he’s the right guy for Okaloosa School Board. Here’s Why:
Former Okaloosa County Clerk of Court and longtime sheriff’s office leader JD Peacock explains why he’s running for Okaloosa County School Board District 1, outlining his priorities of student safety, stronger fiscal oversight, and better support for teachers. In this interview, he addresses teacher pay gaps with Walton County, the closure of Longwood and Mary Esther Elementary, school choice and competition, and how the district should plan for growth in Crestview.
“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”.
The undiscovered, unexpected history of Watercolor, Florida
How the German Kaiser, a family fortune and a former Disney Exec created the 30a we know today:
Inside Gaetz and DeSantis’s Redistricting Plan for Florida
Florida lawmakers are heading into a rare mid-decade special session to redraw the state’s congressional map after explosive population growth — but State Sen. Don Gaetz says Northwest Florida’s Districts 1 and 2 are likely to remain unchanged as the focus shifts to booming Central and South Florida.
