‘Difficult conversations’ ahead: Local officials react to Amendment 3’s passing
Amendment 3 passed with 62% voter approval, but its financial consequences are just beginning to take shape. Crestview and Niceville could lose millions in property tax revenue, leaving local officials weighing potential service cuts, new fees and regional partnerships while looking to the Florida Legislature for help.
One month post-Isaias, cleanup crews still work ‘sunup to sundown.’
A month after Hurricane Isaias battered the Florida Panhandle, Okaloosa County crews are still working around the clock to remove storm debris. Nearly 123,000 cubic yards have been collected so far, but officials warn residents that pickup could take weeks. Here’s how cleanup works and where residents can get free mulch.
Will Okaloosa County stop data centers? Potential moratorium advances
Okaloosa County commissioners voted 4-1 to pursue a 12-month moratorium on large-scale data center development, giving county staff time to study potential environmental and infrastructure impacts. The proposed pause comes as Destin also moves to temporarily restrict large data centers.
Risks for Republicans, AI info, and personal power: Voting expert talks midterms 2026
From Florida’s governor’s race to local tax referendums, the Nov. 3 midterm election will shape decisions affecting communities across the Emerald Coast. Lonna Rae Atkeson, director of Florida State University’s LeRoy Collins Institute, discusses voter turnout, what drives election participation and how artificial intelligence could change the way voters research candidates.
