Will beach go to the dogs?
Enforcement of proposed beach regulations was the primary issue at a recent Walton County Commission meeting. “We just can’t seem to get enforcement in this county,” Santa Rosa Ridge resident Mary...
View ArticleVICTORA: We want to write about people who make a difference
Whenever we ask people what they want to read in the paper, we hear the same thing. They want more feel-good stories, ones that warm their hearts. I agree. The media, in general, focuses on crises,...
View ArticleConnie brings jewelry to salon, EZ4U offers peace of mind
CONNIE & CO Patsy Thornton owned a jewelry shop in Shalimar for many years, closing it, selling the building and leaving it behind in 2006 for retirement. Her friend and hairstylist, Connie...
View ArticleSouth Walton bakery caters to diet-conscious customers
SANTA ROSA BEACH — Gwynn Baker does what some would consider impossible: She makes gluten-free and vegan baked goods that rival items made with wheat, eggs and butter. Baker’s business, La Loba’s...
View ArticlePassenger has baby aboard flight to Armenia
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — A passenger has given birth aboard a plane flying to Armenia and named her daughter after one of the flight attendants who helped with the delivery. The birth of the healthy...
View ArticleAbout 800 sign up for Fla. 'python challenge' hunt
BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE, Fla. (AP) — An armed mob set out into the Florida Everglades on Saturday to flush out a scaly invader. It sounds like the second act of a sci-fi horror flick but,...
View ArticleJones, Cook lead NWF State men past Pensacola State (GALLERY)
NICEVILLE – Before taking the court against Pensacola State Saturday, Northwest Florida State head coach Steve Forbes had two questions for his seventh-ranked Raiders. Just three days removed from...
View ArticleNWF State women humble Pensacola State (GALLERY)
NICEVILLE – In assessing the 12-game slate of the parity-driven Panhandle Conference, a league widely regarded as the best in the country, Northwest Florida State coach Patrick Harrington summed it...
View ArticleWildlife Refuge to take over Sasquatch Zoo (SLIDESHOW)
CRESTVIEW — If Albert was a human, he would be a senior citizen. In his late 20s, Albert — an eastern black bear — moves stiffly and is turning gray around his muzzle and forehead. He is one of the...
View ArticleFine felines: Forty breeds on display at annual cat show (SLIDESHOW)
OKALOOSA ISLAND — Judith Milling, 64, made one last pass of the comb through the cream-colored fur on her Birman cat, Simon, then scooped him up and dashed to the judge’s table. With big, bright blue...
View ArticleLaurel Hill to seek grant for road work
LAUREL HILL— The City Council is pursuing a state grant that could provide up to $600,000 for road repairs. Although the council will prepare an ordinance that could dissolve Laurel Hill in a...
View ArticleSanta Rosa likely to revisit arena project later this month
MILTON — The fate of the somewhat controversial multi-purpose center in East Milton likely will be decided later this month. Although the agenda for the meeting will not be finalized until the end of...
View ArticleParticipants needed for 20-year cancer study
Northwest Florida residents have one last opportunity to participate in a historic and potentially life-saving study. The American Cancer Society is seeking volunteers for the 20-year Cancer...
View ArticleCandle, bedsheet possible cause of house fire
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A fire destroyed a bedroom and caused significant damage to the rest of a home Sunday afternoon. Firefighters were called to the home at 483 Hunter’s Ridge Road shortly before 2...
View ArticleLETTER: Get it done, GOP
If Republicans in Congress want to cut spending, they should just do it. They should create a bill in the House of Representatives that specifies what areas they want to cut and the logic by which...
View ArticleLETTER: Famcamp flaw
Moving the Hurlburt Field family campground seems to me a flawed idea. I served in the Air Force for 20 years, 18 of them in the disaster preparedness career field. If the “famcamp” is left where it...
View ArticleEDITORIAL: Who'll pay for cops in schools?
Until last week, the cost of assigning sheriff’s deputies to all of Okaloosa County’s elementary schools had been a cozy abstraction. You know: We’ll do whatever it takes to keep our children safe....
View ArticleMan wanted on multiple warrants caught hiding in Watercolor attic
WATERCOLOR — A 27-year-old man who has been eluding law enforcement for more than a month was located Sunday at a home in South Walton. Travis Letaz Williams was arrested on numerous warrants...
View ArticleMissing man found; SWAT team on scene
A 57-year-old man who had been reported missing has been found, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office. Joseph "Joey" Wayne Brown Sr. left Healthmark Regional Medical Center around 11:26 p.m....
View ArticleCrossing guard salutes drivers, makes them smile
NICEVILLE –You don’t have to know his name to know who Glen Lockett is. He’s the Niceville crossing guard who salutes every passing car, a holdover from his military and civil service careers. “I...
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