The Rotary Club of Niceville-Valparaiso recognized the top police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians for 2022 from each local department for their outstanding service to our community Feb. 20. The award recipients included: Niceville Fire Department Firefighter of the Year, Fireman Gage Reed; Valparaiso Fire Department Firefighter of the Year, Engineer Ethan Randolph; Niceville Police Department Officer of the Year, Officer Christopher Fulford; Valparaiso Police Department Officer of the Year, Officer Charles “Chuck” Dumbaugh; East Niceville Fire District Firefighter of the Year, Firefighter Tyler Lawrence; North Bay Fire District Firefighter of the Year, Firefighter Tyler Gagner; Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Deputy of the Year, Deputy Ezekiel Dixon; Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) Security Forces Airman of the Year, Senior Airman Abigail Saterfield; Eglin AFB Security Forces Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Technical Sergeant Caleb Foy; Eglin AFB Security Forces Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Master Sergeant Floyd Ford; Eglin AFB Security Forces Category I Civilian of the Year, Officer Jonathan Sowell; Eglin AFB Security Forces Category II Civilian of the Year, Officer Gregory Wise; Eglin AFB Military Firefighter of the Year, Staff Sgt. Josue Rosado Velez; Eglin AFB Fire Department Civilian Firefighter of the Year, Pedro Morales; Eglin AFB Fire Department Military Fire Officer of the Year, Master Sgt. Edward Thomas; and Eglin AFB Fire Department Civilian Fire Officer of the Year, Whitney Stine.From left: Technical Sergeant Caleb Foy, Eglin AFB Security Forces Noncommissioned Officer of the Year; Fire Chief David Birch, East Niceville Fire District; Senior... Read More

  City Food Hall Destin is now officially open at Destin Commons. Showcasing emerging and established local chefs from more than 10 specialty restaurant concepts, City Food Hall is a 14,000-square-foot gathering place offering international cuisine, craft beer and cocktails, state-of-the-art entertainment, and more. Located next to Foot Locker near Uncle Buck’s, City Food Hall will become Destin’s top culinary and nightlife destination. Locals and visitors can enjoy an expansive 32 seat indoor bar, HDTVs, plenty of seating, and two state-of-the-art Topgolf Swing Suites with multi-sport games and Full Swing golf simulator technology. The 10 restaurant concepts within Destin City Food Hall features unique cuisine from around the world including: PB&J Bakery and Café, with bold, unique dishes and nostalgic classics created by husband and wife duo Phillip & Jess Bauer; Nanbu Too, owned and operated by Chef Nikhil Abuvala. Nanbu (translated to “southern” in Japanese) offers Japanese cuisine with Southern Flair; Tuk Tuk Thai, bringing authentic Thai street food to Destin with ambitious dishes, bold flavors, mixed with hand-blended seasonings showcased by a military veteran-owned team; Birdie’s Nourished Kitchen by Chef Katie Dixon, offering a range of power foods from acai bowls and salads to healthy takes on traditional, southern fare; Macho Taco, Mexican inspired soul food that is simple, yet elegant, rustic, yet refined, creative, yet controlled; Poke Loa, A New Orleans-based restaurant that was the first poke restaurant in Louisiana. Poke Loa’s fish is delivered fresh daily, and fish, toppings, and vegetables are chopped and prepared in-house;... Read More

  By Doug Stauffer The governor, first lady, and guests gathered for an Opioid Crisis press conference in Destin recently. Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Agency for Health Care Administration to partner together to implement a network of addiction care. There were more than 8,000 overdose deaths in Florida in 2022. Many families are devastated, and society must implement ever more drastic measures. Successful legal action brought by the DeSantis administration against the pharmaceutical manufacturers has opened the doors to settlement funds in excess of $200 million. Those funds are being rolled out throughout the state to aid the fight against opioid addiction. They also focus on education concerning the dangers of fentanyl flowing over the open borders into our streets. “We want to stop illicit drugs from entering our state, hold dealers accountable, educate Floridians on the dangers and provide treatment that breaks the addiction cycle,” said DeSantis. “Opioid addiction is plaguing our state and nation, and we are seeing more fatalities related to overdose than ever before, with fentanyl being trafficked through the southern border. We will use funds from the opioid settlement in the most efficient and effective way possible to end addiction in Florida.” The Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) is the first in the United States, placing Florida as a leader in sustainable addiction and opioid recovery. Initially trial tested in 12 counties, the CORE program has expanded to 17 counties statewide.... Read More