Richbourg Lane to Close Thursday for Drainage Repairs Staff Reports December 3, 2025 4:09 pm Crestview In Brief: Richbourg Lane will be closed in both directions on December 4 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for drainage repairs. Detour signs and flagmen will guide drivers around the closure, which may affect local travel and operations. Crestview encourages residents to follow the city’s social media channels for real-time updates throughout the day. Drivers who use Richbourg Lane in Crestview should plan for delays on Thursday, December 4, as city contractors close both the eastbound and westbound lanes to complete drainage repairs. According to the City of Crestview, the full closure will run from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and crews will have detour signage and flagmen in place to direct motorists around the work zone. City officials are urging drivers to give themselves extra time or seek alternate routes, noting that the closure may affect local operations and school or work commutes. The project is part of ongoing drainage improvements in the area, and the city says the temporary shutdown is necessary to safely complete the repairs. Residents looking for updates throughout the day can follow the City of Crestview on social media at Facebook: City of Crestview and Instagram: @CityofCrestview. More Local News 30a Walton County Adds ‘Full’ Parking Lot Near Beach. Here’s Where You Can Find It: Freeport What is Westonwood Ranch? Sports Kyle Busch, Erik Jones lead stacked field into 2025 Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway Load... Read More

Related coverage: Conservationists protest Florida’s first bear hunt in a decade TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Florida black bear hunt begins this Saturday, Dec. 6, for the first time in ten years. Black bear hunting was outlawed across the state in 1994, when the population reached dangerously low levels. In 2015, the Florida Fish and […] Read More

Fort Walton Beach Growth Management Director Brings Three-Decade Family Christmas Village Tradition to Life at City Hall Staff Reports December 3, 2025 1:09 pm Arts, Fort Walton Beach In Brief: Who: Fort Walton Beach Growth Management Director Tim Gibson, along with Melissa Gibson, Mikayle Gibson, and Charlotte Shelton What: A massive, handcrafted Christmas village featuring hundreds of buildings, figurines, and a working train When: Open now through the end of the year, Monday–Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Growth Management Department offices, Fort Walton Beach City Hall, 105 Miracle Strip Parkway SW Why: To share a decades-long family tradition with the community and bring joy during the holiday season A Fort Walton Beach family’s holiday tradition, more than 30 years in the making, is now adding extra sparkle inside City Hall. Growth Management Director Tim Gibson, with help from his wife, Melissa, his daughter, Mikayle, and his mother-in-law, Charlotte Shelton, has transformed a vacant office in the Growth Management Department into an elaborate Christmas village featuring hundreds of porcelain buildings, figurines, and handcrafted details. The public is invited to tour the display through the end of the year. The tradition began in the late 1980s when Melissa’s father started purchasing pieces from Mervyn’s annual holiday series, “Village Square,” for her mother. The porcelain buildings and figurines — once a highly sought-after seasonal item at the now-closed Mervyn’s department store chain — quickly evolved into a treasured family collection. Over the decades, the set grew steadily as new pieces were released... Read More

 [[{“value”:” The Friends of Eden Gardens State Park invite the public to the Christmas Candlelight Open House throughout the park grounds on Saturday, December 6th from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Everyone’s invited! Admission fees to the park are waived for the event. Donations to the Friends of Eden are welcome. “}]]  SoWal.com  Read More

Destin OK’s 320-room hotel after lengthy discussion on development rules Collin Bestor December 3, 2025 9:30 am Destin In Brief: Destin approved a 320-room hotel after sharp disagreements over parking reductions, traffic safety, and code limitations that left officials frustrated. Council members warned the project could worsen dangerous left turns onto Highway 98, where congestion already operates at failure levels. The sparse landscape plan triggered the strongest pushback, fueling broader concerns that the city’s development code is enabling projects out of step with community expectations. DESTIN — The Destin City Council approved a development order Monday for a six-story, 320-room Drury Plaza Hotel on Highway 98 East, ending a tense debate over traffic hazards, parking reductions and the city’s development rules that several council members said are allowing projects out of step with community expectations.   The council added two conditions before approving the project: at least 80% of all required trees must be native species, and the hotel must include a designated pet relief area. Drury representative Eddie Robinson agreed to the conditions only after stepping out during a brief recess to get authorization from company leadership.   “I’ll agree to that — and go ahead and put the dog park in it,” Robinson said.   The hotel will occupy 10.27 acres at 1001 Highway 98 East, next to Big Kahuna’s Water Park. The plan includes 4,000 square feet of conference space, an outdoor pool, stormwater improvements, pedestrian features, and 333 parking spaces. City staff said the project meets... Read More

Actress Lori Loughlin Served Jail Time In 2020 In 2019, a nation-wide college admissions scandal went public, where at least 53 people were charged as part of the conspiracy, which included was actress Lori Loughlin and her then-husband, Mossimo Giannulli. On March 12, 2019, Loughlin and Giannulli were indicted by the FBI on fraud and […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Little Big Town joins star-studded lineup for performance at the 16th annual CMA Country Christmas celebration. CMA Country Christmas celebrated its 16th year with festive performances to ring in the holiday season. Filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, the annual special, which blended country and Christmas music, aired on ABC on December 2. This year’s CMA Country Christmas was hosted […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Parker McCollum Reminds CMA Country Christmas Viewers They “Better Be Good” Everyone has their favorite version of a Christmas song, but that’s not to say that a song can’t continue growing and changing over time. Such is the case for “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town,” a song that goes back to the 1930s. As […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

GALLERY: Christmas 2025 on the Emerald Coast (Send in your photos NOW!) Christopher Saul December 2, 2025 1:24 pm 30a, Bluewater Bay, Crestview, DeFuniak Springs, Destin, Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Freeport, Hurlburt Field, Mary Esther, Niceville, Pensacola Beach, South Walton, Valparaiso, Walton County Merry Christmas from your friends at Mid Bay News! We are excited to bring you photos and videos from around our area – including your images you want to share.    To send us photos, email them to the address below!  Send Photos More Local News Destin Destin OK’s 320-room hotel after lengthy discussion on development rules 30a GALLERY: Christmas 2025 on the Emerald Coast (Send in your photos NOW!) Crime Repeat Offender From Niceville Gets 15-Year Federal Sentence for Child Pornography Load More The post GALLERY: Christmas 2025 on the Emerald Coast (Send in your photos NOW!) appeared first on Mid Bay News. Read More

Repeat Offender From Niceville Gets 15-Year Federal Sentence for Child Pornography Staff Reports December 2, 2025 11:54 am Crime, Niceville, Okaloosa County, Public Safety In Brief: A Niceville man with a prior conviction received 15 years in federal prison after investigators found thousands of child sexual abuse files. Federal, state, and local agencies collaborated to uncover the crimes and remove the offender from the community. The sentence includes lifetime supervised release, restitution, and continued sex offender registration. A Niceville man with a prior child pornography conviction has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after investigators uncovered thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children — including victims under the age of 12 — across dozens of electronic devices in his home. John J. Schugmann, 53, received the sentence on Monday in Pensacola federal court. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida said the case exemplifies the seriousness of online child exploitation and the high level of coordination it takes to catch offenders who attempt to hide behind digital platforms. How the Investigation Started The investigation began in December 2024, when federal authorities detected that Schugmann was uploading child sexual abuse material to an online search engine — an activity that triggered alerts for law enforcement. Court documents show that these uploads weren’t isolated incidents but part of an ongoing pattern of online activity. Federal agents and Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office investigators obtained a warrant to search Schugmann’s residence. During the search, Schugmann... Read More