Okaloosa Superintendent recommends closing Mary Esther and Longwood Elementary Schools amid sharp enrollment declines Collin Bestor December 10, 2025 4:13 pm Schools and Education In Brief: Two south Okaloosa elementary schools may close after years of steep enrollment drops and growing financial strain. Students at Mary Esther and Longwood would be rezoned as the district consolidates campuses to stabilize budgets. District leaders say the North–South enrollment divide is widening, with Crestview booming and southern communities shrinking. NICEVILLE — Superintendent Marcus Chambers will recommend the closure of Mary Esther Elementary School and Longwood Elementary School at the end of the 2025–2026 school year, citing steep enrollment declines and growing fiscal pressures in the southern end of Okaloosa County.   Chambers plans to formally present the proposal to the Okaloosa County School Board in January and is requesting that the board hold a public hearing on the matter in February. Under the plan, students currently attending the two schools would be rezoned to other south-county elementary campuses.   The recommendation comes as district leaders confront what Assistant Superintendent John Spolski recently described as a widening demographic divide between the north and south ends of the county.   In a workshop held in November, district officials said enrollment is surging in Crestview and surrounding communities, while schools in Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville, and other southern areas continue to lose students at an accelerated rate.   “We have a tale of two regions,” Spolski said during a board workshop in November. “Everything north... Read More

Okaloosa approves millions more for SS United States reef project Collin Bestor December 10, 2025 3:30 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: Okaloosa County approved a $2.95 million contract amendment to complete the SS United States artificial reef project, raising the total budget to just over $10 million. Officials say more than $4 million in outside funding means no property tax impact as the nearly 1,000-foot vessel undergoes final remediation in Mobile. Once deployed off Destin–Fort Walton Beach, the ship will become the world’s largest artificial reef, expected to bring major ecological and economic benefits. CRESTVIEW — Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $2.95 million contract amendment to complete remediation, preparation and deployment of the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef, following a detailed project update from Coastal Resources Manager Alex Fogg.     The amendment to the Coleen Marine, Inc. contract raises the total project budget to $10.178 million. It is needed to cover regulatory, insurance and maritime cost increases that county staff say could not have been foreseen when planning began.   No property tax dollars will be required, commissioners emphasized, thanks to more than $4 million in outside funding already secured.   Commissioner Sherri Cox underscored that point, telling Fogg, “the funds raised exceed the ask… So the impact on our citizens will be zero, except for the benefit of the continued project moving forward.”   Fogg confirmed, “We’ve raised more than $4 million in funds for this project.” Project challenges and milestones   Fogg recounted the... Read More

  While the redfish are still thriving on the flats, speckled trout have been making their way to the mouths of nearby bayous, where the slightly deeper water offers them more regulated temperatures and congregations of food. Daily changes in conditions will have fish traversing back and forth between   Read More

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be overwhelming, stressful, and lonely. So, Wednesday evening, Walton County Commissioner Dan Curry is showing up for residents in a new way during this time of need. He’s hosting his first Mental Health Town Hall meeting in Freeport at 6:00 pm […] Read More

Okaloosa County launches full opposition to Alabama CO₂ Injection Project citing aquifer threat Collin Bestor December 10, 2025 3:00 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: Okaloosa County is fighting a CO₂ injection project planned just across the Alabama line. Officials warn the plan threatens the Floridan Aquifer and local rivers that supply drinking water. Commissioners vowed to pursue every legal and political avenue to stop the proposal. CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County officials are mounting an aggressive regional campaign to stop a proposed carbon-dioxide storage project planned just north of the Florida line, warning that the plan to inject hundreds of millions of tons of industrial CO₂ underground could endanger the Floridan Aquifer — the primary drinking-water source for much of Florida and the Southeast.   The proposal, advanced by an Alabama-based company with leases on roughly 74,000 acres, would transport liquefied CO₂ through a 200-mile pipeline from industrial sites in Alabama before injecting it about 3,000 feet underground near the Florida border.   On Tuesday, the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to oppose the project and pursue every available legal, political and administrative avenue to halt it. A Direct Threat to Okaloosa’s Drinking Water and Rivers Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey told commissioners the project poses “a host of cascading events,” including risks of groundwater contamination and even seismic activity.   Coffey explained that the aquifer beneath the proposed injection zone feeds the Yellow, Shoal and Choctawhatchee rivers, which in turn supply drinking water to Okaloosa County and... Read More

Morgan Wallen’s Walkouts Have Become Something Worth Imitating, Even At Weddings During Morgan Wallen‘s I’m The Problem Tour this summer, his walkouts reached new heights. If you’re familiar with his now-iconic walkouts, you know that at each of Morgan’s shows, he would arrive on stage with another person who is one of the best in […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Okaloosa County Commissioners freeze transit deal after scathing oversight audit Collin Bestor December 10, 2025 2:08 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: A county audit found nearly $1 million in overpayments tied to years of lax transit oversight. Commissioners halted a new five-year MV Transportation contract to reassess repayment and reform options. The pause sparked debate: financial accountability vs. protecting essential transit for elderly and disabled riders. CRESTVIEW — An extensive audit detailing years of oversight failures and nearly $1 million in billing errors abruptly derailed Okaloosa County’s plans this week to approve a new five-year contract with its longtime transit operator, MV Transportation — a contract months in the making and the product of a formal, competitive procurement process.   Instead, commissioners voted unanimously to pause the agreement and extend the existing contract for up to two months while they assess whether the county should seek repayment from MV, renegotiate terms, or reimagine the future of public transit altogether.   The decision followed a tense, hour-long debate in which commissioners alternated between defending the essential role transit plays for seniors and disabled residents and condemning the county’s own failure to monitor a contract that ballooned in cost through unauthorized billing. A Routine Contract Meets a Damaging Audit County staff had spent the summer and fall preparing for the transition to a new transit agreement. The current MV contract expires Dec. 31, 2025, with no available renewals. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in August; a Special Selection Committee evaluated... Read More

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – News 13 brings you a segment focused on health and fitness on News 13 Midday every Wednesday called “Wellness Wednesday.” This week, Personal Trainer Traycee Green from Pure Platinum and special guest Sandy McCroan were in the studio with News 13’s Chris Marchand speaking about resolutions and goals. McCroan said last December, […] Read More

What PCSing military families MUST know when selling or renting in 2026 Jim Whatley December 10, 2025 10:34 am Military, Real Estate In Brief:  The PCS Housing Trap: Recent homeowners with thin equity face two painful options: selling at a loss or renting for a monthly shortfall.  The Reality of Renting: Renting often results in negative cash flow after factoring in all costs like taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management fees.  Making the Right Call: Renting can build long-term wealth through loan paydown and appreciation, but selling is better if you can’t cover the monthly loss or need cash immediately. Every spring and summer, my phone starts ringing more often. The question is usually the same: “We just got PCS orders. Do we sell, or do we rent the house out?” If you bought in 2022 or 2023, that question can feel like a trap. Rates jumped, prices stayed high, and a lot of families don’t have much equity yet. So when orders arrive, you’re forced into two options that both hurt. Option 1: Sell, and possibly bring money to the closing tableMost people don’t realize how expensive it is to sell a home until they try. Between agent fees (whatever you negotiate), seller closing costs, and the normal “get it ready” repairs and credits, it’s common for the total cost to land in the high single digits as a percentage of the sale price. That’s not a problem if you’ve owned the house for a long time. It’s a big problem if... Read More

Is this the end for Valparaiso Fire Department? + Other Valp Commission updates Christopher Saul December 10, 2025 10:15 am Valparaiso In Brief: Valparaiso considers consolidating fire services with Niceville after the termination of their second fire chief. A uniform micromobility ordinance, developed in partnership with Niceville, is proposed to regulate E-bikes and other devices. The city is finally ready to move into the renovated City Hall and has set the date for the 2026 City Commission elections. At their December meeting, the Valparaiso City Commission discussed bringing back the Niceville Fire Department in some capacity after firing their previous chief the week before Thanksgiving.    They also discussed working together with their sister city on an E-bike ordinance to regulate the micromobility vehicles, and discussed moving into their new city hall after four years of renovations and scheduling a date for their 2026 elections.    Finally, they talked about the potential to put in traffic cameras on John Sims Parkway near The Lewis School to slow speeders and generate revenue. You can see that story here.    Niceville FD to return to Valparaiso? Valparaiso dumped its second fire chief in its first year of operation when commissioners voted unanimously to terminate Fire Chief David Lanier’s employment on November 24.  In the interim, they must find new leadership – or at least management – to fill the gap while the city makes a decision on its next move.  Enter Niceville City Manager David Deitch, Fire Chief David Kukulus and an... Read More