‘I don’t want to get a call that my son is gone’: Family fears Okaloosa inmate’s health is spiraling Collin Bestor November 19, 2025 1:30 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: Family says 33-year-old Robert Riddle is in constant pain and rapidly declining Advocates say national sickle cell care guidelines aren’t being met inside the jail NAACP report and family letters raise broader systemic questions about inmate healthcare CRESTVIEW — When the video screen clicked on during a November jail visit, Eunice Mims stared for several seconds before speaking.   Her son, 33-year-old Robert Riddle, bore no resemblance to the man she remembered. His face was swollen, his skin and eyes tinged a yellowish hue.   “He does not look good,” his sister, Michaela Smith, said in an email obtained by Mid Bay News. “His face is swollen, his eyes are yellow, and he is in nonstop pain.”   The visual his mom saw that day has added a growing panic among his family that the Okaloosa County Jail, where Riddle has been incarcerated since 2024, is dangerously unequipped to treat his severe sickle cell disease, and that the weeks ahead may carry risks he will not survive.   Despite repeated warnings, they say, Riddle’s condition has steadily deteriorated throughout 2025. County officials, meanwhile, insist he is receiving adequate medical care and has not voiced concerns to jail leadership.   The conflict unfolding over his treatment reflects a deeper, systemic struggle over the quality of inmate healthcare in Okaloosa County —... Read More

Jon Bon Jovi And Jelly Roll’s Unlikely Friendship Rock icon Jon Bon Jovi and rapper-turned-country star Jelly Roll teamed up earlier this year to release a reimagined version of Bon Jovi’s 2024 song, “Living Proof.” According to Good Morning America, the pair developed a friendship after meeting in 2024 at the MusiCares Person of the […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Death Row Timeline Nears End for Frank Walls Staff Reports November 19, 2025 11:36 am Crime, Okaloosa County, Public Safety In Brief: Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a December 18 death warrant for Frank Athen Walls, convicted in the 1987 murders of an Eglin airman and his girlfriend and linked to three additional Okaloosa County killings. Walls’ execution adds to a record-high year for Florida, which has scheduled more executions in 2025 than any year since capital punishment was reinstated. Attorneys for Walls are expected to appeal to both state and federal courts as the execution date approaches. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Frank Athen Walls — the Okaloosa County man convicted of a string of brutal killings in the 1980s — according to reporting from the Associated Press. Walls, now 58, is scheduled to die by lethal injection on December 18 at Florida State Prison, marking yet another addition to what has become the most execution-heavy year in Florida’s modern history. Walls’ case has haunted Okaloosa County for nearly four decades. The crimes that ultimately put him on death row began on a July night in 1987, when prosecutors say he slipped into the mobile home of Eglin Air Force Base Airman Edward Alger and his girlfriend, Ann Peterson. According to court records, Walls tied the couple up in what investigators later characterized as a robbery that escalated into extreme violence. Alger managed to free himself and fought back—forcing Walls to slash his throat, then shoot... Read More

The Yet-To-Be-Titled Film Will Follow The Fall Of A Country Star Country music is no stranger to Hollywood. Films like James Mangold’s Walk The Line (2005) and Michael Apted’s Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980) sought to dramatize the life and legacy of significant country stars, respectively Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn. There’s even Robert Altman’s ensemble […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Okaloosa County opposes Gulf drilling, citing national security and tourism risks Collin Bestor November 19, 2025 8:45 am Okaloosa County In Brief: Commissioners say drilling in the eastern Gulf would endanger the nation’s largest military test range and weaken U.S. defense readiness. Local leaders warn even the perception of oil risk could devastate the county’s multibillion-dollar tourism economy. A formal letter urging permanent protection of the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range will now be delivered to state and federal leaders. SHALIMAR — Okaloosa County Commissioners moved unanimously on Tuesday to oppose any efforts to resume drilling in the eastern Gulf, saying that drilling would endanger U.S. national security and threaten the region’s multibillion-dollar tourism economy.   The move followed Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel’s push for the board to sign a letter calling for permanent protection of the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range, a vast military operations area used by every branch of the armed forces.   Ketchel, who serves on the Defense Strategic Initiatives Board, said offshore drilling would “completely ruin the mission field” for Eglin Air Force Base, which she noted supports about 70% of the county’s economy.   Although she noted her support for President Donald Trump, Ketchel criticized what she described as his “drill, baby, drill” stance and argued that federal leaders may not fully grasp the threat offshore drilling poses to the test range and the area’s tourism industry.   The letter will be delivered to the White House and to members of the State... Read More

‘Minutes Matter’: Hurlburt Commander says traffic and housing now threaten U.S. Special Operations Collin Bestor November 19, 2025 8:30 am Hurlburt Field In Brief: Traffic delays and long commutes are now directly impacting rapid-deployment missions at Hurlburt Field. Rising housing costs and limited childcare are straining young families across the 1st Special Operations Wing. Mental-health access — especially for spouses and children — remains one of the wing’s most urgent support gaps. SHALIMAR — Col. Mark L. Hamilton, a career special operations aviator and the new commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, warned Okaloosa County Commissioners on Tuesday that worsening traffic, soaring housing costs, childcare shortages and limited mental-health access are now directly affecting the wing’s ability to launch global missions within minutes.   Hamilton, who took command of the wing Oct. 6, oversees 67 manned and remotely piloted aircraft, including the AC-130J, MC-130J, and MQ-9, and leads 21 squadrons with more than 1,300 Air Commandos trained for worldwide special operations missions such as high-value targeting, unconventional warfare, and personnel recovery.   As installation commander, he is also responsible for base support to 22,000 personnel and more than 40 tenant units at Hurlburt Field.   “Our primary mission is to be ready anytime, anyplace,” Hamilton told commissioners. “The 1st Special Operations Wing has to be ready in minutes. When we measure our success in minutes, traffic becomes a threat to national security.” Traffic delays risk mission readiness Hamilton said U.S. Highway 98 and other choke points... Read More

The Award For Musical Event Of The Year Was Announced Ahead Of The Nov. 19 Broadcast What makes a pairing of artists worthy of Musical Event of the Year? At the Country Music Association Awards, it means that at least one of the artists involved is predominantly associated with the genre of country music. Awarded […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Lainey Wilson Gushes Over Her Friend & Mentor Reba Country music superstar and this year’s CMA Awards host, Lainey Wilson, can’t say enough wonderful things about her good friend and mentor, Reba McEntire. Lainey says that long before she stepped onto the country scene, she has been inspired by Reba and now that she is lucky […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Okaloosa County rejects open carry for employees, keeps concealed-only firearm policy Collin Bestor November 18, 2025 2:30 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: Okaloosa County will keep its existing concealed-carry policy for county employees. Officials cited public safety risks, perception issues, and training hurdles against open carry expansion. Commissioners plan to send an annual letter to employees clarifying rules and safety expectations. SHALIMAR — The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to retain its existing policy allowing county employees with concealed-carry permits to carry firearms while on duty, declining to expand the policy to include open carry despite recent statewide legalization.   Human Resources and Risk Management Director Kelly Bird opened the discussion by noting that employee questions had surged after Florida’s September authorization of open carry.   The county first permitted employees with concealed-weapon permits to carry in 2017, and that rule has remained unchanged since then. Bird told commissioners that the county had received several inquiries about whether county employees are permitted to open carry while on duty.   County Attorney Lynn Hoshihara explained that although Florida law preempts most firearm regulations, counties are explicitly allowed to regulate whether their own employees may carry weapons while performing their duties.   She said the commission could leave the policy as-is, expand it, or alter the requirements, but reminded officials that specific locations, including meeting rooms during official sessions, polling places, sheriff’s offices, and schools, remain off-limits.   Those areas, she said, will remain gun-free.   Commissioners broadly agreed that the... Read More

Dive Into History: SS United States Reef Project Staff Reports November 18, 2025 1:02 pm History, Military, Okaloosa County, Pensacola Beach, Tourism, Wildlife In Brief: Okaloosa County approved major partnerships with Visit Pensacola and CCA Florida, securing $2 million to support the SS United States artificial reef project. The 990-foot ship is expected to be deployed in early 2026 and will become the world’s largest artificial reef. Officials say the reef will boost marine ecosystems, create new tourism opportunities, and elevate Northwest Florida as a global diving destination. Okaloosa County is taking a historic step in marine conservation and tourism with the SS United States artificial reef project, partnering with Visit Pensacola and the Coastal Conservation Association Florida (CCA Florida). The project, which will transform the iconic ocean liner into the world’s largest artificial reef, will enhance marine habitats, attract divers worldwide, and strengthen Northwest Florida’s tourism economy. County commissioners unanimously approved agreements with Visit Pensacola and CCA Florida, securing $2 million in combined funding—$1.5 million from Visit Pensacola and $500,000 from CCA Florida—to support the deployment and promotion of the reef. Visit Pensacola is scheduled to review and approve its contribution during the December 2025 board meeting. “A Historic Regional Collaboration” Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon praised the initiative, highlighting the long-term benefits for both the environment and the local economy. “I applaud the energy that went into creating these partnerships,” Mixon said. “This collaboration will foster amazing adventures for generations of visitors and create a tourism economy... Read More