One of the top ten big-money sport-fishing tournaments in the world is set to return to the most visited Northwest Florida resort destination for vacationers, group and business travelers, families and adventurers. The 21st Annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic (ECBC), presented by MarineMax, gets underway June 21 and continues through June 25 at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort®.“We have another great tournament on tap and look forward to, once again, hosting our anglers, crews and guests,” says Tournament Director Jason Draughn. “None of this would be possible without MarineMax/Grady-White, Pelagic, Gulf Coast Yacht Group/Hatteras, Galati Yachts Sales/Viking and Visit South Walton. I’ve ordered perfect weather, fair seas and big fat qualifiers for the scales, so we’re all set for another exciting week of fishing.” Participants will be competing for more than two million dollars in cash and awards, with blue marlin as the top prize. To qualify for the weigh-in, blue marlin must be at least 110 inches long, measured from the tip of the fish’s lower jaw to the fork of the tail. The average winning blue marlin typically weighs 652 pounds or heavier. In addition to the blue marlin weight category, smaller blues, white marlin, sailfish and spearfish, that are successfully released, earn points in the competitive release division. Yellowfin and bigeye tuna, wahoo and dolphin are scored one point per pound and are verified by video footage. The ECBC attracts multi-million-dollar sport-fishing yachts from across the Southeastern United States and Gulf Coast Region. Fishing begins... Read More

  Enjoy one of the many Independence Day celebrations and fireworks around 30A and the South Walton area! July 3rd Destin Commons Star-Spangled Food Truck Festival & Fireworks Show Celebrate Independence Day at the Star-Spangled Food Truck Festival on July 3rd. Starting at 5 p.m., twenty-five food trucks will line the streets of Destin Commons where you can indulge in scrumptious Thai food, mouth-watering grilled cheese and everything in between. Enjoy live music from Duchess and Tobacco Road Band and top off the evening with the grandest fireworks display on the coast. Location: 4100 Legendary Drive, Destin. Visit www.DestinCommons.com. July 4th Grayton Beach 4th of July Parade Come join in the fun for the annual July 4th parade in the wonderful and funky town of Grayton Beach. Line up on Holtz Ave next to The Red Bar starts at 8:00 a.m. with the parade starting at 8:30 a.m. Decorate your cars, jeeps, boats, bikes, scooters, etc. No registration is needed and everyone is welcome! Parking is available at AJ’s. Location: The Red Bar, 70 Hotz Ave, Grayton Beach. Visit www.theredbar.com. Red, White & Baytowne Celebrate Independence Day at the Village of Baytowne Wharf, July 4, 7-9:15 p.m. After a day of fun in the sun, come out for an evening that lights up the sky. Join Baytowne Village merchants for a spectacular free 4th of July Red, White and Baytowne 2023 celebration with live music on the Events Plaza Stage from 7-9:15 p.m., followed by a patriotic fireworks display at... Read More

  The St. Joe Community Foundation is excited to announce that in only the second year of the program, Walton County elementary students raised $54,312.50 for the local non-profit Food for Thought Outreach through the “Read to Feed” initiative. The Read to Feed initiative grants $0.25 to Food for Thought Outreach for each accelerated reader test with a score of 80% and above completed by a Walton County School District elementary student. The St. Joe Community Foundation donates the funds that Food for Thought Outreach will use to provide free lunches to Walton County students in need. In the 2022-2023 school year, Walton County elementary students successfully scored above 80% on 217,250 accelerated reader tests to set $54,313 as the St. Joe Community Foundation’s contribution to  Food for Thought Outreach. Previously, in the 2021-2022 school year, students determined the Foundation’s $46,290 contribution by completing 185,000 accelerated reader tests with a score of 80% or above.“We challenged the students of Walton County to step up their efforts in order to support their friends and classmates, and they came through in a big way,” said The St. Joe Community Foundation Executive Director April Wilkes. “This program not only supports Food for Thought Outreach in their mission, but it also simultaneously encourages reading and scholastic achievement. We are proud to be a part of it.” “Since its inception, Food for Thought Outreach has provided hundreds of thousands of meals to students in Walton County as we fight to end food insecurity for local... Read More

  Superintendent Russell Hughes officially ended the 2022-2023 school year by congratulating all seniors and commending all teachers for their hard work and dedication to making our yearly theme “Get on-Go On” a reality! Walton County School District has gotten aboard the excellence highway and gone on to become the third ranked school in the state of Florida! What an EPIC end to an excellent year! We want to continue on the road to academic excellence and our schools are committed to helping students maintain the learning they’ve gained. Summer Bridge and Summer Reading Camps began around the District on June 13th and will run through July 29th to prevent the “summer slide.” This is the learning which occurs for students over the summer months when they are not practicing or applying the skills they’ve learned during the year. Check your student’s school website for more information. These extended learning opportunities will be suspended for the week of July 3rd-6th to observe the fourth of July holiday. Summer VPK began on June 5th. Please contact Ms. Pam Jones at Bay School for further information regarding these students. If looking for summer fun for your child, contact Ms. Wyndy Crozier regarding dates and times for SPICE in your area. Our EPIC Van will be conducting summer learning tours June 12 through July 13, 2023. A schedule of stops and times is available here. If you would like more information, please use the Let’s Talk feature on our District web page and... Read More

  Father’s Day is just around the corner, and there’s no better time to show appreciation for the incredible fathers in our lives. To make this occasion extra special, our men’s store is thrilled to announce exclusive Father’s Day sales that will delight both dads and shoppers alike. With a wide range of high-quality merchandise and unbeatable deals, we’re here to help you find the perfect gift that celebrates fatherhood in style. Whether you’re looking for fashionable apparel, accessories, or grooming products, our store has everything you need to make this Father’s Day one to remember. At Captured, we understand that every Dad is unique. That’s why we’ve carefully curated a diverse collection of products that cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences. From retro Vintage one-offs to casual leather accessories, the store offers a variety of options to suit any dad’s style. Whether he’s a fashion-forward trendsetter or someone who appreciates hand-forged Damascus steel knives, we have the perfect gift waiting for him. Unbeatable Discounts and Offers: To make your Father’s Day shopping experience even more enjoyable, we’re excited to present irresistible discounts and offers on our extensive range of merchandise. Take advantage of our exclusive sales to find remarkable deals on small batch and high-quality items. We believe in one-of-a-kind gifts, That’s why we offer custom sewing and printing services right here in the store. We are really excited about adding a dedicated AI-generated wearable art section upstairs. This Father’s Day, Modus Captured Clothing store invites... Read More

  By Pastor David Holland One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: ’Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” (Luke 11:1-4, NIV) Many Christians feel inadequate in their prayer life. If you asked numerous folks what they could do to enhance their spirituality, most would say, “Pray more.” But how much prayer do you need? How much is required? Some think that God wants us to pray for at least an hour. If we were devout, we would pray all night like Jesus often did. Elijah withdrew to a desolate cave to pray where the earth shook, whirlwinds roared and God’s audible voice spoke to him. We think that if we were worth our salt, we would pray and kick the devil a few times, heal the sick and raise the dead. We feel defeated before we even start because we don’t pray like that. The disciples shared our feelings and asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Similarly, we need to ask God to show us how to pray. His answer may surprise you. The Lord gave us a 34-word model prayer, four brief sentences to live by. A kick start... Read More

  By Anna Fisher, Associate Artistic and Education Director, Emerald Coast Theatre Company We just closed our 10th season with a sold out run of one of my absolute favorite musicals, “Sound of Music.” It was a little bit magical to end 10 years of incredible shows with such a profoundly beautiful story. I look forward to Season 11 with such excitement and anticipation for what another year of great theatre will bring! We launch Season 11 next fall with Million Dollar Quartet in September/October. This smash-hit musical tells the story of legendary music icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins as they come together on Dec. 4, 1956, at the famous Sun Studios. This show has so many great songs including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “I Walk the Line” just to name a few. Elvis will be in the building y’all! We follow that with the timeless holiday classic A Christmas Carol in December. This fast-paced stage version is so fun and includes all of your favorite characters like Tiny Tim, the Fezziwigs, all the ghosts, and, of course, the original grumpy old man, Ebenezer Scrooge. This show is a mug of warm wassail on a cold winter’s night and just the right thing to get you into the holiday spirit. Our favorite Scrooge, Bruce Collier, will be returning to the stage as well in this production. There’s plenty of chances to catch The Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns... Read More