TYNDALL AIR FORCE (WMBB) – You may have been startled Wednesday morning by the sight of a huge plane circling the local skies. It’s not often you see a Boeing 747 in Bay County. However, this Atlas 747 flew into our area around 11:00 a.m. It belongs to the United States Air Force. We understand […] Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – St. Andrews State Park is celebrating 75 years of operation and preservation. Since 1951, St. Andrews State Park has been a cherished gathering spot in Panama City Beach. Once a World War II military reservation guarding the bay, the land was then transformed into a state park dedicated to preservation, […] Read More

Shoal River Timberlands Project: Will Okaloosa Taxpayers Foot the Bill? Staff Reports February 18, 2026 3:31 pm Emerald Coast, Okaloosa County In Brief: Commissioners voted 4–0 to submit a management prospectus for 1,323 acres along the Shoal River. The State would handle the land purchase, but the County could assume long-term management responsibilities. Future costs for staffing, maintenance, and operations remain undefined and may require local funding. Okaloosa County commissioners voted 4–0 this week to submit a county role prospectus for a proposed Shoal River Preserve partnership under the State’s Florida Forever land acquisition program. The vote does not authorize the County to purchase land. Instead, it signals to the State that Okaloosa County is willing to serve as a long-term management partner if Florida Forever acquires 1,323 acres along the Shoal River in northeast Okaloosa County. Florida Forever requested the prospectus by Feb. 25th, as the legislative session — which ends March 13th — will determine whether funding moves forward. If the State completes the purchase, the County would enter into a long-term lease agreement and be required to produce a full management plan under the Florida Administrative Code. That process would include forming a steering committee and complying with state land management standards. County Administrator Craig Coffey framed the proposal as both a conservation opportunity and a strategic move.   “It’s a way to expand their dollars… It’s a way for us to come forward and say, hey, we aren’t just asking you to do something in our backyard.... Read More

The Clock is Ticking For Okaloosa Commissioners on Infrastructure Surtax Staff Reports February 18, 2026 12:42 pm Okaloosa County, State Government In Brief: The current half-cent infrastructure surtax expires December 31, 2028. Commissioners are preparing to place a 10-year extension on the November 2026 ballot. The tax structure, rate, and distribution formula would remain unchanged if approved. The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners is preparing to ask voters whether to extend the half-cent Local Option Infrastructure Surtax for another decade, with a public hearing scheduled for March 3, 2026. County staff seeks approval to advertise and hold the required public hearing to consider an ordinance that would place the surtax renewal on the November 3, 2026, general election ballot. Surtax Set to Expire in 2028 The current 0.5% infrastructure surtax, approved by voters for 10 years, is set to sunset on December 31, 2028. According to county documents, revenue from the surtax has funded completion or active work on all projects originally identified on the county’s Infrastructure Needs List, along with additional projects added over time. If voters approve the renewal in 2026, the surtax would continue for a second 10-year term beginning January 1, 2029. Under Florida law — specifically Section 212.055, Florida Statutes — counties may levy a local government infrastructure surtax only if voters approve it during a general election. The current surtax was approved by voters by a 25 percent margin in 2018. However, the measures failed in the 1990s and 2000s.  What Would Stay... Read More