Niceville’s Campbell Wins Taylor Haugen Award! Christopher Saul January 9, 2026 12:14 pm Niceville, Sports Niceville’s Football, Cheer, and Dance teams gathered in the Niceville High School Multipurpose facility on January 9th to surprise Taylor Haugen Trophy winner Harper Campbell. Haugen Foundation Voters selected Campbell, a senior a Niceville High School who will play football at Samford University in the fall, over 12 other candidates with impressive resumes.    Harper was called to the multipurpose room with Principal Charlie Marello for the surprise. Marello told him he was to sit down with Mid Bay News for an interview.    Instead, about 100 classmates joined him to cheer his accomplishment, along with his family, Coach Richard Morgan, and youth pastors from Crosspoint Church.    He remembers thinking “Well, I hope this is what I think this is.”  After years of workouts in the gym, late nights studying for advanced classes and summers of giving back to the community – the Taylor Haugen Foundation welcomed him with a celebration.    “I was honored to even be in the running,” Campbell said, “to be the Niceville nominee is super crazy because we have about 500 people in my class and a lot of them are athletes. Just to be  the one nominee from Niceville is super special. I’m shocked, I’m still shocked.”   His principal, Charlie Marello, is less surprised.    “If you had to make a mold to say, ‘Hey, Eagles, let’s be like this,’ we’d make one of Harper Campbell,” Principal... Read More

Elvis Presley’s ‘The Classic Christmas Album’ Rose To The Top For Holiday Season Next year will mark 50 Christmases without Elvis Presley, who died in 1977, but his mark on music and the public’s affinity for him remains strong. Already this year, fans of the “King of Rock and Roll” can anticipate Baz Luhrmann’s new […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

High-Impact Testing to Temporarily Close Roads Near Eglin AFB Staff Reports January 9, 2026 9:30 am Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Military, Niceville, Okaloosa County, Walton County In Brief: Who: 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base What: Temporary closures of Highways 85 & 285 and State Roads 123 & 293 When: Friday, Jan. 16, between 9 a.m. and noon Where: Eglin Test Complex and surrounding roadways Why: To support scheduled testing missions at Eglin AFB EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — Drivers across Okaloosa and Walton counties should prepare for temporary road closures later this month as Eglin Air Force Base conducts scheduled testing operations. The 96th Test Wing will carry out missions on the Eglin Test Complex on Friday, Jan. 16, requiring the temporary closure of U.S. Highways 85 and 285, along with State Roads 123 and 293, between 9 a.m. and noon. According to base officials, individual closures are not expected to exceed 90 minutes, though multiple closures may occur throughout the three-hour window as testing operations progress. Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes and allow additional travel time during the testing period. The closures are part of routine operations tied to Eglin’s role in weapons and systems testing for the Department of Defense. For additional information, the public can contact the 96th Test Wing Public Affairs Office at 850-882-3931 or visit www.eglin.af.mil. More Local News Niceville Niceville’s Campbell Wins Taylor Haugen Award! Eglin Air Force Base High-Impact Testing to Temporarily Close Roads Near... Read More

 [[{“value”:” The air in the Village of Baytowne Wharf changes every February. It isn’t just the crisp winter breeze coming off the bay, it’s the heavy, savory scent of dark roux and slow-simmered spices drifting through the streets. If you follow your nose toward the center of the Village, you’ll find the 37th Annual Sandestin Gumbo Festival in full swing. “}]]  SoWal.com  Read More

Chase Rice is taking a well-deserved break from life on the road. The country star shared a post on his Instagram on Wednesday, January 8, letting fans know that he is scaling back on touring. He only has a few shows scheduled this year, and after those wrap up, he will be taking time to […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Brandon Lake’s Ode To The Power Of Prayer Reimagined As A Duet With Country Star Cody Johnson “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”– Matthew 18:20 Christian artist Brandon Lake found success in a big way last year, and he’s continuing that upward trend […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Florida State University Panama City campus is getting nearly $750,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency for the St. Andrew and St. Joseph Estuary Program (SASJBEP). This initiative, called the “Bay Guardians”,  will fund a three-year water quality study that will work with community volunteers collecting samples to compile water […] Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – 11 people went to the hospital Thursday morning after a hazmat incident at Port Panama City’s East Terminal. Crews had completed the unloading of bagged cement from the “Lowlands Luck” around 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning and were beginning to clean up the ship. But the cleaning chemical they were using […] Read More

Congressman Jimmy Patronis announces Academy Day for students interested in U.S. service academies Staff Reports January 8, 2026 8:36 pm Military NICEVILLE — Congressman Jimmy Patronis has announced plans for an Academy Day in Pensacola aimed at middle and high school students and their families who are interested in learning more about the United States service academies. The event will be held Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at the National Naval Aviation Museum and will bring together representatives from each of the nation’s federal service academies to answer questions about admissions, requirements and career opportunities. Officials said representatives from the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the United States Coast Guard Academy and the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps will be in attendance. “I encourage every young person who feels called to serve our great nation to attend Academy Day and learn about the extraordinary opportunities our service academies provide,” Patronis said in a statement. “Our younger generations have the opportunity to step forward, serve their country, and choose a path that will challenge them to grow into leaders of character.   “Taking the oath to defend our nation is not just a commitment; it is one of the highest honors a person can achieve,” Patronis added.   The event is scheduled to begin with registration at 10:30 a.m. Central time, followed by the program from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Seating is limited, and attendees... Read More

Severe weather possible across Northwest Florida this weekend Collin Bestor January 8, 2026 8:08 pm Weather NICEVILLE — Residents across the western Florida Panhandle and neighboring Gulf Coast states could face multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms from Friday into Saturday, with damaging winds, isolated tornadoes and heavy rainfall possible, according to Okaloosa County officials.   Patrick Maddox, director of Okaloosa County Public Safety, said the threat will unfold in two primary waves as a storm system moves across the region.   Maddox noted that some forecast graphics circulating on social media have caused some confusion because they depict both days in a single image.   On Friday, the greater risk of severe weather is expected west of Interstate 65, while on Saturday the entire region faces a lower overall threat, with the best chance of any storms turning severe shifting east of I-65.   Forecasters say the first round of storms could develop late Friday afternoon and continue into early Friday night, roughly between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. That round is expected to affect mainly southeastern Mississippi and far interior southwestern Alabama.   While confidence that storms will form during this period is lower for much of the area, Maddox said atmospheric conditions would be most favorable for severe weather, making this round the most significant concern for damaging winds or an isolated tornado.   A second round is expected Saturday morning into early Saturday afternoon, with storms moving from west to east across the region. Storms... Read More