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Emerald Coast Fitness Foundation to Host Second Annual Fundraising Event

Sip and Splash: An Aquatic Affair presented by Tim Smith Acura The Emerald Coast Fitness Foundation (ECFF) is pleased to announce they will host their second annual fundraising event, Sip and Splash: An Aquatic Affair presented by Tim Smith Acura, on Saturday, May 20 at the Taj Renee Community Aquatic Center. Located at 4345 Commons Drive West in Destin, The Taj was officially renamed and dedicated during the Inaugural Sip and Splash event in 2022, which raised over $74,000. Those who attended last year’s event are encouraged to attend once again as the food, cocktails, music, and overall experience will be completely new and fresh. “We are so thankful for the support we received from last year’s event,” said Kevin Leibold, ECFF President. “There was no hesitation that we wanted to host this event for the second year to bring even more people to our pool and experience this magical evening.” Upon entry, guests will receive a glass of Good Clean sparkling champagne before making their way into the fully transformed community pool, courtesy of Title Wave Sponsors, including Bitterroot, Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House, Emerald Coast Magazine, Ohana Heating and Air, and Splash RV Resort and Waterpark. A sunset cocktail hour will kick off the evening before guests take their seats for an upscale dinner under the stars. Throughout the night, Better Together Beverage will be pouring whimsical craft cocktails made with local spirits, including Distillery 98 and Campesino Rum, in signature cups sponsored by Hand Arendall Harrison Sale.... Read More

Best Places To Eat In Disney World

You can’t go to Disney and not experiment with the food! Let’s break down some of the top places to get a bite to eat, and what food & drink you should be looking for on the menu during your next Florida Vacation and Disney trip. Disney Springs The place where food and drink is plentiful. First and foremost, if you’ve never had cookies at Gideon’s, get ready to have your life changed. The cookies & cream are my favorite. Here’s a tip for you, though: Order ahead. Not just a few hours in ahead, at least 24 hours in advance. If you know anything about my last name, you know it’s Irish. If you’re like me and love Irish pubs, Irish food, and history then checkout Ragland Road. Get a beer flight, sip slow on a glass of whiskey, or grab a Kopparberg Strawberry & Lime cider from Sweden. For an appetizer, get the Whiskey BBQ Lollipop Chicken. It’s covered with roasted corn and bacon crumble. Plates of fish & chips whirred past my table, and boy did they look good. But the hottest menu around our dinner table was the Worth the Wait Beef Sandwich. The beef had been braised for 12 hours and was served with sautéed mushrooms, crispy onions, garlic aioli and smoked cheddar on ciabatta. I ate the Serious Steak, but I can’t recommend that to anyone. The sirloin was average, the mashed potatoes tasted like instant potatoes, and my wife took one bite of... Read More

COCAINE HEADED FOR PRISON FACILITY DISCOVERED FOLLOWING TRAFFIC STOP; TWO OUT OF MIAMI ARRESTED

March 20, 2023 WALTON COUNTY, Fla—A traffic stop for a seatbelt violation leads to the arrest of a pair out of Miami on drug charges. On Sunday morning, a Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy conducting traffic enforcement near Highway 90 and State Highway 285 pulled over a vehicle when he noticed the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. A strong smell of marijuana was coming from the vehicle when the deputy approached the driver’s side door. After speaking with the driver, 25-year-old Taurus Washington of Miami, Florida, it was discovered his license had been suspended indefinitely and no one in the vehicle had a medical marijuana card or a valid driver’s license. Washington also had a non-extraditable warrant out of Arizona. The two other passengers of the vehicle were detained. Washington was searched and 1.2 grams of crack cocaine was found in his pants pocket. During a search of the car, deputies located three tightly rolled packages containing 61.8 grams of cocaine which appeared to be made for smuggling inside a body cavity and 106 grams of marijuana. One of the passengers, Destiny Butler, 21 also of Miami, admitted to the drugs belonging to her and that she was taking them to “Central”. She also provided a fake ID to deputies to conceal her identity. Washington was charged with cocaine possession and driving with a revoked license and was issued a traffic citation for not wearing a seatbelt. Butler was charged with trafficking cocaine, providing a false ID to a LEO,... Read More

FIREFIGHTERS KNOCK DOWN FOUR-STORY BLAZE IN FREEPORT

A multi-agency attack leads to the knock down of a four-story house fire, saving multiple nearby homes. At 11:04 p.m. on Saturday, March 18th, Walton County Fire Rescue, South Walton Fire District, and Argyle Volunteer Fire Department responded to a home on Grove Lane in Freeport following a 911 call reporting a large structure fire. Walton County Fire Rescue crews arrived on scene and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the back corner of the multi-story home. They quickly deployed attack lines and began to battle the blaze. South Walton Fire District and Argyle Volunteer Fire Department arrived on scene shortly after and began assisting in fighting the flames. While firefighters were battling the massive fire, heavy winds were attempting to spread the flames to nearby structures. Firefighters fought the flames and wind gusts for several hours before getting the fire under control. Fortunately, no one was injured in the fire and firefighters were able to keep the blaze from spreading to nearby structures. Walton County Fire Rescue cleared the scene at 5:19 a.m. The Fire Marshal’s Office responded to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire. Walton County Fire Rescue would like to thank South Walton Fire District and Argyle Volunteer Fire Department for their assistance. WCFR would also like to thank Eglin Air Force Base Fire & Emergency Services and Liberty Volunteer Fire Department for providing coverage while our firefighters worked the scene. The post FIREFIGHTERS KNOCK DOWN FOUR-STORY BLAZE IN FREEPORT first appeared on... Read More

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SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000

Link Up Performance Featured 2,000 Local Elementary School Students SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000 MEMBERS FOR SPECIAL INTERACTIVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE OF LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA MOVES On March 8 the Emerald Coast Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. was transformed into an electrifying concert hall when Sinfonia Gulf Coast — the only fully professional non-profit orchestra on the Emerald Coast — presented its 9th live Link Up concert performance “The Orchestra Moves,” a national program presented in partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall Weill Institute of Music. This year’s Link Up program showcased the talents of more than 2,000 local 3rd-5th grade students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties performing on recorder and singing. The concert was conducted by Sinfonia Gulf Coast Maestro Fuller. With recorders in hand, the students performed from their seats when given their cue by Maestro Fuller to join the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra for a range of pieces from Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss and Toreador from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and others. But these inspired kids didn’t stay in their seats, at this spirited performance they were up out of their chairs singing, dancing choreographed moves they have been practicing for months. This curriculum is geared towards 3rd-5th grade students, and in many cases locally, is the only education that they receive during the school year. The theme of this year’s Link Up program was centered around movement. Students learn how we can perceive... Read More

SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000

Link Up Performance Featured 2,000 Local Elementary School Students SINFONIA GULF COAST SWELLS TO AN ORCHESTRA OF 2,000 MEMBERS FOR SPECIAL INTERACTIVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE OF LINK UP: THE ORCHESTRA MOVES On March 8 the Emerald Coast Convention Center in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. was transformed into an electrifying concert hall when Sinfonia Gulf Coast — the only fully professional non-profit orchestra on the Emerald Coast — presented its 9th live Link Up concert performance “The Orchestra Moves,” a national program presented in partnership with New York’s Carnegie Hall Weill Institute of Music. This year’s Link Up program showcased the talents of more than 2,000 local 3rd-5th grade students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties performing on recorder and singing. The concert was conducted by Sinfonia Gulf Coast Maestro Fuller. With recorders in hand, the students performed from their seats when given their cue by Maestro Fuller to join the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra for a range of pieces from Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss and Toreador from Georges Bizet’s Carmen and others. But these inspired kids didn’t stay in their seats, at this spirited performance they were up out of their chairs singing, dancing choreographed moves they have been practicing for months. This curriculum is geared towards 3rd-5th grade students, and in many cases locally, is the only education that they receive during the school year. The theme of this year’s Link Up program was centered around movement. Students learn how we can perceive... Read More

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Proficiently Woven And Thoroughly Entertaining – Will Thompson Stands Apart With Playful Country Parody “Checklist”

A stirring new portrait of Country music, Will Thompson’s parodical new single “Checklist” is truly the refreshing dose the genre needs A beloved and soulful genre, Country music has long been known for its relatable lyrics and catchy tunes. However, the Country music world has also been long criticized for being formulaic and repetitive, with ‘most songs on the radio sounding the exact same.’ However, a divergent and disruptive force in the music world aims to undo the cycle. Will Thompson, a talented songwriter, and musician has taken it upon himself to poke fun at the genre’s cliches and buzzwords with the drop of his new single, “Checklist”. Written and composed as a playful song, rife with exciting wordplay and compelling instrumentation, alongside co-writer Ashley Watson, Thompson initially penned “Checklist” as a joke. However, after performing it at the Annual Songwriters Festival in Panama City, Florida, the captivating track was met with an overwhelming audience reaction, convincing the artist that he had something special. Woven seamlessly with a catchy melody and lyrics that will make you laugh out loud, “Checklist” is an ironic, enthralling single which truly has “every word you have to say on a country radio hit.” Swiftly becoming a fan favorite at Thompson’s live shows, “Checklist” embodies Thompson’s passion for music, and displays it as a force beyond parodying the industry’s tropes. Cementing his position as a versatile songwriter who writes in every genre and wants to blur the lines between dynamic sounds, the new single is... Read More

Proficiently Woven And Thoroughly Entertaining – Will Thompson Stands Apart With Playful Country Parody “Checklist”

A stirring new portrait of Country music, Will Thompson’s parodical new single “Checklist” is truly the refreshing dose the genre needs A beloved and soulful genre, Country music has long been known for its relatable lyrics and catchy tunes. However, the Country music world has also been long criticized for being formulaic and repetitive, with ‘most songs on the radio sounding the exact same.’ However, a divergent and disruptive force in the music world aims to undo the cycle. Will Thompson, a talented songwriter, and musician has taken it upon himself to poke fun at the genre’s cliches and buzzwords with the drop of his new single, “Checklist”. Written and composed as a playful song, rife with exciting wordplay and compelling instrumentation, alongside co-writer Ashley Watson, Thompson initially penned “Checklist” as a joke. However, after performing it at the Annual Songwriters Festival in Panama City, Florida, the captivating track was met with an overwhelming audience reaction, convincing the artist that he had something special. Woven seamlessly with a catchy melody and lyrics that will make you laugh out loud, “Checklist” is an ironic, enthralling single which truly has “every word you have to say on a country radio hit.” Swiftly becoming a fan favorite at Thompson’s live shows, “Checklist” embodies Thompson’s passion for music, and displays it as a force beyond parodying the industry’s tropes. Cementing his position as a versatile songwriter who writes in every genre and wants to blur the lines between dynamic sounds, the new single is... Read More

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING – MARCH 22, 2023

NOTICE OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC A collective bargaining negotiation meeting is scheduled to be held Wednesday, March 22, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (CST) at the Walton County Sheriff’s Office north administration building in DeFuniak Springs. The purpose of this meeting is collective bargaining between Walton County Sheriff’s Office and the Professional Firefighters of Walton County, Local 4413, International Association of Fire Fighters. The meeting will be held in the north admin conference room at 752 Triple G Road, DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433.   The Walton County Sheriff adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to these meetings upon request. Requests may be made to the Human Resources Manager at 850-892-8111 x.3215 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting.The post NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING – MARCH 22, 2023 first appeared on Walton County Sheriff’s Office, FL.  https://waltonso.org/news/feed/ Read More

WALTON COUNTY ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEWTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

Early Tuesday morning, an armed robbery suspect out of Walton County was tracked to a location in Newton County, Mississippi and taken into custody. On February 19, 2023, Walton County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Sleep Inn in Mossy Head following the report of an armed robbery. The front desk clerk told deputies the suspect entered the hotel, brandished a firearm, and said, “give me everything you got.” The suspect then fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. Walton County Sheriff’s Office investigators were quickly able to identify the suspect as Juwon Maurice Hughes, 36, of Jacksonville, Florida. An arrest warrant was issued for Hughes. On Tuesday, March 14, Hughes was found in Hickory, Mississippi by law enforcement. He was arrested and transported to the Newton County Jail to await extradition to Walton County where he will be charged with armed robbery. Walton County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force for their assistance in Hughes’ arrest.The post WALTON COUNTY ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEWTON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI first appeared on Walton County Sheriff’s Office, FL.  https://waltonso.org/news/feed/ Read More