WALTON COUNTY, Fla— A Walton County Sheriff’s Office Captain has graduated from the prestigious Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Virginia. Captain Dustin Cosson is now one of 54,366 law enforcement officers who have completed the FBI National Academy since its inception in 1935. The graduation took place at the National Academy in Quantico, Virginia on Thursday, June 8th in front of family and friends. Nationally, fewer than one percent of law enforcement officers have the chance to attend. Participation is by invitation only through a nomination process. Participants are drawn from every U.S. state and territories and partnering nations internationally. Known around the world for its academic excellence, the National Academy is a ten-week course offering advanced communication, leadership, and fitness training. Participants must have proven records as professionals within their agencies to attend. Employed with the Sheriff’s Office since 2009, Captain Cosson has served in many capacities at the sheriff’s office including investigations, patrol, internal investigations, and as an active member of SWAT Team. While in various positions around the agency, the Walton County native has received numerous accolades including a Florida House of Representatives Commendation in July 2012, Deputy of the Quarter in July 2013 and August 2016, and Walton Area Chamber Young Professional of the Year in 2022. His latest promotion earned him the position of Captain of the Criminal Investigation Bureau and in just the past five years Cosson has completed The Walton Area Chamber Leadership Walton Class (2020), the Florida Department of... Read More

Firefighters knock down mobile home fire in the middle of the night, saving nearby homes. At 2:13 AM this morning, Walton County Fire Rescue, North Bay Fire Control District, and Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Florida responded to a home on Crestview Road in Villa Tasso following a 911 call reporting a structure fire. The caller stated they heard popping sounds and looked outside to see flames coming from a nearby home. It was unknown if anyone was inside the house. Firefighters and deputies arrived moments later to find a single-wide mobile home fully engulfed in flames. WCSO deputies began evacuating nearby homes and Walton County Fire Rescue conducted an initial search for anyone who may still be inside the house. Fortunately, no one was found. North Bay Fire District arrived shortly after and began assisting Walton County Fire Rescue in battling the blaze. Firefighters has the fire under control in about thirty minutes and were able to keep the flames from damaging nearby homes. After the fire was knocked down, a secondary search was conducted inside the damaged home. Unfortunately, during this search, a dog was found deceased in the home. The cause of the fire is unknown but is not believed to be suspicious in nature. Walton County Fire Rescue would like to thank North Bay Fire District for their assistance.   https://waltonso.org/news/feed/ Read More