Okaloosa County Commissioners freeze transit deal after scathing oversight audit Collin Bestor December 10, 2025 2:08 pm Okaloosa County In Brief: A county audit found nearly $1 million in overpayments tied to years of lax transit oversight. Commissioners halted a new five-year MV Transportation contract to reassess repayment and reform options. The pause sparked debate: financial accountability vs. protecting essential transit for elderly and disabled riders. CRESTVIEW — An extensive audit detailing years of oversight failures and nearly $1 million in billing errors abruptly derailed Okaloosa County’s plans this week to approve a new five-year contract with its longtime transit operator, MV Transportation — a contract months in the making and the product of a formal, competitive procurement process.   Instead, commissioners voted unanimously to pause the agreement and extend the existing contract for up to two months while they assess whether the county should seek repayment from MV, renegotiate terms, or reimagine the future of public transit altogether.   The decision followed a tense, hour-long debate in which commissioners alternated between defending the essential role transit plays for seniors and disabled residents and condemning the county’s own failure to monitor a contract that ballooned in cost through unauthorized billing. A Routine Contract Meets a Damaging Audit County staff had spent the summer and fall preparing for the transition to a new transit agreement. The current MV contract expires Dec. 31, 2025, with no available renewals. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued in August; a Special Selection Committee evaluated... Read More

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – News 13 brings you a segment focused on health and fitness on News 13 Midday every Wednesday called “Wellness Wednesday.” This week, Personal Trainer Traycee Green from Pure Platinum and special guest Sandy McCroan were in the studio with News 13’s Chris Marchand speaking about resolutions and goals. McCroan said last December, […] Read More

What PCSing military families MUST know when selling or renting in 2026 Jim Whatley December 10, 2025 10:34 am Military, Real Estate In Brief:  The PCS Housing Trap: Recent homeowners with thin equity face two painful options: selling at a loss or renting for a monthly shortfall.  The Reality of Renting: Renting often results in negative cash flow after factoring in all costs like taxes, insurance, maintenance, and property management fees.  Making the Right Call: Renting can build long-term wealth through loan paydown and appreciation, but selling is better if you can’t cover the monthly loss or need cash immediately. Every spring and summer, my phone starts ringing more often. The question is usually the same: “We just got PCS orders. Do we sell, or do we rent the house out?” If you bought in 2022 or 2023, that question can feel like a trap. Rates jumped, prices stayed high, and a lot of families don’t have much equity yet. So when orders arrive, you’re forced into two options that both hurt. Option 1: Sell, and possibly bring money to the closing tableMost people don’t realize how expensive it is to sell a home until they try. Between agent fees (whatever you negotiate), seller closing costs, and the normal “get it ready” repairs and credits, it’s common for the total cost to land in the high single digits as a percentage of the sale price. That’s not a problem if you’ve owned the house for a long time. It’s a big problem if... Read More

Is this the end for Valparaiso Fire Department? + Other Valp Commission updates Christopher Saul December 10, 2025 10:15 am Valparaiso In Brief: Valparaiso considers consolidating fire services with Niceville after the termination of their second fire chief. A uniform micromobility ordinance, developed in partnership with Niceville, is proposed to regulate E-bikes and other devices. The city is finally ready to move into the renovated City Hall and has set the date for the 2026 City Commission elections. At their December meeting, the Valparaiso City Commission discussed bringing back the Niceville Fire Department in some capacity after firing their previous chief the week before Thanksgiving.    They also discussed working together with their sister city on an E-bike ordinance to regulate the micromobility vehicles, and discussed moving into their new city hall after four years of renovations and scheduling a date for their 2026 elections.    Finally, they talked about the potential to put in traffic cameras on John Sims Parkway near The Lewis School to slow speeders and generate revenue. You can see that story here.    Niceville FD to return to Valparaiso? Valparaiso dumped its second fire chief in its first year of operation when commissioners voted unanimously to terminate Fire Chief David Lanier’s employment on November 24.  In the interim, they must find new leadership – or at least management – to fill the gap while the city makes a decision on its next move.  Enter Niceville City Manager David Deitch, Fire Chief David Kukulus and an... Read More

Deputies: Woman Arrested Years After Alleged Walmart Credit Card Fraud Spree Staff Reports December 10, 2025 9:24 am Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Okaloosa County In Brief: Law enforcement says Latonya Renee Williams allegedly attempted or completed six fraudulent credit card transactions at two Walmart stores in 2021. Deputies say video surveillance and a later identification linked her to the incidents. Williams was arrested on December 2, 2025, booked without bond, and is scheduled to appear in court on January 15, 2026. An Arkansas woman was taken into custody in Okaloosa County after law enforcement said she allegedly used another person’s credit cards multiple times at two Walmart locations in 2021. According to an arrest affidavit filed by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Latonya Renee Williams, 36, was booked into the Okaloosa County Jail on December 2, 2025, on six felony counts of allegedly using a credit card illegally involving more than $100—violations of Florida Statute 817.61. Deputies say the incidents occurred on November 17, 2021, at the Walmart stores at 1300 John Sims Parkway in Niceville and 748 Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach. Video surveillance from both stores allegedly shows Williams attempting or completing six transactions using the victim’s credit cards. According to the report: Two voided transactions for $827.52 each were recorded at the Niceville Walmart. At the Fort Walton Beach location, deputies say there were three voided transactions — two for $827.52 and one for $1,448.16 — and two completed transactions for the same amounts. The... Read More

LYNN HAVEN, Fla. (WMBB) – Lynn Haven commissioners retroactively approved the service agreement for the city’s Flock license plate reader system. With Tuesday night’s 4-1 vote, the contract was formally brought into compliance. Commissioner Judy Tinder was the only dissenting vote. “We’ve taken away people’s privacy,” Tinder said. The first Flock camera appeared in the […] Read More

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Walton County officials are expanding public access to an opioid-overdose medication. Tuesday, commissioners approved a six-month pilot program for self-standing Narcan rescue boxes in high-traffic county locations. Narcan is an overdose-reversing medication that does not affect those who don’t have opioids in their system. The initiative is driven by the […] Read More

RAIFORD, Fla. (WMBB) – As with every execution in Florida, at Mark Geralds’ execution on Tuesday, there were death penalty opponents gathered across from the Florida State Prison in Raiford. Most were members of a church group, many of whom have made this trip 18 times this year. Each time knowing that another man has […] Read More

RAIFORD, Fla. (WMBB) – Mark Geralds, a man convicted of killing a Panama City woman, has been executed at the Florida State Prison. The end of his sentence came over 36 years after the killing; he was the 18th person to be executed this year. Geralds was sentenced to death after killing Tressa Pettibone during […] Read More

Cody Johnson Is Preparing His Next Album From 2006-2016, Cody Johnson self-released six albums. Following the underground success of his music, he was finally signed to a major label and released four highly-successful albums. His latest work, Leather Deluxe Edition, secured him a CMA Award for Male Vocalist of the Year at the 2025 show. […] More Country Music Nation  Read More