FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Leaders at the Apalachicola Regional Airport say the facility is entering an incredible year of transformation, which goes further than new signage. During the region’s “Continuing Florida Aviation System Planning Process” or “CFASP” meeting on Thursday, airport management presented long-term plans to make the airport the second-largest employer in Franklin […] Read More

MALONE, Fla. (WMBB) – The town of Malone has a few new buildings and a new way to connect with residents. The new buildings were made possible by grants awarded to the town after Hurricane Michael. “We received two grants, one for the public works building for 1.7 million. We had a storage facility that […] Read More

Breakthrough Tax Relief or Risky Gamble? Tricia Elliott March 5, 2026 2:59 pm Emerald Coast, Florida, Niceville, Okaloosa County, Politics and Elections In Brief: A proposed Florida constitutional amendment would eliminate most non-school property taxes on homesteaded homes. The change could reduce local government revenue by $13 billion annually once fully implemented. Local officials warn that the lost funding could lead to cuts in services such as libraries, parks, and community programs. Florida voters could soon be asked to decide on a constitutional amendment that would eliminate most property taxes on homestead properties while prohibiting local governments from cutting first responder budgets below current funding levels to recoup the lost revenue.  This amendment, called CS/CS/HJR 203 (2026),  passed the House overwhelmingly in February. Now, its advocates must get it through the Senate. Before the session, Governor Ron DeSantis said he wanted the legislature to put a bill to eliminate property taxes on the ballot. But insiders with knowledge of the workings of the state capitol say this would not take place until at least June, which would require the governor to call a special session. Those same sources say the governor’s office is already working on a special session for April concerning another issue. State Rep. Nathan Boyles, a former Okaloosa County commissioner, said the proposal has to be understood as part of a longer, messy lawmaking process. “We have a bicameral legislature and an executive, and at the end of the day, there’s a pretty complex process, the proverbial... Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – With decades of experience, Chief Lewis Blanchard is hitting the ground running in Lynn Haven. Blanchard was sworn in as the new police chief on Monday following the resignation of the former chief, Ricky Ramie. He said the first 90 days are all about listening to residents and his fellow […] Read More

Social Media Turns High School Speaker Into Political Flashpoint Christopher Saul March 5, 2026 1:38 pm Okaloosa County, Schools and Education In Brief: A student-led club at Fort Walton Beach High School invited immigration advocate Grace Resendez McCaffery to speak about immigration issues. School board candidates Cynthia West and Jerry Buckman criticized the talk, while JD Peacock defended student clubs as spaces for open discussion. The debate has become the first major political flashpoint in the District 1 Okaloosa County School Board race ahead of the August 18 election. Candidates for School Board District One took to social media to discuss the latest event they could make into an election issue: Whether or not a Fort Walton Beach High School Club should have been allowed to host Grace Resendez McCaffery, and what the Okaloosa School District’s leadership knew about it and when.  The social media posts serve as the first inflection point of the three-way race to replace Dr. Lamar White as the school board member representing the Fort Walton Beach and Shalimar areas on the Okaloosa County School Board. Two candidates represented themselves as people who want to come in and change things when they sit in the driver’s seat on day one. The other, a more measured approach. The Election takes place during the party primaries on August 18.  We spoke to the district, the three candidates vying for the position, as well as McCaffrey, about what happened, whether or not the discussion was legal, and what it... Read More