Audit sparks major overhaul: Florida Lawmakers move to fix school choice tracking and funding Flaws Staff Reports November 21, 2025 1:30 pm State Government In Brief:   A statewide audit found Florida lacked accurate records for 30,000 scholarship students and couldn’t properly track hundreds of millions in payments. Sen. Don Gaetz’s SB 318 would overhaul the system with new ID requirements, monthly verification, and clearer funding structures. Lawmakers say the fixes are needed to stabilize a rapidly expanding school-choice program now serving one in five Florida students. CRESTVIEW — Florida lawmakers are moving to overhaul the state’s school choice scholarship system after a recent audit found widespread tracking and payment problems affecting tens of thousands of students and hundreds of millions of dollars. State Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Crestview) filed SB 318 on Friday, a bill aimed at increasing transparency, improving payment accuracy, and aligning scholarship timelines with the state budget cycle. The proposal follows an operational audit of 2024-25 school funding presented this week to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Pre-K-12 Education. Committee chair Sen. Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills) said the rapid expansion of Florida’s universal school choice system has strained agencies, school districts, and scholarship funding organizations. “We can all be very proud of how far this program has come in a short amount of time,” Burgess said in a news release. “However, to ensure our school choice programs live up to their full potential and promise, there are challenges we need to address.” The audit found that the state... Read More

Lainey Wilson Won Three Categories At The 2025 CMA Awards Lainey Wilson had the support of her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, at the CMA Awards on November 19th. The couple walked the red carpet together before the ceremony and posed for a bunch of affectionate photos. RELATED: SEE PHOTOS OF THE BEST-DRESSED STARS ON THE […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

FWBHS Students Debut Tiny House, Gear Up for International Competition Staff Reports November 21, 2025 9:03 am Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Schools and Education In Brief: Who: Fort Walton Beach High School Building Trades students, Superintendent Marcus Chambers, Instructor James Martin, Principal Lindsey Smith, district leaders, and local business owners. What: An exclusive preview of a student-built tiny house and the launch of a fundraising campaign for the 2026 IBS competition. When: Preview event held today. Where: Fort Walton Beach High School Building Trades program site. Why: To highlight student craftsmanship, promote workforce development, and raise funds for the students’ trip to compete internationally in Orlando. Fort Walton Beach — The Fort Walton Beach High School (FWBHS) Building Trades program opened its workshop doors today to Okaloosa County School District leadership, School Board members, local business owners, and community partners for an exclusive behind-the-scenes preview of its ongoing student-built tiny house project. The event offered guests a firsthand look at the high-level craftsmanship students are developing through one of the district’s most hands-on Career and Technical Education initiatives. During the preview, visitors toured the partially completed tiny house — a fully functioning structure built from the ground up by Building Trades students under the guidance of instructor and former professional contractor James Martin. Guests watched as students demonstrated framing, carpentry, insulation installation, electrical layout, plumbing routing, and interior finishing, all while explaining the techniques and safety standards they had learned throughout the project. The tiny house will ultimately measure... Read More

OCSO Searching for Missing 35-Year-Old Tremaine McClellan Staff Reports November 20, 2025 4:16 pm Okaloosa County, Public Safety In Brief: The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is actively searching for 35-year-old Tremaine McClellan, missing since November 3, 2025. Authorities released images of McClellan and the vehicle he may be driving in hopes of generating leads. The public is urged to contact OCSO or Crime Stoppers with any information that could help locate him. OCSO Searching for Missing 35-Year-Old Tremaine McClellan The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating 35-year-old Tremaine McClellan, who has been reported missing after last being heard from on November 3, 2025. According to investigators, McClellan is approximately 6’6″ tall and weighs around 185 pounds. A photo released by the Sheriff’s Office shows both McClellan and the vehicle he was believed to be driving when he was last in contact with family or friends. The vehicle appears to be a dark-colored SUV with business decals on the side and a Florida license plate. Authorities hope the image will help the public recognize the vehicle or provide information about McClellan’s whereabouts. Anyone who has seen McClellan or has information that could help locate him is urged to contact the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office at 850-651-7400. Anonymous tips may also be shared through Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS, online at emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com, or through the P3 Tips mobile app. The OCSO encourages the community to share this information to help bring McClellan home safely. Photo:... Read More

Lainey Wilson Attends The 2025 CMA Awards With Her Fiancé Duck Hodges Ever since Lainey Wilson announced her engagement in February, fans have been wondering…when is she getting married? Wilson hosted the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday night (November 19). She was only the third female artist to host the event solo, following in the […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

The Country Artist Described Himself As An Underdog In the evening of November 19, just minutes before the 59th CMA Awards began, country artist Kane Brown posted a somewhat cryptic message on his social media accounts. Kane, who was not nominated at the CMA Awards this year, wrote at 7:55 p.m., “Today’s just another day […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Patronis Demands Answers on Special Operations Relocation Staff Reports November 20, 2025 9:00 am Aviation, Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Mary Esther, Military, Okaloosa County, State Government In Brief: Florida lawmakers are questioning the Air Force’s plan to move a key special operations wing from Northwest Florida to Arizona. They argue the decision could hinder U.S. response times to threats in Venezuela and the Caribbean and relies on outdated climate-focused policy. The delegation is demanding detailed documentation and justification from Pentagon leaders within 30 days. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jimmy Patronis, joined by Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, issued a detailed letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink raising a series of pressing questions about the Air Force’s recent decision to relocate active-duty special operations personnel and key equipment from Northwest Florida to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The lawmakers say the move—finalized this fall—is not only strategically questionable but also potentially damaging to national security at a time of increasing instability in South America, especially Venezuela. They also argue the Air Force has failed to fully justify the shift or provide transparency about the data and cost estimates used in the decision-making process. The relocation affects the 492nd Special Operations Wing (SOW), a highly specialized unit that has long operated out of Hurlburt Field and Duke Field, both central components of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). These installations place Special Operations Forces (SOF) close to... Read More

Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert shared the CMA Awards stage to perform their first-ever recorded duet. In addition to honoring the best artists, songs, albums, songwriters, and other industry greats during Wednesday night’s 59th Annual CMA Awards, some of country music’s hottest acts performed. Among those who performed was Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert. The […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Megan Moroney took the stage at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards to perform her latest single. “6 Months Later.” Country music’s finest gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday night (November 19) to honor the best artists, songs, songwriters, and other industry greats of the last year. A star studded lineup of presenters, performers, and other special […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

The Biggest Stars In Country Music Gather For The 59th Annual CMA Awards On Wednesday, November 19th, singers, songwriters, producers, fans, and more gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the 59th annual CMA Awards. Regarded as “country music’s biggest night,” the evening was marked by big wins, exciting performances, and touching tributes. More than […] More Country Music Nation  Read More