Niceville High School Class of 1980 Returns Home, Refurbishes School Sign 45 Years Later Staff Reports November 5, 2025 10:34 am Niceville, Okaloosa County, Schools and Education In Brief: Who, What, When, Where, Why Summary (with emojis): Who: Niceville High School Class of 1980 alumni, including Deanna Hodge Gelak, Kelly (Norton) Humphrey, Coach Sherman Eller, and Principal Mr. Marello What: Refurbished and rededicated the school sign originally gifted by their class When: Fall 2025, during their 45th reunion celebration Where: Niceville High School, Niceville, Florida Why: To celebrate their milestone reunion, give back to their alma mater, and inspire current students to stay connected and uphold the Eagle spirit Share This Story! Forty-five years after they first crossed the graduation stage, members of the Niceville High School Class of 1980 returned to their alma mater this fall—rekindling friendships, revisiting memories, and restoring a piece of the school’s history that continues to symbolize their shared legacy. The class, remembered for its unity, spirit, and generosity, donated the school’s first lighted sign as its senior class gift in 1980. The original donation was meant to serve as a landmark and a lasting message of pride for future generations of Eagles. “A sign points the way, but it’s also an identifier,” said class president Deanna Hodge Gelak, who helped lead the reunion effort. “As we continue to fly through life, our hearts continue to soar like eagles: ‘80 now, ‘80 then, Niceville Eagles ‘til the end!’” In the years since, the sign has stood as... Read More

Here’s What Happened at Defuniak’s Latest Council Meeting Steven Saul November 5, 2025 7:40 am DeFuniak Springs In Brief: Historic district design standards are causing a stir, with debates over enforcement versus property rights. Interim Finance Director Daniele McDaniel gets to stay until mid-2026 as the city continues its search for a permanent replacement. The city is actively looking for a new finance director, but qualified applicants are proving hard to find. Share This Story! Despite months of back and forth and multiple iterations of documents, a resolution still has not arrived for DeFuniak’s historic district. The CRA Director’s update highlighted the gap between those who want to streamline and enforce design standards in the historic district and those who believe their property should be their sole domain, regardless of its location in the city The DeFuniak Council voted unanimously to keep Interim Finance Director Daniele McDaniel on through the end of the second quarter of 2026 while the city looks for a permanent replacement for the position.   Row Continues Over Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Guidelines CRA Director Josh Ervin spoke to the latest iteration of the Historical Preservation Design Standards for the city’s three historic districts -. He told the council that the newest iteration of the design standards don’t add or remove any regulations to the CRAs buildings – they clearly delineate what those rules are in a single document.     A resident of the district, who did not give his name, spoke against the new standards... Read More