PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – The Panama City Fire Department responded to a house fire in Millville around 3:00 pm Thursday. Officials say there were no injuries. The residence was unoccupied at the time of the fire and reportedly has been for a while. First responders arrived at the scene within three and a half […] Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – For more than a century, Mae Bell Whitfield was a familiar face in St. Andrews. A woman known for her faith, her resilience, and her wisdom. Her family moved from Southport when she was just three years old. And her earliest memory was crossing the wooden bridge between Southport and […] Read More

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – “I needed the help and god provided, and it’s such a blessing to be able to have the help,” Angel Tree recipient Christa Martinez said. “I mean, I have $20 in my name, you know, to be able to just like it’s such a blessing that my kids are going […] Read More

250 Laptops Bring Opportunity to Emerald Coast Staff Reports December 18, 2025 4:44 pm Charities and Nonprofits, Emerald Coast, Schools and Education In Brief: Who: Derrick Brooks Charities, AT&T, Compudopt, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Shervin Rassa What: Distribution of 250 laptops and internet access for local kids and families When: Dec. 16–17, 2025 Where: Emerald Coast Boys & Girls Club (Fort Walton Beach) and Boys & Girls Club of Escambia County (Pensacola) Why: To address the digital divide and provide devices and connectivity to underserved children and families PENSACOLA & FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 18, 2025) – Derrick Brooks Charities, in partnership with AT&T and Compudopt, led two back-to-back laptop distributions this week, placing a total of 250 refurbished laptops directly into the hands of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast members (“club kids”) and their families across Escambia, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. At each site, 125 laptops funded through a generous contribution from AT&T were distributed to preselected recipients through local Boys & Girls Clubs. Eligible households receiving devices may also qualify for up to one year of AT&T Fiber at no cost through a philanthropic program administered by Compudopt, providing both the hardware and connectivity to help students fully engage in online learning and digital activities. “Tonight, you could see what opportunity looks like on a child’s face,” said Shervin Rassa, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast. “For many of our club kids, this is the first... Read More

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – The first college in Franklin County is one step closer to opening. On Thursday, Haney Technical College received the keys to their aviation building at the Apalachicola Regional Airport. “I will say it on behalf of the Bergher family and the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, here are the keys […] Read More

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee gave Jelly Roll a Christmas gift he won’t soon forget …. a pardon. Jelly Roll, whose birth name is Jason DeFord, has been open about his past and how he has transformed his life. DeFord petitioned for a pardon in 2024, requesting that the state grant him clemency for past felony […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Cody Johnson has some simple but powerful words for anyone who idolizes him. There are a lot of young people out there who look up to Cody Johnson, and it’s easy to see why. The country star has built a very impressive career. He has six albums with multiple songs that have climbed to the […] More Country Music Nation  Read More

Palmer Seeks Public Input on Holiday Isle Park Staff Reports December 18, 2025 4:21 pm Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County, Tourism In Brief: Who: Commissioner Drew Palmer and Okaloosa County residents What: Town hall meeting for public input on a new Holiday Isle park When: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at 3 p.m. Where: Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center Why: To gather community feedback on developing a 4-acre waterfront property into a public park OKALOOSA COUNTY, FL — Okaloosa County Commissioner Drew Palmer is inviting residents to share their input on a newly acquired 4-acre waterfront property on Holiday Isle that the County plans to develop into a public park. The town hall meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. County staff will give a brief presentation, followed by an opportunity for attendees to provide feedback and suggestions on the park’s design and use. “This is an amazing opportunity to create something special on that property for the benefit of Okaloosa County residents and visitors,” said Commissioner Palmer (District 5). “We are committed to keeping this process open to the public and value their input as we move toward finalizing the details of this endeavor.” The property boasts scenic views of Destin East Pass and Destin Harbor, with access to the adjacent Norriego Park. Once slated for a dense condominium project, the site includes a new 53-slip marina and sea walls, but otherwise remains an open 4-acre canvas for... Read More

Patronis Calls for Public Input on Offshore Drilling Staff Reports December 18, 2025 3:52 pm Eglin Air Force Base, Emerald Coast, Okaloosa County, State Government In Brief: BOEM is seeking public input on a draft offshore drilling plan covering 2026–2031. The proposal includes new drilling areas near Florida’s Gulf Coast and Eglin AFB. Patronis is urging Floridians to submit comments before the January 23 deadline. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jimmy Patronis is urging Floridians to make their voices heard as federal officials consider a sweeping new plan that could open large portions of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore oil and gas drilling for the first time in decades. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is accepting public comment on its draft offshore leasing plan for 2026 through 2031. The comment period closes January 23, 2026, at 10:59 p.m. CST. “It is our right to share our concerns and perspectives, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s responsibility to listen to what we have to say,” Patronis said. “I encourage all my constituents to let their voices be heard during the comment period.” As currently proposed, the draft plan includes expansive new drilling areas off Florida’s Gulf Coast, including locations roughly 100 miles east of the Military Mission Line beginning in 2029. Those waters, near Eglin Air Force Base, have long been closed to new oil exploration due to sensitive munitions testing conducted in the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range. For drilling... Read More

With Walls’ Execution, Northwest Florida Confronts Its Serial Killer Past Tricia Elliott December 18, 2025 3:14 pm Crime, Emerald Coast, Okaloosa County In Brief: Frank Walls, Okaloosa County’s most notorious serial killer, is scheduled for execution today. Mark Riebe operated in Northwest Florida from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, suspected of over a dozen murders. Other notable violent crime cases in the region include Edward Zakrzewski II, Aileen Wuornos, and Danny Rolling. Okaloosa & Walton Counties, FL – As Florida prepares to execute Frank Athen Walls on December 18, 2025, the region reflects on the history of serial killers in Northwest Florida. Since 1980, law enforcement and historical records have identified two serial killers as the most prominent in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Frank Athen Walls is widely recognized as Okaloosa County’s most notorious serial killer. Active between 1985 and 1987, Walls was convicted and admitted to five murders, including the 1987 slayings of Ann Peterson and Edward Alger in their Ocean City mobile home. After decades on death row, his execution is set for today. Mark Riebe is often mentioned alongside Walls. Operating in the Northwest Florida Panhandle from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, Riebe was formally convicted for the 1989 murder of Donna Callahan in Gulf Breeze. He has confessed to, and is suspected of, over a dozen additional murders across the region, including cases in Okaloosa County. Many of these confessions remain unverified, but his activity has left a lasting mark on the... Read More