Community

Join Military Family Appreciation Day to Honor Local Service Members and Their Families The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce that Military Family Appreciation Day is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 15th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Landing in downtown...

By Doug Stauffer Rear Admiral Philip Dur’s rare combination of intellect, military expertise and true patriotism helped shape this country during the Cold War and post-Cold War eras. He has a deep knowledge of naval operations at sea and this nation’s national security affairs. His career as a surface warfare...

The Mattie Kelly Arts Center hosts the Northwest Florida Ballet as they perform Peter Pan, March 11 and 12. Purchase tickets online at nfballet.org or by calling the box office at (850) 729-6000. Showtimes Saturday, March 11, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 12, 2:30 p.m. The Mattie Kelly Fine...

PLASMA: A Source of Life to Share By Lisa Woodrum Are you aware that you possess a source and gift of life inside you that you can share with others? It’s called plasma. Fifty-five percent of your blood is made up of plasma and science cannot duplicate it. People in our community...

By Doug Stauffer Kayleigh McEnany opened this year’s President’s Speaker Series at Mattie Kelly Arts Center. While introducing Kayleigh, President Devin Stephenson of Northwest Florida State College invited stated, “Northwest Florida State College is certainly honored to do our part in improving the quality of place in our community by...

Do you remember what it felt like as a child, to be tucked into your cozy bed every night? Did you feel safe? Warm? Happy? Now imagine being a child who didn’t have a bed to sleep in. What if your bed had been a couch? What if it had...

By Lisa Woodrum The classical hymn states “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” Goodwill comes in many forms. For instance, goodwill was demonstrated beautifully by the Fort Walton Beach Community “toward” One Hopeful Place (OHP) (our local homeless shelter) this past Christmas. Donna Morgan, Program Manager of OHP shared,...

By Larry Williams, UF/IFAS Extension Agent, Okaloosa Care of Freeze-Injured Citrus Trees Recent widespread hard freezes more than likely resulted in damage to many of the citrus trees in Northwest Florida. Cold damage will become more evident as we move into the spring and summer. It is best to take a “wait...

By Doug Stauffer “Florida is proof positive that ‘We the People’ are not destined for failure. Decline is a choice. Success is attainable. And freedom is worth fighting for.” And “fight we must.” These words set the tone for Gov. Ron DeSantis’s inauguration speech. A lot has changed over the past...

If you had told Yvette in 4th grade that the boy who surprised her with an oversized Valentine’s Day card would one day be her husband, she would have laughed out loud. But sometimes life has a funny way of working out, and that’s exactly what happened. Yvette and Richard...