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Good morning!
Congressman Jimmy Patronis has secured a Coast Guard commitment to repair the broken Destin East Pass navigation lights. Choctaw upsets Fort Walton Beach 66-65 on Camry Johnson’s dramatic buzzer-beating three-pointer, Okaloosa County seeks a $1.9 million state grant for the flood-prone Wynnehaven Beach Road project, Niceville’s Harper Campbell is named the 2026 Taylor Haugen Trophy winner, and check out scores from a busy week across Okaloosa sports.
- Plus, try today’s WordroW puzzle.
SPORTS
Choctaw upsets Fort Walton Beach 66-65 on Camry Johnson’s buzzer-beating three
Camry Johnson stood wide open in the corner with the game on the line. Seconds earlier, Fort Walton Beach appeared to have the rivalry matchup sealed.
- Then Johnson buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give Choctaw a stunning 66-65 victory over the Vikings on Friday night at The Teepee.
“It just kind of happened. It just felt like it was kind of meant to be,” Choctaw head coach John Barnes said. “It was a fluke turnover that kind of bounced our way, and it was a crazy finish.”
The finish was indeed crazy, but so was everything that preceded it in a game that swung wildly in both directions throughout.
The victory could be a turning point for the Indians, whose playoff hopes appeared shaky after back-to-back home losses to South Walton and Niceville coming out of Christmas break.
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GAMES
WordroW: January 12, 2026
WordroW is brought to you by Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic – keeping your mind sharp and your spine aligned, one game at a time.
Can you guess today’s 5-letter word in six tries?
WordroW is Get The Coast’s daily word puzzle featuring local words, places, and phrases from our community. You have six guesses to find the mystery word – green letters are correct and in the right spot, yellow letters are in the word but wrong position, and gray letters aren’t in the word at all.
PUBLIC WORKS
Okaloosa seeks $1.9 million state grant for flood-prone Wynnehaven Beach Road project
A stretch of Wynnehaven Beach Road that floods because of undersized culverts could finally get relief through a state transportation grant the county is pursuing for the second time.
- The Okaloosa County Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to submit an application to the Florida Department of Transportation for $1.9 million through the Transportation Regional Incentive Program.
The funding would address drainage problems at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and Wynnehaven Beach Road while positioning the area for future traffic improvements.
“This initiative addresses a stream that flows under Highway 98 that is constricted by undersized culverts that go under Wynnehaven Beach Road,” Public Works Director Scott Bitterman told commissioners during the Jan. 6 meeting.
The problem stems from a bottleneck in the drainage system. Water flows south under Highway 98 through two 8-foot by 5-foot box culverts, then immediately squeezes through two 36-inch culverts beneath Wynnehaven Beach Road. That size restriction causes the road to flood.
- Rather than installing expensive larger culverts under the existing road, the county’s plan calls for realigning Wynnehaven Beach Road to avoid the drainage pinch point while creating space for stormwater retention.
The project would also provide a location for a future traffic signal and complement FDOT’s planned six-lane expansion of Highway 98 between Santa Rosa County and Hurlburt Field. County staff has been coordinating with both FDOT and the Air Force on transportation capacity issues in the corridor.
SPORTS
Niceville’s Harper Campbell named 2026 Taylor Haugen Trophy winner
Niceville senior linebacker Harper Campbell has been named the 2026 Taylor Haugen Trophy winner.
- The Samford commit was selected from 13 nominees across Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties, earning recognition for his excellence in academics, athletics, leadership, community service and faith.
Campbell, who anchored one of the state’s top linebacking corps this season, plans to study biblical studies at Samford with the goal of becoming a pastor. He volunteers as a middle school ministry leader at Crosspoint Church.
He will receive a bronze eagle trophy, a $1,000 scholarship and a $1,000 donation to Niceville’s athletic department.
SPORTS
PREP ROUNDUP: Choctaw-Fort Walton Beach thriller highlights busy week across Okaloosa sports
Area high school teams filled the week with basketball and soccer matchups. Here’s a look at how local teams fared from Jan. 5-9.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Patronis secures Coast Guard commitment to fix broken Destin East Pass navigation lights
Rep. Jimmy Patronis has secured commitment from the Coast Guard to replace broken navigation markers at Destin’s East Pass after he pressed the agency to address the safety concerns last month.
- Patronis announced Friday that Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday agreed to replace the aids to navigation at markers three and four, which have been broken since at least 2021. The agency plans to award a contract for the replacement work this year.
“These ATONs are essential to the safety of our mariners, first responders, and the residents and visitors who rely on our waterways every day,” Patronis said in a statement. “I am grateful to the Commandant for recognizing the importance of this issue.”
The commitment comes roughly five weeks after Patronis sent a letter to the Coast Guard in early December urging immediate action after the City of Destin reached out to him. The freshman congressman cited accident data showing incidents near East Pass doubled from 2021 to 2024, with about 70% of all boating accidents in Okaloosa County occurring near the pass.
East Pass is the sole inlet connecting the Gulf to Destin Harbor. More than 1,500 vessels enter and exit the harbor on weekdays and more than 2,000 on weekends, according to Patronis.
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Jared
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