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Good morning!
Shoal River Headwaters has opened as Florida’s newest state park west of DeFuniak Springs, providing new outdoor recreation opportunities. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for the North Crestview Walmart Neighborhood Market, Fort Walton Beach ballet pioneer Bernadette Sims is being remembered for her generosity and passion, Fort Walton Beach Girls Basketball completes a second straight county sweep, Bit-Wizards warns businesses of password-only vulnerabilities during Data Privacy Week, and get an inside look at how attorney Paul Brannon approaches law with focus and integrity.
- Plus, try today’s WordroW puzzle.
HOW I WORK
An inside look at how Paul Brannon approaches law with focus, integrity, and people-first values
“How I Work” is brought to you by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Join the most influential organization in Okaloosa. Learn more here.
Paul Brannon is a lifelong Emerald Coast local, born in Fort Walton Beach and raised in Destin, and his connection to this community runs deep.
- As a partner at Brannon & Brannon, Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, his work centers on guiding people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives — listening carefully, building trust, and helping clients feel supported when they need it most.
His mornings start early, often prompted by the family dog and a strong cup of coffee, before settling into days filled with client conversations, case strategy, and collaboration with his legal team.
In this ‘How I Work’ feature, sponsored by the FWB Chamber, learn all about the tools he uses, why he never really uses his standing desk, how he “betrayed my father’s trust”, and local events and traditions he looks forward to.
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GAMES
WordroW: January 28, 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.
COMING SOON
Groundbreaking ceremony set for North Crestview Walmart Neighborhood Market
A new grocery option is coming to North Crestview, with a groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Thursday, Feb. 5.
The event begins at 9 a.m. at 1150 Industrial Drive, situated between El Paso Tacos & Tequila and Eglin Federal Credit Union. The ceremony is open to the public, and El Paso Tacos & Tequila will sponsor a taco bar to welcome its new neighbor. Drinks will also be served.
“Crestview residents living on the north side will have a Walmart nearby, which means less driving to the south end of town,” Mayor JB Whitten said. “This market will not only serve our north side residents but also those from nearby towns like Baker and Laurel Hill.”
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NEWS
Fort Walton Beach ballet pioneer Bernadette Sims remembered for generosity, passion
Bernadette Clements Sims never believed she had done anything particularly special, even as her dance studio grew from a room in her house into what is now the Northwest Florida Ballet.
- “She always felt like that if she could do something, anybody could do it,” said her daughter, Enger Dickey. “She never felt anything she did was particularly special, and I don’t think she really realized how extraordinary she was.”
Sims passed away Dec. 28 in Shalimar, leaving behind a legacy that transformed the cultural landscape of Northwest Florida through dance, visual arts and an unwavering commitment to making beauty accessible to everyone.
Born Aug. 25, 1943, in Mobile, Alabama, Bernadette Stone fell in love with ballet as a young girl. Her talent caught the attention of Robert Joffrey himself, who offered her a position with the prestigious Joffrey Ballet in New York City after she graduated high school. She turned it down to marry her high school sweetheart, Vernon “Bill” Clements.
- “She had often wondered how her life would be different if she had accepted that offer, but that she never regretted the decision,” Dickey said. “She was happy to have a family and have chosen the life that she did.”
When Sims arrived in Fort Walton Beach with Bill, she cried at the sight of the small town. In the early days, she traveled back and forth to Mobile to continue dancing. Eventually, she started teaching classes out of a room in her house before opening her studio on Chicago Avenue in Fort Walton Beach.
Among her students was Todd Allen, current artistic director and CEO of Northwest Florida Ballet, who was 14 when his family doctor suggested ballet to help rehabilitate a torn hamstring he sustained playing football at Bruner Middle School. The doctor was Dr. Carr, whose wife Linda happened to be Sims’ close friend.
- “Little did I know that this day would change my life forever,” Allen said.
SPORTS
Fort Walton Beach Girls Basketball completes second straight county sweep
Fort Walton Beach Girls Basketball has not lost to an in-county rival since a district loss to Choctaw on Feb. 7, 2024.
- On Friday night, the Lady Vikings capped their second straight county sweep with a win at Niceville, extending their winning streak against county opponents to 12.
“It’s a real confidence booster to win against everyone in the county, because we have some really good teams in this county, so it just says a lot about our team,” Fort Walton Beach coach Mercedez Claybrone said.
The win also marked Fort Walton Beach’s fifth straight victory over Niceville and handed the Lady Eagles their first home loss since Jan. 13, 2025. Niceville, locked in a tight race for the district’s top seed with Tocoi Creek and Navarre, played without star guard Carson Fayard.
BUSINESS
Bit-Wizards warns businesses of password-only vulnerabilities during Data Privacy Week
As Data Privacy Week brings renewed focus to cybersecurity practices, Bit-Wizards is warning local businesses that relying solely on passwords to protect accounts is no longer sufficient.
- The Managed IT company points to industry reports showing that more than 80% of data breaches involved stolen or weak credentials, prompting its recommendation that businesses adopt multifactor authentication and comprehensive IT practices.
Multifactor authentication, known as MFA, adds verification layers beyond a simple password by requiring two or more authentication factors to verify a user’s identity. The most common types include knowledge factors such as passwords, PIN codes or security questions; possession factors like authenticator apps, one-time passcodes, emails, text messages or hardware; and biometric factors including fingerprints, facial scans or voice recognition.
Brian Schlechter, Bit-Wizards’ Director of IT, said the additional security measure is highly effective at reducing costly incidents.
“Getting your password isn’t enough for hackers if you use MFA,” Schlechter said. “Requiring two separate pieces of information increases the difficulty of getting into your accounts.”
PARKS+REC
Shoal River Headwaters: Florida’s newest state park opens west of DeFuniak Springs
The rolling sandy hills and floodplain forests just west of DeFuniak Springs have a new designation: Shoal River Headwaters State Park, Florida’s newest addition to its state park system located at 2239 King Lake Road.
- The 2,480-acre property opened Friday for passive recreation, including hiking and wildlife viewing, while officials work with the public on long-term recreation and land management plans. Future opportunities may include camping, biking and paddling along the Shoal River.
“Shoal River Headwaters is a special place today, and it will only get better as we plan thoughtfully for recreation and conservation,” said Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher. “Our goal is to ensure visitors can enjoy it for decades to come while protecting its remarkable habitats.”
The park features mesic flatwoods and floodplain forests along tributaries of the Shoal River. It protects critical habitat for rare and imperiled species while supporting aquifer recharge and maintaining the quality and natural functions of wetlands and waterways.
Situated within the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape, the property serves as buffer land supporting military readiness and links with nearby conservation lands to form connected wildlife corridors.
- “I am so excited that another tract of Walton County’s natural beauty is being preserved in Shoal River Headwaters State Park,” said state Rep. Shane Abbott. “This new state park will ensure that future generations have the same opportunities to enjoy the natural Florida that I did growing up.”
Shoal River Headwaters is part of the Upper Shoal River Florida Forever project and was acquired in partnership with Trust for Public Land. The acquisition was approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet during a previous cabinet meeting.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Wednesday! Help us shape the future of local news and make a meaningful impact on your community. Click here to learn how you can support us!
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Jared
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