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Shoreline Church in Destin will host a prom for the special needs community on February 13. Vikings boys and girls basketball teams earn No. 1 seeds as district tournaments come to Fort Walton Beach, the City of Fort Walton Beach will unveil new police and fire boats at a public event, ERA American Real Estate honors top performers at its Annual Gala, and Okaloosa County will conduct prescribed burns at Shoal River Preserve this month. Also, get an inside look at how Fast Signs’ Shane Weddle leads with hustle and accountability.
HOW I WORK
How Fast Signs’ Shane Weddle leads with hustle, accountability, and community
“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.
Shane Weddle moved to the Emerald Coast in 2021 with his wife and daughter to purchase FASTSIGNS of Fort Walton Beach/Destin, bringing an entrepreneurial mindset and strong sense of community with him.
- Originally from Indiana, with family ties to Florida, his path here was shaped by opportunity, growth, and building a life centered on both business and family.
As a business owner, Shane’s days start earlier than most — often well before sunrise — and revolve around team leadership, project coordination, and staying connected to clients and community.
Whether he’s supporting local causes behind the scenes (such as with the FWB Chamber) or helping his daughter get ready for school, his approach blends discipline, gratitude, and a focus on people.
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GAMES
WordroW: February 4, 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.
SPORTS
Vikings boys and girls basketball earn No. 1 seeds, district tournaments coming to the Fort
Fort Walton Beach High School’s boys and girls basketball programs will both enter their district tournaments as the top seeds, with the road to a district championship running through the Fort.
The boys team closed at 18-7 after winning six straight games to end the year, including revenge victories over Milton and Choctaw. Head coach Chris Carswell credited out-of-state trips to Georgia and South Carolina with building the team’s identity.
The girls finished 19-4, sweeping in-county rivals Choctaw, Niceville and Mosley for the second consecutive season. Head coach Mercedez Clayborne said a December trip to Kentucky, despite two losses, proved valuable.
Athletic director Holly McDaniel said the travel experiences reflect the department’s priorities.
- “These trips are about more than just basketball — they’re about competing, bonding as a team, and creating memories they’ll carry with them forever,” McDaniel said.
GAME DAY: The Lady Vikings open district play Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Bay. The boys begin Thursday at 7 p.m. against West Florida Tech. Both games with be at Fort Walton Beach High School.
PUBLIC SAFETY
City of Fort Walton Beach to unveil new police, fire boats at public event
The city of Fort Walton Beach will show off two new vessels — a marine enforcement boat and a fire/rescue boat — at Liza Jackson Park on Feb. 10.
- The unveiling begins at 4 p.m. at the park’s boat ramp, located at 338 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW. Both boats have recently been placed into service.
The Police Department’s new 23-foot Patrol 23 marine enforcement vessel, built by Fluid Marine, will serve as the department’s primary law enforcement presence on the water. The $134,000 boat was funded through half-cent sales surtax revenues.
The Fire Department’s 32-foot Explorer fire/rescue boat, built by Mobile, Alabama-based Silver Ships, features a bow door with a dive platform, a 1,000-gallon-per-minute onboard pump for water-based firefighting and an enclosed cabin. A Department of Homeland Security grant covered 75% of the approximately $491,000 vessel.
Fort Walton Beach encompasses approximately 11 miles of coastline across Santa Rosa Sound, Choctawhatchee Bay and multiple bayous.
SPONSORED
ERA American Real Estate honors top performers at Annual Gala
ERA American Real Estate hosted its Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony in January, bringing together agents, staff and leadership for an evening celebrating top performers and company values.
- The event recognized excellence across multiple categories, including Top Ten Agents of 2025, Elite Agents of 2025 and 100% Customer Satisfaction Awards from 2025.
Additional honors included the Move Up Award, Rookie of the Year Award, Service Excellence Award, Department Excellence Award, the Gloria K. Frazier Award and the President’s Award.
Tony Lombardo, president and CEO of ERA American Real Estate, emphasized the event’s significance.
“Our Annual Awards Ceremony and Gala is more than a celebration—it’s a moment of gratitude,” Lombardo said. “It is our greatest honor to recognize the agents and staff whose dedication, integrity, and commitment shape ERA American Real Estate every day. Their contributions over the past year have strengthened our company, our culture, and the communities we serve, and we are proud to celebrate the people who make this organization what it is.”
PUBLIC SAFETY
Okaloosa to conduct prescribed burns at Shoal River Preserve this month
Crews will begin prescribed burns on about 400 acres at the Shoal River Preserve in northeast Okaloosa County later this week, with minimal smoke impacts expected for nearby residents.
- The weather-dependent operation will continue into February.
Okaloosa County’s Land Resources Division is coordinating the burns with the Florida Forest Service, Okaloosa County Public Safety and several area fire departments, including North Okaloosa, Crestview and Dorcas.
“These burns are a necessary part of creating a healthy wildlife habitat and an important part of creating an ideal space that will soon be open for the enjoyment of residents and visitors,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin.
The roughly 408-acre preserve sits along the north shore of the Shoal River near Crestview and features mixed pine and hardwood forest. Tourism revenue funded the purchase.
GIVING BACK
Shoreline Church in Destin hosts prom for special needs community Feb. 13
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
Shoreline Church in Destin will host its second annual Night To Shine on Feb. 13 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., a prom experience for individuals with special needs ages 14 and older.
- The event, held in partnership with the Tim Tebow Foundation, has grown significantly since its debut — from 36 honored guests last year to more than 100 expected this year. Nearly 300 volunteers have signed up to help.
“We realized there was a gap in the community for the Destin area,” said Jessica Holzapple, associate minister at Shoreline Church. “So we wanted to cultivate a way for people to gather and have fun at the same time.”
Participants arrive in Corvettes provided by the Emerald Coast Corvette Club and walk a red carpet lined with paparazzi. Inside, guests enjoy dancing, karaoke, a photo booth and a taco bar sponsored by The Gulf Restaurant.
- The highlight of the night comes when every honored guest is crowned Prom King or Queen, each one called up on stage to receive their crown.
“It’s beautiful because it’s a safe space to be who God designed them to be,” Holzapple said. “What can sometimes be an overlooked demographic have the opportunity to shine.”
Shoreline Church is located at 140 Palmetto St. in Destin.
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Jared
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