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The Fort Walton Beach Moose Lodge has paid down more than $17,000 in Okaloosa school lunch debt since 2022, with its most recent $6,000 donation benefiting Edwins, Mary Esther, and Walker Elementary Schools. Crestview launches a school zone speed camera program with a 30-day warning period, Eglin Air Force Base prohibits dash cams and recording devices in vehicles, a Shalimar Elementary teacher publishes a children’s book tackling bullying from a new perspective, Niceville Fire Department installs a free Narcan distribution box outside its station, and Okaloosa County and NAACP officials meet on Gap Creek flooding in Fort Walton Beach.
PUBLIC SAFETY
City of Crestview launches school zone speed camera program with 30-day warning period
The City of Crestview launched a new School Zone Speed Safety Program on Wednesday, beginning a 30-day warning period to educate drivers about automated speed enforcement cameras installed near Riverside Elementary and Shoal River Middle School along East Redstone Avenue.
- The two schools are the first of several school zones in the area set to receive the automated enforcement systems.
The location was chosen based on speeding complaints, observations and speed studies, according to the city. An initial speed study conducted by NovoaGlobal, the city’s technology partner on the program, found an average of more than 200 speeding violations per day in the area.
“This 30-day warning period is about keeping our children safe and giving parents peace of mind,” Crestview Police Chief McCosker said. “By educating drivers and allowing time to adjust their behavior, we are working to reduce speeding in school zones and protect the children who walk, bike, and ride to school every day.”
During the warning phase, advanced traffic enforcement cameras will monitor vehicle speeds in the designated school zones and warning notices will be mailed to violators. No fines will be issued during the 30-day period.
Beginning Friday, March 13, civil penalties of $100 will be assessed for violations. The citations are civil, similar to a parking ticket, and will not affect driving records or insurance. No points will be added to a driver’s license.
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GAMES
WordroW: February 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.
MILITARY
Eglin Air Force Base prohibits dash cams, recording devices in vehicles
A new security policy at Eglin Air Force Base requires all vehicle recording devices to be powered off or removed before entering the installation.
- The 96th Test Wing Commander added the requirement to the base’s operational security policy in December. Beginning March 1, anyone who does not comply will be denied entry to the installation, according to a base announcement. The policy applies to all privately owned vehicles.
Under the new rules, owner-installed devices must be powered off and removed from view. Factory-installed or built-in cameras must be completely powered off before entering the base. Motorcycle helmet cameras must be powered off and removed from the helmet.
“Defending the base is my top priority, and it takes all of Team Eglin to achieve this,” said Lt. Col. Michael Bruton, 96th Security Forces Squadron commander. “Eglin’s OPSEC policy is a layer of protection for our ability to directly project national defense. It is our duty to secure our personnel and assets.”
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NEWS
Shalimar Elementary teacher publishes children’s book tackling bullying from new perspective
A Niceville mother and Shalimar Elementary School teacher has published a children’s book that tackles bullying from an angle rarely explored in educational literature — through the eyes of the bully.
- Kendra Bell, a fourth grade reading teacher at the Title I school and mother of three school-aged children, published “Wooly the Bully” in September after witnessing traditional disciplinary approaches fail to address the root causes of bullying behavior.
“I have taught many children that have been identified as a bully and were administered punishments for their actions like in-school suspension or referrals,” Bell said. “These punishments were definitely warranted, however, they didn’t seem to stop the bullying itself. What the children really needed in order to change their ways was some self reflection on why they felt the need to hurt others.”
Bell, who has seven years of teaching experience including previous work in special education and first grade, said her personal history as a bullying victim informed her approach. She underwent surgery to repair retinas in her eyes after being beaten up as a child.
The book tells the story of Wooly, a Highland cow who bullies classmates because he cannot read or write and feels embarrassed about his academic struggles. When a chimp befriends him, Wooly learns to seek help from teachers and parents instead of lashing out at others.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Niceville Fire Department installs free Narcan distribution box outside station
The Niceville Fire Department has installed a free Narcan distribution box at Niceville Fire Station, located at 216 Partin Drive North, providing community members with around-the-clock access to the life-saving opioid overdose reversal medication.
- The box, positioned directly in front of the building, is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It contains easy-to-use nasal spray doses of naloxone, step-by-step instructions for administration and information on local treatment and recovery resources.
“Our mission is to protect life, and this is one more way we can do that,” said Niceville Fire Chief Alex Kukulus. “By placing Narcan directly into the hands of the community, we are increasing the chances that an overdose can be reversed before it becomes fatal. Every second matters, so we want this medication to be widely available.”
The initiative aims to increase access to naloxone as a critical bystander intervention tool and to reduce preventable overdose deaths within the community. The program was made possible through a partnership with Okaloosa County EMS.
The Niceville Fire Department encourages anyone who may encounter an overdose situation to take advantage of the resource.
NEWS
Okaloosa County, NAACP meet on Gap Creek flooding in Fort Walton Beach
Okaloosa County officials and NAACP leaders met recently to discuss a path forward on persistent flooding issues affecting the Sylvania Heights neighborhood, following the civil rights organization’s call last month for urgent intervention.
- County Commission Chairman Trey Goodwin and county staff met with members of the Okaloosa County Branch of the NAACP to address flooding concerns in the Gap Creek area, according to the county.
“This was a productive meeting with community leaders,” Goodwin said. “While we have multiple ongoing projects in the area to address these concerns, I am committed to moving the process forward more quickly so we can find solutions to improve this ongoing issue.”
The meeting comes after the Okaloosa County Branch of the NAACP released a comprehensive report Jan. 15 documenting what it describes as systemic environmental injustice in the Sylvania Heights and Lovejoy areas, where Gap Creek’s drainage has repeatedly damaged homes, threatened health and isolated families during routine rainstorms.
GIVING BACK
FWB Moose Lodge helps eliminate elementary student lunch debt
Since 2022, the Fort Walton Beach Loyal Order of Moose Lodge 2193 has quietly chipped away at student lunch debt across Okaloosa County — and the effort keeps growing.
- The organization has now donated more than $17,000 to help pay down lunch balances at elementary schools throughout the district, with its most recent contribution of $6,000 benefiting Edwins Elementary School, Mary Esther Elementary School and Walker Elementary School.
“Community partners like the Fort Walton Beach Moose Lodge exemplify what it means to invest in our students,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “Their continued generosity and dedication help support the whole child and strengthen our mission to serve students and families across Okaloosa County.”
The lodge remains in close contact with the Okaloosa County School District’s food services department to regularly assess needs and direct support where it is most needed.
“The continued support from the Fort Walton Beach Moose Lodge has made a meaningful difference for our students and families,” said Stephen Anderson, the district’s food services program director.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Thursday! 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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