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Okaloosa NAACP is seeking a historical marker for Augustus “Gus” Tart, a man born into slavery whose 135 acres of land shaped what became part of the Town of Shalimar. Fort Walton Beach’s Landing park is nearing completion for phases two and three as the bandshell approaches finish, FWB Watch Group chairman defends the 3% spending cap as a legal battle reshapes the March election, Niceville softball is off to a hot start while Vikings boys soccer and girls basketball seasons end in heartbreaking losses, and Musical Echoes celebrates 25 years with a free Native flute festival at The Landing.
PARKS+REC
Fort Walton Beach’s Landing park eyes end-of-March completion
Work on Fort Walton Beach’s Landing park is pushing toward an end-of-March completion for phases two and three, GLC Contracting owner Joe Garvie told the City Council last month.
- The bandshell — a circular concrete and steel structure that Garvie called “a custom job, very difficult job” — remains the biggest piece left to finish. Concrete was being poured into columns supporting the steel structure, with a structural engineer set to approve the upper roof and welds.
On the park’s west side, seating walls are done and artificial turf is installed, with one sidewalk and irrigation work remaining. Multiple crews are on site, including three concrete teams, electrical, structural steel and irrigation workers.
Phase one, which delivered the seawall, boardwalk and docks, is complete. A potential phase four covering areas outside the construction fence still needs funding.
Click here for the full story plus new pictures
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GAMES
WordroW: March 3, 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.
POLITICS
FWB Watch Group chairman defends 3% spending cap as legal battle reshapes March election
For nearly 90 minutes, Rob Smith, the chairman of the FWB Watch Group, laid out the case for the voter-approved spending cap that has become the most contentious governance issue Fort Walton Beach has faced in years — while also, at times, conceding the measure he championed may need fixing.
- “I’m not saying it’s perfect, but you don’t throw the whole deal out,” Smith said. He said the FWB Watch Group would welcome collaboration on fixes but draws the line at repeal. “We’d be glad to get with them and work through the bugs,” he said.
The interview came the same week a circuit court judge granted the Watch Group’s request for an injunction on most of the city’s proposed charter amendment ballot questions from the March 10 election. The ruling allowed questions on moving elections to November and elected official compensation to proceed but found problems with the remaining questions, including the one that would repeal the spending cap.
Ballots have already been printed and early voting began Monday. There is no way to remove the blocked questions from the physical ballots, so voters will still see them. However, results on the challenged questions will not be published. The judge will hear additional arguments after the election. If the city prevails at a final hearing, the election results will be used. If the Watch Group prevails, they won’t matter.
The ruling represented a partial victory for Smith and the Watch Group, whose January lawsuit argued the ballot language failed to clearly explain what voters were being asked to approve — a requirement under Florida Statute 101.161.
In the interview we discuss:
- How the cap works
- What prompted the cap
- Concessions and limitations
- Marco Island
- Police and priorities
- Financial transparency
- The lawsuit and the ballot
- What’s next
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SPORTS
Niceville softball off to hot start, Vikings soccer and basketball comes to an end
SOFTBALL: Niceville softball is channeling last year’s state championship heartbreak into early-season success, racing out to a 4-1 start after dropping the Class 6A title game to Winter Springs.
“It gave us a bitter taste in our mouths and it gave us something to come back up here and work for,” head coach Danny Hensley said.
The Lady Eagles lost just two seniors from last year’s state runner-up squad, meaning nearly the entire core is back — headlined by South Alabama commit Chloe Bailey, who posted a 0.71 ERA with 266 strikeouts last season. She’s picked up right where she left off with 36 strikeouts and a home run through the early going.
Hensley has been most impressed with his team’s defense so far, though he wants to see more discipline at the plate as the Lady Eagles eye another deep postseason run.
BASKETBALL: The Lady Vikings’ season came to an end Friday night in Jacksonville, falling 54-53 to Bishop Kenny in the Elite 8 regional final. But Fort Walton Beach didn’t go quietly. After trailing 33-20 at halftime, the Lady Vikings stormed back in the second half, pulling within one point in the final minutes before coming up just short. With nearly the entire roster returning next season, including all five starters, the future is bright in Fort Walton Beach. Click here for the full story
SOCCER: The Vikings’ historic two-year Final Four run came to an end Thursday in DeLand, falling to American Heritage 4-3 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. Fort Walton Beach created chances all game but couldn’t break through until Brian Velazquez’s second-effort goal in the 77th minute forced overtime. The Vikings say goodbye to a talented senior class but return a strong core, setting the stage for a potential third straight regional title run. Click here for the full story
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Musical Echoes celebrates 25 years with free Native flute festival at The Landing
Musical Echoes is marking a quarter century with its 25th Anniversary Native Flute Festival, running April 24-26 at The Landing in Fort Walton Beach. The three-day celebration features performers, concerts, Native American flute music, dance and cultural exhibits — all with Santa Rosa Sound as the backdrop.
The festival is free and open to the public, with events running from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
HISTORY
Okaloosa NAACP seeks historical marker for Gus Tart, a man born into slavery whose 135 acres shaped Shalimar
A man born into slavery in 1840 went on to own 135 acres of what is now the Town of Shalimar. His name was Augustus “Gus” Tart — and the Okaloosa NAACP wants to make sure he’s not forgotten.
The branch adopted a resolution on Feb. 9 calling on Shalimar to support the recognition of Tart, who became one of Northwest Florida’s earliest pioneers. He was an expert fishing and hunting guide who hosted governors, U.S. senators, judges and other prominent figures at his camp.
His land is now home to Meigs Middle School, the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex, the Shalimar Library and more.
The NAACP is asking Shalimar to:
- Formally recognize Tart’s historical significance
- Support a historical marker at or near his gravesite
- Pursue a state historical marker designation
- Update county property records for the gravesite
- Encourage educational initiatives in his honor
“He was lost twice,” said Kay Brooks, whose family has deep ties to Tart’s history. “It’s not gonna be lost again.”
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Tuesday. 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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