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Good morning!
Spring Kite Festival returns to The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island featuring 100-foot kites and stunt demonstrations. Performing arts groups rally before Fort Walton Beach Council urging the city to find a future for the aging auditorium, Destin baseball is off to the best start in program history under new coach Scott Hemond, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Director Jennifer Adams is named among Forbes’ Visionary Hospitality Leaders, and a Pensacola man pleads guilty in the Fort Walton Beach parking lot explosion that injured a Jimmy John’s employee. Also, get an inside look at how Nathan Sparks connects business and community through economic development.
HOW I WORK
How Nathan Sparks connects business, leadership, and community through economic development
“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.
Nathan Sparks has long been familiar with the Emerald Coast, first visiting as a child on summer vacations before eventually returning to the area professionally.
- Originally from Birmingham, he now calls Niceville home and has spent more than a decade helping shape Okaloosa County’s economic future.
As Executive Director of One Okaloosa EDC, Nathan’s work centers on connecting businesses, military leaders, educators, and elected officials to strengthen the region’s economy. His days often include hosting companies considering investment in the area, supporting local employers, and promoting Okaloosa County across the country — all with the goal of creating long-term opportunity for the community.
(learn why “it’s nice to see you” is better than “it’s nice to meet you”)
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GAMES
WordroW: March 18, 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.
ARTS+CULTURE
Performing arts groups rally before FWB Council, urge city to find future for aging auditorium
Multiple performing arts and community organizations appeared before the Fort Walton Beach City Council on March 10 to advocate for the future of the aging Civic Auditorium.
- Craig Ewing, business manager for Stage Crafters Community Theatre, told the council he was speaking on behalf of groups including Mosaic Children’s Theater Company, Pyramid Performing Arts, the FWB Community Chorus, Rocky Bayou Christian School and others that depend on the facility.
Ewing said City Manager Jason Davis informed him earlier that day that the auditorium could remain in use through 2027 under the same fire watch procedures currently in place — but warned the groups would likely face the same uncertainty again in 2028.
Mayor Nic Allegretto, who served on the council for eight years before becoming mayor, acknowledged the community’s concerns and said finding a solution is something everybody wants.
- But he tied the auditorium’s future directly to the larger question of replacing the city’s aging municipal facilities, noting that the building the council meets in also needs to be replaced.
The question of what to do with the city’s municipal campus dates back to at least 2016, when Fort Walton Beach issued a request for proposals for the renovation or replacement of city facilities. In October 2022, the council discussed a new City Hall Complex that included an estimated $16.4 million city hall and $15.6 million auditorium.
SPORTS
Destin baseball off to best start in program history under new coach Scott Hemond
After years of building a program from scratch — and with FHSAA playoff eligibility on the horizon in June — Destin baseball struck gold when it hired Scott Hemond as its new head coach.
- Hemond, a former MLB veteran and one of the most decorated players in South Florida baseball history, inherited a program coming off a six-win season. He’s wasted no time turning things around.
The Sharks are 10-2, the best start in program history. Their only two losses have come against a strong Bozeman. Beyond that, Destin has been dominant, outscoring opponents by wide margins in several wins.
“We’ve got a really good coaching staff, and players are just making plays right now, and I couldn’t be happier,” Hemond said.
Much of the Sharks’ success starts at the plate. Palmer Robbins leads the way with two home runs, 11 RBIs and a .519 batting average. Brody Ray has collected 13 hits and a home run of his own, while Caleb Wright, Jaxx Emmert and McCarver Dahlman round out a deep and productive lineup.
BUSINESS
Destin-FWB Tourism Director Jennifer Adams named among Forbes’ Visionary Hospitality Leaders
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism Director Jennifer Adams was featured among 10 hospitality leaders highlighted by Forbes in honor of International Women’s Day on March 8.
- The piece spotlighted women across the global tourism and hospitality industry, from resort presidents to destination marketing leaders, each sharing what the day of recognition means to them personally.
Adams emphasized the role women play across every level of the local tourism industry, from leadership to frontline team members and community builders. She pointed to how women in Destin-Fort Walton Beach drive innovation, elevate the visitor experience and steward the natural resources that define the destination.
“Hospitality is ultimately about connection and care, and those qualities are at the heart of strong leadership,” Adams said.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Pensacola man pleads guilty in FWB parking lot explosion that injured Jimmy John’s employee
A Pensacola man has pleaded guilty in federal court to setting off an explosive in a Fort Walton Beach parking lot during a confrontation between motorcycle clubs, injuring a nearby restaurant employee.
- Gregory E. Simonds Jr., 42, pleaded guilty to the charge of arson by means of an explosive causing personal injury, according to U.S. Attorney John Heekin of the Northern District of Florida.
Court documents state that on Feb. 15, 2025, Simonds detonated an explosive during an altercation with individuals associated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson on Beal Parkway. The blast damaged the adjacent Jimmy John’s restaurant and injured one of its employees.
Simonds, identified as a member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, fled the scene but was quickly identified and arrested by law enforcement, according to the release. Officers found four additional explosive devices, two firearms, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and an Outlaws vest in his vehicle — the same vest he had reportedly been seen wearing during the incident.
THINGS TO DO
Spring Kite Festival returns to The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island with 100-foot kites, stunt demos
Massive kites shaped like octopuses, sea turtles, pandas and lobsters — some stretching up to 100 feet — will fill the sky over Okaloosa Island Boardwalk next month when Kitty Hawk Kites brings its annual Fly into Spring Kite Festival back to Fort Walton Beach.
- The two-day event, set for April 4-5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., coincides with National Kite Month and features oversized character kites ranging from 30 to 100 feet, professional stunt kite demonstrations set to music and free activities for families.
Kids can try their hand at free kite-making stations, and attendees of all ages can take stunt kite lessons during the festival. Visitors are also welcome to bring their own kites to fly alongside the professionals.
The festival is free and open to the public at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island.
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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