SPONSORED BY
Good morning!
The Air Force Armament Museum will unveil a historic F-15E Strike Eagle in a ceremony honoring a late commander, paying tribute to military service and aviation history. Destin will celebrate its 69th annual Blessing of the Fleet on May 14, Watersound Fountains veterans are honored at ‘Warrior Beach Retreat Salute’ in Panama City Beach, Destin flag football’s breakthrough season is built on defense and chemistry, and Okaloosa Arts Alliance invites students to enter its 17th annual poster contest.
FISHING
Destin to celebrate 69th annual Blessing of the Fleet on May 14
The 69th annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 14, at the docks behind Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer on Destin Harbor.
- The event, organized by Immanuel Anglican Church, is free and open to the public. It begins at 4 p.m. with a captains’ praise and worship service held under a large tent. Following the service, around 5 p.m., clergy will process to the dock to begin blessing vessels that have registered for the ceremony.
All commercial fishing vessels, safety boats and recreational watercraft whose captains make their living on the sea are invited to participate. Registered captains will receive a Blessing of the Fleet flag — the traditional blue cross-and-dove emblem that signifies a vessel and its crew have received a blessing.
Last year, more than 130 fishing boats and watercraft received blessings.
SPONSORED
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GAMES
WordroW: April 7, 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.
GIVING BACK
Watersound Fountains veterans honored at ‘Warrior Beach Retreat Salute’ in Panama City Beach
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
Three veterans from Watersound Fountains, an independent living community in Inlet Beach, were honored as special guests at the Warrior Beach Retreat Salute at the Boardwalk Beach Convention Center in Panama City Beach on Feb. 26.
- Col. Joe Feliciano, U.S. Army retired; Lt. Col. Jerry Santens, U.S. Air Force retired; and Col. Frances “Frank” Sabo, U.S. Air Force retired, were recognized at the ceremony. All three served during the Vietnam War.
The recognition came through the efforts of the senior living community, which connected Warrior Beach Retreat with its veteran residents.
“I’ve been involved with Warrior Beach Retreat in the past but never had the opportunity to bring forth veterans to benefit from the organization,” said Paula Zeller, sales director at Watersound Fountains. “When I found out we had 16 veterans living in the community, I knew we had to make this connection.”
Warrior Beach Retreat is a nonprofit that provides combat-wounded veterans and their spouses or caregivers with weeklong beach retreats in Panama City Beach. The organization was founded by Linda and Phillip Cope along with their son, Jonathan Cope.
PROMOTED BY GULFARIUM
Gulfarium’s TurtleFest returns April 18 with all-inclusive celebration supporting sea turtle rescue
The Gulfarium Adventure Park will host its third annual “CARE on the Coast TurtleFest” on April 18, offering an all-inclusive afternoon of live music, local food, animal encounters and family entertainment — all in support of the facility’s sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
- The event, presented by Valparaiso Coca-Cola, runs from 3:30 to 7 p.m., with VIP ticket holders gaining early access at 3 p.m.
“Every ticket that we sell is more that goes to the CARE Center,” said Mary Fomby, Marketing Manager for Gulfarium. “Everything that we raise through this event goes back to rescuing sea turtles in our area.”
This family-friendly festival will be an unforgettable evening, where you’ll enjoy entertainment, unlimited food & drink, fun activities for all ages, meet-and-greets with your favorite Gulfarium residents and opportunities to make a real difference in the lives of endangered sea turtles!
SPORTS
Destin flag football’s breakthrough season built on defense, chemistry and a ‘fab five’
At Destin High School, everything has had to be built from the ground up. Flag football is no different.
- But everything is coming together for the Lady Sharks. Destin is 7-2 and sits as the No. 4 seed in 1A Region 1 in the most recent FHSAA rankings, with the program’s first playoff appearance within reach. The Lady Sharks have rattled off impressive wins, with two of the most recent standing out: victories over Arnold and Fort Walton Beach.
For Head Coach Kyle Bryant, none of it would be possible without Destin’s senior class: Evie Gherdovich, Mia Castaneda, Bailey Gaffney, Elena Martin and Sara Oakes — or as he calls them, his “fab five.”
“Without the seniors, my fab five, I’d be nothing without them,” Bryant said. “They’re doing great, they lead us great, and I’m just proud of them and I’m proud of this team. They’re growing, they’re believing in themselves, and that’s all I can be thankful for.”
Outside the senior class, the player most responsible for the Lady Sharks’ surge has been quarterback Neilya Stewart.
ART+CULTURE
Okaloosa Arts Alliance invites students to enter 17th annual poster contest
Young artists across Okaloosa County are invited to showcase their creativity in the 17th annual Okaloosa County School Poster Contest, with entries accepted through May 2.
The Okaloosa Arts Alliance is calling on students in kindergarten through 12th grade to submit original artwork exploring this year’s theme: “What Does Art Mean to You?” The prompt asks students to consider how creativity shapes their daily lives and translate that reflection into a visual piece.
The contest welcomes both first-time participants and experienced student artists. Entries may be submitted through schools or by individual students.
PROMOTED BY MUSICAL ECHOES
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.
MILITARY
Air Force Armament Museum to unveil historic F-15E Strike Eagle in ceremony honoring late commander
The Air Force Armament Museum will officially welcome F-15E Strike Eagle 86-0184 to its permanent collection during a public ceremony April 10 that will also honor the late Maj. Gen. Robert “ChedBob” Chedister, a former Air Armament Center commander whose work at Eglin Air Force Base shaped some of the most consequential precision weapons in the Air Force inventory.
- The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. at the Museum Event Area, located at 100 Museum Drive on Eglin Air Force Base.
The aircraft is no ordinary Strike Eagle. Serial number 86-0184, frequently identified as one of the oldest active Strike Eagles in the fleet, was originally on the F-15 production line as an F-15D before being modified as a prototype F-15E and spent its career in developmental testing with the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base and the 96th Test Wing at Eglin.
The event is open to the public.
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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