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Good morning!
Trombonist Gamaliel Harris’ five-year journey from an Okaloosa County high school band room to now Juilliard. A $10 million beach renourishment project is underway on Holiday Isle in Destin, and 79 divers pulled 100 pounds of debris from the waters around the Okaloosa Island Pier during a cleanup. Choctaw, Niceville, South Walton and Rocky Bayou all begin their baseball playoff chase, new sea turtle safety signs went up at three Okaloosa County boat ramps, and a semi carrying grapes overturned on I-10 near Crestview. Also, tickets are on sale for the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival April 23–26
COASTAL RESOURCES
$10 million beach renourishment project underway on Holiday Isle in Destin
The dredge for Okaloosa County’s $10 million beach renourishment project in Destin arrived a day ahead of schedule last Friday, with construction activity in the western section of the project area beginning Saturday, Okaloosa County announced.
Sand placement onto two areas of Destin beaches began Sunday as part of the FEMA-funded project to restore approximately 150,600 cubic yards of sand lost to erosion from Hurricane Sally. The project will add roughly 60 to 80 feet of public beach to help protect upland structures on Holiday Isle.
Sand is being pumped from a dredge positioned just offshore through a pipe leading to shore, moving west to east. Work began in the western portion, known as Reach 1, where 89,800 cubic yards of sand will be placed. The eastern portion, Reach 2, is estimated to begin receiving 60,800 cubic yards of sand on April 26. The total project is expected to take a couple of weeks, weather dependent.
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GAMES
WordroW: April 21, 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.
EVENTS
Tickets on sale for South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival returning April 23-26
Tickets are now available for the 2026 South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, set to take over Grand Boulevard April 23-26.
Now in its 13th year, the award-winning event will offer more than 600 wines, beers and spirits across four days of tastings, live entertainment, culinary experiences and interactive activations. All proceeds benefit the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation and children in need throughout Northwest Florida.
“Last year’s event set a remarkable standard, and we’re excited to build upon that momentum,” said Jenny Taylor, general manager of Grand Boulevard. “The addition of live cocktail mixing will showcase the exceptional talent of our participating bartenders in a way that is both entertaining and immersive for attendees.”
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COASTAL RESOURCES
79 divers remove 100 pounds of debris in Okaloosa Island Pier cleanup
Seventy-nine divers removed 100.9 pounds of debris from the waters around the Okaloosa Island Pier during the first cleanup dive of 2026 on Sunday.
- The Okaloosa County Natural Resources Team led the effort, which drew participants from across the area, including divers who traveled from Mobile, Alabama. First responders, military personnel and dive clubs worked alongside one another during the morning cleanup, the pier said.
The event has grown significantly over the past five years. What began as a small dive with five to 10 participants has expanded to the point that organizers now have two events each year, held in the spring and fall.
The cleanups give divers access to an area around the pier that is typically off-limits to the public, while also supporting the marine environment and ecosystem.
The pier credited its management team, neighboring Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and its partnership with Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach for making the dives possible. That partnership also supports marine animal research and the underwater camera at the pier.
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SPORTS
Choctaw, Niceville, South Walton, Rocky Bayou begin baseball playoff chase
The FHSAA released its baseball playoff brackets Monday, sending Niceville, Choctaw, South Walton and Rocky Bayou on varying routes toward the state Final Four.
COASTAL RESOURCES
New sea turtle safety signs installed at 3 boat ramps in Okaloosa County
New signage aimed at protecting sea turtles from boat strikes has been installed at three boat ramps in Okaloosa County as part of a coordinated awareness campaign reaching boaters before they hit the water.
The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Natural Resources Team installed signs at Marler Park, Liza Jackson Park and Joe’s Bayou in partnership with the City of Fort Walton Beach, the City of Destin and Okaloosa County. Okaloosa County Facility and Parks Maintenance staff assisted with installation at each boat ramp.
“This is the perfect time to start a campaign like this,” said Jessica Valek, Natural Resources Manager for Destin-Fort Walton Beach. “We are getting into our busy season as well as our sea turtle nesting season, meaning we will be seeing a lot more sea turtles active in our local waterways. The more people we can educate about safe boating, the better. This gives us hope for the safety of our sea turtles.”
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.
TRAFFIC
Semi carrying grapes overturns on I-10 near Crestview
A semi-truck hauling grapes rolled over on Interstate 10 at mile marker 60 near Crestview on Monday evening, blocking all westbound lanes, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Traffic was diverted through the westbound rest area, and the driver was being treated for injuries.
SCHOOL
From the Choctaw band room to Juilliard: trombonist Gamaliel Harris’ five-year journey
Five years ago, we profiled Gamaliel Harris as a Choctaw High School senior juggling varsity football, jazz band and honors classes.
- Shortly after it was published, his idol, New Orleans trombonist Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, saw the video thanks to the efforts of guidance counselor Katie White and sent Harris a signed copy of the album that made him pick up the trombone in the first place.
That moment changed everything.
Harris credits former Choctaw band director Brad Parks as one of the first people to believe in him and give him a chance to showcase his talent. Parks helped him balance football and band, arranged the 2021 profile and remained a mentor long after graduation.
Harris went on to earn his associate degree at Northwest Florida State College and his bachelor’s at Florida A&M University, both on the physical therapy track. Music stayed on the side.
This spring, Harris was accepted into the Juilliard School’s Master of Music program in jazz tenor trombone. He spent seven weeks preparing for the audition, practicing five hours a day while still attending classes and playing gigs at Florida State University.
Juilliard selected just one trombonist for its master’s program this year.
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Jared
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