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Good morning!
Sister Hazel is set to headline Rock by the Sea’s 20th anniversary at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island, marking two decades of the beachside music festival. Lady Vikings tennis won a regional championship to punch its ticket to state, Choctaw flag football clinched a district championship with a 32-0 win over Fort Walton Beach, and a Pryor Middle School sixth grader was honored for exceptional reading growth in the Read 180 program. UWF students are helping Florida Power & Light predict tree growth near power lines, 150 Niceville High School students stepped into “adult life” at a Reality Check simulation, and our Community Calendar has a few more things to do around town.
SCHOOL
Pryor Middle School sixth grader honored for exceptional reading growth in Read 180 program
A Pryor Middle School sixth grader was surprised in her classroom Thursday morning with balloons, plaques and a visit from Okaloosa County Schools Superintendent Marcus Chambers after posting reading gains her teacher called “phenomenal.”
- Zeyda Ramos, an English Language Learner student, jumped 44 points on her PM2 assessment, rising from a Level 1 to a Level 4 and coming just 12 points short of the top level, according to her teacher, Donna Born.
On the Measures of Academic Progress assessment, Ramos improved from a 202 RIT to a 228 RIT, exceeding her projected growth goal by 22 points. Her Lexile score climbed from 780, which was below grade level, to 1280, which is above grade level. She has only a handful of segments remaining in the Read 180 program, which is designed to support students who need extra academic assistance.
Ramos received both the Read 180 Award and the 2026 National Read 180 Award in recognition of her progress.
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GAMES
WordroW: April 24, 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.
SPORTS
Lady Vikings tennis wins regional championship, punches ticket to state
The Fort Walton Beach High School girls tennis team captured its second straight regional championship Thursday with a 4-0 win over Eastside in Gainesville.
- The No. 1 doubles team of Penelope Gordon and Reese Armstrong had a dominant 4-0, 4-0 win, and the No. 2 doubles team of Katie Eubanks and Gigi Biro fought back from a set down to win in a tiebreaker.
Gordon and Armstrong took care of business in singles to close it out before the remaining matches needed to be played.
The Lady Vikings are headed back to the FHSAA State Championships next week in Seminole County.
PROMOTED BY ORIGIN BANK
Renovation meets innovation
The Origin Ft. Walton Financial Center is located in Fort Walton Beach, FL on the corner of Racetrack Rd NW and Denton Blvd NW. The Ft. Walton Financial Center is the only Origin location in Fort Walton Beach.
We are proud to help our customers with small business and personal banking, home loans, and financial support. Our team is ready to assist you with everything you need to be financially successful.
SCHOOL
UWF students help Florida Power & Light predict tree growth near power lines
University of West Florida engineering and computer science students are helping Florida Power & Light Company improve how it manages vegetation near power lines, one of the leading causes of outages in the state.
- Through a senior capstone program, students were given multiple years of LiDAR data from FPL and tasked with building models that predict how quickly trees grow near utility infrastructure. FPL conducts a statewide LiDAR collection each year capturing 50,000 miles of data along its power lines.
Traditionally, FPL has trimmed vegetation on three- and six-year cycles. The student-built models could allow the utility to shift toward a predictive, risk-based approach that targets high-growth areas earlier — potentially reducing outages while giving students hands-on experience with real operational data.
PROMOTED BY HCA
New ER now open in DeFuniak Springs
The new HCA Florida DeFuniak Springs Emergency is now open, bringing 24/7 emergency care to Walton County. Located at I-10 and U.S. 331, the facility features 10 private patient care rooms, board-certified emergency physicians and on-site diagnostic services including CT scan and digital X-ray.
SPORTS
Choctaw flag clinches district championship with 32-0 win over Fort Walton Beach
Choctaw flag football punched its ticket to the playoffs Wednesday night, defeating Fort Walton Beach 32-0 to claim the District 1-2A championship at Joe Etheredge Stadium.
- For the Lady Indians, winning districts is the expectation, not the celebration.
“It’s exciting, but it’s also another part of our journey to get to state,” Choctaw Head Coach Jim Bay said. “We’ve just got to keep the momentum going. I’m happy for them, but it’s one third of the mission.”
With the win, Choctaw locked up the No. 1 seed in Region 1-2A and will host its regional quarterfinal at Joe Etheredge Stadium. The Lady Indians will learn their opponent when the bracket is released Saturday.
SCHOOL
150 Niceville High School students stepped into “adult life” at Reality Check simulation
Approximately 150 Niceville High School students participated Wednesday in the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation’s 4th Annual Reality Check, a one-day financial literacy simulation designed to teach real-world money management skills.
During the hands-on event, students were assigned careers, salaries and family scenarios, then visited interactive stations representing housing, utilities, insurance, communications and other categories. Participants made virtual payments, built budgets and worked through financial decisions meant to reflect the responsibilities of adulthood.
- The event was funded by Origin Bank and supported by community partners and volunteers.
“Experiences like Reality Check are invaluable in helping our students understand the real-world responsibilities that come with adulthood,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “We are grateful to our community partners for investing in our students and helping prepare them for future success.”
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.
EVENTS
A few things to do around town
Friday, Apr. 24 – 25th Annual Musical Echoes Native American Flute Festival – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Friday, Apr. 24 – Ladies Night Out: A Downtown Social – Fort Walton Beach – $10.00 – View
Saturday, Apr. 25 – 50th Annual Saturday in the Park 5K Fun Run/Walk – Valparaiso – $30.00 – View
Tuesday, Apr. 28 – Origin Bank Grand Opening – FORT WALTON BEACH – Free – View
Tuesday, Apr. 28 – World’s Greatest Baby Shower – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Tuesday, Apr. 28 – Final Impact100 NWF Enrollment Event at Ruth’s Chris! – Destin – Free – View
Thursday, Apr. 30 – Piano Men: A Tribute to Billy Joel & Elton John – Niceville – Free – View
Friday, May. 1 – First Friday Coffee sponsored by Waste Management – Fort Walton Beach – $40.00 – View
Friday, May. 1 – Mainstreet Family Fest – Crestview – Free – View
Saturday, May. 2 – Discover Science Saturday – Fort Walton Beach – $12.00 – View
Saturday, May. 2 – Connor’s Crusaders 16th Annual Crawfish Boil at T3 – – – View
Saturday, May. 2 – Seltzer Festival – Miramar Beach – $35.00 – View
Saturday, May. 2 – Hats & Horses – Panama City Beach – $45.00 – View
Saturday, May. 2 – HH Arts Gallery Night May 2 – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Saturday, May. 2 – Meet & Greet Candidates – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Sunday, May. 3 – 17th Annual School Poster Contest – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Monday, May. 4 – Lunch N Learn: Recruiting for Culture: How to Find Your People and Keep ‘Em Happy – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Tuesday, May. 5 – Lunch N Learn: Business Boot Camp – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Thursday, May. 7 – May Networking Breakfast Sponsored by Florida Power & Light – Crestview – $10.00 – View
Thursday, May. 7 – Lunch N Learn: World of Private Money – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Thursday, May. 7 – Okaloosa County Women of Honor Recognition Ceremony – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
EVENTS
Sister Hazel headlines Rock by the Sea’s 20th anniversary at The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island
Rock by the Sea, the beachfront music festival that has raised more than $1 million for children’s charities and cancer research, returns to Okaloosa Island this spring for its 20th anniversary celebration.
- The five-day event runs April 29 through May 3 at The Boardwalk, marking the festival’s second year at the venue.
In 2025, The Boardwalk donated more than $10,500 to Rock by the Sea, representing 20 percent of gross sales from both Floyd’s and Al’s Beach Club locations during the four-day event.
“Anytime there’s a change in venue, it’s stressful; however it exceeded all expectations,” Beth Gosnell, president and founder of Rock by the Sea, said of last year’s move to The Boardwalk. “You can’t go wrong with the recipe that we had — music, beach, community and love. It was perfect.”
This year’s lineup features Sister Hazel as headliners alongside 23 other acts including Emerson Hart, Welshly Arms, The Alternate Routes, Drew Angus, The Currys and Brian Fechino & The Risky Beavers.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Friday. 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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