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Good morning!
Okaloosa Sheriff Eric Aden is warning promoters of “Crab Island Takeovers” on the potential criminal and financial liabilities ahead of scheduled events. The Destin City Council unanimously approved July 4th fireworks this year, while also exploring the possibility of adding a drone show pending funding. South Walton’s Coleman Borthwick was named the 2026 Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year, and Walton County Fire Rescue welcomed Jonathon Davis as its new fire chief. Also, two Okaloosa County students won top honors in an America 250 writing contest.
PARKS+REC
Destin Council unanimously approves July 4th fireworks, eyes adding drone show pending funding
Two weeks after voting to pursue a drone show in lieu of fireworks, the Destin City Council reversed course and unanimously approved the fireworks contract while exploring adding a drone show to the celebration.
- The council voted unanimously Monday night to extend its fireworks contract with Pyro Shows Inc. and pay for the incidental take permit required by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In a separate 6-1 vote, council directed staff to bring back an integration plan at the next meeting for adding a drone show to the fireworks display, with Councilman Rodney Braden casting the lone no vote.
Details on how the drone show and fireworks will be integrated, including whether the drones will fly before, after or simultaneously with the fireworks, remain unresolved. City Manager Jones said the drone operator is flexible and open to the city’s direction.
Councilwoman Teresa Hebert sought to clarify the outcome for the public.
- “The bottom line is we’re gonna have fireworks, and if we get the money raised, we’ll have the drone show on the side as the fireworks are going off,” Hebert said.
Staff will bring an integration plan and funding details to the next council meeting.
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GAMES
WordroW: June 2, 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
South Walton’s Coleman Borthwick named 2026 Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year
Coleman Borthwick has added another line to a generational résumé.
- Gatorade announced Monday that the South Walton senior is the 2025-26 Gatorade Florida Baseball Player of the Year, joining a legacy of past winners that includes Clayton Kershaw and MacKenzie Gore.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander and shortstop led the Seahawks (30-4) to their first Class 3A state championship this spring, going 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 65.2 innings while hitting .460 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs.
Ranked the No. 7 prospect in the Class of 2026 by Prep Baseball Report, Borthwick is a Baseball America Preseason First Team All-American and a 2025 18U World Cup gold medalist.
He has signed to play at Auburn this fall, but is projected as an early-round selection in July’s MLB Draft.
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.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Walton County Fire Rescue welcomes Jonathon Davis as new fire chief
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has named Jonathon Davis as the new fire chief of Walton County Fire Rescue, elevating a veteran who has spent more than two decades with the agency.
- Davis began his career in public safety in 1999 with Holmes County Emergency Medical Services and earned his paramedic certification in 2001. He joined Walton County Fire Rescue full-time in 2004, advancing through the ranks as lieutenant, battalion chief, training chief and, most recently, assistant chief.
As assistant chief, Davis oversaw the fire marshal’s program, logistics, training and EMS operations. Under his guidance, Walton County Fire Rescue became the first fire rescue organization in the Florida Panhandle to earn EMS accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services.
Davis also helped expand the agency’s recruit academy, strengthening training and onboarding for new personnel, and established its first officer development program to prepare future supervisors and commanders.
SCHOOL
Two Okaloosa County students win top honors in America 250 writing contest
Two Okaloosa County middle school students have earned top honors in the Plank Schlitt Middle School United States History Writing Contest, part of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida’s America 250 celebration marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Lilly Lopez of Destin Middle School earned first place, and Aisha Ramirez of Pryor Middle School earned second place. The Okaloosa County School District said the students demonstrated exceptional writing, historical understanding and creativity.
This year’s contest invited students to explore the enduring significance of the Declaration of Independence and reflect on its impact on life in the United States today. The competition is named in honor of two longtime Okaloosa County United States history teachers who continued supporting the Heritage Museum after retiring from Niceville High School.
AMERICA 250
Get the latest on Okaloosa America 250 events
From historical commemorations at our local landmarks to community gatherings, educational programs, and patriotic celebrations — if it’s happening here for America 250, you’ll find it here.
The Okaloosa County America 250 Commission was founded by resolution of the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 20, 2026, to support efforts to provide meaningful activities to the citizens and visitors of Okaloosa County throughout the 2026 calendar year to celebrate the founding of the United States of America, designated as the “America 250 Celebration Year.”
Organizations, businesses, and community groups across Okaloosa County are invited to submit their America 250 events for inclusion in our community calendar.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely between 7pm and 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1am and 4am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. North wind 5 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Okaloosa Sheriff warns ‘Crab Island Takeover’ promoters of criminal, financial liability
Promoters of large organized events at Crab Island can be held criminally and financially responsible if their gatherings create dangerous conditions or require significant public safety resources, Sheriff Eric Aden warned Monday.
- The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office issued the warning after videos and images of a “Crab Island Takeover” event circulated on social media over the weekend. The agency said many of the videos in circulation are also from previous years.
In a video released Monday, Aden said organizers face exposure well beyond a citation.
“Even though it might sound good to you or it might be attractive to you to bring a group here to cause havoc, know that you’re going to be not just criminally responsible, not just cited financially for a ticket, but you could be responsible for thousands and thousands of dollars,” Aden said.
Aden said state statutes and local ordinances allow the county to charge promoters for the cost of emergency response, including EMS, fire, police services and public safety. He said partnerships with neighboring agencies that operate helicopters mean those costs can also be billed back to organizers.
Liability is not limited to events on the water, the sheriff said. After-parties held on land in connection with Crab Island gatherings can also be tied back to promoters.
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Jared
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