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Good morning!
Brooks Bridge completion is now expected in early 2029, with major traffic shifts coming this fall as the project moves into its next phase. Remains found on Eglin property have been identified as a missing DeFuniak Springs man, and Cox employees awarded $60,000 in grants to six Gulf Coast nonprofits. The Okaloosa County School District has joined the 2026 summer feeding program. Also, a Fort Walton Beach couple’s journey through male infertility leads to national TV with “it’s not just you.”
LIFESTYLE
‘It’s not just you’: A Fort Walton Beach couple’s journey through male infertility leads to national TV
When Tyler Tisza sat down in a doctor’s office and learned his sperm count was 3.1 million, well below the 15 million threshold considered low, he didn’t know what to do with the information.
- “I was really surprised,” Tisza said. “I just didn’t do anything with it for a while. Do I need to exercise more? Do I need to not be drinking? You start going through this mixed bag of which doctor, what’s going to work and what’s not.”
That moment of uncertainty eventually led the 33-year-old Fort Walton Beach native to a surgeon in Atlanta, a video that’s been viewed more than a million times and, most recently, a seat across from Tamron Hall on her ABC daytime talk show. The episode aired on WFGX 35 earlier this spring.
Tyler and Emma Tisza’s story starts well before any of that, though, in the same community where they both grew up.
- How two Choctaw High School grads navigated a miscarriage, a low sperm count diagnosis and a search for answers that took them to Atlanta.
- The surgery that changed Tyler’s outlook, and the viral video that followed.
- Why male infertility doesn’t get talked about, and what Tyler and Emma want other couples to know.
- How a DM Tyler thought was a scam turned into a segment on national television.
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GAMES
WordroW: June 3, 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.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Remains found on Eglin property identified as missing DeFuniak Springs man
A decade-old cold case has moved closer to closure after skeletal remains found on Eglin Air Force Base property were positively identified as a missing DeFuniak Springs man, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office announced.
- The remains were identified as John Thomas “JT” Watson, who was 38 when he disappeared in August 2015.
Watson was released from prison on July 1, 2015, and had been staying with family and occasionally at local motels in DeFuniak Springs as he worked to rebuild his life, according to the sheriff’s office. In August 2015, he purchased two used vehicles, a Ford Mustang and a Mitsubishi Mirage.
He was last seen driving the Mirage in DeFuniak Springs on Friday, Aug. 7, 2015. The vehicle was later found abandoned on Oct. 18, 2015, on a wooded section of Eglin property between Coy Burgess Loop and Nelson Road.
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GIVING BACK
Cox employees award $60,000 in grants to six Gulf Coast nonprofits
Cox Communications employees have awarded a total of $60,000 to six local nonprofits through Cox Charities Community Investment Grants, with each organization receiving $10,000 to support programs benefiting area residents.
Nonprofits submitted applications earlier this year, and Cox employees voted on the winning organizations. The grants are employee funded.
On Tuesday morning at The Place on Beal in Fort Walton Beach, the following organizations were awarded:
- A Bed 4 Me Foundation, Inc.
- Children in Crisis, Inc.
- The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
- Heart of the Youth Foundation
- Nokuse Education, Inc.
- The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation
SCHOOL
Okaloosa County School District joins 2026 summer feeding program
The Okaloosa County School District will participate in the Summer Food Service Program during the 2026 summer break, providing free meals to children when school is out of session.
- Through the Summer Break Spot initiative, the district will offer balanced breakfasts and lunches at no cost to all children under 18.
In alignment with updated U.S. Department of Agriculture and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services guidelines, meals must be consumed on site at designated school locations during scheduled times. Grab-and-go and “to-go” options will no longer be available.
The program supports geographic areas where at least 50% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price meals during the school year. Sites will serve students in summer programs and children in the surrounding community. Meals will not be served on weekends or July 3.
Serving times and site status are subject to change. For participating schools and additional details, families can visit https://www.okaloosaschools.com/article/2943106.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. East wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. East wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TRAFFIC
Brooks Bridge completion now expected in early 2029, with major traffic shifts coming this fall
The new Brooks Bridge is now expected to be complete in early 2029, roughly a year later than previously projected, the project’s lead engineer told the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber board last week.
- Westbound traffic is scheduled to shift to the new structure in September or October, with eastbound following six to eight weeks later. All traffic should be on the new bridge by year’s end, clearing the way for demolition of the existing span to begin in January.
Ed Hudec, who oversees construction engineering inspection for FDOT on the project, said the timeline has slipped nearly 300 contract days. Of those, 246 were holiday and weather days not credited in the original contract.
The $171 million replacement will stand 15 feet taller and roughly 800 feet longer than the existing structure, with a 75-year design life due to its post-tensioned construction. Crews have driven 174 of the 348 piles needed for the bridge, and roadwork is between 70% and 75% complete.
“Our community has anticipated a new bridge for 40 years,” Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber CEO Ted Corcoran said. “To now know that it will be totally completed in less than three years is fantastic.”
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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124 Eglin Parkway SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548