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Good morning!
The intersection of Beal Parkway and First Street is going “right turn only” this week in Fort Walton Beach. A new “welcome arch” is coming to Vandegriff Park in Downtown Fort Walton Beach, with public input sought on the design, and the Hilton Garden Inn celebrated its grand opening at Destin Commons. The “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive returns August 1 for Okaloosa County students, TalkingParents was named to Inc.’s Best Workplaces list for a third straight year, and the Fort Walton Beach Rotary Club grant helped transform the ADSO courtyard.
PARKS+REC
New ‘welcome arch’ coming to Vandegriff Park in Downtown FWB, public input sought on design
Fort Walton Beach residents will get the opportunity to help choose the design of a new gateway arch planned for the north end of Vandegriff Park during the city’s monthly Community Redevelopment Agency Citizens’ Input Committee meeting Wednesday.
- The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 17 at the Growth Management Offices inside Fort Walton Beach City Hall, 105 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW.
The welcome arch will face U.S. Highway 98 and is intended to greet visitors arriving at the Fort Walton Beach Landing. Along with the archway, the design will incorporate bollards meant to deter unintended vehicle traffic from entering the small pedestrian park.
Three designs are under consideration, and committee members are inviting the public to weigh in on which one best fits downtown Fort Walton Beach.
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GAMES
WordroW: June 16, 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.
BUSINESS
Hilton Garden Inn opens at Destin Commons
Amenities include an outdoor pool, an on-site restaurant featuring coastal cuisine, a fitness center, pet-friendly rooms, an EV charging station and meeting rooms.
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GIVING BACK
‘Stuff the Bus’ school supply drive returns on August 1 for Okaloosa County students
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation, in partnership with the Okaloosa County School District and The Salvation Army Florida Division – Fort Walton Beach Corps, will hold its annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Donations will be accepted at Walmart locations in Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Shoppers can purchase school supplies and drop them off during the event to benefit students across Okaloosa County.
The drive takes place during Florida’s back-to-school tax-free month. Organizers said the supplies collected will help students start the school year with the essential tools they need.
“Stuff the Bus is a wonderful example of our community coming together to support students and families,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “Every notebook, backpack, and box of crayons donated helps remove barriers to learning and gives students the confidence to start the school year successfully.”
BUSINESS
TalkingParents named to Inc. Best Workplaces list for third straight year
TalkingParents has been named to Inc.’s Best Workplaces list for the third consecutive year, the Fort Walton Beach-based company announced Thursday.
- The recognition is based on a comprehensive evaluation of hundreds of applicants, including a detailed employee survey conducted by Quantum Workplace. The survey covered management effectiveness, perks, professional development and overall company culture, and each company’s benefits were audited to determine the final score.
“We built this culture on purpose, with intention,” said Vince Mayfield, founder of TalkingParents. “Three years of this recognition tells me the same thing I’ve believed for 25 years, leading two businesses. It’s about investing in people, giving them a voice, and caring about their growth. Those are key components that create a lasting foundation and a workplace people are proud to be a part of.”
TalkingParents launched in 2011 with the goal of giving co-parents a way to communicate with accountability and without conflict. The company has since grown alongside the nearly one million families it supports, with a culture the company says mirrors what it aims to create for those families: a space built on transparency, respect and the belief that people do better when they feel heard.
GIVING BACK
Fort Walton Beach Rotary Club grant helps transform ADSO courtyard
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
The Arts and Design Society of Fort Walton Beach recently hosted members of the Fort Walton Beach Rotary Club at its campus to thank the organization for a grant that helped transform the nonprofit’s courtyard.
- The $5,000 Rotary Club grant covered most of the cost of a new paver patio, an addition to the outdoor space used for social gatherings, art events, classes and fundraising activities.
“The paver patio is a significant improvement to our outdoor living space,” ADSO President Blair Supplee said. “We now have adequate patio space for five picnic tables with umbrellas to host major gatherings for ADSO or other groups looking for a space for a social event.”
Rotary Club members, whose motto is “Service Above Self,” also contributed volunteer labor, helping demolish an aging pergola and a small brick patio that previously occupied the space.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7am, then showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: Showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
TRAFFIC
Beal Parkway and First Street intersection going ‘right turn only’ this week in Fort Walton Beach
Crews will begin work Tuesday to convert the intersection of Beal Parkway and First Street into a right-turn-only crossing, a safety change city officials say is intended to reduce crashes at one of Fort Walton Beach’s most dangerous intersections.
- The turn lane and inside northbound lane of Beal Parkway will be closed near First Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, and Wednesday, June 17, while a contractor installs traffic separators and re-stripes lane markings. The City of Fort Walton Beach is carrying out the work with permission from the Florida Department of Transportation.
Once the project is complete, drivers on First Street will only be able to turn right onto Beal Parkway. Motorists will no longer be able to drive through the intersection and continue on First Street. Drivers on Beal Parkway will no longer be able to turn left onto First Street. Flexible barrier posts will prevent vehicles from crossing oncoming traffic.
The change is based on a traffic study that documented 35 vehicle crashes at the intersection between 2017 and 2022. Twenty-eight of those crashes were right-angle, or T-bone, collisions, and nine resulted in injuries that required at least one person to be transported to a medical facility.
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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