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Good morning!
The Destin City Council unanimously approved a combined fireworks and drone show for July 4th, settling weeks of back-and-forth over how to mark the holiday. The council also approved a $600K FDOT agreement for Highway 98 median improvements, and PTC One could become a tropical storm today, with Okaloosa under a heavy rain forecast through Friday. Crestview and Fort Walton Beach will host Juneteenth celebrations this weekend, and Niceville High School has hired veteran coach Greg Thomas to lead the offensive line.
TRAFFIC
Destin approves $600K FDOT agreement for Highway 98 median improvements
The Destin City Council voted 7-0 Monday to approve a Joint Participation Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation that provides up to $600,000 in reimbursement funding for landscape and median improvements along Highway 98/State Road 30 from the Marler Bridge to the Walton County line.
The agreement targets two primary projects: installation of concrete ribbon curbing around existing planted median islands between Airport Road and the Walton County line, and replacement of a failed irrigation well near Big Kahuna’s with a reclaim water line from Destin Water Users.
Upon completion of the installation phase, the city will assume ongoing maintenance responsibilities for the project improvements in accordance with FDOT standards and the terms of the agreement.
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GAMES
WordroW: June 17, 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
Niceville High School hires veteran coach Greg Thomas to lead offensive line
Niceville High School has hired Greg Thomas as the Eagles’ new offensive line coach, adding more than 30 years of coaching experience to the football staff.
- Thomas has held multiple head coaching positions and won four state championships in North Carolina.
Locally, you’ll know him for his 13 seasons as head football coach and athletic director at Choctawhatchee High School, before he stepped down in 2020.
“We are excited to welcome Coach Thomas to the Niceville football family,” head football coach Adron Robinson said. “His experience, leadership, and proven track record of developing student-athletes will be a tremendous asset to our program. Coach Thomas understands what it takes to build successful teams and strong young men, and our players will benefit greatly from his knowledge and mentorship.”
WEATHER
PTC One could become tropical storm today; Okaloosa under heavy rain forecast through Friday
Potential Tropical Cyclone One was moving northeast along the Texas coast early Wednesday and could briefly strengthen into a tropical storm today before moving inland over southwestern Louisiana by tonight, the National Hurricane Center said.
- The system is expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain to the north end of Okaloosa County and 2 to 4 inches near the beaches through Friday, with a low-end severe weather risk added for the area, Okaloosa County Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox said Tuesday night.
At 4 a.m. Wednesday, the disturbance was centered in the Gulf off the central Texas coast, the NHC said. Maximum sustained winds were near 30 mph with higher gusts, and the minimum central pressure was 1003 millibars. The agency said some strengthening was forecast and the disturbance could become a tropical storm Wednesday, with weakening anticipated once it moves inland.
The system could dissipate by Wednesday night or early Thursday.
Maddox said the system has a 60% chance of brief further development as it pokes out into the Gulf off the coast of Texas before bending back north into Louisiana. He said the storm’s name makes no difference and the impacts will be the same: “rain, rain, rain.”
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THINGS TO DO
Crestview, Fort Walton Beach to host Juneteenth celebrations this weekend
Two Okaloosa County cities will host Juneteenth celebrations on consecutive days this weekend, beginning with Crestview’s fifth annual event Friday and continuing with Fort Walton Beach’s celebration Saturday at the Landing.
The Crestview Juneteenth Celebration will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 19 at the Crestview Community Center. Dr. Karen Brown, who organizes the event, said this year’s gathering will feature roughly 52 indoor vendors with additional vendors set up outside, a kids corner, a light show on the stage provided by Florida Power and Light, and the debut of a new Crestview Juneteenth Museum.
- The celebration’s signature feature is its outdoor Walk Through History, a trail experience that uses live actors to teach visitors about the holiday’s origins.
The City of Fort Walton Beach will host its Juneteenth Celebration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 20 at the Fort Walton Beach Landing, with more than 20 vendors on site. Food vendors will offer wings, chicken dinners, hot dogs and burgers, alongside ice cream and sno-cone stands. A gemologist, informational vendors and local representatives from fraternities and sororities are also expected.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84. Southwest wind around 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: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 4am, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 80. South wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
PARKS+REC
Destin City Council unanimously approves combined fireworks and drone show for July 4th
The Destin City Council gave final approval on Monday night to pair the city’s traditional fireworks display with a 200-drone light show from Destin-based Cosmic Drone Light Shows. Councilman Kevin Schmidt made the motion, and Councilwoman Teresa Hebert seconded.
- The show will begin at 9 p.m. with one or two fireworks blasts, followed by a 12-minute drone show, then a 22-minute fireworks display. Radio station Z96 will provide additional music to accompany the firework soundtrack.
The drone show is being produced by Alex Ou, owner of Cosmic Drone Light Shows and a Destin resident. The show will feature patriotic animations and custom sky imagery including the American flag, bald eagle, Statue of Liberty, military tributes and “AMERICA 250” branding.
The fireworks will be handled by Pyro Shows Inc. under a $39,100 contract extension approved by council on June 1. The city is also paying approximately $9,000 for an incidental take permit required by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to protect state-listed shorebird species near the launch site on the West Jetty on Eglin Air Force Base property.
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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