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Good morning!
Matt Gaetz has been appointed to the Triumph Gulf Coast board, marking his return to public service. Two people were hospitalized and a suspect is in custody after a shooting at Spanish Villa Condominiums in Fort Walton Beach, and Baker School won the FHSAA Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award. HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital opened an expanded clinic as its residency program prepares to nearly double, and Eglin Federal Credit Union launched a cruise giveaway for America’s 250th celebration.
SPORTS
Baker School wins FHSAA Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award
Baker School has been named the recipient of the 2025-2026 Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award for the Rural Classification by the Florida High School Athletic Association, one of the state’s highest honors recognizing excellence in sportsmanship and character across an entire athletic program.
The award, named in honor of former FHSAA Commissioner Fred E. Rozelle, recognizes schools whose coaches, student-athletes, spectators and communities exemplify outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the field.
- Recipients are selected based on their commitment to promoting sportsmanship through school and community programs, exceptional sportsmanship reports and overall conduct throughout the athletic season.
“This award reflects the heart of Baker School and the values that define our athletic programs,” said John Carlisle, Baker School athletic director. “Our student-athletes, coaches, families, and community members consistently demonstrate integrity, respect, and perseverance. We are incredibly honored to be recognized by the FHSAA and proud of the example our students set both in competition and in the classroom.”
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GAMES
WordroW: June 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.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Two hospitalized, suspect in custody after Fort Walton Beach shooting
Two people were hospitalized and a suspect is in custody after a shooting Sunday night at the Spanish Villa Condominiums in Fort Walton Beach, police said.
- Fort Walton Beach Police Department officers responded to the complex at about 10:11 p.m. on June 21 in reference to a shooting with injuries, according to a department news release.
Officers found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds upon arrival. One victim sustained life-threatening injuries. Officers performed life-saving measures and used tourniquets to control the bleeding. Both individuals were transported to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital for treatment.
A preliminary investigation indicated a Honda Civic fled the scene following the shooting, police said. Officers located the suspect vehicle through the use of license plate readers, and a subsequent investigation identified a suspect at a residence in Crestview.
BUSINESS
Eglin FCU launches cruise giveaway for America’s 250th celebration
Eglin Federal Credit Union is inviting the community to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with in-branch festivities and a summer giveaway offering a chance to win a cruise vacation.
- The celebration begins July 1 and July 2, when each branch will offer complimentary cookies and patriotic-themed swag.
From July 1 through Aug. 31, Eglin FCU will host its “Cruise on in for America’s 250th Celebration Giveaway,” giving the public a chance to win a five-day, four-night cruise vacation for two to Mexico, the Bahamas or the western Caribbean. Twelve winners, one per branch, will be randomly selected in a drawing.
Entries can be submitted in person at any Eglin FCU branch, with a limit of one entry per person per day. Participants must be 21 or older to enter.
HEALTH
HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital opens expanded clinic as residency program prepares to nearly double
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital has opened a newly remodeled clinic across the street from the hospital at 1005 Mar Walt Drive in Fort Walton Beach, operated as a collaborative space with White-Wilson Medical Center.
- The clinic features 12 exam rooms and offers primary care and specialized outpatient services. It will also provide follow-up appointments for patients transitioning from hospital to home, as well as support for patients managing complex medical conditions, medications and treatment plans.
According to the hospital, the renovated space is intended to serve local residents and visitors while also providing training for resident physicians in the hospital’s Graduate Medical Education program under the guidance of physician leaders.
The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the clinic last week.
The hospital’s internal medicine residency program currently includes 24 resident physicians, with 25 more set to join in July — 12 in internal medicine and 13 in a new transitional year program.
The hospital said the expanded clinic and the transitional year program are both part of the continued growth of graduate medical education at Fort Walton-Destin, with the renovated White-Wilson space used to train both internal medicine and transitional year residents.
PROMOTED
A World of Signs to throw a two-day grand opening party in Fort Walton Beach
After 20 years in business locally, A World of Signs is celebrating its new shop at 106 Hill Ave NW (old FedEx building) with a Grand Opening Extravaganza on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27.
- Friday runs from noon to 7 p.m. with Tiana’s Lunch Box on site. Saturday goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Tehillah Coffee & Co. pouring. Both days are free and open to the public — no purchase necessary.
Visitors can tour the new facility, watch live vehicle wrap and shirt press demonstrations, try hands-on sign-making activities, and pick up free shirts and decals. Raffles run throughout the event, including a drawing for up to $1,000 in shop credit toward signs, wraps, apparel and promotional products.
Details and raffle registration: go.aworldofsigns.com/opening
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
POLITICS
Matt Gaetz returns to public service, appointed to Triumph Gulf Coast board
Former Congressman Matt Gaetz has been appointed to the Triumph Gulf Coast Inc. Board of Directors, the nonprofit that oversees Florida’s share of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement funds.
- Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez announced the appointment in a letter dated Tuesday, June 23. Gaetz’s term runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030.
“I am returning to public service!” Gaetz wrote, sharing the letter on X. “Thank you, Speaker Perez, for this appointment. I look forward to the work ahead as we continue improving the lives of Northwest Floridians.”
The appointment is Gaetz’s first public service role since he resigned from Congress in November 2024, when then President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for U.S. attorney general. Gaetz later withdrew from consideration. Since leaving Washington, he has worked as a talk show host for One America News.
Triumph Gulf Coast is a nonprofit corporation organized to oversee the expenditure of 75 percent of all funds recovered by the Florida attorney general for economic damages to the state from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The corporation administers the distribution of those funds for the recovery, diversification and enhancement of the eight Northwest Florida counties disproportionately affected by the spill: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla.
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Jared
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