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Good morning!
Captains and scientists tagged 46 tarpon at the second Silver Scale Invitational in Destin-Fort Walton Beach. Okaloosa County is partnering with Panama City Beach on a new 224-foot artificial reef, and the Fort Walton Beach City Council approved the demolition of Steamboat Landing. The Ocean City-Wright Fire District put a new ladder truck into service with a push-in ceremony, and Eglin Federal Credit Union opened a new branch in DeFuniak Springs. Also, ERA American Real Estate will hand out American flags on July 3 and 4 as its Flag Season tradition continues.
COASTAL RESOURCES
Okaloosa County partners with Panama City Beach on new 224-foot artificial reef
A 224-foot vessel Okaloosa County purchased last summer for its artificial reef program will be deployed this fall as the Sposit Reef, with Panama City Beach now sharing the cost and the Coastal Conservation Association covering the tow.
The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, June 16, approved an agreement with the Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau to split the $450,000 cost of the MV Henry Alex equally, with each partner contributing $225,000. The county originally approved the single-source purchase in August 2025 through Tri-Native Contractors.
- CCA Florida will provide an additional $60,000 to cover towing and deployment. All funding comes from tourism development tax revenue and partner contributions.
The proposed deployment site sits in about 120 feet of water at 30° 05.831’N, -86° 17.749’W, 22 nautical miles from the Destin East Pass and 28 nautical miles from the Panama City Pass. Deployment is expected in the fall of 2026.
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GAMES
WordroW: June 30, 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
Fort Walton Beach City Council approves Steamboat Landing demolition
The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted 5-1 on last week to approve $166,860 to demolish Steamboat Landing, the vacant former condominium at 161 Brooks Street.
Demolition Pros LLC submitted the lowest responsive bid following a June 9 opening. Four bids were received, ranging from $218,310 to $499,688.55, after one submission was deemed non-compliant.
- The approved scope covers demolition of the building to the slab, debris removal, interior and exterior pool removal, landscaping, site clearing and sidewalk removal.
The property’s MLS listing, which shows a price of $1,950,000 and lists the sale as pending.
In the full recap, we discuss CRA approval, council discussion, and the property’s background (how it ended up in this shape).
Click here to read the full story
PROMOTED
ERA American Real Estate to hand out American flags July 3 and 4 as Flag Season tradition continues
ERA American Real Estate is inviting the community to stop by its Shalimar, Navarre/Gulf Breeze, Niceville and Crestview offices on July 3 and 4 to pick up an American flag, part of a Flag Season tradition the Shalimar-based brokerage has carried out for more than 40 years.
The tradition dates back to 1985, when founder Gloria Frazier launched the brokerage and placed 5,000 flags in Fort Walton Beach neighborhoods. It has since grown into a regional effort that now distributes 30,000 flags each year across Northwest Florida.
In 2023, the brokerage planted its one millionth American flag since the tradition began. ERA American Real Estate operates five offices across Northwest Florida, four of which are open for this year’s community flag pickup.
- Shalimar: 4 9th Ave. E.
- Navarre/Gulf Breeze: 5660 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., A3
- Niceville: 409 E. John Sims Pkwy. #1
- Crestview: 938 S. Ferdon Blvd.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Ocean City-Wright Fire District puts new ladder truck into service with push-in ceremony
Residents and visitors in the Ocean City-Wright Fire Control District will have access to expanded rescue and fire suppression capabilities after the district officially placed its new Truck 3 into service Saturday.
The apparatus, a Sutphen SL75, replaces a standard fire engine previously assigned to the station. It carries a 75-foot aerial ladder and an elevated master stream capable of delivering thousands of gallons of water, according to the district.
- The district celebrated the milestone with a traditional fire service push-in ceremony, in which firefighters manually push a new apparatus into the station bay.
In addition to frontline fire response, Truck 3 is designed for technical rescues, commercial structure fires, ventilation operations, elevated patient access, and other complex emergencies that exceed the capabilities of a traditional engine company.
BUSINESS
Eglin Federal Credit Union opens new DeFuniak Springs Branch
Eglin Federal Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of its new DeFuniak Springs Branch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 25, 2026.
Located at 677 US Highway 90 W, the DeFuniak Springs Branch is the credit union’s second full-service branch and third location in Walton County. The Freeport Branch opened in July 2024, and the Santa Rosa Beach ATM/Video Teller Drive-thru at 4634 U.S. Highway 98 W opened on May 11, 2026.
The new branch is approximately 4,400 square feet and features an open design with interactive touchscreens, a Coinstar machine, night drop, touchscreen Video Tellers and drive-thru ATMs.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Heat index values as high as 105. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 80. North wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
COASTAL RESOURCES
Captains, scientists tag 46 tarpon at second Silver Scale Invitational in Destin-FWB
A group of veteran Destin-Fort Walton Beach charter captains spent two days in June turning every tarpon hookup into a data point, working alongside scientists from six universities and agencies to build a research baseline for a fishery that draws anglers worldwide but remains poorly studied in local waters.
- The second annual Silver Scale Invitational, held June 24-25, paired ten local captains and anglers with twelve researchers aboard the same boats.
Teams hooked 169 tarpon, landed 40, and tagged 46, including eight acoustic tags and one satellite tag that will let scientists follow individual fish across the Gulf and beyond. Crews also collected 40 scale samples and 30 diet samples.
The tournament was born from the captains themselves. Several of the area’s most experienced tarpon guides approached organizers looking for a way to make their time on the water count toward something lasting, and the first event launched in 2025 in response. The 2026 edition expanded the field and deepened the research partnership.
“This started with a group of captains who wanted their days on the water to count for something bigger than a single fish,” said Nicky Harvell, tournament organizer and owner of Emerald Coast Outfitters. “We know these fish better than anyone because we chase them every season, and pairing that knowledge with scientists means every hookup turns into data we can actually use. Watching a captain, an angler, and a researcher work the same fish together is what this event is all about.”
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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