SPONSORED BY
Good morning!
Okaloosa County Schools earned an ‘A’ rating again this year, extending a streak that has held every year since school grades were first issued in 2014. A Pensacola man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for the Fort Walton Beach parking lot explosion, and North Walton Doctors Hospital named Tyler Williams as its interim CEO. FWBHS athletes and ROTC cadets hit the field with the Army for an America 250 workout, and Okaloosa Gas is reminding residents to plan now as hurricane season is underway.
SPORTS
FWBHS athletes, ROTC cadets hit the field with Army for America 250 workout
Athletes from nearly a dozen Fort Walton Beach High School programs joined U.S. Army recruiters at Steve Riggs Stadium on Wednesday morning for an America 250-themed workout ahead of the Fourth of July, grinding through hundreds of pushups, squats, a full-field sled drag and more in the summer heat.
The workout brought together athletes from football, volleyball, lacrosse, cheerleading, baseball, girls weightlifting, boys weightlifting, flag football and ROTC for a morning of competition and camaraderie organized by Army recruiters from the Fort Walton Beach office.
The workout began with a sled drag across the full length of the football field, an event pulled directly from the Army’s physical fitness test designed to simulate dragging an injured person to safety. From there, teams worked through 250 pushups and 250 squats before finishing with a 250-yard litter carry, with each number chosen to commemorate the nation’s milestone.
SPONSORED
Ready, tap, go!
Ready, tap, go! with an Eglin Federal Credit Union Mastercard® — you’re ready for your next adventure.
With rates as low as 7.9% APR, no annual fee, no balance transfer fee, and no cash advance fee, you’re set for every beach day or weekend on the water.
Just tap your Eglin FCU Mastercard and get on your way — fast.
Apply in person or online at eglinfcu.org/Mastercard.
Eglin Federal Credit Union. Where members matter most.
GAMES
WordroW: July 2, 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.
WEATHER
Be storm ready: With hurricane season underway, Okaloosa Gas reminds residents to plan now
Forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are calling for a below-normal Atlantic hurricane season in 2026, with 8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes and 1 to 3 major hurricanes between June 1 and Nov. 30.
- Despite the forecast, Okaloosa Gas District is reminding residents in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties to be storm ready.
Okaloosa Gas District has served Northwest Florida since 1953 without a system-wide outage, a record that covers some of the most destructive hurricanes in Gulf Coast history.
Part of the reason traces back to how natural gas is delivered. Unlike electricity, which depends on poles, wires and substations exposed to wind and falling trees, natural gas travels through an underground network largely insulated from storm damage.
“The top priority at Okaloosa Gas is the safety of the residents of Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties,” said Eddie Springle, Vice President of Marketing for Okaloosa Gas District. “Being a natural gas provider, it is our job to make sure everyone is aware of the steps to take in case they encounter any problems involving natural gas.”
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.
BUSINESS
North Walton Doctors Hospital names Tyler Williams as interim CEO
North Walton Doctors Hospital has named Tyler Williams as its interim chief executive officer, the hospital announced Tuesday.
Williams, who holds a Master of Healthcare Administration, brings more than a decade of healthcare administration experience to the role, with a background in rural hospital operations, strategic growth and financial performance.
His appointment comes as the hospital enters a new strategic partnership with Aletheia Health Partners, which officials said is focused on strengthening operations, expanding access to services and supporting long-term sustainability.
GAMES
Jigsaw – “America the Beautiful”
WordroW is brought to you by Fort Walton Beach Chiropractic – keeping your mind sharp and your spine aligned, one game at a time.
Ready for this week’s Jigsaw puzzle?
Each week, we use local pictures from around Okaloosa County as part of our puzzles. They’ll include current dated photos to historical ones. This week…we take a look at one of the biggest American flags in the state of Florida…right here in Okaloosa County!
PUBLIC SAFETY
Pensacola man sentenced to seven years in federal prison for FWB parking lot explosion
A Pensacola man has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for setting off an explosive in a Fort Walton Beach parking lot that damaged a restaurant and injured one of its employees.
Gregory Simonds Jr., 43, was sentenced on the charge of arson by means of an explosive causing personal injury, according to U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin of the Northern District of Florida. Simonds pleaded guilty to the charge in March.
Court documents state that on Feb. 15, 2025, Simonds detonated an explosive during an altercation with individuals associated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club in the parking lot of Emerald Coast Harley-Davidson on Beal Parkway. The blast damaged the adjacent Jimmy John’s restaurant and injured one of its employees.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 90. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear, with a low around 80. West wind 0 to 5 mph.
SCHOOL
Okaloosa School District earns ‘A’ rating again, continues streak since 2014
The Okaloosa County School District earned its latest “A” from the Florida Department of Education.
- The district improved from 11th to 8th in the state for on-grade-level student proficiency, based on the district’s analysis of Florida’s statewide accountability results for 2026.
Under the Florida Department of Education’s official school district accountability system, which measures student proficiency, year-over-year learning gains, acceleration and graduation rates, Okaloosa County ranks 15th among the state’s 67 school districts.
The district improved in 10 of 12 academic categories. Its total accountability point count has climbed steadily over three years, rising from 772 in 2024 to 793 in 2025 and 818 in 2026.
This year, 23 schools earned an “A,” 10 earned a “B” and four earned a “C,” with 89% of schools receiving an “A” or “B.” Five schools moved from a “B” to an “A” and two improved from a “C” to a “B.” Six schools showed major percentage growth for their school grade, with increases ranging from 7% to 13%.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Thursday! 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!
p.s. What did you think of this morning’s newsletter? Hit the reply button and let me know!
Jared
Published with ♥ by Get The Coast.
Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe here.
124 Eglin Parkway SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548