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Good morning!
NWFSC has doubled the number of programs covered by its money-back guarantee. Former Okaloosa correctional officer Richard Comerford has been named the new Florida Department of Corrections secretary, and Choctaw alum Aaron Deal is bringing former Gators to Fort Walton Beach for a free youth football camp. Ascension Sacred Heart NICU also celebrated the Fourth of July with its tiniest patriot.
NEWS
Ascension Sacred Heart NICU celebrates the Fourth with its tiniest patriot
While many people were prepare for fireworks, the mother and baby care team at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast celebrated a different kind of spark.
The hospital’s NICU team captured photos of one of its newest and smallest patients dressed up for the Fourth of July.
“Meet the newest red, white and blue bundle JT!” the team shared.
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GAMES
WordroW: July 6, 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.
FROM THE STATE
Former Okaloosa correctional officer Richard Comerford named new FDC secretary
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Richard Comerford as secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections, elevating a 40-year veteran of the agency who started his career locally at Okaloosa Correctional Institution.
Comerford most recently served as the department’s deputy secretary, where he provided executive oversight for the nation’s third-largest correctional system.
“Richard Comerford has dedicated more than four decades of service to the Florida Department of Corrections and has been instrumental in advancing the Department’s mission,” DeSantis said in a statement. “His experience, leadership, and commitment to public safety make him well qualified to serve as Secretary, and I am confident he will continue to build on the Department’s success.”
Comerford began his corrections career in 1986 as a correctional officer at Okaloosa Correctional Institution. Over the course of his career, he advanced through supervisory, investigative and command roles, including assistant deputy secretary of institutions and multiple warden and assistant warden assignments across the state.
SPORTS
Choctaw alum Aaron Deal bringing former Gators to Fort Walton Beach for free youth football camp
A group of former University of Florida football players will bring their annual summer camp to Fort Walton Beach next week, and for Aaron Deal, it’s a homecoming.
The third annual Florida Community Football Camp will be held July 11 at Joe Etheredge Stadium at Choctaw High School. The camp is free and open to all kids ages 6-12, with lunch provided.
Deal, who played at Choctaw before going on to play at Florida, is this year’s host. The camp rotates each year to the hometown of a different former Gator, with the 2024 camp held at Titusville High School and the 2025 camp at Santa Fe High School in Alachua, near Gainesville.
The concept grew out of something simple: a group of former teammates looking for an excuse to get back together.
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.”
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 7am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely between 1am and 4am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
SCHOOL
NWFSC doubles the number of programs covered by its money-back guarantee
Northwest Florida State College is doubling the number of programs eligible for its Money-Back Guarantee Program, adding three high-demand workforce tracks to the initiative that launched in 2024.
Beginning July 1, the college will guarantee tuition refunds in six programs after previously covering three. The physical therapist assistant, medical laboratory technology and early childhood education associate degree programs join the existing guarantee for nursing, radiography and the paramedic college credit certificate.
Under the program, eligible graduates who are unable to find employment in their field within six months of graduation can receive a full tuition refund, provided they meet academic, attendance and job search requirements set by the college and the state. The guarantee is also conditioned on meeting all regulatory requirements.
“This expansion reflects our confidence in the quality of our academic programs and, more importantly, in the success of our students,” NWFSC President Mel Ponder said. “These six programs prepare graduates for some of our region’s most essential careers, and their outcomes consistently demonstrate the value of a Northwest Florida State College education.”
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Jared
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