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Good morning!
One Okaloosa EDC has launched an online housing dashboard tracking more than 5,200 lots and units across the county, giving residents and policymakers new visibility into the local housing pipeline. South Walton’s Coleman Borthwick was drafted in the first round by the San Diego Padres, and remains found buried in Freeport have been identified as a missing Niceville man, with the search for a murder suspect continuing. HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital earned a top award from the American College of Cardiology, and Okaloosa County earned a $200,000 state incentive for its substance abuse recovery efforts. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort named Todd Felsen as vice president and managing director.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Okaloosa County earns $200,000 state incentive for substance abuse recovery efforts
The Florida Department of Children and Families recently recognized Okaloosa County as one of 10 counties statewide to receive a one-time $200,000 performance incentive for its work through the Coordinated Opioid Recovery (CORE) Network.
The award recognizes what officials described as exceptional efforts in building a coordinated system of care involving healthcare providers, behavioral health organizations, emergency medical services, hospitals, law enforcement, peer specialists, recovery community organizations and other community partners.
“Okaloosa County Community Paramedics, along with our community partners, have achieved incredible results with their efforts,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Trey Goodwin. “This recognition is well-deserved and will go toward improving the lives of many other people in our community who suffer from addiction.”
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GAMES
WordroW: July 13, 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
South Walton’s Coleman Borthwick drafted by San Diego Padres in first round
The expected has become reality: Coleman Borthwick is an MLB draft pick.
The San Diego Padres selected the South Walton right-hander with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday, capping a high school career unlike anything the area has ever seen.
Borthwick found out the news at a draft party surrounded by family, friends and South Walton teammates. Among those alongside him were his parents, Nick, South Walton’s head baseball coach, and Nina, the school’s principal.
The draft selection comes after a senior season in which Borthwick went 10-0 with a 0.21 ERA and 121 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings, earning Gatorade Florida Player of the Year honors and leading the Seahawks to a Class 3A state championship. Before that, he represented Team USA in the 2025 U-18 World Cup, leading the squad to a gold medal and taking home tournament MVP honors.
Now, Borthwick faces a decision.
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BUSINESS
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital earns top award from American College of Cardiology
HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital has been recognized with the American College of Cardiology’s 3-Star PCI Award, a national distinction recognizing hospitals that demonstrate excellence in the quality and safety of percutaneous coronary intervention, commonly known as coronary angioplasty.
- The award recognizes cardiovascular programs that consistently meet or exceed national standards for evidence-based care, patient safety and clinical outcomes.
The designation is based on performance data submitted through the ACC CathPCI Registry, one of the nation’s leading quality improvement programs for cardiovascular care. The ACC evaluates programs using nationally recognized performance measures that assess risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality, appropriate use of procedures and adherence to evidence-based practices before, during and after the procedures.
“This recognition reflects our team’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional cardiovascular care to every patient who entrusts us with their health,” said KC Donahey, CEO of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. “Our physicians, nurses and colleagues work together every day to provide safe, high-quality, evidence-based care for patients experiencing serious heart conditions.”
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Remains found buried in Freeport identified as missing Niceville man, search for murder suspect continues
Human remains found buried on a property in Freeport have been positively identified as those of Jason Christopher Coulthart, a 43-year-old Niceville man reported missing on May 24, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Coulthart was last seen leaving the College Condominiums on East College Boulevard. On June 25, Niceville police detectives traced his remains to a property off Sunset Lane in Freeport, where investigators found his body in a shallow grave. DNA confirmation came Thursday from the District 1 Medical Examiner’s Office.
“This is not the news we hoped to deliver to our Niceville community,” Niceville Chief of Police Mark Hayse said. “We stand with Jason’s family and will continue working closely with our partners to see this case through.”
Five arrests have been made so far, with additional arrests expected. Isabelle Johnson, 38, remains wanted on an open count of murder and is believed to be actively evading law enforcement. She is described as a white female, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall and 120 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. She is known to use multiple aliases.
BUSINESS
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort names Todd Felsen as vice president, managing director
Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort has appointed Todd Felsen as its new vice president and managing director, the resort announced Monday.
Felsen, who assumed the role in May, will oversee all facets of resort operations at the 2,400-acre property, including accommodations, food and beverage, golf and marina operations, recreation programming, guest services, owner relations and capital improvement initiatives.
He will also lead efforts to further enhance the resort experience and support Sandestin’s continued growth as a premier hospitality and leisure destination in the Southeast.
“Todd’s operational expertise, strategic mindset and people-first leadership style have already made a meaningful impact at Sandestin,” said Sara Becnel, president of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. “His deep understanding of the resort, combined with his commitment to elevating the guest experience, positions him perfectly to lead Sandestin into its next chapter.”
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10am, then showers and thunderstorms between 10am and 4pm, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. West wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
TONIGHT: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 10pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 77. West wind 10 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
REAL ESTATE
One Okaloosa EDC launches online housing dashboard tracking more than 5,200 lots and units
One Okaloosa EDC on Friday launched an online housing dashboard designed to give residents, prospective homebuyers and public officials a centralized look at where new housing is being built or planned across the county.
The dashboard, available at oneokaloosa.org/housing-assets, tracks single-family and multifamily developments that are planned, permitted or currently under construction. At present, it includes 48 developments representing more than 5,200 individual lots or units in Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Niceville and unincorporated Okaloosa County.
“There has been considerable discussion in recent years about our county’s available housing stock — particularly in the area of attainable workforce housing, both for military and civilian families alike,” said Nathan Sparks, executive director of One Okaloosa EDC. “While notable strides have been made, the fact is that more work remains.”
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