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Good morning!
Okaloosa County Commissioners set a tentative millage rate and debated the future of school resource officer funding at Tuesday’s meeting. FWC honored five Okaloosa and Walton county landowners for wildlife conservation efforts, and a “Back 2 School” event will offer supplies and resources for families at the Fort Walton Beach Rec Center. Also, five new listings for sale in Crestview under $400K.
GIVING BACK
‘Back 2 School’ event to offer supplies, resources for families at Fort Walton Beach Rec Center
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
Nearly 30 local businesses and organizations are coming together for a Back 2 School community event on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Fort Walton Beach Recreation Center.
The event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 132 Jet Drive NW, is open to students in grades K through 12. Parents are also encouraged to attend.
Organizers say the event goes beyond a backpack giveaway. Families will be able to pick up backpacks and essential school supplies while supplies last, connect with tutoring and educational resources, learn about scholarship opportunities and explore mentorship programs for middle and high school students.
Health information, screenings and mental health resources will also be available. Parents can find housing resources and information for first-time homebuyers. The event will feature pizza, snacks, cotton candy, popcorn and music from a live DJ throughout the day.
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GAMES
WordroW: July 23, 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.
REAL ESTATE
FWC honors five Okaloosa and Walton county landowners for wildlife conservation efforts
The FWC’s Landowner Assistance Program honored landowners across the Panhandle through its Wildlife Habitat Recognition Program, which awards recipients a sign to display on their property and a certificate recognizing their conservation efforts.
Three Okaloosa County landowners were among those recognized:
- Gary Breilmayer and Family with Good-Mayer LLC
- Calvin Robinson with The Fleming Creek Farm
- Edwin Henry with the Welannee Plantation
In Walton County, Brett Wilson and Family with Limestone Creek Farms and Gary Johnson and Family with Square-J Farm were also honored.
“We’re recognizing these landowners for their enduring commitment to the ecosystem and its wildlife, plants and animals,” said Ed O’Daniels, FWC Private Lands Regional Coordinator. “Through their stewardship and dedication, they have helped preserve these natural resources not only for themselves, but for future generations to enjoy and benefit from them.”
GAMES
Jigsaw – “Hangar”
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 go back to 1959 on Eglin Air Force Base where we look at the Climatic Laboratory from inside a hangar. Today, The McKinley Climatic Laboratory has chambers where any climatic environment in the world can be simulated.
REAL ESTATE
5 new listings for sale in Crestview under $400k
Crestview continues to offer some of the best value in Okaloosa County, especially for buyers looking for more square footage, larger lots, and newer construction without coastal price tags.
This week’s Hot Listings showcase a mix of homes across the city, from move-in-ready properties on acreage to flexible floor plans designed for growing families and multigenerational living.
Whether you’re searching for a backyard built for entertaining, a brand-new home with builder incentives, or a property with room to spread out, these five homes highlight the variety of options currently on the market.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
SPONSOR OPPORTUNITY: We are looking for a sponsor for our weather section. Get your business in front of our newsletter readers and social media followers!
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 87. South wind 10 to 15 mph.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy, with a low around 79. West wind 5 to 10 mph.
BUSINESS
Okaloosa Commissioners set tentative millage rate, debate future of school resource officer funding
Okaloosa County Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to hold the property tax millage rate at 3.8308 mills for the 11th consecutive year, but the vote came after a debate over the county’s funding of school resource officers that carried directly into the millage discussion.
Commissioner Paul Mixon raised the issue near the end of the July 21 budget workshop, questioning whether the county’s 50/50 cost-sharing arrangement with the school district for SROs is still balanced. County Administrator John Hofstad said the county has spent more than $25 million on the program since 2018 and is projected to spend roughly $4.4 million in fiscal year 2027.
- The issue, Mixon and other commissioners said, is state Safe Schools funding that has flowed to the school district since 2019. Hofstad said the money has effectively reduced the district’s out-of-pocket contribution.
When the special meeting opened to set the tentative millage rates, Chairman Trey Goodwin moved to cut the county’s SRO funding and adopt a lower rate of 3.6961 mills. The motion died without a second.
“It’s not a question of are SROs a good thing. I think most people agree they are,” Goodwin said. “It’s are SROs a county government funding duty?”
Mixon said he agreed the funding arrangement needs to be revisited but could not support eliminating it without further study, noting that the sheriff has already prepared his budget and filled positions based on the existing funding level.
- “That’s a big Band-Aid, and I’m scared a touch of just completely pulling the rug,” Mixon said. “I don’t believe the juice is worth the squeeze to do it in such haste today.”
Commissioners Ketchel, Cox and Palmer echoed the call for more study before acting. Ketchel also cited the November homestead exemption ballot measure as a reason to hold the millage rate steady.
Mixon then moved to hold the millage at 3.8308 mills with an aggregate rate of 3.9615 mills. Ketchel seconded. The motion passed 4-1 with Goodwin as the lone no vote.
The first public budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3 in Crestview, with final adoption set for Sept. 15 in Shalimar.
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!
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Jared
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124 Eglin Parkway SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548