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Good morning!
Rep. Jimmy Patronis has proposed a national cemetery in Okaloosa County and formed a steering committee to advance the effort. An armed man was killed after reportedly firing on deputies serving warrants in Crestview, according to the sheriff, and White-Wilson Medical Center is celebrating 80 years with new ownership, leadership, and growth plans. 100 divers pulled nearly 160 pounds of debris in the Okaloosa Island Pier cleanup, and Brooks Bridge construction is bringing nighttime lane reductions to Okaloosa Island.
COASTAL RESOURCES
100 divers pull nearly 160 pounds of debris in Okaloosa Island Pier cleanup
One hundred divers plunged into the waters around the Okaloosa Island Pier on Sunday for the final pier cleanup dive of 2026, hauling out nearly 160 pounds of debris in what the pier called a monumental success.
The effort, led by Coastal Resources Coordinator Danielle Lasseigne, was the quickest cleanup dive the pier has ever conducted. Divers collectively removed 157.78 pounds of debris, including golf balls, rods and reels, a JBL speaker and large quantities of fishing line.
The cleanup was a collaboration between the Okaloosa Island Pier, Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach and Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. Cory Mitrenga of The Gulfarium served as divemaster for the dive.
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GAMES
WordroW: August 10, 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
White-Wilson Medical Center celebrates 80 years with new ownership, leadership and growth plans
White-Wilson Medical Center, the region’s largest independent multi-specialty physician group, is celebrating its 80th anniversary with new ownership, new leadership and plans to expand its reach further into the Florida Panhandle.
The medical center completed a corporate restructuring in April that brought in Kain Capital as an investor and installed healthcare executive Brad Logan as chief executive officer. Leadership says the changes have given the organization a stronger financial foundation as it looks to grow.
“The anniversary comes at exactly the right moment. Eighty years of service is an incredible achievement, but our focus is firmly on the future,” Logan said. “We are starting a new chapter with a solid financial foundation and a clear vision to grow. We are investing in providers recruitment, advanced technology and innovative care models that will better serve our patients and communities for decades to come.”
Founded in 1946 as a single doctor’s office on Brooks Street in Fort Walton Beach, White-Wilson has grown into a regional healthcare network with locations in Fort Walton Beach, Crestview, Destin, DeFuniak Springs, Niceville and Navarre. The medical center cares for more than 95,000 patients annually across Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties.
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PUBLIC SAFETY
Armed man killed after firing on deputies serving warrants in Crestview, sheriff says
A 29-year-old man was killed early Saturday morning after he reportedly opened fire on Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies who were attempting to serve warrants at his home on Alabama Street in Crestview, near Richburg Middle School, Sheriff Eric Aden said.
Deputies with the OCSO Special Response Team arrived around 5 a.m. to serve a search warrant, an arrest warrant and a risk protection order on the man, who Aden said had a previous risk protection order and had displayed a pattern of escalating behavior in recent weeks.
The man had active warrants for discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and discharging a firearm in a residential neighborhood, according to the OCSO.
Despite attempts to convince the man to surrender peacefully, he fired multiple rounds at deputies, striking several law enforcement assets and nearby properties, including the school and another home in the area, according to the sheriff’s office. No deputies, officers or community members were injured.
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TRAFFIC
Brooks Bridge construction brings nighttime lane reductions to Okaloosa Island
Drivers crossing Okaloosa Island should expect nighttime lane reductions on Highway 98 this week as crews work to build the new westbound Brooks Bridge structure.
Beginning the week of Sunday, Aug. 9, the travel lanes on U.S. 98 between Santa Rosa Boulevard and the pedestrian overpass will be reduced to a single lane in each direction from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The configuration is designed to give crews the space needed to construct the new westbound bridge.
FDOT also noted that intermittent lane closures on U.S. 98 from Ferry Road to Pier Road may occur between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 10am and 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind 0 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. Southwest wind 0 to 5 mph.
FROM THE STATE
Patronis proposes national cemetery in Okaloosa County, forms steering committee
Congressman Jimmy Patronis on Thursday announced a proposal to study the establishment of a new National Veterans Cemetery in Okaloosa County, citing the region’s large and growing military and veteran population and limited burial space at Arlington National Cemetery.
The proposal calls for roughly 200 acres of land for the cemetery. An advisory committee will review possible site locations, including orphan parcels located on Eglin Air Force Base.
“Northwest Florida has a long history of answering our nation’s call to serve,” Patronis said. “Our veterans deserve a final resting place that reflects the honor and sacrifice of their service. A national cemetery in Okaloosa County would ensure those who wore the uniform can be laid to rest with the dignity they’ve earned.”
A newly formed National Veterans Cemetery Steering Committee will begin its work in September and engage stakeholders to provide input and support for the project, according to the release.
The committee will be co-chaired by Brigadier General Fran Hendricks, USAF (Ret.), and Graham W. Fountain, a retired Okaloosa County commissioner, state police colonel and honorary commander of the 492nd Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field.
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Jared
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