SPONSORED BY
Good morning!
Destin Elementary cut the ribbon on its new 2-story addition, the 3-5 Center, welcoming fifth graders back to campus as the new school year kicks off. Fort Walton Beach has shelved the splash pad and new restrooms at The Landing as the council looks to close out the park’s renovation, and the sheriff has detailed the timeline of events and weapons found after the fatal Crestview standoff. Also, Hurlburt Field welcomed 14 Northwest Florida civic leaders as honorary commanders.
PARKS+REC
FWB shelves splash pad, new restrooms at The Landing as council seeks to close out renovation
Less than four months after reopening the downtown waterfront park that took nearly a decade to permit and build, the Fort Walton Beach City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to close out the final phase of the Landing renovation with a scaled-down scope and bring the project to an end.
- The council directed City Manager Jason Davis and staff to return with a concept for a handful of lower-cost improvements rather than the full Phase 4 design, which called for two new restrooms on opposite ends of the park, a splash pad, demolition of the existing restroom and underground utility work.
The scaled-down version would instead focus on converting some of the park’s golf cart parking spaces to regular vehicle parking, adding a loading zone for weekend events, remodeling the existing bathroom, repairing broken concrete, replacing damaged trash cans and relocating the east-side dumpster enclosure.
The Landing renovation project dates to at least 2017, when the city began working with the Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to permit waterfront improvements. The Army Corps permit was held up in a historical review by the state of Florida and was not issued until May 2022, under then-City Manager Michael Beedie.
Phase 1 construction began in June 2023 under City Manager Jeff Peters, with Fort Walton Beach-based GLC Contracting Inc. handling the work. The project was built in three phases, delivering a reinforced 700-foot seawall, a concrete boardwalk along Santa Rosa Sound, a circular performance stage with amphitheater seating, a fishing pier, a kayak and paddleboard launch, terraced waterfront seating and new lighting throughout the park.
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: August 14, 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.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Sheriff details timeline of events, weapons found after fatal Crestview standoff
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office released a day-by-day account of incidents involving a 29-year-old Crestview man in the days before a fatal standoff with deputies, along with details about weapons and homemade explosives recovered from his home.
- Sheriff Eric Aden presented the timeline and evidence during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, saying he believes deputies averted a potential attack on a school by acting when they did.
“I’m further convinced based on what we know now, that if we had not taken action, there would have been significant loss of life at Richbourg or another school,” Aden said.
Antonio Austin Haner was killed on Aug. 8 after he opened fire on deputies who arrived at his residence at 607 Alabama Street to serve a search warrant, arrest warrant and risk protection order, according to the sheriff’s office. The home sits directly across a two-lane road from the school. No deputies, officers or community members were injured.
“This was not an average arrest or search warrant,” Aden said. “I’m convinced a normal response from law enforcement would have resulted in significant loss of life, not just for our folks, but likely innocent citizens.”
The search of Haner’s home turned up three rifles, two shotguns, a pistol, body armor, two gas masks, preloaded expanded-capacity magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and homemade explosive devices. Aden said the explosives were active.
- “Those are not wicks you light. Those you pull, and they go off like a hand grenade or any type of pipe bomb,” Aden said. Bay County’s bomb disposal team responded to handle the devices.
Aden said Haner could have used the explosives to booby-trap the house but did not.
“I do believe that there was a school at threat, whether it was Richbourg or another school,” Aden said. “I do believe this guy had the means and the mental capacity to carry that threat out.”
PROMOTED BY ORIGIN BANK
Trust is earned, not acquired
In a time when banks are getting bigger and less personal, Origin is growing without losing what matters most – real relationships. We believe trust is something you earn, one conversation at a time.
MILITARY
Hurlburt Field welcomes 14 Northwest Florida civic leaders as honorary commanders
The 1st Special Operations Wing paired 14 local civic and business leaders with military commanders during a kickoff tour at Hurlburt Field on Aug. 7, launching the base’s 2026-2027 Honorary Commander Program.
The yearlong program is designed to strengthen ties between Hurlburt Field and the surrounding Northwest Florida communities by giving civilian leaders insight into military operations while allowing base leadership to draw on local expertise in education, business and healthcare. In turn, civic leaders gain a better understanding of how to support military families.
“The Honorary Commander program is a strategic imperative. It forges a direct link between the readiness of our Air Commandos and the civic leaders who shape this community,” said Col. Mark Hamilton, 1st Special Operations Wing commander. “These are not ceremonial relationships but active partnerships. The collaboration we gain here will be instrumental as we tackle challenges like housing and infrastructure to ensure Hurlburt Field remains the premier platform for generating combat power.”
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
HEAT ADVISORY: A heat advisory is in effect on Friday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. for the entire area.
TODAY: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 4pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Heat index values as high as 106. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: Mostly clear, with a low around 82. Heat index values as high as 105. West wind 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
SCHOOL
Destin Elementary cuts ribbon on new 3-5 Center, welcomes fifth graders back to campus
Destin Elementary School officially opened its new 3-5 Center on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of a 30-classroom addition, multipurpose building and administrative wing that school leaders say will reshape the campus for years to come.
The expansion, located at 630 Kelly Street, brings fifth-grade students back to the elementary campus from Destin Middle School, giving Destin Elementary dedicated instructional space for grades 3-5 while freeing up capacity at the middle school.
“It’s not about just simply building 30 classrooms. It’s not about just simply having this multipurpose building. It’s about creating opportunities for students,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “We need to make sure that there’s capacity at Destin Middle School. We need to make sure that there’s capacity at Destin Elementary School. And by building the 30 classrooms, we knew we had the ability to bring the fifth-grade students back.”
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Friday! 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