TRAFFIC

Broken water main shuts down westbound traffic on Highway 98 in Fort Walton Beach

A broken water main closed westbound traffic on U.S. Highway 98 in Fort Walton Beach for about seven hours Monday afternoon. Fort Walton Beach Police received a call at 12:26 p.m. about a sinkhole at the intersection of U.S. 98 and Beal Parkway.

• “We got the call as a sinkhole, but it was just water coming up through the cracks in the road,” said Sgt. Mike Woll, with the Fort Walton Beach Police Department.

Woll said westbound traffic was diverted at Eglin Parkway so that crews could respond to the leak. U.S 98 eastbound traffic was not affected.

Employees with the City of Fort Walton Beach’s Public Works and Utility Services responded to the water break, with help from the Fort Walton Beach Police Department, the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Public Works Director Daniel Payne said the crew found a 6-inch cast iron pipe about four feet below the roadway that was leaking water from a split. Workers placed a stainless-steel collar over the pipe to repair the leak, before filling it in and repairing the roadway.

• The road was reopened to westbound traffic about 8 p.m. Monday.

Payne said the Public Works department is aware of another potentially leaking pipe beneath U.S. 98 near this site and is currently working to schedule repairs to that line as well.

The City of Fort Walton Beach has approximately 148 miles of buried water lines, delivering water to about 9,000 residences and 1,000 businesses in the city.

SPORTS

FWB Vikings defeat South Walton Seahawks 28-13

The Fort Walton Beach Vikings football team impressed with a dominant 28-13 victory on the road against the South Walton Seahawks on Friday night. The Vikings were led by an explosive running game and a stifling defense.

Behind a solid offensive line, the Vikings unleashed a potent rushing attack that South Walton struggled to contain. 

Junior running back Eddie Love Jr. was the star of the show, rushing for a whopping 259 yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns. He broke off a long 65-yard touchdown run in the first half that ignited the Vikings offense. 

• For comparison, in last week’s loss against Godby, Love rushed for an impressive 184 yards on 22 carries.

Senior quarterback Harrison Orr complemented Love’s ground attack by managing the game efficiently. Orr went 4/6 passing for 38 yards and also added 58 rushing yards and a touchdown. 

• Junior wide receiver Owen Davis was a reliable target for Orr, tallying significant receiving yards on multiple receptions. 

The Vikings offensive line imposed their will, opening up massive holes for the running backs all game long. Love and Orr’s big nights would not have been possible without the dominant blocking up front.

Defensively, the Vikings flew to the football and delivered crushing hits to overwhelm South Walton. Senior linebacker Zavier Hamilton secured a crucial interception, while junior linebacker Dante Core added an interception of his own.

The defensive line, led by junior defensive end Marcuise Taylor and junior linebacker Ison Newcomb, applied relentless pressure on the Seahawks’ quarterback. Taylor recorded an impressive five sacks, while Newcomb contributed two sacks, disrupting the Seahawk’s offensive rhythm.

The Vikings’ special teams played a crucial role in the victory. Senior kicker Jax Lechner made all four field goal attempts, and returners Eddie Love Jr. and Dante Core provided valuable field position through kick and punt returns.

Next up: The Vikings have a home game vs. Rutherford on Friday, September 8 at 7:00pm.

SPORTS

Choctaw’s Tabb, Winslette lead offense in 33-13 win over Fairhope

The Choctawhatchee Indians hosted the Fairhope Pirates on Friday night at Etheredge Stadium in Fort Walton Beach. The Indians came away with a 33-13 victory.

Choctaw’s passing game found success, with senior quarterback Jesse Winslettecompleting 12 of 21 attempts for 198 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

His top target was senior receiver Isaiah Johnson who hauled in 4 catches for 111 yards including a touchdown. 

• Additionally, senior receiver Justin Whidbee contributed three receptions for 56 yards, including a touchdown.

On the ground, senior running back Cole Tabb led the Indians with 16 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Von’tavius Keller also made a notable contribution with 41 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Indians held Fairhope’s offense in check, allowing just 13 points. It was a total team effort by the Indians, who are now 1-1 for the season. 

Up next: The Indians will take on the Crestview Bulldogs in an away game on Friday, September 8 at 7pm.

MILITARY

All-black gunship crew from Hurlburt performs flyover at Red Tails Classic

An all-black aircrew from Hurlburt Field performed a flyover at the Red Tails Classic football game in Montgomery this past weekend, hoping to inspire the next generation to pursue aviation careers.

The aircrew flew an AC-130J gunship over the classic game between Tuskegee University and Fort Valley State on Saturday, September 3. The Red Tails Classic honors the Tuskegee Airmen, the renowned group of African American pilots who served in World War II.

For Tech Sgt. Curtis Lassiter, a 16-year aviation veteran currently with the 73rd Special Operations Squadron, the flyover brought back memories of being one of only a handful of African Americans in his squadron early in his career.

• “I want them to be able to see someone who looks like them, doing something they aspire to do,” Lassiter said of young minorities potentially interested in aviation.

The all-black crew received recognition at halftime in front of nearly 15,000 cheering fans. Pilots, combat systems officers, special missions aviators, and aircraft maintenance crew chiefs made up the honored flight crew.

Senior Airman Christopher Miller, an aircraft maintenance crew chief, said he felt a sense of pride knowing his service might help inspire the next generation’s dreams.

A MESSAGE FROM BIT-WIZARDS

Poor password practices can cost your local business big bucks. Here’s how to help prevent that.

Poor password practices are rampant across businesses of all sizes, leaving companies vulnerable to costly data breaches. This concerning trend rings true for many local companies as well, says Jason Monroe, Director of Solution Consulting at Bit-Wizards, a leading managed IT services provider in Fort Walton Beach. 

• “If you’re not taking password protection seriously, you’re leaving your business completely exposed,” Monroe said. “With just one bad password, a hacker could gain access to your entire network and view sensitive information like financial data and bank account numbers.”

In 2022 alone, the average cost of a data breach for U.S. businesses was $9.44 million, with stolen credentials being the primary cause in 81% of incidents, according to Bit-Wizards. Major companies like PayPal, Reddit, and Activision have already been impacted by password-related breaches this year. And while larger corporations take the biggest financial hits, small local businesses are equally at risk.

To help local companies avoid becoming the next victims, Bit-Wizards outlines password security best practices that every business should have in place:

• Require Password Complexity – Using upper/lowercase letters, numbers, symbols, and long passphrases makes passwords difficult to crack. 

• Change Passwords Regularly – Cyber experts recommend changing important passwords every 3 months, especially after a breach.

• Avoid Redundancy – Reusing the same passwords is extremely risky but done by 66% of people. Unique passwords should be required across all employee logins.

• Get a Password Manager – These services generate and store strong credentials for every login, taking the memory burden off employees.

• Use Multifactor Authentication – Requiring multiple authentication methods like texts or tokens prevents unauthorized access with just a password.

“A managed service provider like Bit-Wizards can help implement and enforce these best practices company-wide through a password management policy,” said Monroe. “We offer the paid version of LastPass already included with our services, so clients get an enterprise-grade password manager without added costs. Overall, our goal is to fully handle IT security so businesses can focus on their operations and growth.”

With data breaches on the rise, now is the time for local companies to evaluate their password habits before paying the price. Implementing proper password protocols with help from experts like Bit-Wizards can prevent compromised logins from ever occurring in the first place.

Ready to stop wasting money on bad IT and get started with our Managed IT Services? Contact Bit-Wizards today.

THINGS TO DO

Macy Gray & Locash headline new Salt Water Music Fest in Destin

The first ever Salt Water Music Festival will take place in Destin on October 12-14, featuring major artists and talented songwriters. The three-day event is presented by Salt Water Vacations and the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) as a fundraiser for the foundation’s cultural arts initiatives.

Headlining on Thursday, October 12th is Grammy-winning R&B singer Macy Gray, best known for her raspy voice and hits like “I Try.” She’ll perform chart-toppers along with tracks from her latest album, backed by her band The California Jet Club.

Also taking the stage Thursday is Nashville singer-songwriter Josh Mirenda, writer behind country hits like Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere on a Beach.” Joining him are:

• Ben Burgess, known for “Whiskey Glasses” recorded by Morgan Wallen.
• Jared Mullins, who has penned songs for Jake Owen and Chris Young.
• Jordan Minton, writer of Dan + Shay’s smash “Tequila”.
• and Jordan Reynolds, whose credits include multiple #1s by Keith Urban, Lady A, and Thomas Rhett.

On Friday the 13th, country duo LOCASH will headline with their hits like “I Know Somebody.” The duo of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust first paired up in 2008 and have since released three acclaimed albums.

The festival will have multiple food trucks, bars, merchandise sales, and meet-and-greets with the artists. It wraps up Saturday the 14th with a Singer/Songwriter Brunch at Soleil in Destin featuring Josh Mirenda and Gary Garris.

Festival tickets range from $50 to $1500. Proceeds will support MKAF’s arts education and programs. Ticket details are at MKAF.org.