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Good morning!
Destin’s City Council is eyeing an ordinance requiring city approval for license plate readers, following the statewide FDOT order. The Church at Shalimar will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a town proclamation, and America 250’s Crestview parade has been rescheduled with an Olympic medalist as grand marshal. A Fort Walton Beach High senior was named a National Merit Semifinalist, and Destin High named Chris Barbe as head tennis coach. Also, WM’s free battery drop-off Saturday in FWB, today’s Jigsaw is “Soaking up the sun,” and today’s weather outlook.
Today marks 25 years since the September 11 attacks. We remember those lost and honor the first responders who ran toward danger that day.
FAITH
The Church at Shalimar to celebrate 75th anniversary with town proclamation, special service
The Town of Shalimar has proclaimed Sept. 13, 2026, as “The Church at Shalimar Day,” recognizing the congregation as one of the founding churches in the community as it prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary.
The Shalimar Town Commission passed Resolution 2026-03 on Sept. 8, honoring The Church at Shalimar on the corner of Old Ferry Road and Meigs Drive. The resolution recognizes the church’s historical significance and its place in the story and heritage of the town.
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From scenic rides to weekend getaways, enjoy the drive with Eglin Federal Credit Union. Where Members Matter Most.
GAMES
WordroW: September 11, 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.
AMERICA 250
America 250 parade rescheduled in Crestview, with Olympic medalist as grand marshal
The America 250 Veterans & Patriots Grand Parade will proceed Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. on Main Street in downtown Crestview, the City of Crestview announced. The previously postponed event was formerly called the Okaloosa County America 250 Commission Grand Parade.
The parade celebrates 250 years of American freedom and resilience, and organizers expect it to be one of the largest patriotic gatherings in the county’s history.
The parade will feature floats, marching bands, tributes to veterans and participation from community organizations and cultural groups. Organizers are encouraging attendees to wear red, white and blue or colonial- and continental-period clothing.
GAMES
Jigsaw – “Soaking up the sun”
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.
SPORTS
Destin High School names veteran tennis professional Chris Barbe as head coach
Destin High School has named Chris Barbe as its head tennis coach, adding a veteran tennis professional with more than four decades of instruction and program leadership experience to the Sharks’ athletic program.
Barbe has taught players of all ages and skill levels for more than 40 years and held state, sectional and national rankings during his playing career. His background includes leadership roles at several prominent tennis facilities, including the New Orleans City Park Tennis Center, Audubon Park Tennis Courts and the New Orleans Recreation Department Commission.
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Care for every generation
For 80 years, White-Wilson Medical Center has been honored to serve the healthcare needs of our community. What began in 1946 has grown into a legacy built on trusted care, meaningful relationships, and generations of patients who have placed their health in our hands.
80 Years of Care. 80 Years of Community. 80 Years of White-Wilson.
Thank you to our patients, providers, team members, and community partners, for being part of our story.
SCHOOL
Fort Walton Beach High School senior named National Merit Semifinalist
Fort Walton Beach High School senior Keira Foy has been named a Semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her among less than one percent of high school seniors in the country.
Foy was selected from more than 1.2 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2025 PSAT/NMSQT during the fall of their junior year. More than 16,000 Semifinalists were chosen nationwide.
“We are incredibly proud of Keira and this well-deserved recognition,” Fort Walton Beach High School Principal Lindsey Smith said. “This achievement reflects her determination, commitment, and love of learning. She is an outstanding representative of Fort Walton Beach High School, and we are excited to support her as she continues toward the Finalist level.”
NOTICE
WM hosting free battery drop-off event Saturday in Fort Walton Beach
WM is hosting a free battery takeback event Saturday at the Fort Walton Beach Recycling Facility, 109 Ready Avenue NW, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event is part of National Battery Takeback Day, a nationwide effort to keep used batteries out of the trash and reduce the risk of battery fires.
WM will accept most household batteries, including button cell, AAAA to D, and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries from electronics and power tools.
For more information or to find other drop-off locations, visit batterysafetynow.org/battery-take-back-day.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Showers and thunderstorms before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
TONIGHT: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly cloudy, with a low around 79. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
BUSINESS
After statewide order, Destin council moves toward ordinance requiring approval for license plate readers
The Destin City Council voted Tuesday to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance that would require a council vote before license plate reader cameras can be installed on city right-of-ways or city properties.
The action came during the council’s Sept. 8 regular meeting, after Councilman Kevin Schmidt introduced a motion to block the use of the cameras. The discussion followed a statewide order from the Florida Department of Transportation and Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden’s subsequent decision to cancel the agency’s contract with Flock Safety and remove all of the company’s LPR cameras countywide.
Schmidt said the intent was to put a safeguard in place rather than impose a permanent prohibition.
“I’d rather have our ordinance in place first so they would come to us to figure out how we can add them back to the city,” Schmidt said. “Taking a little precautionary move to not prevent or block, but to put a boundary there.”
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!
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Jared
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