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Good morning!
10 candidates tackled the budget, services, and spending cap at the Fort Walton Beach Candidate forum. The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation has rebranded as the Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation, and the Destin Chamber honored Bernard Johnson with a Lifetime Membership Award. “Rally On the Court” is bringing a pickleball and tennis tournament to Fort Walton Beach to benefit childhood cancer research, and Niceville volleyball swept South Walton at home.
PARKS+REC
‘Rally On the Court’ bringing pickleball, tennis tournament to Fort Walton Beach
Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research – Gulf Coast is partnering with USTA Florida and the City of Fort Walton Beach for Rally On the Court, an inaugural pickleball and tennis tournament to benefit children and families facing childhood cancer.
The two-day event will be held at the Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center, 45 W. Audrey Dr. NW. Pickleball begins Friday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m., and tennis starts Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 a.m.
“We’re excited to bring our tennis and pickleball community together for such a meaningful cause,” said David Flaherty, Fort Walton Beach recreation director. “This event is a great way for our community to enjoy the sports we love while helping support children and families facing childhood cancer.”
The event will offer both participants and spectators the chance to enjoy competition while supporting Rally’s mission of funding childhood cancer research and providing support to local families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis.
SPONSORED
Enjoy the drive
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Shop at any participating dealer and apply for on-site Eglin FCU financing or apply online at eglinfcu.org/auto.
From scenic rides to weekend getaways, enjoy the drive with Eglin Federal Credit Union. Where Members Matter Most.
GAMES
WordroW: September 17, 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.
GIVING BACK
Destin Chamber honors Bernard Johnson with Lifetime Membership Award
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
The Destin Chamber honored Bernard Johnson with its Lifetime Membership Award during the Sept. 11 Business Before Hours event.
The 2026 Chairman of the Board Monica Wallis of Destin Water Users presented the award on behalf of the full board, recognizing Johnson’s pending retirement and his service to the community and the organization.
Johnson serves as Regional Manager of External Affairs for Florida Power & Light, working with communities across Northwest Florida. He has more than 38 years of experience with FPL and its predecessor, Gulf Power, holding roles in line operations, engineering, customer service and marketing. He also serves on the Destin Chamber Board of Directors.
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.
SPORTS
Niceville volleyball sweeps South Walton at home
Niceville picked up its most impressive win of the season Tuesday night, sweeping South Walton 25-16, 25-14, 25-16 at home after the Seahawks swept the Lady Eagles at South Walton on Aug. 20.
“We needed to find a groove, and I think we did that tonight,” head coach Karson Jessup said.
Kate Jannazo took control in the second set with several kills during a Lady Eagles rally, while Anna Sutter took over in the third with two kills and a block during a three-point stretch. Katherine Newkirk and Claire Ivey also came up big throughout the match.
“Kat is a powerhouse, and she’s continuing to progress, and it’s really awesome to see,” Jessup said.
Niceville (12-3) travels to Gulf Breeze on Thursday. South Walton (9-4) plays Bainbridge, Georgia, on Saturday.
PROMOTED BY WHITE-WILSON
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.
BUSINESS
Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation rebrands as Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation
The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation announced Monday that it has changed its name to the Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation, a rebrand the organization said better represents the scope of its work across the Florida Panhandle.
The foundation, based in Miramar Beach, has invested more than $42 million over 21 years into a network of nonprofits serving children and families in Okaloosa, Walton, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Its partner organizations address challenges including healthcare, housing, food insecurity, abuse prevention, education, mental health and family stability.
“Our growth has given us the opportunity to think bigger about what’s possible for children in Northwest Florida,” said Karah Fridley-Young, president of the Northwest Florida Children’s Foundation.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 89. East wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
TONIGHT: Clear, with a low around 76. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
POLITICS
10 candidates tackle budget, services and spending cap at Fort Walton Beach City Candidate forum
All 10 candidates vying for 4 seats on the Fort Walton Beach City Council participated in a public forum Monday evening at The Venue at Beach Weekend, answering questions on topics ranging from the city’s budget and reserves to homeless services, infrastructure and the 3% spending cap.
The forum, hosted by Beach Weekend and moderated by Bobby Nabors, used a blind format designed to address past concerns about fairness. Each candidate drew a number to determine their speaking order, then randomly selected a question from a pool of 10.
“In the past there’s been concerns about picking on certain candidates or giving other people harder questions, so we’re going completely blind tonight,” Nabors said.
Each candidate was given three minutes to answer their question. Brandon Bishop, who was on a pre-planned family vacation, joined via phone.
“We’re fortunate to have representation from all the candidates tonight,” Nabors said.
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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