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Good morning!
A former AFSOC command chief was found guilty of child pornography charges and sentenced to 10 years. Spectrum officially launched in Okaloosa and Walton counties, replacing Cox with new products and pricing, and two people were charged after a Fort Walton Beach police sting targeting underage alcohol sales. Fort Walton Beach High School hosted its 4th annual college fair with 60+ representatives, and Origin Bank added veteran banker Jami Searle to its FWB team.
SCHOOL
Fort Walton Beach High School hosts 4th annual college fair with 60+ representatives
Fort Walton Beach High School hosted more than 60 college and military representatives on Wednesday for the school’s fourth annual Viking Voyage College Fair.
The event brought four-year and two-year colleges, technical schools, private universities and all branches of the military into the gymnasium for students in 10th through 12th grade.
Dr. Linda Dugan, the school’s professional school counselor who organizes the fair, said the goal is simple.
- “To just reach one kid,” Dugan said. “If that one child can gain anything, just that one piece of information, then you’ve done your job.”
Students were prepped beforehand with question sheets and the Xello career-matching platform to make the most of their face time with representatives.
Click here to read the full story and see pics
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GAMES
WordroW: September 18, 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
Spectrum officially launches in Okaloosa and Walton counties, replacing Cox with new products and pricing
Cox Communications customers across Okaloosa and Walton counties are now Spectrum customers.
Charter Communications, which operates under the Spectrum brand, officially launched its products, pricing and packaging on Tuesday across all areas previously served by Cox, including Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. The company called the rollout “Spectrum Day.”
The launch brings Spectrum’s full lineup to more than 11 million homes and businesses nationwide. It follows Charter’s completion of its acquisition of Cox in August, which made Spectrum the nation’s largest internet and video company.
Customers along the Gulf Coast will begin seeing Spectrum trucks, Spectrum stores and technicians in Spectrum uniforms, the company said, backed by the same internet, mobile and television service that existing Spectrum customers receive elsewhere.
BUSINESS
Origin Bank adds veteran banker Jami Searle to Fort Walton Beach team
Origin Bank has hired Jami Searle as senior vice president and commercial relationship banker at its Fort Walton Beach location, the company announced Wednesday.
Searle brings more than 20 years of experience in the financial industry, with a focus on financial analysis, real estate lending, working capital lines, equipment financing and managing financing for construction projects and real estate developments.
In her new role, Searle will work with commercial customers to identify their financial needs and connect them with products and resources to support their daily operations and long-term growth.
GAMES
Jigsaw – “Docked at the Bay”
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.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Two charged after Fort Walton Beach police sting targets underage alcohol sales
Two people face charges after allegedly selling alcohol to an underage buyer during an undercover compliance operation conducted by the Fort Walton Beach Police Department on Sept. 15.
During the operation, an underage participant working with law enforcement purchased alcohol at two businesses along U.S. Highway 98: a Shell station at Wright Parkway and Petro Express at Memorial Parkway.
The employees who completed those sales were each charged under Florida Statute 562.11, which prohibits selling, giving or serving alcoholic beverages to a person under 21.
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 88. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT: Clear, with a low around 77. West wind around 5 mph.
MILITARY
Former AFSOC command chief found guilty of child pornography charges, sentenced to 10 years
The former command chief of Air Force Special Operations Command was found guilty Thursday of producing child pornography and three other criminal offenses following a general court-martial at Hurlburt Field.
Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Green was convicted of four offenses in violation of two articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice: indecent recording under Article 120c, and possessing, viewing and producing child pornography under Article 134, according to a release from the AFSOC Public Affairs Office.
A military judge presided over the trial, which ran Sept. 14–17 at the Okaloosa County installation.
Green was sentenced to 10 years of confinement for producing child pornography and two years each for indecent recording, possessing child pornography and viewing child pornography. All sentences will run concurrently. He was also reduced in rank to the grade of E-1 and given a dishonorable discharge.
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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