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Good morning!
The Okaloosa Island Pier underwater camera has attracted nearly 2 million viewers in just its first month of operation, while Sims-Lohman announces plans to bring 90 jobs to Crestview as it establishes its new Gulf Coast headquarters. Nine Okaloosa County schools receive state excellence recognition, Cox employees award $50,000 to local nonprofits, and Fort Walton Beach schedules a code compliance sweep for the Kenwood neighborhood Thursday.
Plus, test your knowledge with this week’s mini crossword and try today’s WordroW puzzle.
BUSINESS
Sims-Lohman to bring 90 jobs to Crestview with new Gulf Coast headquarters
Sims-Lohman, a Cincinnati-based kitchen cabinet and countertop supplier, has acquired a 65,000-square-foot facility in Crestview to serve as its new Gulf Coast headquarters.
- The facility, located at 5680 John Givens Road directly west of Bob Sikes Airport, will house the company’s regional distribution operations along with granite and quartz countertop manufacturing. The site is expected to employ 90 individuals once fully operational.
“This new facility represents a major milestone in our growth strategy,” said CEO John Beiersdorfer. “By expanding our footprint along the Gulf Coast, we’re not only investing in operational efficiency—we’re investing in the local community. We’re proud to bring new jobs and long-term opportunity to the region.”
One Okaloosa EDC assisted Sims-Lohman with the initial facility search that led to the property acquisition. A ribbon cutting and open house will be held at the facility at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7.
“Okaloosa County welcomes Sims-Lohman to our community and the efforts they are taking to help bring jobs to the area,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon. “We look forward to their success and the opportunities they will create for our residents.”
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GAMES
WordroW: October 2, 2025
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.
SCHOOL
Nine Okaloosa County schools earn state excellence recognition
Nine schools in the Okaloosa County School District have been named 2024-25 Schools of Excellence by the Florida Department of Education.
The recognition is awarded to schools that have consistently ranked in the 80th percentile or higher for at least two of the last three school years based on their school grade calculation.
The honored schools include:
- Niceville High School
- Ruckel Middle School
- Okaloosa STEMM Academy
- Northwest Florida Ballet Académie
- Bluewater Elementary School
- Destin Elementary School
- Edge Elementary School
- Florosa Elementary School
- Plew Elementary School
“We are incredibly proud of these schools for once again being named Schools of Excellence,” Superintendent Marcus Chambers said. “This recognition is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of our students, educators, and school leaders.”
GAMES
This week’s mini local crossword
A weekly crossword featuring local headlines, history, and hot topics. Test your knowledge of our community, and the stories locals are talking about.
SPONSORED
Cox employees award $50,000 to local nonprofits
Cox Communications employees have awarded $50,000 in grants to 10 local nonprofits through Cox Charities Community Investment Grants, with five organizations in Okaloosa and Walton counties receiving funding for programs ranging from autism education to sea turtle conservation.
The employee-funded program provides grants of up to $5,000 to support programs benefiting area residents. Organizations submitted applications earlier this year for consideration.
In Okaloosa & Walton:
- Emerald Coast Autism Center
- Emerald Coast Science Center
- Gulfarium CARE Foundation
- S4P Synergy
- The Seaside School
Cox Charities is funded entirely by Cox employees and business partners. A total of $315,000 is being awarded to 63 grant recipients throughout Cox’s East Region.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Fort Walton Beach code compliance sweep scheduled for Kenwood neighborhood Thursday
The City of Fort Walton Beach Code Enforcement team will hold its next Community Code Compliance Sweep from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, as part of the city’s “Cleanest City on the Emerald Coast” initiative.
- Code enforcement officers will cover the Kenwood neighborhood from Merioneth Drive northeast north to Windsor Lane northeast and everything east to the water.
The goal of this effort is to allow code enforcement officers to engage with the community, raise awareness about local code requirements, and encourage voluntary compliance before issuing any citations or fines, according to the city.
COASTAL RESOURCES
Okaloosa Island Pier underwater camera draws nearly 2 million viewers in first month
The underwater camera at the Okaloosa Island Pier has reached nearly 2 million viewers in its first month of operation, drawing a global audience that has surprised even the project’s creators.
- Since going live in late August, the camera has recorded 1.9 million unique views from 183 countries, with viewers spending a total of 1.9 million hours watching marine life beneath the pier. The average viewing duration is 1 hour and 6 minutes.
“I don’t think anybody envisioned it getting this much attention, especially as quickly as it did,” said Mike Norberg, Coastal Resources Manager for Okaloosa County. “There are underwater cameras similar to this in other parts of the United States and throughout the world, and even those have not received as much attention as this one has.”
Norberg said he spoke with a group that monitors similar underwater cameras worldwide, and even they were amazed at how quickly the Okaloosa Pier camera gained viewership.
The project’s reach has been entirely organic. Okaloosa County hasn’t advertised the live stream through any direct marketing sources, with 1.46 million views driven through YouTube’s “Suggested Videos” feature alone.
- “It appears that all of these views are being driven naturally through media outlets, social media, and online communities,” Norberg said.
Peak viewership reached 42,546 people watching simultaneously, with an average of 2,425 viewers at any given time. The top five viewing countries are the United States, India, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.
In the United States, all 50 states have tuned in, with Florida leading viewership, followed by Texas, Alabama, Georgia and California. Even the state with the lowest viewership has recorded 315 views and 375.1 hours of watch time.
But probably the neatest part of the whole thing is how it is being utilized: Fishermen are using it as a ‘bait cam’, classrooms at the elementary level are streaming it, and college courses are using it for identification.
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!
p.s. What did you think of this morning’s newsletter? Hit the reply button and let me know!
Jared
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