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Good morning!
Okaloosa County expects its first hurricane debris pass to take about a week, while Fort Walton Beach estimates a month. A veteran-owned tactical training and defense facility in DeFuniak Springs will expand after multimillion-dollar contracts, and Escambia held off Fort Walton Beach 14-7. Plus, daytime lane closures on Spence Parkway and our Athlete of the Week Kenzi Prosser.
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 77. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
TONIGHT: Clear, with a low around 59. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
BUSINESS
Veteran-owned tactical training and defense facility in DeFuniak Springs to expand
Stronghold SOF Solutions, a veteran-owned tactical training and defense facility in DeFuniak Springs, is expanding its operations following the award of several multimillion-dollar military and law enforcement contracts.
The company announced plans Oct. 7 for a facility expansion that will add secure vaults and storage, classrooms, office space and a dedicated 3D-printing bay for rapid prototyping.
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GAMES
WordroW: October 21, 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.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Kenzi Prosser found volleyball by accident, and now she’s making history at Destin High School
Athlete of the Week is brought to you by Okaloosa Gas District – supporting the athletes who make our community stronger.
Kenzi Prosser had been dancing since she was 3 years old when her family moved from Illinois to Destin before her seventh-grade year. She planned to keep dancing at Destin Middle School, but was unable to tryout.
So she gave volleyball a shot instead.
She quit dance soon after. Five years later, Prosser is a senior captain, a Citadel commit and the leading hitter for a Destin team that won the first district championship in program history last week, and their first playoff win last night.
PROMOTED
Your family physicians. Still serving this community.
Thank You, Fort Walton Beach. We’re Still Here for You.
Thank you for the privilege and honor of allowing us to care for you and your families over the years. Serving the Fort Walton Beach community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of our careers.
We are pleased to share some good news: we are still practicing and continuing to serve the community.
Dr. John E. Loudermilk has cared for patients in the area since 2021, and Dr. Chris G. Pappas has since 2012. Together, we are excited to welcome patients to our new MDVIP-affiliated practice, a personalized family medicine clinic located at 4608 Opa-Locka Lane, Suite 300, in Destin, FL.
Whether you’ve been a patient for years or are looking for a new healthcare home, we’d love the opportunity to care for you. Schedule a free meet-and-greet to learn more about our patient-centered approach to medicine by calling 850.904.4940 or visiting mdvip.com/DestinDocs.
SPORTS
Escambia holds off Fort Walton Beach 14-7 in district defensive battle
Escambia came into Steve Riggs Stadium on Monday night and left with a 14-7 district win over Fort Walton Beach in a game with no second-half scoring.
After the Gators built a 14-0 lead, the Vikings answered with their best drive of the night, as Lavin McDaniel connected with Cannon Wilbur, TyShaun Montgomery and Carlos White picked up first downs on the ground, and McDaniel found Elijah Donson on a screen for a touchdown.
Fort Walton Beach recovered an onside kick to open the second half and kept giving itself chances all the way to the final drive.
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EVENTS
Destin invites residents to annual Open House with fish fry, live music Oct. 21
The City of Destin will hold its annual Open House from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Community Center on Stahlman Avenue in Destin.
The event will include a fish fry, live music, a caricature artist, a photo booth and more. Residents are invited to stop by, meet City staff and enjoy the afternoon. There is no cost to attend.
This year’s theme is “red, white & blessed (blue),” an Americana celebration honoring the nation’s 250th anniversary.
TRAFFIC
Daytime lane closures planned on Spence Parkway near Mid-Bay Bridge through Thursday
Drivers on State Road 293 (Spence Parkway) in Okaloosa County may encounter intermittent daytime lane closures this week as crews carry out paving operations between the Mid-Bay Bridge and Range Road, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The closures are scheduled from Tuesday, Oct. 20, through Thursday, Oct. 22, between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., FDOT said.
BUSINESS
Okaloosa expects first hurricane debris pass to take about a week; Fort Walton Beach estimates a month
Okaloosa County officials say their debris contractor’s first pass should take about a week, while Fort Walton Beach estimates its contractor will need about a month to cover the entire city.
County crews began on the south end Oct. 14, then started the north end, and plan a second push along the same routes.
In Fort Walton Beach, DRC Emergency Services crews were working near Waynel Circle as of Tuesday. DRC crews work seven days a week from sunup to sundown. The city said weather, bagged debris, mixed piles and debris under utility lines or tree canopies could cause delays.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Wednesday! 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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124 Eglin Parkway SE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548