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Good morning!
TJ Maxx will open its Destin store Nov. 1. Fort Walton Beach residents are seeking help with Gap Creek flooding as Okaloosa outlines projects and permitting hurdles, and Rep. Maney and the Destins donated a Doolittle Raider’s mission-flown aviation tools to NWFSC. Destin volleyball made history with its first home playoff win. Also, 7 Brew opens on Beal Parkway with a donation to Healing Hoof Steps, and How I Work with Tiffany Bechard.
HISTORY
Maney, Destins donate Doolittle Raider’s mission-flown aviation tools to NWFSC
Northwest Florida State College added a mission-flown signal mirror and navigation equipment from the 1942 Doolittle Raid to its Doolittle Raid WWII History Permanent Exhibit during a donation ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
The artifacts belonged to Lt. Col. Carl R. Wildner. They were donated by State Rep. Patt Maney, Dewey Destin and his son, Okaloosa County School Board Member and Florida Historical Commission Vice Chairman Parker Destin.
Wildner served as navigator aboard Crew No. 2 during the April 18, 1942, raid. Among the donated items is his Keuffel & Esser “Favorite” drafting and navigation set, which he used to help guide the crew’s B-25 toward Japan and later across the Pacific to China. After the crew crash-landed in a rice paddy, the airmen escaped with much of their personal equipment, including the instruments.
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GAMES
WordroW: October 22, 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.
HOW I WORK
An inside look at how Emerald Coast Vibe’s Tiffany Bechard balances events, entrepreneurship and motherhood
“How I Work” is brought to you by the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Join the most influential organization in Okaloosa. Learn more here.
Tiffany Bechard doesn’t really have a typical workday, and she likes it that way.
As owner of Emerald Coast Vibe, an event planning and event services business based in Fort Walton Beach, and general manager of The Place on Beal, a locals event venue in the heart of downtown, she splits her time between client calls, venue setups, team meetings and the events themselves.
She does most of it with her 1-year-old daughter in tow.
A Panhandle native and Navarre High School graduate, Bechard is a mom of four who starts her mornings at 6 a.m. packing lunches and tending to the family’s backyard ducks and chickens. She spent 18 years as a gymnast and soccer player, swears by the “Automate, Delegate, Delete” approach to staying productive, and says her favorite local tradition is the annual Trunk or Treat she hosts at The Place on Beal.
BUSINESS
Gap Creek flooding: Fort Walton Beach residents seek help as Okaloosa outlines projects, permitting hurdles
Two Overbrook residents described flood damage to a home and a business at Tuesday’s Okaloosa County Commission meeting and asked for help with problems they tied to Gap Creek in Fort Walton Beach. One resident said the hurricane washed out a $40,000 seawall and left a sinkhole on his property.
Chairman Trey Goodwin said the county has been working on several projects in the watershed but faces permitting hurdles, because the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers control the creek. He said the county will post project updates online and is coordinating a meeting with congressional and state representatives.
SPORTS
Destin volleyball makes history with first home playoff win, advances to Sweet 16
The first home playoff match in Destin High School history has ended with the first home playoff win in Destin High School history.
The Lady Sharks defeated Oak Hall 3-1 (25-16, 25-27, 25-21, 25-20).
“They’re trailblazers. Every time they touch a ball for this program from here on out, they make history. They play with passion, they play with urgency, and they play with joy,” Head Coach Dominic Fasula said.
BUSINESS
7 Brew opens on Beal Parkway in Fort Walton Beach, donates $4,661 to Healing Hoof Steps
7 Brew held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new drive-thru coffee stand at 799 Beal Parkway and presented a $4,661.89 donation to Healing Hoof Steps, an organization that provides equine-assisted services.
The Fort Walton Beach location is the company’s newest stand in Florida. It is also the second location in Fort Walton Beach.
“We’re so excited to join the Fort Walton Beach community and show them what 7 Brew is all about,” said Emma Dewitt, director of field marketing for 7 Crew Enterprises LLC. “Through our partnership with Healing Hoof Steps, our main goal is to showcase 7 Brew’s mission to cultivate kindness and give back to the surrounding community.”
WEATHER
Today’s weather outlook
TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 77. South wind 0 to 5 mph.
TONIGHT: Clear, with a low around 60. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
BUSINESS
TJ Maxx to open Destin store on Nov. 1
TJ Maxx will open a new store at Paradise Key in Destin on Sunday, Nov. 1, according to a news release from the company.
The store, located at 4437 Commons Drive East, is about 33,865 square feet and will carry brand name and designer fashion, accessories, jewelry, home and beauty items, the release said.
The grand opening will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 1. After opening day, regular store hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
“We’re thrilled to join the Destin community,” said Nancy Carpenter, President of TJ Maxx. “We look forward to providing local shoppers with an ever-changing selection of high-quality merchandise at exceptional value so they can express their true ‘maxx’ selves.”
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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