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Good morning!
250 laptops have been delivered to Boys & Girls Club families in Okaloosa and Escambia counties, while U.S. Marshals recover 43 missing children across North Florida, including 3 from Okaloosa County. Okaloosa Technical College students earn national cybersecurity recognition, Flying Needles Quilt Guild donates 2,000 handmade items to local charities, and we take a look at the scores from high school sports this past week.
- Plus, try today’s WordroW puzzle.
SCHOOL
Okaloosa Technical College students earn national cybersecurity recognition
Nine students from Okaloosa Technical College placed in the top 50 nationally during the National Cyber League Fall 2025 Competition Season, outperforming thousands of competitors from colleges and universities across the country.
The OTC team earned a No. 45 national ranking in the NCL Cyber Power Rankings after competing against more than 8,520 students from 490 institutions. The students recognized for their performance are Dylan Waters, Stephen Miner, Jordan Wenner-Foy, Grafton Lang, Ren Moore, Devin Barron, Steven Williamson, Dade Frigon and David Curd.
- Daniel Sligar, their instructor, led the team through the competition.
Powered by Cyber Skyline, the National Cyber League is a cybersecurity competition designed to mirror tasks performed daily by industry professionals. Through individual and team-based challenges, students reinforce classroom learning, gain workforce-ready skills and earn detailed skills reports they can share with prospective employers.
SPONSORED
Spread some holiday cheer!
This holiday season, it’s not just the lights that sparkle – it’s the moments you create together.
- With an Eglin Federal Credit Union Mastercard®, you can spread some holiday cheer. With rates as low as 7.9% APR and no annual fee, enjoy this season with the ones you love!
Apply in person or online at eglinfcu.org/mastercard.
Must be 18 or older to apply online.
GAMES
WordroW: December 22, 2025
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
Flying Needles Quilt Guild donates 2,000 handmade items to local charities
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
The Flying Needles Quilt Guild distributed approximately 2,000 handmade items to 10 local charities last month, providing essential comfort items to vulnerable community members throughout the area.
- The donated items included Christmas stockings, bed quilts, pillowcases, backpacks and walker bags for the elderly. Recipients of these handmade goods include children in foster care, women in abusive situations and elderly individuals.
The guild supports Beds for Everyone, Children in Crisis, Twin Cities Pavilion, Children Advocacy, Shelter House, Opportunity Place, PEARL, Point Washington Medical Clinic and Safe Connections.
“We are loving and dedicated quilters whose goal is supporting community projects and programs,” said Diane Roberson, chairperson for FNQG Community Service. “Our goal is to bring a little hope to those that find themselves in difficult situations and bring a little happiness to them.”
Guild members work throughout the year to fulfill the annual requests for these items from local organizations.
SPORTS
PREP ROUNDUP: FWB girls basketball undefeated, Destin boys upset Navarre
Fort Walton Beach girls basketball topped rival Niceville, while Destin boys basketball knocked off Navarre and Choctawhatchee soccer teams stayed busy.
Here’s a look at the scores from local schools this past week
PUBLIC SAFETY
U.S. Marshals recover 43 missing children across North Florida, including 3 from Okaloosa County
A two-week operation led by the U.S. Marshals Service recovered or located 43 missing children across 14 North Florida counties, including three children from Okaloosa County, federal officials announced Thursday.
- Operation Northern Lights, which concluded this month, marked the largest missing child operation ever conducted in North Florida, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. The effort involved more than 80 personnel from 25 agencies, including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Crestview Police Department.
The operation resulted in nine arrests, with potential additional charges pending for human trafficking, child endangerment and custodial interference. Recovered children ranged in age from 18 months to 17 years old
Two of the Okaloosa County cases involved children found out of state. A 17-year-old and a 1-year-old were recovered outside Jackson, Mississippi, with a non-custodial adult arrested for interference with child custody
A third case involved a 15-year-old who was the victim of a non-custodial abduction; the child and abductor were located in Ocala, and the adult was arrested.
Click here for the full story
GIFT GUIDE
Last-minute, local gifts and experiences for everyone on your list
If holiday shopping snuck up on you this year, you’re not alone and luckily, you don’t need to rely on shipping deadlines or big-box stores to finish strong.
- This Local’s Gift Guide is all about thoughtful, easy-to-grab gifts you can find right here at home while supporting the local businesses that make our community special.
We focused on gifts you can walk in and buy, book instantly, or enjoy all year long. From experiences and memberships to one-of-a-kind items you won’t find everywhere else. No worrying about packages arriving on time, just meaningful gifts with a local story behind them.
To make things simple, we’ve curated three separate guides: one for him, one for her, and one for the kids. Whether you’re shopping for a fisherman, a creative kid, or someone who loves all things coastal, these lists are designed to help you check everyone off your list all while being stress-free and supporting local.
Click here to shop the guide!
FEEL GOOD
250 laptops delivered to Boys & Girls Club families in Okaloosa, Escambia
For many children who received laptops last week, it was the first computer they could call their own — not borrowed from a school, library or relative.
- Derrick Brooks Charities, in partnership with AT&T and Compudopt, distributed 250 refurbished laptops to Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast members and their families across three counties during back-to-back events Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Tonight, you could see what opportunity looks like on a child’s face,” said Shervin Rassa, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast. “From the earliest grades through high school, a device at home is now essential to keep up with assignments, connect safely, and explore what’s possible.”
The distributions took place at the Emerald Coast Boys & Girls Club in Fort Walton Beach on Tuesday and the Boys & Girls Club of Escambia County in Pensacola on Wednesday. Each site received 125 laptops funded by an AT&T contribution, with devices going to preselected recipients from Escambia, Okaloosa and Walton counties identified as having the greatest need.
- Eligible households may also qualify for up to one year of AT&T Fiber at no cost through a philanthropic program administered by Compudopt.
The effort addressed what organizers called the digital divide — the gap in access to reliable internet service and connected devices that became starkly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Thanks to Derrick Brooks Charities, AT&T, and Compudopt, we’re closing a gap we all saw so clearly during COVID and opening doors for families across the Emerald Coast,” Rassa said.
OK, that’s all I have for you this morning! I hope you have a great Monday! 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
Published with ♥ by Get The Coast.
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