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Good morning!
Jenkins Engineering donated a solar-powered charging station to Chester Pruitt Park in Fort Walton Beach. Bit-Wizards and TalkingParents moved into their new Freedom Tech Center headquarters, and the Niceville Valparaiso Chamber named Skip Alford its new President and CEO. Also, the makeup week football recap, six area open houses with fireplaces, this week’s Community Calendar, and today’s Jigsaw is “Charters of Freedom.”
BUSINESS
Niceville Valparaiso Chamber names Skip Alford as new President and CEO
The Niceville Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce has hired Skip Alford as its next President and CEO, replacing Tricia Brunson, who has led the organization for 30 years and announced her retirement earlier this year.
Alford will begin his new role Tuesday, Dec. 1, the Chamber announced Thursday. He currently serves as President and CEO of the Lake Wales Area Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Council, a position he has held since 2021.
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GAMES
WordroW: November 6, 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
Bit-Wizards and TalkingParents move into new Freedom Tech Center headquarters
Two homegrown Fort Walton Beach technology companies, Bit-Wizards and TalkingParents, have officially moved into their new headquarters at Freedom Tech Center.
The 50,869-square-foot facility follows years of planning and growth for the two companies, which together employ close to 100 professionals and continue to expand.
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Bit-Wizards was founded in 2000 by Vince Mayfield and Louis Erickson and grew from a bootstrap startup into an award-winning managed IT services provider serving organizations throughout the region and beyond. TalkingParents, launched in 2011 by Stephen Nixon, Mayfield and Erickson, is a co-parenting communication platform that has supported nearly a million families worldwide, according to the release.
The companies deliver technology services and software solutions for businesses, courts, legal professionals and families, both locally and across the globe.
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OPEN HOUSES
6 Destin-Fort Walton Beach area homes with a fireplace for the holidays, starting at $500K
The Emerald Coast Association of REALTORS®: advocating for property rights and the REALTORS® who serve our community. Click here to learn more
On the Emerald Coast, fireplace season can sometimes feel like it lasts about as long as a cold front. That’s exactly why a fireplace stands out in a listing here.
This weekend’s open houses include six homes in Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther and Destin with a fireplace inside, and two with a second one outdoors. Prices range from $500,000 to $1,090,000, and the homes are open Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 8.
SPORTS
Makeup week recap: Choctaw, Walton, South Walton and Baker earn wins
Makeup week closed out the regular season for several area teams.
Choctaw claimed “The Game” for the sixth straight year with a 49-13 win over Fort Walton Beach, as Dante Whidbee, Von’Tavious Keller and Noah Calderon each scored twice. Walton improved to 7-2 with a 52-16 win over Destin behind Elijah Odom’s three-touchdown night. South Walton blanked West Florida Tech 28-0 and Baker beat Port St. Joe 42-7, with both closing the regular season at 7-3. Niceville rallied for a 25-24 lead with 20 seconds left before Pace answered to win 31-25, but postseason football could still come to Eagle Stadium.
GAMES
Jigsaw – “Charters of Freedom”
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.
EVENTS
A few things to do around town
Friday, Nov. 6-7 – 38th Annual Thunderbird Intertribal Powwow – Niceville – $7.00 – View
Friday, Nov. 6 – Build a blacksmith storyboard – Fort Walton Beach – $98.00 – View
Friday, Nov. 6-7 – Emerald Coast Rodeo – Niceville – $20.00 – View
Friday, Nov. 6 – 30A BBQ Festival – Miramar Beach – $70.00 – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – America 250 Grand Parade – Downtown Crestview – Free – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – DeFrance Holiday Market – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – FABA Far West Regional forging competition at Timber Creek Distillary – Crestview – Free – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Fort Walton Beach Church of Christ Craft Show – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Walk To End Alzheimer’s Emerald Coast – Miramar Beach – Free – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – Eggs on the Beach – Big Green Egg Cooking Competition – Miramar Beach – $65.00 – View
Saturday, Nov. 7 – CatVideoFest – Fort Walton Beach – $7 – $10 – View
Sunday, Nov. 8 – Hope and restoration tour – Fort Walton Beach – Free – View
Monday, Nov. 9 – Art Week at ADSO – $25 – $30 – View
Monday, Nov. 9 – Glow in the Dark Tennis at Fort Walton Beach Tennis Center – Fort Walton Beach – $10 – View
GIVING BACK
Jenkins Engineering donates solar-powered charging station to Chester Pruitt Park in Fort Walton Beach
From giving back to investing in the future, FPL is powering strong communities. Learn more here.
Jenkins Engineering Inc. has donated a solar-powered charging station to Chester Pruitt Park, giving visitors a place to charge their electronic devices, the City of Fort Walton Beach announced.
The charging station, from Sun Charge Systems Inc., stands 9 feet tall and is topped with a solar panel that powers internal batteries. It has a 30-inch circular table for resting electronic items and multiple USB-A and USB-C ports that can charge up to 10 devices at a time.
Jenkins Engineering purchased the $4,400 station, and Owner Scott Jenkins, along with several employees and family members, installed it on the east side of the park last week, according to the city.
Jenkins said the idea came to him while attending a past City Council meeting.
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!
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