PAXTON TOWN COUNCIL JAN. 17 MEETING Discusses traffic light, water meters. _____ DFS CITY COUNCIL MEETING JAN. 23 Approves sign ordinance, city manager contract. _____ CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD HOLDS WORKSHOP Members briefed on Sunshine Law, review process. _____ CODE ENFORCEMENT BOARD MEETING Addresses alleged roadside vending violation. _____ SANDESTIN OWNERS VOTE ON GAMBLING PROPOSAL Majority [...]

By DOTTY NIST In a busy agenda on Jan. 24, county commissioners made decisions on a number of issues of community interest. This was at the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) regular meeting on that morning at the South Walton Courthouse Annex. After being provided with the recommendation of the Highway 331 Blue [...]

By REID TUCKER Former Paxton Town Councilman Bill McRae addressed the sitting Council regarding a request for action to be taken to have a traffic control device installed at the intersection of U.S. 331 and County Highway 147. McRae said there have been several fatalities resulting from traffic accidents at the intersection within the past [...]

By REID TUCKER The Highway 331 Blue Ribbon Task Force voted unanimously to recommend a voter referendum to for a local sales tax increase, needed to raise $75 million for the construction of a new bridge across Choctawhatchee Bay. As reported in last week’s edition of this newspaper and in others, the task force held [...]

By DOTTY NIST Due to a lack of support by Sandestin homeowners, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort owner Tom Becnel is no longer moving forward with conceptual plans for a casino at the resort. Two bills now in the Florida legislature propose to expand “limited gambling,” including slot machines, to “destination resorts” in the state. [...]

By PATRICK CASEY The Ponce de Leon Lady Pirates earned their 20th win of the season with a 64-47 defeat of Holmes County in Bonifay on Thursday night. Kaitlyn Carroll and Jasmine Flock scored 17 points apiece while the Pirates defense forced 18 first-half turnovers from the home team to pull away for a 38-29 [...]

BOWERS HIRED AS DFS CITY MANAGER Has one-year contract. _____ NO BIMONTHLY MEETINGS FOR TDC BCC denies request for additional meetings. _____ FUNDING WORKSHOPS FOR U.S. 331 WIDENING Proposals draw support, criticism. _____ FREEPORT CITY COUNCIL JAN. 10 MEETING Century Link cable installation creates controversy. _____ BCC REVIEWING ATTORNEY APPLICATIONS Costs, potential conflicts discussed. _____ [...]

By ALICIA LEONARD Three applicants vied for the position of DeFuniak Springs City Manager in a special interview and hiring session that took place at DeFuniak Springs City Hall Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. Acting interim City Manager Sara Bowers, along with Kebby Hall and John McCue appeared in alphabetical order in front of the [...]

By DOTTY NIST “I don’t really want a toll and I don’t want to be taxed, either,” one local resident told the Highway 331 Task Force at its Jan. 11 public workshop at the South Walton Courthouse Annex, which was attended by over 50 people. This was a sentiment to which almost everyone could relate, [...]

By BEN GRAFTON At Freeport’s City Council meeting of Jan. 10, Mayor Mickey Morse reported that over the Christmas weekend a Century Link work crew had cut a trench in the ground and installed fiber optic cable where the city’s North Bay project water line is being installed in its dedicated easement within the right-of-way [...]