BCC LOOKS AT “BARE BONES” BUDGET Workshop ponders $5 million reduction. CLEARING THE BEACHES BCC approves beach ordinance revision. CHARLIE BURKE GETS PROBATION, FINES Former Mosquito Control Board commish sentenced. COMMISSION CANDIDATES AT HILTON FORUM Six candidates field questions, take positions. PHARMACY ROBBERY SUSPECT IDENTIFIED Still at large following Niceville holdup. PLANNING COMMISSION JULY MEETING [...]

By DOTTY NIST Over four months after his first request, Walton County Sheriff Ralph Johnson has now been approved to roll forward $311,431 from fiscal year 2007 funds to pay for recently-installed upgrades to his office’s Motorola 911 system. The request was approved in a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Meadows, Brannon and Pridgen voting in [...]

  IT APPEARS that this Walton County contractor favors a new sheriff. This photo, taken in DeFuniak Springs, shows a DAYCO garbage truck sporting a candidate’s political sign.

  ITEMS BROUGHT onto Walton County beaches during the day, including chairs, umbrellas, tents, canopies and such, will now be required to be removed at night, with certain exceptions from public and private property.

DeFuniak Springs man killed in automobile collision Staff reports A DeFuniak Springs man was killed when his SUV collided with a Mack semi-trailer on the evening of Friday, July 11. Five others were involved in the accident, which occurred at around 6 p.m. on SR-2 in north Walton County. A report from the Florida Highway [...]

By BRUCE COLLIER On Thursday, July 10, DeFuniak Springs Police Department (DFSPD) officers were involved in a two-car collision on U.S. 331 South at the intersection of the I-10 eastbound entrance ramp. The unmarked police vehicle, a 2008 Chevrolet Impala, was driven by Investigator Brian Schultz, with passengers Sgt. Joseph Ward and police intern Laura [...]

By Heather Comander Rast On June 12, 2008, a 500-year flood covered the midwest. The rising Mississippi River broke high-water records up and down the Iowa and Illinois shore, cresting as high as 12 feet above flood stage in some places. Estimates place the cost of the damage at over $1 billion dollars, and concerns [...]

By LEAH STRATMANN The candidate forum and luncheon sponsored by the Walton County Chamber of Commerce drew more than 200 people to the Sandestin Hilton last week. On hand to answer a few questions, primarily aimed at business needs, were several candidates for the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The candidates in attendance [...]

By JEFFREY POWELL   On July 10 in court, First Judicial Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Wells told Charlie Burke, “Mr. Burke, I have thought long and hard about this sentence. I do not take lightly the fraud you committed against the public when you ran for office. Being in public office is a privilege.” Wells’ comments [...]

By PATRICK CASEY Rumor has it that Paxton and Ponce de Leon may not face Walton in girls basketball in the regular season next year. If true, that is a shame for area basketball fans. Walton has improved each of the last two seasons and Paxton and PDL are always solid area competition. With rising [...]