By BEN GRAFTON Commissioner Bob Hudson, the new board chairman for the South Walton County Mosquito Control District (SWCMCD), opened the meeting of Jan. 15 with a ceremony administrating the oath of office to newly elected Commissioner Tim Norris.

By PATRICK CASEY The South Walton girls and boys basketball teams swept the Blountstown Tigers in a District 4, Class A match-up on Thursday.

By PATRICK CASEY The Walton Braves boys basketball team rallied from a three-point deficit in the final two minutes on the road at South Walton to steal a 69-67 victory on senior Shaq Huffman’s rebound of a missed shot by Amos Williams that he banked in as time expired. Huffman, who got rid of the [...]

COMMISSIONER RESPONDS TO ARTICLES Procedural question in county administrator process. _____ ROCK HILL PROPERTY LAND USE CHANGE DENIED No extractive use permitted. _____ BEACH ORDINANCE REVIEW STILL IN PROGRESS “Visiting dogs”provision nixed. _____ MOLITERNO RESIGNS AS TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gives 90-day notice at Jan. 8 BCC meeting. _____ DFS CITY COUNCIL MEETING JAN. 14 Settles [...]

By DOTTY NIST A lengthy public hearing was held on Jan. 8 regarding what is now termed the Waterways and Beach Activities Ordinance. The ordinance deals with public use of the beach and conduct on the beach, including driving on the beach, where permitted, dogs on the beach, and beach vending.

By REID TUCKER The DeFuniak Springs City Council unanimously approved an agreement with former Planning Director Greg Scoville, who sued the city after he was fired last October due to his failure to comply with a random drug test.

By DOTTY NIST South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) Executive Director Dawn Moliterno announced her resignation, effective in 90 days, at the Jan. 8 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting.

By BEN GRAFTON Freeport City Planner Latilda Henninger opened the Council meeting of Jan. 8 with a request to reschedule the workshop to discuss changes to the Industrial Use category in the Land Development Code until Jan. 23. The Council approved the request.

By BEN GRAFTON Changes were evident at the Walton County Planning Commission of Jan.10. First, new member, Suzanne Harris, took her seat on the commission. Second, an armed uniformed sheriff’s deputy was present in the room.

By REID TUCKER Paxton’s back-to-back homecoming wins against the visiting Poplar Springs Atomics were varying degrees of explosive, as the Bobcats routed their opponents by 69-41 while the Lady Cats’ fourth-quarter surge resulted in a 44-23 finish.