County News
Utility Company Check Fraud Suspect in Custody Following $505,000 Scheme
A Fort Lauderdale man accused of depositing a fraudulent check worth more than half a million dollars from a Walton County utility company is now in custody following an extensive investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau....
Local Cold Weather Shelter Opening
An overnight cold weather shelter will open tonight at the DeFuniak Springs Community Center (Civic Center) located at 361 N 10th Street, DFS FL. Hours: Doors open at 5:30 PM Shelter will remain open overnight until 7:00 AM the following morning. This shelter is open...
Service, Sacrifice, and Growth: Firefighter-Paramedic Kyle Owens
We're keeping the momentum rolling by celebrating another recently certified paramedic at Walton County Fire Rescue. Meet Firefighter-Paramedic Kyle Owens. Kyle's story is a powerful progression of service, sacrifice, and growth. He began his career at the Walton...
Resilience and Heart: Deputy Enrique Sanchez
Deputy Enrique Sanchez is the epitome of resilience and heart. After facing an unimaginable personal tragedy, the loss of his brother-in-law, William May, in the line of duty, Deputy Sanchez continued to show up each day with strength and determination. He carried out...
Raiders Rally Late to Win Against Monroe, Complete Second-Half Comeback 68-62
Fans inside Raider Arena were treated to a thriller Saturday night as Northwest Florida men's basketball stormed back to claim an improbable 68–62 win over Monroe (NY). Trailing by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Raiders dug deep behind clutch...
Balanced Offense Pushes Raiders to Victory Over Miami Dade
No. 1-ranked Northwest Florida State women's basketball team continued its dominant start to the season Saturday night, rolling past Miami Dade 85-53 behind another balanced offensive performance that featured five players in double figures. Jadah White led the way...
Alabama Victorious Over LSU, 20-9
TUSCALOOSA – LSU’s defensive unit stood tall all night long, but mistakes offensively were ultimately the difference as the Tigers fell to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night, 20-9, inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Game Recap LSU won the coin toss and elected to defer. After...
Kentucky Beats Gators in Runaway 38-7
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Once upon a time, not so long ago, playing a road game at Southeastern Conference foe Kentucky was nothing more than a weekend pleasure trip for the Gators. There was nothing fun about what happened at Kroger Field on Saturday night if you were on the...
Obituaries
Julia Elizabeth Goodman
Julia Elizabeth Goodman, age 99, passed away Tuesday, October 21, 2025 in Miramar Beach, Florida. She was born June 12, 1926 in Walton County, Florida to the late Ezekiel Anderson and Julia McClain. A full obituary will be posted soon. Funeral services will be held...
Joseph Robert Brannon
Joseph “JoeBob” Robert Brannon, age 89, of Blue Mountain Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on October 26, 2025, in Sandestin, Florida. Born February 7, 1936, in Newville, Alabama, to Lockhart and Nina Joe Brannon, JoeBob lived a life defined by service,...
Diane Eddy Huggins
Diane Eddy Huggins passed away peacefully on October 25, 2025. Born on May 9, 1944, in Decatur, Alabama, Diane was the beloved daughter of Rev. William B. Eddy and Ruby Eddy. She moved to DeFuniak Springs in 1970, where she built not only a successful career but a...
Roger Edward Ochs
On Friday, October 24, 2025, Roger Edward Ochs ('ox') transitioned from his home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida to Heaven at 1:53 p.m. Roger was born on November 11, 1942, in Warwick, New York, the seventh of nine children. His father, Conrad Ochs, born in Russia, was...
Sports
White, Diagne, and Wilkins Power Raiders Past Hillsborough 71-61
No. 1 Northwest Florida State women's basketball passed its first road test of the season Friday afternoon, defeating Hillsborough 71–61 behind another dominant outing from its core trio of Jadah White, Khoudia Diagne and Niylia Wilkins. The three accounted for 52 of...
Lady Raiders Fall in Final Minutes to #18 Florida Southwestern 53-52
FORT MYERS, Fla. — No. 1 Northwest Florida State women's basketball saw its perfect start come to an end Wednesday night, falling in a late thriller to No. 18 Florida SouthWestern to move to 5–1 on the season. The Raiders trailed for the majority of the contest and...
Shine and Nichols Lead Raiders Past Hillsborough 81-72 on Saturday
DAYTONA, Fla. — No. 6 Northwest Florida State men's basketball closed out its weekend in Daytona with an 81–72 win over Hillsborough on Saturday, pushing the Raiders to a perfect 6–0 start. DJ Shine delivered another standout performance, leading all scorers with 23...
Second Rankings for College Football Playoff Released
The second week of the CFP Rankings (Week 12) is upon us. The bracket as it is today, along with the top 25 rankings are below. Remember, these are just snapshots and not final judgments. The final brackets and rankings will be released next month.