You think you’ve seen the world until you’ve seen it as a parent.

Every day adventures are suddenly dangerous.

I love the City of Crestview; the closeness of our citizens, the strength of our faith community, and the appreciation we have for all the military services.  Having said that, there is one area that I believe we could improve upon and that is demonstrating how much we love our country because it is the greatest one in the world. 

Some of you probably woke up last Friday, very surprised to learn that a tornado came right through Santa Rosa County and into Okaloosa County.

Many were left to pick up trees from their homes, out of roadways and to repair property damage following the EF-2 twister. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado through its preliminary survey, estimating its peak winds at 115 miles per hour.

It’s been covered in the news lately, but there have been several townhall events and meetings with Okaloosa County leadership about growth and development in North Okaloosa County.  We all know growth is a way of life in Florida and there is no stopping it.  The issue is, duh, it must be done smartly.  Crestview traffic is a disaster – to me, this is the poster child of growth not done smartly.

The year 2024 is a big election year, not only nationally, but also in Okaloosa County.

We’re guessing everyone is aware of that, unless you sleep under a rock or somehow drive around town with your eyes closed. At this point, we’re not sure you could throw a rock on most major thoroughfares in Okaloosa County and not hit an election sign.

What is freedom of the press? The definition (Merrian-Webster) is the right to publish and disseminate information, thoughts, and opinions without restraint or censorship as guaranteed under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are summer days spent running around my grandmother’s yard in DeFuniak Springs. Back then, a “vacation” for our family meant a four-hour drive to Florida to see family for a few days.

We’re now apparently in the era where using the term “birthing person” makes you a thoughtful speaker and saying “illegal alien” gets you suspended — at least if you’re one North Carolina high schooler.

On April 11, award-winning investigative journalist for CBS News and Fox News prior to that, gave strong and compelling testimony on Capitol Hill regarding the Press Act, and the importance – no, the necessity – in journalists protecting the name and identity of sources.