John Frankman didn’t plan on running for Congress. The former Army Special Forces Green Beret says he spent years after leaving the military fighting for service members punished under the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, writing op-eds, testifying on Capitol Hill and appearing on national media. What he saw in Washington convinced him that wasn’t enough.

The prolonged dry spell settling over the Florida Panhandle may feel unprecedented to residents, but a National Weather Service meteorologist said drought conditions like these are a well-documented feature of the region’s spring climate.

On Friday, April 17, a suspect was arrested in Crestview following a high-speed chase through Walton County and into Okaloosa County.

On May 30-31, the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps and Dinner At Dad’s will host a free medical clinic at Crestview High School.

The technology of drones grew to popularity back in 2013. A small piece of metal or plastic with four rotating blades and a camera that allowed people to capture stunning scenery that normally would be difficult to achieve.


Now, drones are being used at major sporting events to put on light shows in the night sky that create fascinating images for spectators. That same spectacle will make its way to Baker on May 16.

Okaloosa County commissioners voted unanimously April 7 to partner with Divers Alert Network, a nonprofit recognized worldwide for dive safety research and emergency medicine, as the county prepares to sink the SS United States as an artificial reef.

Joining the military is the bravest and most courageous act that a citizen of the United States can do. They choose to sacrifice their lives to fight for and defend the freedoms this country was founded upon.


But there is a silent sacrifice that most people don’t see from the children of a military family.

The Jan. 21 death of L’Twan Mitchell while in custody at Okaloosa Correctional Institution has drawn the attention of the NAACP Okaloosa County branch. Several members of Mitchell’s family have questioned the death.

The NAACP said in a statement that it has initiated a legal redress review to assist the family in understanding the events surrounding Mitchell’s death. Mitchell was reportedly found unresponsive in the prison infirmary.

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners voted March 24 to ban red-light cameras and speed enforcement cameras from county-owned rights of way and county-maintained roads, citing due process concerns raised by a recent Florida court ruling.

Doug Chico didn’t plan to run for Congress. The 35-year-old Navy veteran and sixth-generation Northwest Florida native said he’d rather spend more time with his family. But a local surveillance camera rollout last fall set him on a path to challenge incumbent Rep. Jimmy Patronis in the August Republican primary for Florida’s 1st Congressional District.