Emerald Coast Florida

GAO Names Local Contractor In Audit Report Christopher Saul February 10, 2026 10:42 am Eglin Air Force Base The United States Government Accountability Office named a Crestview defense contractor in a February 4, 2026 report concerning unaccounted-for government property in an inventory management system.    It’s the latest issue in DoD audits, a problem auditors at the Government Accountability Office have flagged for at least two decades without any change.    The report claimed Reliance Test and Technology, a contractor based out of Crestview, could not locate 18 of 96 sampled items at its facility on Eglin Air Force Base. Reliance Test and Technology was just one of several companies named in the report.    The missing items were a part of $118.4 billion in assets the U.S. government entrusts to contractors, according to the GAO report. The Air Force’s Stock Control (D305) system tracks government assets. The GAO said they could not find an oscilloscope, a heater, and a signal generator – among other items.   “GAO also found that the Air Force’s D035 system did not accurately record equipment that contractors returned when no longer needed for contract performance. This is because the Air Force Program Office did not establish an integrated product team to develop appropriate disposition instructions and system updates, as required by policy. As a result, the Air Force may be unaware of general equipment it has in stock and risks purchasing items unnecessarily,” the report scolded.    As a result of the report, the...

New Challenger Jerry Buckman Emerges in High-Stakes School Board Election Staff Reports February 10, 2026 9:05 am Okaloosa County, Schools and Education In Brief: Jerry Buckman announced his candidacy for the Okaloosa School Board District One. He cited military service, substitute teaching experience, and family ties to local schools. Buckman outlined education priorities and pledged to donate his school board salary to teachers Jerry Buckman has announced his candidacy for the Okaloosa County School Board, District One, citing his military background, long-term residency, and involvement in local schools as key factors in his decision to run. Buckman ran against Dr. Lamar White in the closest run of three school board elections four years ago. Buckman garnered 47% of the vote against the incumbent in that election.  This time around, with White out of the race – Buckman will face Cynthia West and former Okaloosa Clerk of Court JD Peacock.  Buckman is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with nearly 40 years of service, much of it in Special Operations. He has lived in Okaloosa County since 1980 and said his family has longstanding ties to the local school system, including multiple graduates from Choctawhatchee High School and Crestview High School, a current student at Shalimar Elementary School, and another family member preparing to graduate from Choctawhatchee. In his announcement, Buckman stated that he has also worked as a substitute teacher, including assignments involving at-risk students, which he said provided firsthand insight into classroom challenges and district needs. Buckman said his...

  Stroll along lush tropical pathways just steps from the Gulf Coast at Pier Park in Panama City Beach. This premier open-air shopping, dining, and entertainment destination brings together hundreds of places to eat, shop, and play in a vibrant, walkable setting. Conveniently located across from the  

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Protestors are getting younger and younger as a trend of school walkouts in opposition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps the country. Fort Walton Beach High School students gathered in Liza Jackson Park to march in protest against the state of immigration enforcement in the country. And march they did.

Valparaiso could make THIS MUCH money every day from a new speed camera near Eglin: Christopher Saul February 9, 2026 8:55 pm Eglin Air Force Base, Valparaiso Speeding around the Lewis School School Zone on John Sims Parkway in Valparaiso may soon see a dramatic drop. Commissioners listened to a pitch by a company called Blue Line Solutions that proposed the installation of school zone speed cameras that would operate about 200 meters from Eglin Air Force Base’s East Gate.  Similar companies have installed school zone speed cameras in Niceville, Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, and Shalimar.  While they did not approve the system for installation at Monday’s meeting, the Commission heard from Police Chief Joe Hart and representatives from the company about the technology. It gave tacit approval for the negotiations to continue – and possibly come before the commission for a vote in March.  This comes after a Blue Line-sponsored speed study found that more than 98% of drivers exceeded 10 miles per hour in the John Sims Parkway school zone during school zone hours.  What the Speed Study Showed Around Lewis School Blue Line representative Barbara Manton conducted a five-day speed study on the roads around Lewis School in Valparaiso from November 3–7. They focused on the official school zone flashing-light windows: Morning: 7:05 a.m. – 7:40 a.m. Afternoon: 1:55 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. Blue Line reported that during those limited windows: Morning (7:05–7:40) 4,376 cars passed through the school zone 4,228 of those were going more than...