DeFuniak Herald Beach Breeze

06/18/2025

👏🏼 Introducing the newest members of the WCBCC team and promotions of existing staff! Please join us in welcoming and congratulating them!

👉🏼 If you or someone you know is interested in a career with the Walton County Board of County Commissioners, visit: https://waltoncountyfl.munisselfservice.com/employmentopportunities/

06/18/2025

Emergency Alert 🚨 Motor Vehicle Accident

A motor vehicle accident has been reported at the I-10 and 331 South on the Eastbound ramp. Please use caution ⚠️ driving in the area and move over for emergency vehicles.

06/18/2025

06/17/2025

Senior graduation photos from our Walton County High Schools plus Ponce de Leon are in this week’s edition of the DeFuniak Herald with a total around 700 for the 2024-25 school year.

06/17/2025

Please join us in welcoming our new coaches for the 2025-2026 school year! 🎉

🥎 🏈 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 - 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 / 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 (𝐈𝐋𝐁)
Coach Jordan is going into his 30th year in education. He's been married for 30 years, and his wife, Amy, is also employed with WCSD. They have two sons, Hunter Jordan (30) and Tucker Jordan (25). Coach Jordan is also the strength & conditioning coach for Walton High School and the inside linebackers coach on the football team. Coach Jordan brings over 20 years of head coaching experience. He's the winningest football coach in Blountstown history with 122 wins. As head football coach, Coach Jordan has won 157 games with a .700 winning percentage. He's also earned three state runner-up finishes and one state weightlifting championship in his career.

🏈 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐞𝐬 - 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 (𝐐𝐁’𝐬)
Coach Lees is going into his 34th year coaching. His wife of 31 years, Beth, is also a WCSD employee. They have two children, Mary Katherine (28) and Carter (23). Coach Lees brings 19 years of head coaching experience with Zion Chapel, West Florida High, and Milton High School. As a head coach, Coach Lees has won nine district titles and over 100 games. He's also served as an assistant at Charles Henderson, Oak Grove, Escambia, and Pace.

🏀 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐜𝐤 - 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥
Coach Mock is a graduate of Paxton School and coached boys basketball and baseball at Paxton for the past two seasons.
Coach Mock's wife, Hydie, is an instructional aide at West DeFuniak Elementary.

🏐 𝐊𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐜𝐤 - 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡
Coach Peck grew up in Panama City and is a graduate of Mosley High School, where he played basketball and ran track. He began playing beach volleyball when he was 16 and played in semi-professional tournaments all over the country, in addition to playing open level indoor volleyball. He began his coaching career at Miami Christian School in 2000 and has been coaching ever since. He's enjoyed working as collegiate coach for nearly 20 years, including stints as a Division 1 assistant coach and a Division 2 and NJCAA Head Coach, with stops at Carson Newman University, Lake Erie College, and Gulf Coast State College. Coach Peck is also a certified strength & conditioning coach, as well as a national indoor & beach volleyball referee.

🏈 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐭 - 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 (𝐖𝐑’𝐒)
Coach Scott is entering his first season as the wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator at Walton High School. Prior to joining Walton, Scott served as the running backs coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, for the 2023-2024 seasons where he helped compile a 19-4 record. In 2024 the Tigers posted a 10-2 record, earning a Great American Conference Championship and a berth into the 2024 NCAA D2 Playoffs. He's entering into his fourth season coaching. Prior to Ouachita, Scott served as the assistant wide receivers coach at Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee, for the 2022-2023 season. In 2022, the Wildcats posted a 11-1 record, earning a Mid-South Conference Championship and a berth into the 2022 NAIA Playoffs. Originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas, Scott started his college-playing career at Missouri Valley College before transferring to Bethel University for three seasons.

🏈 🥎 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 - 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 (𝐃𝐋) / 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥
Coach Womble comes to Walton High School with 16 years of coaching experience between Florida and Georgia. Most recently Coach Womble was the head football coach at Holmes County High School where he compiled a 34-29 record over six years. Coach Womble and wife Erika have five children (Kiersten, Brady, Charlie, David, and Taylor).

06/16/2025

06/16/2025

06/16/2025

Basketball camp is two weeks away!! Time to register!!

06/14/2025

06/13/2025

📢🗳️‼️🇺🇸 Local Election Alert for voters who live in the incorporated city boundaries of Freeport.
- Sample ballot available at rb.gy/s1jeei.
- Check your status, eligibility, and more at VoteWalton.gov/Info

Election Day is July 8th. Polls open: 7:00 am-7:00 pm.
Vote at Freeport City Hall located at 112 State Hwy 20 West.

ℹ️ Please Note: The City of Freeport conducts their elections, administered by the City Clerk and certified by the members of the City Canvassing Board. The role of the Walton County Supervisor of Elections Office is to provide services to the city to assist, including providing ballots, equipment, and the list of eligible voters.

06/13/2025

Okaloosa and Walton Counties Traffic Advisory

Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Okaloosa and Walton counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.

Okaloosa County:

Brooks Bridge Replacement Project – Drivers may encounter the following traffic disruptions, Sunday, June 15 through Thursday, June 19, between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for utility work and construction activities:
U.S. 98 alternating lane closures between Ferry Road and Pier Road.
Santa Rosa Boulevard alternating lane closures from east of Amberjack Drive to Ross Marler Park.
Interstate 10 (I-10) Resurfacing from west of Yellow River to east of Shoal River – Drivers will encounter alternating I-10 lane closures between mile markers 50 and 60, Sunday, June 15 through Thursday, June 19, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for striping operations.
U.S. 98 Resurfacing from Josie Road to Florida Place Southeast – Drivers may encounter intermittent U.S. 98 lane closures, between Josie Road in Mary Esther and Florida Place Southeast in Fort Walton Beach, Sunday, June 15 through Thursday, June 19, between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. for signalization work and for crews to place thermoplastic striping.
State Road (S.R.) 85 Resurfacing and Safety Improvements from Hospital Drive to U.S. 90 – Drivers may encounter intermittent S.R. 85 lane closures, from Hospital Drive to U.S. 90, Sunday, June 15 through Thursday, June 19, from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for paving operations.
S.R. 85 Improvements from S.R. 123 to Hospital Drive – Drivers may encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions, Sunday, June 15 through Thursday, June 19, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.:
S.R. 85 lane closures, from south of Shoal River to P.J. Adams Parkway, for guardrail installation.
S.R. 85 northbound right-turn lane closures at John King Road.
S.R. 85 Utility Maintenance from 10th Avenue to Gardner Drive – Motorists may encounter intermittent lane closures Friday, June 13 through Thursday, June 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for power pole replacement.
Walton County:

U.S. 331 Resurfacing Project from south of I-10 to U.S. 90 The week of Sunday, June 15, drivers will encounter the following construction-related traffic disruptions:
o The U.S. 331 northbound outside right-turn lane is temporarily closed at the U.S. 90 intersection.

o One U.S. 331 northbound left-turn lane, and one lane for both left- and right-turn movements, are available to access U.S. 90.

o The U.S. 90 westbound outside travel lane is temporarily closed, between 11th Street and U.S. 331. One U.S. 90 westbound travel lane and one left-turn lane to access U.S. 331 remain open.



All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.