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Firefighters demonstrating equipment at school event.

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School Board recognizes student achievement, FCCLA winners, and outgoing board member

ByAMBER PATINO 11/12/202611/12/2026

The Washington County School Board met for its regular meeting on Monday, November 9, recognizing students for outstanding academic achievement, celebrating Vernon High School FCCLA culinary competitors for their success at the National Peanut Festival, and honoring outgoing board member Cindy Johnson Brown for her four years of service to the district. Director of Assessment […]

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Washington County 4-H member wins state tailgating title

ByStaff Report 11/11/202611/11/2026

Washington County 4-H member Josh Wells recently earned first place in the chicken division at the 2026 Florida 4-H Tailgating Contest. His application of a Mediterranean Lemon Yogurt marinade to chicken before grilling and serving it to the judging panel secured his top placement. While preparing and grilling, Wells was also evaluated on his knowledge […]

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Tractor Supply makes donation to Chipley Fire Department

ByAMBER PATINO 11/11/202611/11/2026

Tractor Supply in Chipley recently donated $250 to the Chipley Fire Department as part of its Hometown Heroes initiative. Pictured above are Tractor Supply team members with a Chipley firefighter during the donation presentation. [CONTRIBUTED]

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Chipley FFA forestry team places fifth in district competition

ByAMBER PATINO 11/10/202611/10/2026

Members of the Chipley FFA Forestry Team recently competed in the District 1 Forestry Competition, where the team earned a fifth-place finish. Team members (pictured above) included Lane, Jaxson, Sarah Jane, and Paisley. [CONTRIBUTED]

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DeSantis proclaims November Veterans Appreciation Month in Florida

ByGARRETT VALCOURT 11/10/202611/10/2026

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially recognized November 11, 2026, as Veterans Day and designated the entire month of November as Veterans Appreciation Month, calling on Floridians to honor the courage, sacrifice and lasting contributions of the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The proclamation, signed October 30, recognizes […]

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Chipley Woman’s Club hosts free first responder appreciation lunch

ByAMBER PATINO 11/10/202611/10/2026

The GFWC Chipley Woman’s Club hosted a free spaghetti lunch for Washington County first responders on November 6 as a gesture of appreciation for the men and women who serve and protect the community. The event provided local first responders with a complimentary meal and an opportunity to be recognized for their service and dedication. […]

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Crime

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Cottondale man charged with attempted murder after Chipley shooting

ByStaff Report 11/05/202611/05/2026

An 18-year-old Cottondale man is facing four counts of attempted murder following a shooting that critically injured a 17-year-old male on the evening of Wednesday, November 4 in Chipley, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies and officers with the Chipley Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 6:55 p.m. […]

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Hawkins sentenced to life for child molestation

ByStaff Report 11/03/202611/03/2026

Ronald Gene Hawkins was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday, November 3, after being convicted of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child younger than 12, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. Hawkins was arrested in January 2025 following a Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigation into allegations of sexual abuse. He was later arrested in […]

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Washington County woman arrested on child neglect charge

ByStaff Report 10/30/202610/30/2026

A call to a local school led to the arrest of 29-year-old Angela Jade Anderson of Washington County on a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm. School staff reported that Anderson called and asked whether her 6-year-old daughter was in attendance. When staff confirmed the child was not at school and had not […]

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Deadlocked jury leads to mistrial in McFatter Case

ByGARRETT VALCOURT 10/27/202610/27/2026

A Washington County jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict Wednesday, October 21, in the sexual battery trial of former Grace Fellowship Christian Academy principal Aaron Michael McFatter, prompting Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson to declare a mistrial. The development comes more than two years after McFatter was arrested following allegations of inappropriate sexual contact […]

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Crime | News

Cottondale man arrested after traffic stop leads to discovery of meth, firearms

ByStaff Report 10/07/202610/07/2026

A Cottondale man was arrested Monday evening after a traffic stop in Washington County led deputies to the discovery of multiple firearms, suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 7:30 p.m. October 6, WCSO deputies conducted a traffic stop near Rock Hill Church Road and Rock Circle. The […]

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Chipley man sentenced to 30 years for 2024 manslaughter

ByGARRETT VALCOURT 10/06/202610/06/2026

A Chipley man convicted of manslaughter with a firearm in connection with a 2024 fatal shooting was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in state prison. Kyle Michael Porter, 26, appeared in Washington County court Tuesday, October 6, where Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson imposed the 30-year sentence. Porter was found guilty of manslaughter with […]

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State News

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Florida midterms drew second highest turnout in three decades

ByStaff Report 11/10/202611/10/2026

Overall voter turnout for the midterm election in Florida was 60.9%, the second-highest in the last 30 years. This year’s total was about 7 percentage points ahead of the 2022 midterm election but two percentage points behind 2018, when Gov. Ron DeSantis was first elected. “The turnout results, the percentage of turnout and the enthusiasm […]

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Florida executes inmate for 2004 murder of Walton County woman

ByStaff Report 11/06/202611/06/2026

Jesse Guardado, who murdered a Panhandle woman in 2004 after she helped him rebuild his life following his release from jail, was put to death by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on Thursday, November 5. Guardado, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m., according to the Department of Corrections. He was the 19th inmate […]

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Community & Faith

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Let’s ‘fall on our knees’ this Christmas

BySheryl Boldt 12/18/202312/18/2023

As a little girl, I spent delightful moments singing about the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. I gazed at our small nativity scene. I loved looking at all the characters gathered devotedly around the newborn child: Mary and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the wise men – even the animals. The scene was […]

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Community | Faith | Faith Columns | Opinion

Disagreeing without being disagreeable

ByWashington County News 12/18/202312/18/2023

Michael Brooks I was rendered speechless—highly unusual for a Baptist preacher. I was in college serving a church in the Birmingham area as interim pastor for what became an eight-month assignment. I enjoyed the experience immensely preaching three times a week, attending deacons meetings and visiting the sick. I learned a lot and had a […]

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