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Free meals to continue for all students in Holmes and Washington schools

ByAMBER PATINO 06/25/202606/25/2026

Students in both Holmes County and Washington County will once again receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2026–2027 school year, as both districts continue their participation in the Community Eligibility Provision. The program allows schools to serve meals at no cost to all enrolled students, regardless of household income, and families are not required […]

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FPL joins local councils on aging to support senior hurricane preparedness

ByAMBER PATINO 06/25/202606/25/2026

Florida Power & Light (FPL) recently partnered with the Washington County Council on Aging (WCCOA) and the Holmes Council on Aging (HCOA) to distribute hurricane preparedness meal kits to local seniors ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season. The kits, designed to help residents aged 60 and older prepare for potential storm impacts, include three days of shelf‑stable food, water, and snacks, along with a hurricane preparedness guide […]

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WCCOA members take a scenic trip to explore Vernon’s history

ByAMBER PATINO 06/25/202606/25/2026

Members of the Washington County Council on Aging (WCCOA) recently took a scenic trip to Vernon, where they toured the Vernon Historical Society Museum and explored local artifacts and stories celebrating the county’s heritage. The group later gathered for lunch at Dee’s Restaurant with Chipley Mayor and WCCOA Board Vice President Tracy Andrews. The outing was […]

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Chipley library project expands access to programs and facilities

ByAli Moreland 06/25/202606/25/2026

Construction continues on a major expansion of the Washington County Public Library Chipley branch, and library leaders say the project will improve access to programs and technology, create a needed indoor community gathering space, and address space limitations within the facility. Work on the expansion officially began in January 2026 and is expected to be […]

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Ribbon cutting celebrates historic landmark’s transformation into public gathering space

ByAli Moreland 06/22/202606/22/2026

The City of Chipley along with the Washington County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of the revitalized Historic First National Bank, also known as the Mongoven Building on Monday, June 22, at 8:30 a.m. Once slated for demolition, the historic 1905 structure has been transformed into a public gathering space that preserves key […]

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Emergency care reaches new heights in Washington County

BySKYLA CARTER 06/19/202606/19/2026

Washington County residents will soon have faster access to critical emergency care through a locally based air medical transport service, following action by county commissioners to bring Survival Flight operations to the area. At its Thursday, June 18 meeting, the Washington County Board of County Commissioners approved a ground lease agreement with Survival Flight, allowing […]

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Crime

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Chipley man charged in fatal Orange Hill Road shooting

ByStaff Report 06/07/202606/07/2026

According to a release from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), on Saturday, June 6, the Washington County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a shooting on Orange Hill Road in Chipley, where the caller advised that Chris Gomelski had been shot and that the suspect was next door, allegedly armed and attempting to leave the property. […]

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Dothan man killed in fatal Washington County vehicle crash

ByWMBB 06/06/202606/06/2026

A Dothan man is dead after a vehicle accident in Washington County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two men were traveling north on State Road 79 in a truck tractor when it veered off the roadway. After the vehicle left the roadway, it continued travelling north east before colliding with a culvert, and then […]

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Driver arrested following high-speed pursuit on Interstate 10

ByStaff Report 06/06/202606/06/2026

On Saturday, June 6, at approximately 12 a.m., deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) observed a vehicle committing a traffic violation on Interstate 10 near Caryville. When a deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the driver accelerated and fled, reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph. During the pursuit, the driver began discarding items through the […]

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Bonifay Police reopen 2015 stabbing case; survivor now hopeful for justice

BySKYLA CARTER 06/02/202606/02/2026

After ten and a half years, the Bonifay Police Department (BPD) has reopened its investigation into the November 2015 stabbing of Emily Carter at her residence in Bonifay. The case previously reached a standstill in 2017 under then‑Chief Chris Wells, but with the reopening by current department leadership, Carter, who now resides in Washington County, says she feels hopeful that […]

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Caryville woman pleads no contest in Holmes County fentanyl death case

BySKYLA CARTER 05/28/202605/28/2026

A Caryville woman accused of arranging a fentanyl‑related pill sale that led to a Holmes County woman’s death pleaded no contest on Wednesday, May 6, to a reduced charge of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance under Florida Statute 893.13. According to court records, Judge Russell Roberts sentenced Jamie Dawn Ewing to two years of community control followed […]

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Colorado arrest made in Washington County child exploitation investigation

ByStaff Report 05/19/202605/19/2026

A California man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a Washington County child exploitation investigation that began October 24, 2025, when the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) received a complaint after a parent discovered obscene images of their minor child on an iPad and cellular phone. Investigators immediately initiated an investigation into the incident, according […]

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State News

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State closes Alligator Alcatraz

ByStaff Report 06/26/202606/26/2026

One year after opening, Alligator Alcatraz — the immigration detention center used by Florida and the federal government to house undocumented immigrants — is shutting down. “Alligator Alcatraz fulfilled the role that it was designed to serve,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, the site of the tented […]

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Children’s health care provider challenges state over Medicaid rate change

ByStaff Report 06/24/202606/24/2026

A large children’s health care provider is challenging the state agency that oversees Medicaid, alleging it improperly reduced reimbursement rates and jeopardized care for children across Florida. Pediatric Associates, which says it is the largest children’s health care provider in the state and serves more than 300,000 patients through offices across Florida, filed a challenge […]

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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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