Homepage

Local News

Announcements | Community | Events | Government | Local News | News | Top Stories

Washington County voters invited to meet candidates at July 16 forum

ByAMBER PATINO 07/08/202607/08/2026

Residents of Washington County will have an opportunity to hear directly from those seeking public office during the upcoming Meet the Candidates: Candidate Forum, hosted by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the GFWC Chipley Woman’s Club. The event will take place Thursday, July 16, at 5:30 p.m. in the School Board […]

Read More Washington County voters invited to meet candidates at July 16 forum
Announcements | Community | Local News | News | Top Stories

Corbin and healthcare team honored with United Hero Award

ByAMBER PATINO 07/07/202607/07/2026

Northwest Florida Community Hospital recently announced that Wendy Corbin, ARNP, and her healthcare team have been awarded the United Hero Award from United Healthcare. This award recognizes healthcare teams that demonstrate exceptional dedication, compassion, and excellence in delivering high‑quality patient care. The hospital said Corbin and her team go above and beyond to serve their patients and community with […]

Read More Corbin and healthcare team honored with United Hero Award
Local News | News | Statewide | Top Stories

Desantis veto blocks raises for correctional officers

BySKYLA CARTER 07/07/202607/07/2026

Correctional officers at Holmes Correctional Institution and Northwest Florida Reception Center will not receive a proposed pay increase after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed legislation that included correctional officer raises and prison construction funding. The governor signed Florida’s 2026-27 state budget on June 29, but vetoed HB 5403-E, which would have provided a $2-per-hour pay increase […]

Read More Desantis veto blocks raises for correctional officers
Government | Local News | News | Statewide | Top Stories

Florida rewrites the rules for AI data centers as rural communities weigh growth against local concerns

ByGARRETT VALCOURT 07/07/202607/07/2026

As artificial intelligence continues driving unprecedented demand for large-scale data centers across the United States, Florida lawmakers have dramatically reshaped how the state regulates the rapidly growing industry. Those changes are drawing particular attention in rural communities such as Holmes and Washington counties, where proposed data center developments have generated significant public debate, citizen protests, […]

Read More Florida rewrites the rules for AI data centers as rural communities weigh growth against local concerns
Community | Events | Local News | News | Top Stories

Washington County celebrates America’s 250th with fireworks, food, and hometown fun

ByAMBER PATINO 07/07/202607/07/2026

Washington County residents marked America’s 250th birthday with celebrations that brought families together for food, music, and fireworks on Saturday, July 4. In Vernon, the city hosted its Independence Day Parade and Festival at the Vernon Sportsplex. The evening featured live performances by gospel singer Leah Pettis and headliner Christon Birge, followed by a fireworks show for attendees to enjoy. The […]

Read More Washington County celebrates America’s 250th with fireworks, food, and hometown fun
Announcements | Community | Local News | News | Top Stories

Cool Cop Polar Patrol brings summer smiles to Chipley

ByAMBER PATINO 07/03/202607/03/2026

The Chipley Police Department has launched its Cool Cop Polar Patrol, a summer community outreach program designed to build positive connections between officers and local families. Each week, officers will visit different areas of Chipley, announcing scheduled dates, times, and locations on the department’s social media. Visits will be planned around officers’ time and duty […]

Read More Cool Cop Polar Patrol brings summer smiles to Chipley

Crime

Crime | Local News | News | Top Stories

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. […]

Read More Chipley man charged in fatal Orange Hill Road shooting
Community | Crime | News | Staff Report | Top Stories

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 […]

Read More Dothan man killed in fatal Washington County vehicle crash
Crime | Local News | News | Top Stories

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 […]

Read More Driver arrested following high-speed pursuit on Interstate 10
Community | Crime | Local News | News | Top Stories

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 […]

Read More Bonifay Police reopen 2015 stabbing case; survivor now hopeful for justice
Crime | Local News | News | Top Stories

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 […]

Read More Caryville woman pleads no contest in Holmes County fentanyl death case
Crime | Local News | News | Top Stories

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 […]

Read More Colorado arrest made in Washington County child exploitation investigation

State News

Staff Report | State News | Top Stories

Hurricane season now envisioned ‘well below normal’

ByStaff Report 07/08/202607/08/2026

Storm forecasters have further downgraded predictions a little more than a month into the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which has so far produced a single named tropical system. For a season initially anticipated to be “somewhat below normal,” Colorado State University researchers on Wednesday reduced their projections for the number of named systems and the […]

Read More Hurricane season now envisioned ‘well below normal’
Staff Report | State News | Top Stories

Federal court halts Florida law banning ‘woke’ instruction in universities

ByStaff Report 07/07/202607/07/2026

A federal appeals court on Tuesday left in place a district court’s preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Florida’s law banning “woke” instruction at public universities. In a 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the state’s argument that it could control the speech of public university professors. Writing […]

Read More Federal court halts Florida law banning ‘woke’ instruction in universities

Community & Faith

Community | Faith | Faith Columns | Opinion

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 […]

Read More Let’s ‘fall on our knees’ this Christmas
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 […]

Read More Disagreeing without being disagreeable

Category

Archive

Government News

You Missed