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Good morning!
Here’s what we are covering today:
- Fort Walton Beach High School connects students with opportunities through an expanded career fair featuring 130 local businesses, while Choctawhatchee High School celebrates a state championship in weightlifting. A 98-year-old Vietnam veteran experiences a special moment at Hurlburt Field, over 250 parents gain insights at a county workshop, and junior golfers compete for championships at Shalimar Pointe.
SCHOOL
Parenting workshop draws over 250 attendees in Okaloosa County
The Okaloosa County School District’s recent parenting workshop attracted more than 250 participants, officials announced Friday.
- The “Parenting Through Big Emotions” event, held April 11 at Beachside Community Church in Fort Walton Beach, drew 143 adults and 111 children, according to a district press release.
The workshop provided parents with practical strategies for managing children’s emotional experiences. Ninety volunteers from Beachside Community Church, the school district and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. helped coordinate the event.
While adults participated in learning sessions, children enjoyed various activities including small and large group sessions, singing, dancing and games. Organizers provided childcare and dinner so parents could fully engage with the content.
- “Partnering with the School District to host Parenting Through Big Emotions was an incredible opportunity,” said Jonathan Watson, lead pastor at Beachside Community Church. “Beachside is passionate about supporting families in our community, and this event gave parents practical tools and encouragement to navigate the emotional ups and downs of raising kids.”
Following positive feedback, the district plans to hold a similar event in the northern part of the county. For more information about upcoming events, visit okaloosaschools.com or beachsidecc.org.
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SPORTS
AJGA junior golf tournament crowns champions at Shalimar Pointe
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) returned to the Florida Panhandle over the weekend with the AJGA Preview presented by Destin-Fort Walton Beach at the Shalimar Pointe Golf Club.
- The tournament, which ran April 11-13, featured 78 junior golfers ages 12-19 from across the country. For many participants, this marked their first opportunity to compete in a nationally ranked event.
Emily Storm of Lakewood Ranch, Florida, captured the Girls Division title with a 7-over-par 151, securing her first AJGA win. Storm landed a clutch birdie at the end to clinch the tournament and carded five birdies throughout the event.
“This win proves to me that as long as I stick to playing my game, I can come out on top in any tournament,” Storm said. The tournament marked her first AJGA appearance.
In the Boys Division, Jacksonville’s Ethan Gossman claimed victory with a 5-over-par 149, winning in dramatic fashion with a birdie in a one-hole playoff. Gossman, who recorded six birdies throughout the competition, shot a bogey-free back nine in the first round.
“The most important thing for me going into the playoff was to forget how I finished in those final holes and keep my composure,” Gossman said. “In golf, you have to have a short memory.”
- Part of the AJGA’s Preview Series, the tournament was designed for first-time AJGA participants and younger juniors looking to build their tournament résumés. The series serves as a steppingstone for those aspiring to compete at collegiate or professional levels.
Shalimar Pointe Golf Club, known for hosting U.S. Open qualifiers, welcomed the AJGA for the first time. The 18-hole Dye-Finger designed course featured tree-lined fairways, strategically placed bunkers and manicured greens along the shores of Choctawhatchee Bay.
The AJGA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of young golfers seeking college scholarships. Its alumni include professional golfers like Patrick Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Tiger Woods, Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang.
MILITARY
98-Year-Old Vietnam Veteran witnesses new Skyraider’s arrival at Hurlburt Field
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Bill Buice, a 98-year-old Vietnam War veteran, recently attended a special ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Florida, where he witnessed the arrival of the first OA-1K Skyraider II.
- This emotional moment connected his past as an A-1 Skyraider pilot to the aircraft’s modern successor.
During the April 3rd ceremony, Buice was reunited with Phillip Jennings, the Air America helicopter pilot who rescued him after his original Skyraider was shot down over Laos in July 1968. That incident, which left Buice with a career-ending shoulder injury, occurred while he was providing cover for American helicopters near the Vietnam border.
The new OA-1K Skyraider II will serve with Air Force Special Operations Command, carrying on the legacy of its predecessor with advanced weapons systems for light attack and reconnaissance missions.
- “I hope they embrace the challenges, the accomplishments—even the fear and the adrenaline,” Buice said to future Skyraider pilots. “There will be a day when they can no longer do this. Today is not that day.”
Today, Buice resides at the Hawthorne House, an assisted living neighborhood in the Air Force Enlisted Village in Shalimar, Florida, just a short distance from where the ceremony took place.
SPORTS
Choctawhatchee High School weightlifting team captures state championship
Choctawhatchee High School’s boys weightlifting team has secured the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Traditional Boys Weightlifting Class 2A State Championship while finishing as state runners-up in the Olympic division.
Here’s how the boys did:
- Dawson Newnam (169 lbs) — 1st place in Traditional; 1st place and state record in Olympic
- Brandon Stenger (219 lbs) — 2nd place in Traditional; 1st place and state record in Olympic
- Alex Urtecho (238 lbs) — 3rd place in both Traditional and Olympic
- Boston Murray (199 lbs) — 4th place in Traditional
- Von Keller (199 lbs) — 5th place in Traditional; 6th place in Olympic
- Sam Nelson (unlimited weight class) — 2nd place in Traditional; 6th place in Olympic
- Bryan DeLeon (139 lbs) — 6th place in Traditional
SCHOOL
Fort Walton Beach High School hosts expanding career fair with 130 local businesses
Fort Walton Beach High School transformed its gymnasium into a hub of opportunity Friday as it held its second annual Viking Voyage Career Fair, bringing together students and more than 130 local businesses and organizations.
- The event, which has grown significantly from approximately 80 vendors last year, connected students with potential employers, colleges, and career paths ranging from law and medicine to trades and military service.
“Today we have our second annual Viking Voyage career fair,” said Principal Lindsey Smith. “We’ve got about 130 local businesses and organizations including different college programs and military branches.”
Smith emphasized that some businesses were actively hiring students during the fair, continuing a trend from previous year where several students secured summer employment through connections made at the event.
In preparation for this year’s fair, the school introduced students to Xello, an online career exploration platform accessible through their school accounts.
- “It’s a service that we’re able to provide and we just really wanted to amp it up this year,” Smith said. “Students can do career inventory, look into careers, and even build a resume. They can do a life simulation where they see how much things cost and then how much their career could pay towards those things.”
According to Dr. Linda Dugan, Professional School Counselor at FWBHS, this focus on career readiness aligns with Florida’s House Bill 571, which emphasizes introducing careers to students across all grade levels.
“We implemented what’s called Xello. It’s something that the state of Florida implemented where all of our students and our staff have been trained on how to research different careers and to match into careers and explorations, and abilities and skills,” Dugan said.
This preparation proved valuable as students arrived at the fair with specific questions and interests. The entire student body of approximately 1,500 students cycled through the event in four waves, ensuring all students had access to the resources.
- “They get so excited. You’ve been walking around in there and you can feel it,” Smith said. “They’re talking to different people and I think with the incorporation of the preparation into this one, they have real questions to ask.”
The fair featured a diverse range of career options, emphasizing opportunities for all students regardless of whether they plan to attend college or enter the workforce directly after graduation.
“Some of our students will have the opportunity for internships directly from this fair,” Dugan explained. “Some of them are going right into the work field. So for those students, this is a great start. Many of them can work all the way up to managers or owning their own company one day.”
Fleet, Smith and Freeman Law Firm in Shalimar has participated again this year and believes in the importance of community involvement.
- “It truly takes a village to support these young people as they find their path,” said Bart Fleet. “As local attorneys who grew up in this community, it’s incredibly important for our firm to be part of giving back. I enjoy the mix of questions from the students, even when they’re just stopping by for a piece of candy – it still creates an opportunity for connection.”
For businesses like Advanced Fire Protective Services in Fort Walton Beach, the fair offers a chance to showcase diverse career paths outside traditional college routes.
“These events are invaluable for getting in front of students and showing them the range of opportunities available right here in their community,” said Sean Galkowski from AFPS. “We offer various employment options, especially for those looking to enter the workforce directly after high school. We have several employees who’ve been with us over 20 years, showing students that these careers can provide long-term stability and growth.”
Senior Laura Spolski has immersed herself in school life during her time at FWBHS, participating in eight clubs and three different sports. With just 28 days left until graduation, she’s been working with the guidance office to help prepare for the career fair while also planning her own future.
As a volunteer with the guidance office, Spolski has attended both career fairs during her high school career and has witnessed the event’s growth firsthand. She credits the fair with helping her clarify her own path toward accounting at Northwest Florida State College, where she’ll be attending in the fall.
- “I think a lot of us don’t realize how many things are available to us,” Spolski said. “There’s so many different outlets for everyone depending on what they want to do. Our Viking Voyage offers a bit of security knowing there are opportunities after we graduate.”
The career fair has also connected Spolski with scholarship opportunities through Northwest Florida State College, addressing a key concern for many graduating seniors.
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